[Canterlot] Hoofing It Over [Closed for now, Princesses, Steel, Phil]

[SteelEagle]

It wasn't easy to make Pathfinder feel out of her element.

That was probably because she didn't have a natural element that she could snugly claim as her own. No, an adventurer's element changed with the ever changing fortunes granted by the moon and stars and overseen by the rays of the sun. It was their greatest ability, adaptable to the extreme and excited to engage in such a wide range of activites that it made the head spin. But that didn't make her immune from feeling nervous and anypony that didn't feel more than a little nervous in these surroundings was insane. That or stunningly disloyal, and she doubted that ponies of such caliber existed. And if they did exist then Pathfinder was wise to no longer give them thought; anger and ill-will would surely follow.

And today more than any other day she wanted to place something of a brave face on, which was something considering her face was naturally brave(or insane, depending on one's perspective). For on this most humbling of days having followed the most harrowing of months, she was to meet those who ran Equestria through the mere act of existence.. Princesses, rulers, living mosaics of history and they who defined Equestria by their very souls. The chance that a pony like Pathfinder would have such an opportunity again was so Equestria shatteringly low that she could hardly fathom that it had already come to this stage. Had she peaked already? A cold shiver raced down her weary form as she contemplated that her life had reached it's zenith and from this moment on it was a slow, boring descent into normalcy. The horror of such a possibility was almost impossible to fathom. She had to shake herself free from such thoughts; brave face. Brave face!

Not that shaking was easy. It wasn't as if she had made any leisure stops on her way back from Talinopolis, nor did she bother with hygiene, medical aid, or much of anything that didn't involve alternating between using her weakened wings, stomping about with her almost useless hooves, and eventually crawling on her belly. Shockingly enough she had made pretty good timing with that final mode, which she attributed to the lack of food or water that had proceeded the escape by several weeks. Perhaps that was to blame for her lack of success in fighting off the small white dragon that attacked her outside the gates of Canterlot. All of her thrashing about did little to endear her to the Royal Guardspony on the other end, and she apologized profusely after a rest, some food, and some water cleared her of the hallucinations.

They had initially been disiniterested in her as anything more than a common criminal until she unveiled the Helm of Commander Hurricane. A short retelling of the past few months of her life was then in order and as she had told the story, her excitement grew. Almost six months ago Pathfinder had come across an ancient unicorn ruin that held very little except for some enchanted documentation that said Commander Hurricane was going to recover, but her helm had been ripped from her after a battle with a griffon warlord as she was escorting a group of ponies to the new land of Equestria. This had confirmed the many tales and stories told about the Helm and she had set about locating it, the trail initially ending in Manehattan where after a rough and tumble time with some equally rough and tumble foes, she found a letter detailing that a 'collector' of priceless artifacts had failed to convince Talinopolis to give it up. The fact that this capital of Aqueilia did not welcome the ponyfolk was something that she knew and immediately forgot to care about; the Helm was all that mattered. Pathfinder spent the last of her bits on various pieces of equipment and traveled to the city.

The following few weeks were a haze in some ways. She had met a griffon named Gilda who helped her, but a small incident led to her friend's capture and forced betrayal. Pathfinder was forced on the run in the sewers, hardly sleeping or eating for weeks as she either evaded or fought through her pursuers as she continued to hit new targets in a search for the Helm. Finally, despite Gilda going out of her way to warn her, Pathfinder walked directly into a trap from which there was no escape. She was captured and tossed into the Talinopolis super prison where those too dangerous to be let loose and yet held too much important information or secrets about the families to be afforded a public trial, a place of horrors known only as The Pit.

There, her disgusted and angered Guardstallions were told, they injected chemicals into the wings. After a certain dosage, the wings were utterly useless- one of the Guardstallions confirmed this possibility by touching Pathfinder's weakened wing, which seemed to have the muscle mass of a little filly's. To make matters worse, she was treated like a pet, muzzled and kept under the care of Gilda who had been tossed down there as well. In the scary world of The Pit, many were broken. of course, you can only break the sane and Pathfinder never claimed to be anything more than an adventurer, classifications of sanity be darned. She never once doubted that she would escape however, and being a small pony as opposed to a large griffon, she was able to go where they couldn't. She discovered a passageway leading to an ancient city- several of the Guards snickered, as she had a habit of running into ancient cities and ruins as one might run into a unicorn in Canterlot- that held more than a few escape routes. With Gilda helping her, the duo escaped back into the city and finally recovered the Helm, embarrassing the vile griffons which had imprisoned her in the first place. They went their separate ways and Pathfinder had made a bee line for Canterlot, not thinking anywhere else safe enough for the Helm to rest without her.

The Guardstallions didn't know whether to believe her or not, but her bedraggled condition and earnestness told them that it couldn't hurt to find out. Plus she had something special, at least. Whatever Helm she held looked as if it had just been made, the shine and strength of it peerless. It was taken to the Castle, where several hours later Pathfinder was to find herself given a room and told to expect an audience soon. Pathfinder was relieved to find the Helm in safe hooves and promptly fell fully, deeply, honestly, and earnestly asleep for the first time in months.

