Authoress Notes: I'm working on FlutterMac. And a bit of something else too, so watch out for it! :D Not as long as some of the others, but I promise that the next one will be longer! :DDD

Disclaim: I don't claim ownership to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

- Not the perfect Ponytale -

"With the return of the young Princess Fluttershy and her pony-in-waiting Twilight Sparkle, Equestria welcomes the return of another Princess, thought to be lost. The Princess Luna, younger sister to the beloved Queen Equestria. The-"

"Are you really reading that aloud?"

The dragon perched at the desk yelped, toppling over. Pushing himself up, he winced when the bottle of ink he'd been using upturned, dumping black across his scales. Casting an accusing look to the purple unicorn, he began wiping himself of the ink. "Yes," he answered, "It's my job. You know, as the inscriber of the Royal family history?"

"I know," Twilight Sparkle replied, "I just wasn't aware that it called for you reading it aloud like that."

The dragon flushed a pale pink. "It's for dramatic effect! Plus, who knows? Maybe someone will read this one day and sound exactly like that!" Twilight rolled her eyes. Though Spike was indeed the inscriber of historical events involving the Royal family, he could get a little carried away with his job and end up reading his work aloud, as he'd been doing before she'd entered.

She attributed it to the fact that he shut himself within his tower for most of the day. And though she might've found his mannerisms odd at times, she couldn't deny that he was the best at collecting books. Rows upon rows lined the circular room, stairs leading to higher tiers. Wiping the last of the ink from his claws, Spike fixed her with a curious look. "Why're you here?"

"Queen Celestia told me to find a book." Spike stared, and Twilight sighed. "She didn't give the title. She said that it had a pale blue binding, and that it was really old."

"Old?" Spike pointed upwards. "It'll be on one of the higher shelves. Do you need me to help?"

"No," she replied, horn glowing. She'd gotten better at using her magic, and she concentrated. Celestia had given her the appearance of the book, and she visualized its sky blue binding, the silver edges and bone-dry pages. Opening her eyes, she watched as the book floated down from one of the many shelves, coming to a halt before her.

"I'm surprised," spoke Spike, and Twilight Sparkle was prepared for a compliment about the advancing strength of her magic, though her assumption proved dead wrong as he continued, "I thought you would've been too busy with Princess Luna to come up here."

It was true that she'd been spending some time with the Princess, but it was to reacquaint her with the lay out of the castle. Twilight Sparkle frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Spike swallowed.


"Dashie! Dashie!"

If there was one thing she hadn't exactly missed about Equestria, it was Pinkie Pie's insistance on bothering her whenever she saw fit. Sighing, Rainbow Dash turned. "What is it now, Pinkie Pie? And this better be good, because I'm not rescuing another cat from a tree."

"It needed saving!" Pinkie Pie replied in defense, and Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. Upon Rainbow Dash's return she'd suddenly found herself in the spotlight, and she'd found that though she enjoyed the attention as a 'hero', it was beginning to get annoying. Especially since Pinkie Pie believed that it was now Rainbow Dash's job to save every little lost kitten and or other animal. Pinkie, however, upon Rainbow Dash's saving of this last one, had taken it home with her and given it the affectionate name of 'Cupcake'.

Rainbow Dash had not seen the kitten since, and wondered if it had been eaten by Pinkie Pie's toothless aligator, Gummy. At the thought of the creature in question, Rainbow Dash shuddered. The reptile was just creepy, the way that it simply sat there and stared with wide purple eyes. Returning her attention to her friend, Rainbow Dash heaved a sigh. "What?"

Pinkie Pie inhaled deeply and then began speaking. "So while you were gone Spitfire got a new lieutenant because you made her captain but the lieutenant is going around telling everypony that you got lucky when you were accepted into the Royal Guard." She was panting when she finished, and Rainbow Dash stared before her eyes narrowed.

"Was that a challenge?" Rainbow Dash hated to be underestimated. If that colt thought that she had gotten into the Royal Guard by pure luck, she would show him pure luck. No one was allowed to insult her abilities. She took pride in them, and it angered her to think that someone thought her to be some sort of 'favorite' of the Royal family. "Where is he?"

Pinkie Pie blinked. "At the training arena," she replied, and she watched as her friend trotted forward. "Go, Rainbow Dash! Show 'em who's boss!"

It wasn't hard to find the new lieutenant, and she approached the arena. He was a pale brown unicorn with a darker mane, and a sword-shaped cutiemark. He looked up and turned as she came to a stop, and his lips curved. "Well, if it isn't the new Royal Guard member. Come to see us lowly soldiers?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed as she leapt over the fence. "I came to challenge you," she answered. "I know what you've been saying about me, and I'm here to prove that I didn't get into the Guard through luck."

The stallion turned to face her. "Don't cry when I beat you."

Rainbow Dash smirked. "Bring it."


"Try again, dear."

Closing her eyes, Fluttershy concentrated and then opened her eyes, peering at Rarity, who sighed and shook her head. Fluttershy lowered her head and stared at the floor. She'd told her mother of her moment as an alicorn, and, eager to teach her how to use her horn, Rarity had taken the role as her tutor once more. The trouble was not teaching Fluttershy how to use it - but the fact that she hadn't been able to make it appear since.

"That isn't something that happens just once," Rarity told her. "Try again."

"I can't," she murmured, and glanced up at Rarity guiltily. "I'm so sorry, Rarity."

"It's alright, Princess," answered the white unicorn, and Fluttershy found her attention captured by the commotion outside her window. Striding towards it, Rarity's voice faded from her ears as she watched the match going on in the training arena. She could see Rainbow Dash, though the unicorn she was sparring with was unfamiliar to her.

The reasons behind Rainbow Dash's appointment to the Royal Guard were not unwarranted. She was strong, meeting her opponent blow for blow. And what she lacked in strength at times, she made up for in speed. Fluttershy watched her. The rainbow maned mare was incredibly strong, both outwardly and inwardly. Fluttershy closed her eyes. She wished that she could be that strong - she'd even settle for half of that strength.

No, she thought. That isn't right. I have strength. I am strong.

Perhaps she was not physically strong, but she still had inward strength, at least a little bit. Otherwise, how else had she been able to do as she'd done in Discord's castle? It'd been her reliance on that strength that had invoked her horn. And perhaps that was where it lay - as a last resort, of sorts. When all else failed, a last line of defense to protect those she loved.

Movement caught Fluttershy's eye, bringing her attention back to the arena. The unicorn lay flat on his back, Rainbow Dash standing above him. She backed away and spoke, offering the stallion a hoof. Fluttershy smiled. Rainbow Dash was kind, even when she'd beaten someone. The stallion took it and murmured something in return before saying something more, and Fluttershy watched Rainbow Dash laugh.

Perhaps she was envious of the fellow pegasus, just a little bit. She didn't have to worry that something she said would anger the wrong pony, nor did she have to concern herself with much of anything that Fluttershy had to. She had more freedom, something that Fluttershy longed for.

"Princess!" Rarity's voice brought her back from her thoughts with a squeak, and she turned to her tutor. "Let's try again, shall we?"