Shortly after returning to the palace, Kitzumi set to devising a network of charms in the Moon Viewing hall and below. Granted that her classmates were delighted to have her back, but the calculations she was doing to set up her mega ward were well beyond anything any of them could begin to comprehend.
“It’s not really all that difficult when it’s broken up into its elements,” Kitzu explained. Mrs Inkwell was still impressed and had Kitzu explain the basics of the spell. The spell itself was at its core just a simple warding charm written on a talisman of some sort. In order to boost the warding properties the talismans could be stacked, but simply stacking them was inefficient. Granted a person could simply arrange them in a circle around a community, but that left the center exposed. Therefore, Kitzu explained, we arrange the talismans in a geometric pattern. Further, by using the talismans to create a mandala, the pattern enhances the spell. The final step was boosting them with a certain type of crystal, but Kitzu decided it best not to mention the crystals due to the possibility that the wrong sort might find out. She wasn’t worried so much about ponies trying to stop them, but of the possibility of ponies hoarding the crystals they needed.
Two days later, Kitzumi with the help of Prince Reynard, and Nova, had finished placing the needed crystals and scripts in the Moon viewing hall just in time for a reception with Prince Reynard’s parents for a meet and greet gathering. Whether or not it would make any difference in the immediate vicinity was unknown, but it did add a delightful extra touch to the room with each shard glistening like pale blue stars suspended among the branches. The scripts that powered the spell were presently plastered to the branches. Nova gave Kitzu a hug delighted at what they’d accomplished. The two had become very close, and being separated was not pleasant for Nova who now treated Kitzu as a litter mate. Nova had been beside herself with worry when Kitzu hadn’t turned up right away.
“You’ve outdone yourselves,” Twilight said just as the first guest arrived.
“A fairly common stone.” Offered a matronly pony on entering. She was a fox pony with seven tails who didn’t bother with camouflaging that fact.
“Are they, Grandmother?” Reynard asked. “That’s actually a good thing. Twilight, this is my Grandmother, Safak Swift, and the lovely lady with her is my mother, Lady Morning Dew. The Gentlecolt is my father, Reynard Silvermane senior.”
“Lady Safak. Lady Morning Dew. Lord Silvermane.” Twilight offered with a polite curtsy. Kitzu echoed Twilight.
“Thank you for welcoming us into your home. Something tells me those gems are not just for decoration.” Reynard Swift Senior asked. “How’d you get them to light up like that?”
“It just so happens that my daughter is from another world...” Reynard began.
“Yes, you did make that claim didn’t you?” Lady Safak drawled. “Next you’ll be using that claim for Miss Nova. Miss Sparkle, has he told you about Miss Nova?”
“We’ve had that talk.” Twilight offered hoping there wasn’t going to be a problem. “Where pray tell is her mother though?” Getting along with this mare was going to be difficult, and Twilight just couldn't resist a dig. “We will be officially adopting both fillies regardless of their alleged parentage.”
“Making someone a princess just because...” Safak began.
“Mother-in-law.” Reynard Senior growled.
“As I was saying.” Prince Reynard offered. “Miss Kitzumi discovered a way to use the crystals to amplify a spell that negates negative energies. Specifically discordant.”
“Is it working?” Lady Safak asked irritably.
“Apparently not,” Kitzu muttered and started looking for a stone that was out of place. Not that it should have mattered, but she was sure the spell was not working as intended. “Maybe the stones aren’t close enough to the scripts?”
“Kitzu, Grandmother Safak is just...” Nova began explaining in a whisper… “..a bitch.”
“You mean there are ponies who are like that naturally?” Kitzu asked while adjusting slips of script. She’d decided to roll each one and suspend it directly under a crystal shard making the combination look like a small floating candle. As she did each lit up significantly. “It’s one thing to have an off day, but to completely forget all social decorum isn’t normal.”
“I’m so terribly sorry I’m late,” Luna said entering from the apartments. Granted she wasn’t technically late as the trio had arrived a bit early. Twilight cast a glance at Lady Safak expecting some off comment, but discovered the mare was now completely frozen in place.
“Grandmother?” Reynard asked looking at her.
“By the gods she’s speechless. What miracle could be next?” Reynard senior asked in a dry tone.
“Mother?” Lady Morning Dew said wondering what could be wrong with her.
“Kitzu… it’s affecting her.” Nova said quietly.
