Thanks for the feedback. I'm writing this while at the beach in a hotel room.
AFTER CELESTIA'S TIME: HER ROYAL DUTY
Twilight looked down at Fluttershy as she lowered her head to the ground. "What's wrong with Applejack and Pinkie Pie?" she said. Fluttershy eyed the floor, avoiding Twilight's gaze. The room stayed eerily quiet for a few seconds, the royal guard not moving an inch. Fluttershy refused to move her body. She felt frozen in place. Another eternity seemed to pass.
"They… they aren't well." was all Fluttershy could muster to say. Twilight stepped closer to her.
"Well…" Twilight paused "… that is…I don't know." She tried to sound calm while not showing her overwhelming grief. "I knew this day was coming, Fluttershy." She always kept in the back of her head the fact that Applejack and Pinkie Pie were earth ponies.
Twilight's duty as Celestia's apprentice required her to read vast quantities of Equestrian literature. She had read biographies, novels, and textbooks of math, science, and classical literature; but her most important books were those of magic. She did not read books of spells that often, for there was little need. The only books of magic she read presently were those about the history and effects of magic, particularly prolonged usage.
Through her studies she had learned about the different types of ponies and their different understandings of magic. The alicorns were considered the highest class of pony because of their abilities of flight and quick mastery of unicorn magic. It was also believed that all alicorn ponies were a direct descendant of Celestia herself, with references going back to the early days of Equestria. With this legacy behind them the alicorns are considered on a higher plane than other ponies.
Next on the Equestrian timeline came the unicorns, which are said to have been created by Celestia later on after the alicorns. Celestia favored them over the first ponies because they had a higher potential use for their magic, though it came more naturally to the alicorns. The unicorns had no requirement for wings and focused all their power on sorcery.
The pegasi were created by Celestia without horns because she wanted to perfect flight in her ponies. Alicorns had wings, but little use for them as they always used magic to help common city folk. The Pegasus ponies could relay messages quickly all over Equestria and were considered masters of flight over the alicorns for their speed and gracefulness. A few of them were even trained to out-maneuver dragons and birds of prey.
But perhaps most respected were the earth ponies. They were the strongest ponies and the hardest working by far. These ponies could not use magic and so enjoyed working to build the greatest cities of Equestria. Without the earth ponies, Equestria would be still underdeveloped and mostly unsettled land. However, at the cost of their strength and lack of magic these ponies had the shortest life span. The alicorns, unicorns, and pegasi all had natural elements of magic in their being, contained within them from their creation. However, the earth ponies had spent the longest time away from their magical roots and had become engulfed by their new mortality. Their aging was much more aggressive.
Twilight was frightened when she read about this as a young filly and knew that, because of her magical skills, she would most likely live longer than most other ponies.
Fluttershy started to speak again. "Twilight… they are getting older. I don't think they have much time left."
The grand hall became quiet and only the birds could be heard chirping outside. It was a bright, sunny day outside and the light shown through the multi-color stained glass windows. It would've been peaceful if there wasn't an urgent matter that needed attention. Twilight turned and faced the double doors that led out to the front gardens of the castle. She picked up her head much like Celestia had when she gave her title to Twilight.
Kinetis stood to the left of Twilight, looking upon her for a command or her next words. There was a glass dome ceiling and the sun's rays grazed over the yellow mane of Kinetis. He was lit up like lightning rolling through a blue cloud.
"Fluttershy, thank you..." she waited. She was contemplating their next course of action. "Your majesty? What can I do for you?" Kinetis waited for a response.
Twilight began again, now with absolute focus. "Thank you, Fluttershy. We must leave at once." She turned her head toward the alicorn. "Kinetis, ready my chariot for us. Only our fastest, please."
Outside…
Twilight, Fluttershy, and Kinetis stood out on the front lawn. The castle loomed behind them, truly a large fortress. "It amazes me how you got inside." Twilight said to Futtershy. "Well… I'm better than I used to be, but not as good as I once was." There was a white chariot with gold linings sitting for them out on the brick pathway, ready and waiting.
