Letters From a Little Princess Monster
Evaluations, Stations, and Recommendations - Part Nein
Epilogue
Dawn in Canterlot was a spellbinding sensation as the first rays of the sun pierced through the Canterhorn peaks, reflecting and sparkling around the tall towers and peaked slate roofs of the city. Ever since Luna’s return, there had been somewhat of a friendly artistic rivalry between Sunrise and Moonrise, and the citizens of Equestria had learned to just enjoy it instead of worrying. Even the most jaded bureaucrats stopped what they were doing to watch the event whenever they could, paused by windows and looking up on their walks to work as the warm sun moved into position for the morning. This sunrise was ever so slightly different than the rest in a subtle fashion, and the morning observers had a pleasant debate on just why there was a faint but noticeable scent of pine and window-cleaning compound in the air this morning.
Unnoticed by the observers were two colorful birds sitting side-by-side on the castle walls, both rather plumped from a night of restaurant visits where patrons and staff had made a game out of feeding Philomena and her companion from their stash of waxy nuts and seeds. It was considered good luck for a restaurant to be visited by Celestia’s pet, and over several centuries, somewhat of a tradition of phoenix-feeding had been started, encouraged by both a greedy bird and the castle staff, who viewed any night of Philomena out of the castle as a much more peaceful night.
The wisp shook himself free from the phoenix, turning towards home with a tugging deep in its chest that felt like lead. As much as it wanted to stay, it was time to go home, and it lifted its wings and threw back its head while willing the cold flesh of its body to return to incandescent starstuff. For a long moment it stood on the castle balustrade, wings out and shimmering with heat.
It was not working. There was not enough fire left in its body to launch itself into the sky and return home. The chilling cold would continue to work into the fleshy body it wore until its fire went out, and it… died.
The wisp had never actually considered dying before. There were always wisps. They never died. It had done so many ‘first’ things as a wisp, and this would be another, even if it would never be able to tell another wisp.
It did not want to die. It wanted to go home with the other wisps and play in the magnetically curved waves of plasma that spun and crashed across the burning sphere. It wanted to tell them all what it had done, what it had learned. It was not fair, and the wisp stretched out its wings again, rising up into the air as fire flickered at the edges of its feathers…
…and extinguished.
As the wisp landed back on the cold stones with a thud, Philomena was there in a heartbeat, sweeping her warm wings around his freezing body. There was not enough fire. The other wisps would not even miss it. The warmth of the sun seemed so feeble at this distance, but another warmth began to fill the wisp as it trembled. Flames ignited across its wings, a scorching blaze of power that filled the wisp with the fire that it had lost, and more. It rose into the sky, wrapped in Philomena’s warm embrace as she burned, a fierce comet of flames rising with him, burning to ashes in their wake.
The wisp was going home.
Philomena would reform from her ashes, reborn anew when it was gone, and she would once again be alone except for Tia. It seemed so wrong that it was going back to all of its friends, and she would be alone. The wisp reached out with its power as it rose to go home.
And gave her a gift.
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
The glow of subdued sunlight below the horizon cast the library balcony in shades of soft pink and orange as Monster stood as tall as she could with her eyes closed, facing the rising sun. Under her new lesson plan, there were strict limitations on the spells she could cast without adult supervision, so she was having to dry her mane in the natural breeze that was wafting over the town. The ‘bathtub’ was a marvelous thing, all warm and sudsy with no little biting fish or turtles to disturb a thoughtful morning soak.
What kind of monster are you?!
It was a transformation of her surface only, a lie of dye to the eyes, but Oz had told her that everything in the dye was all-natural, so she was not breaking her promise to Trixie or her lesson plan. She stretched out a limb and regarded the smooth purple tint, comparing it to the old photo she had borrowed from Green Grass’ file. It would have been easy to just dye her coat on a temporary basis, but she had intentionally added the stabilizer to the dye once the tub had filled so that the color change would be permanent, or at least until next shedding season. The last three packages of multicolored mane dye had been placed carefully in her saddlebags for a scheduled visit with ‘Barber Groomsby’ in less than an hour, and Monster was all ready to go once the sun finished rising. It was one more step on her trip from death to life, from destruction to construction with the ultimate goal of building a new life as her own self.
