But I'm Fawn'd of Puns

Souroupa giggled.

The captain, however, was not amused. He whispered something to one of the guards, who ran off. "What did you just say?" he said in a stern voice.

"Oh deer," Sunset replied, but quickly began speaking again. "But that's not the point. I didn't foal-nap, or I guess in this case it would be fawn-nap your princess."

The guards murmured amongst themselves. "Like we would believe you. Souroupa, come over here. Your mother has been worried sick about you."

"But she-" Souroupa began.

"No buts, young lady. You may be a princess, but your mother has given me orders to get you back home, and queen ranks above princess."

Souroupa sighed. "Yes Captain Propurgio." She then limped over to him, reluctantly.

"You're hurt?" he gasped.

"I'm fine," she responded.

Sunset looked around. "And what about me?" she asked.

"You will be taken into custody," the captain replied matter of factly.

Sunset thought for a moment. "So there's no way for you to just let me go and pretend this never happened?" She smiled widely at them.

"No. We will not let you taking our princess go without recompense. Either cooperate or we will take you by force."

The unicorn sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

At this, the guards readied themselves for a fight.

"But," she continued. "Since I had nothing to do with taking your princess, and the fact that it seems deer-pony relations are a bit icy, I best not let them slip any further, and come willingly. It would be just cold of me to leave you all here, and it would look bad for me."

Captain Propurgio blinked in surprise, while Souroupa just giggled some more. "I cannot be sure of that."

"Fair enough. But is there a way we can get through all this without anybody being harmed?"

The captain was again surprised. "You said anybody."

"Yeah, so?" Sunset said, raising her eyebrow.

"As in you didn't say anypony or anydeer."

"Well, I didn't want to be hurt, and I figured anybody was the most inclusive term. I don't think anyone would like it if I started saying something like any creature," Sunset reasoned.

"You... you're trying to confuse me!" Propurgio almost shouted.

"Actually, I'm not. I'm just trying to cooperate."

The captain huffed. "Then just be silent and wait here. And if you do anything-"

"Something bad will happen to me," Sunset interrupted. "I get it. I'll just sit here and be quiet, starting now."

After about fifteen minutes of waiting, Sunset was getting impatient. Captain Propurgio had not let Princess Souroupa out of his sight, and no one had uttered a word. "What are we waiting on, anyways? A professional interrogator? A magic suppression ring?"

"I said be qui- wait, a magic suppression ring?" Propurgio asked.

"Yeah, goes on the horn, doesn't allow unicorns to use their magic? I thought most deer didn't like ponies. Surely you would have a way to inhibit them if ever they were to attack and you captured one? I thought that's what you were going to put on me if I went 'the hard way' and you knocked me out."

Before the captain got a chance to respond, two deer, standing a head taller than the rest of the deer walked up. Souroupa immediately did a limp-run up to them and hugged them. "Mom! Dad!" she shouted before immediately letting go. "The guard are holding the pony who rescued me captive blaming her for my disappearance when I was really just wandering and she helped me out and brought me back here despite my injury and they need to stop," she rambled off.

The king turned to Propurgio. "Ischuro, my daughter says this pony helped her, and you decide to attack her?" he questioned.

"My king, I do not know what sort of magic this pony could have worked on your daughter, so I decided to hold her here until your arrival. She has been surprisingly cooperative for a pony."

The queen's eyes widened. "What do you mean, 'cooperative'?"

"I mean that, despite her magic, and even ability to possibly get away, she decided to allow to be held here. However, she has been constantly rude to us," the captain explained.

Sunset stepped up, and bowed to the rulers of the deer. "If I may, your majesties?" she asked.

"You may," King Helio responded swiftly, interested in the pony, not wanting to waste the opportunity as his wife might.

Sunset rose. "My name is Sunset Shimmer. I am currently living in Ponyville. I was exploring the Everfree Forest when I stumbled upon this cave. I found your daughter injured, and brought her back here. I mean you no harm. I also know not what rudeness Captain Propurgio is referring to."

"I mean those... those... those puns! They are highly offensive to us! Don't pretend you didn't know that," Propurgio explained.

"The puns? How was I supposed to know that? I didn't even know that you all existed until I stumbled upon the princess," Sunset thought out.

Souroupa spoke up once again, "I never understood that, anyways. Why are puns bad? Honestly, I'm fawn'd of puns." She then laughed at her own joke.

Sunset laughed as well, before cowering away from the look the queen gave her.

The king, however, was more understanding. "It is probably one of the things we kept from the olden days without any reason."

Queen Anthismena quickly countered her husband, "We need to honour our ancestors. If we don't we could fall into chaos."

"That doesn't mean we have to follow their traditions blindly," Helio responded.

"They knew what they were doing. Who are we to question them?"

Sunset's eyes darted between the two, and then looked at Souroupa, who backed away, a sullen look on her face.

"We are the king and queen, my love. It is our job to keep our society running smoothly. We have new information that they did not have. A pony rescued our daughter. Clearly they have changed."

The queen scoffed at him. "You mean the creatures who couldn't even get along with themselves, separating themselves by race. Unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies. Why should they have peace with us if they cannot have peace with themselves?"

Sunset quickly cut in, "We've changed, your majesties. Unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies all live together in harmony now. There has not been a war in over a hundred years." She then backed up again, slightly cowering, not knowing what the queen's response would be.

"And how do we know that you are not lying, pony?" Anthismena challenged.

Sunset thought about it for a moment, before responding, "You don't, not yet. But if you send an envoy, a diplomat, they would be able to see it for themselves. A small group of ponies could come here, of all three races, and you could see them, all friends. You could even meet with our ruler, Princess Celestia."

"Ruled by one pony? And what race is she? Which race is on top?" Anthismena questioned.

"She's actually an alicorn. A combination of all three races. Unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony. All three traits."

The queen sighed. "We will consider it. But for now, you will remain in the city, always accompanied by a guard. Souroupa, come on. Captain Propurgio, assemble the elders, we would like to discuss this with them. And put a guard on miss Shimmer here. I want us to know where she is at all times."

"Yes, my queen," the captain responded. He ordered a guard to Sunset, before heading out after the royal family.

Sunset smiled at the guard. "I guess there's hope."

Author's Note

I'm not dead! Surprise!

I know, I haven't updated in over two months. I got busy over the summer. But I'm back!

This would have been out sooner, but I had to figure out deer politics, social structure, etc. Kinda what happens when you make a new society.

But anywho, I hope to be updating often again. I should have more time to write.

Hope you all liked it!