Chapter 9: Everypony who is anypony...oh and nopony as well! TeeHee!!!
“HA HA! I can’t believe you managed to make the teacher speechless with your audition. I wonder if that some kind of record...or achievement!” Chroma flash said as she zipped between Gaia and G, patting them on their shoulders with such ferocity that it was more like a massage than celebration.
“You’ll have to ask Erina, I’m pretty sure she would know better than I would,” Gaia said as he dug into his lunch, a good performance always made him feel a bit more hungry than he normally was.
Meanwhile, while chroma flitted between her two friends and occasionally taking bites of her lunch on her side of the table. Erina, Coral, and Sprite watched as she created a multicolor contrail behind her.
“So she’s the daughter of the famous Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash?” Sprite asked as her wings fidgeted slightly.
“And the famous Guard Captain, Swift Gale,” Erina stated.
And he’s the son of the Sweet Apple Acres Owner, Applejack,” Coral said motioning over to Apple Core. “She’s the daughter of Fluttershy,” now pointing to Ember “And they are are the kids of the fashion designer Rarity and Spike the Brave and Glorious-EEP!” She said lastly pointing Flair and G when she noticed that the latter of the two was staring down at her which surprised her.
“You know Dad really started to regret to be able to give himself that title,” G told Coral before going back to his lunch.
“Sorry for my brother, he has a tendency to want to spook people before giving them a nice little factoid,” Flair said, apologizing for her brother who snickered quietly next to her. Coral just nodded and then looked to the last member at the table who was eating a peculiar lunch made entirely out of desserts.
“And so that means that Doppler is-”
“I am the daughter of Equestria’s preliminary pink party pony, Pinkie Pie and Equestria foremost expert on explosives and all other things that go boom, Flintlock Spark,” She interrupted and told Coral proudly, puffing her chest out before swallowing a cupcake whole in one bite.
Coral, Sprite, and Erina watched her for a few seconds before looking back at the rest of the table who they found were now looking at them. “Now I know what you’re thinking,” Gaia said, speaking up for the group. “Is it all right for someone as….energetic as Pinkie Pie to be together with someone as….bombastic-
“Heh puns,” Doppler interjected quickly.
“-as Flintlock Spark. After all, it could cause problems...of the potentially dangerous variety. A lot of ponies thought that same thing. There was a meeting of the most powerful ponies in the land to talk about this. And it was decided that it was probably better to let them be happy together<” Gaia told them and all three looked at him with surprise, confusion, and just a slight bit of untrust in his words.
“And then my parents had me! And everypony began to panic all over again!” Doppler said laughingly, and this time Erina, Sprite and Coral actually had to start admitting that the story might be plausible.
“They’re only about half right you know,” Someone said from behind the three of them and they all jumped and turned around to find the student council standing right behind them.
“Ah ah now bowing you two,” Andromedus preempted Coral and Sprite as he saw them start to move to get to their feet. “You know I hate that sort of thing. Plus none of them will do so neither should you,” he told them motioning to the rest of the group at the table who they noticed out of the corner of their eyes as they turned around were moving back to how they were sitting.
“You two just missed quite an image of rudeness from the kids of notable nobles,” Erina said suppressing a chuckle as best as she could.
“Quite, and something like that also brings me to why I’m here. Doppler.” Andromedus said and all eyes on the table looked to her as she was busy stuffing a cupcake into her mouth.
“Mmmhm?” she asked mid-chew as she looked at Andromedus innocently.
“So I visited my locker earlier and inside it, I found this,” He said as his magic lit up and he levitated over a piece of paper which landed on the table in between Doppler and Erina.
“Oh, goodie you found it!” Doppler said as Erina took the paper and flipped it around.
“Doppler Pie’s First Ever End Of The First Week Of High School Party Shindig Hoedown Hootenanny Extravaganza!!!!...Four exclamation points?” Erina said after reading the title.
“One for every version of the word party!” Doppler replied and Erina had to go over that title once more to make sure. “Mom decided that it was finally time for me to design and host my very first party by myself without any supervision...on the planning that is. There will be adult supervision of course…” Doppler proclaimed proudly and then broke into mumbling before reaching into her saddlebags and pulling out a notebook that was covered in what Erina, Sprite, and Coral thought was an over the top amount of pink glitter.
“And that’s something to congratulate on but not exactly the reason that I am here Doppler. Because putting my surprise at finding this one poking out of my locker door I also found one tucked inside of each book in my locker, each on a different page in each book,” Andromedus said while adopting a more accusing tone. Everyone at the table beside Erina, Coral, and Sprite began to laugh and Doppler smiled demurely and gave her best innocent look and Andromedus tried to get some actual answers from her. “How did you open my locker Doppler?” He asked.