When she awoke, however, the reality of her condition hit her. Her wings still throbbed with the pain of huge portions of it suffering near complete lack of muscle mass. Weeks and weeks of eating very little to nothing allowed her ribs to outline her form. Her mind still suffered from a seeming fractious disconnect with reality. Her back right leg felt like it was on fire, her throat still had roughly-applied marks from talons, and she was criss-crossed with a dozen long scratches. Portions of her were more bruise than pelt. All of this sucked but the most important thing of all was that her dye was missing and instead of looking beautiful like Daring Do did, Pathfinder looked like some freakish baby blue pegasus with a light teal mane. Therefore, when an attendant entered and asked what Pathfinder needed, she didn't respond with food or water or medical attention(which she expected to receive soon enough as a matter of course), but for the required ingredients for her dye. That took a full day, during which she ate more food, drank more water, and cracked her crackling back more than she had ever thought possible. Plus, a seven hour hot bath.

Once she had mixed the dye together, making a royal mess of the royal room in the process, Pathfinder applied it with the skill and attention to detail that comes with experience and the most serious of obsessions. It took several hours but she finally stood in front of the mirror, enthralled. Sure she looked like she had been placed into the meatgrinder. Sure her eyes were still unfocused and everything appeared in such an amazing shaded array of the color gray. Perhaps the fact that her left wing sorta danced outside of her body without feeling was something she should be worried about.

NONE OF THAT MATTERED.

The moment the dye finished, a huge wave of relief came over her. No, she was not fine, but being an adventurer meant your days were never fine by normal standards. They were fine by your standards, the standards of a mare who sought out the excitement that came with uncertainty. The dye dried and she felt a layer of protection and with that layer came the old confidence rumbled back into her chest. She took a deep breath, fighting the pain that came with it as a smile formed.

She had done it. She had found the Helm! Well, and a little something she had in store for Snowfall when she next saw her but that didn't matter. Every little bit of pain that she now felt was but a small price to pay for this great success and as she stared at the mare in the mirror, she had a feeling that she was happy as well.

"YOOHOOOOO!" She screamed, her voice cracking at first but then forming a natural timber as she felt herself re-energized. Nope, Pathfinder was not in her element. But that didn't mean she was going to be anything other than herself: Perfect.

[RarityDash]

For Snowfall, the previous many months had been a veritable emotional roller coaster. That's not to say that her life had ever been particularly stable. She was the only daughter of strict and disciplined self-made business stallion success story Northern Storm and his aggressively posh wife Crystal Snowflake; upon her father's sudden disappearance, as a very young mare she had found herself holding the reins of Staliongrad's foremost machine parts corporation, Northern Storm Industries. Through the years since, she had fought her hardest to fill the tall shadow left by her father while dealing with conflicting feelings left in her by his absence. Even with wealth, her life had never been simple or straightforward emotionally, and yet somehow it had just gotten exponentially more turbulent.

It had started for Snow with a sudden bold if kind of silly act. For most of her adulthood, the idea of relationships had been an unattractive thing. Whether they were the stallions her mother tried to set up with her, or the ponies she'd find and pick for herself, she rarely found she could trust the motivations of anypony she took on a date. Some were nice, some were not, but commitment was always a repulsive thought, which left in the mare a certain uneasiness. That's when she decided to try and reach out for love from an alternate source. Stumbling upon a flier for a mail in matchmaking service in Fillydelphia, Snowfall had sent in an application and hoped for the best. After some time had passed, the matchmaker, Matchie, replied, setting her up on a date to take place at a famed obstacle course outside Bareback Gulch.

That's where Snowfall met her. Pathfinder was a mare unlike any other. She was silly, kind of childish and had a certain lack of restraint, but at the same time she was so free, spirited and remarkable. She was a brave adventurer, who travelled Equestria for thrills and excitement, not so concerned with the material wealth or status. She was so well removed from Snowfall's usual world she hardly seemed real, and very soon Snowfall was completely taken with her. She filled Snowfall with a nostalgic warmth that took her back to her youthful days of lying around reading Daring Do books and wishing she was out from under the controlling hoof of her father. It was immediate, and by the end of that first date, for the first time, Snowfall had something that she actually wanted to last.

Unfortunately, time was brief and both of the mares had other things calling out to their attention. Pathfinder had her adventures while Snow had a series of business trips she needed to take to discuss her involvement in the Trans Equestrian Railroad Project for which she, along with an Aquelian Silverbeak and a Manehattan Rockerfilly, was a partner. Her and Pathfinder had that one amazing day together and that was all. There wasn't time for follow up dates, but at the very least correspondence through letters became commonplace and gradually the two learned more about each other through their writing.

Then came the letter that would kick off what would be one of the most emotionally harrowing phases of Snowfall's entire life. Pathfinder planned to infiltrate the Aquelian capital, Talonopolis and steal from them a priceless artifact of grand historical importance, the Helm of Commander Hurricane. It was a fool's errand, and from the start Snow knew it; she also knew it was the sort of thing Pathfinder lived for and that she would not be able to deter her from trying. Instead she cautioned her and gave her tips for surviving what was sure to be a hostile environment. They didn't exactly help.

