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Description

          *DING-A-LING*

          “Welcome to Carousel Boutique,” Rarity greeted without looking to see who it was, “where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique.”

          I turned my head as best I could to see who it was. You see, I had let Rarity talk me into live fitting some of her latest designs for her. Unfortunately, by this point there were so many pins stuck in my hide that I feared tearing the outfit if I moved more than an inch.

          “Sorry for interrupting,” Twilight apologized, quite out of breath, “but I just received a very important letter from the Princess, and I got over here as quick as I could.”

          “A letter,” I asked, “about what?”

          “Read it for yourself.”

          I magically took the scroll from Twilight and opened it.

          My Dearest Twilight,

          This letter is cordially invite you, as a Princess of Equestria, to the annual Winter Formal Ball, to be held in one week’s time at the Royal Palace in Canterlot.

          “Doesn’t seem like a big deal to me,” I said, “One of the responsibilities of being royalty, I suppose.”

          “Keep reading,” the Alicorn implored.

          While I know that you are very familiar with Canterlot and would have no problem coming here by yourself, I do ask that you bring a very particular escort: Mr. Art Colter. There is a matter that I would like to discuss with him, and so it would please me greatly to see him accompany you to the ball.

          Princess Celestia

          I rolled up the scroll, making a poor attempt to mask my lack of enthusiasm.

          “I’m sorry,” I finally said, “But I cannot return to Canterlot.”

          “But the Princess specifically requested you,” Rarity argued, “and it’s the Winter Formal Ball, the second-biggest event in Canterlot. Oh, I can see your outfit now. Winter colors, something that compliments your coloring.”

          “You have to come,” Twilight said, “Princess Celestia has specifically requested you. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen in Canterlot?”

          “Running into my parents would be pretty bad. They would certainly be worthy of invitation to such an event.”

          “Don’t think it would hurt to be seen with a Princess,” Rarity pointed out, “or two of them.”

          “Fine. You girls win.”

          …

          “Just hold still for one more second while I tie this.”

          It was the day of the Ball, and Rarity was putting the finishing touches on Twilight and me. For me, Rarity had designed a short coat, sky blue in color, with an off-white collar. It had three big gold buttons going down the side, with similar cufflinks on the forelegs. This ensemble also came with a bowtie, the same color as the main suit, which I had tried to talk Rarity out of. But I suppose when it comes to fashion, you listen to what she says. For Twilight, she had basically just spiffed up a dress of white and purple which Princess Celestia had given to her specifically for such an occasion.

          “You look dashing,” Rarity complimented when she had finished with the bowtie, “Didn’t think it would come out so well.”

          “They always said I clean up nice,” I chuckled.

          Before I knew it, it was time for us to leave for Canterlot. It was a bit of a carriage ride to get there, but nothing that Twilight wasn’t used to. I had heard the stories of her semi-failed attempts at making proper transportation, but fortunately this time it seemed to work out alright. Sometimes, it pays to have an Alicorn for a friend. Spike drove, as I was told was accustomed.

          “What do you think the Princess wants to talk to me about,” I asked as we got underway.

          “Who knows? I sent a letter asking for more information, like you asked, but she was equally sly in her response. Guess you’ll just have to wait and find out.”

          “This feels like a pop quiz. And I hate pop quizzes.”

          …

          It had been a lifetime since I had been to the Royal Castle, so long that I had no real recollection of the place. As the carriage rolled up to the main entrance, I could see ponies of all kinds all about. It was only at this point that I remembered that I was escorting Princess Twilight Sparkle. The old school-age stage fright began to creep back into my conscience.

          Spike brought the carriage to a stop. I opened the door and stepped out, my suit, which was quite silk-heavy, glinted in the moonlight. I turned back toward the carriage door and bowed as low as I could. Twilight soon exited. I allowed her to pass me before I rose again. As we walked down the path toward the castle proper, everypony we passed bowed before her. It is not in my nature to get a big ego, but I felt like a pretty important pony, even though I knew full well the bows weren’t for me.

          “We’ll find the Princess first,” Twilight said, “The sooner we find out what she wants from you, the better.”

          We didn’t have to look very far. Naturally, the Princess was in the center of attention, standing at the top of a very tall staircase greeting various ponies. Standing next to her were two other regal-looking ponies, a white unicorn stallion with a dark blue mane wearing a red officer’s uniform, and a pink Alicorn with a flowing tri-colored mane wearing a very beautiful purple dress.

          “Shining Armor, Cadance,” Twilight said excitedly, “so good to see you.”

          I about wore myself out bowing.

