It was almost noon when Ciloa awoke, exhausted from the other day's physical and liquid activities. Her way downstairs was preceded by her own groaning from a splitting headache. Shetland, from the comfort of the couch, looked up from the book she’d been reading.
“How're you feeling?” she asked softly.
“Like somepony went to town on my skull with a hammer.” The changeling groaned, staggering into the kitchen and toward the coffee machine. With a mug full of steaming brew suspended in her magic, she sat down beside Shetland, throwing nervous looks at the taller mare. Shetland tried to focus on reading, but found herself unable to, the unspoken question hanging silently in the air. Finally, she put the book away and faced Ciloa.
“How much do you remember about yesterday evening?”
Ciloa flinched. “It's fuzzy,” she sighed. “I remember us all drinking-” Shetlands brows narrowed. “-and then shouting and then I was asleep. I-I think Press shouted at me.” A shiver went through her body. “What exactly happened? Is he still mad at me?”
Well, she could at least settle one worry, Shetland thought as she placed a hoof on Ciloa’s shoulder. “He's fine.” she said reassuringly. “I met him in the gym this morning and he is okay, he's not mad at you.” Like an afterthought, she added, “We all know you can't handle the booze.”
“HEY, I can handle alcohol just fine, Shetland!” Ciloa shrugged the hoof off her shoulder.
“OH REALLY?” Shetland shouted from the top of her lungs.
It took a solid minute for Ciloa to uncover her ears and face Shetland’s grin.
“Smartflank.” she grumbled. Shetland laughed.
“Ha ha.” Ciloa said mechanically, yet the corners of her lips twitched playfully. She tried to mask it by taking a sip from her coffee mug. Shetland stared in wonder as the disgusting brew invigorated the changeling. Where before she had sat limply like a sack potatoes, she was now stretching like a cat, her wings creating a low hum as she lifted herself up to the ceiling, her hooves somehow sticking to the surface. With a grin, she looked down at Shetland.
“Not so big anymore, huh?”
Shetland rolled her eyes. “We could measure if you come down.”
“Nope, I like it up here.” she chuckled. “And I got better things to do today-”
“Like drinking?”
“No, like studying.” A bit of sobriety had gotten into her voice. “I need to be up-to-date with the rock samples from Horizon, and I'm already two days behind, supporting you two-”
“And getting drunk.” Shetland smirked, but hastily added. “We appreciate your help of course.”
“As you should. I'm great like that.” Ciloa smirked. “So no more jokes at my expense.”
“I get you. For now.” Shetland mumbled. She reached for her book, but Ciloa was looking curiously into the pages and Shetland couldn't concentrate with a changeling dangling over her head.
“Soooo, whatcha reading?” Ciloa asked.
Wordlessly, Shetland showed her the cover art: a cartoonish piece of dynamite with a waking alarm strapped onto it, hanging from a door handle. The title proudly proclaimed: “Most unsubtle lockpicks! Dynamite etc.”
“Oh, Shetty.” Ciloa laughed. “That's kinda awesome and nerdy at once.”
“And rocks are more exciting, huh?” Shetland responded drily.
Ciloa refrained from an answer, choosing to appear in dignified silence instead. In Shetland’s eyes she appeared like a giant spider, clinging to the ceiling.
“So, that's your plan for today?” Ciloa asked. “Read a book?”
“Actually, there's only a couple more pages.” Shetland grumbled as she flipped through them. “If you'd just let me concentrate… oh oh.”
“Oh oh?”
She had flipped to the last page, where a purple sign proclaimed:
Property of Ponyville royal library
If not returned within two weeks, additional fees will be due.
The date had already passed, Shetland realized, swallowing as she fought down her annoyance. It wasn't the minimal fees she was worried about, it was…
“Well, you wanted to visit your mom anyway, right?”
That.
It was funny, but after two hours of travel, it was when Shetland approached the final street cast in shadow from the crystal castle that she toyed with the idea of just turning back. But Shetland wasn't a mare who backed off right before her goal. If she didn't want to finish it, she shouldn't have started.
Also, she didn't want to live through a lengthy lecture about literary liability.
Knocking her hoof on the golden gates produced a strangely loud sound. Long ago her mother had enchanted these doors to announce a guest's presence and she had never given in to the invention of doorbells, preferring to keep the structure largely as it was. A magenta aura formed around the gates, which emitted a loud click. For a moment, Shetland contemplated: Normally her mother would greet every visitor personally, the only exception being if she was busy, usually in the throneroom. If she walked up the stairs and to the left, she could whip into the library, return the book and be back outside before her mother would notice. However, Shetland frowned at the prospect of explaining to Ciloa that she snuck her way around her own mother. Not to mention that it made her feel… scummy.
