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“Hey, you’re still here?” A gray filly with a white mane asked Kitzumi Silvermane as she entered the classroom. Kitzumi the unicorn, daughter of the Neighpony ambassador. “Thought you’d be gone for sure.”
“Not,” Kitzumi replied a bit harsher than she meant. “I do so hate to disappoint you, Sylvie.”
“I heard Prince Blueblood wanted your hide,” an alabaster colt offered.
“Lance, I’ll have you know that I have diplomatic immunity.” Kitzumi offered, slamming her book bag on her desk followed by sitting down with a plop.
“No suspension?” Lance pressed.
“Suspension? Oh no, no suspension. Princess Celestia is far too devious to do that.” Kitzumi replied.
“Say, there’s a rumor you were seen in the commons wearing an old-style cloak, and Miss Twinkle escorted you to the office.”
“Sorry Iris, I wasn’t in the commons, I was in the locker room, and Coach Quartermane escorted me to the office. After that they made me do make-up tests all afternoon.”
“You didn’t go with Princess Celestia to the palace?” Iris asked. Iris was a blue pony with a purple mane.
“No.” Kitzumi offered. “Miss Twinkle was there, and there was a filly with her who could be my twin, except...”
“Except what?”
“She had both wings and a horn. She identified herself as Luna Nova Princess of hope. She didn’t say where she was from only that she’d been traveling, and came here by mistake. - Get this, she actually called Princess Celestia, Tia. And then they went into Princess Celestia’s office, and when they came out Princess Celestia said that they were related.”
“Holy horse apples!” several of the ponies echoed.
“She sounded like she was kind of annoyed at having been brought to the office.” Kitzumi offered. “Miss Twinkle was a bit off guard being she’d nabbed the wrong pony, and that pony turned out to be an alicorn related to Celestia.”
“So there’s another alicorn princess,” Asked a dark blue filly with a silver-blue mane. Her name is Sapphire.
“Ya. And Princess Celestia ordered that I be escorted home when I was done. Princess Luna Nova tells me to get used to it, and wouldn't you know it, an escort showed up at home this morning. Mom is furious.”
“Your mom is always furious, she’s always pissing and moaning about something.” Offered a red and blond fox unicorn entering the classroom.
“Morning Sunny Willow.” Kitzumi offered as Willow went to her desk, put her bag down, sat heavy, and dropped her head to the desk. Sunny Willow was the daughter of Raspberry Pudding and Thaddeus Smith.
“Why do they make us get up so blessed early in the morning?” Willow complained. “I’m nocturnal for Celestia’s sake!”
“Well if you two screw up my scholarship by dragging me into your mischief...” warned a dark-coated fox-type unicorn as she entered the class. Her coat was midnight blue, and her mane silver and blue. She was also the foster of the Smiths. “I should never have helped you figure out that spell.”
“Morning Estar,” Kitzumi offered followed by, “Well, how was I supposed to know that idiot wouldn't be able to dispel a simple illusion spell?”
“Seats please,” Miss Twinkle ordered as she entered. She gave Kitzumi a calculated look as every pony rushed to their seats. “Let me guess, it’s one of those he has to break himself, and no pony can help him?”
“The moment he realizes it’s an illusion the spell will be broken. - An alicorn might be able to break it if she knows the spell.” Kitzumi offered.
“Funny you should mention that.” Miss Twinkle said in a cautious tone as though she wasn’t sure how to break the news. “It would seem that Princess Twilight Sparkle has taken an interest in you.”
“In me?” Kitzumi asked sounding shocked.
“Lucky,” Estar muttered.
“Midnight Estar.” Miss Twinkle said switching ponies.
“Yes, mam?” Estar asked fearing the worst.
“The foster agency has set up an appointment with your sponsor after school. Be at Princess Luna’s office right after your last class. Don’t miss it.”
“Yes, mam. I’m not losing my scholarship am I?”
“Why would you think you’d be… oh, never mind I think I get it, no. I doubt any pony knows you were involved in Miss Silvermane’s little prank. - Off the record, I doubt there is a mare in Canterlot who hasn’t secretly delighted at Prince Blue Blood’s new coat. Not that you heard that from me.” She gave Kitzumi a warning look. “No, your sponsor has expressed a desire to meet you in person.”
“Oh,” Estar replied sounding shocked. “I guess that could be a good thing?”
“Maybe they are going to adopt you?” Willow offered. Her head was still on her desk.
“Miss Sunny, I know it’s difficult for you, but do make an effort.” Miss Twinkle scolded.
“But I’m awake when I should be asleep, and asleep when I should be awake.” Sunny Willow complained.
“Being there is only the three of you, you’ll just have to get used to it.” Miss Starshine offered.
“Miss Starshine, do you know anything about that Princess Luna Nova?” Kitzumi asked.
“Well if I did I doubt I’d have mistaken her for you.” Miss Starshine offered. “Oh, and the free hour you had will be spent with Princess Twilight Sparkle. You will also be doing detention after your classes till it is time for you to go home, at which point you will be escorted home.”
“My life is over,” Kitzumi announced as though she’d just been handed a life sentence.
✨✨✨
Meanwhile back at the palace… “Tia...”
“Luna, you haven't gone to bed yet?” Celestia asked concerned.
“We, that is, I’d like a word with you, in private. Please?”
“Yes of course. I have got a moment. Let’s go here.” Princess Celestia offered, directing Luna to a small unused lounge. She motioned to the guards to have them make sure they were not disturbed or eavesdropped on.
“It’s about Miss Luna Nova.” Luna offered as the two sat down.
“Is there going to be an issue with her?”Celestia sounded concerned. “I thought that it would give Twilight a chance to look after a foal.”
“I noticed Miss Nova was low on magic, and absentmindedly used mother’s touch on her.”
“Is she alright?” Celestia betrayed no emotion regarding Luna absentmindedly using a spell-like ‘Mother’s touch’.
“She’s sleeping, we let her have the hours she requested.” Luna stopped to contemplate her sister's reaction. “I used Mother's touch.”
“I’m assuming the only reason you are bringing it up, is because it worked.”
“And that doesn’t surprise you? She’s not my filly. - I can’t even begin to understand how she came by one of my moon pendants, and it looks like she has a harmony stone as well.”
“So how is that filly you were so kind to sponsor?”
“I’ll be meeting with her after her last class today. - And no changing the subject. - Who is this Princess Luna Nova?”
Celestia let out a sigh. “Must you know?”
“You know full well there are only two ways the mother’s touch spell will work, and she doesn’t qualify for either.”
“There’s a third, an exception.”
“A third?”
“Be an exact double for either the mother or wet nurse. In that case, the magic won’t know the difference.” Celestia explained. There is a moment of silence.
“What are you saying, that there’s another me out there that filly calls mother?”
“She’s from another dimension,” Celestia said keeping her voice down. “She’s just stopping over before making another attempt at home.”
“I see.” . . . “An attempt you say?”
“She has a rather unique ability. She can teleport from one dimension to the next.”
“Are you saying she did this to herself?”
“No. Seems the Discord from her homeworld was the author of her present situation.”
“Why did you ever release him?”
“Our Discord has reformed.”
“Has he? Has he really?” Luna replied with just an edge of anger. “Every day he gets away with behavior that would not be tolerated by any pony else, and somewhere out there is another me wondering what’s become of her foal.”
Celestia put a hoof out to Luna but didn’t know what to say.
“She’s actually Twilight’s. - Not so sure I want to tell her if I don’t have to.” Celestia offered. “As for Discord, unless we can figure out a way to rein him in, and I mean seriously rein him in, there’s not a lot we can do about his excesses. - And the spell we used to turn him to stone is dependent on the elements of harmony, and has the same half-life as the spell that locked away...”
“That locked me away. Meaning we’d have to look forward to a fight on our hands every thousand years give or take. - Not to mention the fact that they are useless if we don’t have at least six of the elements.”
“So, will you be turning in now?” Celestia asked breaking an awkward silence.
“I suppose I should,” Luna replied. She took a moment and then got up. “Thank you for telling me.”
Celestia got up and gave Luna a hug. “Something I haven't told you. I know what your counterpart is going through. I had a daughter go through a portal – we kept in touch for a while. - The portal closed down a few years back, and I may never know what became of her.”
