“Don’t worry about Scootaloo,” I said as we packed our bags to return to Canterlot. After all, Scootaloo was with her mom. Most of the luggage was Lofty and Holiday’s stuff. I’d only the one small bag, Cadance had a slightly larger bag, and Sunset had most out of the four of us, and Mom had the one small bag that had her basic necessities. It might have been worse, but then Sunset and Cadance had brought a number of things they’d intended on leaving behind. Although, I was suspicious that some of the outfits being left behind were things they hated. Lofty was bringing two bags for herself as she’d be going with us. And yes, Holiday was coming too and was taking a couple of days off from work so she could enjoy staying at the castle. Granted that she could take as many days off as she wanted now, but she loved her job and didn’t want to lose it. Not that she needed it. There wasn’t one of us who wasn’t floored when we found out how much money Lofty and Holiday were getting from the crown just to be my guardian, and it was an amount that hadn’t changed in nearly a thousand years. As in, the ponies who’d originally set it up over a thousand years ago were as crooked as hell.
We did one last check to see if there was anything else we wanted to take and then I opened the front door to find Brightwing and Silvereagle, along with Big Mac and Applejack who’d brought a cart along waiting for us outside. “Applejack, Big Mac,” I called as my bag trailed along behind me in my magic.
“Just thought you all might need a little help with your luggage.” Applejack offered.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac added.
“Hey, you came to help,” Cadance said as she came out the door. She gave Applejack and Big Mac each a hug and plopped her luggage down on the cart. When Sunset came out she placed her luggage on the cart and thanked Applejack and Big Mac minus the hug.
“What no hug?” Applejack teased as mom brought her luggage. Sunset hesitated for a moment and then gave Applejack a hug.
Not giving Big Mac a hug?” I asked, and watched Sunset blush. “Alrighty then, let's not push it,” I replied to quiet chuckling. I then decided I should probably go back inside and help Lofty. Cadance also decided to follow me back in, and a few minutes later we were finally out the door with everything loaded onto the cart.
“So, Princess Nova...” Applejack began as we started out.
“Yes? Lady Apple Brandy,” I asked. Nor could I resist teasing her a bit. She obviously wanted something.
“Well, being you know my middle name...” Applejack began anew with a hint of annoyance in her tone as we started out for the station.
“It’s Nova. My middle name is Nova.” I’d tried looking up the records and found that sure enough, I had other names registered. Though to be fair it was all third, fourth, and fifth hand… hoof information. There was more than enough evidence to suggest that Princess Luna had indeed had a family. Unfortunately, much of the speculation also blamed the family for Princess Luna’s fall from grace along with pontification about how the desires of the flesh could only lead to ruin, thus creating an atmosphere where Princess Celestia had been forced to hide her private life from all but the most trusted confidants.
“Well then what’s your first name?” Applejack asked.
“Kit Sumi wasn’t it?” Sunset asked. She’d likely looked at the same sources I had.
“Key-soo-me.” I offered. “Kitsumi Nova.”
“Oh, that’s how it’s pronounced.” Sunset offered.
“I was looking at old accounts and not a one seemed to have it spelled right.” I offered. “It’s from the Neighponies meaning Beautiful fox, or just beautiful depending on which character sets are used to write it and how you wish to interpret it.”
“Character sets?” Sunset asked.
“Let's just say the alphabet isn’t as straightforward as the Romano alphabet we use today. A single vocalization can have multiple characters to represent that vocalization, each having its own meaning.”
“I bet that makes learning to read kind of tough.” Applejack offered.
“I bet it can make interpreting spells tricky.” Sunset mused. “Why when Nova’s first and second name are taken together the meaning becomes a beautiful bright new star.”
“Oh, darling, that is so beautifully profound.” Rarity offered as she and Sweetie Belle approached us.
“Hi Rarity,” I called in greeting her as they joined us. Rarity also had several bags which she added to the cart.
“Honestly, I don’t know why you need so many bags.” Sweetie lamented.
“Why Miss Rarity, I wasn’t aware you were going to Canterlot with us?” Cadance asked.
“Is Sweetie coming too?” I asked.
“Indeed she is. Summer fashion seminar at Canterlot Academy is this weekend.” Rarity announced. “It’s a chance to get caught up on all the new trends and techniques.”