Pathfinder was caught. The next letter came marked from a Talonopolis prison. The two of them continued to exchange letters for a while in there, using coded messages to discuss what Pathfinder should do to escape and survive. Snowfall also researched any means she might be able to help on her end, but it proved largely futile, as there was little she could do without indicting herself and jeopardizing her company's very solid Aquelian ties. She continued to write, however, offering more than anything her love and support. That was until not even that was permitted; eventually the prison recognized her name and started asking questions, which meant a severance of this line of communication.

Suddenly Pathfinder was left in the dark. This made her worry excessively, of course, though she did her best not to show it. She still tried to poke around where she could but, at this point there was almost nothing she could do about anymore but wait and hope for the best. She tried her best to never give up hope, but by the end she was quite beat down by it all. That's why when notification came--on Royal letterhead no less--that she should depart for Canterlot to meet with Pathfinder, her heart soared to an unfathomable peak. She literally did not waste a second. After putting the letter down upon her desk, the pegasus made the call to ready her private airship. By that evening, they were on their way to the Equestrian capital.

Snowfall had never had a particular fondness for Canterlot. It was controlled mainly by unicorns, which meant magic was typically seen as the key to all, which meant less need for mechanical solutions, which meant less NSI bussiness to be had. At that moment, however, Canterlot was probably the most amazing place she could imagine, as it was where Pathfinder was. After so very long apart the two of them would finally be meeting again. Snow had to say she was quite looking forward to this so very atypical "second date".

Upon arriving the next day in the city, Pathfinder found her way immediately to the Castle. Snowfall had never been or before or met any Princesses, but Pathfinder was what remained at the front of her mind, even as she approached the beautiful structure. She approached the guards at the gate and explained who she was. A red-maned guardsmare dutifully proceeded to then escort her to the room Pathfinder was using and then departed. She considered just slipping in to surprise the mare, but after some thought opted to knock at the door. Pathfinder had been through so much; Snowfall didn't really want to startle her.

She knocked loudly and waited, excitement pulsing inside of her as she waited to finally see the mare she loved once more.

[Dio]

Duty. In some circles, a word spoken with solemn reverence. In others, an epithet reserved for those who require justification for their continued avoidance of merriment. Party poopers, if one would. The onus was only magnified when the word “royal” was attached to it. For what could be more joyless and austere than managing the day to day activities of all Equestria from the throne?

Celestia sighed. Detached monarch had not always been her sole commitment. Long ago, she had traveled the world of Equestria, crossing continents and oceans to rally the forces of order against those of chaos and end the long reign of the Draconequus Discord. They were heady and desperate days. She had mastered magic, flight, combat, languages, culture, art, and diplomacy. In order to fight the disorder that had gripped the land, she had to become... perfect.

Granted, perfection was truly impossible. Even as an immortal, she was in the end, fallible. The corporeal form she inhabited was still subject to its physiological needs. The corporeal mind she possessed was still in need of stimulation. She had to do something, go somewhere, be something else. Surely there was something exciting for a Princess?

Celestia softly chuckled to herself as she continued through the colonnade to one of the many meeting halls in the castle complex. She occasionally indulged in entertainment of her wanderlust, but her duties to Equestria would always come first. If that meant presiding over a boardroom or greeting foreign dignitaries rather than feeling the wind in her mane and the sun on her feathers, that was the way it had to be. Of course, that didn’t preclude the possibility that she would someday act upon it. After all, she had all the time in the world.

That said, today presented a unique opportunity to both conduct official business AND indulge Celestia’s less sensible side. A certain adventurer had just returned to Canterlot with what she claimed to be the Helm of Commander Hurricane, a relic long thought lost to the cold earth of northern Aquellia and the ravages of time. Hurricane’s time was long before the Celestial Sisters had come to power. While the helm itself probably held little more magic than a simple durability spell, its contribution to the history of Equestria was undeniable.

Celestia had already been briefed earlier that day on the possibility of the helm being a fake. It wouldn’t be beyond a dishonest artifact dealer to try offloading a well-made replica on the Canterlot Museum of History for a tidy sum before disappearing into the Outlands to live off the profit without fear of prosecution. However, based on the account from the REA watch commander handling the case and the analysis of archaeologists and historians from Canterlot University and the Museum, this particular piece was in all likelihood the real thing. Thus, the sun princess elected to entertain a meeting with the adventurer, even going so far as to extend invitations to Mi Amore Cadenza and Luna.

Clip-clop, clip-clop. The sudden changeover from the grass and packed earth of the gardens to the marble floors of the meeting area were just as much audible as they were tactile. Celestia trotted up to the “base” of the u-shaped table where cushions were laid out for ponies to rest upon while they conversed. At the base of the U were three larger cushions for the alicorn princesses. On the side facing the gardens, only two cushions, presumably for the adventurer pony and whoever she had chosen to bring with her. Finally, opposite the adventurer’s place, several cushions were laid for the subject matter experts.

