THE PRINTING CLUE MEMOIRS
by Starlight Glimmer
PREFACE
In another world, far away in another dimension, power is gained through hereditary rights or through elections, commonly mingled with corruption and schemes, but in Equestria is a bit different. One can only achieve a position of power by doing actions of great courage, kindness and selflesness that is meant to maitain the safeguard of our world and the ponykind. These were the circumstances where Printing Clue found himself into.
Now, who was this Printing Clue? These days, the most common view of him is the one of an invader, a power-seeking alien that came to this world and subjugated everypony in his path. Well, this is myth of course and most of it it’s based on a lie. That is why I right down these words for you my dear readers.
What you’re about to read is a work of incessante months, gathering file after file with the purpose of cleaning the dark perceptions that surround the name of Printing Clue, what he did and what he stood for. I’ve collected all of his notes and books he left during his lifetime in Equestria, alongside some historical archives and organized them in a coherent storyline for everypony to read about his life and contributions to our kingdom. For you see, his actions whether you agree or not, were all about the protection and prosperity of Equestria. From the improvements of the equestrian army, to the creation of steady lines of trade, to his discoveries about magic and to the great contributions about the geography of these world, all of this has taken me to write his life down on paper. Along some creative liberties in my writing, all of the facts are true. I just altered some sections of dialogue when I had only my memory as a source. Aside from those changes, the dialogue is still worthy of his person.
Now for those who wonder… Yes, I knew him. But you have my word, dear readers, that I have no intentions in glorifying his every deed. He was not an unbreakable force as you imagine him. Besides the human he was, he had all the features anypony could have had. He was strong and effective, he had morals and he had ideals, he was kind, serious and determined, and he also could be vulnerable, stressful, stubborn, he had ambition, he was secretive and sometimes even cruel. That is the man I remember, the one I both feared and loved.
This is the story of Printing Clue and I hope you understand it.
Starlight Glimmer
Chapter I
Winter time.
A week until Hearth’s Warming Eve.
It’s the first month of winter, wich is a bit odd, because in the world I come from the winter would only begin on the 21st day of this month. But I’m in Equestria now, where winter magically begins right when the first snow arrives. It has been a very abrupt overturn of events for me and, as “magically” the winter comes along, so “magical” is the reason I’m writing today.
Today I’ve reached a plausible theory about this mysterious thing that is called Magic. But firstly I must adress some facts prior to my writing. You see, when I first came into this world it was by accident. I still ask myself how did it happen, but I fear it’ll stay this way for a long time. Upon my arrival I was captured by the royal guard amidst some local woodlands and taken to the city of Canterlot where my existence was kept a secret from the average citizen. I spent the first year in a small area of the castle under the supervision and guidance of the two sisters – Celestia and Luna. They never saw me as a threat, but letting a being from another world free in their kingdom without any knowledge of it wasn’t an option for them, I suppose. So they kept me inside the castle and made this agreement of changing information about our worlds from one to another.
I spent that anxious year learning both from books and from the words of the two princesses. I was given clothes and the essentials. There was nothing to do except reading, talking and listening. Repeating the same routing over and over again. So you can see I wasn’t allowed to do much else. I had nothing to write so I didn’t write.
Well, that changed drastically after one striking event. When invaders from the Undiscovered West had unexpectedly attacked Canterlot without any sign. This made a chance for me to gain the trust I needed to get out into the real world, because I helped on the war that had spread during the following days. After that, the princesses made my existence public, gave me honorific rewards and I was allowed to go free. But, in order to keep an eye on me, they elected me as one of their councillors while I learned about the pony world with my own eyes.
Now about that “magic” I mentioned earlier… 6 months after the conflict I have learned what I can within the reaches of Canterlot. That includes Ponyville and other villages. It was in these locations where I made my first friendships. No-one can talk about Equestria without talking about the Magic of Friendship. It has a very deep meaning for the pony kind and they take it seriously in their lives. Well, at least for the most part, because some teachings and methods about friendship might have an enforcing tone and me, being a reserved kind of man have never sympathized much with those methods. Still, its because of that same magic that I now know Starlight.
Starlight Glimmer was not the the first pony I befriended but she’s the most important to me. We got each other since the beginning and she revealed herself to me as a very generous and kind pony. Knowing her past, her habilities and talents I see with my own eyes the most powerful pony I’ve ever known. I did more friendships besides her, including the Mane 6, but as them being teachers of this friendship way of life I always keep some distance. They're all good ponies at heart but I don’t want to be a victim of influence, at least not in this world…
Now really, about that magic… After all these months I may have discovered what magic really is! I may have found the answer! Seriously, I can’t believe how these ponies have never asked themselves about this. All these spells and techniques, and yet they lacked the curiosity to understand the essence of all their magical barriers, to know where magic comes from, how ponies can wield it, how differently it reacts from pony to pony or even how does magic turns into dark magic?
