Journey Unexpected, Part Five

JOURNEY UNEXPECTED

Written by James Patrick Buchanan

(The six central characters realize that their homes and hearts being in Ponyville.)

(Fade in shows that Rainbow and Fluttershy are within a glass roofed, shopping arcade.  The stores are filled with merchandise, some familiar and some alien to the two pony friends.  The trouble started with Chitchat Grapevine a young unicorn mare with a shiny tin colored coat with a polished pewter mane and tail, with the portraits of two ponies talking for a cutie mark.  Chitchat takes a secret digital photo of them with her PDA and then sends it to her friends.  Chitchat’s friends send the digital photo to their friends who rush over to the arcade.  Soon, a pony flash mob surrounds Rainbow Dash, but ignores Fluttershy.)

Chitchat:  (She points at Rainbow with her hoof while telling her friends.)  That’s the hero that gave us all those Pegasus treasures from the abandoned cloud city to us ground ponies.

In response, Rainbow Dash puts on her favorite pair of sunglasses and smiles.

Rainbow:  There’s no need for all of you to get pushy.  There’s a limitless supply of Rainbow Dash to satisfy everyone’s needs to meet Equestria’s greatest flyer.

Fluttershy:  (On the edge of the crowd and speaking in a quiet voice said), Not to disagree with you or anything, but you know that Spitfire may disagree with you about being the best Pegasus flier.

Walking around the assembled mob of Dream Valley ponies is a young Earth pony stallion with a polished stainless steel coat and a metallic red mane and trail, with a push mower for a cutie mark.

Lawn:  (He walks over to Chitchat and then asks), “Chitchat, Rainbow is mobbed by other ponies.  What about talking to the yellow Pegasus?”

Chitchat:  Lawn Care, don’t pay any attention to Fluttershy.  According to my friends’ online blogs that I’ve read so far, the yellow mare is more of an Earth Pony who happens to have wings, than she is a real Pegasus.

Understandably, Fluttershy was a bit miffed at being described as not being a real Pegasus.

Fluttershy:   (She said this to herself with a cute, yet angry face), I’m not as good at flying as my friend Rainbow.  But, I’m still a real Pegasus.

Fluttershy flies over to hover above Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy:  “Rainbow, we’re leaving!”

Fluttershy scoops a surprised Rainbow up in her four hooves.  Fulttershy flies upward and then down the wide arcade hall.  The Dream Valley ponies give chance down the hall, but they give up when Fluttershy, still carrying Rainbow in her hooves escapes out an open window.

Rainbow:  (Exacerbated asks), “Fluttershy, why did you carry me away from my fans?”

Fluttershy:  Some of those mean ponies said that I wasn’t a real Pegasus.

Rainbow:  (With a surprised look on her face said), Well then, I don’t want to be around those Dream Valley ponies if the say bad things about you.  Come to think of it, even Twilight does not get as much attention for being a princess in Ponyville, than Fluttershy and I get from these glossy coated and air-headed Dream Valley ponies.  Let’s fly over to the market and see if there are Dream Valley novels that are similar to the Daring Do novels.

(Transition using the national flag of Dream Valley.)

Meanwhile, Princess Twilight, wearing her coronation dress and royal regalia walks with slow, graceful steps into the Rose Garden of the Dream Valley Presidential Mansion.  She is escorted by Spiffy van Hoosier, a stallion with a brushed aluminum colored coat, nickel silver colored mane and tail, and a tea set for his cutie mark.  Spiffy wears a black butler uniform.

On a brick patio, covered by a canvas canopy stands Cameo Moderator, the President of the Dream Valley Republic.  Cameo is an Earth pony mare with a coat of polished copper, with a mane and trail of metallic green jade, and a powdered wig for her cutie mark.  Cameo wears a white ruffle shirt and a black bow tie.  Being an Earth pony and thus attuned with nature, she often meets with guests in her nation’s Presidential Mansion’s Rose Garden.

Cameo walks over to Twilight.

Cameo:  My name is Cameo Moderator.  I’m the elected President of the Dream Valley Republic.  You have already met my butler, Spiffy van Hoosier.

Twilight:  My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’m the Princess of Friendship of the Equestrian nation.

After a healthy hoofshake, Cameo invites Twilight to sit down on a comfortable sofa.  Cameo sits on a sofa opposite Twilight, with a low table with a tea set and cookies on it.

Spiffy:  (Talking to Twilight), I would find it acceptable if you called me Spiffy.  If you need anything, Princess Twilight all you need to do is ask.

Twilight:  (Looking at Spiffy, she said), Spiffy, just call me Twilight.  Also, there is something about you that reminds me of my own devoted servant and dear friend, Spike the dragon.