“Oh I just asked really nicely and it opened up!” She said and that was when everyone at the table couldn’t hold it and burst into all-out laughter which caused them to gain more attention from the rest of the cafeteria. Andromedus just shook his head as he let them laugh for a while till they quieted down.
“Regardless though, while I appreciate the invitation...invasion of privacy notwithstanding… I’m not sure if I’ll be able t-” Andromedus tried to start to tell everyone that he wouldn’t be able to make it to the party before a swirl of magic came through an open window and coalesced in front of him and turned into a scroll which Andromedus caught with his magic.
“What’s the scroll say Andy-wandy?” Doppler asked as he looked over the scroll and saw his mother’s seal on it.
“...You didn’t?” he asked as he broke the seal and unfurled it. Everyone at the table watched as he took about two seconds to read what was on it before he chuckled to himself and shook his head. “Why did I expect any less?” he asked out loud as the flipped the scroll over for everyone to see. On it was only two words, You’re going.
Well I’m glad to see Auntie Luna, hasn’t lost her touch for great timing,” Gaia said as his face, like almost everyone else’s face at the table was tensed up as they did their best to hold in their laughter once again.
“Well, you’re right about that. But anyway it looks like I will be attending your party-
“Shindig Hootenanny Hoedown Extravaganza,” Doppler said slipping in her words as Andromedus took a slight pause in his sentence.
“-this Friday.” Andromedus finished his sentence without missing a beat just before another swirl of magic came in, this time turning into a scroll that landed in front of Erina.
“Well that can only be a good sign,” Sprite said as Erina picked up the scroll, noticing her mother and father’s marks on it.
“Yeah, probably!” Doppler commented to Sprite, either not getting or skipping or the intended sarcasm,
“Hi dear, mommy and daddy here. We were just having Tea with Auntie Luna when a flyer came out of the teapot mid-pour. And while that was a bit of a surprise (we have learned to put up with the Pie/Spark family antics over the years), it was a bigger surprise to note that the youngest pie will be throwing her first high school party. So needless to say after Auntie Luna sent Andromedus a note telling him he will be going (Although his note should arriving before ours should have already told you that). And so my Beautiful and Lovely daughter, you will also be attending this Party Shindig Hoedown Hootenanny Extravaganza!!!!-”
“HA!”
“One does not simply not go to a Pie party. Mostly because one will never hear the end of it, literally. Love YGAPM...Your Great and Powerful Mother,” Erina read out loud and then added on when she noticed a few curious stares at the end. “.........ok, how?”
“Can’t tell you trade secret, you have to buy the book first and swear not to tell a soul who doesn’t have the book,” Doppler told her, the seriousness in her tone barely making it above the carefree happiness.
“What book?”
“The Partynomicon of course!”
“I should have guessed. And your mother made you buy this book?”
“Well yeah, but Pie family members get a one hundred discount!” Doppler told her and Erina simply looked around the table where everyone was giving a shrug.
“How long does it take to get used to all this?” Erina asked turning to Andromedus and was worried when he gave her a sincere yet pitying smile.
“They say time is an illusion that helps things make sense. They also say that Pies are excused from having to be part of said 'sense'.”
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Two guards stood at the door inside the throne room. In front of them was a medium sized angry group made out of bandaged, casted and possibly slightly medicated colts and their angry parents. In front of them at the front of the room sat Princess Celestia and Princess Luna on their thrones waiting for Andromedus to arrive, whispering to one another to pass the time.
“You did tell him immediately after school right?”
“Of course I did Tia. You know that he knows about being punctual.”
“Ok, then why isn’t he early like always?”
“Something must have distracted him…”
“Maybe it was that Student Council secretary?”
“TIA!”
“Oh please Lulu, it doesn't take Cadence to see that there is something between them.”
“That is the child of one of your Captains of the Guard you are talking about!’
“Didn’t stop me the first three times and look at how that paid in dividends.”*
“Sister!” Luna finished about to up her volume slightly but thankfully for all who managed to hear there was a loud booming knock on the throne room doors. All went still and quiet except for the two guards at the door who decided to move out of the way since the door did open inward.
“I think they definitely heard that.” Luna and Celestia heard a voice say on the other side of the door with their vastly better Alicorn hearing.