Servants were already in the process of dressing the chambers as Celestia arrived. Each one managed a quick bow before scurrying off to continue attending to their appointed tasks. In the time it took for Celestia to arrive at her seat, there was already a tea set, a modest tray of crumpets, and folio containing dossiers and other important historical factoids from the guard adjutant. Celestia gently settled into her seat, ruffling her wings lightly and pouring herself a steaming cup of tea as was customary for beginning her meetings. She checked with one of the servants, ensuring that an extra strong pot would be brought in for Luna; she would likely need it since her nocturnal sister would consider this the rough equivalent of the “flank crack of dawn.” Cadence would likely be more amenable.

Celestia began to leaf through the folio with her magic, the individual pages of lists, facts, and photographs floating in front of her like a peculiar parchment collage. She could spare a few minutes while Cadence and Luna made their way down to review the facts. And so the sun princess read... and waited.

[Solaria]

Excitement roiled through the air of the youngest princess's chambers as she flitted about, gathering her crown and three out of four hoofguards. Where was the last one? It should have been right there... Clearly a little anxious, Cadence dipped to check under the bed before huffing in exasperation. Shining Armor was already gone for morning, so she couldn't ask him. Not that he'd likely know anyway, she was the one who kept their wardrobes accessible and in order. Little did her husband know that she was simply talented at making guesses at where particular articles of clothing would be.

"Any ideas?" she asked, turning to the unicorn mare standing attentively by the main doorway as she tugged on her hoofwear with magic.

Solstice Glimmer had seen Cadence go through this routine more times than she could remember, and there was always the same progression of events: Princess can't find particular item of a set, Princess looks fruitlessly for several minutes, Princess turns to Solstice, Princess somehow always manages to trip. After all, the attendant was the reason that the royal couple's wardrobe had any semblance of organization, but it was best to let the alicorn feel in control. She allowed herself a small smile. Her reward would be swift in coming in but a few short moments anyway. There was a thump, a squeak.. And the aubergine pony turned to find Cadence hovering a few inches from the floor, wings spread with a triumphant smile upon her muzzle.

"I bet you thought I was going to trip and fall again, didn't you Solstice?" she weedled, settling daintily to the rug before stumbling slightly due to the lack of a complete set of hoofguards. "Well HAHA! While you were on your annual vacation I went to the royal fitness instructor, and we took care of that little problem. It took a while, and it wasn't pretty, but in the end I learned a few tricks. Also on a completely unrelated note we might need to find a new royal fitness instructor."

"You should check in your bureau," Solstice answered after a moment, having fought down a giggle. "And I'll look into it."

"In all seriousness though," Cadence continued, sighing with delight as she found the missing piece of her ensemble and sank a hoof into it, wiggling to ensure a snug fit. "I'm really happy that Aunt Celestia invited me along to this meeting. Aunt Luna I could understand, even though this is pretty early for her, but normally something this important is a little out of my reach. The helm is such a staple of Equestrian history."

The rose-hued mare trotted over to her vanity mirror, levitating a fine-toothed brush and sliding it through her bright mane while she looked at Solstice Glimmer's reflection.

"I'll have to be at my best to reassure the other princesses that I belong there. I mean, I deserve to be anyway. I may be younger, but I've read just as many history, social theory, and other random tomes as they have!" She paused for a moment, thinking of Celestia's massive library across the causeway. "Well, almost."

Assured that her appearance was as close to flawless as possible, a mix of summery brightness with the tiniest hint of allure through a lightly-applied jasmine scent, Cadence made the mental shift to Mi Amore Cadenza. Regardless of the slightly relaxed nature of the visit, it was still important to be every bit the princess she was expected to be. She opened the door to the hallway, gave a small smile to her attendant, and vanished further into the castle.

A few stairways and happy greetings to guardsponies later, the alicorn emerged into the designated meeting area, her hooffalls on the polished stone announcing her arrival before anything else. A quick perusal revealed that only the servants and the sun princess had preceded her, which made perfect sense. It was the servants' jobs, and Celestia had been up and about since before dawn. Moving to take the cushion at the white alicorn's left side, Cadence settled onto the padded seat with a straightened back and a happy expression toward the other royal pony.

"Good morning, Aunt Celestia," she greeted amiably. "I hope you're as excited as I am."

It took a few moments of searching, but Cadence finally spotted a small tray with shaved and powdered chocolates, as well as a pitcher of warm milk. Wonderful! They'd remembered her minor dislike for tea. She'd have to thank the servants later. For now, she mixed a generous amount of cocoa powder and milk into a cup before topping it with a few chocolate shavings. She was ready.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

[colour=#000080]Today may have been important, but Luna was in absolutely no hurry. She yawned and stretched, rolling her shoulders in an attempt to fully wake her muscles. She brushed her mane slowly, even if it's magical properties allowed it to always be perfect. That was a perk of being so powerful—one was always ready to get up and go at a moment's notice.