Spiffy:  (While bowing to Twilight, he said), “As you wish, Twilight.  I have pride in the fact that my Hoosier family has been attending to the needs of Dream Valley’s presidents and their visitors for more than eight hundred years.

Twilight:  Wow that is a long time for a family to have one job.  You must tell me the more interesting stories about your family sometime.

Cameo:  (Asking Twilight.)  Besides you are there any more Equestrian Princesses?

Twilight:  (Turns her attention from Spiffy to Cameo), Besides me, there is Princess Celestia, who controls the Sun, Princess Luna who controls the Moon, and Princess Cadance who spreads love, while protecting the Crystal Empire.

Cameo:  Dream Valley ponies have wondered for generations who or what is controlling the movements of the sun and the moon.  If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the difference between Princess Cadance being the princess of love and you being the princess of friendship?

Twilight’s eyes grow bigger and she appears confused.

Twilight:  I’m not sure what the best way to answer your question is.  Nopony has ever asked me the specific details of our job descriptions or if there is any overlap in our duties.  Come to think of it, our job descriptions have never been written down.  That is something I’m going to do after I get back to my homeland.

Twilight:  (Twilight looks at Cameo’s shoe-gloves, then asks), Cameo, do you know what the shoe-gloves are based on?

Cameo:  There is an old pony legend that says that our ancestors were once legendary creatures known as human beings who lived on another world.  After these humans walked through a magic gateway to our world, these humans became the three pony tribes and other species as well.  But, we both know that’s just an entertaining bedtime story for foals.

Twilight:  Sometimes, even the most embellished of legends are based on a kernel of truth.

Cameo gives Twilight a skeptical facial expression.

Cameo:  Ok, here’s another question.  Why didn’t anypony from the Equestrian nation ever see what had happened to their ancestors’ homeland before your arrival?

Twilight:  I’ve been wondering about that same question.  As far as I know, everypony in Equestria assumed that Dream Valley was buried under a deep layer of ice and snow.  No Equestrian pony had ever thought to come here and see what happened to Dream Valley with their own eyes.  Dream Valley had become more myth than fact.  It took three young fillies, their school teacher, and Spike, my dragon friend, to suggest a journey to retrieve knowledge lost to Equestrian ponies.

Cameo:  The same thing happened with the Dream Valley ponies.  We assumed that all the ponies that had emigrated out of Dream Valley and didn’t return hadn’t survived the journey to a new land.

Twilight:  Cameo, the fact is that about half our world is unknown to Equestrian ponies.  I would think that with all our Earth pony science, Pegasus flight, and Unicorn magic, we ponies would have made a complete map of our world by now.  There are even uncharted areas of my home nation.

Twilight:  Ambassador Twilight, may I call you Ambassador Twilight?

Cameo:  (After Twilight nods her head, Cameo continues by saying), My mapmaking cartographer ponies will give you copies of the maps of my nation, as well as maps of the other known kingdoms on this continent.  What do you say to that?

Twilight:  I say, on behalf of my nation, thank you.  Let’s learn from the past, but also move forward.  Let us work together in friendship and harmony to build a better future for all ponies, dragons, griffons, zebras, and all other intelligent species.

Cameo:  That sounds very nice, but where should we begin to build our friendship between the ponies of our nations?

Twilight:  I can start off by giving you these books on Equestrian history.  I wish I had more to give to you, but I didn’t know that there were ponies living in Dream Valley.

Twilight’s horn lights up as three books levitate out of Twilight’s saddlebags and land on the low table between Twilight and Cameo.

Cameo:  I’ll give these books to the Dream Valley History Museum.  Our pony historians will love reading each detail of how our long lost relatives are living.  Is there anything you want to add, Ambassador Twilight?

Twilight:  I think that our nations should exchange professional ambassadors.  Then, our professional bureaucrats, university professors, and business ponies can consider what trade routes to use for ponies and goods to travel between our two nations.  Cameo, what goods do you think Dream Valley ponies can sell to Equestrian ponies?

Cameo:  Dream Valley ponies would love to trade our PDAs, our canal technology, and our vast, Dream Valley coal reserves for Equestrian trains, airships, and Friendship engines.  Dream Valley ponies joke with each other that if you drag your hoof on the ground here, there’s a good chance your hoof will get covered in coal dust.  Ambassador Twilight, how do we determine how many tons of Dream Valley coal, is worth one Equestrian friendship engine?

Twilight:  (With a sigh, she said), “I see we have many days of complicated and intricate negotiating ahead of us.  Being an adult is so complicated.  And thus, I wonder why when I was a young filly that I was in such a hurry to grow up.”

(Camera pans to a large watercolor of a forested city park.  The scene transitions to a real picture of the same city park with Twilight and her close friends were enjoying a sumptuous, early afternoon picnic lunch.  The friends sat on a plaid picnic lunch blanket in the Royal Stewart tartan.)