“Here’s hoping that wherever she is she has some pony she can rely on.” Luna offered. The two held their hug a moment longer, and then backed away from each other. “All right, time I got some sleep. I’ve fillies who’ll need me at my best.”
When Princess Luna returned to the room she now shared with Twilight she found Kitzu in her bed. She thought about waking her and chasing her out, but then decided she’d just go ahead and climb in with her. Kitzu snuggled up next to Luna, and let out a sigh.
✨✨✨
“Come on sleepyhead, time you got up,” Twilight whispered.
“But mom I don’t want to get up.” Kitzu groaned.
“Does she do that often, call you mom?” Luna asked with her eyes half-opened.
“Not too often, but enough to peak my interest. “Key-sue-me. Get up. you’ve slept all the way into the middle of the afternoon. - Oh, and Luna, it's time you got up if you want to be ready for our meeting with Midnight Estar.” Twilight offered, giving Luna a kiss.
“Mom!” Kitzu exclaimed bolting up to a sitting position. She looked Twilight in the eyes, and somehow she knew. Her ears drooped. “Not the mama. - And that was a dirty trick.”
“Did Celestia tell you? - And why’d you call her Kitzumi?”
“Figured it out on my own.” Twilight offered. “And she’s a near-perfect twin for Miss Kitzumi Silvermane. - I just thought I’d test it out.”
“Ya, well don’t go through my stuff.” Kitzu chastised. “Please.” Her tone changed to more of a pleading. “For your own sake.”
“My worst nightmare was it?”
“My correspondence.” Kitzu’s tone was subdued.
“Your… oh.”
“Your worst nightmare might not be what you thought.” Luna offered, getting up.
“Come on then Miss Nova.” Twilight prompted. “And hiding your identity was probably a good thing. Your counterpart is full of herself.”
“She’s lucky you know.” Kitzu offered as she climbed out of bed. “She doesn’t have a special talent that is both an awesome talent, and a curse at the same time. She gets to live a fairly normal life. - I’ve had to do a lot of growing up over the last couple of years.”
“I guess it’s been rough for you.” Twilight offered, leading Kitzu to the bath where Twilight proceeded to wash her face.
“I can do that myself… OK never mind.” Kitzu started, but then realized Twilight was giving her a little bit of her magic.
“Twilight, you figured out that works, too?” Luna asked. “The mother's touch?”
“I noticed it right away. Didn’t know what it was at first. - Have you had to use it on Estar?”
“A few times when she was little. - Nothing as bad as our little Nova here. It’s the reason why she’s been sleeping so much.” Luna then went into the shower. “I’ll be out in a bit. Make sure the staff knows to prepare the special diet for her. - I just wish I’d never given Estar up.”
“I guess crossing the dimensional barrier is taking more out of me than I thought.” Kitzu offered, even as the reality that her sister Estar’s parentage was being hidden for some reason. “The first time I did two jumps in one day it didn’t really bother me. - Are you going to get back together with Estar?”
“I’ve decided to tell her, and let her decide what she wants.” Luna offered.
“Luna, we’ll meet up with you there.” Twilight then turned her attention back to Kitzu. “Well let's take you to Rarity, I want to see what she can do with your mane.”
“You think she’s forgiven you for what you did to my fur?” Kitzu teased. After Twilight had used her drying spell on Kitzu, she’d been forced to go find Rarity to see what if anything could be done with Kitzu’s mane. “Hang on, I need to use the little fillies room, and I don’t need help.”
Twilight waited patiently listening to the sound of the shower. A smile formed on her face as the notion struck her to join Luna in the shower, but not today. At least not just at this moment. Kitzu emerged a short time later, followed by Kitzu and Twilight making their way to the palace seamstress shop which was located in its own building below the keep tucked away in a corner of the palace complex.
“Darling!” Rarity called as the two enter the shop. Twilight had rushed Kitzu out without her cloak, but she did manage to grab her saddlebags. The sight of the diminutive alicorn with bedhead was gathering a lot of odd looks. “Princess Twilight, and how’s the little filly dear sweet Celestia has fostered off on you?”
“She’s doing much better, and I’m just as busy as ever.” Twilight offered while giving Rarity a hug.
“I see her mane is still a sight though.” Rarity offered. “Did she just get up?”
“She’s nocturnal, same as Luna. - She hasn’t even had anything to eat yet.”
“Luna Nova wasn’t it?” Rarity asked.
“Tsuki no Kazoku, Luna Nova-hime.” Kitzu offered with a smile. “Visiting from a small island nation in the Sea of Tranquility.” The new last name, if we can call it a last name, had been discussed between Twilight and Luna the night before. Neither were sure they wanted Kitzu using the Silvermane name, and she was not to use her identification from the other world. Little did they know Kitzu had two identifications from two worlds. As for her new name, she was simply claiming to be a princess from the Moon family.
“Yes, you did say that.” Rarity replied while measuring up Kitzu with a look of suspicion. “Do you always wear that saddlebag?”
“Never leaves it behind if she can help it.” Twilight offered. “Won’t even take her pendants off to take a bath. Any chance you can do something with her mane?”
“I might, I might...” Rarity offered, leaning in to have a closer look at the stone in Kitzu’s lamp pendant. “How odd? This pendant has been bugging me all night, it looks like something I might have made, what kind of stone is that? - You don’t mind if I get a better look do you?”
“Miss Rarity, wait no, don’t!” Kitzu protested as Rarity used her magic to detect the type of stone.
“Ack!” Twilight uttered as all three ponies were engulfed in a magic aura, and lifted into the air.
“My word, it’s a harmony stone!” Rarity declared. “But how is that even possible?” Every pony in the shop was now looking at them.
“It’s a chip off a castle similar to Princess Twilight’s castle,” Kitzu explained as the aura slowly died and the three slowly sank back down to the floor. “I could have told you that would happen. It reacts to bearers of the elements of harmony.”
“But a chip shouldn't react like that?” Twilight offered.
“Ordinarily it wouldn't, but I added enchantments to it,” Kitzu explained. “Every stone I enchant with specific spells mimics the element of hope and laughter.”
“Every? Wait, does that mean there are more?” Twilight asked. “You wouldn't happen to have more in your bags, would you? Is that why you never leave your bags behind?”
“Well, that’s part of it,” Kitzu admitted.
“Oh right, there was that other item you wanted to be kept safe.”
“The intent of the charm is to make a simple good luck charm.” Kitzu offered. “Just the ones I make end up being a little bit more.” Kitzu had decided after having read through what her Twilight had written in the diary that she was going to keep quiet about the effect the charm had on Discord. She had told Luna and Twilight from the world where Kitzu had been involved in a changeling invasion about the lamps, but fearing Discord might get wind of it, made them promise to tell no pony the true nature of the lamps. The knowledge needed to create the charms would be passed through the fox pony community with no pony knowing the full truth. Even so, she still feared Discord would find out somehow. A fear that seemed irrational being that in that world he was still encased in stone. As for the diaries, her real reason to keep them with her was in case of a reply to either book.
“A secret, hmm...” Rarity mused as though she was dying to know what Kitzu wanted to keep safe.
“More like letters from home.” Kitzu offered. “I just don’t feel comfortable leaving them lying about, that’s all.”
“Oh, oh well. No deep dark secrets then, like a boyfriend?” Rarity pressed.
“We kind of broke up actually.” Kitzu offered, hoping that would satisfy Rarity. Not really broke up, but Kitzu was fairly sure Stargazer had given up on her along with every pony else it seemed. Despite the colt's acidic nature, she’d grown fond of him, and they’d even started dating. To his credit, he never once showed any sign that Kitzu’s status or alleged illegitimacy mattered.
“Darling, I’m sure you’ll find another in no time.” Rarity offered. “Now let's see what we can do with that mane of yours.”
“Do wish you hadn’t used that spell on her, Twilight.” Rarity lamented a short time later. Kitzu did her best not to cry out while Rarity worked the knots in her mane. Any time her mane and tail got super dry they started to knot up really bad. The only solution was to slowly work fine oil into the knots and gently untangle her mane. “Her hair is thicker, denser, and considerably fuller than most ponies.”
“This isn’t going to take too long, I need to get her a guest pass, and meet up with Luna,” Twilight asked. “She’s finally going to meet with the filly she’s been sponsoring.”