“Well, then I hope they know what’s coming next. Ok, get ready everyone. Doppler, you got the song ready?” They heard another voice say to the first, they had correctly guessed that the first was Andromedus and were hoping that the second voice wasn’t who they thought it was.
“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh nope it shut off,” And then were slightly puzzled when a third voice chimed in.
“What do you mean it shut off how did it-?” asked the second voice.
“Is there a word for regretting something after you’ve already regretted it?” the first voice asked another question.
“I don’t know the screen just went all pftbtbtftftfbtt,” Celestia had to stifle a giggle when hearing the third voice give off a raspberry.
“OK ok well you know what just hit shuffle and be ready. Ready? Three. Two. One!” was the last talking they heard before the door flew open in a loud boom. Blaring Music being played as Celestia, Luna, the guards, and the assembled group of colts and parents be held Gaia who strode into the room; in what Celestia and Luna had to say was at least half confidence.
“Sister, I really think we should stop asking for our days to be interesting.”
“I’m inclined to agree with you after we see how this turns out.”
The two sisters concluded their conversation after the small group had filtered into the room behind Gaia.
“Ok shut the music off! Shut it off...it didn’t work,” Gaia said at the other end of the room.
“Probably following your example… just play it normal for now ok?” Luna managed to hear her son mutter under his breath before looking up and smiling at her. She smiled back in her own motherly way before it turned slightly into one of more mischief as she noted the group of her favorite nieces and nephews filing in behind him
The group of parents and colts were shocked at first before the group emotion turned towards anger when the colts noticed Gaia and the parents picked up on it. It then changed to mild confusion with a bit of fear added when they noticed Princess Erina walk in amongst the group and then the dragon that loomed over them. G however simply disregarded any presence that came from them, it was the sort of thing that happened when you where either a dragon or just taller by ponies by a good margin.
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“Ok then I think we can get this all underway now,” Celestia spoke up to break the tense silence as Gaia’s group had gotten into the room. Long ago Celestia had made it so that when cases or pleas were brought before her that there would be clear indications on where ponies and/or parties should stand as to declare which side of the case they were on/for. She had had multiple stone mason, powerful unicorns and artists have done many many different things throughout centuries to try and get it exactly right. And then one day Gaia’s father had come in with a roll of; if she remembered the name right; Duck Tape and with a quick application of magic accomplished exactly what he wanted and made it so the tape would never come up unless she wanted to move it. That was a rather nice day all in all.
“Prince Gaia’s William Allen Sparkle Fury-” Celestia began, her voice sounding regal as it echoed slightly off the throne room walls. “You are charged with multiple counts of assault and battery, assault of a noble, ...vandalism of public property?” Celestia paused to ask as she raised an eyebrow at Gaia
“Oh I picked up a vending machine and threw it at….him,” Gaia said as he scanned the crowd of colts and found Vice Grip who flinched when he made eye contact.
“Didn’t we have all those fastened to the ground?” Luna asked from her throne.
“Yeah,” Gaia said in a laugh and Erina watched as Princess Luna merely rolled her eyes.
“Ok then, vandalism of public property...and then there’s the matter of the last one...sexual harassment?” Celestia said and Gaia froze for a second. Erina heard the words from the princess' mouths and then couldn’t help but automatically roll her eyes when she heard everyone around her doing their best to suppress chuckles, snorts, and giggles.
“Do you have anything to say about this charge?” Erina found the Celestia mirrored her own mood as she looked over to Gaia who seemed to be deep in thought.
“Ummm I think….no wait I got it, the first colt I hit; the one that hit me over the head first….that guy-” Gaia scanned the group of colts once again and pointed out one who did look a little more roughed up than the others. “Yeah he was wearing some clothing, and if my memory was correct it all came off...mid flight,” Gaia said.
“Mid flight?” Celestia asked raising an eyebrow.
“After I hit him but before he hit the ground,” Gaia told her and she gave him a simple nod back.
“Prince Gaia, do you dispute any of these charges?
“Nope they’re all pretty accurate,” he said to Celestia and she gave a nod before looking back to her sister.
“Let the record show that the charges have not been denied. And now we will list the charges against the group of colts,” Celestia said and all the nobles and their kids stiffened up. Erina felt a bit confused until someone sat down at her side.
“Watch closely young Lulamoon, This is one of the things that I am glad to admit that my sister does better than I or anyone else,” Princess Luna said leaving Erina with no idea when she had gotten there or how she did it without anyone noticing.
“Princess, what do you mean charges?” One of the mares in the group said after finding the courage to speak.