“Then I was right,” Kitzu said triumphantly as she used her magic to roll up another script. “The Safak Swift I knew was much nicer, and I simply could not bring myself to believe that this world’s Safak Swift was the pony we just saw.” Kitzu quickly went from one script to the other, pealing, rolling, and re-positioning each directly under a crystal.
“Let me help you with those.” Reynard offered going over to the trees.
“A tight roll, and a spell to bind them to their respective shards.” Kitzu offered.
“Can I help?” Night Light Sparkle asked as he and Twilight Velvet entered.
“Sorry, but it takes fox magic to make them work.” Twilight offered as she went over to give the two a hug.
“It bothers me that the scripts by themselves aren’t enough,” Reynard said as he rolled one of the paper scripts.
“Maybe they just act as deterrents by themselves?” Kitzu offered as she placed another roll. “Grandmother Safak isn’t a bad person either, and I suspect she got infected with discordant magic, Seeds of Discord no doubt a real thing. The wards were just making her irritable.”
“And we needed the crystals to neutralize the energy.” Reynard mused “Makes a lot of sense being Safak is only extra irritable when she’s near wards. Granted I hadn’t put two and two together till just now.”
“Oh my gosh?! What was I just saying?!” Safak exclaimed genuinely mortified by her own behavior.
“Mother? Are you alright?” Morning Dew asked her.
“Well, I’ll be...” Reynard senior said softly. “The very seeds of Discord.”
“It hadn’t occurred to me a pony could be affected like that. I think that deep down I’d just assumed fox ponies would have an immunity to discordant magic. Would you like to start again?” Twilight offered giving Safak a curious glance. Another round of introductions took place, this time more cordial than the first. Princess Celestia arrived a moment later with Rarity, and Sweetie Belle in tow.
“I’m so sorry, we were unavoidably detained.” Celestia offered followed by another round of introductions. She like Luna had been informed that Lord Reynard had arrived early, and had to rush on over to greet the guests. A moment later servants brought in some refreshments and appetizers, or as they were sometimes called, the horse d’oeuvres.
“Oh dear me, Miss Kitzu, were you not finished with your little project?” Celestia asked once they’d all been properly introduced.
“On conferring with my elders, I’ve learned that they work better if the paper with the spell on it is touching the gem.” Kitzu offered. Lady Safak dropped her head a little with her ears back but smiled realizing Kitzu was sparing her further embarrassment. “They kind of look like little candles like this too.”
“Oh?” Celestia asked suspicious that something must have happened.
“And they make nice decorative lights.” Reynard Senior offered while having a look at one of the scripts. When he was done he rolled it up and placed it under a crystal. “I plan on making some large ones and placing them inside of ornamental lamps for the wedding. The crystal is actually fairly common along the edge of the Luna Sea, and can be found in abundance in the Crystal Mountains.”
“That’s wonderful,” Luna said with an extra touch of enthusiasm. “If we can set these up all over Equestria, we need never fear Discord again.”
“And if we have them in the procession, then there will be a desire for the common ponies to have one as a keepsake of the event.” Reynard Senior offered.
“Will you be selling them?” Princess Celestia asked.
“I think I’ll give one each to the members of the wedding party, and invited guests. After that, I figure on selling at say ten percent above cost.” Reynard Senior offered. “On the one hand, we’d like to get as many out in the public as we can, but on the other hand, I don’t want to go broke in the process. I also think it’d be best to only tell the public that they are good luck charms.”
“Keeping the true nature of the charms a secret may be a good idea.” Prince Reynard offered.
“But couldn't some pony just read the script?” Sweetie asked looking at one. Her expression turned to confusion.
“It’s a stylized form of character sets known as Kana,” Kitzu explained taking the script from her. “The fox kingdom has several types of scrips that were brought over from the old world they emigrated from, including Roman which strikingly mimics the Equestrian alphabet and a type of runic inscription that looks much like old ponish.” Kitzu then went into a long dissertation about different syllabic alphabets and how each character could have more than one use and/or meaning.
“So, where’s Spike, and how come Dawn Shimmer isn’t here?” Sweetie asked Kitzu the first chance she got.
“Shimmer isn’t a close relative, she’ll be along later with a few other guests, and Spike is in his room.” Kitzu offered as she placed another roll under a gem. “Just hang tight for a bit. Ponies were given different times to give the new in-laws a chance to talk first before any pony else arrived.”
“Oh, OK. Which room did Spike take?” Sweetie asked. “I haven't really had an opportunity to explore yet. Everything just happened so fast. That and you and Nova having different sleeping schedules plus school, has left me with little to do but read.”
