"Here we go!'
Morning Glory looked at the spot that the young colt was pointing to. It didn't seem to be anything special, just a ring of toadstools, sitting in the middle of a clear field. While it was certainly odd to see them growing in such a perfect circle...
"This is a faerie ring," the colt explained. "There's one near my home, that let me get here so easily. There's one not far from Canterlot, as well. It doesn't work without one of the fair stepping in with you, but I can get you where you need to be, and a whole lot faster than by walking or flying."
Glory's expression was a combination of suspicion and doubt as she asked, "How does this work? Who are 'The Fair'? And just how close will this get me to Canterlot?"
The colt tilted his head slightly to one side as he seemed to ponder that, then answered, "It's a sort of naturally occuring gateway that goes between different places... and different worlds. As for how it works... I have no idea, but it works. Well, it can only work when one of the fair folk is with you... or if one of the fair wants you to go someplace. So... don't step into one of these on your own, or you might end up someplace you don't want to, and with no way of getting back. The fair folk are a community of magical creatures that aren't... native to Equestria. If I try to explain more than that, we'll be here all day, and we don't have that kind of time. And as for how close..."
He held up on hoof and said, "This is the mountain that Canterlot is suspended from." He held up his other hoof, and then placed it a little underneath the first, "This is the closest fairy ring. It's right near the bottom of the mountain, not far from the main road. Once I've taken you to the ring, you'll still have to travel the rest of the way on your own hooves."
The young filly nodded and said, "I can do that. On hoof, it shouldn't take me more than half a day, and I've heard a lot of carts go into Canterlot. I should be able to hitch a ride."
"That's good," the colt said with a nod. He hesitated, then said, "And, um, I hate to say this, but I need to beg a favor from you."
Glory raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What would that be?"
"Don't tell anypony that you saw me," the colt promptly answered. "My parents didn't know I was out here, and if they find out I was out in Equestria, and ended up owing somepony a favor..." He gulped, then said, "Owing a boon is a really, really big thing among the pooka. Especially the two I still owe you. If my dad finds out, he'll get this really stern look on his face, and say, 'Son, I am disappointed' or something like that, and then he'll take me into his study and give me a really dull lecture about responsibility and the rules, and how important they are, and he'll just go on for hours about it, because he knows how much I hate it!"
Truly, a terrible fate beyond all measure...
Glory giggled, and said, "Your secret is safe with me. But, um.... how will I be able to get in touch with you, when I need another 'boon?"
A pooka seemed to be a much bigger thing than Morning Glory had expected it to be. The fact that this young colt had access to a teleportation network that spanned worlds, and spoke of it so lightly, implied that this was the least of the things he could do for her. Why, he could even...
'No, shame on you, Glory,' she thought to herself. 'If you're going to be Luna's student, you're going to earn it, not cheat. 'Magic For Beginners, Chapter Three, Magic is all about rules, both in the casting of spells, and in life. A wizard who tries to cheat, isn't a wizard at all, whether he succeeds or fails.' If you don't make it, then you can consider what else you could use a boon for: Princess Celestia is currently without a student, so there's that option...'
"I'll be around," the colt said with a little chuckle. "You'll probably be busy for a couple of days, but I'll come find you when you've got some free time." The way he said that seemed to imply that he had plenty of free time of his own. Given that he'd had no problem with standing around, staring at a blackberry bush, waiting for one of the berries to drop, implied that he wasn't exactly burdened with things to do...
With that, he grabbed her hoof, tugged her into the ring with him, and then...
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Flash Sentry was not a fool: They don't allow fools into the Equestrian Guard, and they certainly don't assign them to guard princesses. So, when he saw the little filly just disappear, he didn't panic, like some might. Instead, he took in the area where the filly vanished, considered what he knew about the area around Canterlot, and what the filly's goal was...
One thing that pegasai are spectacular at is taking in and memorizing landmarks from the air. It can be easier than one might think, getting lost while airborne, and being able to figure out where one is at via points of reference is a survival trait that can quickly be ingrained into a flier on an almost instinctual level. The few pegasai who don't learn to do so end up being a scare story about how important that skill can be...