“So is Miss Nova here the same sort of deal?” Rarity asked. She’d stopped brushing.
“Miss Nova just sort of showed up yesterday. She’d been mistaken for another filly.” Twilight offered.
“I’ll be going home in about a month.” Kitzu offered. “After that, I’m not sure yet.”
“Oh… Twilight?” Rarity asked while looking at Twilight. “You aren’t going to let her stay?”
“That’s up to her I’m afraid. And I understand her reasoning. She wants to go home. But it’s complicated.”
“Alright then.” Rarity offered. “I’m done now. What do you think?”
“Umm, I kind of look like Sweetie Belle.”
“Sweetie bell doesn’t wear her hair like this?” Rarity protested.
“Not anymore, you mean.” Twilight pointed out.
“Just how complicated are we talking here?” Rarity asked. “It’s been years since Sweetie did her hair like this.”
Kitzu pulled up her bags, opened one, pulled out a textbook, and showed it to Rarity. Inside written in Twilight’s foal scrawl was written friends forever to Luna’s Nova, along with Twilight’s signature, and messages from several other ponies. Twilight eyeballed the book, and without skipping a beat announced, “We were filly friends in school together. - It was a short visit. Slipped my mind.”
“That complicated enough for you?” Kitzu asked putting the book back.
“But that, but that… that’s not even possible. Is it?” Rarity asked astonished at what her mind was trying to tell her.
“Come on Nova.” Twilight prompted.
“It’s a prank, it has to be?” Rarity muttered watching the two go. “Princess Luna was still on the moon, and we all know how Celestia gets any time a stallion gets anywhere near her sister.”
✴✴✴
“Oh, you’re just full of surprises,” Twilight said as the two walked between government buildings.
“I’d discovered a world that was far enough behind my own that I was able to spend time with filly Twilight Sparkle.” Kitzu’s statement was followed by silence.
“Nova?”
“It was leaving that world. I used the portal to go back. I’d been told there might be some trouble that might prevent me from getting home. The portals collapsed while I was in between. - I got out via a panic teleport.” Nova had to take a few moments before continuing. “Judging by the messages in my book, I was in there quite a long time.”
“You don’t want me seeing those messages I gather?”
“I don’t want you seeing those messages.”
“Bad?”
“They think I’m dead.”
“But you haven't given up.”
“Not one bit. I will find my way home, even if I have to go into the past again, and just sit someplace till I’ve caught up with myself. - The world I ended up in, the world I just spent two months in, the Twilight who lived there, she read some of it. Some of what was written in my diary from home. It made her cry, and I don’t want you to cry like that.”
“Alright, I understand,” Twilight said putting a wing over Kitzu and giving her a hug as they walked along. A short walk later they entered the office where the identifications were issued. Kitzu’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the young stallion behind the counter.
“Stargazer?” Kitzu said softly. Stargazer had become a very handsome young stallion.
“Mr Alca,” Twilight said greeting him. My young visitor here is in need of a pass. - Nova.”
“Ummm hi,” Kitzu said softly as she reminded herself that this was not her Stargazer. How many ponies had she left behind, and how many more would not know her if she ever did make it back to her proper time and place? Stargazer would just be a forgotten foal hood crush in the end.
“Hey, it’s alright, I don’t bite.”
“Preferred you when you did,” Kitzu muttered.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing.” Kitzu approached the counter. “Name’s Nova. Tsuki no Kazoku Nova hime.” Kitzu offered completely forgetting to add Luna.
“Alrighty then… could you spell that?”
“T- H- A- T.”
“Your name, silly. - Ha, I used to do things like that when I was your age.”
Kitzu smiled, a blush on her face. She spelled out the name, and a short time later she had a brand new ID complete with a magically rendered mugshot. ‘Novahime Tsukinokazoku’ it read. “Looks like I’ve another alias.” Kitzu offered a short time later after she and Twilight had left. ”Ummm, any chance I can get something to eat?”
“I imagine you’re hungry.
“I am.”
“Well, there will be food when we meet up with Miss Midnight Estar.”
“It’s been a while.”
“Since you’ve eaten? I’m aware, but you’ll just have to wait.”
“Um, ya, that too,” It’d been over two years since Kitzu had seen her sister Estar.
✳❇✳
Estar was finally done with her last class for the day, and despite being worn out, she was eager to meet her sponsor. When she arrived at Princess Luna’s office she found not Princess Luna, but her foster parents Thaddeus Smith and Raspberry Pudding. “Um, hi… Is Princess Luna not here?”
“We are taking you over to the palace for a little get-together with your sponsors.” Captain Smith offered.
“The… the palace?” Estar asked eagerly. Estar earnestly hoped her sponsor was Princess Luna. In her earliest memories, she could remember Princess Luna being some pony she’d been very close to. But then she went to live with the Smiths. Not that there was anything wrong with the Smiths, they’d been good foster parents, Raspberry Pudding had been Estar’s milk mother, and she loved them very much. Still, though, there was this longing for her real mother.
Estar quietly followed along with her foster parents as they took her around the back way into the keep. They continued on to a small lounge on the third floor of the north wing, where the first pony they saw was Kitzumi. Kitzu was sitting at a small table where a rather nice meal had been provided for her.
“Kitzumi! What are you doing up here?!” Estar demanded going up to her.
“I’m… I’m having breakfast.” Kitzu replied with a bit of mild annoyance. Kitzu looked at Estar and swallowed hard. “Estar?” Kitzu got up from the table she was at and started to slowly close the distance between them. Kitzu knew this Estar wasn’t her sister, but her emotions were getting the better of her.
“Wings?” Estar said softly as Kitzu embraced her with forelegs and wings resulting in Estar dropping to her backside with a plop. Estar wasn’t quite sure of the situation, but she knew that look.
“It’s been so long, so long.” Kitzu choked out and then started crying.
“Oh, Kitzumi, what mischief have you gotten yourself into this time?” Estar asked bringing up a front leg to try to comfort Kitzu.
“She’s from another world.” Princess Luna offered, going to the two. For her and Twilight, it had been like watching a train wreck. “Nova, was Estar a good friend in your world?”
“She’s my sister.” Kitzu offered between sobs. Her words seemed to suck the breath out of every pony there. “It’s been over two years.”
“Sisters?” Estar asked. She too was starting to cry too.
“Now I know I’ve made a huge mistake. A bunch of 'em,” Luna offered as she went over to the two, and gave them both a hug. Twilight stood by for a moment, not quite sure what to do, and then called for a group hug. Pinkie would have been proud.
“Awww come on!” Pudding protested as she started to cry, and then went in to hug Estar. Thaddeus couldn't resist the opportunity to hug Luna. She didn’t complain.
“OK, this is getting a bit awkward.” Pudding muttered. She backed away and wiped a tear. One by one they separated till it was just Luna and Thaddeus getting in a quiet snuggle. Twilight cleared her throat loudly only to have Kitzu hug Pudding, and the whole thing started up again with more crying.
“Ya, um… sorry.” Luna offered as she and Captain Smith finally split up. They’d been the last after the third go-round. Kitzu and Estar had looks of utter astonishment on their faces once they realized Luna and the Captain had a very close personal relationship.
“M, m, m, Muna?” Kitzu stuttered out. “You and Mr Smith?!”
“I’m afraid so.” Luna offered sheepishly.
“He’s the Captain of the Night Watch!” Estar exclaimed. “Anyway… I thought I was here to meet my sponsor, not – not for true confessions of which I can hardly see why I would even want to know about it?”
“I am your sponsor.” Luna offered as Twilight wiped Kitzu’s face.
“Come, on blow.” Twilight to Kitzu with a napkin over the end of her nose.
“You”
- Honk-
“You’re my sponsor?” Estar asked as Kitzu blew her nose.
“I’m afraid it’s worse than that.” Thaddeus offered.
“We’ve decided that you are old enough to know the truth.” Luna offered. “Let's all sit down shall we?”
“Something tells me I’m going to need to,” Estar replied. “Um, I kind of already am.”
“How about sitting in a chair, dear?” Pudding offered. A few moments later every pony had moved to a group of seats in the lounge.
“We’ve decided it is time you knew the truth.” Luna offered. “But first you must understand that what I tell you must be kept in absolute secrecy.”
