“Alright Lover colt, back off, you're already taken,” I protested. Cadance, Silvereagle, and I were flying to the Ponyville school when Rumble decided to drop in to see who my new friends were. He was showing far more interest in Cadance than I cared for.
Our group had split up so I could get some flying time in with Scootaloo, Sunset, and Ms Brightwing walking.
“Taken?” Rumble asked like that was news to him.
I couldn't resist gliding in closer and dragging my wingtip along his side. “Yes, taken.”
“Miss Nova, that is inappropriate behavior for a princess.” Silvereagle scolded.
As for Rumble he’d apparently blanked out, and careened off at an odd angle, and crashed into a shed before he’d a chance to recover.
“Rumble!?” I called as I landed by what was left of the shed. “Are you alright?” Cadance landed by me, followed by Silvereagle who started picking through the wreckage.
Rumble turned out to be fine once we’d gotten the rest of the shed off him with the help of the owner an Earth pony who I gathered was named Cabbage Merchant. Mr Cabbage was just happy there wasn’t any cabbage in the cart that’d been in the shed. Don’t ask me I don’t know. As for Rumble, I wasn’t too sure if he had in fact hit his head, or if that shit-eating grin was the result of the feather marking.
“Care to explain what happened?” Mr Cabbage asked.
“I’m sorry, it was my fault.” I pleaded.
“Now don’t go blaming yourself for your colt friends clumsiness.” Mr Cabbage advised.
“Oh it was entirely her fault,” Silvereagle said as she glared at me. “She feather-marked him.”
A big smile crept across Mr Cabbage’s face and then he busts up laughing.
“Maybe we should get going?” Cadance asked. Was she blushing?
“Yes, we should.” Silvereagle agreed, and we were on our way shortly thereafter.
“Hey, is every pony alright?” Scootaloo called as she, Sunset, and Brightwing hurried along the lane to catch up with us. “And what happened to Rumble? Did he maybe hit his head?”
“Nova feather-marked him,” Cadance whispered in a rather conspiratorial tone.
“Um, sorry, unicorn. I don’t know what that is?” Sunset asked.
“Just you never mind, young filly.” Silvereagle chastised. Brightwing got a very amused look on her face.
OK, OK, I was just as much in the dark. Sure I’d heard it was something pegasi do to let another pony know they liked them, but I couldn't quite understand what all the fuss was about. Ms Lofty would take me aside later that evening, but for now, I was the epitome of an innocent filly. As for Lofty’s explanation… being she had no idea that I was actually an adult in a fillies body, listening to her try to explain what feather-marking did to colts only confused me further.
When I did finally figure it out I had to admit that a wing boner while in flight was truly a bad thing.
As for school, I suppose that school being half-day for the summer was a blessing. The day started out with me introducing Cadance, and that’s about as far as I got. Sunset simply found an atlas to study there being nothing there that was at her level. I went back to my workbooks, and Rumble just sat there in a daze while the class all wanted to ask Cadance Questions. Every now and then they wanted some of my input, but the idea that I’d been a real princess all along was going to take a while to process in their little heads. As for Sunset, I think she was perfectly happy that she’d been forgotten.
Princess Luna walked through town with Shining Armor at her side. Their destination, the Oak Tree Library, and to their surprise there was a royal chariot waiting outside with a team of pegasi standing by.
“Commander Sparkle,” The lead pegasi said as he offered a salute.
“Princess Celestia?” Shining Armor asked.
“Inside, sir.”
“Thank you. We were just headed that way.”
“Good morning gentle colts,” Luna offered as they passed by. They hadn’t bowed, but they had saluted Commander Sparkle, and they were standing at attention. A pony can’t bow while standing at attention. Something she’d learned during her stay in Canterlot. Guards ponies on duty saluted.
Shining Armor opened the front door to the library and Luna followed them in. What they found was Celestia talking to a very dejected Twilight Sparkle.
“Commander Sparkle,” Celestia offered cheerfully enough. “Luna, has your stay been pleasant?” Celestia walked over to meet up with Luna and the two hugged.
“I am doing well, sister,” Luna offered as they broke apart. “Oh, and before you ask, little Moonie has gone back to normal.”
Celestia leaned over to whisper in Luna’s ear, “Could there perhaps be a little of mother in that stone?”
“And that tiny spark somehow took possession of Moonie? No way to know. I gather you did recognize the stone.”
“I did.”
“You didn’t take it from her?”
“How could I? Not only is it now rightfully hers, but there is also no way to remove the stone without irreversibly damaging her little protector.”
“Yesterday afternoon she protected ourselves as well. I’d assumed you’d had something to do with it until I saw mother’s cutie mark.”
“I may be partially responsible, but right off hoof I have the feeling she went well beyond her programming matrix.”
“Gave them a right proper chewing out just like mother used to do to us,” Luna offered with a smile.
“Princess?” Twilight asked with a feeling of dread in her voice.