And he'd spent quite some time flying around Canterlot during basic training. He knew there was at least one very similar ring of toadstools within a couple of miles of the city.
While he was no Rainbow Dash, Flash was a speedy flier in his own right. As he put some power into his wings, he started making a bee line for Canterlot. He'd find the ring of toadstools, find the filly's hoofprints (Why yes, tracking, recon, and pursuit skills were heavily ingrained into any pony who became a member of the guard, thank you for asking), and make sure she made it to Canterlot. And since Flash was no longer tailing a somewhat slow-moving filly, or having to hide his presence, he could be there in a couple of hours, with the wind at his back...
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"And here we are," the colt said, gesturing towards the mountain looming above them. "Canterlot."
The postcards, the photographs, the paintings that Morning Glory had seen all her life... they did nothing to prepare her for the sheer majesty of the city of Canterlot, seen from below. A massive city, seemingly suspended as much on thin air as it was the massive struts that supported the weight of both the city and the palace. It could only become more spectaculr when she got closer to it...
"If you go north about half a mile, you'll hit the road," the colt explained, "and there tends to be a lot of traffic in the morning and evening, including carts carrying goods. You should be able to catch a ride, no problem."
Smiling at the colt, Glory said, "Thank you. Um..." She paused. Some instinct to her this wasn't a good idea, but she had to ask. "My name is Morning Glory. What's yours?"
The colt paused, then said, "The fair folk don't give out our names. It's a major no-no: A lot of the spells some of our kind use require a true name to work, so we keep them a secret." He paused, then said, "...So, just call me Blackberry. Is that okay?"
Glory nodded and said, "Okay. Thank you, Blackberry."
'Blackberry' smiled, and said, "No, thank you." Then, he quickly shot his head forward, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Before Glory could say or do anything, the young colt hopped into the fairy ring, and vanished...
Glory stared at the ring for a few seconds, then pulled open her pack, studied her compass, and then after repacking it, and headed for the road. As she did so, she'd raise up a hoof to her cheek, and rub it. It felt... kind of tingly...
AND A THIRD CHAPTER BECAUSE I LOVE YOU ALL!!!
6456454 I LOVE YOU TO BRO!!
6456454
You're the real bro, bro!
Oh dear. She has been kissed by one of the fae.
It's still spelled pegasi.
Why do I have the feeling the third boon is going to be friendship or something like that?
Mah-velous!
YES
Fae? The Fair Folk? Oh. Oh dear.
As a fan of the Dresden Files, I can see all sorts of ways this can go hilariously wrong.
Please, do continue.
A faerie ring as a teleportation device. Now this is very interesting. I believe we're going to see more of Blackberry in the future, and I hope the interaction between Morning Glory and the mysterious colt is going to be more interesting than this one.
6456503 I think Blackberry is alright (can you imagine Mab or Maeve warning Harry about fairy rings?) but I'm with you on the fair folk as a whole being potentially problematic. For Morning Glory, at least. We're just gonna sit back and eat popcorn.
Gi néiri on bóthar leat, Morning Glory
I would guess that the tingly-kiss is how he'll know where to find her?
What a nice chapter. Well we know that she'll get the spot of Luna's student, but the journey is so far shaping to be a very good one as well.
I really hope this won't end up as another awesome-yet-unfinished story of yours.
Please
Good job Flash, show them what a competent royal guard can do!
Morning Glory x Blackberry, the ship has sailed and you can't stop it. I think their foals will have long and prosperous lives.
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Thankfully pooka, on average, tend to be the nicer of Fae. You get a few bad apples of course, and some are pranksters but M.G. shouldn't have to worry too much about giving out her name.
6456454
And we love you
Here we go.
*grabs popcorn*
Dis gonna be gud!
YAAAAAAAASSS.
MUST READ
Two more boons? Could come in really handy in the future.
No flies on Flash, I see.
