The following morning saw us, Celestia, Mom, Cadance, Lofty, Holiday, Sunset, Scootaloo, and myself gathered around a table enjoying pancakes that Aunt Tia had made herself.
“Princess Celestia,” Spitfire said shortly after entering the room and standing at attention. “You wished to see me first thing this morning?” She hadn’t put her uniform on because she wasn’t scheduled for anything that day.
“Oh stop, we are all family here, relax, sit down, and have breakfast with us,” Celestia bid as Scootaloo ran over and hugged Spitfire
“Yes ma’am… now hold on, should you be calling me family?” Spitfire protested. The rest of us had stopped eating and were gazing back and forth at the two.
“Scootaloo, Spitfire’s father, Sunset’s as well, is Mr Cutter from the gem shop you went to. It’s public knowledge that he’s Spitfire’s father, and if any pony says anything it could place him in considerable danger.”
Scootaloo nodded, closed her mouth her jaw having dropped at the news, and swallowed hard. Spitfire relaxed her stance, and walked around the table, Scootaloo sat back down in her seat and Spitfire took a vacant seat that was right next to her.
“Well it’s only fair she knows who’s to blame for that horn on her head,” Celestia offered. “So how was your night?”
“Pretty mundane once we’d found all the creatures little Moonie left in our wake yesterday afternoon.” Spitfire offered “I turned in shortly after midnight when Commander Mouse took over. I’m to understand there were some arrests in Ponyville last night which may or may not be related to the hit put out on Sunset. Commander Sparkle will be in later this morning to explain the situation further, but from what was relayed to me, Specialist Rainbow Dash was on duty at the Guard Station yesterday afternoon late to cover for the individual who would normally have been on duty. No word on why they weren’t there.”
“What? But Rainbow Dash is the Captain of the Weather team?” Scootaloo asked.
“She’s actually a specialist and not an officer. Captain of the weather team is just a title that goes with the job. It is a leadership position and I understand that she often covers for any members of the guard who need to be out for any reason,” Spitfire explained. “And when she’s fully armored you wouldn't even be able to recognize her.”
“Na, she’s got a very distinctive voice,” I offered. "She’d actually joined the night watch a couple of times outside Lofty and Holiday’s home."
“I never knew,” Scootaloo said quietly. “No wonder she sleeps so much in the daytime, she’s been working at night.”
“Most of the weather control is done at night too,” I offered.
“So what happened?” Celestia prompted.
“Well, apparently a rather inebriated Mrs Spoiled Rich stopped off at the Guard Station to complain about Sunset. Things were said, threats made against Sunset as well as the guard, and Specialist Dash saw fit to detain her given the alert. She was charged with public drunkenness, causing a disturbance, threatening members of the guard, and threatening members of the Royal family.”
“Wow,” Sunset said in a soft tone that indicated that she was having a hard time processing what she’d just heard.
“Commander Sparkle arrived on location a short time later and when he was attempting to sort out Mrs Rich, Mr Filthy Rich showed up and attempted to bribe him,” Spitfire added.
“So now he’s been arrested as well,” Cadance added with a smirk.
“He is at that,” Spitfire replied with a grin.
“Sounds like Shining Armor will make a perfect replacement for Captain Quartermane to take over the Captaincy of the Royal Guard,” Celestia mused.
“You’re not firing Captain Quartermane because of last night are you?” Cadance asked.
“I’m going to pretend last night never happened, he doesn’t need that on his record,” Celestia offered. “Still though, if he’s to advance his career it’s time he moved on.”
“So how did you know we weren’t in any real danger last night?” I asked.
“I knew the moment I saw Moonie in filly fun mode,” Celestia replied with a smirk.
“Did they say what is going to happen to Diamond Tiara?” Lofty asked.
“All I know is that Foal Protective Services were contacted,” Spitfire offered.
“She’s being raised by the maid and the butler as is,” Scootaloo offered. “What? It’s true. I’ve spent enough time without my parents to recognize when some pony’s parents are never there. The vast majority of the time the only ponies looking after her are the butler and the maid, and they can’t really do a whole lot about her behavior because they’d get fired.”