Who do you think you are?
Standing on the balcony, she spread her damp purple wings to the warm morning breeze and felt the spirits of the town drift through her, from the distant creaking of a blue wagon headed north to a tutor’s destiny, to the receding wingbeats of Princess Luna, returning to her home. A hammering of a lone workpony at the rising Town Hall sang counterpart to the whispers of old ponies lined up in front of the coffee shop with cups in hoof while the distant chuffing of the morning train drifted through the cool air. It was a moment of existential beauty as the warmth of the rising sun enveloped her and Monster stepped forward, lifting her purple wings to the air as she leapt over the rail—
—and landed in the bush at the base of the library tree again.
As Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom pulled Monster out of the squashed bush and brushed her off, Scootaloo bounced around like a rubber ball. “That was so cool! For just a second, you were flying! Can I go next?” She skidded to a halt and blinked in disbelief at her friend. “You’re all purple.”
Monster spit out a twig and coughed, checking her saddlebag to make sure the other mane dyes were still intact. “Yeah. Changing. Want to look like Twilight for mom and dad. Other mom.” She ran a purple hoof through her purple mane to get the last twigs out and shook her purple tail free of the entangling bush.
“Awesome!” said Sweetie Belle. “A little monochromatic, but still awesome!”
“Thweet!” declared Twist.
A brilliant flash even managed to illuminate the post-dawn shadows of the nearby bushes and Featherweight dropped down to a landing. “This’ll be amazing. I can take pictures every time you change colors. Do you want to turn pink next?”
“No. Going to the barber shop. Manecut. Dye.” Monster dug into her saddlebag and floated out the picture of the little filly that she once was and showed it to Featherweight. “Like that. I brought a couple gems.”
“You ain’t gotta pay none for that,” said Apple Bloom, nosing open her saddlebag and extracting out the three packets of mane dye and the stabilizer. “We can cut and dye your mane ourselves.”
“My sister has a styling chair,” said Sweetie Belle. “And scissors and brushes and all that stuff. We can go over there right after the morning fireworks.”
“Fireworks?” asked Monster, her head lowering fractionally as she looked around to the brightening horizon.
“Yeah!” said Scootaloo with a hoof-punch to the sky. “I heard the pony who brought them yesterday yell something about this morning he was just throwing all of the fireworks out on the freight platform and tossing in a match.” She shrugged. “Seems a little inefficient, but hay.”
The group of friends hurried off to the train station in search of a good observation spot, close enough to see all of the action but far enough away as not to be too frightening. Behind them, the Golden Oak Library saw its second awakening, as a certain Great and Powerful presence rolled out of her bed, cursing the architect or arborist who decided that the library bedroom should be on the top floor and the bathroom on the main floor. After a quick peek out the window and a sigh of regret that her new husband’s wagon was already gone, as expected, Trixie made her way down to the warm bathroom for an urgent hydraulic need.
The old claw-footed bathtub sat quietly with curls of lilac-scented steam rising from it and a low froth of purple bubbles with a few small feathers decorating the surface, giving Trixie an indication of just where Monster had vanished this morning. It had been a warm feeling of belonging last night to have the little alicorn curled up to her chest with her trembling head resting on Trixie’s shoulder, a far cry from some stallion or mare who just wanted to get their hooves on her Great and Powerful body. Perhaps what Greenie had said about trust was not all that dumb after all. Twilight had trusted Trixie, and Trixie—
—found herself looking at the warm soapy water. A warm bath was a poor substitute for a hot stallion, but it was all that Trixie had this morning since the wagon was gone. She thought briefly about poor Green Grass out in his cold wagon all last night, alone. Twilight was not only changing herself, she changed everypony she touched, from Luna and Celestia, to the dedicated bachelor stallion, and even Trixie had to admit to some small change in her own cold heart. The temptation of the warm soapy water was too much to resist, eventually overcoming her reservations as she slipped into the tub for a long morning soak.