On the other side of a brick bicycle path, were cute metallic foals.  They were dressed in cute sailor suits and had a great time playing with their toy sailboats in a knee deep, reflecting pool.  The floor and sides of the pool were covered in ceramic tiles.  Two of these foals were Bard, a silver coated Earth colt talking to his friend Cinnamon a copper coated Unicorn filly. 

Brad:  (In a confident voice, told Cinnamon), “When I grow up, I’m going to marry a Pegasus mare.”

Cinnamon:  But, will your Pegasus mare move to Dream Valley, or will you move to Equestria?

Brad:  I don’t know.  But, that’s years and years in the future, so why worry about it now?  I have much growing to do before I sail away to Equestria.

Cinnamon:  Speaking of sailing away, you sailboat is sailing away from you.

Cinnamon pointed with her hoof to Bard’s sailboat that was being pushed with a slight breeze down the reflecting pool.  Lickety-split, Bard was trotting off to retrieve his sailboat, splashing water around his legs, his underbelly, and his sailor tunic.  The young foals didn’t notice Twilight and her friends.

Rarity:  I do love the illusion spell you cast on us to make us look like metallic ponies.

Twilight:  I have to create this spell, or the fan ponies would never leave us alone.

Twilight had cast an illusion spell to make their dull coats appear shiny metallic and to have Twilight, Rainbow, and Flutter’s feathery wings appear to disappear.

Twilight is using her magic to pour Applejack a cup of tea.

Applejack:  (Smiling, Applejack said), “Oh, that’s ok sugar cube; you don’t have to pour my cup of tea.”

Twilight:  Applejack, we’re friends and neither my wings on my back nor my crown shouldn’t get in the way of me being nice to you.

Applejack:  Thanks Twilight, I reckon I can’t turn down a helping hoof from a good friend.”

Rarity:  Have you seen how these Dream Valley ponies fawn over Rainbow, Fluttershy, and the Wonderbolts?  The Dream Valley ponies smother them with attention like Rainbow obsesses over her signed, first edition Daring Do novels.

Twilight:  By working together, we have collected an adequate number of books for Cheerilee’s history project.  We have also gathered a sufficient amount of information to give to Princess Celestia to tell her all about the ponies of Dream Valley and Dream Valley society.

Rarity:  It will be a shame to leave so many dreamy metallic ponies.

Rarity looks over at a group of muscular Dream Valley stallions and mares lifting weights at an outdoor gymnasium.

Rarity:  But, I will return home for the sake of my family and for my friends.

Applejack:  As much as I’d love to stay and learn more about the art of Dream Valley baking, I’ve got my family’s apple orchard to run and a family to care for.

Twilight:  I see that travel is great for expanding your mind and making new friends.  I’ve seen that Dream Valley ponies have taken their society in directions no Equestrian pony has considered.  But, my friends and I have seen that despite all the wonderful ponies, places, and things in our ancestors’ homeland of Dream Valley, we know that our true place beings in Ponyville.  Let’s start packing, as we should leave Dream Valley in three days.

Rarity looks at Twilight with pleading, puppy dog eyes.

Twilight:  (She amended herself by saying), “Three days?  I meant to say seven days to pack up for our return voyage.  I’ll send a text message to the president’s personal butler Spiffy van Hoosier about our travel plans.  Pinkie Pie, please plan a farewell party for nine in the morning, seven days from now.”

Pinkie:  Yes Twilight, you’ll be pleased with my farewell party planning!

Rarity smiles at Twilight.  Rarity then returns to ogling the metallic coated stallions.

(A barn door wipe shows the audience that Twilight and her friends sitting in the airship’s forward observation lounge.  The airship is flying above the clouds at night.  Lantern light is making contrasting shadows on the walls, objects, and ponies.  Twilight is sitting on a padded chair, uses her magic to bring their friendship journal to her and opens the book to the first blank page.)

Sitting next to Twilight, Applejack appears happy playing her banjo for everypony’s enjoyment.  Spike appears content listening to Applejack’s music.  Rainbow is busy sorting a big pile of Pegasus pony merchandise.

Twilight starts writing in her friendship journal.  “After one memorable farewell party - my airship crew, my friends, and I have settled in our airship for the weeklong voyage back home.  While I’m happy to return home, I also feel sad to leave all my new, Dream Valley friends.”

Twilight smiles at a photograph of the farewell party, her pony and dragon friends, along with the Dream Valley friends she has made.  Standing on Twilight’s right side is Cameo Moderator while standing on Twilight’s left side is Spiffy van Hoosier.  Standing next to Spiffy is Newsie Newsworthy and Panorama, both wearing formal dresses.