“And she will probably blame me after what I said to her,” Sunset offered as she sat back a bit. “Just one more pony who will want me dead.”
“Sunset, if I am to be honest,” Cadance began, “the majority of the ponies that you wronged don’t hold any grudge. Those that do, don’t want you dead, and they are too smart to even think about putting a hit out on you.”
“Oh no, of course, they wouldn't want me dead,” Sunset replied. “That’s not how Canterlot politics works. Far more satisfying to watch me squirm or worse yet, manipulate things so that I’d have to swallow my pride and go to them to ask for support for something I want.”
“Can’t say that doesn’t happen,” Celestia offered. “It’s a game though and you’ll never truly lose in that game so long as you remember to never take anything personally. Over the years I’ve seen the worst of political rivals become best of friends.”
“Right now all I care about is undoing the damage I did and maybe mitigating some of the damage done by others,” Sunset offered. I was actually thinking of using the bulk of my allowance to invest in some pony who could convince the Apples to sell to them instead of the Rich family. That or leverage the Rich family into buying apples at a fair market value. All that’s changed now, I guess.”
“Excuse me, Princess Celestia,” Raven called softly from the door.
“Yes, Raven?” Celestia asked.
“Captain Quartermane is here, and has news regarding the individual who put out the hit on Princess Sunset.”
“Well this is good news… I hope?” Celestia responded. “Do send him in.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Raven replied, turned, and retreated in the direction she’d come. A couple of minutes later a gray stallion with a white mane cut into a flat top and a tail equally short entered the room and bowed. His guard uniform gave no doubts that he was a pony in charge.
“Princess Celestia, Princesses,” Captain Quartermane offered and remained in the bowed position.
“Please rise,” Celestia bid. “What news do you bring?”
“A subject was identified early this morning,” Captain Quartermane offered on straightening out. “A middle-aged mare, pink coat with burgundy and magenta striped mane and tail. She was identified as a Mrs Daisy Bellis Woods.”
“Oh dear,” Celestia said softly.
“I don’t remember anyone called Daisy Woods?” Sunset asked confounded.
“And what of Mr Woods?” Celestia asked softly.
“Sister, do you know them?” Luna asked.
“Just one more example of where I horribly misjudged a pony,” Celestia replied. “This was never about sunset, not directly, no.”
“Who are they?” Sunset asked.
“Sunset, they were your foster parents. They had given me to believe that they could handle a troublesome unicorn filly. In truth they lied to me to get the money,” Celestia informed everyone. “Captain, do you know where they are now?”
“Mr Woods is in custody for questioning. He may even be innocent. He’s presently married to a Miss Chestnut and says he hasn’t seen Daisy in several years. As for Ms Daisy, she made a break for it, we tracked her to the Pegasi neighborhood in the upper Northwest reaches of Canterlot, she charged past the guards at the checkpoint, and then we lost her.”
I really felt like I was missing some important bit of information at this point though I can see from Aunt Tia’s expression that she really didn’t need any more information.
“So, are you still looking for her?” Sunset asked.
“Sunset, she was an earth pony,” Celestia informed us.
“Pegasi neighborhood?!” Scootaloo exclaimed as the implication hit.
“I hope we can reconcile with Diamond Tiara someday,” I offered quietly. “Say, if the lock-down is going to be loosened up I’d like to go see how Sweetie Belle is holding up over at the fashion seminar.”
“So where is it at?” Celestia asked.
“They said it was at the school,”
“Which school?”
“CSGU. You know, your school,” I offered.
“No, just testing to get in next year,” Celestia replied. “There really shouldn't be anything else scheduled right now, not even at the college. And we should probably get the three of you some identification so that we don’t have a repeat of last night.”
“Last night?” Captain Quartermane asked.
“Cadance, Sunset, Nova, and Scootaloo somehow managed to goad the guards downstairs into a game of tag,” Luna offered. “That was the gist of it, was it not Celestia?”
