Chapter 4
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Celestia sighed as she and Luna walked back inside from the balcony, having just finished making the announcement to Canterlot, which would then be spread throughout all of Equestria and beyond.
As she had expected, there had been those who had demanded Stellar Nova’s banishment right away. Prince Blueblood and several of the other nobles who thought too highly of themselves had been among them.
Luna had gotten very defensive when Blueblood had hinted that there was a good chance the filly would not last long before she was brought to justice at others’ hooves and warned that any who dared to hurt even a strand of Stellar’s fur would be banished to the moon in her stead.
Thinking of Luna, she looked very tired now, as if something heavy was weighing on her mind. Celestia knew what it was all too well.
“Luna?” she asked, stopping as they entered the hall leading to their chambers.
Luna, who’d walked a little ahead, paused and looked drearily back at Celestia from over her shoulder. “Yes, sister?” her voice sounded tired too.
Celestia sighed and looked to her younger sister. “You don’t have to keep everything bottled up. You can tell me what’s on your mind.”
Luna turned to look ahead, not meeting Celestia’s gaze. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“I beg to differ,” Celestia voice became a little bit sterner. “Ever since you came out from that young filly’s mind you have been distracted.” She moved forward, coming to her sister’s side and draped a wing over her. “What happened?”
Luna looked down, her eyes closed for several moments. “Nightmare’s last words before I left the subconscious.”
Celestia nearly stiffened, but stopped herself. “What did she say?”
Luna had explained how the cage within the filly’s soul worked and that Luna had spoken with Nightmare as she was trapped within the very body she’d created. What could she have said to Luna that would affect her like this?
“Your daughter will never know freedom from me.”
Celestia blinked, confused by her response. “Pardon?”
“Those were her words,” Luna whispered, her voice quivering slightly. “She said my daughter would never know freedom from her.”
Celestia’s eyes widened slightly as was Luna said registered. “You mean, she meant...?”
Luna nodded. “She was referring to Stellar. She referred to her as my daughter, telling me that she would never be free of her.”
Celestia sighed, closing her eyes, a tiny smile appearing on her muzzle. “I had a feeling that was how you felt about her.”
Luna’s head shot up and she whirled to look at Celestia, wide eyed and worried. “What?”
Celestia’s smile faded a little. “Stellar. It’s what you would have called her, had she survived.”
Luna’s face became a little paler and she looked away, tears in her eyes. “I... she’s not my daughter, Celestia. She’s... She’s...”
The older Alicorn shook her head and pulled her sister closer in a wing hug. “If you truly felt that way, Luna, you would not have given her that name.”
Luna stifled, then looked to Celestia with pleading eyes. “But I’m not sure how I feel about her, Tia,” she almost sobbed. “I don’t want to think about her, but she’s in this mess because of me. If I hadn’t become Nightmare Moon all those years ago, Stellar wouldn’t have to pay for my wrong-doings now.”
Celestia shook her head and nuzzled her sister. “Nightmare Moon came from you, sister. That is something you cannot deny.”
“Don’t you think I know that?!” Luna snapped, looking up at Celestia with a glare. “I know full well it was my actions that brought about Nightmare Moon. I am not and will not ever deny that!”
“Let me finish,” Celestia said, scolding entering her voice.
Luna looked down, still glaring and nodded.
“Nightmare Moon came from you,” Celestia began again. “In essence, that makes you like her mother.”
Luna glare turned into a scowl. “I will never think of Nightmare Moon as my daughter, Celestia.”
“But, you might Stellar,” Celestia replied.
Luna remained silent.
The older Alicorn shook her head. “She cannot return to her world, Luna. You know that better than any of us; you saw it happen. She will need a family now, one who will look after her and be able to stay with her.”
Luna lifted and cocked her head slightly at this. “Stay with her? What do you mean?”
Celestia closed her eyes. “Nightmare Moon was born from you, Luna and now Stellar lives within her body. Her Cutie Mark is near identical to your own, meaning she is connected to the Tree of Harmony, just as you are.”
Luna’s eyes widened. “Y-you mean...?”
Celestia nodded. “Like us, Cadance, Twilight and the other Bearers, Stellar is immortal and will not die of age. If we were to put her with a permanent family, it would need to be one that is also immortal. You subconsciously knew this, which is why you put Twilight and her friends in charge of caring for her until we can settle everything.”
“Until?” Luna asked quietly.