“I haven't really heard if I'm going to have to take an exam to get into CSGU. Though I imagine I probably should,” I offered while noting Applejack's raised eyebrow in Rarity’s direction. Granted that Rarity knew full well not to lie in front of Applejack. I too had my suspicions as to why there would be a seminar at the school on the same day testing was scheduled and Mom seemed to be at a bit of a loss as well.
“Not likely you’ll need to,” Sunset suggested in regards to whether or not I needed to test to get in. “They might have you do private instruction until they know you are ready for classes. That’s what they did for Cadance and me. If they know they have some pony special they’ll typically bend over backward to accommodate. In fact, I’m to understand Twilight actually got accepted a year early, and your skillset is already above the level you’d be starting at.”
“See, that's what I told you,” Sweetie lamented to Rarity.
“Sunset, you had your own mom giving you private lessons,” I recounted with a smile on my face while filing away Sweetie’s comment for later. “Did you suspect?”
“I know, but I didn't know at the time. I knew about a certain amulet Celestia had that my mom always wore though,” Sunset offered not once taking into consideration I might not know what she was talking about. Her usual bravado gone from her tone.
“Both having the same exact unique one-of-a-kind amulet is definitely suspicious.” I offered, suspecting she meant the Changeling Amulet. “From what I know about the amulet I suspect you to mean, it could even be why you have a tendency to be so headstrong.”
“I’m aware of that possibility,” Sunset conceded, and then added, “but then I might not have even been born if she hadn’t been using it.”
“Now that, I hadn’t considered,” I admit. "For all I know I have Nightmare Moon to thank for my existence." Mom's silence on the matter was a good indication that she wasn't too sure herself.
“Amulet?” Rarity asked.
“I think I know which one Nova’s talking about,” Cadance offered. “It always gives me a queer sort of feeling like it was wrapped in dark magic.”
“The one I’m thinking of is called the Changeling amulet. And it’s something of a confidential matter,” I explained to Rarity. “It has the power to transform any creature into another likeness, but it also has a corrupting influence. - I cautioned Princess Celestia to destroy it.” I’d also mentioned the Alicorn amulet to Celestia and was hopeful it could be found and destroyed before some creature could get their hooves on it and history repeat itself. At least Trixie and Twilight were friends now. Trixie hadn’t been horribly humiliated, but she had lost her wagon thanks to the two idiots who’d lured an Ursaminor into town. For their efforts, they’d been given community service until the mess had been cleaned up with a promise of 'hard time' if they ever pulled another stunt like it.
“Ya, I figured you knew about it,” Sunset said after a few moments where no one said anything.
“I don’t know everything,” I caution. “But I can tell you that your fate became your own from the moment we pulled you out of that mirror.”
“If Princess Celestia hadn’t gone into the mirror, would you have still gone after me?” Sunset asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered as honestly as I could. “After Aunt Tia went into it, things got mighty desperate, and a lot of ponies were looking to Cadance and myself for leadership. And no, they weren’t exactly looking to Mom either.”
“I wasn’t exactly fit to lead any pony at the time, and it’ll be a while before I can even think of moving any heavenly bodies around,” Luna offered.
“I imagine that after a thousand years of Princess Celestia’s rule they’ve become conditioned to the idea that the top leadership position must be filled by an alicorn.”
“You don’t believe that do you,” Sunset stated.
“Equestria is the only kingdom I’m aware of that has the luxury of an Alicorn Princess to ensure stability.” I offer. “But to get back to would we have gone after you, it’s as likely that Princess Celestia would not have let Cadance and I go near the thing for fear of losing us as well.”
“A possibility I hadn’t actually thought of,” Sunset admitted as we approached the station. “And the moment of desperation as likely pushed you on to do something you might not have been able to do under more ordinary circumstances.”
“I imagine that’s true enough as well. Let's face it, I was totally winging it without a clue as to what I was doing.” I admit with a smile.
“Same here,” Cadance admitted.
“Wish I could have been there, it must have been so inspiring.” Rarity mused.
“After I got free of that mirror, I broke down in sobs,” I said quietly.
“I was just so relieved to be home and I wasn’t going to get sent away, it didn’t really hit me full force until later,” Sunset offered. “Inspiration wasn’t what I felt. For me, it was the most humbling moment of my life and I pray I never go through anything like that again.”
On arrival at the station our group was directed inside with all the other ponies waiting on the train, and we were surprised to discover a heavy security presence.
“What’s going on?” I asked, proving that I truly didn’t know everything. “Ms Brightwing, Silvereagle?”