          “It’s OK Mr. Colter,” Princess Celestia reassured, “There’s no need to be quite so formal. Allow me to introduce you. This is Shining Armor, Twilight’s older brother and captain of the royal guard, and his wife, Princess Cadance. This is Art Colter, the well-known author.”

          “Pleased to meet you,” Shining greeted as we shook hooves.

          “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake,” I heard the two young Princesses say in unison, “Clap your hooves and do a little shake.”

          “Good to see that the sisters-in-law get along,” I quipped, “Now if we can get to the heart of the matter. Princess, why did you request my presence?”

          “Twilight, Cadence, can you two handle things here? Shining, Art and I need to talk privately.”

          The three of us went off to a side-room, the only room in the palace not being used in some way or fashion for the Ball.

          “So,” I said when the door had been shut, “what is there to discuss.”

          “What do you know about Scornbeasts,” Shining asked.

          “If any other pony asked me that, I would say they are make-believe,” I began, “But I know that you wouldn’t ask me if it wasn’t something important, so I’ll explain. There is only one even remotely reliable source about them, and it is hundreds of years old. The author says that they are large, black, creatures which sort of resemble griffons. It is said that they have no heart, no soul, and are incapable of showing emotion. But, again, nopony in the history of Equestria has ever seen a Scornbeast, so their actual existence is highly questionable.”

          “Nopony that you know of.”

          “Nopony period.”

          “There was an alleged sighting by one of my men in the far south of Equestria.”

          “What!? If your men thought they saw a Scornbeast, why did you wait an entire week to take any kind of action?”

          “To be honest, when I heard the description, I thought it was a griffon. Maybe a little unusual and rare, but nothing threatening. I had never heard of a Scornbeast until the Princess mentioned it to me.”

          “And that is why I asked you here,” Celestia spoke up, “You are the leading expert on Pony myths and legends. We need to learn about these creatures and whether or not they are a threat to the kingdom, and you are the best pony for the job. You can explain this all to Twilight on your return trip to Ponyville.”

          “Yes, Your Majesty,” I responded, “Am I to assume that outside of Twilight, I should be silent about this?”

          “Yes. Until we learn all the facts.”

          “With all due respect, but in my professional opinion, there are no more facts to learn. What I’ve told you is everything that has ever been said of the creatures. Unless another sighting is confirmed, there is nothing more we can do.”

          “Please look into it anyway, we will as well. Now I believe there is a Ball to be had.”

          …

          “So, what was the big meeting about,” Twilight asked when as we stood in the main ballroom.

          “Oh, I was blowing it way out of proportion. I’ll explain more on the trip back. For now, I’ll see if I can enjoy myself.

          At that moment, I noticed a familiar face in the crowd, a dark gray mare with a black mane was standing just off stage.

          “Excuse me, Princess; I believe I see someone I know.”

          I walked over to the stage, doing my best not to bump into anypony, which was harder than you might think.

          “Hello, Auntie Octavia,” I said when I reached the mare.

          “Art,” Octavia greeted, giving me a hug, “how have you been? I haven’t seen you in some time.”

          “Well, tell me what you do know, and I’ll fill in the rest.”

          “I know you moved from Fillydelphia to Ponyville. And I know that you aren’t speaking to your parents.”

          “They told you, huh?”

          “Of course they told me. Art, what are you doing? I understand being upset that they tried to marry you off to that prissy Sweet Scent, but you can’t just cut them off from you for that.”

          “Auntie, you know why I did it. And whether you agree with it or not, I haven’t regretted the decision yet.”

          “You’re right, I suppose. I’ll admit, my sister was not the best mother on Earth,

          “And that I saw more of you when I was a colt than I saw of her.”

          “And that you saw me more than you saw her. I’m only saying that nopony’s perfect.”

          I looked off into the middle distance in the direction of the dance floor.

          “Let’s talk about something positive. I see you’re escorting the young Princess this evening. Good for you.”

          “Oh no,” I chuckled, “don’t even go there, Auntie.”

          “I didn’t say anything. All I’m saying is that you could do a lot worse. Besides, I hear that she is very studious, not unlike a certain favorite nephew of mine.”

          Auntie Octavia returned to her work. The rest of the evening passed without any fanfare, at least not on my part. That is, until Twilight and I started back the following morning.

          “Are you suggesting that my brother and Princess Celestia are over-reacting,” Twilight scolded after I had told her about the meeting.

          “All I’m saying is that there’s no way to tell what the guy did or did not see. And I have no intention of being the messenger of doom if it is not warranted.”

          “Do you believe they actually exist?”

          “No.”

