“I could tell,” Fluttershy admitted. For everything everypony had said about the Sand Dragon, the scariest moment had been when Salt Air burst through the sand burrow without understanding the situation. Fluttershy felt helpless watching her charge at the Sand Dragon. She knew it was only making everything worse. “But I’m glad that you’re finally ready to listen before judging new creatures.” Fluttershy smiled. “It makes all the difference in the ocean!”
Cerulean nudged Salt Air in the side, urging her to say more.
“I also wanted to say,” Salt Air added, “that… I’m sorry. And thanks. For everything.”
Fluttershy reached out her fin, letting Salt Air take it. Salt Air had been so sure of herself and so sure Fluttershy was wrong. She’d acted as if Fluttershy was just another traitor coming to ruin Seaquestria. Fluttershy felt a sense of relief wash over her now that Salt Air knew the truth. She was only trying to help.
“Friends?” Fluttershy asked, reaching out her fin.
“Friends!” Salt Air agreed as she shook it.
“Come on!” Skystar yelled, swimming out ahead of her. “The shops are closing soon!”
With that, Fluttershy darted off, following her friend into the village.
Queen Novo flitted around the great hall, studying the bouquets of water poppies in the center of each table. She checked and double-checked the place settings and made sure the napkins were clean. Then she swam through the kitchens and sampled every dish the cooks had made. When she finally emerged, she was dabbing her mouth with her fin.
“They just turned the corner toward the castle!” Queen Novo shouted.
Fluttershy’s ears were playing tricks on her. Had the queen just seen multiple Sand Dragons? “Excuse me, Your Majesty? Did you say ‘they’?”
“She did!” Skystar squealed in delight. She pointed out the window. Sure enough, Gnash was making his way through the village, followed by five other massive Sand Dragons. “It looks as if Gnash found his friends! And they’re almost here!”
“Music, please!” Queen Novo called out.
A ten-piece band was floating in the corner of the room. A glitterfish was at the piano, and three blowfish were in the horn section, playing trumpets and tubas. A spotted crab was on the guitar. He counted the whole group off, and they burst into a lively song.
Fluttershy and Skystar leaned out the window, watching the scene outside. Hundreds of villagers had come out to see the huge Sand Dragons. Only this time, instead of yelling or chanting words against them, the Seaquestrians were quietly watching their every move. Some Seafoals smiled and waved. Others applauded as the Sand Dragons clomped by, their steps slow and heavy. The Beezlebugs fell in line beside them, carrying little pieces of seaweed in their claws. Queen Novo had ordered a dozen guards to bring them into the village, and they swam on either side of them, making sure they were safe.
“Who is that?” Queen Novo asked, pointing to the Sand Dragon in the back. “He certainly dressed up for the occasion.”
Fluttershy swam to the next window to get a better view. There, at the back of the line of Sand Dragons, was Gnash. He must’ve spent hours getting ready. He was wearing a three-piece kelp-tweed suit and a top hat made of urchin shells. He’d even tucked a kerchief in his front pocket!
“That’s Gnash!” Fluttershy said with a chuckle. “Wow, who would have guessed he had such great style?”
“That’s a snazzy suit, yes, it is!” Princess Skystar laughed.
Queen Novo threw open the front gates to welcome them. There were six Sand Dragons in all, and they were all in different outfits. One of the female Sand Dragons had on a long kelp gown with huge, poufy sleeves. Her sharp claws were painted with purple squid ink.
“Welcome to Seaquestria. Please, come in!” Queen Novo said. She gestured to the giant tables in the great hall. They’d cleared out a lot of the furniture so the huge Sand Dragons would have room to move around.
“Pleasure to see you again,” Gnash said, offering the princess a little bow. “And this must be Queen Novo.”
The queen gave a deep bow. “That’s me! Thank you for agreeing to let us host and for… not eating us.”
For a second, the entire great hall froze. Even the band stopped playing their music. Everypony was worried about what Gnash would do. They couldn’t have Sand Dragons losing their temper in the middle of the great hall.
After a long pause, Gnash just laughed. “Very funny!” he said, stomping his claw on the stone. “You’re funny.”
Queen Novo smiled, sharing a look with Fluttershy as the music began again.
There were more moments like that throughout the night, when everypony seemed unsure about Gnash and his friends. Were they about to lose their tempers and destroy the whole castle? Could they really be trusted?
But those moments always passed, and the answers eventually seemed clear. (No, they wouldn’t destroy the castle. Yes, they could be trusted.) As Queen Novo held up her glass at the end of the night, it really did feel as if the Sand Dragons and Seaponies were becoming friends. Gnash had spent a good hour introducing each of the hundreds of Beezlebugs by name and title.
“To centuries of good will!” Queen Novo said, offering a toast.
“To centuries of good will!” the Sand Dragons called out.
“And to all the seaweed we can eat!” Skystar added, laughing. “I’m really looking forward to that!”
The whole room clinked glasses. Fluttershy smiled as she sipped her cider, happy she’d played some small part in it all.
“This was one of the most interesting days I’ve had in a loooooong time,” Skystar said, giving her friend a hug.