I’ve got one evidence of great importance now, and when I told Starlight about it she took it with interest. It happened in a quick instance when I was in Ponyville visiting my friends just this afternoon. I was having lunch with Starlight at the Friendship School and while she was levitating the food to eat it I found myself noticing an interesting fact: when the light on her horn stopped, it didn’t just vanished instantly inwards the horn. Instead, the sparks vanished both inwards it and into thin air. But the insteresting part is that the light vanished in a dust-like way, slower than I once imagine. So my first thought was: “What if magic is based on a tiny particle that has a way to connect with the beings of this world?”
This may sound very silly but I took it seriously and I was very excited. I obviously shared the idea with Starlight and in response to my sudden excitement like some crazy fool, she made a kind laugh and right up next she wondered:
“Now when you say it like that it feels true...” – then she joked a little – “This is your excitement, now imagine Twilight’s once she hears about it”. We laughed along but then I interrupted when something troubled my mind:
“You know, maybe it’s best if she doesn’t know anything at all. Her or anypony else.” – She looked surprised and asked:
“Why do you say that?” – To which I responded:
“Well, it´s nothing to worry about, really, but imagine that this is true. If that’s so, I want it to be known as my discovery.” – she looked worried.
“Aren’t you being a little tiny greedy?” – she asked.
“No! It’s not greed! – I said roughly. Then, returning to my original tone, I proceeded – “I want my approval.”
“But you already have it, you’re a councillor for the princesses, it’s a great honour.” – Starlight noted.
“It’s not really about an approval from the princesses, but from all ponies. The ponies only know that I have helped defeating the westerners. They only know about the victory! I’m still the man from another world that appeared in a blink of an eye, stayed secretly in Canterlot and then became a councillor, just like that! I still hear whispers and murmurings behind my back! And the princesses still don’t fully trust me. They made me a councillor to keep my movements at their reach, I just know it…” – I sighed – “I know I’ve made good friends here, especially you, mostly you! But to prove the ponykind that I’m on their side I need to improve something by my own! Then I will feel safe around here.”
Starlight have been listening to me calmly and worried at the same time and said:
“I see what you mean and believe me when I say that I am your friend. If somepony for whatever reason messes with you I’ll always be on your side. If you want to discover these things on your own, don’t worry, I won’t tell Twilight nor anypony. Just be safe and take care of yourself.”
Her words were sincere. I couln’t ask anything better than her word as my friend. She let me collect some of her magic into a glass bottle. We made fun of it because neither one of us knew if anything of this was true. By that time I needed to get back to Canterlot, which is where I’m now, because tomorrow I have a very important meeting with Celestia and all the councillors of the kingdom – my very first meeting. Starlight wanted to help me on my research and all, but we have different obligations. Now that I think of it, we’re both councillors… It doesn’t surprise me that we get along so well…
Once arriving the city something of irrevocable struck my mind. Should I present my theory to princess Celestia or should I be silent for now? That made my mind spin a lot for a while, but since I am a councillor and have a fair amount of power I can do what’s necessary to maintain that power. So maybe I’ll just tell her about it once I have my first proof. I was literally a secret before Equestria knew my name after all.
After a quick look at my paperwork I started my investigation on my sample. Then I realized I had no means to view the magic up close, so I asked the commander of the Royal Guard, a unicorn named High Hill, which has been my only supporter in the council besides the princesses, if he could borrow me the only microscope ever invented in the kingdom. He knows me since I came to the castle and supported my ideas during the war, so if I want something he can get it. It just depends on the risk and this one has none for him. Currently I can’t get access to the science materials for one reason: I’m still not really a councillor, or at least in the right sense of the word. I was only named a councillor to go across the land and learn a little more of the realm in first hand, to get familiar with the equestrian governors and to the pony costumes. This meeting I am going to attend is above all else, among other themes, to discuss my place in this world, in the council and what I’ll be in charge with. So I am still vulnerable to this higher power, but I think I can prove myself to them, or at least to princess Celestia. I must be prepared for everything.
In the mean time, High Hill got me the microscope from the science department at last. It was gigantic! They should invest more time in perfecting these tools to be more maneuverable. He asked me why I needed it, to which I replied:
“I might know the answer about how can you cast magic with that thing on our head”. He wished me good luck and returned to his business. I started transfusing immediately the magic from the bottle to the microscope and the results were quite astonishing! What I saw was exactly what I’ve previously imagined: a group of tiny particles moving around from one side to the other. They were constantly moving without stopping.
I was very thrilled with my theory no longer being just a theory, but after this confirmation it just felt unaccomplished… I need to do more research and more ponies to work with me, ponies who know magic and science. Tomorrow I need to be very objective and my speech must sound firmly, in favor of the ponykind. I need to retrieve the microscope to High Hill tomorrow morning or I can get in trouble. My work will be insignificant if I don’t convence the council to invest on me. I’ll have High Hill on my side for sure and the princesses as well, but both alicorns are subject to the council's overall opinion. The right thing to do now is to rest, have a good night’s sleep and hope for the best. Success must come later, I hope.
Author's Note
I hope you did like the first impression on this story.
I have a full odyssey here to continue. Please share your opinions and I might publish the next chapter more quickly.
Have all a nice day foalks! ;P