“I don’t know if she’s becoming more like me or I’m becoming more like her.”
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
dear princess Luna
today i learned not to let my friends cut my mane…
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
Luna stifled a yawn as she trotted up the stairs to her bedchambers. There was a warm glow about the princess that would not be quenched, both from the sleeping opossum on her back and from the other activities of the highly successful evening. Dawn Court had gone perfectly as Blueblood had been more than willing to shed his outfit and flee back to his quarters rather than remain and offer ‘assistance’ during the proceedings, and Cadence had just adored the sleepy little opossum that Luna had found last night, although she expressed no interest in getting one of her own.
Now she was more than ready for a good day’s rest, if not for one lingering duty which she regretted having agreed to take from Celestia. Her infernal bird needed ‘checked on’ every day to ensure it had both water and a supply of the little waxy seeds that it liked to chew and leave tiny broken fragments all over the castle, including in Luna’s bedcovers. She would have just ‘blown on⁽*⁾’ the duty, if not for the rather puzzling report she had received from several frazzled guards and one rattled Royal Docent, as well as multiple reports of thefts this morning. Admittedly Philomena was a devious little prankster, but she had never resorted to outright stealing unless it resulted in something she might consider funny, and the number of sunstones that had vanished from various parts of the castle this morning was rather exceptional.
(*) Luna’s study of modern idioms was an ongoing educational experience.
The reason behind the thefts and the warm feeling became obvious as Luna strode into her sister’s overheated private study and gawked in amazement at Philomena’s ‘nest.’ The annoying phoenix normally preferred to sit on her perch, or for traveling purposes, in her cage. She had never assembled a nest before, and a large part of Celestia’s knick-knacks and bric-a-brac collection had been sacrificed to provide a base for the structure, with at least a hundred warm, glowing sunstones carefully mixed into the base and Philomena sitting proudly on top.
She wanted to say something to Philomena, but words failed her. In the end, Luna could do nothing more than stare in stunned amazement at her sister’s ancient pet.
And the golden egg sitting in her nest, glowing like the sun.
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
Dear Princess Celestia,
Rainbow Dash
needs to diehas recentlydone a horrible thingtold me that she has always wished to become a weather manager in Stalliongrad.Send her there.
Sincerely,
Your Loyal Student, Trixie, who knows a lot of things you don’t want exposed.P.S. Please send somepony with a spell that will remove dye. This stuff won’t come out with anything and it even tinted my skin!!
P.P.S. Bring your camera! She’s now the Grape and Powerful Trixie! You’ve gotta see this!
— Spike
Great story!
Well then! Looks like Greenie and Trixie both missed out on something truly magical on their wedding night. It was both disappointing and justified, but still not everything is all sunshine and rainbows in this version of Equestria. I love the previous chapter with Greenies dad and Monster, I guess a bit of the Twilight between the Monster and Flower showed up a bit here didn't it? The point where everything is clear and blurred at the same time; bright enough to see yet still too dark to truly know.
You know, I have never been so emotionally attached to any character as much as I have with Monster, she holds a very special place in my heart and I know that many years from now, even when the Bronies are gone I can look back and see this story and still it can bring a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.
Pinkie: Oooh, she's good.
Rainbow Dash: Yeah, looking so young and innocent, so no one expects her. Come young prankawan, Pinkie and I have many, many lessons to impart on Ponyville's newest master prankster.
the grape and powerful trixie
yes
just
yes
no other words are needed.
4593694 and the REALLY imprecive part was that she wasn't even trying
This was a really long arc. Not that I'm complaining or anything.
I loved the timberwolf with Smartypants, and the 'key of T', and the continuing romantic escapades of the Royal Sisters.
---
I guess they do make Windex bottles that big, after all.
---
That little wisp is quite the gift-giver, isn't it? Celestia's old accoutrements, Frost's magic, and now an egg for Philomena.
---
Well, if the new coat color is any indication, it's the latter.