“Really?” Fluttershy asked, hoping that was a good thing.
“Yeah!” Skystar said. “For once, I didn’t make a single thing out of seashells….”
“Oh no, did you still want to do that?” Fluttershy said, pulling Skystar away from the dance floor. “Because there’s still time if we—”
“No, silly!” Skystar giggled. “Who has time for shells when they’ve got a best friend to cut a rug with?! Come on!” The princess grabbed Fluttershy’s fin, and they rushed back out into the middle of the floor.
When the band started a faster song, the two Seaponies twirled around in the water, dancing between the giant Sand Dragons, Queen Novo, the Beezlebugs, and the guards. For the first time in the history of Seaquestria, they were all together, and they were having fun—all because they were going with the flow of friendship.
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SEE HOW THE STORY BEGAN! AVAILABLE NOW
PROLOGUE
Tempest Shadow stood on the deck of the airship, looking down at Canterlot. The royal castle stood in the middle of the capital. She was hidden in the clouds high above. Nopony could see her. Nopony even knew she was there.
“It’s an impressive city,” she said, turning to Grubber. “But we have our chance. The Friendship Festival is happening soon.”
“You think that would be a good time to steal the magic from the princesses?” Grubber asked. He sat next to her on the deck of the ship, talking in between bites of his muffin.
“The perfect time. We can descend from the airship to be safe,” Tempest said. “There will be so many ponies in Canterlot during the festival, and everypony will be busy and having fun. We’ll take them all by surprise.”
“Genius plan,” Grubber said.
“Now let’s take one last look around. We should find out exactly where the entrance to the castle is, and what each of the princesses looks like. The more we know about Canterlot before t
he Friendship Festival, the better.”
“But don’t I need a disguise?” Grubber asked.
It felt like years since Tempest Shadow had met Grubber. The short, round creature was less than half her size, with a tuft of white hair and piercing blue eyes. She hadn’t seen a creature like him before, in Equestria or anywhere else.
She grabbed two cloaks from the airship cabin and draped one over herself and one over Grubber. Then she ordered the ship down toward Canterlot. They’d dock on the outskirts of the city and make their way to the center. Who knew what they would find there…?
CHAPTER ONE
The young Unicorn walked through the forest, her two best friends right beside her. Glitter Drops and Spring Rain were Unicorns, too, and together the three of them liked to practice their magic. Every morning they’d venture out into the forest or explore the mountains by their small town, taking a break now and then to play ball.
“There it is,” the young Unicorn said as they stepped into the clearing. She stared into the sky.
Canterlot was high above them. The capital of Equestria was perched in the mountains and could be seen for miles around. The three friends had never actually been there, but they’d heard hundreds of stories. The city was filled with ivory towers and waterfalls, shimmering spires and majestic views. Most important, it was the home of two of the three princesses, and a common spot for them to meet.
The three princesses were Alicorns, or Unicorns with powerful wings. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna controlled the sun and the moon, and Princess Cadance was the ruler of the Crystal Empire. She had been Princess Celestia’s apprentice when she was younger.
“Do you think we’ll ever get there?” Spring Rain asked.
“Of course we will,” the young Unicorn said. “And who knows…”
Glitter Drops smiled. “Maybe one of us will become a princess one day, too.”
“But first, Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns,” the young Unicorn said. “Where all the most talented Unicorns learn to focus their powerful magic. We’ll get there someday; I know we will.”
The young Unicorn couldn’t admit it to even her closest friends, but she thought about Princess Celestia’s school every single day. She dreamed about studying in Canterlot, of learning to make magic that glowed and sparked with power. She’d work as hard as she could to make Princess Celestia proud. Sometimes she even imagined becoming an Alicorn herself. Would she ever be given wings? Could she ever be that powerful?
There were entrance exams every spring. The young Unicorn hoped she’d be ready when they came around one moon. She wanted to attend the school as soon as she could. It was hard waiting for something you wanted so much.
“Let’s practice,” she said, turning to Glitter Drops and Spring Rain. “Let’s levitate the ball.”
Glitter Drops’s horn sparked and glowed. She took the ball from her satchel and sent it flying off into the woods. The young Unicorn darted after it, weaving in and out of the trees. She could just see the ball up ahead, glowing in the air. It was like the bouncy balls other ponies tossed back and forth, only this one was special. If she focused her magic, she could make it float and glow with a beautiful white light. It looked like the moon.
“I can’t keep up!” Glitter Drops called out. She was running as fast as she could through the forest, but the ball was always a little ahead of her. She laughed as she ran, clearly loving the way the wind felt in her mane.
Spring Rain darted out in front of the young Unicorn. She raced across the ground to the ball, but she stumbled and fell. She hadn’t been concentrating hard enough, but that wasn’t her fault. It was tough to concentrate on her magic, run really fast, and keep her eyes on the ball.
The young Unicorn galloped out in front of both of her friends. The ball was up ahead.
She was so close. She just had to run a little faster….
“Where’d it go?” Spring Rain’s voice called out. “It disappeared!”
