As a reward for your patience... · 9:48pm Jul 6th, 2014
I haven't gotten the next chapter ready yet, but I am working on it. However, I felt like writing a little bit of 'dawwww', so I put a little work into an early chapter for the sequel of The King Is Dead, Long Live The Emperor. Here's a piece for you. Enjoy.
Chapter One: It Begins With Something So Simple
"Whatcha doin'?"
This bright, sunny morning, Morning Glory had decided that she would go out and gather some berries. The other children at the orphanage she lived in were mean to her most of the time, but they tended to be a lot nicer to her if she brought them something sweet to eat. Since all the children in town were off from school today, she figured it was the best time to do some picking: Tomorrow was Harvest Day, the last day of the year that fruits and vegetables could be collected. After that, all the produce left on their respective plants would belong to the animals of the realm... so if you wanted to pick berries, then you really didn't have a lot of time left to do so. She was well on her way to her favorite berry patch when she'd noticed the colt.
Morning Glory had never seen an earth pony colt like the one she was observing now. The five year old, blank-flanked earth pony filly had seen plenty of earth ponies, and many of them colts, but this one was different in a number of ways, some she could not readily explain. For one thing, his coat and his mane were black as coal: Pony coats and manes almost never matched up like that. While they might sometimes come close to it, with one being lighter and the other darker, this pony's coloration was uniform. For another, his eyes were pure gold, with no visible pupils, that almost seemed to glow. That, in and of itself, was unsettling: How many ponies do you meet who have no pupils? But beyond that, he had a strangely... otherworldly aura about him. It was if he did not truly belong here...
But the strangest thing of all was the fact that he was staring intently at a blackberry bush, his mouth visibly watering.
The colt, visibly surprised, turned to her and asked, "You can see me?"
Morning Glory tilted her head to one side and said, "Of course I can. You're standing right there where anypony can see you."
Turning his attention back to the bush, the colt said, "Well, even then, you aren't supposed to be able to see me. Doesn't really matter though."
"Whatever." Taking a seat beside the colt and inspecting the blackberry bush in question, the filly asked, "So, what are you doing?"
His expression almost stoic in its seriousness, the colt stated, "The most delicious blackberries in all of Equestria are on this bush right here, so I'm waiting for one to fall off." For a moment, the wind picked up, and an almost unbearably hopeful expression came across his face. After a few seconds, the wind died down, and having seen that no berries had been knocked free, the colt seemed terribly disappointed, then resumed his stoic vigil.
Confused, Morning Glory asked, "Well, why don't you just pick some?"
The colt's expression shifted slightly, looking as though he was working very hard to remember the exact words to something that he had been told a long time ago. After a moment, he stated, "By the laws of the Fair Folk, decreed by the High Lord of the Court of Summer, it shall be thus: 'No pooka may pick blackberries until the sunrise after Harvest Day of each year, nor may they command any subordinate to do so for them. Further, they may cause no event to occur that would cause a berry to fall before the appointed time. So it is written, so it shall be.'" A slight smile crossed his face as he said, "But there's no rule about ones that fall off on their own, so if I just wait here, I can catch them before they hit the ground." He sounded incredibly pleased with himself, as if he had solved some great riddle of the ages, and had done so all on his own.
More confused than before, Morning Glory asked, "Why would anypony make a law like that?"
With a snort, the co... no, the pooka said, "Because if there wasn't, there wouldn't be any blackberries left for you ponies, or anyone else for that matter."
Raising an eyebrow, the filly asked, "You pookas really like blackberries that much?"
As if on cue, a black berry fell from the bush. The pooka, far faster than Morning Glory could have ever imagined, zipped forward and caught the berry in his mouth. An almost ecstatic expression upon his face, he began enthusiastically munching on the berry, going 'om nom nom nom nom' the entire time. After about a minute of this, he finally swallowed, a joyous expression on his face, then asked, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"
Giggling, Morning Glory said, "Nevermind." Studying the berry bush, the filly thought for a moment, then picked a berry off of the bush, and said, "Here, have another one."
The pooka looked down at the berry in question, an expression of disbelief plain upon his face. It was as if somepony had just handed him a sack of bits larger than his head and said, 'All yours.'
Smiling, the filly asked, "There's no law against me giving you one, is there?"
Shaking his head, the colt's eyes never left the blackberry on Morning Glory's hoof. After a moment, he took it gently between his teeth, and began to eat it slowly, relishing every second. After about a minute, he finished, then asked, his expression dead serious, "Will you marry me?"
Giggling even louder, Morning Glory said, "Ask me again when we're both older." Picking several more berries off of the bush, she asked, "Want some more?"
With a gasp of delight, the colt nodded his head vigorously and said, "Yes, please!"
Cute
The d'aww is strong in this one! Also, I'm holding out hope for Operation: Moonbuggy to be successful, and for our favorite changeling to still be alive here. I don't care if he might be a pony here, he'll always be a changeling at heart. Also, WHY CAN"T I LIKE BLOGS!?!?! FIX IT, KNIGHTY!