“Guys?” Silvereagle asked of the guards that were at the station. “Sargent Sandbur, what’s with the heavy security?”
“Some pony has been posting threats in Canterlot.” He offered. “Guards have been sent to several stations along the line because of it.”
“As if we didn’t have enough to worry about with outside threats to Equestria,” Spitfire said as she joined us, and then let out a sigh. Scootaloo was presently perched on Spitfire’s back and absolutely beaming she was so happy. “I just found myself assigned to you this morning with instructions to bring Scootaloo.”
“Well, that’s not very ominous,” I offered sarcastically While Scootaloo waved at Sweetie Belle.
“Wonder if it was like this when Holiday went to work this morning?” Lofty asked of no one specific.
“Likely not Mam, we were dispatched on the morning train.” Sargent Sandbur offered.
So a week wasn’t long enough for ponies to calm down. Maybe the threats would be enough to shock some sense into the rest? I could only hope. The whole situation stank of Discord, and just because he was presently a stone statue, didn’t mean he wasn’t somehow manipulating events. Then again it could just as likely be certain members of the nobility getting desperate.
At this point we either found seats or sat on our luggage. A little old granny was about to give up her seat, but I insisted she stay. After all, I was young, at least in body, little, and sitting on my luggage wasn’t going to be a hardship for me.
“Even the greatest of us most at times bow to others,” I said to the mare. Cadance joined me, and Sunset a moment later. The place was packed.
Not like it much mattered. After all, our accommodations on the train were going to be first-class.
“Scootaloo? What?” Sweetie asked perplexed as to why Scootaloo was riding on top of one of the top Wonderbolts. The news that Spitfire was Scootaloo’s birth mother came as quite a shock to Sweetie. After all, Sweetie had missed all the excitement the day we’d found the stone.
First class…
When the train arrived our little group was directed to a parlor car that had been added to the train. Cut in at the front for the smoothest ride, and they’d even cut it in between the baggage and mail car. We’d have no access to the rest of the train, but then they’d have no access to us.
“We should go find our seats.” Rarity began and started to turn to go.
“Nothing doing, you’re friends, and you can ride with us. At least just this once.” I insisted. Sweetie didn’t need to be asked twice, and Rarity had little choice once Sweetie had begun to bounce up and down.
“Come on Rarity, you’ve already lost that battle,” Lofty said invitingly.
“This is really nice,” I said as I climbed in. Railroad ponies were getting our bags for us, and a steward was there to wait on us. I went in, found myself a deluxe captain's chair on a swivel. Still though, as nice as it was, there’d been no sign of Rumble.
“This is really something.” Rarity said as she moved further into the car.
“I’m glad you like it.” Offered the voice of Prince Blueblood from the far end.
“Prince Blueblood,” I said in a casual tone. “By what do we owe this pleasure of thy company?”
“Oh my, a Prince.” Rarity said softly.
“And do remember to address me appropriately.” Prince scolded.
“His name is Prince,” I informed Rarity. “He’s the son of Duke Persnickety and as such only gets a courtesy title of Lord Prince Blueblood of House Platinum, and if we are to hold to formalities address him as Young Lord Prince Blueblood. Whereas Cadance, Sunset, and myself are addressed as Her Royal Highness and Ma’am thereafter. That is if we are to hold to formalities. Personally, I prefer being called Miss if we don’t have to be formal and all traditional. I just don’t feel as though I’m old enough for ponies to be Ma’aming me.” And if I really wanted to push Prince Blueblood’s buttons, Cadance’s cutie mark identified her as the rightful sovereign of the Crystal Empire and could by rights be addressed as Her Majesty.
“Well, I suppose that does get rather cumbersome,” Prince admitted. “As to why I’m here, it was because of the threat. I realize you don’t have an issue mingling with the commoners, but with the possibility that one of them may be an assassin, it became necessary to separate the four of you from the general public.”
“No doubt some pony on the payroll of some unnamed noble.” I offer dryly.
“No doubt,” Prince replied. “Put simply, the four of you represent an obstacle to some pony's ambitions. And if I am, to be honest, I can’t imagine that even the worst of the nobility would be so boorish as to publicly post warrants of assassination. I also can't help but think it's some pony on a personal vendetta.”
It struck me that Prince Blueblood could be so, I want to say cynical, but the reality is he was actually well informed and surprisingly capable in a crisis. It was enough for me to have my own little existential crises.
Rarity seemed to be having some sort of existential crisis of her own.