"Where are they?" asked Twilight. "They'll be here soon, Princess. They are coming from the borders of the Dragon's Realm." the alicorn responded. "They have been stationed there in case one dragon strays towards inhabited pony lands. No other ponies can out-fly a dragon, your majesty."
It took a day to get to Ponyville by foot and several hours by chariot. These ponies would get them there in ten minutes.
Suddenly, over the horizon, two stars flickered in front of the sun. Then there came loud rolling thunder. 'BOOM' It was the classic crackling of air caused by a sonic boom. The two pegasi came in and landed in front of Twilight in the royal gardens.
The first pony stepped forward. He had a dull gray coat and a golden mane with orange tips. His cutie mark was a talon of a falcon and he had dark blue eyes like the ocean. His calm demeanor shadowed his power and speed when he spoke. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Princess. We came here as soon as our young dragon gave us your message. It was difficult to get here without causing a hurricane to form behind us." he said jokingly.
The second Pegasus stepped forward and bowed her head. Her maroon coat was an odyssey to most ponies as it was very uncommon. Her cutie mark was a white beam of light refracted through a prism, showing all colors of the rainbow. She had a brilliant rainbow mane that ran down to her flank and a deep shade of violet eyes. "Ready for action, your highness." was all she said.
As she spoke, a rainbow started to glisten overhead, protruding out from the sun.
The red pony continued, "Sorry, but we engaged our sonic rainboom to make it here on time… well kinda on time."
"There's no need for apologies. It's Rainbow Flare, isn't it?" Twilight said.
"That's me! umm… your highness?" Rainbow Flare said nervously.
Kinetis butted in, "Are you not Grey Bolt?" he asked the grey Pegasus.
"Why yes I am. We had a hostile dragon making for a nearby city but we… uhh… handled it, I assure you. Sorry for the slight delay." he said.
Twilight looked them in the eyes cheerfully. "So how's your mother these days?" she said casually. "I haven't seen her for a few years."
"She's awesome!" Flare said with enthusiasm. Grey Bolt interrupted, "Yeah… she's been pretty busy along the north border with the Dragon realm. The meanest ones live up there."
Twilight remembered that northern Equestria was a rather troubling place and she had sent the retired Wonderbolts and her friend Rainbow Dash to the nearby towns there to ensure safety. The Wonderbolts had since disbanded because their leader would not let Rainbow Dash join. She was faster than all of the others and the captain was afraid of losing his position. The Wonderbolt Soarin' defended her case to join, but quit after the captain made his decision to not include her. The other Wonderbolts quit right behind him because they admired Rainbow Dash and had lost respect for their captain. She appreciated that Soarin' was willing to quit the Wonderbolts for her, and she slowly fell in love with him.
"I'm guessing Dash and your father have things under control up north?" Twilight said.
Grey Bolt and Rainbow Flare replied at the same time, "You betcha!"
It became quiet and Twilight had nearly forgotten that Fluttershy was standing right next to her. Twilight looked out and she could barely see Ponyville in the distance. "I think it's time we go, Fluttershy." She said.
"I think you're right. But we will be there soon, correct?" Fluttershy said.
The Pegasus ponies replied, "In a jiffy, ma'am!"
Twilight and Futtershy hopped into the chariot while Bolt and Flare suited up. Kinetis offered to fly separately because he thought he would only slow them down. He needed to go with Twilight because only alicorns could receive messages from dragons.
"Kinetis you may ride with us. I have a mass neutralizing spell that will make the chariot as light as a feather." Twilight said to him.
"Um… alright, your majesty." The alicorn said. He sat down next to the Princess as a bright purple light spewed from her horn and surrounded the chariot. "There… light as a feather." Twilight said.
Grey Bolt and Rainbow Flare were attached by harness now and lifted off the brick path vertically. "Wow, they actually are pretty light." Said Flare.
"Yep, and it's time to go. Are you ready, your majesty?" Bolt directed towards Twilight.
"To Ponyville at once, please."
They blasted like a rocket west towards Ponyville. There was a clap of thunder and a rainbow forming behind in their wake.
To be continued
….
Thanks for the reviews. This one took longer than the first because I've been super busy. The next ones won't take as long to write.
= )