“No telling my counterpart.” Kitzu offered. The others gave Kitzu a curious look. “What? I like to gossip. At least I’ve learned the merits of keeping my mouth shut.”
“Fair enough.” Twilight offered.
“My sister, who I love very much, can be...” Luna paused as she searched for the right word.
“Protective to the point of borderline insanity?” Twilight offered.
“Not sure I’d put it that harshly.” Luna offered.
“She set me up as your personal bodyguard.” Twilight countered. “Just try to imagine how she’d react if she knew we’re in a relationship. It was how she reacted when she found out about your affair that caused this mess in the first place.”
“What was I supposed to do? Have another knockdown fight with her where I end up spending another thousand years on the moon?”
“Um, why are you telling me all this?” Estar asked.
“Because, princess, we’re, Luna and I, are your parents.” Thaddeus offered.
“Somehow – I managed to keep you a secret from Princess Celestia.” Luna offered. “Not like she really pays that much attention to what I do, just so long as I do my duty, and behave like a proper princess.”
“Wow! And I thought my Celestia was bad.” Kitzu offered.
“I suspect she knows, but she won’t admit it.” Twilight offered.
“Well until she decides to at least give me some indication she isn’t going to have another fit the moment I bring up the idea of marriage...” Luna protested. She let out a sigh. “I can just imagine how she’d react to my wanting to marry the captain of my guard.”
“Maybe I might be able to talk to her?” Kitzu offered. “Does she know a fox pony can live a thousand years?”
“That’s a nice offer, Nova, but I think it best you not but in. Not unless you are prepared to make a run for it.” Twilight offered.
“I’m sure she’ll come around eventually.” Thaddeus offered.
“Meanwhile...” Pudding prompted.
“Meanwhile Estar is caught right in the middle,” Luna replied. “Estar, Princess Celestia has said that she is open to my adopting. - I can adopt you. That way we can be mother and daughter. I’m asking you. I… I hope you’ll say yes, and you will forgive us.” Estar began crying all over again, squeaked out a yes, and ran to Luna to be embraced.
❇✳❇
That evening presented a perfect opportunity to present Estar as Princess Luna’s presumed adoptee at a state dinner. Kitzu was present as well, the two fillies having been provided with colorful dresses. Dresses that paled in comparison to Prince Blueblood’s lavish multi-hued coat of many colors.
“Princess Celestia!” Blueblood exclaimed slamming his front hooves on the table on recognizing Kitzumi. He pointed at Kitzu and tried to say something, but all he managed was angry sputtering. The patterns of multi-hued pastel spirals and undulating target-like patterns shifted about as he moved. The effect was quite mesmerizing. Rarity sat next to him, ears laid back. A teenage Sweetie Belle sat next to her with a similar expression.
“My dear Blueblood, whatever seems to be the matter?” Princess Celestia asked as though she hadn’t a clue. “And do have a care who you point hooves at.”
“I demanded that filly be punished, and you turned her into an alicorn?!” Blueblood exclaimed as his face began to boil a bright red.
“Do have a care, there’ll be steam coming out of your ears in a moment, dear Bluesy.” Discord offered from the far end of the table. He was presently wedged in between two ponies, and as far away from Kitzu as was possible. “Though I must say it’s a devilishly clever prank.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s very clever!” Blueblood shouted.
“Prince Blueblood, please.” Princess Celestia admonished. “This young alicorn is not who you think she is.”
“I was actually born like this.” Kitzu offered.
“Were you?” Celestia asked looking at Kitzu.
“Well, the horn didn’t start coming in till I was four. - Every pony thought I was just a button head.”
“Really? I started out as a button head.” Cadence informed from across the table from Kitzu. “Mine didn’t come in till I was much older though.”
“Do you mind!!” Shouted Blueblood as steam started coming out of his ears. “What?!”
“My dear, please calm down.” Princess Celestia requested. “Discord?”
“Don’t look at me, I’m not doing that.” Discord offered. “So who is this lovely young filly you have here?”
“Her name is Nova, Luna Nova.” Celestia offered.
“Is it now?” Discord asked.
“Luna is a nickname.” Kitzu offered. “It’s Novahime Tsukinokazoku. - At least that’s what it says on my identification. - I’m here on a visit.”
“Indeed.” Discord replied as he studied Kitzu. There was something off about her.
“Hello, pony with a bad dye job here?!” Blueblood protested.
“Daddy, please?” Sweetie Belle protested.
“Dye job.” Discord echoed Blueblood with a snicker.
“It’s not funny!” Blueblood protested.
“Oh, I dare say it is.” Discord offered.
“Prince Blueblood, it’s not dye.” Kitzu offered.
“It’s not? - Oh!” Celestia proclaimed after having taken a good look at Blueblood. “I feel so silly now.” The realization had allowed her to see through the illusion. Discord looked at her, his eyes wide, and started laughing.
“Do you mean to tell me you just figured it out?” Discord asked between guffaws.
“I figured it out a long time ago.” Sweetie Belle muttered under her breath.
“I’m embarrassed to say yes,” Celestia admitted noting a number of smiles around the table.
“Well, I never thought I’d be out pranked by a little filly.” Discord admitted. “It’s so simple and elegant. - I’m also rather amused by the fact that so many ponies have yet to see through it.”
“If it’s so simple, why don’t you fix it?” Blueblood asked angrily.
“Oh, I never interfere in another's prank.” Discord scoffed in his self-important tone. “Wouldn't be proper.”
“Won’t, or can’t?” Kitzu asked curiously.
“Shan't.” Discord replied giving Kitzu a curious glance.
“Don’t antagonize him,” Twilight whispered to Kitzu.
“I shall endeavor to be on my best behavior,” Kitzu replied with a smile.
“Can we get back to me!?” Blueblood asked sounding annoyed. “How do I get this dye out of my fur?!”
“Prince Blueblood, there isn’t any dye in your fur,” Kitzu informed him hoping he’d figure it out, and they could get on with the dinner.
“Oh, next you’re going to tell me it’s all in my imagination!”
“I’m afraid that’s just it,” Princess Celestia offered. “You just think your fur has been dyed, and the spell will continue to manifest until you can see through it.”
“Oh for the love of...” Blueblood said sounding defeated and plopped down into his seat. “So as long as I think my fur is dyed, it will remain dyed.”
Blueblood mulled it over quietly for the better part of the dinner. He’d been contemplating the fur on his foreleg when the multi-colored show switched off, and he was back to normal.
“Aha! He figured it out!” Discord proclaimed. Blue blood for his part sat there for a moment and began laughing. Others in the room who’d figured out the riddle couldn’t help but join in. Discord switched to Kitzu.
“You don’t like me, do you.” Discord commented while giving Kitzu a very critical stare. The room grew quiet very quickly.
“Misplaced hatred I’m afraid.” Kitzu offered as though it was nothing. “I’m sure if I got to know you better I might actually like you.” Kitzu could sense the fear in the other ponies.
“You’re not from around here are you?” Discord asked while leaning back in his chair.
“You’d be absolutely right, I’m not from around here. Only plan on sticking around for about a month.”
“Well, can’t be helped, now can it. - Pity you can’t stay longer. - I’m sure we would have had lots of fun.”
“I’m sure we would. What with you being able to appreciate the simple pranks where no pony gets hurt, or reality gets bent all out of shape.”
“Yes, well that sounds a bit like the old me.”
“But not anymore?” Kitzu asked with honest curiosity.
“Not anymore. Scouts honor. - I must confess that when I realized the only one who enjoyed my pranks were myself, it rather struck a chord with me.”
“And there is your friendship with Miss Fluttershy?” Kitzu offered. Kitzu noted a slight shudder out of Discord. “Something wrong?”
“I do love her so, it’s just ever since she became an alicorn… I swear it’s like she has power over all nature.” Discord offered, sounding a bit sheepish.
“You mean she can kick your tail if you don’t behave, is that it?” Kitzu asked with a grin.
“Well, that’s being rather crass.” Discord complained. “Accurate enough I’m afraid.”
“Well if it was me, I’d be more inclined to beat you with your own tail.” Kitzu offered, and then took a bite of food.
“Celie, did you hear what she said just now?” Discord protested.
“Oh don’t act all hurt, with your sense of humor, you’d probably get a good laugh out of it.” Kitzu chastised. Celestia chose to remain silent. “And Fluttershy cares about you. You shouldn't let your relationship fall apart just because she has all that power now.”