---
I think you accidentally two 'of's. (also it's bric-a-brac)
That awkward feeling you get when you read a story, only to find out half a year later that it's been sequeled. Well, only a hundred thousand words to catch up on!
Hands errr hooves off Greenie Luna, Trixie deserves her hubby. Actually if lunaxGreen is desired by two ponies and Trixie xGreen is only desired by one then I suppose Luna is in the right. I find her invoking droit du seigneur really bad form.
Really hard to change my mental image of monster to rainbow twilight all the time. Needs fan art.
It's a Princess Monster Two-fer Tuesday! Sweet!
Really enjoyed the Baron and Twilight's walk through the Everfree.
For much of the first chapter of this update, there's really only one thing I have to say:
Also, Tibbles! One of the best things to come out of the IDW comics.
And, of course, Twilight in her Twilight-iest moment in this story. That was incredible right there. She knows how broken she is, and she's still afraid of reassembling herself. After all, she was whole when she was sunburned. Tragic, and yet there's hope there as well.
Speaking of light in the darkness, the wisp's arc was excellent, both for it and for Philomena. And Trixie and Green Grass both benefited more than they realize from the marriage license ploy. Even if the former has become a victim of gratuitous violets.
A magnificent end to the arc. Thank you for it. 'm eagerly looking forward to the next one.
Thank God! Up until I saw the author notes I was afraid the story was over.
Twilight's trip through the memory lane of the everfree forest brought tears to my eyes. Poor little Twilight. She suffered so much packed into so few years.
4593895
I think the whole point of droit du seigneur was to let Greenie know that he is much more than he thinks he is.
He honestly believed that Trixie did not want him any more than Luna did and he was right BUT in the wrong way. Both of them were fond of him. (quite fond actually) Both of them believe in his worth (evidently more than he does himself). Who knows ... Luna's message may even help to start changing that low self image to something better...
Gonna miss lil rainbow Monster. Trixie continues to make great decisions.
So... is Green Grass ever coming back then?
Double chapter of my favorite story. Great way to start my day!! Well, after I got back from the gym anyway. Loved everything about it, but the baby bird (peewee!!!) coming along is just all kinds of bonus points. So, am I right in thinking that Trixie's totally out for Dash's blood for the fur dye, even though it was actually just Minster leaving the water in the tub?
I need more if this story. The huge amounts if cute and crazy involved just keep me entertained all day long.
I hope that we see more of Green Grass's and Trixie's relationship. I kinda want it to work out.
4593978
Dear sir and or madam,
In regards to your comment, I would like to point out that ::THWAP::.
Moreover, ::THWAP::.
Lastly, ::THWAP::.
Therefore, because of ::THWAP::, ::THWAP::, and ::THWAP::, it is clear that the comment must needs be
::THWAPped::.
Sincerest regards, etc.,
—MM
Ah yes the Grape and Powerful Trixie would definately need a good soaking in a repairing die after this.
And now I think that Cadance needs a pet too, to play with Tibbles, Owlowicious, and Philomena. Or maybe a Princess with a husband doesn't need a pet to fill that lonely hole in her soul.
Nice to see Twilight safely purple again. I once tried to draw a patchwork, multicolored Monster to see if I could set my mental image to something, but I really couldn't find a version that worked for me. Scarred and purple, yes... Of course, I fear to know what her new hairstyle looks like.
I can't help but imagine that Trixie must have a high-water line on her somewhere that separates the blue of her original cost from the new purple. Unless she fully dunked herself, and didn't really soak parts of her more thoroughly than others... I suppose it would have to be a pretty impressive dye to work on multicolored ponies to begin with.
"Part Nein" - Did you try to translate "Nine" into German or did you mistype it?
4594762
Well, I was going to call her a grape victim, but that would've been in exceedingly poor taste.
Ahh, more of little Monster being adorably sweet and adorably wrong at the same time.
So looking forward to her meeting her birth parents.
Soooo, who gets that phoenix chick when it hatches? I know Monster should really hold out for Owlysius...
Well, they say that Absence makes the heart grow fonder, which is something Trixie and Green Grass both need.