Celestia nodded, pulled away, and started heading down the hall. “A child needs her mother, Luna. Please, think this over before you make any choices.”
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"This is preposterous," Blueblood muttered as he walked back towards his room.
He had just returned from his aunts' announcement, which was one he definitely had not expected. The idea that Nightmare Moon was back, not in his aunt's body, but one that was her own, was a very worrying thought. However, what truly worried him was how his aunts had decided not to banish her to the moon, but left her in the care of Princess Twilight and the other Element Bearers.
True, if they were not going to banish Nightmare Moon, leaving her under the watch of the six ponies that had stopped her and freed Princess Luna from her was probably the best move. Still, one of the Bearers was that unruly unicorn who'd shook cake onto him at the Gala back before Princess Twilight was a princess and he didn't think leaving the fate of keeping an eye on that monster of an Alicorn to that unicorn was a good idea.
"Is there anything you'll need help with, Your Highness?" a maid asked him as he entered his room.
Blueblood would have answered, but felt a squirming within him that made he pause and he struggled to keep himself together. After a few moments, he sighed, then shook his head.
"If I need anything, you will be summoned. Now go."
The maid bowed, then left, closing the door behind her.
Once the door was closed, Blueblood used his magic to lock it, ensuring none would disturb him.
With him no longer likely to be disturbed, Blueblood went over to his bed and levitated it up, before a panel on the floor lit up and moved away, revealing several vials filled with a dull glowing blue liquid.
Blueblood levitated one out, uncorked it and drank it, grimacing at the taste. No matter how many times he consumed this, it still tasted as horrible as always. But it was necessary. If he did not drink it, he would transform into something he did not wish to be. It was a shame he could not tell his aunts of his illness, but it was something he had to keep secret.
As the squirming feeling inside of him ceased, Blueblood noticed how low he was on finished potions. He needed to get more of the last two ingredients and make more potions before he ran out. He only had enough for several vials. He needed to be sure he'd have enough. His aunts would need him to be his best now, more than ever, with Nightmare Moon back and a mare of her own.
Blueblood moved the panel back into place, lowered his bed, then turned to the wall mirror on the far side of the room. He stepped towards it, his horn still glowing, but with a different spell than before.
The mirror shone with a blue light and where the mirror had been a second before, there was no an opening leading into blackness.
Blueblood did not stop at this, but kept going, entering the darkness, where he kept the two ingredients needed to finish his potion. After this, he would have to go looking for others that would agree with him on what actions should be taken against Nightmare Moon. He knew that would not be hard, he had heard several of them arguing amongst themselves during and directly after the announcement.
As the darkness enveloped by the darkness and lit his horn to light the way, he started to strategize how best to communicate with those ponies. If all went well, they could find a way to capture the monster and keep her bound until his aunts came to their senses and took the true coarse of action needed to keep the kingdom, no, the whole world safe.
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I shifted in my bed.
Wow. That was all just a dream? I haven’t had a dream that felt as real as that in ages. I even got hurt in it. Didn’t think that was meant to be possible. That gas the doctors’ used sure gave weird dreams.
I’m about to drift back off to sleep when I realize I don’t feel like me. I feel like I did... in that dream.
I slowly open my eyes and rub them with my hooves and sigh. Yep. Not a dream. At least I could fool myself for a few seconds.
I sit up, the covers falling of the top of me and I look around. I’m still in Twilight Sparkle’s bedroom, which means either Princess Luna didn’t pass her judgment on me yet, or she had and I’d been cleared.
I gave a small smile. I was relieved I wasn’t being sent to the moon. The idea would’ve sounded cool before, back when I was human, but it filled me with an unexplainable fear now.
Snoring causes me to look around the room again and I see Spike sleeping in the basket he’d been laying in while reading his comics as we’d waited for Twilight.
I can’t help giggling at him now. He was sprawled out in his basket, a comic lying open on his chest. He must have fallen asleep reading as he watched over me.
I stretched, then go stiff. The bed feels wet, really wet.
Oh, no. I’ve wet the bed again! I’ve haven’t done that in ages! Oh, why me! This isn’t even my bed, it’s Twilight’s! I hope she isn’t mad at me. Oh, I just wish the bed was clean and dry!
During my panicked thoughts, I notice a feeling I had from before, back in that other castle. My horn feels all tingly and I can hear that strange shimmering sound again.