Luna made her way slowly and grumpily through the castle, her head low in irritation and sleepiness. She yawned long and hard, still trying to wake up at an hour that was unnecessarily early for herself. Such was the price she paid for ruling over the night. Any event or meeting that required her attention was almost always during the day hours, when it was most convenient for everyone else. Which meant, of course, that it was pretty inconvenient for Luna, who would have to lose a bit of sleep in order to be present.

Yet, she couldn't help being excited as well, even if she didn't show it yet. It seemed that some long lost artifacts were beginning to turn up lately. Perhaps it was her return that had brought good luck to searchers, she smiled to herself. The notion was ridiculous, although the coincidence was a little odd. This time, it happened to be the helm of none other than Commander Hurricane herself.

Such an artifact would be quite a find, a definite priceless addition to Equestrian history. Luna was skeptical, of course, but after so long of finding fakes, it would have been remarkable to have the real thing. Considering this one was from deep in Griffon country, it was a bit more plausible than most cases. Sure, there had been plenty of expeditions in the past, but such a relic was thought to be lost to the hands of time, buried in an ocean or a mountainside, or simply destroyed altogether. Metal works from so long ago were sturdy, but eventually everything decomposed.

Come to think of it, she hadn't even had breakfast. Luna's mind was beginning to become awake enough to focus and think, which meant a slew of important thoughts were due. Well, it was too early anyway. Her body hadn't yet realized that it was even hungry, so food could wait. She had a feeling that she may have taken a little too much time getting ready, and she hadn't really checked the time since she awoke.

She rectified this by glancing at the next clock she came to. Figuring out the time was easy, but trying to remember the time of the meeting took a few moments. Judging from the time she thought she'd awoken... and the current time... she was due to be there... now.

That was all she needed to be instantly awake and aware. Her head shot up, but by that time her hooves were already scrambling across the floor. She couldn't be late! No matter how early it was, she had a reputation and a duty, as a princess. It would be rude and unacceptable. Luna's silver clacked against the stone floor, announcing her presence to anypony nearby.

Luna reached the meeting room, panting, and nearly ran into a wall as her hooves skidded on the smooth floor. She took a few seconds to properly compose herself, before settling in her appointed spot. She tried to force her breaths to be steady, though she was still trying to catch her breath.

But she managed to clearly and evenly get a “Good morning” out to the two ponies present.[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

It took a full three seconds for the knock t the door to warble it's way to Pathfinder, absorbed as she was with her own image and distracted by the fact that there appeared to be at least a half-dozen of her. That was nearly absurd, wasn't it? Could a convention even handle that many of her? Fandom told her she required a whole security team just to clean up after her at a convention. If there were six of her, they might have to call in the Royal Guard! Plus she'd have a lot of ponies to share her passions with. Wouldn't that be awesome as well as absurd? Yes, without a doubt, six Pathfinders was a great thing, but she knew this was not true. If it was, then they all did a mighty fine imitation of her head snapping to the door when she heard the knock.

Pathfinder cantered about as well as she could on three legs, not even bothering with a straight line as straight lines were for suckers and true awesome adventurer ponies didn't mind walking into a pillar. Or two, for that matter, even if there was only one there in all actuality. She would also have a talk with the catering staff about refreshing the refreshments at some point, since they likely weren't meant to be on the floor for the most part. After some trouble, she found the door. It wasn't like the doors the griffons used, she noticed with some job. It was light and nearly breezy while their doors seemed uniformly thick and heavy, oppressive by their very nature. A part of her tried to pip up that she had been breaking into high security areas and had been imprisoned, but that voice was quickly drowned out. There was a need to find vast differences in culture wherever an adventurer looked. It made the foreign seem exotic and exciting rather than merely foreign and scary.

Or maybe it was a griffon door, as Pathfinder had an insanely difficult time opening the door. She knew the adventure had taken a lot out of her, but this was a little silly. With a final gasp, a heaving attack of some titanic effort, she opened the door wide enough for Pathfinder to recognize who was knocking. This also took a full second or two, as her mind was still muddied and what space was usable was still focused primarily on concerns regarding her coat. It took a second or two but she recognized Snowfall. Immediately, Pathfinder's face molded itself into a wide smile, though the left side hung a little lower than the right. Muscles, they weren't always the best.

[colour=#006400]"Snow-Snow!"[/colour] Pathfinder gurgled excitedly, tossing one hoof towards Snowfall for a half-hug. Instead, she ended up slapping her across the face but was already turned around by the time ti registered.

[colour=#006400]"I'm happy you came! Don't I look amazing? And you look amazing! And I have a gift! And we're going to meet the Princesses! AND THERE'S FOOD!"[/colour] Pathfinder was by now hopping up and down, front to back in the door space. She wasn't paying much attention and the door started to close, cracking against her head with a loud thud. By now, whether it was because previous injuries had eliminated her brain or because she was excited, she didn't notice. She pulled away from the door and started cantering about the room in wide, inaccurate circles, eventually tripping up in the couch and falling sideways along it.