“It’s alright. We were just discussing the unusual behavior of Nova’s little toy,” Celestia offered. She then turned to Shining Armor. “Commander, before you arrived I was informing Twilight that I was taking the elements of harmony. As I informed her, I fear that we could potentially lose the elements if the bearers behave in a way that is contrary to their elements while wearing them. Nor can I have them abusing the elements.”
“I fully understand. I did write up a report on the incident, but I can say I found the entire incident quite surreal. Finding myself faced with having to protect Princess Luna and the others from my own sister and her friends based on one pony’s insistence that Princess Luna was either still Nightmare Moon or had somehow reverted was not something I’ve ever trained for.” He turned to Twilight. “I’m sorry Twilie, but you put me in a very awkward position. I’d have been forced to protect Princess Luna and her daughter.”
“Daughter?” Twilight asked perplexed.
“Nova is my daughter,” Luna offered. “Her presence alone has been a great help to me.”
“And had Miss Pie been successful in her Discordian fueled madness you could have potentially done to the whole group whatever it was that was intended for Luna.” Shining informed Twilight. "What that would have meant is no more Princess Luna, no more Princess Nova, no more Princess Cadance, no more..."
"I think she gets the point," Princess Celestia admonished.
“I – I’m so sorry. I should have put a stop to it long before. I should have known something wasn’t right,” Twilight offered as tears began to stream down her face. Shining went to her and gave her a hug.
“Princess Celestia, I asked around about Miss Pie last night,” Shining began.
“Is she going to be in trouble?” Twilight asked.
“I’d like to hope that she has learned her lesson,” Luna offered.
“What concerns me is that Miss Pie may be a follower of Eris,” Shining offered. “And if I can believe half the tall tales that I heard last night, I can’t help but wonder if she has been exposed to chaos magic.”
“But she’s an element bearer,” Celestia pointed out.
“Stopping Nightmare moon would not be at cross purposes to a follower of Eris,” Shining explained. “What Nightmare Moon was offering was total stagnation.”
“I think I understand,” Luna offered. “I shudder to think what endless night would do, but in the absolute final end, the planet would become a lifeless chunk floating in an endless void. Not that a disembodied spirit whose only motivation is excess would care.”
“The thing that possessed you?” Twilight asked.
“The thing that possessed me,” Luna admitted. “I’m afraid I was already under its influence when I all but attacked Nova’s father. He was so gorgeous, and I’d had a few drinks. Afraid my inhibitions had been left far behind.” She stopped for a moment, the room went silent. “I think I killed him.”
“Killed him?!” Twilight gasped.
“Well at least he died with a smile,” Luna offered with a coy smile of her own.
“Now Luna, Twilight’s too innocent for that kind of humor,” Celestia protested.
“Who says I’m joking?” Luna countered just as a canary-yellow Wonderbolt with a gold and orange mane and tail entered the library.
“Ah, Commander Spitfire, how can we help you?” Celestia asked as she welcomed the opportunity to change the subject.
A huge grin formed on Spitfire’s face as she approached and pulled out a small bundle of legal forms. “Princesses, you have no idea how delighted I am to find you both here. Though to be honest I was only looking for Princess Luna.”
“Me,” Luna inquired as Spitfire made the required bow.
“Tracking you down is a lot easier than getting an audience with mother,” Spitfire offered.
“Mother?!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Well if that little brat Sunset can get recognition… but that’s not what I want. What I want, what I need, is the signature of a princess,” Spitfire said while offering her stack of legal forms to Princess Luna.
“Spitfire, do think of your father, and the fact that he doesn’t know, and two, he’d likely get lynched,” Celestia cautioned as Luna took hold of the paperwork, perused it, her eyes going wide a moment later.
“Understood,” Spitfire offered and then turned her attention back to the matter at hoof. “Not a fit mother they said. At least I’m not going to abandon my filly while I take off on some harebrained adventure or leave her to her own devices while I spend all my time at work and play.”
“I’ll sign it, but I’m not sure my signature is any good?” Luna offered.
“Well, they aren’t here to challenge it, and when they do eventually come back I figure they’ll have to deal with that cluster buck of trying to get in to see Princess Celestia,” Spitfire offered. “You have no idea how thrilled I was when that warrant came across my desk.”
“May I see that, Sister,” Celestia asked. “Oh, and Commander Sparkle, Twilight looks like she’s overstimulated. Perhaps you should put her in her bed.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Shining offered, and then picked up Twilight slinging her across his back. Her mane was sticking out all over the place. “By the way, Twilight, where’s Spike?”
“Oh, probably off trying to hump Rarity’s leg,” Twilight offered. Although from the sound of her voice she was probably oblivious to what she’d just said.
“Sister, what say we both sign this,” Celestia offered. “Spitfire, did you have any idea where you were going to live?”
“I’m stationed at the Wonderbolt base outside of Canterlot, and I can easily commute back and forth from here. I just need a place for the two of us. I don’t want to disrupt her life if I don’t have to.”
“I just happen to know a place that’s up for rent,” Luna offered with a big grin.