“And our excitable friend is Miss Rarity Belle Bouffant,” I offered.
Rarity gave me a puzzled look. “Bouffant is my mother’s family name but in truth, I seldom use it,” She offered.
“Young Lord.” Luna offered to Prince. “I don’t believe we’ve met yet. I’m Princess Luna. At your service, as it were. That or your pleasance. I imagine it all depends on whether you prove to be friend or foe,” She made a slight, but courteous curtsy. “Rarity dear, when dealing with the nobility it is generally wise to use the surname that caries the highest social status. I’d meant to ask you if you’d be using your family name or your father's when you register Sweetie for school?” She then directed Rarity to a seat and every pony was soon seated.
“I’m related to the Bouffants?” Sweetie said a gasp from her seat.
“Well, she’s got until she signs her enrolment forms.” Lofty offered as she found a place to sit.
“Oh darling, Sweetie has already applied, and I used both names on the application.” Rarity offered. “I know full well how to play the system. And no, Mother doesn’t talk about our family ties. And considering that I was nearly as bad as that little Miss Rich in my foal hood, I think I can understand why. It would have likely gone straight to my head and in some ways, I was probably worse than Miss Diamond.”
“Hey, look, some pony just got flattened by security,” Sunset announced as she looked out the window. A moment later we were all looking out the windows.
“Nova, what are you doing?” Lofty asked as I slid a window opened and thrust my head out.
“Don’t hurt him, that’s my colt friend!” I shouted. A broad smile formed on my face at the sight of his wings popping out hard enough to cast off the two guards who had him pinned.
“Wow, I guess he is Wonderbolt material,” Spitfire said. Lofty and Cadance were trying not to laugh and failing at it miserably.
“Sure, if he can control that while he’s in the air,” Cadance announced with a lilt to her voice.
“Rumble! I’ll see you at Flight Camp!” I call as the train began to move forward. He sat up, I waved, and he waved back.
“Good bye Rumble!” Scootaloo and Sweetie called.
“Your Highness, if you could possibly pull your head back in?” Our Steward pleaded. “It’s not safe.” His name tag read Stewart.
“Oh, sorry,” I replied and pulled back in. I waved one more time, and the window was closed leaving behind a young colt who wasn’t quite sure if he should be happy or sad.
“Oooooo,” Scootaloo said as her eyes caught the passage of the landscape beyond the windows. She jumped from Spitfire’s back, I caught her with my magic, and her little wings started fanning desperate to propel her in the direction she wanted to go. To everyone's amazement, it was actually working.
“Is she flying?” Cadance asked.
“Not exactly.” Sunset offered as her mind put two and two together.
“I’m not exactly holding her stationary.” I offered. Scoots was so fascinated by what she was seeing outside she was oblivious to being in the air. As for Sweetie Belle, she looked like she wanted to join Scootaloo in bouncing about the car but the presence of Rarity was keeping her in place.
Scootaloo proceeded to scamper about looking out the windows, and otherwise exploring, and then suddenly bounced my way to tackle me. One would hardly think we were physically the same age, more or less.
“Hey?!” I protested as Scootaloo gave me a hug.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice the assist,” Scootaloo offered.
“True, your magic is really stable,” Sunset offered.
So Scootaloo and me turned our deluxe chair so we’d be ninety degrees to the length of the car and gazed out the window. Something I’d learned while on a train in the human world if you have got the luxury of a bed on a train you want that bed that goes across the car and not the one that runs the length of the car. The same holds true for the seats. This way the gentle rocking motion of the train will relax a body. Sleeping with the length of the car gives the sensation of someone pitching the bed one way and then the next. Sure, it’s not as pronounced in a chair, but the side-to-side motion is still there.
Scoots was soon asleep making me think she’d likely been up all night. I’d have to wake her when we were offered lunch. I could only imagine what inedible delights they served only for my internal record to scratch violently at the announcement they had fish. Fish and chips.
“I’ll have the fish,” I said. “It’s not hay fries, is it? I’m afraid I can’t eat the things. At least not if I’m going to be confined in an enclosed environment where no pony can flee for their life. Too much roughage all at once.” Hay fries were the epitome of junk food and might just as well be little adobe bricks for all my gut was concerned. What they were was straw cut to length, rolled up into a batter to make little sticks, and deep-fried. I did try them once just to be polite. I thought they were quite nasty and let's not get into what they did to me.
