Chapter One

The day started, Fair Quill noted, just like any other. The Castle of Equestia was buzzing. Court was about to come into session and it seemed that today there was something unique going on. Of course, as a scribe, she supposed she ought to believe something interesting happened every session of court. Writing down the events was her job after all. Believing that bale of weeds would be easier if she hadn't sat through countless sessions to have absolutely nothing of interest happen at all.

No, what marked this session of court was different was the fact that, like normal, Quill had heard loads of gossip before it had even begun and yet had heard absolutely nothing specific. Other ponies would rattle on about what they had heard the day before, or perhaps even launch into tales about what they had seen.

The clearest instance Fair Quill had was just after Princess Luna had returned to them. There wasn't a maid in the castle, nor a guard for that matter, who hadn't been on the receiving end of the Moon Princess's 'Royal Canterlot Voice'. The returned alicorn had spent the first few weeks in seclusion, visited only by Celestia, Quill recalled. When Luna had started walking the halls again though, the princess had no reservations in trying to get acquainted with the staff. Most of which were thrown off by the mare's manners.  

Gossip had flooded the halls in record time that day. In fact, she had heard about Luna's unique manner of speaking long before she was called into Celestia's private office for note taking. Luna hadn't left her sister's side those first few days, which meant that the blue mare was present when she'd arrived. Luna's greeting hadn't so much prompted a flinch from Quill.

Granted, news of the princess was bound to travel fast. But one a pony remembered that the whole castle would know anything and everything that had happened, even if nopony wanted them to, it was a tad unsettling to realize that she was going into this session utterly blind. All she knew was that the Rivers had finally had their foal. That was nothing to go off of in Canterlot's court.

As the cream colored unicorn trotted into the throne room, she nodded once to the acting guards before heading for her  seat just a short distance from the princesses. Luna and Celestia weren't here yet. She supposed the alicorns were either finishing up breakfast or walking through the gardens. Celestia was undoubtedly up by now. Luna would likely be up until court broke for lunch, and then go off to sleep. Night court had yet to start up again. Sometimes, Quill wondered if it ever would.

The mare turned her head back and pulled some rolls of parchment, a well of ink, and a quill from her saddlebags. It had taken a fair number of bits, but she had purchased the sturdiest, largest inkwell she could find. It wasn't terribly attractive, but it managed to take one of Prince Blueblood's temper tantrums. That was more than enough for her.

Fair Quill laid the sheets of parchment over the short podium at which she sat. The unicorn was far enough to the side that the nobles tended not to pay attention to her but close enough to hear the princesses clearly. Then again, no one ever seemed to miss what Princess Celestia said, even with her distinct lack of the 'Royal Canterlot Voice'.

Quill had tried picturing Celestia using such a tone before. The image never quite fit in her mind. The closest she had heard the princess come was using a stern, somewhat louder than normal declaration at some crabbier then normal nobles. Like magic, they'd listened.

Come to think of it, sometimes she wondered if it was in fact magic that made them listen. Was there even a spell for such a thing? She hadn't the slightest idea.

"Good morning, our diligent scribe," a friendly voice stated. The pony sprung back to her hooves and turned, bowing her head to the two princesses.

"Good morning Princess Celestia, Princess Luna," Quill replied, huffing softly as her chestnut mane fell in front of her face. For perhaps the ninth time that week--and it was only Wednesday--she noted that she would need to either do her mane in a new way or get it cut. The scribe lifted her head back up and looked up at the two royal mares. "I hope your morning has been pleasant thus far."

"It has," Celestia replied, smiling down at the pony. Beside her, Luna nodded in agreement with a pleasant smile. "I hope you've not been waiting here long, Fair Quill."

"Not at all, Princess. I was only just setting up," the scribe informed. Fair Quill set her inkwell on the podium before looking back to Luna. "The stars seemed especially bright last night, Princess. They were a joy to look at."

"Thank thee, dear Fair Quill," Luna replied. The smile upon the dark alicorn's face broadened. "Tis always a pleasure to hear that mine subjects have delighted in the sight of mine night. We hope that thou has also had a most pleasant morning."

Fair Quill dipped her head briefly in confirmation. "I have indeed, Princess. Thank you," she said pleasantly. She'd heard Luna attempt to speak with the same pronouns that were used in Equestria today. The results had been mixed at best. It would take time, but that was something the princess had more than enough of.

The young mare watched as the princesses took to their thrones--two large, plush chairs seated at the farthest end of the hall from the door, before taking her own seat. Her horn sparked with magic the color of caramel and she lifted her quill. She sat still just as the doors to the throne room opened and the high class ponies began to file inside.