At once, the bed doesn’t feel wet anymore. In fact, it feels like it’s been freshly made.
I blink. How on Earth did that happen?
My question is answered instead by my tummy. I wince at the pain. I’d only ever felt this pain when I hadn’t eaten anything in a really long time. When was the last time I ate, anyway?
I think back to before I woke up as a girl pony, a filly, I think Twilight called me, when I was still a human boy. I hadn’t gotten to eat lunch because patients weren’t allowed to eat before surgery and that had happened in the late morning.
I frown. When I woke up as a filly, it had been early morning. Did that mean I’d gone a whole day without eating? Well, at least that explained why my tummy was hurting. It wanted food, now!
Carefully, so that I didn’t wake Spike, I got out of bed and hopped to the floor, my wings stretching out and allowing me to gently glide down to floor, my hooves lightly tapping on the crystal.
I shivered a little. I still wasn’t used to these wings. Having them felt weird. I could control them like I used to my arms and my mane. It just felt weird. Though why I felt moving my wings felt weirder than using my mane I don’t know.
I tiptoed (hoofed?) out the room and peaked out the double doors, before yanking my head back in and holding back a squeak of fright. Two tall ponies were standing out the door, on either side. One was a unicorn and the other a Pegasus. They both were wearing armour and had white coats.
I whipped back into the room and hurry over to Spike, hesitating. Those ponies had looked like boys, or, whatever an adult boy pony is called and I didn’t want to get in trouble.
I nudged Spike with my nose.
“Why, yes, Rarity,” he mumbled, a really goofy grin on his face. “That is an ice cream castle.”
I raise an eyebrow. Rarity was that white unicorn, wasn’t she? The one with the curly purple mane and tail and diamonds on her bum? Why was Spike dreaming about her and an ice cream castle? That just sounded weird. Then again, this isn’t my world, so maybe dragons like Spike having those kinds of dreams is normal?
I shake my head and nudge him again, a little harder this time.
He snorts, smacking his lips and opening his eyes slightly. He does jumps when he sees me, then calms down.
“Oh, it’s just you, Stellar,” he said, yawning and stretching himself. “Don’t sneak up on a dragon when he’s napping like that, okay?”
I’m not paying attention to his question. I’m looking around the room, trying to see who he was talking to, before I ask him just that.
Spike blinks, then points at me. “I was talking to you. There’s nopony else in here, so who did you think I was talking to.”
I shake my head. “But why’d you call me Stellar. My name’s Michael.”
Spike smiled. “The girls thought, since you’re a filly now, you should have another name, one that won’t confuse other ponies when they hear it.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Stellar? Why that?”
Spike got up and hopped out of his basket. “Well, stellar means like stars and space and stuff like that. Your Cutie Mark is like Princess Luna’s and her special talent is the night, raising the moon and stars and stuff.”
I blink, even more confused. “Princess Luna raises the moon? Why?”
“Well, so the night can begin,” he replied matter-of-factly. “Why else?”
I frown. “But, I learned this on a TV show about space. The moon moves around the planet on its own because of grav... grav... Oh, what was that word again?”
“Gravity?” he offered.
“Yeah, that,” I nodded, pointing at him. “Gravidy moves the moon around the planet and the planet around the sun.”
Spike chuckled. “Maybe in your world, but here, Princess Celestia raises the sun and moves it around our planet and Luna the moon, not the planet moving around the sun and the moon all on its own.”
My frown becomes that of complete confusion. “This world is weird.” I shake my head. “But why a girly name? Couldn’t they have thought of a name that sounds more like a boy’s name?”
Spike frowns, folding his arms and looking up. “Well, I don’t think there’re many names that would’ve worked like that. The only one I can think of right now is Artemis.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Ew. That sounds dumb.”
Spike shrugged. “Well, it’s either Stellar Nova or Artemis.”
I glare at him, then look away. “Fine. I’ll take the stupid girl name... Wait. Nova?”
Spike nodded. “Yeah. Princess Luna gave you the name of Stellar, then Rainbow Dash added Nova to the end, making you Stellar Nova.”
I thought that over and smiled. “Okay. If it has Nova at the end, I suppose it works for a nickname.”
Spike blinked. “Nickname?”
I nodded, turning to the door. “I’m Michael. Michael Wilson, and always will be. Ponies can call me Stellar Nova while I’m here, but when I go back home, I’m calling myself Michael again.”