Well, the Grape and Powerful Trixie sure produces quite a bit of WHINE!
I love Twilight's attempts to make herself look like she did as a filly, but I would love it if Twilight Velvet uses a spell to wash off the die and hugs her saying, "You don't have to change for us, you're perfect as you are!"
Wait, did Philomena essentially get impregnated by a bit of sentient sun???? That is going to be one ridiculously powerful phoenix chick... perfect pet for Monster!!!! And could an argument be made that Celestia was involved due to her connection to the giant ball of fire????
Great
4593633 Oh, I think they both got what they needed instead of what they wanted.
4593796 Zen prankster? The Tao of Whoopie Cushions, perhaps
4593826 Fixed the missing 'of' and yes, it was a long arc (but a satisfying one).
4593875 Could be worse. I can't read as fast as ShortSkirts can write...
4593895 I've got a request in to an artist who will produce a picture of what Twilight looked like pre-dyeing. It should be good.
4593978 "a victim of gratuitous violets." Sigh. There will be retribution, I so swear.
4594023 Actually the whole point of droit du seigneur is... (checks rating. Um. Think of the kiddies reading. Ahem. Moving right along...)
4594286 IF (and I mean if) Letters goes out to where I expect, yes And there will be a baby hippogriff (not his).
4594886 But Cadence already has a perky little purple pet to fill the lonely hole in her... (checks ratings again. Thinks of the tiny tots. Ahem. Moving right along again...)
4594965 Just the same as Chapter Sex... I mean Six earlier
4594972 Just a (Bath) Salts and Bathery...
4594982 That would be Philomena. Go ahead. Try to take it from her. I'll watch from over here behind this fireproof shield.
4595163 Yes, Abstinence does make the... Oh, Absence. Yes, that makes the heart grow fonder, but I was thinking of something else growing... that I probably should ignore right now due to the ratings. Go on, kids. Enjoy.
4594762 Now you see the violets inherent in the system!
AJ: Now don't you bother Trixie none. Cant you see she's plum tuckered out?
Rainbow: At least she's happy. See, she's not blue any more.
4595226
It would be interesting if multiple diarchs invoked droit du seigneur on the same pony. Clearly the real reason plural-archies are few and far between.
4595226
Well as they say Georg, distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Given the last line of the previous chapter, I'm really wondering what is in that egg.
And poor Twilight's mane, but some things you learn by experiencing.
I'm confused--did I miss it when the whisp gave someone Celestia's old accoutrements? I can't seem to remember anything like that happen...
4595226
I appreciate the effort, but, um, there were actually two missing 'of's.
---
To avoid this post being solely a correction;
I'm looking forward to hearing about how Cadance is holding up, what with the whole suddenly-changeling-queen thing that happened and was swiftly brushed under the rug. There has to be an interesting story in there somewhere, right?
Meinen Sie neun?
4595226
Geez Louise, careful with the 'E' word at the top of chapters. You'll scare somebody.
Someone PLEASE make a drawing of The Grape and Powerful Trixie! ; ;
4595788 Ok, I see the problem. I had the sentence with misplaced words. It now reads:
...a large part of Celestia’s knick-knacks and bric-a-brac collection had been sacrificed...
Cadence: I'm trying to determine the exact reaction now. I'm guessing there will be less "ladybugs awake" and more "Aaaah!! The Changeling Queen has infested my babysitter!"
4595992 4596724 Yeah, this arc needed an Epilogue. And a table of contents.
4596598 I know about twelve words in German, despite being about 98% German ancestry.
4595594 A) What else? A phoenix chick and B) kids can get away with things that would drive adults to violence.
4595719 Yes, first chapter in the arc.
4595240 True. There would be few survivors. But no end of volunteers.
"Poor Radiant Dawn. It took the undertaker five hours to get the grin off his face."
Grape and Powerful Trixie
I almost burst out laughing at work (yes, I'm naughty) but that was totally worth it
And as usual, wonderful work on the chapter - can't wait for more!