Taking the right way, she was met with another locked door. With a sigh, she knocked. A few seconds later, the door opened and Shetland stood face to face with the Queen of the changelings. Well, chest to face. Nonetheless, Shetland stepped back from the silver unicorn that was Queen Twinkle, lowering her head hastily.
“Shetland!” The Queen exclaimed, breaking out in a smile. In the back of the room, Shetland could see the form of her mother stir. Twinkle poked Shetland's chest. “You don't need to bow, we're in the privacy of your home.”
Shetland looked down at the queen. She was not a disguised changeling, despite what some rumors claimed. Twinkle was born a unicorn, adopted into the royal family and named after the first pony queen. Like every changeling queen since their integration, they were close friends of the Sparkles, and so Shetland had met the powerful unicorn on several occasions. Still, it was a shock to suddenly stand in front of one of the four most powerful ponies in Equestria. Shetland managed to return a mostly sincere smile.
“Shetty, could you please wait for a few more minutes while I finish business with the Queen?” Twilight’s voice came out of the room.
“Oooooh…” Twinkle looked from Twilight to Shetland. “I… think I drank too much. Where's the potty?”
Twilight sighed. “It's still at the end of the wing.”
“Right. You finish… your business while I do mine.” The Queen beamed, winking at Shetland before she dashed past her.
And so Shetland stepped inside, her gaze wandering everywhere but straight ahead. A circle of chairs stood around a large table sporting a map of Equestria. The walls were bare, but on the ceiling hung the rootwork of an old tree, from which hung chains, connecting photos of ponies. One stood out for its central position, even though there were only four pictures. A young Twilight with a baby dragon, part of his eggshell still clinging to his head. A photo of Twilight and the same yet older dragon surrounding a unicorn mare with a graduation cap. Another one, this time with a buck, hugging Twilight, also wearing a graduation cap. Her children. And then, of course, was the picture of a filly Shetland, riding on her mother’s back as they soared through the wind. Back when family was easier.
Her attention snapped back to the end of the room, where the present-Twilight had risen from her throne, her mighty alicorn-form allowing her to gaze down at Shetland. “We were in the middle of some important work with the queen.”
Shetland met her gaze. “Twinkle doesn't seem to think it's too important for a bathroom break.” They looked each other in the eyes for a moment before Twilight’s expression softened.
“I'm sorry, Shetty, I didn't want to make you feel unwelcome.” she said, closing the distance between them. “How is Canterlot? I hear you went through another test, how did it go?” Her smile was strained, but at least she tried.
“I wish I knew, these test managers never tell you anything.” Shetland huffed.
“They’re usually not allowed to, Shetty.”
“I know, but that’s stupid, how am I supposed to know what I'm doing wrong if nopony tells me anything?”
“Well…” Twilight hesitated for a moment, thinking of the right words. “Maybe this career just isn't for you-”
“I brought a book.” Shetland briskly cut in. “It's overdue.”
“Oh…” Twilight deflated. She levitated the book out of Shetlands bag and frowned as she read the cover. “Shetty…”
“Don't.” Shetland warned.
Twilight eyes shifted away for a moment, but then they focused back on the book in a steely gaze.
“No.” Shetland hissed through her gritted teeth.
“It's dangerous!” Twilight exclaimed. “Your cutie mark is for pyrotechnics, but you got it for making sparklers! Not handling… dynamite, that's no future for you!”
There it was again. “I follow all the safety precautions!” Shetland shouted back, her face growing red. “I'm not stupid, I know what I'm doing and if I'm going to become a Voidmarine, then it’ll only help if I know how to handle explosives!”
“That's not any safer! There are other ways to go into space, you could study and take an intellectual position-”
“I DON’T WANT TO STUDY!” Shetland screamed. “I'm not a foal anymore, I can make my own decisions, but maybe YOU don't notice the passage of time anymore after a few centuries.” She stretched her neck, almost reaching eye level with the alicorn.
“I know exactly how long it took for you to visit me once!” Twilight retorted.
“As if you shone with your presence in my life, do I need to remind you of that, you hypocritical old hag?!”
“Ahem.” A tempered voice came from the doorway. Both red-headed mares turned to Queen Twinkle, then looked in opposing directions, embarrassment written on their faces.