Spike remained silent.
I turned around and saw some uncomfortable expression on his face. Something was upsetting him.
“Spike?” I asked, trotting back to him. “What’s wrong?”
“It... it’s nothing,” he said, not meeting my eyes. “Hey, you wanna get something to eat? I’m starving.”
My tummy grumbled and I winced, nodding in agreement, before I remembered why I’d woken him up in the first place, my ears drooping, which made me feel even more anxious. I don’t like how my ears move so much more than before.
“Um, what about the ponies standing outside?” I asked, my voice quiet.
Spike blinks, then grins, waving a claw. “Ah, they’re okay. Stay with me and you’ll be fine. They won’t do anything to ya.”
I wasn’t so sure. I could still remember how Twilight first reacted when she saw me. She’d been so angry and scared. What if other ponies were like that?
Even Princess Luna and the pony I’m guessing was Princess Celestia had been angry when they saw me. What’s to stop other ponies from being that way around me?
Spike doesn’t seem to notice my worry and heads for the door. I hurry after him. As we pass the two ponies both their eyes look at me and I wince.
There was something about their stares. It wasn’t like the look Twilight had had, or Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, but it still made me feel bad.
“Just getting something to eat, guys,” Spike said to them, completely at ease. “She’s coming with.”
They nodded to the tiniest bit, then their eyes moved away from me and face ahead again.
I looked to Spike uncertainly and followed him. We went down several halls, before a smell reached my nose; smell that made my tummy groan with hunger.
Whatever that smell was, it smelled tasty and I wanted it.
Spike led me down another few halls before we entered what looked like a large kitchen, where several ponies dressed as chefs were all hurrying about, cooking things I both knew and others I’d never seen before.
Spike led me through there, quickly made some food for us, then showed me to what looked like a dinner room. It wasn’t that big, which took me by surprise. This being a castle, I’d expected a huge room, with a table that stretched so far you could fit about ten different meals on it at once. This room, however, was cosy and had a table that looked like it would sit up to maybe ten.
Not that I was complaining. A big room like that would’ve made me more uncomfortable. This room felt nice and I was glad we’d be eating in here.
We sat down at the table, it still felt weird, sitting as a pony. It wasn’t really sitting, since I was doing was putting my bum on the floor. It’s hard to explain. It was like I was sitting like a dog, while Spike sat like any human would and he placed the trays onto the table and I looked at the food on the trays. Each had a plate of what looked like fries, the kind my family and I would get at McDonalds or Hungry Jacks, only a little oddly shaped, a big, shiny, red apple, with the skin still on and a glass of water.
I glanced at Spike as he took some of the fries and stuffed them into his mouth, before I turned to the unicorn as she turned to leave. I looked at the fries, then to Spike again. “Um, Spike?”
“Yff?” he said through a mouthful of his fries.
I looked to my fries and pocked it with a hoof. “What are these?”
Spike swallowed. “Hay fries.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Hay fries? Like, hay? The kind horses eat?”
Spike stared at me, a little confused. “Well, yeah. All ponies eat hay, horses too.”
I look to the plate uncertainly. Gulping, I use my mane to pick up one of the pieces of hay fries, lift it to my mouth and take a small bite, bracing for a nasty flavour.
I blink. It doesn’t taste bad at all. It kinda tasted like the batter fish is fried in down at the fish and chips shop down the road from my house back home, only a little saltier.
I shrugged. I’d thought it would taste worse, but they were pretty nice. I ate a few more, then took a gulp of my water.
It was now that I looked at my apple uncertainly. I’ve never liked eating apple skin; whenever I ate an apple it would be pealed.
I glanced at Spike and saw him just take the apple as it is and chop down on it.
Not wanting to seem rude, to either him or the unicorn who’d made prepared the food, I wrapped a piece of my mane around the apple, lifted it to my mouth and took a bite, preparing for the grimace I normally can’t help make, like the few other times I’d eaten apple with the skin on.
But, like with the bad taste I’d expected from the hay fries, it didn’t come. In fact, it felt okay. I didn’t mind crunching the apple skin like I did as a human. Does this have something to do with me being a pony now?
I put it out of my mind and continuing eating, my tummy telling me it was grateful for the food.
A few minutes later, Spike and I were finished and my tummy was happy.
“That was yummier than I thought it would be,” I admitted as we took our trays and plates back to the kitchen, Spike holding his with his claws, me carrying mine with my mane.