[colour=#006400]"There's some food over there!" [/colour]She waved her hoof dismissively at some nice fruit on the table on the other side of the room. Then she started gesturing far more excitedly towards an object the size of a hoof on the bed which was wrapped up in a leaf and rope.

[colour=#006400]"But I got you a gift! Well, more like found it in Talinopolis. It's super awesome, I think. Not as cool as the Helm mind you, but then again WHAT IS?! Nothing! Speaking of, you need to freshen up. We have to meet the Princesses and I don't think they want to see any more nice looking ponies than they have to see any other day. Look gruff!"[/colour] Pathfinder's conviction was deep, but that didn't stop her from nodding off. A few moments later she came to and gave Snowfall a quizzical, somewhat annoyed look as her right wing spasmed opened and shut.

[colour=#006400]"It's been like two hours! Get ready, already!"[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#006400]"Snow-Snow!"[/colour]

The anticipation welled inside of the pegasus until with these words her mare finally appeared there in the doorway. Snowfall beamed at the site of her--well, at least untie Pathfinder inadvertently slapped her with her hoof. Snowfall gave a half amused laugh as she raised a hoof to her face and followed Pathfinder inside her room.

[colour=#006400]"I'm happy you came! Don't I look amazing? And you look amazing! And I have a gift! And we're going to meet the Princesses! AND THERE'S FOOD!"[/colour]

Snow giggled. She really had missed this. The letters weren't quite the same. The brunt, over-eager child like excitement of this amazing and peculiarly beguiling simply could not be duplicated in written form. It was the sort of thing that needed to be taken in live. It was ever more delightful given how long the two had been apart and how very worried Snow had been for this pony's safety. It was a relief to see her completely unchanged since that fateful day in Bareback Gulch.

Well, maybe not entirely unchanged... Pathfinder's colors were fresh and vibrant, but she looked kind of beaten down. One of her back legs did not look at all healthy and she looked thinner and overall more frail from her experience. This adventure had clearly taken a heavy toll on the mare. Similarly, while the cadence of her speech didn't miss a beat, she did seem somewhat slower in terms of reactions, the closing door managing to smack her in the head before she could avoid it.

[colour=#006400]"There's some food over there! [/colour][colour=#006400]But I got you a gift! Well, more like found it in Talinopolis. It's super awesome, I think. Not as cool as the Helm mind you, but then again WHAT IS?! Nothing! Speaking of, you need to freshen up. We have to meet the Princesses and I don't think they want to see any more nice looking ponies than they have to see any other day. Look gruff!"[/colour]

Pathfinder's enthusiasm continued to spill out of her rapidly with the other mare unable to get a word in. She motioned toward the nearby table where some rather tantalizing fruit was displayed and then to a leaf bundle on the bed. Snowfall gave a nod, and opened her mouth to speak, but then she noticed the other pony had somehow fallen asleep, only to wake up seconds later.

[colour=#006400]"It's been like two hours! Get ready, already!"[/colour]

Snowfall laughed. She wasn't going to question this particular oddness quite yet. Pathfinder had been through a lot. She had suffered much. It made sense that she would be exhausted. She likely hadn't been allowed the best of sleeping habits in a very long time and moreover her body was under a lot of strain. No, Snow wasn't going to bother the mare with questions. She was just here to give her comfort and support.

Snowfall nodded and stepped toward Pathfinder slowly. Extending a front hoof toward, she stroked her face gently and then pulled her into an embrace. [colour=#663399]"It's wonderful to finally see you again too, Pathfinder,"[/colour] she said in a quiet whisper, finally finding the space to speak. She placed a small kiss at Pathfinder's cheek and then pulled back.

[colour=#663399]"Thank you for finding me a gift; I do appreciate the thought even if having you safe is gift enough,"[/colour] Snowfall said sweetly as she stepped over to the table to grab a couple bites to eat.

[colour=#663399]"As for the princesses, I think I'm fine like this,"[/colour] she said, looking down at the classy, sleek black dress she wore.[colour=#663399] "Gruff really isn't my element. More than how we look, I think it's important how comfortable we are," [/colour]she continued with a nod. Of course, with ponies as important as royalty, conventional wisdom was to dress as perfectly as you could; she wasn't going to force that particular issue with Pathfinder though. Not in her current state. Besides, she was a guest of honor who had did a great thing for Equestria. She would be accepted regardless.

[colour=#663399]"So really I am ready when you are,"[/colour] the pegasus finished with a small shrug.

[Dio]

Documentation, documentation, documentation. History had a way of worming itself back into the present whenever the Princess was involved. Tea was the order of the day, a comforting routine in a morning that was expected to be quite eventful, should the Guard reports and Pathfinder’s purported knack for trouble hold true. Celestia had taken the time the night before to do some reading on the legend itself, but it was only now that she was able to get a clearer picture of the real world situation.

