"He-e-e-e-elp!" a voice screamed. Princess Silver Swirl looked down from the
trees she had been examining and gazed around the forest for the source of the voice. In a
moment, the source went running past her as it continued to scream.
The voice belonged to a small, pig-like creature who was being pursued be a large
Rhydon. Concerned for the helpless being, Silver Swirl winked in front of the Rhydon and spoke
in the most authoritative voice she could muster. "What do you think you're doing?" she
demanded of the Rhydon, who halted and gazed at her. "This is Queen Sun Sparkle's land, and
by law you have no right to be persecuting its citizens!"
Silver Swirl wasn't sure if the Pokèmon could understand her, but she continued
anyway. "Since this is a first offense, I'll go easy with you. Leave the premises and do not return
until you've learned better manners."
The creature stared at her for a moment, then lumbered away. Silver Swirl
breathed a sigh of relief. "Pony?" a voice said. Silver Swirl turned around to see the pig-like
creature, who had apparently been hiding behind a tree during Silver Swirl's confrontation with
the Rhydon.
"My name's Silver Swirl," the unicorn smiled, not mentioning her royal status;
others were often nervous when they found out that they were speaking to a princess.
"Silver Swirl?" the creature mused. "Nice name. You may call me Wissp."
"Pleased to meet you, Wissp," replied Silver Swirl, curtseying.
"I think you may have saved my life," said Wissp rather casually. "You deserve a
reward." Silver Swirl started to protest, but Wissp took no notice. "What should I give you?
Oh, I know." She closed her eyes and then opened them. "There. Enjoy, and if you have any
problems, come back here and stamp each of your hooves thrice."
Silver Swirl blinked, and when she reopened her eyes, Wissp was gone. After
looking around for the strange creature, she shrugged-- and felt something strange on her back.
She craned her head around to see what it was and gasped. On her back were two delicate,
shimmering silver wings. It took a moment for the implications of this to sink in. She, Silver
Swirl, was now a Unipeg, a creature out of legends!
Silver Swirl flew back to Friendship Castle. It was difficult, but exhilarating. The
wind whistled past her, and she felt like she was in another world. She flew into her tower room
and landed rather regretfully.
Jade the dragon and Melisande the Mew stopped their conversation to stare at
Silver Swirl. What happened? they asked at the same time, Melisande in Mew-speech
and Jade telepathically.
"I saved a piggy-thing and she gave me wings as a reward!" Silver Swirl explained.
"Wings, wings, wings!" she sang from pure joy, composing a song:
"Look at me, I can fly,
"Hear the wind whistle by,
"And I feel like I'm lighter than air!
"I can glide, I can swoop,
"Someday I'll loop-de-loop,
"And it's almost too much joy to bear!"
Silver Swirl laughed giddily and flew to the window of the living room of
Friendship Castle, where the other princesses were gathered. She swept in and landed rather
clumsily in the middle of her friends. "Look!" she cried, displaying her wings.
The other ponies gathered around Silver Swirl while she explained how she'd
gotten her wings. The others made sounds of amazement-- except for Princess Twinkle Star, who
said nothing. Silver Swirl was so excited that she didn't notice her friend's silence.
The other denizens of Friendship Castle called their friends, relatives, and folks they
wanted to impress, telling them about the new resident Unipeg. It didn't take long for the news
to spread, and Silver Swirl was soon swamped with requests.
On Monday, Silver Swirl hosted a football game. She had never known or cared
anything about football, but the audience was thrilled anyway-- some paid more attention to the
Unipeg than to the game.
Silver Swirl was asked to visit a daycare center on Tuesday. She signed autographs
until her hoof hurt, and gave rides to about twenty baby ponies, enduring mane-pulling and
incessant giggling.
She was exhausted when she was finished, and having the crowds gape at her
before she winked back to the castle was just as bad. Many ponies in the crowd were ones she
had met and talked to before, but they looked at her as if she were a stranger.
Princess Ivy insisted that Silver Swirl accompany her to the mall on Wednesday.
Silver Swirl would have rather spent some time with Jade and Melisande, the only ones in the
castle who treated her the same way they had before, but she didn't want to hurt Princess Ivy's
feelings. Later, she wished she hadn't been so sensitive-- the mall was teeming with curious
ponies wanting autographs, photographs, and various other favors.
The noise and body heat from all the onlookers made Silver Swirl feel ill. After
signing twenty-seven autographs, smiling until her face hurt, and agreeing to several requests, she
winked back to her tower and spent the rest of the day wishing for peace and quiet.
On Thursday, Silver Swirl took a walk in the forest only to find tons of unicorns
and pegasi wanting to know exactly how she had become a Unipeg. Silver Swirl told them every
detail she could think of, but they didn't leave afterwards-- they stayed in the hope of meeting
Wissp.
When Silver Swirl flew back to the castle, she found several reporters waiting for
her. They looked so hopeful that Silver Swirl agreed to a "short" interview, which turned out to
be three hours long. When the reporters were finally persuaded to leave, Silver Swirl went to
practice her flying skills. It was fun, but she couldn't really put her heart in it-- she was too busy
thinking of ways to avoid the multitudes of ponies that wanted her time.
The next morning, Silver Swirl started flying to the Bushwoolie holes. If anyone
would treat her normally, it would be the Bushwoolies. On the way, however, two pegasi spotted
her and pulled her down to the ground. One of them produced a list of events at which they
wanted her presence.
Silver Swirl agreed to go sing at a fund-raiser for needy ponies, since she was good
at singing and wanted to help. She then flew back to the castle, abandoning her earlier plan. She
knew a place where no one could bother her.
The next day, Friday, Silver Swirl sang at the fund-raiser. She concentrated on the
music, not on the crowd. When she finished, the audience cheered; but Silver Swirl didn't find
much pleasure in it. Were they cheering because she had a beautiful voice, or because she was a
Unipeg?
On Saturday, Silver Swirl made up her mind. She winked to the forest and stamped
each of her hooves thrice. Wissp appeared and looked at Silver Swirl questioningly.
"Hello, Wissp," Silver Swirl sighed. "I've been having some problems. I've
become famous, and it's awful! Everyone acts like I'm a stranger, even my friends. They never
leave me alone. Oh, Wissp, your gift is wonderful, and I love flying; but I don't think this world
is ready for a Unipeg. Please... please take the wings back."
Wissp nodded and blinked. Then the wings were gone, and so was Wissp. Silver
Swirl felt bare, and her mind burned with a question. Had she made the right choice?
Back at her tower, Silver Swirl tried to think about other things. She paced back
and forth before the window she had so often flown through. Out of the force of habit, she
hopped out the window!
For one awful moment, Silver Swirl thought she was going to die. Then she
realized that she wasn't falling-- she was flying! She looked at her wingless back and laughed. "I
asked Wissp to take the wings back, and she did! She just left me the power of flight!" Silver
Swirl felt her heart soaring as high as her body.
When the other ponies found out about Silver Swirl's choice, they frowned and
shook their heads-- except for Twinkle Star. Twinkle Star smiled at her friend and offered to
teach her how to loop-de-loop.