“Knew you’d like it,” he said, sounding a little smug.
We take our dirty dishes to a small sink, where Spike quickly cleans them before motioning for me to follow him after putting the dishes on a rack to dry.
I keep glancing around as we walk. Where was he leading me?
“Um, Spike?” I asked quietly.
“Hmm?” he asked, glancing at me before looking ahead again as we turned another corner.
“Um, can you keep a secret? And you can’t tell Twilight!”
He glances back again and I see a small bit of something enter his eyes, before he looks away again. “Depends. What’s the secret?”
"I..." I looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes. “I wet the bed.”
He stops, causing me to bump into him. He turns around, raising an eybrow. “Seriously?”
I nodded, feeling more embarrassed every second.
He just stares at me for several seconds, then snorts and starts laughing.
“Hey!” I snapped, pouting. “It’s not funny. I don’t do it that much.”
After a few moments he calms down. “I-I’m sorry, Stellar,” he said, still laughing a little. “I was expecting something way off from that and just hearing it—” he burst into laughter again, but stopped at a glare from me. “Okay, okay. I’ll help you hide it and get the bed cleaned so Twi doesn’t know.”
I shake my head. “But that’s the weird thing. Soon as I realized I’d wet the bed, I wished really hard that it was dry and clean and then my horn felt all tingly, like back at that other castle and I heard this weird shimmering noise again and, suddenly, the bed felt good as new.”
Spike frowned, folding his arm. “Huh. Never heard of a pony using their magic like that before.”
Now I frowned. “Magic?”
Spike nodded and pointed to my horn, then my mane and tail. “All ponies have it. Earth Ponies have a magic that make them more in tune with the earth, pegasi magic helps them fly, manipulate the weather and even touch and walk on clouds, and unicorn magic varies from unicorn to unicorn.”
I was still confused by the first part of what he’d said. “Earth Ponies?”
Spike blinked, then shook his head, smiling. “Right. Sorry, keep forgetting you didn’t grow up knowing all this. “They’re four types of ponies. Earth Ponies, unicorns and pegasi are the most usual you’ll find.”
“And... Alicorns?” I knew that was the type I was, Twilight had said so, though she hadn’t explained what difference there really was from Alicorns and other ponies, aside from us having both pegasi wings and unicorn horns.
Spike nodded. “They’re the really rare ones. Counting you, I only know of five Alicorns.”
“Who’s the other one?” I asked, curious. “I know about Twilight, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. Counting me, who’s the other one?”
“Her name’s Cadance,” Spike grinned. “At least, that’s what she prefers to be called. Her full name is Mi Amore Cadenza, but she prefers Cadance.”
“I can see why,” I nod, frowning. “I don’t think I can ever say that.” I shook my head. “But, Twilight said Alicorns are special. What’s so special about us?”
Spike’s grin only seemed to widen. “Well, aside from the fact that there’s only four— sorry, five of you, you’ve got all three types.”
“Huh?” I cocked my head. All three? How did I have all three?
Spike shook his head. “Don’t worry; you’ll learn soon enough. Oh, yeah. And your mane and tail are pure magic. That’s why you can do what you can with it.”
I blinked, looking up, then nodding. My parents had read me a story a long time ago and someone who could do things with her hair. Can’t remember what it was, but I do remember it. Or maybe I’m mixing up my memories with that villain, Hair Raiser from those Power Pony comics Spike showed me.
“Come on,” Spike’s voice cut off my train of thought, “let’s get to Twi. She’ll wanna know you’re finally awake.”
I frowned. “How long was I asleep?’
“It’s about 3:30pm,” Spike smirked.
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. 3:30pm? I was asleep for the whole day? No wonder my tummy was hurting as it demanded something to eat; I’d gone two days without eating a thing.
Spike chuckled and we returned to our walking.
After some time we came to a large crystal door with markings I remembered seeing on Twilight and all her friends.
I quickly glance at my mark. What had Spike meant when he said my talent was for the night, like Princess Luna? What did that even mean? If she raises the moon, how would I have a talent the same? There’s only one moon.
Spike opens the door and I follow him inside. Twilight is sitting on one of seven thrones that stood in a circle in the room, a large golden circle with a six-pointed star sitting on the floor within the circle of thrones.
Twilight looks up as we come in and smiles. “Well, I was wondering when our newest Alicorn would wake up.”
