//------------------------------// // Tag! // Story: The Growing Years // by Goldfur //------------------------------// TAG! or “That One Time That Destined Path Ruled Equestria for Ninety Seconds” # # # # # # # # # She should have done this a lot sooner. She had not felt so good for eons! Luna was standing in a large classroom of about eighty griffons, ponies, diamond dogs, and even a few New World thestrals. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing a pair of circular glasses. She had even dressed like a stereotypical college professor on a whim. “This doth conclude the class for today, students. I need you all to read the chapter twelve section on detailed stellar evolution. When we return on Friday, I want you to discuss what your favorite phase is and why it is so. After that, we will break into groups and log some observatory time cataloging stars of thy chosen phase! Until then, class is dismissed!” Luna spent several minutes answering questions from a few students who lagged behind before she gathered up her books, grinned, and disappeared with a pop. She reappeared in the main hall where the rest of the herd was going to meet up. Twilight came bouncing in, looking unusually happy. “Hmmm... didst thou have a good class this morn, Twilight?” Luna asked. “It really was! Some of the unicorn transfer students are learning about how magic can act differently in lands where there isn’t a high density of magic users. Like in Griffonia, some spells are actually easier because there are less unicorns running around,” Twilight said as she sat down. Path was the next one to show up. He sighed weakly as he slumped down into his seat. Rubbing his head, he clearly had a headache and he just laid it down onto the table. “I am never teaching the changeling language again. Not for all the crowns in Griffonia!” he groaned and closed his eyes just as Free walked in, grinning. “Poor Path! He can’t handle trying to teach others the changeling language. The class was four hours long, and he was trying to teach them how to figure out gender qualifiers. The end result was them screeching at him twice, then he would blink in shock and try to correct them. I know this because my art class was right next to his language class.” Free sat down next to Twilight, his grin growing broader. “I think that my class is the best,” Luna stated with conviction. “All my students really want to be there, and they are all so excited to learn about the night sky! Everyone passed their first test, with an average of 92%! My class is the best class!” Luna set her books down with a grin before she sat down herself. “And furthermore –” Luna was interrupted when she felt hooves wrap around her from behind. “Auntie, let’s play tag!” Destined ran in circles around the table, and kept tagging Twilight and Luna. “You're it! You're it! You're it!” He skidded to a halt as Luna and Twilight looked at each other before looking back to Destined with mischievous grins. Destined squealed and his horn powered up. He disappeared in a messily constructed but still successful teleport spell. “You know... he's getting stronger every day,” Twilight said. “This could really flex his power. I figure we could estimate his total reserves by doing this.” Luna nodded in agreement. “The chase is on!” she declared, and they both disappeared, tracking the young alicorn by his magical signature. Path looked at Free with a fond smile of recollection. “Remember when we used to come home to our apartment after work and just split a jumbo-sized hungry-griff dinner?” Free laughed. “Simpler times! Simpler times....” # # # Cinder and Blue Streak were curled up with each other on the far edge of the estate, watching the sky and relaxing during the time they had between classes, when a loud pop startled Blue into jumping up to his hooves. “Brother! Brother! I need your help! Mom and Auntie are going to get me!” Destined begged with a laugh as he pounced upon him. “This cannot come to be! Whatever can I do to help?!” Blue asked with comic seriousness as Cinder leaned to the side, confused as to what was happening. “We need to play airship; I need to go fast!” Destined started to trot anxiously in place. “What do you mean? Do you want to go light speed?” Blue asked with a grin. “No, no! Light speed is too slow; I need to go so fast it’s ludicrous!” Destined demanded as he started to fly in circles around Blue, waiting for him to grab onto the two legs closest to him. “How does an eight-year-old know what ludicrous even means?” Cinder commented. Blue reared up and grabbed onto Destined. He started to spin on his hind legs, using one as a rotation point as the other one kept kicking the ground to speed up faster and faster. Destined pulled in his wings as he squealed in joy. Blue kept spinning until