“Down below us. What? He likes dark places. He’s in one of the old bat pony guard quarters. Can you teleport yet? The climb back up is a killer.” Meanwhile, Rarity was reciting how she and Celestia had become more than just good friends.
“I was sitting by myself in a coffee shop before going back to my hotel.” Rarity offered having just explained they started getting together for coffee after bumping into each other following a fashion show. “I’m sitting there drinking tea, trying to unwind when some pony sits down next to me, and rudely tells me to move over.”
“Well, you were in our booth.” Luna offered with a smile. “We did give you a bit of a fright though, didn’t we? And the look on your face when you looked up and recognized me.”
“I must say, my mind was going a mile a minute.” Rarity offered. “I thought sure a pair of hooligans had decided to do Celestia knows what to me.”
“I won’t tell if you don’t.” Celestia teased. “Though I probably should have been a little more sensitive when I sat down next to her. Poor thing scrunched herself up against the window. She’d been so lost in thought she’d no idea who’d sat down with her.”
“And that’s when I heard Princess Luna call my name.” Rarity offered. “I looked up to see that the hoodie-clad ruffian across from me was Princess Luna. I then dared to hazard a look at who was sitting next to me only to discover Princess Celestia.”
“So relieved was she, she embraced me.” Celestia offered. “Ben a long time since some pony embraced me quite like that.”
“You put your wing around me.” Rarity said softly to Celestia.
“You were trembling,” Celestia replied.
“You still make me tremble.” Rarity whispered with a wink.
“Say, Sweetie Belle, why don’t I show you to Spike’s room? I’ve some charms down there that need adjusting as well.” Kitzu offered, and a moment later the two made good their escape being neither could stand Rarity and Princess Celestia being all lovey dovey.
“Not going with them?” Reynard asked Nova in a whisper. Nova was also resetting scripts.
“I’ve seen the room Spike has fixed up for himself so I’ll wait for Princess Dawn Shimmer and the twins. We don’t have too many left to go either.”
“Miss Nova, wasn’t it?” Night Light asked approaching.
“Minister Sparkle,” Nova said stopping what she was doing to make a polite bow.
“I was rather hoping to try to make amends with you, and your sister.” Night light offered. “I was a bit harsh in my tone when the two of you snuck into my back office.”
“I understand, you were having an off day.” Nova offered. “Seems to have been a bit contagious that day as well. You have to understand that Kitzu was the apple of her grandfather’s eye, and suddenly she’s thrust into a world where her Grandfather doesn’t know who she is.”
“What she said, it’s true then, and she’s...” Night Light said softly.
“I’m to understand that Kitzu’s mother is, shall we say more mature, and very beautiful.” Reynard offered. “I’m told her plumage is similar to Miss Shimmer’s, or I mean Princess Dawn, and Miss Scootaloo's. Only in shades of violet and deep purple.”
“Twilight hasn’t had a full molt yet.” Night Light offered as he glanced back towards his daughter. “I’m to understand the more mature plumage can be quite stunning for those pegasus lucky enough to get the fancy plumage. Princess Luna has the fancy plumage as well, but it’s so dark it’s hard to make out.”
“You haven't seen Our Princess Shimmer yet I gather?” Reynard asked with a grin. “She’s like a bird of paradise.”
“Not planning on adding her to the harem are you?” Night Light asked with a wink.
“And disrupt the perfect symmetry between Luna and Twilight?” Reynard replied with a smile. “Heaven’s no. Such a thing could lead to disaster. That and I picture our new princess as being a one-mate mare. She’s been hurt too from what I understand. She’ll need some pony who can be devoted to her.”
A short time later saw the arrival of the ponies chosen to be the bridesmaids. Well, the rest of the bridesmaids as Rarity had been asked, along with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. Followed by more introductions, and then more introductions as several aunts, and uncles arrived including the mysterious Lady Aiko who arrived accompanied by none other than Sunset Shimmer and the two Scootaloo girls. Scootaloo wore a dress cadet uniform, while Little Scoots, Louise, had on an elegant princess dress. Louise, despite being every bit as energetic as her older twin was presently presenting herself as a timid coquettish young girl, make that filly, owing to her unfamiliarity with living in a world where everybody was a pony. Except Spike who was now a dragon as opposed to being a dog. Which was indeed strange being that there were indeed dogs in Equestria. Little Scoots wasn’t the only pony being quiet, as Fluttershy still hadn’t fully recovered from the incident that had cost her the home she loved, and presumably a number of animals that still hadn’t been accounted for.