“I tried to be reasonable.” Shetland grumbled and knocked over a chair outside the throneroom, where the Queen and Princess finished up whatever business they had. It wasn't her fault, she assured herself again, she had tried to avoid the topic but Twilight just had to argue it again, as if everything hadn't been said already. But it was like running against a solid wall, Twilight just refused to let her make her own decisions! Why was this so hard for her to accept? Shetland vividly remembered their first fight when she had signed up for military school. She had heard her mother shout seldom before, but since then, it had become dreadfully frequent until Shetland asked her friends for help and fled into a shared apartment with Ciloa. She sat down with a sigh. How could a mare as sensible as Twilight Sparkle be this unreasonable in this instance, she pondered. Her uncle Shining Armor (as weird as it felt to use this word for a pony she mostly knew from history books) had been in the royal guard. What happened between then and now?
Shetland sighed and stood up. All this angry ranting wasn't getting her anywhere. The throne room was still closed and she had no idea how long her mother's discussion would last. Well, if she thought Shetland would just wait there for who knows how long, she would be mistaken. There were lots of other things she could do and Twilight would have to wait for Shetland to be available! She had more plans in Ponyville, maybe visit the Donut Joe she hung around every day when she was a kid. And Ciloa had asked her to bring some oranges from the town market. Well, no time like the present, especially if your alternative was to wait for a pissy alicorn!
Ranting on her way down, her eyes were drawn to a particular locked door. Twilight's personal wing, an entire section of the castle she'd never seen. The one time as a foal she snuck her way in she'd set off some kind of alarm. She remembered the following hour clear as crystal, for it had been the first time she'd seen her mother lose her temper. It was a more common occurrence now, but back then she was terrified and promised to never try and enter this section again. Not that it hadn't been tempting from time to time… Shetland averted her eyes. Even if it would be fair, she could respect other pony's decisions. Also, she hadn't gotten any better at avoiding magic detection now than she was back then.
The amplified sound of a knock tore Shetland out of her stupor. Stepping away from the locked door, she instead leaned on the balcony looking down to the entrance where the telltale magenta aura of her mother enveloped the doorhandles, revealing an old, white pegasus with a mangled wing…
Shetland froze. What was her test examiner doing here?
The pegasus looked around, confused, expecting to see the one who opened the door. Shetland used the time to get a good look at his wing. It was like it had been plucked, yes, but the quills of the feathers remained, sticking out like bones from a bisected fish.
His eyes met hers and Shetland was suddenly acutely aware that she was staring down at her superior. From a balcony! Swallowing hard, she forced the corners of her mouth upwards.
He didn't seem to mind however, as he squinted his eyes. “Miss Sparkle… Shetland? Is this you?”
Oh, thank Celestia, he didn't notice! Shetland let go of her breath, only now realizing she'd been holding it. “Yes, Sir!” She answered. Could he make out a smile? He was squinting his eyes pretty hard. “W-would it help if I came down?” Shetland asked and felt the sudden urge to smack herself. She should have just done it instead of asking.
But he just shrugged and made his way for the stairs. His wings unfolded, but he flinched and they folded back on his side. Even as Shetland wondered, she told herself two things. One, never ask him about it and two, don't. Bucking. Stare.
“So… what brings you here? Sir!” She hastily added.
“I was hoping to meet the princess… your mother, miss Sparkle.”
Well, obviously, Shetland thought. “She's a little busy at the moment, I'm afraid.“
“A shame.” he sighed. “She doesn't even have time to spend with her own daughter?”
“What?” Where did that thought come from? “No, she'll be available... soon-ish.” Although Twilight could have a very lenient definition of soon, she thought bitterly.
“Oh… listen to this old bird, jumping to cooky ideas.” He shook his head. “Do you have any idea how long she will be busy?”
“No, I'm afraid not.” Shetland shook her head, gazing towards the gates. Maybe she should find a way to excuse herself quickly, but politely, so she could buy her groceries. But as she tried to think of an excuse, a feeling nagged at her mind, like she had forgotten something… her head jerked upwards. “Sir!”
The pegasus seemed bewildered at her little outburst, but he quickly masked it with an amused smile. “You can call me by my name in privacy, Miss Sparkle.”
Shetland gulped. Oh, sweet Celestia-
“It's Whistle White.” He added with a knowing grin.
She exhaled. “Thank you, Sir… Whistle.”
“No problem. Shetland.” He suddenly flinched. “Oooh, would you mind showing me a place where I can wait? I can't see a chair around and these hooves have served their time standing a long time ago.”