So what does the Abbreviated Equestrian Royal Guard Manual of Codes and Signals have to say about Philomena having a chick?
4595226
Well, the German translations for the first numbers are:
One -> Eins
Two - > Zwei
Three - > Drei
Four - > Vier
Five - > Fünf
Six - > Sechs
Seven - > Sieben
Eight - > Acht
Nine - > Neun
Ten - > Zehn
4596871
I'm afraid I'm still confused. Sorry.
I re-read the first chapter and it only stated that the wisp was going to give someone a gift--since it collected all the molten accoutrements, I was under the impression that it would swoop down at some point and bury Menace under a pile of molten gold (or something like that). I think I wasn't the only one expecting that, if I remember the comments correctly.
Did I misunderstand its intention and it was going to give some friend some kind of gift, not specifically Twilight?
4597615
It only got the idea to give a gift from Twilight. The gift was for Celestia.
The delivery of the gift wasn't specifically shown, but in chapter 2, it entered Celestia's room with the royal accessories, and in chapter 3, it was flying about with Philomena, minus said accessories. It would be safe to assume that the wisp left its gift in Celestia's room.
4594023
Yeah. I also think it was a somewhat underhanded attempt to get more attention on Luna's part or possibly, a sort of offer of a condolence at least. You didn't get Princess Luna, but if you were really interested you could have her for one night. Possibly also a test of what sort of stallion he is.
4597668 It also mentioned dropping them on the floor when it went to go hang with Philomena.
4598759 Thanks! I knew I had put that in there, but couldn't remember just where.
4597884 Hm. I can see the conversation later.
Celestia: So what did you think of Green Grass, Luna?
Luna: I would say a B+ or an A-, depending on the grading scale. We shall have to see about assigning him extra credit.
4597298 There are a number of entries labeled : See Appendix Z (Apocalypse, Ragnarok and other assorted GMODs⁽*⁾). This is one of them.
4597424 You've doubled my German vocabulary (Most of which I learned from Hogan's Heroes⁽¹⁾) I suppose Sechs does sound a little like Sex.
4597615 Well, if I would get more chapters out closer together, people wouldn't have to remember specific details from things they read a month ago. Heck, I have problems remembering what I read this morning.
(*) Giant Meteor of Death. Seriously, you didn't know that?
(1) An American show shot in Hollywood that had primarily Jewish actors portraying WWII Nazis running in a POW camp in Germany. Yes, it was a little surreal at times. A really amazing show that ran longer than I expected, and has been enjoyed in reruns by generation since, including kids who only vaguely are aware we had any wars in Europe, let alone two of them.
4598950
It sounds the same actually. No, generally people know by context what is referred to. But thanks for asking.
4598759
Oh, there it was. Thank you kindly for giving the passage.
4598950
I wouldn't complain about faster updates, but given the quality of the stuff delivered, I'm okay with waiting.
Oh, by the way (if you didn't already knew): Hogan's Heroes was also shown in Germany, but under a different title ("Ein Käfig voller Helden", which would translate as "A cage full of heroes"). And yes, it was a very nice mixture of surreal and funny. I mean, who could dislike Schultz?
It did become real strange, though, once I knew that they had to make sure that atleast one of the characters always wore long sleeves--so that they hid the tattoo he had from being interned in a concentration camp...
4599258
The same? I don't know were you're living, but in the part of Germany I'm living, Sechs and Sex can easily distinguished in that Sechs is spoken using a "hard" S sound, while Sex uses the "soft" S we know from English.
4599271 That would be Robert Clary, who is the last living cast member of the show.
4595226
Yes, but yesterday I found another story that has 170,000 words and a 50,000 word sequel! I'm only a third way through the first one, then I need to start this.... Well, expect me to comment here again on Friday or Saturday.
4599271 I've checked the Duden entries. For "Sex" two different pronunciations are allowed, one matching "Sechs", so both of us are correct.
small nitpick: "Ensues", not "ensures"
Someone messed with Monstwi's dyes, eh?
shame Green Grass and Trixie don't spend at least ONE night together.
Oh goodness...
Trixie...