he suddenly let go of Destined, and the young alicorn shot back toward the castle with a plaid streak trailing behind him. “EEEEeeeeeeeeeeee....” Destined disappeared out of sight as Blue sat back down with a laugh. Luna and Twilight teleported in moments later with two loud pops. “Did you see Destined?! Was he just here?!” Twilight and Luna exclaimed. Cinder just pointed at the contrail that was fading away. The two alicorns grinned and disappeared again in a loud twin pop. Cinder looked at Blue Streak. “Your family is weird.” Blue grinned. “Yeah, but that’s one reason why I love them.” # # # Destined landed on Luna’s balcony just in time to see the two alicorns appear on the other side. “Gonna get you, Destined!” the two princesses chanted as Destined laughed excitedly. He started to charge his horn, but this time it was a lot brighter than the last time, and his eyes started to glow a bright white. Destined was really digging deep into his magical reserves as the two princesses watched. Destined suddenly felt something familiar and he smiled broadly. “And for my next trick…!” He abruptly disappeared, but not in a small pop like usual, but this time with enough concussive force to shove the two against the wall. “What happened?! Where did he go?!” Twilight exclaimed as Luna laughed. “He actually did it! I was not expecting him to understand how to find and activate an arcane thread at such a young age!” Luna smiled smugly. “My student really is the best.” “So – where is he?” Twilight asked. “Come on, follow me.” Luna replied with a smirk. # # # Celestia was just wrapping up Day Court. With a beneficent smile, she motioned for the last of the petitioners to exit. She nodded to her guards to close the doors and then turned to her scribe. “I believe that today is officially don-mmph?!” In the middle of her closing formalities, Destined appeared, spread-eagled in the air and moving fast. He collided with Celestia’s muzzle, knocking her backwards onto the dais. The guards all blinked in shocked surprise before starting to approach the princess whose wings were flat out against the ground, while her legs were pointed straight up almost like a fainting goat. Her face was covered by Destined’s midsection, and they were about to act to remove the offending assailant when Twilight and Luna appeared next to Celestia, halting their advance. “Destined Path... please get off my face and let me up,” came Celestia’s muffled voice. Destined did as she asked, but the princess still did not get up from her awkward position. “Are you stuck?” Destined asked with a little concern. “Yes, my horn is stuck in the throne, and I don’t want to blast it apart to get out,” Celestia replied softly. “I will help you get free if you make me Prince of Equestria,” Destined said with a mischievous grin. Luna and Twilight looked at each other and giggled. “What are you ta-AHAHAHAHA!” Celestia started flailing about, her four legs kicking the air as Destined blew raspberries onto her stomach. “Make me Prince!” Destined demanded again between raspberries. “Luna!” Celestia cried out to her sister. “Help me aHAHAHAHAHAHA!” She kept laughing and gasping for air. Meanwhile Luna just watched with a smirk on her muzzle. “Do it!” Destined grinned and blew raspberries again. “OK! OK! YOU WIN! YOU'RE THE PRINCE OF EQUESTRIA!” Celestia gasped, her legs shaking as Destined stopped and looked at the scribe. “I have a Royal Decree!” Destined said as he floated Celestia’s crown onto his head. It was too big for him though, and it settled around his shoulders instead. The scribe blinked and picked up his quill. “I declare that the former Princess Celestia is to get every Friday off. No court; no royal duties! I have decreed it! I.. I also decree that candy is the best! And lastly, I decree that Celestia is now a Princess of Equestria again!” Luna levitated her sister at an angle to slowly slide her horn out of the throne without further damaging it, and Destined levitated the crown back onto Celestia’s head. Celestia chuckled and looked at Destined. “Was that really necessary?” Destined just grinned back at Celestia. “But it was fun, wasn’t it?” Celestia could not help but match Destined’s grin as she stood up. “Well it was fun, but now I need to sleep before I have to hold court again tomorrow.” The scribe cleared his throat to gain their attention. “Actually, Your Highness, you don’t. As per the new law that was decreed into effect by Prince Destined, you have tomorrow off. No court can be held.” Destined’s grin was enormous, and Luna started laughing. “Looks like you can come spend all day with us and attend the Friday dinner then, hmm?” Celestia just blinked in surprise, and then asked with great chagrin, “Did I just get outmaneuvered by an eight-year-old colt?” # # # # # # # #