Discord opened his mouth, but nothing came out of it. He had to think about it for a moment or two. “You know, you are probably right. I shouldn’t neglect my friends. What a spectacle that would be though, to be chased with my own tail. - Especially considering your diminutive size.”
“Awesome comes in small packages.” Kitzu offered.
“Now where have I heard that before? - So how did you come to be here?” Discord asked.
“Oh, pulled an awesome prank on a certain pony shorting out their magic, and then some pony else decided to chuck...” Kitzu cleared her throat to cover that she had nearly indicated exactly who she was talking about. Granted Discord likely had a good idea who she was talking about. “..them through a portal when it turned out they couldn't take a prank. - Bad timing on my part though, as that individual was building up to an all-out temper tantrum.”
“You don’t say?” Discord mused.
“Even hurt their best friend.” Kitzu offered. “Granted I’d no way to know what was going on at the time, though I did think a time out was in order, being they were yelling at my mother.”
“So you shorted out their magic.” Discord mused eyeing Kitzu’s lamp pendant. Something about the pendant was most unsettling to him. To Discord, the pendant was both there and not there at the same time as it was protected by magic he’d no control over.
“And later on down the road I had a portal collapse on me, so I guess they got even. - Now I’m separated from friends and family.”
“And all that because of a prank.” Discord replied. “I just don’t know what to say?”
“That you’ll never let a prank go too far, or get mad because something happened to you that you don’t like?” Kitzu suggested. “Or because you can’t have something you want?”
“Yes, point taken.” Discord replied. “I will admit it’s not always easy, but I get your point. Celestia here drives off all of Luna’s colt friends because she fears I’ll make a mockery of the wedding should there be one. That is it isn’t it, dear Celly?”
“Tia?” Luna asked.
“No, it’s because I fear that you would hound the potential groom, and should he not be driven off, no one would attend if they suspected there was even the slightest chance you’d be there. Especially after the kind of stunts you pull at the gala. - What was it last time, you thought you hadn’t been invited, and as I understand had worked yourself up quite a bit, and then did your best to spoil it for every pony else. There may not even be another gala because the interest has been so low.”
“Tia?” Luna asked once more. “So you drive everyone off yourself?”
“Dear Princess Celestia...” Discord's tone had switched to his smooth I know something you don’t and I’m about to sell you a used car with no motor tone of voice. “You are the only pony driving off Lulu’s colt friends.”
“And I’d marry in secret if I had to,” Luna added. The anger in her voice was easy to hear.
“Which would undoubtedly lead to a rather awkward situation that might look very much like what’s going on right under your nose, dear Celly.” Discord sneered.
“So what’s for dessert?” Kitzu asked, hoping to lighten the mood.
“Here, allow me.” Discord offered with a snap of his talons. A moment later Kitzu found herself licking up piles of cake cream and icing that’d been dumped on her and every pony else.
“Well, that wasn’t supposed to happen?!” Discord offered as Celestia gave him a dirty look. “Honestly, I don’t know what happened?” Discord was truly baffled.
“The steam from Prince Blueblood’s ears was me, and the cake is likely partially my fault.” Kitzu offered. “Fox magic tends to throw off Discord’s magic.” Kitzu followed her explanation with another mouthful of cake while mumbling that it was good. Granted she knew the problem was likely the interaction between the discordant magic and her pendant, but she wasn’t about to tell anyone.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Twilight scolded, and took a bite herself. “Say this is good.”
As for discord, the situation and surprise of what had just happened struck him as the funniest thing ever, began laughing, tipped over in his chair, fell to the ground, and continued to laugh while rolling around.
As for Princess Celestia, she just sat there mortified. Not so much by the fact she was covered in cake, after all, being covered in cake was a secret desire of hers, but because of the realization that had struck her. She’d become her own worst enemy. Worse yet was the realization that Miss Midnight Estar was undoubtedly Luna’s foal. A relationship, pregnancy, and foal that’d been so carefully hidden from her she’d nearly missed it, not to mention missing out on the joy a niece would have brought her. Why had she been so strict? Why had she been so blind?
“I’m so sorry.” Celestia offered to Luna. “I’ve been so blind I’ve sent us down the same road we went down slightly over a thousand years ago. - Can you forgive me? - You can marry your colt friend. I assume Miss Estar’s father?”
“My dear sister who I love very much.” Luna began in a soft contemplative tone. “Of course, I’ll forgive you. As for marrying Estar’s father, that I’m afraid, is going to be a bit complicated being I am technically already married to him, and he is also married to another mare at the same time. - Estar needed a mother.”
“Princess Celestia, given the circumstances, I’m afraid you are left with maintaining the status quo.” Prince Blueblood offered as he cleaned the cake off himself.
“Did you know?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Let’s say for the sake of argument, I might have known or at least found out after the fact, I might have been inclined to place the stability of the nation first and foremost.” Blueblood offered. “If that means keeping something from you while turning a blind eye to Princess Luna’s continued affair then so be it.”
“I see,” Celestia replied. The realization that she’d been intentionally left in the dark because of concerns about what she might do hurt her deeply. She’d known Luna had been seeing someone despite her best efforts to discourage all comers. She’d no idea who it was, and her demands that Luna cut off the relationship had simply resulted in ponies taking lengths to better hide the relationship. There’d even been a foal that Celestia had been unaware of till well after the fact.
“Now if you’ll excuse us, while it’s been an interesting evening, I’d really like to get cleaned up.” Prince Blueblood offered as he got up from the table.
“Allow me.” Discord offered.
“No!” Kitzu protested. Too late. Instead of cleaning up the mess, more cake was dumped down on them. “Discord if it’s not too much of an imposition, it’s probably best not to do reality-bending magic while anywhere near ourselves.” Kitzu let out a sigh. “On the one hand, this is kind of fun, but on the other… I’m going to need another bath.”
“Wonder if that’s why the table didn’t get bigger when I added a place for myself? - Discord mused as Kitzu got up from the table. “Though I have noticed there seems to be some sort of dampening field around the castle. Not just this one, but Twilight’s as well.”
“What?” Kitzu asked turning to look back, cake flying off her head. “Any idea what’s causing it?” she asked cautiously.
“Not a clue, but it seems to be emanating from a different dimension.” Discord offered. Kitzu smiled back.
“If nothing else, that shows you’re alright after all.” Kitzu offered.
“Am I?”
“Well if you weren’t at least trying to be open and honest, telling us your magic was being dampened would be the last thing you would want to let slip. - Oh and don’t blame me for the field, my spell should never have had any effect outside my home dimension.”
“Yes, I think I have an idea what’s happened then. My counterpart tried to get rid of your little toys, and now it’s affecting me as well.” Discord offered. “He must be quite insufferable.”
“He can be.” Kitzu offered. “The worst part is he was starting to grow on me. I’d honestly thought I could be friends with him.”
“His loss.” Discord offered.
“We both lost.” Kitzu offered. “There are no winners when it comes to losing a friend.”
“Yes, yes I think I understand,” Discord admitted. “Think I’ll be off, there’s a pony I want to talk to.” Discord snapped his talon and vanished along with the majority of the cake.
“Where’s the closest bath?” Kitzu asked after he’d gone. “No point in tracking cake all through the place.”
✳❇✳
Getting clean again took considerable effort lasting several hours into the night with help from the staff. “Please tell me this is that infernal illusion again?” Prince Blueblood asked hopefully as he approached Kitzu and the staff who were presently working on getting her dried. He was back to being multi-colored “It’s not just me this time, but Rarity, and Sweetie as well.”
“Afraid not,” Kitzu replied holding out a wing. She too had been dyed multiple shades. “Dye in the cake I’m afraid.” Kitzu smiled as a thought hit her.
“You look like a refugee from a hippie commune, how can you possibly be smiling about it?” Blueblood asked.
“Well it’s most prominent on those of us with really light fur, and it just occurred to me that Princess Celestia likely looks as ridiculous as we do. - Anyway, I’m not going to let myself get worked up over this, all that does is make me a pony no pony wants to be around.”
“Point taken.” Prince Blueblood replied sounding a bit sheepish.