Ah. I get how she's the element of magic now. Clever
This looks like somethin out of a cliche romance anime(I love it.)
But this begs the question, what/how does relate to the King is Dead, Long Live the Emperor?
2263088
Well, the idea is, this story takes place one thousand years after Pan's spectacular adventures in the Crystal Empire. Since (due to the butterfly effect) you can't change one thing a thousand years in the past without changing the future radically, the world is now a bit different. Morning Glory and Nana Pie will feature in this story, as will the rest of the new six. What will happen, and what threats they will face, we will see soon enough
That is adorable and a little bit creepy. This may be the result of too much Dresden Files, but I am getting a serious "be ware of the fairy" here.
2263006
I don't think she's the element of magic, I can't see the connection really. There are many legends surrounding Puca, and people being able to see them, though how is left to speculation as the reasons why range from the person being of a certain lineage, to being cursed, to being near death, to having seen the Dullahan which goes back to the cursed and near death thing, to being Christian.
But they could shape shift, so maybe the young one screwed up in his transformation or maybe it has to do something with the innocence of youth.
Either way, I'm intrigued about the role the Puca are going to serve as they were neither benevolent nor malevolent creatures, they kind of were in the middle of things. They were also very kind and respectful to those who gave them gifts, like the berries the filly gave to him, so I'm incredibly interested in seeing how he repays his debt.
I liked the chapter greatly
But what's a pooka?
2263190 Generally trickster faeries, depending on story. Think Puck from Shakespeare (OK, he was a powerhouse, but probably a noble pooka from directly serving royalty). Troublemakers who would use loopholes in orders to cause problems without getting in trouble...
This dose of D'aaawwww whispers also of darker things: Suppose Morning Glory happened to tell her new friend the reason she was picking those blackberries? The bullies at the orphanage might find themselves in ...difficult situations.
2263088 oh hey shadow bolt, I didn't know you read this story.
2263116 awwwww, this is cute nonsense. It's just like when I saw two kindergartner proposing with each other. it was just so heart warming (starting to break down into tears.) but, when are you going back to your other stories?
2263274
I tend to read popular ship/clop fics(no lesbian).
2263278 well, I didn't need to know that. but thanks anyways? I was just commenting that I didn't know you liked this writer.
D'awwwwwww ...
2263284
I've been following him since the beginning, he really is a good writer. I'm really hooked on this story.
2263294 yeah, me too. But I really wish he go back to his other stories. don't get me wrong 'the King is dead all held a Emperor' is good. I dare say it made me laugh (and it's a hard thing to make me laugh.) but I simply want him to go back to his original stories. The stories that brought him popularity.
sigh note: is it wrong to rewrite a national anthem for once use?
D'aww... My heart may have stopped and I mite have got Diabeties from reading this but... But I CANT STOP!!! OH GOSH I NEED MORE!!! DEAR LUNA SAVE ME!!! *falls into floor going into spasoms...*
2263144
She's the earth pony who traveled back in time and talked to celestia and luna claiming to be the element of magic in "long live the emperor"
2263190
Pooka
The pooka are a race of shapeshifting tricksters, who (Depending on the story, the region, or maybe just the pooka) could either be benevolent or malevolent. Some stories seem to mistake them for kelpies, but I think that may just be because both of them are horselike. Among their habits was to befoul crops and other produce left out after the Samhain festival, rendering them inedible to all, save the pooka. In particular, children were warned not to eat overripe blackberries, because the Pooka spit on them or otherwise befouled them (some stories say defecate, but I wouldn't think so. I mean, if you pooped on something, would you want to eat it later?) Since blackberries received special mention, I noted that as a favorite.
Since Equestria tends to be more in touch with magical stuff, they'd be bright enough to note the exact day when they needed to get their crops and stuff in, even if not everypony understood why.
2263274
I fully intend to get back to it, it's just... awww, I hate saying it aloud, but right now, this story chain is the most popular thing I've written so far, I think. I mean, I'm not out there just for popularity, you guys know that, but this story has more upvotes than any other story I've written, even "Your Fangs Are Showing". So... I will get back to those, I swear it. I just want to get this series over and done first for all the wonderful happy folks who enjoy it. Sowwies
2263405 well I'm glad you didn't forget :D also do you think it's wrong to change a national anthem for one's benefits.
2263436
Depends on the reasons why, I think.
2263500 well, you know when Spike messed up with Cloudsdale anthem in the games? I was thinking of writing one for my story. however I'm not very good at writing songs, so I thought I can cheat a little bit and use Greece's national anthem. I figure if I reworded a little bit; it will be close to the pony equivalent to that.
I like the subtle way you infer the magical nature of the creature. There is a nice set up in here, but you kinda spoil it with how jarringly "tell" it is. "Show" me the scene, you're good at that.
--- my take would be ---
The colt jumped, spinning in place to face her, "You can see me?"
--or--
The colt stiffened, slowly turning his head to meet her gaze, "You can see me?"
- - -
Can't wait to read more.
Pooka: After all, something has to fill the shapeshifter pony niche without changelings.
This was definitely a really cute little blurb of the future story. Got the d'awws and something to look forward to.