A freely given kiss from one of the fair folk? That has Meaning I bet.
Oh, this is good, really good.
You know, I usually describt the Pookas as being "Guides through shadow and darkness, who will never lead you into danger you cannot handle."
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As long as you don't cringe at the pluralization of an Ancient Greek given name using a Latin conjugation.
Really? If I recall correctly all it takes to lose a pony tailing you (unless said pony is Pinkie Pie) is to duck in a side ally and hide in a barrel...
(Or maybe I'm just reading too much Fimfiction lately... Nah, no such thing!)
hahaaha!! we have an aspiring wizard who can apparently see beyond the veil of the normal world.
Darn it! The story name reminds me of an OC ;~;
Morning Glory~
So far all I can say is this.... THIS IS ALL I WANTED!!!!
I'm really liking this story you've got going on here, I can already see more then a few plot points developing, can't wait to see where this go's!
Wow. I haven't read a story like this before, usually I'm drawn to cliches, sequels, and remakes. It's nice to have a bit of originality here and there.
I like the concept and characters. Keep up the good work!
This story is in.... ACCEPTABLE CONDITION!
Really, it is very, very good. And I hope this story will be finished. There are so many awesome and original stories, yet most of them are unfinished.
You have my fav and upvote.
6456454 you rock, good sir! Keep up the great work. Im loving this so far.
Great story Bucking. This has a strong twist from your one-shot, but I am totally into it. Are you going to retell the events of your one-shot from Morning Glory's perspective or just let it stand and work around it?
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I do, but Hasbro set it down. And they own another franchise that does this, too (Dungeons and Dragons), so paddling upstream against it would be bootless. (Wonder if FiM wingèd ponies lay eggs. I know a ficlet or two has touched on that.)
Pegasodes would be fun to say, though. Or Pansy Ponies, Puddinghead Ponies, and Platinum Ponies. (Then Pluribus Princess Ponies...?)
Wow, Flash is really good at this. Even when you know teleportation magic is a thing, it still takes good instincts to get from "this filly just disappeared inside a weird-looking thing" to "she probably teleported to a similar weird-looking thing".
Contrary to popular belief, you mean.
Give this filly three weeks and I at least would not be so stupid as to make her my enemy! ESPECIALLY with the friends she is apparently very good at making. Wonder who she'll befriend at the palace?
An intriguing story thus far.
I await the next chapter...
Another enjoyable chapter. Great job.
6456810 You must hate words like 'television' or 'sociology'.
6457279
Yeah, it seems like a bit of a leap of logic for Flash here.
Really? Nobody?
everyone, i am disappoint
Who's romancing in here? Is it Glory with Tia's student? Is it F/F shipping?
After reading The Moon, The Flower, And The Door, this is an instant favorite for me. I will totally be reading this later and watching closely.
D'aawww. :D
6457472 Such arguments also discount the possibility that, in a world full of magic, Flash Sentry has been briefed on basic awareness of different forms of magic, including Fair Folk. It would make sense that if nothing else, the Guard would teach threat assessment and response regarding rogue unicorns.
It's quite possible he's aware of similar magical processes and mechanisms, leaving him with only a small hop in logic due to previous exposure.
6457470 Hermionie was able to get ron to correct his pronunciation just in time for the troll scene...I'm not going to complain here
dangit...now I have to wait for the next chapter. HOW do you make so many of your stories like eating peanuts....you cant just stop at one!!
6456503
Well, Blackberry seems to be of a more... let's say "Summery" persuasion.
Here's hoping the Unseelie don't make an appearance.
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Ay yie yie. That really didn't come across properly without tone of voice. (And, hindsight being 20-20, it's now blindingly obvious that that would happen.)
I meant to poke fun at Hermione Granger-like people while potentially evoking curiosity in anyone who didn't already know about the word's mixed origins.
English is already far too much of a mess for obsessing over muddled etymology to be worthwhile.
next? soon? soon. soon! SOON! SOON! SOON! SOON!
6456646 popcorn is da best
This should be good.
6457470 >not even OneyNG