“Oh, you didn’t know? Or did your boys simply not tell you what actually happened? As we have found out, this young group was under the ‘leadership of one Vice Grip and we have been watching and we have found that they have been up to some...less the reputable activities. We can discuss those later though as for now…” Celestia took a slight pause to walk back her throne to look at a set of papers, while she did Erina watched the group and notice that some of the parents were now looking back at their sons, a few were raising eyebrows while their sons tried their best not to make eye contact. “Ah yes, here we go….on the day in question the charges that are being brought up are coercion, operating a criminal organization, threatening royalty- princess level, unlawful use of the item as weapons with intent to coerce, unlawful use of items with intent to harm, assault with an item, public indecency-
“Um, What?” Gaia asked, interrupting Celestia.
“Well from the report I received from the guards, we can’t be sure exactly who it was but one of the colts either during the incident or after seemed to have….soiled themselves in public.” Erina heard the Princess say and notice how everyone around her shuddered, when she looked she found that all of them trying the best once again to restrain their laughter until Celestia glanced over and all of them straightened up immediately.
“So there is that and the last charge, Attempted Regicide,” Celestia said and Erina noticed that with those two words the atmosphere in the room changed immediately.
“R-re-regicide your majesty?” One of the fathers stammered, barely able to get the word out.
“Why yes, Prince Gaia was struck over the head. Quite viciously I was told, hard enough to cause bleeding. It denotes that the attacker aimed to kill him. And he is a prince so it falls under regicide. That’s as far it goes I’m afraid, though if Vice Grip’s interests had ‘aligned’ with anything foreign I’m sure we would have been able to throw in treason as well.” Erina watched Celestia talk with a weird subdued glee like she was enjoying what was happening. She also saw that every noble in the group had slowly gone from angry and confident to scared and confused. The silence in the room was heavy as the parents took time to adjust
“Well….I’m sure it was definitely an accident,” One of the mom’s started quickly, Erina could see that she like all of the other adults now was visibly sweating. “I’m sure it was just probably colts being colts?” she said hurriedly and a bunch of other parents nodded in agreement with her. I’m sure that any injuries or things said were just accidents caused by a flaring of adrenaline and that all the boys are sorry. Right boys?” The mom said and spun around quickly to the group of boys. Erina assumed from the anger in her voice that she was now glaring at all of them and the combined wince they all did basically proved it.
“Yes, that was something I was thinking about as a possibility as well, thank you for clearing that up,” Princess Celestia did her usual routine of smiling and nodding at the mare but Erina at this time could see behind the facade that she was putting up. This wasn’t a benevolent monarch agreeing with the noble class about a child misunderstanding but more of a poker face that said “Yeah you better see it my way, your brats are creating a mess that either you can clean up or I can get rid of it”.
“It is no problem princess, none at all, I’m sure this will be the last time you ever hear about an incident from anypony in this group,” the mare spoke again before the parents began to quickly usher their kids out of the throne room, a few of them looking back in what Erina could only think of as muted terror. As the group made its way out Princess Celestia came to stand with the group, Erina wanted to say something but before anyone could begin she held out a hoof.
“Wait,” she said as the group finally left the room and the doors closed behind them. “Just give them some time to get a little farther away from the throne room,” she said and there was silence for about half a minute. After the half minute had passed Celestia dropped her hoof and Erina got a front row seat as her serene placating mask cracked and the Princess of the Sun began to laugh loudly and uncontrollably. After that everyone save for Erina fell in line and the throne room was filled with laughter. It took Erina a bit but eventually, she joined in too and this caused her not to notice when Princess Celestia sidled up next to her. “Ah I guess we’re just getting almost all the nieces and nephews here today?” she said and Erina stopped laughing and looked up, finding the smiling serene face of Princess Celestia; the actual one, not the mask.
“Good evening, Princess C-”
“AH ah!” Celestia interrupted Erina in a chiding way that told her that she wasn’t saying the right thing.
“Your ma-”
“Ah?” Celestia did it again even though Erina persisted in trying to be formal.
“...Auntie Celestia,” Erina finally capitulated and was then swept up in a hug,”
“Ah, there we go, you cracked a lot easier than I expected Eri,” Celestia said, using her little pet name as she squeezed Erina. “It’s been way too long since seeing you, all of you. Either Destiny is playing with all of us...again or we are just the worst at keeping in touch even though we have no reason to be so?” Celestia questioned and at the same time stroked Erina mane like one would a cat, Erina didn’t happen to mind this though since it felt nice.
“Is that supposed to be a regular “we” or the royal “we”? Gaia asked causing Celestia and Erinna to both look at him unamused.