“Of course, Sir.” Shetland nodded and turned to lead the way. “We can wait in front of the throneroom, two floors above us.”
She heard a groan behind herself.
She had planned to leave the old buck in a chair and go about her business, but to her surprise, her mother was waiting for them in the hall by a window. It always seemed strange for Shetland that her mother apparently received the castle before she grew to her present proportions, as everything was clearly made for somepony her size. Even Shetland sometimes felt small in here.
At the sight of her, Whistle took a sharp breath and lowered his head. “Princess Twilight,” he spoke in a reverential tone. “I am recruitment-Sergeant Whistle White. I have come to request a few minutes of your time.”
“Is this about Shetland?” Twinkle's voice came out of the throneroom before her head poked out. Next to her, suspended in her pink magic, floated an overflowing folder. “I'd like to hear that, if I may.”
“My Queen!” Whistle exclaimed, hurrying to lower his head even further. “Ouch!” he staggered, rubbing his aching back.
“You can rise, Sergeant White.” Twilight said, before turning back to the queen. “And whatever he has to say should stay between the three of us, Twinkle.”
“I was hoping for a private audience, Princess.” Whistle affirmed. Shetland tensed up, throwing a glare at Twilight from behind the pegasus's back. It would be the last straw if Twilight could just discuss her career with her superior behind her back!
Thankfully the alicorn seemed to catch the clue. “If this is about my daughter, I believe she has a right to be here.”
Whistle lowered his head again, although with a little more restraint. “It's your decision, Princess.” he said, making Shetland's eye twitch in annoyance. So it was about her. And obviously, her choice didn't matter. This pegasus was quickly adding his name on her list of ponies she had little respect for.
Whistle shot a look towards Shetland, who quickly forced herself to crack a false smile. Unconvinced, he turned his attention completely to the princess. “As you know, your daughter applied for an apprenticeship for our Voidmarine program in our colony on Horizon.” His eyes carefully watched Twilight's expression. “A position of high importance. She will be required to uphold the law, organise defenses, or even join an expeditionary force and explore unknown ecosystems.”
Shetland flashed a smile, holding it against her mother's frown.
“As such,” Whistle continued. “We hold our applicants to high standards. We need to know whether our recruits are truly ready to function in stressful situations and as such we have to look for any sort of physical as well as… psychological complication.”
Shetland frowned. This was not going in a direction she had expected. Did that kooky owl think she was crazy or something?
“Sergeant White,” Twilight asked calmly. “Please ask your questions, we are well aware of their ramifications.”
“O-oh.” Whistle took a moment to recover his thread. “What I'm meaning is that we are unsure how to judge your family situation.”
Both mares tensed, exchanging a look.
“Of course we know she is your daughter,” Whistle said. “But we have no data on her father. Nor have we been able to find an official record revealing his identity.”
Shetland relaxed, letting out a relieved sigh. But Twilight didn't.
“Sergeant White, I know you need to ask these questions, but as far as I know, your guidelines state that you should ask these questions from the recruits themselves, privately. I wish to know why you felt the need to exclude Shetland to the point of trying to discuss it with me in private.”
Shetland looked up as Whistle stood in shock, his eyes widened. Yeah, what was the deal with that? She felt like she could hear the gears in the pegasus's head turning.
“Those rules were made for situations in which only some information about a parent was missing o-or if the conceivement could have… been… unwanted.” His voice was shaky and he threw nervous looks at the princess, trying to read her stony expression. “I did not believe that such an act could be enforced on you, princess, and given a complete lack of information, I supposed the original rules did not apply anymore.”
“Well said.” Twilight said, her expression still unreadable. “But that doesn't explain why you couldn't ask my daughter instead of me.”
“I-I,” He stuttered. “I didn't want to stick my nose in your privacy behind your back!”
Mother and daughter shared a look and they knew what the other was thinking. If Shetland's mother was anypony else, he wouldn't have had any reservations. Shetland began to actively dislike this pony.
“Regardless,” Twilight said. “I think I can answer you… unless my daughter would like to?”
Shetland shrugged.
“Well, then.” Twilight continued. “The answer is that there is no official father. And I don't know his identity.”
Whistle’s eyes widened. “How could this happen, my Princess?”
“Simple.” Twilight chuckled. “It was an artificial insemination, simple as that.”
“O-oh…” Whistle stuttered. “B-But what about the uhm… sponsor?”
“Don't know.” Shetland cut in. “He never tried to find out about me and neither have I.”