“Fluttershy, you didn’t have to come,” Twilight whispered as she gave Fluttershy a hug.
“She, um, didn’t want to stay behind.” Applejack offered casting a glance over at Rarity. “Things have kind of changed relationship-wise too.”
“Oh?” Twilight asked.
“Fluttershy and I – well, we’ve been kind of inseparable the past few days.” Applejack offered as a blush flashed across her cheeks.
“Well then, congratulations.” Twilight offered.
“I...” Fluttershy began in a soft timid voice that was reminiscent of when Twilight had first met the pegasus. “Rarity?”
“Oh don’t worry about Rarity.” Twilight offered. “Applejack was a little too slow to catch that ship.”
“Pardon?” Applejack asked.
“While you were trying to get up the nerve to bump your relationship up with Rarity, Rarity was dating Celestia.” Twilight offered as Cadence and Shining Armor arrived. “Oh sorry, I need to go greet Cadence.” Twilight offered and trotted off leaving Applejack with a rather bemused look.
Meanwhile, Scootaloo and Louise had found the smorgasbord.
“Sushi?!” Louise said with an air of excitement and proceeded to load up a plate.
“What, what are those?” Scootaloo asked.
“Mostly raw fish,” Louise answered and then gobbled one down. “May not be a hamburger, but it’ll do in a pinch.”
“Hamburger, what’s a hamburger?” Scootaloo asked.
“You probably don’t want to know.” Sunset offered breaking momentarily from a conversation.
“Interesting she likes sushi.” Offered the pony Sunset had been talking to. “She can even pronounce the name.”
“Itadakimasu,” Louise announced triumphantly having remembered the phrase and then scarfed down another morsel.
“You know the language of the noble ancestors of the royal family?” Nova asked approaching the table.
“Noble ancestors? If you mean by that Japanese, I only know a few words, and phrases.” Louise offered.
“She’s from the human world.” Sunset offered quietly, not sure she wanted to say anything, but knowing that fox ponies knew of the human world. “She followed after me. The fillies are half-sisters.” Sunset thought for a moment about the unsaid question. “Louise's mother and I were very much alike and very close. I miss her a great deal. Not so much their father though.”
“So um, where’s Miss Kitzu?” Asked Cadet Scootaloo.
“Downstairs.” Nova offered.
“Please do fetch the hime-sama, there are relatives who’d like to meet her.” offered the uncle who’d been talking with Sunset.
“Hime-sama?” Louise asked with a smile. “I know what that means. But aren’t all the princesses here?”
“Miss Kitzu isn’t here.” Nova offered. “Pretty sure, that’s who Uncle is referring to. I’ll go fetch her.” Nova offered taking a bite of sushi.
“Mind if I tag along?” Night Light asked.
“No, you may if you’d like, but there are a lot of stairs.” Nova offered and then gobbled down the sushi she’d taken.
“Stairs?” Cadet Scootaloo asked.
“You’ll see.” Nova offered with a smile. Nova went to the door that opened to the stairs that spiraled down the tower followed by Night Light, and both Scootaloos.
“Princess Dawn” Uncle began.
“Call me Sunset. Well, that is my name. Dawn is just a title.”
“I see. Not like that sort of thing never happened before. Public face versus private. Louise, any chance her mother was a fox?”
“Fairly sure she was human. The girls are related via their father, who was also human. Yes, she does have a pension for meat, though I can’t really explain it other than humans eat meat. Now if she was my filly I might think she could be a throwback to a distant ancestor of mine... Were your ancestors able to take on human form?”
“Legend says they could. There is a spell that can make it possible, but only a handful know it these days.”
“I owe my coloration to an ancestor who was said to be unlike other ponies.” Sunset offered. “Wonder if my counterpart had similar ancestry?”
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“Wow, this is so cool,” Scoot said as they looked out into the void of the column of the tower. They were presently on the first landing below the Moon viewing hall, and the entire place had been illuminated by Kitzu’s crystal candles spiraling downwards.
“Did you think maybe she ran away so she wouldn't have to talk to you?” Nova asked Night Light.
“Not like the thought hadn’t occurred to me.” Night Light offered. “I see she’s been busy. This is where the Shadowbolts lived.”
“It is?! Awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she came down the stairs.
“So you decided to join us.” Night Light offered as he continued down the stairs. “Most pones think of the Shadowbolts as Nightmare Moon’s personal guard, but that would be a mistake. They were an elite team of night fliers. They were held to the same standards as Princess Celestia’s Wonder bolts – only they did their flying at night.”