Ponies visiting from Manehattan, with their elaborate updos and heavier clothes, filed in alongside Canterlot dignitaries  that Fair Quill saw often enough to have their faces and names memorized, but wouldn't be able to point out more than a few of their estates if her hooves depended on it.

As she watched, Quill couldn’t help but notice that these ponies were rather quiet. Usually there was some sort of noise rattling through the crowd, be it them comparing dinner parties, or a filly bragging about how she was the one getting sweet on Prince Blueblood.  Not that getting close to the prince was something terribly unique. Blueblood tried to get close to a good number of fillies in Canterlot. He also proceeded to dump just as many of them.  

The procession passed with an unusual amount of quiet. Ponies whispered to one another, looking suspiciously at one another, but it wasn’t until the Rivers arrived, with Clarity carrying her newborn foal in a woven basket that Quill had an idea of what had the court in such a state.

The tiny foal had a small nub of a horn peeking out of the basket. The foal also had bandages wrapped securely around her middle, and the left side of her body seemed oddly misshapen.  In her seat, Quill fidgeted uncomfortably. The foal was an alicorn.

Now, alicorns were something she had to get used to when she had begun working in the castle. Despite what other ponies might have assumed, Celestia and Luna weren’t the only alicorns in Equestria.  Princess Cadence was the third most known alicorn, though she tried to stay as far out of the limelight as possible. Alicorns were far more common than most of Equestria likely realized. The problem was that fully-formed alicorns were a rarity. Most who were born would end up as this little foal had. One trait would be severely malformed, if not both.

As the River’s brought their foal up before the princesses, Clarity River removed the bandages from their foal’s body. The foal’s right side had only a small nub where the wing seemed to have started, and then been promptly forgotten about.  Upon its left side, the wing was tinier than normal, and as Clarity gently demonstrated, could not extend all the way.

“Congratulations on the birth of your foal,” Princess Celestia said kindly. She lowered her head to look over the infant. Her eyes narrowed somewhat as she eyed the little filly. “What is her name?”

“Bubble Brook,” Clarity supplied. “She was born just a week ago, Princess.”

“She’s a very happy and healthy foal,” the Princess finished, lifting her head to look back at the Rivers.

“Thank you, Princess,” Deep Rivers added, clearly uncomfortable that the obvious topic had yet to be broached. The unicorn seemed to realize that Celestia herself was not about to bring it up. He took a deep breath, before looking between the two princesses. “Is there anything that can be done for her wings?”

“Nay.” Quill knew before she looked that it was Luna who had cut in. “Our magic can not affect that which has occurred in the womb,” she explained. Disappointment crossed Deep River’s face, though some part of Quill suspected that he had already known this.  “Thou’s foal shall have to live on with thine’s ill-formed wings, or thine’s parents must have them removed.”

Despite her words, there was sympathy in Luna’s voice for the parents. Quill suspected that even prior to her banishment, Luna had delivered this message, and she’d have to do so again in the future.

Deep River could only nod uncertainly in agreement. Quill chose then to look down at her parchment and start noting the events.

An alicorn foal was brought in by Clarity River and Deep Rivers. Report is to be sent to the Royal Historians to update family records.

Alicorns did not necessarily mean ‘goddess-like’, though Equestrian art would like the populace to believe otherwise. The only immortal alicorns were Princesses Luna and Celestia, and Quill supposed that was because they controlled the sun and moon respectively. Alicorns themselves were supposedly just a dormant trait that was carried on in royal blood. Alicorns were only female; no pony was entirely sure why, but the fact remained.

Somewhere along the line, Deep and Clarity Rivers must both be related to the royal line. It wasn’t out of the question, given they were members of court. It had happened once before during Quill’s service as scribe. That instance had resulted in the foal needing both her horn and wings amputated.  Said filly was just a very adventurous painter now. She sent pictures to Princess Celestia from time to time.

By the time Quill had looked up again, the Rivers had stepped down and were milling about with the rest of court. Already, ponies were congratulating them on their baby unicorn. She supposed it was an unspoken rule among them not to mention the coming removal of her wings. Perhaps they didn’t see it as dignified.

As the Rivers began to walk around, the spell that had been cast over the court seemed to dissipate, and ponies began to chatter on at their normal volume. Quill resigned herself to staring at her parchment for the rest of the morning, writing down the purpose of each and every visitor.  It wasn’t terribly adventurous work, but that was the life of a scribe.