“Sister?” Erina looked up as Celestia called to Luna.
“Yes yes,” Luna answered seemingly knowing what Celestia was asking for. Erina watched her aunt’s golden magic light up her horn.
“HEY HEY WAIT WAIT I DIDN’T MEAN IT PLEASE NOT AGAIN NOOOOOOOOooooooOOooooooooo!” was the cry she heard from Gaia as she looked down and watched him be picked up by Celestia’s magic and unceremoniously tossed out a window Princess Luna had opened. Several of the group moved over to the window and watched, smiling and trying not to laugh too much the whole time.
“It’s ok, there’s a pool down there to break his fall,” Hope said turning around to fill Erina in on why no one was taking it seriously at all.
Why is there a pool what I’m assuming is at minimum a couple of stories below that window?” and felt the vibrations of Celestia against her as she chuckled.
“That is something one has to ask Doppler’s father, it was his big idea,” Celestia told her.
“Why does he tend to get thrown out of windows?” Erina asked another question in a mix of horror, fascination, and slight silliness.
“Oh, so this isn’t that much of a surprise to you then little Lulamoon? Well, it is because he can’t fly and he’s really durable...also he bounces a little,” Princess Luna told her as everyone went quiet and were able to hear the distant sound of a splash. “Alright and now it will be a moment before he gets back here. In the meantime, SON COME HERE AND HUG YOUR MOTHER!” Luna called to Andromedus ending here statement with the Royal Canterlot Voice.
“I was literally less than a hundred feet away, normal shouting would have worked,” Andromedus said as he walked up to his mother and gave her a hug, although Erina did wonder for a minute of Andromedus had the same kind of durability Gaia had since it looked like Princess Luna wasn’t holding back with how she was squeezing him.
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“OK! I’m back!” Gaia announced ten or so minutes later when he walked through the throne room doors with a towel slung over his shoulders. “Scared a couple of gardeners with the splash but they should be fine...or in need of light counseling,” he said ending his statement with a shrug.
“How do you remain so nonchalant about being thrown out of a window?” Erina asked, putting down the book she had been reading as she waited for him to make his trip back.
“How many times do you think I’ve been thrown out a window from various heights?” he answered Erina’s question with a question.
“I don’t think the answer to that would do her much good Gaia, Celestia said as she looked up from doing some paperwork on her throne.
“You’re probably rights...so where did everyone go by the way?” Gaia asked after it had taken him a minute to notice that the only ones left in the throne room were him, Erina, and Celestia.
“Well, I assume they went to the kitchen briefly, grabbed some food while the chefs were not looking and then promptly left to catch the train. Chroma said something about how you should have been quicker in getting back,” Celestia said and Erina was able to watch her smirk while Gaia just rolled his eyes.
“Should have seen that coming...Hey Aunt Celestia?” Gaia suddenly used a more sweet tone as he began to ask Celestia a question but Erina had a feeling that there was something behind it.
“You want me to teleport you back to Ponyville so you can get ahead of your friends and prepare some kind of trap in some kind of teenage revenge scheme?” Celestia’s words caused Gaia to freeze with two hooves outstretched in midair and his mouth open. Erina didn’t chance giggling but was more than comfortable to laugh on the inside at Gaia’s expense. She also saw when Celestia looked down from her throne with one of her trademark “I’ve been at this way longer than you and know how to do it much much better” looks. “I’ll agree to this but you have to do one thing first. Go say hello to your cousin, it’s been too long since someone was able to drag her out of the laboratory she calls a bedroom,” Celestia told Gaia and Erina watched the confusion on Gaia’s face be replaced with glee.
“Oh, just that? Alright, was gonna do that anyway for fun, been meaning to see Tessy anyway,” Gaia said before turning to walk out of the throne room, Erina watched as he walked with some pep in his step, she even got to see him take a small jump and clicked all hooves together.
“Huh, I remember when he couldn’t do that without stumbling after landing if he didn't fall down first,” Erina couldn’t suppress the jump she made as Celestia had somehow silently snuck up on her from where she sat on the throne. She caught her breath as she wondered how somepony that big and wearing metal shoes moved silently enough to do that. “So are you going to go with him?”
“What?” Erina asked, snapping a bit more than she thought she probably should have.
“Well I don’t recall if you ever met Tessy, so it would be a chance to introduce you to your younger cousin,” If Celestia had noticed anything about Erina’s statement she didn’t show it to Erina, she still smiled down at her and it was all but impossible not to feel the warmth coming from it.