I blushed as I looked away. “Sorry.”
Twilight shook her head. “No need, Stellar. You needed your rest. Anyway, now that you’re up, we can get you registered so you can go to school tomorrow.”
I frowned. “I have to go to school? A pony school? But this isn’t even my world! Can’t I wait until I get home to go back to school?”
Something flashed over Twilight’s face, but I couldn’t tell what, before she closed her eyes and turned away.
“Just because you’re in another dimension does not mean you can skip out on your education,” she said in a tone I’d heard my parents and school teachers used whenever I had to do what they said, even if I didn’t want to.
I looked away. “But... what if the teacher isn’t... What if she’s scary?”
My teacher in second grade is Miss Euwing. She’s nice, but she can be really scary some times. If I have to go to school here, I don’t want a teacher who’s even scarier.
Twilight had turned around and now she smiled and giggled. “You don’t need to worry. Miss Cheerilee is a very kind pony. She teaches Rarity and Applejack’s little sisters and they love her.”
I scuff a hoof on the floor. “Um... okay,” I said quietly. “But, I’ll only go until I go back home,” I pointed a hoof at her. “Got it.”
That look seemed to pass over her face again and Twilight looked away. “Sure. Alright, it’s a deal,” she said, her voice having gone very quiet, before she cleared her throat. “Come on, then. That day’s almost over and there’s a lot of paperwork I’ll have to fill out.”
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“T-Twilight?”
“Hmm?”
“Why do so many ponies keep staring at me?”
I turned my head back to the ground, if only so I couldn’t see all the stares I was getting from all the other ponies as we walked through the town. Twilight said it was called Ponyville.
As soon as Twilight had started leading me out of the castle and into town, every pony stopped and stared at us as we passed them. Some stares were in confusion, others sympathetic, some sad, but some were angry and it was those stares that made me stay as close to Twilight as I could without getting in her way.
Twilight made a huffing sound, then nuzzled my head, which made me feel a little bit better. “Don’t worry about it. They’ll stop after a while.”
“But I want them to stop now,” I whispered, seeing a boy pony, Twilight and Spike said they’re called stallions, glare at me as if I’d just broken his window or something.
After a few minutes of walking we came to a building painted several different types of reds and surrounded by a nice green yard. The building was decorated with festive hearts; even the weather vane on the top of the bell tower had a heart, looking almost like Cupid’s arrow. There was a playground was behind the building, while in front there was a flagpole and a hedge shaped like a pony wearing a square, flat-topped hat with a tassel.
“I-is this the school?” I asked, glancing around.
Twilight nodded. “Now, Cheerilee should be inside. Let’s go in and get you signed up.”
I nodded, even though I’d have rather just go back to the castle and wait in Twilight’s room until I could go home and followed her inside, when down a few halls, not much of which I paid attention to, just keeping my head looking down and stopped at one door, then walked in.
The inside looked a lot like my class room back home. A large number of desks, though these were for one person— sorry, pony per desk instead of lots of them all together, there were pictures on the walls that we clearly done by children and a blackboard with chalk.
Sitting at a desk in front of the corner of the blackboard furthest away from the door was a purply mare with pinkish and white hair and green eyes. She didn’t have wings or a horn, so she must be an Earth Pony.
Once Spike and Twilight had explained it enough for me to understand, I was starting to tell the differences easily.
“Hello, Cheerilee,” Twilight said as we stopped.
The pony named Cheerilee looked up from her papers and I quickly ducked behind Twilight.
“Oh, good afternoon, Your Highness,” I heard her say.
I could practically hear Twilight roll her eyes. “Cheerilee, you don’t have to address me as a princess. Twilight is just fine.”
Cheerilee chuckled. It was a warm, happy sound. “Sorry, Twilight. You know I’m just teasing. Now, what can I do for you?”
Twilight shook her head. “Well, you heard the announcement?”
Announcement?
I could just see Cheerilee nod her head from where I was. “Yes. I was there at Town Hall when Mayor Mare read it out. I can’t believe she’s back, as a filly and that the princesses have left her in yours and the other Bearers’ care.”
I got an uneasy feeling this announcement had been something to do with me.
“Well, that’s why I’m here,” Twilight said, turning her head back and giving me an encouraging smile. “Come on out. She won’t hurt you.”