Twilight continues writing, “First, this unexpected adventure and all the excitement and enjoyment we have encountered would never have happened if the Cutie Mark Crusaders hadn’t ask a question about how ancient ponies got their cutie marks, if Cheerilee hadn’t asked me to investigate the library of the Royal Pony Sisters, and if my friend Spike hadn’t suggested that we take an airship journey to Dream Valley.  We all owe Ponyville’s Cutie Mark Crusaders, Cheerilee, and Spike our thanks for finding unexpected friends and unexpected opportunities in Dream Valley.

“Second, I’ve learned that the unexpected can surprise and sometimes frighten a pony.  Yet, while our intended goal was to rediscover lost Equestrian history for Cheerilee’s textbook project; during our adventure to rediscover lost pony history, my friends and I found unexpected friends and unexpected opportunities.  It is funny that the unexpected things you find are often more valuable than the things that you intend to find.

“Third, while it was unexpected that my friends and I would purchase Pony Digital Assistants, we will be donating our wonderful tools and the rest of the Dream Valley technology we have purchased or were given to us, to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.  I’m sure that Celestia's students can and will make much better use of Dream Valley technology than we ever will.

“Also, I propose trading Dream Valley coal and their skill in building canals for Equestrian friendship engines and our skill in building railroads.  Most trade agreements are written in boring adult talk.  To make these talks more interesting for all involved, I suggest that Princess Celestia should hire Trixie Lulamoon and Cheese Sandwich to complete these complex trade agreements.  Who can tell what unexpected things could happen if we pair those two professional entertainers together to write out these trade agreements.

“In conclusion, I wonder what other unexpected friends, undiscovered civilizations, and unidentified opportunities remain hidden on, above, or under the unmapped lands and seas of our world?  Whatever my friends and I discover during our future adventures, we will bring the magic of friendship to friends that we haven’t met yet.”

Twilight yawns, and then concludes her entry with, “But, for me it is time for this unexpected pony ambassador to return to my cabin.  Tonight I need to get some much needed sleep.  My friends and I will work to solve tomorrow’s problems tomorrow.”

The end

Writer’s notebook, written for my editors

After years of encouragement from my friends to write a young reader’s book, I wrote Journey Unexpected.  My book’s central theme is dealing with unexpected events and unexpected people, while introducing to my readers to the ancestral homeland of the three pony tribes first described in the Hearth's Warming Eve episode.  I have named this first pony homeland Dream Valley, as the ancestral homeland was not given a name during the episode.

What am I telling my readers in a story about Dream Valley pony society that can’t be told in the Equestrian homeland?  I’m curious as to what could happen if Twilight and her friends decided to return to their ancestral homeland to discover what happened to it and who might be living there.

In addition, considering how many real world people spend their time, money, and effort discovering their ancestral descent and sometimes visiting their ancestral homeland.  Using reality as a guideline, I would imagine that some Equestrian ponies would wish to visit Dream Valley.

My manuscript was inspired by my traveling to foreign nations, finding the unexpected, and getting used to things not found in the United States.  It was also inspired by the television show Connections by James Burke

My readers will see that separated from the Equestrian ponies for more than one thousand years - even before the births of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna - that the Dream Valley ponies developed a civilization far different from that of the Equestrian ponies.  Moreover, I hope my book will be used as an opportunity for artists and writers to reimagine what an alternative pony society could look like.

Dream Valley is also an excellent opportunity to create situations that can’t be done in the Equestrian nation, such as pony flash mobs.

Moreover, I wanted to introduce to my readers the metallic ponies, which over many centuries had become a distinct species of ponies.  These metallic ponies are based upon real world, Akhal-Teke horses.  When I first saw images of Akhal-Teke horses, I thought these images of metallic horses had been photoshopped or the horses’ coats had by dyed that color.  No wonder that these unusual horses are Turkmenistan's national emblem.

Moreover, the Akhal-Teke horses are considered by horse enthusiasts to be the world's most beautiful horse breed.  Therefore, I can imagine that Akhal-Teke horses could be the inspiration to become a successful line of pony toys for Hasbro.

I assume that Dream Valley is on the other side of one of the two oceans that border the Equestrian homeland.  Otherwise, the Equestrian ponies or the Dream Valley ponies would have visited each other’s nations by now.

The Twilight's Kingdom episode showed that the power of friendship is a different and separate force from that of magic.  I propose that the power of friendship can not only be employed to defeat enemies, it could also be harness for constructive uses, such as Twilight’s friendship engine to expand generation four’s storytelling opportunities.  My rationale is that the series has shown that the power of friendship can create energy to defeat villains such as Nightmare Moon; and therefore the same power of friendship could power an airship and achieve other outcomes as well.

My Little Pony:  Friendship is Magic, Copyright © 2010 Lauren Faust, Hasbro Studios, and DHX Media