Description

          *DING-A-LING*

          “Welcome to Carousel Boutique,” Rarity greeted without looking to see who it was, “where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique.”

          I turned my head as best I could to see who it was. You see, I had let Rarity talk me into live fitting some of her latest designs for her. Unfortunately, by this point there were so many pins stuck in my hide that I feared tearing the outfit if I moved more than an inch.

          “Sorry for interrupting,” Twilight apologized, quite out of breath, “but I just received a very important letter from the Princess, and I got over here as quick as I could.”

          “A letter,” I asked, “about what?”

          “Read it for yourself.”

          I magically took the scroll from Twilight and opened it.

          My Dearest Twilight,

          This letter is cordially invite you, as a Princess of Equestria, to the annual Winter Formal Ball, to be held in one week’s time at the Royal Palace in Canterlot.

          “Doesn’t seem like a big deal to me,” I said, “One of the responsibilities of being royalty, I suppose.”

          “Keep reading,” the Alicorn implored.

          While I know that you are very familiar with Canterlot and would have no problem coming here by yourself, I do ask that you bring a very particular escort: Mr. Art Colter. There is a matter that I would like to discuss with him, and so it would please me greatly to see him accompany you to the ball.

          Princess Celestia

          I rolled up the scroll, making a poor attempt to mask my lack of enthusiasm.

          “I’m sorry,” I finally said, “But I cannot return to Canterlot.”

          “But the Princess specifically requested you,” Rarity argued, “and it’s the Winter Formal Ball, the second-biggest event in Canterlot. Oh, I can see your outfit now. Winter colors, something that compliments your coloring.”

          “You have to come,” Twilight said, “Princess Celestia has specifically requested you. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen in Canterlot?”

          “Running into my parents would be pretty bad. They would certainly be worthy of invitation to such an event.”

          “Don’t think it would hurt to be seen with a Princess,” Rarity pointed out, “or two of them.”

          “Fine. You girls win.”

          …

          “Just hold still for one more second while I tie this.”

          It was the day of the Ball, and Rarity was putting the finishing touches on Twilight and me. For me, Rarity had designed a short coat, sky blue in color, with an off-white collar. It had three big gold buttons going down the side, with similar cufflinks on the forelegs. This ensemble also came with a bowtie, the same color as the main suit, which I had tried to talk Rarity out of. But I suppose when it comes to fashion, you listen to what she says. For Twilight, she had basically just spiffed up a dress of white and purple which Princess Celestia had given to her specifically for such an occasion.

          “You look dashing,” Rarity complimented when she had finished with the bowtie, “Didn’t think it would come out so well.”

          “They always said I clean up nice,” I chuckled.

          Before I knew it, it was time for us to leave for Canterlot. It was a bit of a carriage ride to get there, but nothing that Twilight wasn’t used to. I had heard the stories of her semi-failed attempts at making proper transportation, but fortunately this time it seemed to work out alright. Sometimes, it pays to have an Alicorn for a friend. Spike drove, as I was told was accustomed.

          “What do you think the Princess wants to talk to me about,” I asked as we got underway.

          “Who knows? I sent a letter asking for more information, like you asked, but she was equally sly in her response. Guess you’ll just have to wait and find out.”

          “This feels like a pop quiz. And I hate pop quizzes.”

          …

          It had been a lifetime since I had been to the Royal Castle, so long that I had no real recollection of the place. As the carriage rolled up to the main entrance, I could see ponies of all kinds all about. It was only at this point that I remembered that I was escorting Princess Twilight Sparkle. The old school-age stage fright began to creep back into my conscience.

          Spike brought the carriage to a stop. I opened the door and stepped out, my suit, which was quite silk-heavy, glinted in the moonlight. I turned back toward the carriage door and bowed as low as I could. Twilight soon exited. I allowed her to pass me before I rose again. As we walked down the path toward the castle proper, everypony we passed bowed before her. It is not in my nature to get a big ego, but I felt like a pretty important pony, even though I knew full well the bows weren’t for me.

          “We’ll find the Princess first,” Twilight said, “The sooner we find out what she wants from you, the better.”

          We didn’t have to look very far. Naturally, the Princess was in the center of attention, standing at the top of a very tall staircase greeting various ponies. Standing next to her were two other regal-looking ponies, a white unicorn stallion with a dark blue mane wearing a red officer’s uniform, and a pink Alicorn with a flowing tri-colored mane wearing a very beautiful purple dress.

          “Shining Armor, Cadance,” Twilight said excitedly, “so good to see you.”

          I about wore myself out bowing.

