//------------------------------// // Tempo's Plan (RB and BS) // Story: The Humble Prince // by Lighting Ace //------------------------------// Soon after leaving the cemetery and at the recommendation of Luna, the royal family decided to take a small stroll on the city. In hopes of enjoying each other's company and lifting their moods a bit more after their somber trip to such a grim place.  Said suggestion, of course, had more meaning to it than just that. Although she wanted to lift everyone's spirits, the princess also wanted to put a stop to the constant passive-aggressive sniping between Crossfire Tempo and her sister and force the two into a situation where they would be more civilized with one another. This had the added bonus of allowing her to focus her attention on Blueblood and a rising concern and fear forming in her heart. Judging by her nephew's sudden and unusual outburst back at the cemetery, it reminded her of a time she yearned to put behind her for good. An ironic sense of deja-vu considering what festivities were fast approaching, judging by the types of decorations that had been placed everywhere they looked. Spider webs, children were purchasing costumes, pumpkins, skeletons, and expensive, spooky costumes for both kids and adults were on sale as far as their eye could see. Yep, Nightmare Night was fast approaching, and Luna feared that her evil counterpart would make more than just an appearance this year. "This is what you wanted us to see, right?" Tempo's sudden presence broke Luna's concentration as she looked back at her. Somehow, all her worries and focus on Blueblood spaced her out long enough to notice now that Celestia had gone ahead of them with Blueblood, most likely to explain the meaning of the festivities and how it came to be, earning his full attention as Luna and Tempo stayed behind.  "Excuse me?" Luna looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.  "The signs of fatigue, the clear lack of sleep, the occasional discharge of his horns. My god-nephew, for some reason, is pushing himself ragged, and you wanted us to see it, right?" Tempo replied in shame. "To subtly tell us that something bad is happening and we need to see the bigger issue. Am I right, princess Luna?" "… It's a nice departure from your present hostility, yes," Luna eventually decided to play along before looking at Blueblood. "And just as you said, something seems to have drained all the energy from him."  "Or somepony," Tempo suggested keeping an eye on Celestia, ignoring how Luna shared her thoughts although her focus was on a different mare entirely.  "Ms. Tempo, per the request of my nephew, and as someone that has made mistakes before, I'm genuinely willing to give you a chance to be a part of our family, but to do that I must implore you, please refrain from voicing your hostility toward my sister." Luna told her while regarding the mare with a glare. "At this current time, there are more pressing matters than your little feud."  In response, Tempo sighed and rolled her eyes. "Of course, there is always a catch, can't we just exclude Celestia from this? I'm sure between the two of us we could fix…"  "Not. For. Discussion," Luna responded coldly with an intense glare. Yet rather than being angry, Tempo seemed unnaturally emotionless, catching the Princess by surprise with her lack of emotion until she replied with another roll of her eyes. "Fine, as long as it is for the good of my god-nephew, I will try to hold my tongue as much as I can. But I will respond in kind for anything she starts," Tempo acquiesced. "I suppose that will have to do. For now, we should talk with my sister since you share our same worries, and so we can all think of a way to help my nephew."  And I pray the stars we won't require the elements to do so "Sounds good to me, I will keep Blue busy while you tell her that."  "What? Wait that is not what I meant…and she is already gone," Luna tried to argue, but by the time she had formed a sentence, Tempo was already heading toward Blueblood and Celestia. Ok, now I'm starting to see the mannerisms my nephew used to have.  Luna sighed in irritation before deciding just to follow Tempo's lead, to avoid escalating or starting another conflict as they approached the royals. "Seriously? You offer her candy, or she will gobble you up?" Blueblood questioned with a raised eyebrow. "That is how the legend goes now? Were there ponies that ate meat back then? How do you trade meat for candy? And…how was that supposed to help everyone remember Aunt Luna?"  "Yes, I know, I know," Celestia did her best to calm him down with a nervous chuckle. "I didn't plan for my objective to derail as much as it did. Honest to the stars, I intended to seek out a way for my little ponies to keep the memory of my sister alive. The festivities were originally just a normal party at night, where ponies would remember her work and play games out of respect for her memory. Yet the memory of Nightmare Moon made things harder to start…so I added small rumors that if you eat candy and cover your face, Luna would come instead of Nightmare Moon. And you know how things are with rumors, the more they spread, the more is added or changed. I honestly was happy that my ponies started to embrace the celebration properly, but by the time I heard what happened with my rumor, it was already too late, and I didn't have the heart to correct my subjects."  "It still would have been great if you had told me about those 'changes' on my first Nightmare Night, sister," Luna interjected with a small glare at her.  "I have already apologized, and I was going to, but then you ran off to Ponyville before I could finish the story!" Celestia defended herself.  "Ladies, ladies, please don't fight. What happened back then was just another example of pony error," Tempo quickly intervened, placing herself in between the two. "It could happen to any of us, dear. Your aunt had the best of intentions; what happened was simply leaving an idea open for interpretation," she commented, surprising Celestia with her change of attitude. "Isn't that right, princess?"  "Yes…that is exactly what happened, just an issue of miscommunication," Celestia replied, looking at her in confusion.  "Let just think of it as water under the bridge and instead enjoy the rest of the day. After all, Nightmare Night is just a week away! Wouldn't it be nice if we all celebrated it together?"  "That sounds pretty nice. I would like that very much," Blueblood replied with a smile.  "Ahm…" Celestia tried to say anything, but Tempo interrupted her.  "Excellent! Then it's a deal then. I will extend my stay in the castle so we can all celebrate the festivities!"  "Now, wait just a moment!" Celestia tried to protest, but Tempo was already leaving, talking with the Prince as she held one of his hooves. "Oh, look, Blue! That is caramel covered cotton candy; your mother used to love those. Would you like to see how it tastes?"  "Well…"  "Great! Let's get some!" Tempo answered for him, and the two went to get the mentioned candy leaving Celestia blinking at the interaction. "What in Tartarus just happened?" she asked her sister as Luna approached her from the right.  "I think Tempo just played us both, but we can deal with that later. For now, there is a much more pressing matter to be attended to," Luna immediately answered with urgency, "Mainly Blueblood's fatigue."  Celestia sighed the moment she heard that. "I know what you mean. Ever since we left the graveyard, I have been wondering what left him so exhausted. Do you think there is something else that he hasn't told us yet?"  "Honestly, sister, I'm starting to fear the cause of his fatigue might be something not even he is aware of," Luna replied in worry, earning Celestia's undivided attention. "Tia. I pray to the stars that I'm exaggerating, but I worry that his tampering with my moon might be the cause of his affliction."  Celestia's eyes went wide at the revelation. "You aren't thinking that…?"  Luna nodded before she could finish that thought. "For now, it's just a feeling that I have, but back at the graveyard when we were talking, I felt the presence of Nightmare Moon in him. Or rather, I felt the same bitterness, anger, and jealousy I had a thousand years ago."  "Are you sure?"  "Tia, I drowned in those emotions. When the 'incident' happened, trust me. The sensation is something that you never forget. And that is precisely what I felt coming from him." Luna then looked back at Blueblood and Tempo, buying four cotton candies. "Not to mention that his mood has been taking a turn for the erratic for some time now."  "And most of that occurs after sunset!" Celestia exclaimed, bringing a hoof to her forehead. "How could I have been so blind?!"  "We were neck-deep in paperwork, sister. Of course, we would have a hard time noticing those changes. What is important, however, is that we are seeing them now, and there is time yet left to prevent them." Luna placed her right hoof on her sister's shoulder to comfort her. "But we need to act quickly."  Celestia nodded and looked back at her. "You are right, sister, there is still time."  "And I have an idea of what we can do, but we will need the assistance of Crossfire Tempo."  "What?! Luna, you can't possibly be…" Celestia tried once again to argue, but Luna would not have any of that as she quickly pressed her hoof over Celestia's mouth.  "She is just as concerned, and she can give us the distraction we need. As long as she keeps Blueblood calm and happy, helping him will be a thousand times easier." she listed off with a small glare. "And she promised me that she would behave as long as you do the same. So…will you be the bigger pony, Tia?" Luna inquired with a raised eyebrow as she let her sister speak again.  "Does she know that Nightmare Moon might be involved?"  "No."  Celestia thought it over before sighing in defeat and nodded a couple of times in agreement. Right on time, Blueblood and Tempo returned with their confectionaries plus two extra for the Princesses.  "Sorry it took us so long, the peasant took his sweet time with each cotton candy," Blueblood replied, turning aggressive all of a sudden and taking Celestia by surprise. Not only that, but she could see his eyes growing reptilian for a brief second.  'Deep breath, sister. I know, this is something I too have noticed.' Luna quickly explained to Celestia via a mental link as Blueblood looked at her with a raised eyebrow.  "Something wrong, Aunt?"  "Oh, it's just that it has been a while since I could have this flavor. They usually ran out very quickly," the solar diarch replied with a nervous laugh before taking a bite. Luckily that was enough to convince Blueblood, who shared a laugh.  "We came right in time; these were the last four they had. So, where would you like to go next?"  "Actually, sweetie, if it is ok with everyone, I had a place in mind for all of us" Tempo quickly spoke up before guiding everyone to their destination.  At that moment in a high-class spa in the city.  "Oh…oh my! R-Rarity are you sure you can pay for all of this?" Fluttershy asked her friend with a concerned voice as she finished reading the cost of every treatment on a menu.  "Why absolutely, dear! I told you, in exchange for my services filling Fleur De Lis's next autumn wardrobe, taking care of her disguise for this Nightmare Night and a…ahemph," Rarity cheeks heated a little as she mumbles the last part "…personal ensemble for special occasions, she gave me a special pass for me and a plus one to have an all expenses-covered treatment in Canterlot's most famous spa. It is ranked number two on the best spas in Equestria and number one with the most decorum and greatest view!" Rarity proclaimed in excitement like a filly on Heart's Warming Eve. "Meaning everything here is free! And I could think of only one mare to share this experience with." She assured Fluttershy while putting on a robe and covering her mane with a towel before offering her a second pair, which she took with her wing.  "After all your help assembling and packing my shipment last night, it was the least I could do, dear. I say that we both have more than earned it!" Rarity finished, picking up the menu to look through the options. "Oh, and look! They have treatments exclusively for pegasi, wing massages, trimming feathers, special salt baths, it almost makes me wish that I had a pair of wings myself," Rarity joked before looking at her friend. "Fluttershy, you simply must treat yourself to the whole package!"  "I don't know, Rarity, this isn't exactly what I usually do. Maybe I should just stay with my usual," Fluttershy timidly replied as they both exited the locker room ready for their treatment.  "Come on, Fluttershy, don't you wish to be pampered at least a little bit? You certainly wouldn't want to miss out on something you might regret!" Rarity said to her friend with a chuckle which Fluttershy soon joined in on as they reached the corner only to be stopped by the last ponies they were expecting to see.   "A spa?" the prince asked, confused while looking around, as Tempo requested a menu to look at the options they had. "Really? This is the best place you could think of? You could have chosen any place in Canterlot to see, and you choose a spa? Wouldn't it be best if we had left this for last? You know? So we could explore the kingdom?"  "Nonsense! Like I always say, if possible, you should never miss the opportunity to pamper yourself," Tempo said with a giggle. "Besides, ever since this morning, you have been nothing but a ball of stress. You need this, dear, and I will not take a 'no' for an answer."  That surprised Blueblood as he could feel his anger rising again. "Did you just tell me what to…?  "Blueblood?" The voice of Fluttershy immediately caught his attention as he turned to look at the mare in question.  "F-Fluttershy?" Blueblood turned around to see both her and Rarity approaching. "Well, hello, darling," Rarity greeted him with a smile and a wave, "It is so good to see you again. It has been ages since last we saw each other."  "It has?" Blueblood questioned out loud before recalling the memory and surprising himself. "Huh, you are not kidding; it has been a while since the whole thing in Manehattan."  "Indeed it has, and not that this isn't a pleasant surprise, but what are you doing here? I didn't take you as one who likes being pampered…well, I mean, I did but not the new version of you," she said with a humorous chuckle. "And what happened to you?" Fluttershy asked, getting closer. "You look…tired," she mentioned in concern as she reached for his face, though stopped when Blueblood backed away in annoyance, much to her surprise.  "It is nothing, just a restless night, that's all," he quickly said, avoiding eye contact before Tempo clearing her throat caught his attention. "Sweetie, aren't you going to introduce me?"  "Oh! That's right. Rarity, Fluttershy, this is my god-aunt Crossfire Tempo, she is here visiting, so we wanted to show her around," Blueblood introduced her following his class on etiquette. "Aunt Tempo, these are…" "…The heroes of Equestria, Fluttershy, and Rarity," she said with a smile, "I have heard of your exploits. Facing such dangerous foes on a daily basis, you girls must be truly courageous," she praised them with enthusiasm making both mares blush and look away. The act all by itself shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but for some reason, it made Blueblood's heart skip a beat, something that Luna and Celestia took notice of.  What was that? Who cares! We need to get out of here! To hell with being pampered! We need to… "Would you like to join us?" Celestia asked out of the blue, surprising everyone present minus Luna, who understood what she was planning immediately.  "W-What?" Now it was Blueblood's turn to blush as he looked back at her. "Oh no, Auntie, I bet they already had a whole spa day planned. The last thing we want is ruining it for them."  "Nonsense!" Rarity chimed in with a big smile, "I say the more, the merrier! We would love it if you could join us! Not to brag or anything, but I know my way around a spa, so I would be more than happy to guide you if you feel a bit lost, Blueblood."  "Plus, I agree with Miss Shy, Nephew," Luna chips in getting closer. "I held my peace because I thought you didn't want to hear it, but her concerns are true. You look tired and could use something to clear your mind after the whole ordeal we just went through."  "Which is exactly why we insisted on coming here first!" Tempo added, stepping in. "See Blue? Even these lovely ladies see what is on everyone's mind. You are tired and need this before we do anything else," she said with finality.  "She is right, dear," Celestia continued. "I understand you want to explore some more and enjoy the rest of the day with us, but wouldn't you rather we first clear our minds, relax and freshen up?" "Not to mention that your poor aunt Luna could use a day at the spa too?" Tempo mentioned approaching her. "I do?" Luna asked, confused, earning an elbow to the ribs.  "Yes, you do…after all, as the princess of the night, aren't you getting tired of being awake so late in the morning?"  "Now that you mention it…yes, I do," Luna commented half-honestly since this was just a trick to get him to sleep, but she also wouldn't deny the fact that she was getting tired. She could use this to get some time to relax and be more alert. This fact was brought home with a not so fake yawn. "I could use a small recharge before we continue our exploring, so what do you say, nephew? For me?" Luna asked him with pleading eyes.  The Prince could only sigh in defeat as he lowered his head. "Fine, for you, auntie." He then went ahead and took one of the menus from the reception. "Yikes! Have you seen these prices? Can we even afford any of this?"  To that, Princess Celestia snorted and chuckled before putting the menu away. "Oh, sweetie, normally I would be against taking advantage of this, but we are royalty. Our presence alone brings in customers." She then pointed to the entrance, where a long line of eager customers was starting to form. "As such, we don't pay. So we can pick the whole package if we want…which I highly recommend so Lulu can have a chance to rest properly."  "Thank you, sister." Luna answered.  "Well, what about you? You really can pay for all of this?" Blueblood asked Rarity and Fluttershy with a raised eyebrow to which Rarity showed him her pass. "All expenses covered!" she practically sang in her excitement, "We can get pampered with the whole package for free, which we intend to use to its fullest!"  "See? Problem solved," Tempo says before giving Blueblood a towel and a bathrobe before starting to push him until he entered the stallion locker room. "Now go change, dear! There is a whole day of pampering ahead of us!" she exclaimed before she and the princesses went to do the same in the mares locker room.  "A spa day, AND a chat with the Princesses themselves! Can this day get any better?" Rarity questioned before looking at the menu again and suddenly getting worried. "Oh, this place has hot springs, but they are unisex..."  Fluttershy's eyes widened the second she heard that as Rarity turned to look at her.  "Fluttershy, if you don't want to go there, I will…"  "I will do it!" Fluttershy cried out in determination before looking at the receptionist. "I will take the whole treatment package too." She then goes back to Rarity, who looked at her in a mix of confusion and surprise. "You saw how Blueblood looked and acted? He looked scared and tired, the poor thing. He needs our help…so, I suppose I could try some new things this time."  Rarity nods in understanding. "Ah, that explains it. You are right, dear, that poor stallion could use our expertise to help him relax," she said with conviction before chuckling and looking at her friend. "Always the kindness, aren't you, dear?"  Fluttershy could only chuckle nervously and cover her face with her hair to hide the small blush on her cheeks. “Yeah…just a little bit of kindness”