Twilight Gets a Puppy
Season 4
By TDR
Dolphin Don't,
Epilogue
[Ponyville]
Saturnia sighed as the train slowed, drawing within sight of Ponyville.
Ahuizotl had escaped while DD was talking to Princess Celestia. The Princess had cleaned up most of the mess made and sent the tribal ponies back home.
It seemed she and DD had a history. Not really surprising since DD had a history with nearly everyone.
Rahs was giddy, she could feel it, that eased Saturnia's worries about the date a little. They never did get around to the lunch after everything that happened and Saturnia could hardly call this a real date.
She wasn't even sure if Rahs was happy with the date, or that he got his copy of Wolf of the Harvest Moon signed, on top of a complete collection of autographed Daring Do novels to rub in his sister's face.
In truth that last one added a bit of maniacal glee to his eyes that Saturnia was both worried about and drawn to.
As she had told Twilight she might have started simply attracted to the power he and his name could provide, but the more she found out about him the more drawn to him she became. Now she was proving that by doing unchangeling like things, like asking him on a date rather than just swapping herself with some one who probably had a better chance with him like Applejack or Jynx.
She could feel his interest in the others and those two thus far appealed to him the most, even if it was mostly physical. Still there were other emotions there as well, for Trixie, herself, and Sunset. Saturnia knew that he had some feelings for all of them, which was causing him issues that he had to choose, any choice he made might hurt the others if he didn't return their interest. And that upset him considerably.
It was almost enough that Saturnia had a small inkling in the back of her mind that she should bow out of this so Rahs wouldn't be so troubled.
She crushed that thought every time it came up. The daughter of the queen would NOT just give up.
Besides he knew now that she could become something that attracted him physically which should put her on par with Jynx and Applejack.
“I do apologize for this Rahs. Not exactly the best first date.” She sighed finally. “It went better in my head in truth.”
The moon dog glanced over to her from where he had propped himself on the seat next to her by the window and smiled.
She blinked at the emotions coming from him and smiled a little herself. He had liked it. She could feel that even if she didn't understand him.
“Well... still I am sorry Celestia got your pictures, I can pose for another image if you want.... Maybe the Abyssinian?” Saturnia purred.
Rahs blinked, then started to laugh.
The changeling flattened her ears to her head regarding him in annoyance before he reached into his coat and pulled out eight little crystals that held all the camera's images. Evidently Celestia had only gotten the blank crystals he had swapped out before she got a hold of the camera.
His grin was malicious.
Saturnia was not going to lose this devious creature to anyone.
[ Fortress of Talacon ]
“More tea?” Ahuizotl asked.
“Thank you, but no, Ahuizotl, I'm fine. So yes, as I was saying, after the little incident that left me a draconequus for a time I opted to get her back. So I asked Twilight to mail her a bottle of specially prepared Sweet Apple Acre's cider, with a note telling her and I quote 'Hey, here's your own cider, stop drinking all of mine, dammit' signed Twilight.”
“And that worked?” Ahuizotl questioned.
“Like a charm.” Celestia laughed.
[Crystal Empire a few days ago.]
“What? The? Buck?” Cadence stared.
“Uhhh.”Shining Armor stared as well.
As soon as the box sent by Twilight was opened, Chrysalis had grabbed the cider jug and downed the whole thing greedily.
Cadence was going to call her on not sharing when the change happened.
The green haired black carapaced changeling queen was gone, in her place was something that looked like a box of paints had exploded.
Her shape was much the same though her holes had filled in. Her legs were a bright lime green, with her middle a shiny purple. Her head was a bright yellow with a neon blue mane that didn't match her new light blue and pink lined tail. A single bright yellow horn jutted up from her hair, as well as two golden spikey antler like horns. Her gossamer wings had turned bright blue with pink trim and various tiny hearts dotted her mane and tail.
“Ahh stars, I'm blind!” Cadence shouted falling back out of her chair, covering her eyes.
“That looks like a poison joke effect to me.” Shining Armor winced.
“I am going to have words with your sister...” Chrysalis growled looking herself over.
“Why would Twilight prank you like this? It's not really her thing.” Shining stated.
Then Chrysalis exploded into a shower of green goo.