“Oh no, Ma’am, these are dandelion tubers sliced lengthwise, lightly seasoned, and cooked in the oven. And we’ve dandelion tea to complement it.”
“Oh yes please,” I replied sounding quite delighted. Getting Ma’amed was something I was just going to have to get used to.
“You can make fries from dandelion tubers?” Rarity asked.
“Oh yes, and they are quite delightful.” Lofty replied and asked for some for herself. Minus the fish. Dandelion seemed the treat for the date as the others had delightful dandelion salads with chips on the side.
“I’ll have the hay fries and burger!” Scootaloo called out causing the rest of us to laugh. “What?”
“You were asleep,” I offered, undoubtedly with a smirk on my face. I’d forgotten to wake her.
After lunch we amused ourselves with tabletop games that consisted of boards with holes for pegs and dice. One was supposed to be hoof ball, another tennis, bowling, golf, and a derby game. There wasn’t any strategy to speak of, roll a die, and move a peg. I ended up playing the derby one against Prince, and just to make the derby one more interesting we decided that to win, we had to land on the start hole or start over.
At least we’d gone as far as the mountains by the time we’d grown bored with the games.
Maybe Prince wasn’t so bad after all.
“G-g-gah!”Scootaloo protested on spilling her drink on herself.
“I’ll get her.” Lofty offered as she got up.
“ We have a changing room, the last room on the right,” Stewart offered.
“I can take care of myself,” Scootaloo protested.
Lofty returned a short time later with a fresher Scootaloo who was now intent on exploring every square hoof of the car.
“You just let her run around?” Prince asked as though Scootaloo was a toddler.
“Well it’s not like there’s anyone she can pester, and it’s best to just let her get it out of her system,” I offered. “Your parents were strict with you I gather.”
“They still are,” He replied with an eye roll.
“Scootaloo isn’t really at an age where being strict for convenience's sake is going to be worth it. Granted that technically I’m the same age, but then I come with a package of experiences she just doesn’t have.” I offered. “We did manage to impart on her -” I had to catch Scootaloo with my magic as she began to tumble out of a chair. True she was going to have to learn sooner than later, but not today. Spitfire looked like she was about to take a dive to try to catch Scootaloo.
“I managed to impart on her the importance of sticking close when we are out and about,” Spitfire offered. “Wouldn't do to get separated in Canterlot. I’m going to try to calm her down a little at a time.”
I’m pretty sure Apple Bloom would not have been all over the car like that, Sweetie was behaving herself, but then again, Scootaloo had been allowed to run around like a wild child what with her parents never being there for her. To say that she was borderline feral would be putting it mildly.
And then Scootaloo remembered the view. Which was decidedly different now than when she’d taken her nap. To my bemusement, and what I hoped was private joy, Scootaloo came bounding over to me and snuggled up to me while looking out the window. There she stayed transfixed by the view until we arrived at Canterlot. What can I say, she was growing on me.
“Why are we headed down a different track?” Lofty asked as we pulled away from the mainline.
“There is a secure platform down this line, Mam.” Stewart offered.
“I suppose that would make sense.” Lofty replied to him. “Ms Brightwing, did they say who was being targeted, or am I to assume all three fillies are being targeted.”
“The threats were made against Princess Sunset Shimmer.” Stewart offered apologetically. “Some pony seems to have gotten it into their heads that they need to punish her for the fact that she exists.”
“What? Not me?” I asked with bravado. Poor Sunset’s ears had dropped down.
“Something tells me they are a coward.” Silvereagle offered. “No one wants to risk the wrath of a filly who not only took on a guard single hoofed but can open a trap that not even Celestia can get out of.” She’d finished off with a wink as if to try to lighten the situation.
“And if Cadance had let go, I’d have been stuck in that thing too.” I pointed out.
“Let go?” Stewart asked.
“I opened the trap, and Cadance held it open so I could retrieve Princess Celestia and Sunset. It was a team effort,” I provided. He seemed to have an aha moment. After all, what good was a trap that could be opened from inside?
Meanwhile our train was pulling into what looked to me like Platform nine and three quarters. I couldn't help but wonder if one were to set a portal here, would it open into Kings Cross Station? How fun would that be, and how confused the Harry Potter fans would be if they came through to the station to find they’d been turned into ponies? How nettled would Dumbledore get if we could but poach Harry Potter?
No matter, we’d a gantlet ahead of us. The train had come to a stop and now we were wondering how this was going to work.