[colour=#ee82ee]“Good morning, Aunt Celestia! I hope you’re as excited as I am.”[/colour]

Celestia returned Cadence’s chipper greeting with a smile. [colour=#dda0dd]“The adjutant’s notes seem to indicate we’re in for an interesting time.”[/colour]

A squeaking and clacking of hooves on the marble floors indicated the arrival of another pony. Celestia looked up from her papers to find Luna skidding to a halt just outside the boardroom, slightly winded.

[colour=#000080]“Good morning,”[/colour] she squeaked.

Celestia stifled a giggle with a hoof. [colour=#dda0dd]“Good morning to you as well, sister. Care for some breakfast? The kitchen sent tea, hot chocolate, and coffee and some pastries for us. Pathfinder and company will be brought in when we are ready.”[/colour]

[Solaria]

Cadence turned curiously at the tiny ruckus and heavy breathing that sounded behind her and Celestia, noting that her second aunt had chosen just that moment to skid around the hallway corner. It was funny, the younger princess didn't know the mare could move that fast without flying. The things you learned at morning meetings!

A small smile graced her lips, nothing more. No hint of the bubbling laughter that tremored her chest. Her eyes stayed neutral, betraying only the tiniest spark of mirth. Cadence knew that Luna took her pride and self-image somewhat seriously, and with good reason, so she did her best not to offend that sensibility. After all, with a glance at how she herself looked with papers orbiting her head and a momentarily-forgotten cup of hot chocolate hovering halfway to her muzzle, the rock from which the love princess could cast amiable stones was loose sand at best.

"[colour=#daa520]It's so nice to see you Aunt Luna[/colour]!" Cadence recovered with a modicum of grace, taking a second and a flash of magic to rearrange her paraphernalia neatly on the table once more. "[colour=#daa520]Isn't it fun to be receiving a piece of Equestrian history[/colour]?"

Of course, this probably wasn't anything new to the royal sisters. Cadence had been around for a while, but it was a tiny ripple in the pond of Time where her aunts were concerned. They had likely seen many artifacts come and go, each one just as important to some pinprick in the ever-written story that was the history of their land. Sadly she was still working on rediscovering lost ways of the Crystal Empire herself, but she was just as happy to help with her adoptive home.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Chest still heaving, Princess Luna kept her mouth closed so as to not pant rudely. This forced several deep breaths through her nostrils, and also kept her from saying anything for several moments after her initial greeting. She observed the offerings of the room, namely the food and drink, along with the two empty places still unoccupied. Well, at least she'd arrived before their company, even if she was still sore about not being punctual.

[colour=#000080]“Much obliged, Celestia.”[/colour] she gave a nod, smiling at her sister, before serving herself a couple pastries and a decent cup of caffeine—or rather, coffee. She lifted it to her lips, taking in a long, slow breath through her nose, allowing the scent to fill her and relax her mind, before actually sipping it. Then, after setting it down, she took a dainty bite of the confection, and was finally ready and relaxed.

She grinned fondly at her niece, hearing the obvious excitement in her voice. [colour=#000080]”It's a pleasure to see you as well. I'm glad you could make it. I'm sure this will be an occasion to remember.”[/colour] Cadance's attitude shouldn't have surprised her, though, this really being the first time Cadance was involved in something of this caliber. But she humored her, nonetheless.

[colour=#000080]”And indeed it is. Considering where and how this particular piece was found, there is a high probability that it is legitimate.”[/colour] There were frequently those who brought fourth supposed items that were lost to history, looking for some large sum in exchange, or perhaps hoping to get into the good graces of the hierarchy. So when everything actually checked out, and a pony made it to the point where the princesses would entertain the possibility of their findings being valid, there was a greater likelihood that the object was not, in fact, a fake. But Luna was not the type to sugarcoat things, so of course she did not hide her skepticism from the younger princess.

[SteelEagle]

Pathfinder had to wait a little while to respond to any stimuli that Snowfall gave her, the wavy lines of her voice cracking in her ears like bells breaking and falling from their lofty towers. Hard to discern words amidst crashes and yelps when her mind couldn't piece together anything coherent for a few seconds. Luckily, she didn't have to rely on her paltry sense of hearing. No, she had many other fine senses that her lovely little Snowfall, her wittle bitty CEO marefriend, could use to inflict pain on her in this wonderful setting. She chose touch, feeling, which Pathfinder supposed was one of the better options available to her. Even then it took a few seconds for the hug to register and when it did, it did with a great deal less positive energy than Snowfall intended. Mostly because Pathfinder had broken an unknown number of bones and her insides.

[colour=#006400]"Y....ikes!" [/colour]Pathfinder yelped painfully, whinnying desperately as the pain clouded her vision just as Snowfall let go. She weakly and vainly hovered above, her wings straining as she clutched her chest and rubbed in. It hadn't been that hard a hug but in Pathfinder's state it may as well have been a vice. After her initial yelp shocked her back from her mini-pass out, she took all that her love had actually said in. At least the kiss didn't hurt, her cheek one of the few places that didn't sting. It was sweet of her to claim that just having Pathie safe was gift enough, but Pathfinder knew everything there was to know about how to make mares happy and the top of the list was priceless griffon artifacts. And would she be fine in that dress? Most likely. She certainly looked fine and refined and divine, but the Princesses dealt with those types all the time. Were they really all that excited to see just another adorable, absolutely gorgeous, breathtakingly intelligent mare? Pathfinder was, so it didn't matter what they thought!