“Ahh.... It was from Celestia.” Cadence pointed out.
“I'll get the mop.” Shining Armor sighed.
“This cannot be healthy.” Ahuizotl laughed, his free hand stroking the head of the cheetah that came up for pets, his cats looked a little worse for wear but none of them were that bad off after fighting the changeling.
“Probably not, but it is therapeutic at least. Changing the subject however I did want to talk to you in regards to Daring Do. Don't you think you were a bit harsh on her?” Princess Celestia questioned.
“She is not dead yet, so no.” Ahuizotl offered taking a sip of his tea, holding the cup by his tail. The pair of them were in a chamber far under the fortress in an area that the explorers had yet to find.
“Yes about that...” Celestia offered.
“Stop. We have this discussion every time you come here and every time I explain the same thing. My mother tasked me to guard this place and you know full well what happened last time the truth came out.” Ahuizotl snapped. “ You may not like what I do, but those I kill should have listened to the locals and obeyed the signs, their deaths are on their own heads.”
“Yet Daring is still alive?”Celestia smiled.
“Ugh, not for lack of trying, she is the worst sort of thief. All this gold, the ruins, and relics scattered about the valley to distract the greedy, and that one wants to know 'why'. She's the most dangerous sort, that she has Faust's own luck and his harder to stamp out than a roach just adds to it.” Ahuizotl grumbled. “When I finally finish her off I plan to mount her skull in a place of honor over my mantle.”
“That almost sounds like a bit of respect. I'm sure she'd help you with your task if she would actually listen when I try to tell her what the valley is.” Celestia sighed.” I'm sure you two could be quiet close if you were actually working together...”
“Not you as well. Stop trying to play matchmaker, I get enough of that from my mother.” Ahuizotl growled.
“Ha, well I suppose Grace would want grand babies, and I'm sure you've noticed how athletic and attractive she is......” Celestia murred.
“Stop it.... “Ahuizotl snapped. “ Don't you have to get back to your kingdom? If you are going to visit you should do so. Not sit here and torment me.”
Celestia sighed.
“Yes, I suppose I should, it has been some time since I came here.”
“I shall leave you too it. Your sister has not been by yet either. Hence the reason I set up the ritual. It is good to know the nightmare is not an issue anymore.” Ahuizotl offered rising from the table and moving across the room to a blank wall tapping a few bricks with his hands and tail hand.
After a moment the wall parted and spread open revealing a well maintained tunnel.
Ahuizotl offered a small bow as Celestia strode into the tunnel before shutting the wall behind her.
While teleportation was banned to and from this location and a multitude of things were set up to prevent it, the door was easy to open from this side if the guardian wasn't present to do so.
Her hooves echoed down the tunnel before it opened to a massive chamber filled with stone monoliths. Ghostly blue grass covered the ground and a rainbow kaleidoscope of crystals sparkled in the large dome of rock towering into the air above the chamber giving the whole area a soft glow of near perpetual twilight. The size of the chamber was the same size as the valley above, taking up miles of space under the earth.
In fact this chamber had once been the real valley floor before a volcanic eruption started to bury it hundreds of thousands of years ago. A god of the time protected it from the falling lava and ash, creating a massive dome that was buried under millions of tons of rock. In time Talacon valley was created on top of the original valley.
The fabled Rainbow Valley of legend.
Most thought it was in other parts of the world, such misdirection was the work of many gods, and yet not even all of them knew of this place. Some had no need, and others would never understand this place.
The council heads knew however and Celestia and Luna knew of it as well.
Celestia moved through the soft grass passing by a multitude of stone markers, each in with their own markers carved and set by those of various cultures, the mix of temples above was sparse compared to the multitude of monuments down here.
Celestia weaved her way unerringly across the valley to a small spot a bit apart from the others. There were four stone markers here, one a fair distance apart from the others. The single one a simple slab of stone jutting up from the blue grass.
The princess moved towards lone one shifting to the side of it to settle down next to the stone. Her wings folded at her side as she regarded the stone and the single name etched on it.
Solaire.
There was unlikely a body here anymore, but the marker was enough.
“Hello father... it has been a while.” Celestia offered with a small smile.