Twilight shot her a look before returning her smile to the pegasus. “Sergeant White, I have managed to raise three beautiful and gifted children before and I see the same potential in my Shetty… if she puts it in the right place.”
Shetland scowled. Twilight pretended to ignore her.
“I have raised children before.” Twilight reiterated, glancing at the closed throne doors behind her. “None of them failed to make me, or Equestria, proud. I am certain that even without a second parental figure, I provided a good upbringing for her, so please, don't let that detail spoil your perception of her abilities.”
If only that was true, Shetland grumbled internally, but even through her annoyance, she had to admire her mother's eloquence. Now if he disagreed, he'd question her parental skill, and although he would be right, he didn't seem like the kind of pony to disagree with someone of superior rank on anything. She also couldn't help but notice that Twilight was helping her out right now. At least she wasn't taking the opportunity to sabotage her.
And indeed, Whistle stumbled over his words, trying to assure the princess that he'd never had any doubt. Shetland quickly felt her last pieces of respect for this pony evaporate. She felt thankful that this buck was too old for active service, so she’d only have to see him for a few weeks at most.
“Do you have another concern, Whistle White?” Twilight asked.
“No, Princess. That was it.”
“Does this mean I can come out now?” Twinkle’s voice came from the throneroom.
“Yes.” Twilight said drily to the small unicorn who leapt out of the room. “Have you been eavesdropping on us?”
“Twilight, Twilight,” Twinkle chuckled. “I'm the queen of changelings. What do you think?”
“I'd think that you'd respect a friend's privacy.” The alicorn said with a scowl.
“If you don't think I did, why are we arguing?” She said with a sly grin.
“This is not over, Twinkle.” Twilight sighed, unwilling to continue the exchange in front of outsiders.
“I've looked over your wording in some of the documents.” Twinkle said, her voice falling into a serious tone. “I wrote some corrections on a sheet, you should give those another once-over.”
“Alright.” Twilight groaned and headed back towards her paperwork. “Please knock if you need anything else.” She called over her shoulder.
But the pegasus was done. He respectfully lowered his head before Twinkle and gave a nod to Shetland. “Thank you for your time.” He said before turning to leave.
Shetland bit her lip, her hooves fidgeting as she stared after him. When he reached the stairwell, she called out. “Wait.”
He turned, shooting a look at the sweating mare. “Yes?”
“C-could you please tell me about my test results? S-sir?” Shetland stammered.
“I'm afraid the answer is still no, Miss Sparkle.” he said evenly.
“Of course..:” Shetland muttered, already beating herself on the inside for appearing like an impatient foal.
But the unicorn in the room seemed to have a different idea. “Mister White,” Queen Twinkle said as she approached him. “Surely there is no harm telling us.”
He swallowed, his eyes widened at the queen. “Y-you see,” he stammered. “I have to follow the guidelines set by my superiors-”
“Can you not make one exception? We'll keep our lips sealed, I Promise.” She threw a look to Shetland, who quickly nodded.
“Not telling anyone, sir.” she confirmed.
“Well…” His eyes laid uneasily on Twinkle. “I suppose it won't hurt…”
“So?” Shetland asked, fully fixated on him as she tried to calm her own tenseness. Finally, for the first time, ANY sort of feedback!
“It's impressive,” he said openly. “I've never seen better, Miss Sparkle, even if it's due to your… natural advantage…” He craned his neck to look her in the eyes. “You're a top candidate.”
She utterly failed to conceal her massive grin. “Thank you, sir!” She cheered, shaking his hoof.
“N-no problem, soldier.” he pressed out through the clattering of his teeth. Shetland quickly retracted her hoof and waved. “I'll see you at the training facilities.”
“It’s not a certainty yet.” he warned, flashing a nervous smile. “You shouldn't count your chickens before they're hatched.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Shetland grinned, waving the pegasus goodbye as he started to leave. “Thank you so much.” She whispered to Twinkle.
“It's nothing.” She said, her smile more subdued. “This old nag crumbles if you present him with any title. I bet you could do the same.”
“I wouldn't count on it.” Shetland said, her smile slowly faltering. “I've tried asking before.”
She chuckled. “Shetty, asking is for me. You demand answers.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” Shetland asked, raising an eyebrow at the giggling mare.
“Oh, you'll find out in time~”
Shetland shrugged. The queen always liked to play her little games. What occupied her mind was a different issue: If even the test managers thought her results were outstanding, why had she been denied so many times before?