“That was about it,” Celestia admitted. “Oh, and Nova’s Moonie too. Seems she can make herself filly-sized now.”
“That’s not something you did?” I asked.
“No, I didn’t do that either,” Celestia admitted.
“Don’t look at me,” Luna offered. “And you know who had that stone first.”
“So you think it’s the stone doing it?” Celestia asked.
“Should I be concerned?” Captain Quartermane asked. “That thing isn’t dangerous is it?”
“Well of course she’s dangerous, but only to creatures that threaten Nova or any pony close to her,” Luna offered. “Aside from that, I wouldn't be too concerned.”
“We think it’s some small portion of our mother’s memories which resides within the structure of the large green gem in Nova’s amulet along with her personality,” Celestia offered. “It seems to be acting like a spirit medium of some kind.”
“That sounds like that’s a little outside of my pay grade,” Captain Quartermane offered.
“Alright then, Captain, if that’s all, you can go, but I’ll expect a detailed report later when Commander Sparkle gets here, and I think he is due an advance in rank to captain.”
“Yes Ma’am,” Quartermane offered, made a polite bow, turned, and exited.
“Cadance, do you have an identification?” Celestia asked.
“It’d be in my room.”
“Make sure you get it right after breakfast,” Celestia said in a way that left little to interpretation.
“I don’t actually have one,” Luna offered. “I stole one belonging to a maid.”
“Well then, Holiday and I can tail Luna and the fillies down to get identification tags,” Lofty offered.
“Oh, and let’s look in on Sweetie Belle after,” I suggested.
“I’ll have to go as far as the ID tags so I can sign for Scootaloo,” Spitfire informed Celestia.
“Feel free to spend the whole day,” Celestia replied.
“I am going to need a nap at some point,” Spitfire admitted.
“Then we’ll book a nap in the greenhouse upstairs,” I offered. “Is there a greenhouse upstairs?”
“Yes, there is, and it can be accessed via the stairs in both the Solar and Lunar apartments,” Celestia offered with a smile. “I never changed that portion of the keep save to make it nicer.”
I couldn't help but go over to Princess Celestia and give her a hug. A short time later after we had brushed our teeth, combed our manes, and tails, and otherwise made ourselves presentable we headed downstairs to the office that provided badges for everyone with access to the Keep. Which was, fortunately, within the grand keep itself.
“So, if it’s not asking too much, which one was being targeted?” Asked a cheerful office worker named Sungift. She was a soft blue unicorn with an auburn mane and tail.
“That would be me,” Sunset offered. “I seem to remember you as someone I owe an apology to as well.”
“Wait… Sunset? You are the same Sunset who made my first year of school life miserable? You haven't aged. Is that because of what happened to you?”
“Yes. I wanted to say that I’m sorry about everything I said and did,” Sunset replied.
“Don’t sweat it,” Miss Sungift offered. “In hindsight, while it wasn't appreciated at the time, it helped prepare me for ponies who think I should be able to fix problems that are outside my jurisdiction or give them access to areas they aren’t authorized.”
“Would it be imprudent of me to ask why someone who went to CSGU is working in an identification office?” I ask.
“You’d be surprised at how sophisticated the spell in the identification tag needs to be, and it has to resist tampering,” Miss Sungift offered.
“Ah, that does make sense,” I replied.
“Would you believe the mare responsible for yesterday’s drama had been Sunset’s foster mother?” Luna asked. “I understand they offered to take care of her, dumped her in an orphanage, and continued taking the money that was intended to be for Sunset.”
“Wow,” Sungift said softly. “Everything’s looking up now. You’ve got a real family now.”
“She sure does,” I offered and gave Sunset a hug. “She’s got a mom, an aunt, I’m her cousin, Cadance is her cousin, and this here,” I shifted to Scootaloo giving her a hug. “This is Scootaloo and her mom is Commander Spitfire. You’ll be seeing a lot of them because we are just like family, aren’t we?”
“Yes, Auntie Nova,” Scootaloo teased. I couldn't help but laugh. Mom nearly opened her mouth to correct Scootaloo but thought twice about it. After all, Luna was Scootaloo’s great-aunt, but they couldn't let that kind of info slip.