The young Unicorn stopped at the mouth of a cave. The ball had floated inside. She could still see the glowing light, but it was dimmer now. The ball was somewhere in there, deep in the mountain.
“Oh no…” Glitter Drops stopped right behind her. She peered inside. The cave was so dark they couldn’t see past the opening. “Who’s going to go get it?”
Glitter Drops and Spring Rain turned to their brave friend. The purple Unicorn might’ve been the youngest, but she was always the bravest of the three. She’d talked to the hydra when they went to Froggy Bottom Bogg, and she had found her way through the Everfree Forest on her own. Whenever something scary happened, her friends always looked to her first.
“I’ll be right back,” the young Unicorn said. Then she ventured into the cave, trying to follow the dim light from the ball.
Inside, she could hardly see anything. The ball was somewhere up ahead, around a sharp corner, but she couldn’t make out the floor of the cave. She stumbled over a rock and fell, landing hard. When she finally got up, her shoulder hurt.
“This isn’t as easy as I thought it would be….” she said to herself, rubbing the sore spot on her side. She went slower now, being careful with each step. “Just a little farther….”
She was getting closer. As she turned the corner, she saw the ball floating in the air. That whole part of the cave was lit up now. She could see everything perfectly.
It looked like some creature had been living there. There were scraps of food and a warm, cozy bed. She reached up, grabbed the ball, and tucked it behind her front leg. When she turned back around, there was an ursa minor standing right in front of her.
She didn’t have time to react. The bear roared in her face. She ducked underneath its foreleg, trying to get away, but it chased after her. She didn’t move more than a few feet before it struck her with its giant paw. She went flying across the cave, her head knocking into the wall.
She got up as fast as she could, knowing the bear would be right behind her. As she got closer to the entrance of the cave, she could see Glitter Drops and Spring Rain waiting for her. They were both staring inside the cave, trying to see what was happening.
“Run!” she yelled. “There’s an ursa minor!”
Spring Rain and Glitter Drops turned around and darted off through the forest. The young Unicorn followed them, relieved when she was finally out of the cave. She’d dropped the ball at some point along the way, but it didn’t matter. She had to get as far away from the ursa minor as she could.
She didn’t stop running until she was out of the forest and saw Spring Rain and Glitter Drops standing in the field up ahead. She turned back, looking into the trees to make sure they were safe. After all that, they were finally alone. The bear hadn’t followed them.
“I went all the way to the back of the cave,” the young Unicorn said. “I found the ball, but then, when I turned around, the ursa minor was right behind me. It chased me, and then I fell, and then…”
Glitter Drops and Spring Rain just stared at her. Their eyes were wide, and their expressions were serious. They looked like something was horribly wrong. The young Unicorn glanced down at her hooves, making sure she wasn’t hurt. She looked over her shoulder at her tail and mane. Everything seemed fine.
“I don’t think I’m hurt,” she said. “Just a few scratches…”
“I don’t know how to tell you this….” Glitter Drops said, her eyes watering. “It’s your horn.”
The young Unicorn reached up and touched the front of her head. Her horn was just a small, jagged stump—the top half had broken off. Her eyes immediately filled with tears.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “No—it can’t be. What’s a Unicorn without her horn?”
“I’m so sorry.” Glitter Drops hugged her friend.
“It’ll be okay,” Spring Rain added, wrapping her front leg around the young Unicorn’s other side.
The tears streamed down the young Unicorn’s cheeks. She’d lost her horn. All her
magic was contained within it. How would anything ever be okay again?
CHAPTER TWO
The young Unicorn and her two friends set off through town, Spring Rain walking on one side of her and Glitter Drops walking on the other. She’d waited weeks, then months, for her horn to grow back, but nothing had happened. This was the first time she’d left her house since the day at the cave, but Spring Rain and Glitter Drops had told her it would be okay. She still couldn’t help but feel nervous, though. Every time she looked at her broken horn she started crying.
She’d pulled a hat down over her head, and nopony seemed to notice anything was different. She waved at everypony inside the market, and everypony waved back. They passed their friend Moonglow, who was planting tulips outside the art gallery.
“What a lovely hat!” Moonglow said. “The flowers on it are beautiful.”
“Thank you, Moonglow,” the young Unicorn called as she trotted past.
“See?” Glitter Drops asked. “Is it really that bad?”
The young Unicorn shook her head. “You were right. It feels good to be out and about.”
As they got to the clearing, Spring Rain looked around and took a ball out of her satchel. There weren’t many ponies near them. “Want to try it?” she asked. “It couldn’t hurt….”
At first the young Unicorn wasn’t sure what she was talking about. But then Spring Rain lifted the ball a few inches off the ground, levitating it in front of her.
“Oh, no… I shouldn’t,” the young Unicorn said. “I haven’t used my horn for magic since the accident. I don’t even know if it’ll work.”
“You’re the bravest Unicorn we know,” Glitter Drops said. “I always tell stories about my friend who isn’t afraid of anypony or anything. You can do whatever you put your mind to.”
Fluttershy Balances the Scales Page 6