“At night?!” Cadet Scootaloo exclaimed. “But how could they see where they are flying?”
“Afraid I can’t really answer that.” Night Light offered as the others followed after him. “Though legend says they could see in the dark.”
“Like bat ponies.” Rainbow Dash offered.
“Or fox ponies,” Nova suggested.
They found Sweetie Belle, and Kitzu with Spike quietly reading comics in the topmost quarters.
“Hi, guys.” Rainbow Dash offered.
“Oh hey.” Sweetie Belle offered not bothering to look up.
“Hi, guys.” Spike offered also not bothering to look up. Kitzu looked up.
“Minister Sparkle,” Kitzu said, her tone that of acknowledgment only.
“Don’t I get a high?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I’m sorry, where are my manners?” Kitzu then put down her comic, got up, and went over and gave Rainbow a hug, then Nova, followed by the two Scootaloo sisters.
“This is just a guess on my part, but I’d bet Miss Kitzu is mad at some pony.” Sweetie Belle commented looking up from her comic.
“I suppose we didn’t exactly get off on the right hoof the other day.” Night Light offered. “Kitzumi, what say we give this another go? How about a little forgiveness for an old stallion? And for that matter you did surprise me while I was working on a day I should have had off.”
“You know if I had to work on my day off...” Rainbow suggested.
“You have, and you get rather grumpy too.” Cadet Scootaloo informed.
“Well, I never thought being a Wonderbolt meant so many responsibilities.” Dash offered.
“Alright.” Kitzu offered, went over to Night Light, and gave him a hug.
“Welcome to the family.” Night Light offered. “Now, how about coming upstairs? You’ve relatives who’d like to meet the Hime-sama.” Hearing herself be called Hime-sama was perhaps a bit too much for Kitzu. It was like something inside of her had broken after all those months of doing her best. Kitzu proceeded to hug him tighter and started to cry. “Kitzu?”
“Kitzumi, did your original grandfather call you Hime-sama?” Nova inquired softly. Kitzu indicated that he had.
“I’ve only just heard the term.” Night Light offered.
“Of course you have,” Kitzu said in realization. “It’s just that everything is so similar, and… I never realized such a subtle difference could be such a big deal to me. I’m out of sequence – I haven't even been born yet in this world. Ponies treat me like an illegitimate foal.”
“You want me to get Luna?” Dash offered. “And if anyone isn’t being nice to you, you let me know, and I’ll straighten them out.”
“I’ll be alright.” Kitzu offered as Louise gave her another hug. “The whole illegitimate thing is partly my own fault as well. Not like we can tell everyone the truth.”
“Kind of know what it’s like,” Scoots said quietly going to her. “I’m, I’m all out of sorts myself. It’s really weird, everyone knows me. Every pony. I don’t really know anyone, but I do. Only it’s not me, it’s Scootaloo they know, but I’m Scootaloo in my home, only I’m not here.”
“You don’t want to go back do you?” Scootaloo asked concern in her tone.
“I don’t really have a place to go back to. Not a safe place.” Louise offered.
“How about, when we get a chance we can talk to Twilight about it.” Nova offered. “Maybe she can open a new portal?”
“And risk Discord finding it?” Kitzu offered.
“I was living in hiding there.” Louise offered. “At least here I don’t have to live in hiding. And no, I wouldn't want to risk Discord finding the portal. I saw how upset Twilight and Pr-princes Luna were.”
“In an odd sort of way, I’m in the same category.” Sweetie Belle offered. “I was content to live in Ponyville where most of my friends are. Suddenly my world gets turned upside down, the pony I thought was my sister is my mother, we live with Princess Celestia now, who by the looks of their relationship I may be calling mother before too long, and I have to behave like a proper princess. I hate having to act like a princess, it’s bucking boring.” Night Light cleared his throat at Sweetie Belle’s profanity. “Sorry.”
“Ya, I can see where that last part would be difficult.” Both Scootaloos said in tandem. They looked at each other and smiled.
“Well, Hime sama...” Night Light began. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Kitzu’s face. “You ready to plunge into the fox den?”
“I was born into a fox den,” Kitzu replied with a smile.
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In another world, far far away, in a large building a white room with black curtains where nurses roam the halls, sits a middle-aged man who is quite bald. He sits there looking out a window, strapped to a wheelchair, and gag in his mouth, fuming and plotting. He knows a way. But first, he's just going to have to play nice. Oh yes, he's just going to have to play nice with these dirty stinking humans.