“Lofty and I are your aunts though,” Holiday offered. “And as Nova’s guardians that kind of makes you two cousins.”
“Oh, yes of course,” Luna concurred with a big smile.
“And the stallion they sold that huge gemstone to is my father” Spitfire offered.
“Small world, isn’t it?” I offered
“Does he even know?” Scootaloo asked. “That I’m his granddaughter?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Spitfire offered. “He might still have some pictures of you as a baby, but short of the only reason he’s even in Ponyville was to keep an eye on you. I’d have to say I doubt he would have recognized you because neither of us had much interaction with your father.”
“We’ll just have to change that,” Holiday offered. “To think there was a member of the family in Ponyville we didn’t even know about.”
“Now, how can I help every pony?” Sungift asked.
“There was a little incident last night owing in part because several of us don’t have proper identification,” Luna informed Sungift. “To include, embarrassingly enough, myself.”
“Princess Luna, you need an identification?” Sungift asked.
“Not every pony knows me, and my moon medallions don’t command the respect they once did.”
“Dare I ask what happened last night?” Sungift inquired.
“Some of us got into a hall chase scene with members of the guard because they didn’t recognize us,” I supplied.
“And your pendant should have prevented that from happening,” Luna protested. “Still though, Tia got a good laugh out of it.”
“Oh. Alright. Um, Princess Luna…” Sungift began
“I liberated one from a maid,” Luna offered sheepishly. “Yes, I know she got into trouble because of it. I made sure to let her supervisor know I was the one who had it. They let me keep it after that.”
Sungift had a bemused look on her face. “I don’t understand?”
“I’m more comfortable having my meals in the staff dining room,” Luna offered.
“There was no segregation a thousand years ago,” I explained. “Everyone behind the walls was either family or allies. Back then you’d be family regardless of whether you were related to any of us or not. And we all ate at the same table, guards and nobles alike. Granted it was a big table and ponies had their place at the table, but there were very few who didn’t use the same table.”
“Even the lowest scullery servant got a place at the table if they wanted,” Luna offered. “The only requirement is that they be bathed before coming into dinner.”
“I never knew that,” Sungift remarked.
“Sitting in a fine dining room with a bunch of dandies takes a bit of time to become accustomed to,” Luna offered. “Back then my sister would have thought it the height of decadence.” She lowered her voice, “I lavished the adornments on my chambers and drawing rooms so I could show off to foreign diplomats. I saw it as a way to demonstrate wealth and power. Celestia did not approve. A thousand years later I find that somewhere along the line she figured out why I did that and started doing it herself.”
“The dwelling of the leader of a nation reflects on the nation as a whole, doesn't it?” Sungift replied.
“It does,” Luna offered. “Now, about those identifications?”
“Right, who all is going to need an identity tag besides Princess Luna?”
“Nova, she’s my daughter,” Luna offered. “She’s more or less authorized to go anywhere she wants so long as it’s not inherently dangerous.”
“Scootaloo will need a pass that will get her on and off-post plus a guest pass here in the keep. Any time I can’t look after her, her aunts Lofty and Holiday look after her regardless of where they need to be,” Spitfire added. “And of course, Sunset needs a palace pass.”
“You and Sunset aren’t related are you?” Sungift joked.
“She’s my little sister,” Sunset offered in a deadpan tone.
Sungift looked back and forth at Sunset and then at Spitfire a bit as she made some mental calculations. “I’m not saying a word.”
“That would be a good thing,” Spitfire offered. “We worry about what ponies would do to Sunset’s father if they knew who he was.” An evil smile crept up on Spitfire’s face. “Not so much Scootaloo’s father.”
“Mom!” Scootaloo protested. “OK, sure, he’s got his faults, and just dumps me on Aunt Lofty and Aunt Holiday whenever I’m not convenient, but there is some small part of him who cares about me and I’d be sad if anything were to happen to him.”