As for Princess Celestia, well she did look just as ridiculous as the other light-colored ponies but didn’t have to endure it nearly as long. When Celestia raised the sun the next morning the solar magic burned away all that remained of the dye. Princess Luna decided she’d see if Kitzu had the ability to tap into the power of lunar magic, but it failed to do the trick. The exercise wasn’t a total loss though as Kitzu had managed to tap into the moon, and even budge it ever so slightly. Kitzu was so thrilled to have managed even the slightest amount she forgot all about her dye-stained fur and feathers. A month later when it was time for her to go home again the dye was still very much evident.
“Don’t forget about us,” Celestia called to Kitzu from the edge of the Lunar Hall. Kitzu was presently standing in the middle of the Lunar hall, her saddlebags over her shoulders, and her cloak on. Luna and Twilight gave her a hug and then backed off.
“I won’t, and I promise to write often.” Kitzu offered as her fox magic enveloped her. A moment later Kitzu had taken on the appearance of an upstairs maid. “It works, tell Estar thank you again for teaching me the illusion spell. I kind of wish she was here to see me off, but I imagine teleporting might be difficult if I start crying.” Twilight had started crying. “Thank you for everything – I’m off now.”
Kitzu had vanished leaving behind only the muffled sound of an inter-dimensional teleport echoing off the walls.
Once again Kitzu looked about with that nagging feeling that the teleport may have somehow gone wrong. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight were gone now. The only difference between the rooms is Twilight had hung a calendar with the matrix for that dimension on the wall. Kitzu looked about wishing she’d thought of doing that earlier. As for why she chose to teleport in that specific spot, Kitzu needed something familiar, and the energy of the trees that supported the ceiling seemed to make teleporting across dimensions easier.
Kitzu was about to make her way out of the keep when a soft glimmering light caught her eye. They're arrayed in the trees were the charms she and the others had set up. Was she indeed home, she asked herself, her heart leaping in her chest. Something wasn’t quite right… Kitzu slowly walked up to one of the big support columns to have a better look at the hanging gems in the branches. Every last one had the most peculiar opaque appearance almost as though they were some kind of ghost light.
Kitzu tried probing one with her magic and smiled when it lit up. The effect radiated out but slowly faded as though ripples in the water. “So that’s what happened,” Kitzu whispered looking at the lights. “They’re out of phase.” The two timelines had merged, but it looked as though the original timeline had taken precedence. A thought struck her, she spun around and headed upstairs. She was sure there wasn’t any pony likely to be about knowing they’d gone to Ponyville, so wasn’t too concerned about being discovered. After all, she presently looked like a maid and had even been supplied with an identification that stated as much. One hundred percent authentic save for the fact she’d likely not be on any rosters of ponies working in the palace. Her intended destination was Luna’s personal Library on the same floor as their bedrooms.
Kitzu entered the library with an odd sense of trepidation and went to the shelf where Twilight kept inter-dimensional communications diaries. Sure enough, there it was, right on the shelf plain as day, Twilight’s copy of Kitzu's book. It was right there, a book that didn’t belong to the timeline it was in. “Why is it that you never take that one book down?” Kitzu asked herself softly. “Surely the presence of a book that shouldn't be there must be driving you nuts?” There were plenty of other books strewn about. Various ongoing projects. Kitzu had gotten fairly good at telling which books were no longer needed, and decided to put them away and do a bit of tidying up. When she’d done, she got out the textbooks she had with her, the ones from Twilight’s foal hood, and placed them on a table followed by getting out the plush toy, and dropping it off in her bedroom.
From there Kitzu headed for the back hall, and out the door. Two guards stood not too far away. She did her best to ignore them, which likely helped to persuade them into thinking she was indeed a maid. She had even timed it to take advantage of a recent change of the guards.
“Oy!” One of the guards shouted. Kitzu cringed. “What were you doing in there?”
“Me sir?” Kitzu asked turning around. She smiled recognizing Kalevan. “Kalevan. Um, I’m sorry, I was asked to do a bit of clean up, I’m done now. I was just heading...”
“Do I know you?” Kalevan asked suspiciously.
“We both attended the same school. OK fine I was just a freshman when you were a senior so I’m not surprised you don’t have a clue who I am. You used to hang out with Starshine Twinkle.”
“If you attended Celestia’s school, why are you working as a maid, what’s your name?” The other guard asked accusingly.
“Name’s Tsuki, Tsuki Nymn. And you don’t honestly think they’d let just any pony in here, do you? - Well, do you?” Kitzu scolded. “There’s stuff in here that could be dangerous in the hooves of a pony who doesn’t understand how to handle magical artifacts. - Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get going, I have things to do.” And at that, she turned away from them and walked down the hall making her way towards the back stairs. As she went, she could hear Kalevan teasing the other guard about getting told off. Kitzu let out a sigh as she went. After all, surely Kalevan would have remembered her?
Somehow or another Kitzu managed to make her way downstairs without incident, where she made her way to the Night Court. There she chose to hide up near the ceiling clinging to the wall over the entrance where she waited for a tour group. It didn’t take long. Kitzu quietly dropped down while transforming the illusion that made her look the part of a maid to fit in with the group. She quietly followed them until they passed another group. It didn’t take her long to blend in with a group of unicorn fillies from an all-filly school, to quietly follow along with them.
No one was going to notice one extra filly in a herd of fillies, but the hard part would be getting past the checkout area. Kitzu felt confident in that she’d been practicing the escape for the last two weeks and had gotten mighty good at it. At the last possible moment, she switched to a group of pegasi using the illusion spell to hide her horn, and match their school uniforms. Just one hitch. There always had to be something. Rainbow Dash was leading the group along with one other adult Kitzu wasn’t familiar with, a pale green pony with a yellow mane. Surely Dash would notice?
“Alright, let’s fly!” Dash shouted as she took off into the air shortly after exiting the palace, followed by the rest of the group. Kitzu had little choice but to use her magic to try to keep up. Moments later Kitzu was high over Canterlot wondering how long her magic would last?
“Come on, you can do it,” called Scootaloo from her right. Kitzu was momentarily surprised as she hadn’t realized Scootaloo was also in the group. “It’s not like it’s that far to the aerodrome anyway. - Kitzu wasn’t it?”
“Scootaloo?” Kitzu asked astonished, glancing over. “You know me?”
“Um, I guess?” Scootaloo offered. “Don’t remember you coming out with our group though?”
“Oh, I needed to head back early so I was told to catch up with Rainbow Dash’s group.” Kitzu looked Scootaloo over briefly to get a look at her wings. Something just didn’t seem right.
“Hang in there. Dash likes to make us fly back and forth to the Aerodrome.”
“Do you have a sister?” Kitzu asked.
“Oh don’t tell me you’ve seen my elusive twin too?”
“Elusive twin?”
“Supposedly there is another me at the Highschool level of flight school. I hear she has really pretty wings too. - Though nowhere near as colorful as your wings I bet.”
Kitzu hazarded a glance at herself and nearly lost flight control in the process.
“Hey, you OK?”
“Ya, I’m good.” Kitzu lied. Her illusion was fading or had faded enough that the dye in her wings could be seen. “I got caked. Never could get all the dye out.”
“Caked?”
“Discord.”
“Say no more. - Hey, we’re here.”
“Bout time,” Kitzu said as she glided in for a landing. Once her hooves were on the cobbled stone Kitzu’s illusion had completely vanished.
“Ummmm Miss Kitzu?” Scootaloo asked looking at Kitzu with a shocked expression. Kitzu quickly removed her cloak to reveal a midnight blue underside, reversed it, and put it back on.
“Not one word.” Kitzu requested. “Look, there isn’t supposed to be two of you. - At least not originally. - Listen, I’m on my way to see someone who can help me make sense of a few things that are, shall we say, out of place, and or mixed up.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“For the moment, not really.”
“Hey Scootaloo, you make a new friend?” Rainbow Dash called. “Come on, we need to board, or you’ll have to fly all the way back to Cloudsdale on your own.”
“Rainbow Dash should know me too, but she apparently doesn’t,” Kitzu whispered. “Come on, I need to catch that airship too. - Lucky I made it or I’d have had to wait for the next one.”
“Rainbow Dash, you don’t remember Kitzu?” Scootaloo asked. “Kitzu Nightfoal. We met her in Ponyville a while back… back… funny, I can’t seem to remember what we were doing?”