          “It’s OK Mr. Colter,” Princess Celestia reassured, “There’s no need to be quite so formal. Allow me to introduce you. This is Shining Armor, Twilight’s older brother and captain of the royal guard, and his wife, Princess Cadance. This is Art Colter, the well-known author.”

          “Pleased to meet you,” Shining greeted as we shook hooves.

          “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake,” I heard the two young Princesses say in unison, “Clap your hooves and do a little shake.”

          “Good to see that the sisters-in-law get along,” I quipped, “Now if we can get to the heart of the matter. Princess, why did you request my presence?”

          “Twilight, Cadence, can you two handle things here? Shining, Art and I need to talk privately.”

          The three of us went off to a side-room, the only room in the palace not being used in some way or fashion for the Ball.

          “So,” I said when the door had been shut, “what is there to discuss.”

          “What do you know about Scornbeasts,” Shining asked.

          “If any other pony asked me that, I would say they are make-believe,” I began, “But I know that you wouldn’t ask me if it wasn’t something important, so I’ll explain. There is only one even remotely reliable source about them, and it is hundreds of years old. The author says that they are large, black, creatures which sort of resemble griffons. It is said that they have no heart, no soul, and are incapable of showing emotion. But, again, nopony in the history of Equestria has ever seen a Scornbeast, so their actual existence is highly questionable.”

          “Nopony that you know of.”

          “Nopony period.”

          “There was an alleged sighting by one of my men in the far south of Equestria.”

          “What!? If your men thought they saw a Scornbeast, why did you wait an entire week to take any kind of action?”

          “To be honest, when I heard the description, I thought it was a griffon. Maybe a little unusual and rare, but nothing threatening. I had never heard of a Scornbeast until the Princess mentioned it to me.”

          “And that is why I asked you here,” Celestia spoke up, “You are the leading expert on Pony myths and legends. We need to learn about these creatures and whether or not they are a threat to the kingdom, and you are the best pony for the job. You can explain this all to Twilight on your return trip to Ponyville.”

          “Yes, Your Majesty,” I responded, “Am I to assume that outside of Twilight, I should be silent about this?”

          “Yes. Until we learn all the facts.”

          “With all due respect, but in my professional opinion, there are no more facts to learn. What I’ve told you is everything that has ever been said of the creatures. Unless another sighting is confirmed, there is nothing more we can do.”

          “Please look into it anyway, we will as well. Now I believe there is a Ball to be had.”

          …

          “So, what was the big meeting about,” Twilight asked when as we stood in the main ballroom.

          “Oh, I was blowing it way out of proportion. I’ll explain more on the trip back. For now, I’ll see if I can enjoy myself.

          At that moment, I noticed a familiar face in the crowd, a dark gray mare with a black mane was standing just off stage.

          “Excuse me, Princess; I believe I see someone I know.”

          I walked over to the stage, doing my best not to bump into anypony, which was harder than you might think.

          “Hello, Auntie Octavia,” I said when I reached the mare.

          “Art,” Octavia greeted, giving me a hug, “how have you been? I haven’t seen you in some time.”

          “Well, tell me what you do know, and I’ll fill in the rest.”

          “I know you moved from Fillydelphia to Ponyville. And I know that you aren’t speaking to your parents.”

          “They told you, huh?”

          “Of course they told me. Art, what are you doing? I understand being upset that they tried to marry you off to that prissy Sweet Scent, but you can’t just cut them off from you for that.”

          “Auntie, you know why I did it. And whether you agree with it or not, I haven’t regretted the decision yet.”

          “You’re right, I suppose. I’ll admit, my sister was not the best mother on Earth,

          “And that I saw more of you when I was a colt than I saw of her.”

          “And that you saw me more than you saw her. I’m only saying that nopony’s perfect.”

          I looked off into the middle distance in the direction of the dance floor.

          “Let’s talk about something positive. I see you’re escorting the young Princess this evening. Good for you.”

          “Oh no,” I chuckled, “don’t even go there, Auntie.”

          “I didn’t say anything. All I’m saying is that you could do a lot worse. Besides, I hear that she is very studious, not unlike a certain favorite nephew of mine.”

          Auntie Octavia returned to her work. The rest of the evening passed without any fanfare, at least not on my part. That is, until Twilight and I started back the following morning.

          “Are you suggesting that my brother and Princess Celestia are over-reacting,” Twilight scolded after I had told her about the meeting.

          “All I’m saying is that there’s no way to tell what the guy did or did not see. And I have no intention of being the messenger of doom if it is not warranted.”

          “Do you believe they actually exist?”

          “No.”