"What's it like to travel? Are you always walking everywhere? How do you make pancakes without magic?"
The day went on as Celestia conversed with Silver Dollar and Rosemary. The young filly couldn't help herself but to talk a mile a minute. Bombarding the couple with inquiries about even the smallest details of life outside of Canterlot. They were happy to answer her questions of course. It was rather refreshing for them to have a shining new face join them. Especially one so enthusiastic about learning what most ponies took for granted.
It wasn't long before she started to ask about the other members of the caravan. The sounds of playful laughter could easily be heard over the creaking of the wooden carts. Celestia could see the source of this laughter coming from the small group of fillies and colts running around. Her questions paused for a moment as she silently observed them. The filly's sudden silence alerted the couple as they realized what she where her attention had been turned to.
Silver gave Celestia a light nudge. "Well go on. I can see ya want to." She looked away sheepishly. Silver gave the alicorn a concerned look. "What's the matter?" he began. "Ya sure don't seem like the shy type ta me."
"Well, I um," she hesitated to answer for a moment. "You see, I never really got to talk with other ponies my age. Father never really wanted me to play." The filly cleared her throat as she deepened her voice mockingly. "A princess should apply herself to her royal duties, not be playing foalish games with common ponyfolk."
The grey pony gave a nod in understanding as his partner was desperately trying to stifle her laughter. "I-I understand it's hard at first dear," Rosemary managed to get out while laughing. "But sometimes you just have to try your best. After all you do want to meet them right?" Celestia nodded. "Well then let me give you a hoof with that." she said as her horn began to glow with a light pink aura.
"Wait, wha-?" Her words were suddenly stopped as a flash of bright light appeared. Without warning the alicorn filly found herself standing in the center of the playful gathering of young ponies. They all stopped and looked at her with surprise, taken back by her sudden appearance. Staring at the mysterious newcomer the lot of them had fallen silent. Celestia tried to think of something to say. Anything would do, it was just too awkward to stand still and say nothing. Before she could make up her mind a young filly pegasus with a cinnamon coat and a messy violet mane approached her. With a serious look she stood in front of Celestia keeping their eyes locked as she slowly began to lean in. With the pegasus' green eyes staring at her Celestia pulled back her head slightly, unsure of what she could be up to. Finally the pegasus stopped leaning in. Less than an inch of space was between their faces. The two remained like this for nearly a minute before Celestia felt a light tap on her shoulder.
The young filly smiled. "You're it!" Without so much as a warning, the cinnamon pegasus began running as fast as she could in the opposite direction, giggling all the while. The other young ponies followed in suit. The alicorn broke free from her stupor and shook her head. She may not have played with others very much, but she and Luna had played tag before. A devious grin appeared on her face. When it came to tag she always won.
The young ponies took kindly to their new alicorn friend. It didn't take long for Celestia to get comfortable either. Their game of tag had gone on for some time, their youth providing them with seemingly endless energy. It was different playing a game with nearly a dozen others, but it wasn't exactly a difficult thing to adjust to.
Before long they had switched over to a new game. This was one Celestia hadn't heard of before so she figured it would be best to ask one of her new friends about it. "Hey Snapple Jack," she addressed the cinnamon pegasus. "what's 'Duck, Duck, Goose'?"
Snapple looked at her in shock. "You've never played Duck, Duck, Goose before?!" she quickly rushed over to the alicorns side. "That's probably the saddest thing I've ever heard in my life! That's like saying you've never seen a cloud. A cloud for cryin' out loud!" Celestia couldn't help but giggle at her over dramatic expression. "Yeah I know, I should get my cutie mark in rhymes any day now." she said proudly. "It's real simple you see. Everypony sits in a circle and one pony walks around it. Whenever that pony passes another they say you're either a duck or a goose." she was shot a confused stare from Celestia. "If your a duck nothing happens, but if you're a goose you gotta get up and chase them around the circle and tag em' before they reach your spot again." Celestia nodded, but her expression still had a look of confusion on it. "Don't worry you'll see soon enough."
All gathered in a circle, Snapple remained outside it on the side opposite Celestia. With a single hoof raised above the white earth pony in front of her, Snapple began to walk around the circle. "Duck," she could hear her say. "Duck," the next pony had been passed over. "Duck," Celestia slowly became more excited. "Duck," Passing four ponies, Celestia looked at her pegasus friend and suddenly realized it might be her who gets picked. "Duck," Slowly moving closer, Snapple was only three ponies from her. "Duck," Just two more, the intensity building as the filly's anticipation grew. "Duck," One more. "Duck," As her hoof slowly began to pass over Celestia, she found she was trembling with excitement. The world seemed to move in slow motion as the moment of truth approached. The alicorn could almost sense it, she could feel what was about to happen next. "Goose!" The cinnamon pegasus took off giggling. As Celestia tried to get up and rushed after the giggling filly she felt her hooves slip on the grass beneath her, causing the young alicorn to fall face first into the ground. The other ponies burst out into laughter as she spit out a mouthful of dirt.
Looking over Celestia saw her friend laughing uncontrollably while she rolled around on the grass. She smiled as she saw the opportunity to still win this. Trotting over, she simply placed a hoof on her back and smiled widely. "Just how I planned it." she said blowing a raspberry at the downed pegasus, only making everypony laugh harder.
The young ponies would laugh and play until days end. Night had since fallen and the caravan had set up camp. Off a short ways from the road a bonfire had been set up. The crackling fire lit the area around them as embers would be carried away by the cool breeze. The young princess sat with two of her new friends. Snapple Jack, the pegasus who had been the first her age she had become acquainted with, and Equal Balance, a white earth pony colt with a short brown mane.
"What's it like being a princess?" the white pony asked.
The alicorn sighed. "It's awful," she began in a peeved tone. "All they do is teach you to have manners and be lady like. They don't let you leave your room without a guard and you're not allowed to play with others."
A loud belch came from the cinnamon pegasus beside her, causing them to giggle slightly. "That's all the manners I'll ever need." Snapple said proudly. "Why, I bet I'd be..." she paused in though for a moment. "I bet I could be Equestria's Super-Princess!" Celestia and Equal began laughing hysterically as well as a few of the older ponies who had over heard.
The laughing slowly subsided as Snapple was the next to ask a question. "So princess, I-" she paused suddenly. "You know what I just realized, you need a new name."
Celestia gave her a confused look. "Hey you're right!" Equal had suddenly shouted. "Everyone knows the name Celestia as a princess, but you aren't one anymore."
"A new name?"
"It'll be like your secret code name." The young pegasus gasped. "You'll be like some kind of super secret spy pony."
Celestia kind of liked the idea. She wasn't a foolish pony. She knew her father would send out ponies to look for her. An alias would be perfect to help conceal her identity. She nodded in agreement with the two. "I like the idea, but what should it be?"
The three put a hoof to their chin as they contemplated a new name...
A/N: Celestia's in need of a new name, but she and her friends can't seem to think of one. Can you lend a helping hoof? (Comment below or message me with your idea's. The winner gets to have their OC play a part in the story!)