“Oh...ok then. Thank you for your time Prin-...Auntie Celestia,” Erina caught her little slip just in time to correct it as she left to exit the throne room.
“Ah, such cute kids...troublemakers and future problem makers and solvers but for now...definitely cute kids,” Celestia said to herself as she watched Erina leave the throne room, going back to the throne to look at a report she had been reading before her little bit of fun with the nobles.
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“Ok so I get what you are doing, but who are we going to see exactly?” Erina asked, it hadn’t taken her long to catch up with Gaia after she left the throne room, he’d apparently been waiting for her while studying a marble column with interest.
“Tessy, the youngest and most elusive of the new young alicorn group,” Gaia said and then it clicked for Erina.
“Oh, you mean Princess T-”
“SHHH!” Gaia interrupted Erina quickly. “No full titles or names, then she’ll know we are coming,” Gaia told her.
“Seriously?” Erina asked, giving him a look.
“Seriously. Tessy may be the Youngest of the group but she is basically either the smartest or tied with Hope, but unlike my sister, she is a massive recluse and tries her best to stay that way despite attempts from her family both close and extended. So I’m telling you now that I’m not joking when I say that she may have wards to warn her to let her know someone is coming if someone says her name,” Gaia explained
“Seriously?” was the only thing Erina could say...again. “What is it with you god powered magic royals? Oh and by the way, New Young Alicorn Group?” Erina asked, gesturing to Gaia on the last part in particular. She felt like she had asked more question in the past two days than in a couple of years.
“Ok well, I’m a technicality. Got alicorn level powers, and the wrong extra limbs,” Gaia said and four of his limbs gave a combined shrug which in some part of Erina’s brain made her wonder how coordination like that was possible. “But anyway Tessy smart enough to figure out ways to let her know that people are getting close to her, that’s why we’re...I am calling her Tessy now, she has to have heard of the permutation first before she can adapt to it,” he said and Erina raised an eyebrow.
“Permutation...really?”
“Can a guy just try and sound smart instead of just having to say that she hasn’t heard this nickname so she won’t be warned about us sneaking up on her?” Gaia asked and Erina just shook her head, giggling a bit to herself as Gaia started off down the hallway again in a huff.
Erina followed him for a couple of minutes until the reached a set of doors that lead into one of the castle’s many archives. “Ah, here she is,” Gaia said, “and you’re probably going to want to wait out here for a minute,” Gaia told Erina as he nudged the door open just enough to where he could peek through.
“And why is that exactly, I thought you were just going to visit your cousin?”
“Technically our cousin, but this is for your own protection from magical shenanigans,”
“Magical shenanigans?”
“Remember what happened when I went to wake my dad up yesterday?”
“You're going to go in there and start a fight with your younger cousin?” For all that Erina had learned about the group of ponies from Ponyville, she was still confused about how they related things to other possibly more violent things with such nonchalance.
“Oh no, I’m just gonna go give her a hug but...you remember the part about me saying that she’s a massive recluse? Well depending whomever “finds her she can be...reactionary…” Gaia told Erina.
“How ‘reactionary’ and with whom exactly?” Erina asked as Gaia did a couple of quick stretches. Before going over to the doors.
“OH just close family members with enough magical power that she knows that she can get away with attacking since the bodily harm will be minimal,” Gaia said as he opened one door just enough and slipped in. Erina waited out in the hallway in silence, wanting to know exactly what was going on and was thinking about walking through those doors and demanding that Gaia give her more concrete details, she was his senior after all. But just before she took the first step in executing her plan a thunderstorm began to happen on the other side of the door. Or at least it sounded like a thunderstorm and then some. Cacophonous crashes of sound mixed with the skin-crawling zaps of electricity and the occasional which Erina could only guess were Gaia. This lasted for a few minutes before Erina heard a foreign and mare-ish “oof!” followed by what sounded like books falling and then silence.
“Erina…? Ya still there? You can come in now it’s...relatively safe, just don’t swing the door open to fast,” Gaia called out after a bit, sounding like he was wrestling with something. With a roll of her eyes, Erina made her way into the door. When she pushed she found it gave a little resistance and that there was a Smokey kind of smell coming from the other side.
The room looked like a big action movie fight had just taken place in it. Books were strewn all over, at least one bookshelf rested entirely on top of another bookshelf, and as far as Erina could; one set of curtains was on fire. And then there in the middle of the room, sitting on his haunches was Gaia where parts of his fur stuck up at randomly with some even smoldering while little wisps of smoke drifted off them, and was holding a smaller struggling filly in the grip of all his forelegs.