“Afraid I don’t.” Rainbow offered. Come on, the airship won’t wait all day. - Sorry I don’t remember you, Kitzu.”
“That’s alright,” Kitzu replied following along. Kitzu showed an earth pony at the gate a pass that had been prepared in the other world and walked across the boarding bridge. Scootaloo pulled Kitzu off to one side once they’d boarded.
“Something really is strange when Rainbow Dash can’t remember an alicorn. A pony would think she’d remember.” Scootaloo stopped and thought about it. “Now that I think about it, some of my memories seem out of place. - Please don’t laugh, but I’d swear I used to be something called a human.”
“Afraid it’s entirely possible, and would also explain why you remember me, and no pony else does. - You don’t belong in this dimension. - Listen, this might sound counterproductive, but I’m going to tell you not to worry about it.”
“Not to worry about it?”
“Well the timeline where human you came to Equestria to live, your mother was missing, had been for at least three years as I remember, presumed dead, and you faced deportation to Faust knows where if the human authorities caught you.”
“Dayamnnnnn,” Scootaloo said astounded.
“Oh, and that other Scootaloo was your sister not your double.”
“What?”
“Half-sister actually.”
“What the What!?”
“I probably shouldn't tell you too much.” Kitzu offered with a smile. “If there is a Dawn Shimmer, you’ll find she is a dead ringer for your mother in pony form if I’m not mistaken.”
“I think there is a Sunrise Shimmer on the faculty.”
“Oh? She might answer to Sunset.”
“Sunset was my mom’s name.”
“Ya, I know.”
“Say you want to check out the snack bar?” Scootaloo was at a loss and simply couldn't think of what else to say.
“We’d better check with Rainbow Dash first.”
“Ya, I suppose I should let her know what I’m doing so she doesn’t freak out.”
“Does she freak out often?”
“Every time she thinks she’s lost a student.”
“Scootaloo?!” Dash called sounding a bit frantic.
“See.” Scootaloo offered with a grin. “I’m right here!”
“For gosh sake, stay with the group at least until we depart,” Rainbow offered with a list of ponies in hoof. She was looking over the list, and counting heads.
“Scootaloo was just offering to show me around as it’s my first time on an airship,” Kitzu responded, curious as to why Dash was counting heads over and over. “Is Something wrong?”
“I’d have sworn there was one more coming over from the palace?” Dash offered.
“Maybe you saw me?” Kitzu offered.
“Not unless you have a set of wings under that traveling cloak.” Dash countered. “Every pony who’s supposed to be here is here though, so I’m not going to let it bother me. Still, though, I’d have sworn I saw a really bright set of wings… not unlike the tones you have on your face there...” Dash zeroed in on Kitzu’s face. “That isn’t your natural tone is it?”
“I got covered in cake, and my fur got stained by the food coloring.” Kitzu offered. Dash cracked a smile. “There were multiple victims. The carnage was awful.” Kitzu’s tone was deadpan. Dash was trying desperately not to burst out laughing. “It gets kind of messy so I won’t go into detail.”
“Pfft! - I bet it does.” Dash offered with a silly look on her face. “So who else got covered in cake?”
“I’ll tell you what, you like a challenge don’t you?” Kitzu offered.
“I’m always up for a challenge,” Dash replied.
“I’ll tell you everything that happened, when you remember me,” Kitzu told her. Dash’s grin dropped to a look of confusion. “You see the thing is, if you don’t remember me, then likely you won’t believe a word of it.”
“Try me.”
“I was at a state dinner, and discord dumped cake on everyone.”
“Oh-kay, I can see him doing that?” Dash mused. “Why did I never hear about it, and why is it no pony else dyed like you?”
“It only shows on white ponies, Princess Celestia burned the color out of her fur with her sun magic, and didn’t you say you saw a multi-hued pony following on your tail on the way over?” Kitzu replied with a grin.
“Looks like she gotcha.” Scootaloo teased. “We’re pushing off from the dock. Snack bar?”
“Ya, sure, knock yourself out. - Stay on the ship!” Scootaloo had taken off the moment Dash said the word ‘ya’ with Kitzu following a moment later. “I swear there are times I’d rather be fighting bad guys than doing this foal detail.”
“Don’t be silly, you love this stuff.” Offered the pale green pony with a yellow mane. “Best job I’ve ever had. And they love the fact that a Wonderbolt as famous and lovely as yourself would take time out of their busy schedule to help out.” He slowly leaned into Dash.
“Cool it Zephyr. - I swear you never do give up do you?”
“I’m just telling it like it is,” Zephyr replied pulling back.
“Mr Zephyr, you weren’t going to try to kiss her just now?” Asked a filly. “She is married to Soarin, and I’m almost certain he’d kick your plot.”
“I don’t need Soarin to kick any ponies plot.” Dash countered. “I can do that myself.”
✳❇✳
Meanwhile, at the snack bar, Kitzu carefully watched to make sure the currency she had was, or at least looked the same as the bits she’d been provided for travel expenses. Her pass along with her currency had all been carefully orchestrated to fit the year they believed Kitzu would be returning to. That being her birth year. Her money had literally been minted in the future with appropriate dates and serial numbers. The pass was supposed to be good for boarding any time she wanted over a ten-year period. And every last bit of it would be taken for forgeries if anything wasn’t spot on.
“Miss?” The shopkeeper asked.
“Oh right, a hay burger, an order of sweet potato fries, a side of smoked kippers, and a cup of water.”
“Kippers?” Scootaloo asked.
“I’m a fox pony. I like fish,” Kitzu explained passing the money overusing her magic. The vendor took a glance at the money, counted up the bits, put it in the till hoofed over the change, and a short time later a tray with her order was presented to her. From there Scootaloo and Kitzu went to a table that was by a window.
“If it wasn’t so far to Cloudsdale, I’d fly it myself,” Scootaloo said as they set their trays on the table.
“Yes, but then you wouldn't get all this good food.” Kitzu offered as they sat down. The bread was dried out, the patty overcooked, the kippers old, the fries shriveled and greasy, and the water tepid. “Maybe next trip Cloudsdale will be closer.”
“You’re telling me.” Scootaloo echoed as she took a bite out of her hay burger.
“Excuse me, Miss, can I see your pass?”
“Mmmf?” Scootaloo said with a mouth full of hay burger.
“Is something wrong?” Kitzu asked looking up at a rather gruff-looking pair of ship's crew members, one of which was the pony who’d checked her pass at the gangplank, the other an officer.
“Your boarding pass, Miss.” The officer insisted.
Kitzu nervously got out her pass and passed it over to him. “Is something wrong?”
“Where’d you get this?”
“Pardon?”
“Well, they don’t hoof out passes like this to just anyone?” The officer informed her. “Where’d you get it?”
“It was provided to me so I could travel at my leisure. - I’m...”
“You’re leisure? - How old are you kid?”
“I’m a kit, not a kid.” Kitzu protested. “Or if you like you could say foal, as my mother is of the pony kind.”
“Don’t be giving me none of your lip, fox. - Now tell me the truth, who’d you steal this from?”
Kitzu’s ears went back. Nothing of the sort had ever happened to her before.
“Miss Kitzu would never steal from anyone!” Scootaloo protested standing up.
“She’s with me. You have a problem with that?!” The voice was ruff, male, and intimidating. Kitzu shifted her head to see who it was that was coming to her defense only to discover none other than ‘the’ Commander Flash Magnus.
“Commander Magnus,” Kitzu said softly.
“Come on Princess, haven't I told you to call me Flash?” He offered sitting down next to Scootaloo. “Incidentally I have one of those special passes too. - Sure makes getting around really easy.” He looked at the two earth ponies. “So, is there still a problem? - Perhaps you might like to give her back her pass, and so help me if I find out you have treated her poorly ever again, I’ll drop-kick you off this ship. - Pass, back, now! - Now git!” The two crew members, flustered, quickly hand back the pass while making their apologies, and hurry away.
“C – c – c – commander Magnus.” Scootaloo stammered out.
“You’re sitting with an alicorn, and for me, you go gaga?” Magnus asked with a smirk. Kitzu’s ears shot up. “Oh, right I should probably keep quiet about that. - Ya, I saw that landing. It was a valiant effort. Might help you to know that Princess Luna wasn’t much better when she was younger.”