[colour=#006400]"Cooooooo...."[/colour] Pathfinder forgot what she was going to say, then shook her head and smiled, [colour=#006400]"completely agreed. We need to be comfortable! That's why I took the liberty of not brushing my tail, despite it being almost half chopped off because of swords and stuff. And stuff. And st..."[/colour] She trailed off again as she landed, once again forgetting what she was on about. She shook her head, but this time nothing came in. She shrugged and pranced about.

[colour=#006400]"Oh Snowy, it was so much fun. I learned all about griffons and how they like to betray you and how they try to eat you and the archiecture of their cities and what their spears and swords feel like! I outwitted hundreds of them and even spent time in their secret little oubliette. Oubliette! That's a word I learned while I was recovering here. It means a prison in the ground. I even learned that they are wiz-bang smart chemists. They almost de-winged me. Touch it! Touch my wing!" [/colour]Pathfinder rambled on, trying to move her wings again after that burst of pain earlier. They sorta kinda maybe flapped while one of them dropped low, their foal-level muscles not even starting to rebuild fast enough to support the weight of her wings.

[colour=#006400]"And they have so much hidden history and stuff. You're gonna love it!" [/colour]Pathfinder hobbled on over to her leaf wraped present, took it in her mouth, and hobbled on back.

[colour=#006400]"Ofen it! Ofen it before the frincesses call on us!"[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#006400]"Y....ikes!"[/colour]

Snow was surprised to hear the pained reaction at her embrace, especially since she had tried her best to be as gentle as she could. She supposed it was testament to the fact that Pathfinder's pain was even more severe than her admittedly haggard appearance suggested. Snow would have to remember that and try even harder to beat back the strong urges she was having to show even more affection. Restraint was a hard thing after being separated for so long, but she wasn't going to cause her mare any more pain.

​

[colour=#006400]"Cooooooo.... [/colour][colour=#006400]completely agreed. We need to be comfortable! That's why I took the liberty of not brushing my tail, despite it being almost half chopped off because of swords and stuff. And stuff. And st... Oh Snowy, it was so much fun. I learned all about griffons and how they like to betray you and how they try to eat you and the archiecture of their cities and what their spears and swords feel like! I outwitted hundreds of them and even spent time in their secret little oubliette. Oubliette! That's a word I learned while I was recovering here. It means a prison in the ground. I even learned that they are wiz-bang smart chemists. They almost de-winged me. Touch it! Touch my wing!"[/colour]

Pathfinder's stressed, shocked, pained body and mind were clearly wearing hard on her. It was hard to watch her struggle to string together sentences at first. After a little prance of sorts she strung together a coherent enough ramble though, which mostly consisted of information Snow already knew from Pathfinder's letters, but which nevertheless served as a reminder of just what terrible things Pathfinder and her companion had endured.

At the urging to touch her wings, Snowfall opted to just softly nudge the base of the wing with her muzzle. She smiled. It was sad to see the sad state of Pathfinder's wings, was hard to see. It made Snow wince a little, though she tried not to show it.

[colour=#99ccff]"I've been talking to some specialists, and from what I described to them, it's believed that your wings should recover most of their strength and mobility in time,"[/colour] she said in a soft voice. [colour=#99ccff]"We'll fly together then, okay?"[/colour] she started in a soft voice, looking away briefly.

​

[colour=#006400]"And they have so much hidden history and stuff. You're gonna love it! [/colour][colour=#006400]Ofen it! Ofen it before the frincesses call on us!"[/colour]

And here was the aforementioned gift. Snow was a little curious now, it being mentioned to her as pathfinder talked about griffon history. Just what was this? Snow was serious when she had given her earlier line about Pathfinder's safety being gift enough, but the idea of Pathfinder picking out something for her was still quite exciting. She was eager to see just what it was. Regardless, she was sure it would be something she could treasure. She took the leaf wrapped present from Pathfinder readily and proceeded to unwrap it.

What she found there was quite remarkable really. Snowfall wasn't entirely sure what it was. It's shape was strange, kind of reminding her of a griffon's claw. It was inset with the most remarkable rubies that Snow had seen though... and considering she knew rubies well that was saying something. it was truly a gorgeous piece, the kind of thing that would be centerpiece to any fine collection of jewels. Snow was positive that not even her mother, who collected such things, had a piece this fine. She had never been one too into pretty, expensive jewels that you couldn't do much with, but the idea that she could provoke envy in her mother made her quite excited... and being it was a gift from Pathfinder just made it all the more priceless to her.

[colour=#99ccff]"It's absolutely lovely, Pathfinder!"[/colour] Snow declared, smiling. [colour=#99ccff]"I'll treasure it. It will be the new centerpiece of our jewel display at the manor. Oh, and you'll have to tell me all about it! Just where did you find such a remarkable piece like this?"[/colour]

​