“Ah good, well then. Meet Princess fussy pants- I mean Princess Tesla Morningstar,” He said as he hefted the filly in his arms up a bit so that Erina was able to get a better look at her. Her fur reminded her of Celestia’s peerless white but there seemed to be something that Erina couldn’t describe, the only thought that she could come up with was “glowing” but that didn’t quite cover it.
“Uh hi, I am-”
“The daughter of Prince Blueblood and Princess Trixie Lulamoon, Erina Lulamoon. A young socialite who attends Canterlot High and holds the top student spot in the school's music program. Also among younger nobles who are not Alicorns...or eight-legged idiots, is currently considered the most charitable young noble on the rise. I know who you are,” Erina heard Tesla interrupt her in a matter of fact of not slightly angry tone as Erina made eye contact, noting her Cerise colored eyes which Erina thought were reminiscent of her mother’s.
“I uh...Thank You?....I’m sorry, have we actually met before?” Erina thanked the filly who still flailed a bit in Gaia’s forelegs while he just sat there.
“Not, formally but we both have been in attendance at some events albeit if briefly because-”
“Tessy doesn’t like being about with ‘the public’ for long periods cause she’s so uFF!” Gaia cut off Tesla and was rewarded with one of her free hoofs on the bottom of his jaw. It didn’t look like it hurt at all but for Tesla, it had the desired effect of shutting Gaia up.
“Shut up you rock headed buffoon...and put me down before I fry you!” Erina watched Tesla struggle around and try to free herself but Gaia seemed to have her in a (and she hated that her mind came up with the pun) rock solid grip.
“Peef, de wouf gnew U n’t.” Gaia responded with his mouth forced shut, none of it sounding intelligible at all as he relented and he let go of the filly one leg at a time and she sprung into the air away from Gaia as soon as the last leg dropped. Erina watched her float down, not that her flying wasn’t something to watch it was that her wings were...definitely something that one would notice. TEsla’s wings weren’t at all like the normal pegasus’s wings, instead of feathery appendages sprouting from just about where her withers would be Tesla instead had several tendrils of light and energy extending from her back that blew in some kind of ethereal wind, once again reminding Erina of Celestia. They seemed to ebb and flow as the moved in a way that sort of reminded Erina of how a pegasus flapped their wings in flight, one difference that showed itself though was that when Tesla was almost on the ground two of the tendrils went and touched the ground as if bracing her.
“Yes quite captivating the first time you see them aren’t they?” Tesla asked knocking Erina out of wonderment.
“I...I don’t...I can’t think that…” Erina couldn’t find the right words to use in this situation.
“It’s ok I know it can be a shock for most, although I hope a better one then what this oaf showed,” Tesla said and Erina had a mini flashback to the day before and the spree of violence that proceeded Gaia unveiling his extra appendages.
“Well I can definitely say it was less...violent,” Erina said.
“Yes, I heard about the little altercation that went down yesterday afternoon,” Tesla said.
“Little?” Erina asked.
“Altercation?” Gaia asked as well as got back to his hooves after smoothing out the patches of his fur that were sticking up.
“Yes, quite. Is it true the parents came today to petition Mother to have some kind of punishment given to Rocky over here,” Tesla agreed and then asked Erina a follow-up question without missing a beat. This all helped Erina form a picture of how this filly normally interacted with others, with her way of talking and her “unique” approach to visitors, familial or otherwise.
“Yes, they did. And it didn’t turn out well for them,”
“Mom can be like that. I tell her she should be like that more of the time but she always counters that a leader should be more kind and outgoing, and friendly with less defensive wards, and get out in the sun more because it’s a nice day and….I started to ramble didn’t I?”
“Just a bit Tessy,” Gaia spoke up.
“That name is going on the list,” Tesla snapped at him and Erina noticed that her “wings then pointed at him, like a snake getting ready to strike.
“Yeah, which is why I’m getting the most out of it duh,” Gaia said and gave a smug look to which Tesla just gave Erina a deadpan look, one the Erina felt that she had also been making a couple times since her first meeting with the colt.
“So cousins, what brings you to my little sanctum?” Tesla asked, probably wanting to change the subject.
“Well, I’m getting a favor from your mom to get me home before my sister and friends-”
“Left you after you got thrown out another window?” Tesla said, cutting in with a quick jab.
“Yeah...and also it’s always nice getting the drop on my cousin…,” Gaia said and then paused for a second to think. “Well my cousin that can’t hurt me as most as my other cousins,” he finished.
“Speaking of odd things like that line, what exactly happened after you came in here?” Erina asked as she remembered the noises that she heard before.