“Say my name.” Kitzu requested.
“What?”
“Say my name.”
“Kitzumi...” Magnus’s eyes went wide.
“You remember me then?”
“You’re alive!” He quickly reached across the table to take hold of her shoulder. The feelings were mixed with relief that she was alive, along with checking to be sure she wasn’t some kind of apparition and that he hadn’t finally gone mad as some had suggested.
“And out of every pony I know that I’ve encountered so far, you two are the only ones that remember me.”
“Wow,” Magnus said softly as he sat back down. “We should tell your mother.”
“No.”
“No?” Magnus asked dumbfounded.
“If she doesn’t remember me, it’ll be kinder this way. In fact, it’d be best that I avoid doing anything that could impact my timeline.” Kitzu explained softly. “I’m presently on my way to find the fox enclave off the northwest coast in the Ponget sound area.”
“Then allow me to escort you. I know the area well.”
“Oh, I couldn't impose. And what about your duties?” Kitzu protested.
“My duties are to the crown, and I am on indefinite holiday.”
“Indefinite holiday?” Kitzu asked astonished. “Surely they haven't fired you?”
“Oh, no, no, OK, fairly nearly did. And you’re partly to blame.”
“I am?” Kitzu protested her ears dropping. “No, let me guess, ponies were all forgetting about me, I was presumed dead, and yet...”
“I can’t really name a specific date, but every pony close to you just started to forget. It was like they didn’t know you had even existed. Like you’d been erased from the collective consciousness. - I’m not really welcome anymore. - Star Swirl advised I leave it alone being we all thought you were dead. - And your lamps… they’re known as ghost lights now. - Every pony was just so terribly fascinated by them. And nearly a soul could remember how they originated - Oh Star swirl remembered...”
“But he’d no idea why they’d gone all ghost-like, or why no pony could remember me. I’ve got a hunch myself, but I can’t really prove it. I think a certain pony tried to get rid of them along with me and set the timeline back to the original timeline. Only he couldn't completely eliminate them anymore than he could get rid of me. He’s done his best to make it as if I never existed, but it didn’t work, not completely. He failed to see to the finer details, left too many loose threads, and probably doesn't know a damn thing about quantum mechanics. Everything that happened still happened, all he’s done is covered it up, and did a piss pore job of it.”
“You sure don’t sound like a princess, not that I blame you. - So what have you been doing?”
“Spending time in different dimensions.”
“All this time?” Scootaloo asked, and then thought to sit down again.
“Only been about three months for me.” Kitzu offered. “My age in regards to the amount of subjective time is about eight years.”
“Wow, I’m older than you now,” Scootaloo offered. “I’m in middle school now. I just started my first year of flight school.”
“I got caught between worlds, wound up in a dimension where my mother was Princess Luna’s granddaughter, and they were in the middle of a changeling invasion.”
“Well, that’s different,” Magnus commented regarding Twilight, and Luna’s relationship. “But you fought valiantly against the changeling hoard though no doubt?”
“Used up way too much of my magic freeing myself from the space between worlds. About all I could do was tip them off that there were changelings in their midst.”
“Then you were stuck all that time?” Magnus asked.
“I can’t really say. It seemed like I’d only been in there a short time, but by the time I was able to get to my book there was a whole stream of messages.”
“Well, as soon as we get to Cloudsdale I want you to come stay with me for a few days.” Magnus offered.
“Um, northwest?”
“Not on this airship,” Magnus explained. “This ship only goes Central to the East coast. Canterlot, Cloudsdale, Manehattan. Vanhoover isn’t on their route. You’ll need to transfer. I’ll square away my affairs, and get us reservations on an outbound airship. We’ll need reservations if you want a room. - Just out of curiosity, is there a specific individual you wanted to find, or are we just going out there blind?”
“I’ve got a letter of introduction to get me into the school of fox magic they have. The dean of the school is the pony I need to see.” Kitzu’s ears perked up again at the sound of a pony approaching them.
“Magnus.” Rainbow Dash said with a cold tone as she approached. “Not filling these fillies full of nonsense about a princess no one can remember are you?”
“Miss Dash, I’m the pony he was looking for,” Kitzu said softly.
“Rainbow Dash, I’ve seen the way you constantly obsess over the foals in your groups. That nagging fear that you’ve lost someone but you’re never really quite sure who?” Magnus offered quietly.
Dash just stood there for nearly a minute without saying a thing as her mind tried to make sense of the input it’d just been given.
“Miss Dash, I’m sort of a dimensional traveler.” Kitzu offered. “Let's just say I’ve visited before. Why you can’t remember me is troubling, to say the least. - However, I think it best to leave well enough alone for now.”
“You’re?” Dash was stunned. Dash suddenly emitted a squeak and jumped into the air, the result of Kitzu tickling her with a wing. This was followed by a string of words that made little sense. “I should tell someone.”
Kitzu and Magnus both echoed no.
“Why not?” Dash asked as she dropped back down.
“What are the chances any pony will believe us?” Magnus offered. “Sure Star Swirl remembers, but I doubt if that doddering old fool will support us.”
“I’m going to go out to a school in the Northwest.” Kitzu offered. “All you have to do is wait. - Commander Magnus will be going with me.”
“I see,” Dash replied. “I don’t like it. Just so you know that.”
“Dash, the pony you’ve been subconsciously looking for has been found.” Magnus offered. “Isn’t that good enough?”
Dash went over to another table, took hold of a chair, drug it back over, sat down and looked Kitzu in the eye. “Kitzumi Nova Silvermane. You took care of our little Kitzumi when they forgot her.”
“That was me.”
“Why’d you take off?”
“Princess Celestia didn’t know me. She looked like she was ready to skin me for daring to be there.”
“OK, I get it. I’d probably have lit out of there too, at your age.” Dash admitted. “Never thought Magnus’s missing princess would turn out to be real. - So you want me to just do nothing?”
“Well if Twilight mentions anything regarding Luna’s Nova, just say you saw her.” Kitzu offered with a smile. “I was in the palace today. The Moon viewing hall is an ideal jump point. While I was there I planted a couple of clues to get her thinking.”
“Oh, I see,” Dash replied as a smile formed on her lips.
“All I want to do is plant the seed. The books are from a different dimension, but that doesn't matter. I want to give her a mystery to solve, but it’s going to be unsolvable because all the pieces aren’t in place yet.”
“And when will that be?” Dash asked.
“My estimate, in about five years from now, give or take,” Kitzu replied.
✳❇✳
Three days later Princess Twilight Sparkle stormed into Rainbow Dash’s office, slammed a textbook onto her desk, and demanded to know where Former Commander Flash Magnus was.
“Well hello to you too, Twilight,” Dash replied.
“Where is he!”
“Left.”
“Left?”
“Ya, he decided to do an escort job to give him something to do. - What’s the problem?”
“Canterlot palace had another uninvited guest. - Left a calling card this time.”
“Calling card?”
Twilight opened the textbook and showed Dash the messages.
“Oh, hey. I guess you did go to school together.”
“I never… what?”
“I ran across a pony the other day who said she was in school with you, and you used to be good friends. - Answers to Nova.”
“I never wrote that, and I checked with the others, and they don’t remember writing in this textbook either.”
“It’s not your writing?”
“Well it is, I just never wrote it.”
“You don’t say? And the others, it’s not their writing?”
“Well it is, but they don’t remember writing any of this either,” Twilight replied. Her demeanor had changed from anger to one of quiet desperation.
“Twilight, it wouldn't be the first time you forgot about some pony.”
“Dash, that’s not helping!” Twilight shouted. And then apologized while hanging her head down. Twilight turned, went to the chair Rainbow provided for guests that weren’t for recruits in trouble, and sat down with a plop. “Flew here on my own power. I’m beat.”
“Damn, Twilight. I seriously need to add that to my training program.” Dash offered with a smirk. Cloudsdale to the Canterlot Wonder bolt base, and recruit center.”
“So what did our forgotten friend tell you?” Twilight asked while looking at the ceiling.
“She said hi.”
“That’s it? She said hi?”
"That's it. Oh, that and it'd be nice if you'd write once in a while?"
"How am I supposed to write to some pony I can't remember?"
"I guess you'll just have to figure it out, won't you," Dash replied with a smirk. "You'll just have to figure it out."