I hesitate, before I peeked out from behind Twilight. “He-hello, Miss Cheerilee,” I whisper, if only to be polite.
As soon as she sees me a look enters her eyes; one I’d seen in a lot of the eyes of ponies we’d passed on the way here. Fear, mixed with uncertainty.
“I’m enrolling her in school, and was hoping she could start tomorrow,” Twilight said, causing Miss Cheerilee to take her eyes off me and move them back to Twilight. I noticed Twilight get a small frown. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of her? You can see she’s more scared of you than you are to her.”
Miss Cheerilee glances back at me and I tried to hide behind Twilight again, but she uses a wing to push me out, so I’m sitting right in front of Miss Cheerilee.
I quickly look down, not wanting to meet the fear in her eyes, but Twilight uses the wing from before to lift my head so that I’ve no choice.
After a few moments of us staring at each other, the fear in Miss Cheerilee’s eyes slowly faded and she gave me a small smile.
“Okay,” she said, turning back to Twilight. “Let’s fill out the paperwork and she’ll be able to start school tomorrow.”
We spent a while, Twilight signing papers whilst she talked with Miss Cheerilee. By the time the sun was very close to setting, Twilight and Miss Cheerilee finally finished.
“That should be all,” the Earth Pony said, placing the last of the papers onto a large pile, turning to me and smiling. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Stellar.”
I looked down. “Th... thank you... Miss Cheerilee,” I whisper.
“So, who will be picking her up tomorrow?” she asked, after giving me a quick smile, to Twilight.
“Applejack,” Twilight replied. “She’ll bring her to school the next day, unless somepony else offers to take her, then Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and finally Pinkie.”
Miss Cheerilee nodded. “Well, have a good evening, you two and see you tomorrow, Stellar.”
I nodded, Twilight and I got up and we began to leave the school house, when I stopped.
I needed to use the little boy— I mean, little filly’s room. Twilight showed me to them and helped me figure out the toilet. They were a bit like those back home, only I had to sort of squat over it, which was actually easier than it used to be for me, back when I had two legs, because I now had four.
I was very embarrassed that I’d needed help using the toilet, at my age, but Twilight didn’t say anything about it and, once I’d finished and washed my front hooves (don’t know why, when I walk on them anyway) we said a final goodbye to Miss Cheerilee and left.
___________________________________________________________
We returned to the castle, by which time it was night, so we had dinner, salad (which I was surprised I didn’t have a problem with like I usually do), some more hay fries and a glass of water.
Even though I’d been sleeping most of the day, once we’d finished, dinner, I was really tired. Twilight, however, made me have a bath, which she helped me with, since I was so tired and still not used to my new temporary pony body.
It was embarrassing, having someone, or I guess, somepony giving me a bath when I’d been giving myself bathes since last year, but I was so tired I didn’t even care.
When she’d finished my bath, she brushed my teeth, I was too tired to question why ponies had toothpaste, then led me towards the door out her room.
I was so tired I didn't even notice we were in another room until after I was lying in a bed and Twilight was turning to leave. "Goodnight, Stellar. See you in the morning."
As soon as the door closed, I woke up the tiniest bit and looked around. The room was huge, like, as big as my house back home.
Suddenly, I couldn't help but shivering as I realized I was so alone in this room. The wind was blowing outside, sounding like ghosts wailing in the night. I shiver and pull the blankets further around me.
I haven't been this scared at night since that time I stayed with my grandparents house in the hills; the wind had sounded just like this that time. I'd been so scared my grandpa, to get me to stop getting out of bed and just got to sleep, actually threatened to leave me outside in that wind, which had made me go quiet and just stay scared in my room the whole night til I finally feel asleep.
The wind made a particularly loud wailing against the castle and I screamed, feeling that tingling in my horn again and hearing that shimmering sound, before I felt like I had been squashed into a ball for a second, before feeling normal again and plodding down on something soft.
"Huh—Wha?" a startled voice said and I turned around to see Twilight staring blearly at me.
I rushed forward and clung onto hertightly and whispered, “C-can I sleep with you tonight?”
I didn’t want to sleep in room in this big castle all on my own, not on my first night here. It was way too scary.
Twilight hesitated, then smiled, lifted the covers and I hurried under them. She lay down, whispering, "Goodnight, Stellar."
"Night, Twilight," I yawned as I snuggled into her fur, finding it soft and comforting and, my eyes drifting closed, fell to sleep.