“Oh that was just her trying to zap me with a couple of overly friendly spells,” Gaia said.
“Zapped, that didn’t sound like any magic blasts I’ve ever heard,” Erina said before thinking about it and more specifically about Gaia for a second. “This has something to do with your alicorn ‘semblances’ doesn’t it?” She asked.
“Ooh quick on the deductions, good,” Tesla said and smiled. “And yes it does have to do with that...unfortunately,” Tesla said throwing a look in Gaia’s direction to which he just chuckled.
“She only says that since mine is the one that balance and sort of cancel her’s out.”
“Why do you always have to put things so simply without a large chunk of details someone might need,” Tesla asked, a bit miffed.
“Well someone needs to make sure that the smart people have an intro to give their exposition,” Gaia said and Erina and Tesla both just sat there giving him looks. “It’s something I picked up from my dad,” he said and shrugged.
“Among other things,” Tesla said tersely. “But anyways, you already know that Gaia and his sister share the semblance of nature, with him getting the non-organic side. This in part means that he can also take on aspects of that side. As can I for my semblance, would you care to take a guess?”
“Umm.” Erina began to think about the past couple of minutes. From Tesla’s wings to the way her coat shone. There was something there but it didn’t leave a magical presence. “The only thing I can come up with is that it has something to do with...energy?” Erina hazarded a guess.
Tesla just stared at her for a couple of seconds with a poker face before she gave a small (and from what Erina could tell, sincere) smile. “Not bad, you were close. My semblance is that I am linked with the Electromagnetic Spectrum. And just like Gaia, although more intentionally and less born that way, I have found ways of using it via my body. The prime visible example being my wings,” she said as her horn lit up with magic before the tendrils that were her wings came together and the bright light coalesced before dissipating, leaving Tesla with normal wings. “Apparently I first did that when I was much younger and it freaked my parents out until Aunt Twilight was able to reverse it, when I heard this story years later after I had more control I strived to redo it and after much experimentation and a minimal amount of property damage I was able to replicate it and it has been very useful,” she said with a quick flap of her regular wings.
“That and it helps ponies delineate the differences between us. Flurry Being the oldest, Andromedus Being the only guy Alicorn, Hope having her giant scythe-
“Your sister has A WHAT!?” Erina interrupted but Gaia just pressed on
“Tesla and her wings, and I-”
“Can climb up walls and spin webs,” Tesla interrupted this time and Gaia stopped to glare at her.
“So anyways long story short, she has electric powers and since I can take on rock powers I can be non-conductive so it’s easier for me to get closer to her than other without being zapped,” Gaia huffed changing the subject and explaining something he meant to minutes ago. Erina watched him and Tesla glare at each other for a little bit before she coughed and they broke it off.
“Glad to see you again Gaia it’s always fun,” Tesla said as she gave him a quick hug.
“You too you pain in the flank, now if you excuse me have a convoluted pit trap to set before a train arrives,” Gaia said returning the hug before he headed for the door, Erina watching him as he left.
“We all have a complicated relationship but I liken him and Andromedus to being big brothers,” Tesla told her after he disappeared around the door. Erina liked the sentiment, Gaia may be brash, and sometimes just a hint of stupid, and some other times, incredibly temperamental and violent but she had seen a couple good sides of him.
“Oh hey Tessy by the way!” Gaia surprised the two as his head popped into the doorway. “Doppler is throwing her first big party, We already got Andromedus and Erina going..care to add to the fun?” he asked and Erina was able to see a bit of indecision on Tesla’s face before she answered.
“Um, I’m not sure but I think I’ll be indisposed so un-” Tesla started to say and Erina felt deja vu for a second before a wave of magic came into the room and gathered above Tesla before it turned into a scroll and fell, booping Tesla on the way down.
“Seriously?” Erina muttered under her breath as Tesla opened the scroll and scanned it.
“Well it seems like my schedule has been cleared for this Friday night so I will be able to make an appearance,” She said, crumpling the scroll into a ball and handing it to Erina. “Now if you excuse me I have some things to do before I’m called for dinner,” Erina held onto the scroll As Tesla gathered up somethings and then teleported out of the room.
“Huh didn’t know she had gotten the hang of teleporting yet, Mom will be impressed,” Gaia said to Erin as he walked back into the room, taking the crumpled note from her and opening it up. “HA! Really?” he said laughing, hading the note back to Erina. She looked and laughed to herself a bit as the sense of deja vu only got stronger when on the note she saw the words “YOU’RE GOING.”