“Do you understand how dangerous some of his adventures can be?” Spitfire asked. “Just the fact that he put the house up for rent suggests he was worried that there was a possibility he might not come back.” There is a moment no one dares to say a thing. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, I kind of know about the sort of things he does. Traipsing off into uncharted jungles,” Scootaloo replied. “I figured it out some time ago. I mean, ya, I know. Every time they take off to go somewhere I’d count the days till I got a letter, and then I’d know they were OK when they sent the letter. The biggest thrill of my life is getting that letter that says they are on their way home.”
“Ya, sorry. I kind of know what that’s like.” Spitfire replied and gave her a hug.
“All-righty then, moving right along, let’s do Princess Luna’s identification card first. Princess, if I can get you to step right this way, cutie-mark, a white crescent moon, distinctive features include a black Appaloosa cap, wings, and horn. Fully functional I assume on both?” She had Princess Luna stand on what looked like a combo scale, scanner, and camera.
“Oh yes, fully functional. Granted that I’m nowhere near my peak,” Luna offered. “I expect I’ll get taller as well.” In truth, her present height was fairly average.
“Coat color grayish-blue, main and tail color light azure,” Sungift offered. No, her mane was not all cosmic just yet. “Canines, moderately large for a mare.”
Sungift did her thing and a few moments later Luna was done and I was next.
“Distinctive features, large canines,” Sungift gave me a funny look.
“Normal for her type, you should have seen the ones on her father,” Luna offered.
“I imagine they’d have to be quite large to have dared a princess of Equestria,” Sungift said with a smile.
“Well, it’s not like he was lacking in any departments,” Luna added with a grin.
“Alright, I think we’ve heard enough about father’s attributes,” I protested.
“What?” Scootaloo asked.
“You’ll understand when you are older,” Spitfire offered.
“Why do ponies always say that?” Scootaloo protested.
“Trust me, it’s better this way,” Sunset offered. She had a look of annoyance on her face. That or it was resting bitch face. So hard to tell with her.
“Black on the top of the muzzle, stalkings, backs of the ears and tail tip,” Sungift continued. “White coat, mane and tail, vermilion and purple stripes in the mane, purple and vermilion feathering at the base of the tail. Wings and horn, functional or non-functional?”
“Functional,” I offered.
“Fully functional?” Sungift asked.
“She can fly and is proficient in beginner magic,” Lofty offered.
“Can fly and proficient in magic.”
Next came Scootaloo.
“ You’ve got a horn as well?” Sungift asked.
“Yes,” Scootaloo replied as she hung her head down.
“ None of that now,” Sungift scolded softly. “I’m assuming you’ve no magic and can’t as yet fly. Trust me, I’ve seen a few like yourself. It’s just going to take a little longer.”
“Like I haven't heard that before. Nova can fly and use magic.”
“I was also born over a thousand years ago and got blasted by the elements of harmony,” I counter.
“Just so you know, I did not list Princes Luna as an alicorn on her identification,” Sungift announced. “Princess Cadance isn’t listed as an alicorn on hers, and I’m not listing Princess Nova as an alicorn either. No pony gets listed according to what they look like in regards to what they may or may not be. A good friend of mine was just like you, her parents and the other adults around her all said she wouldn't be able to do anything and that she was going to be handicapped for life. And then one day her magic kicked in. In fact, her ability got her into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“What about flying?” Scootaloo asked.
“I’m guessing you’re a driven little filly and considering who your mother is, you are going to be one of Equestria’s top fliers even if she has to strap artificial wings on you.”
“Damn straight,” Spitfire announced in agreement.
“What I am telling you,” Sungift continued. “It’s not my job to decide who is what. When a pegasus comes in here I list wings as a distinctive feature. When a unicorn comes in here I list that they have a horn. For all I know, Princess Sunset is a wingless alicorn. Nor should you come to the conclusion that you will never fly just because you can’t fly right now.”
“Ha, wingless Alicorn,” Sunset mused. “Hang on, I seem to recall some pony else making that suggestion not too long ago.”
Scootaloo’s smile perked up. After all, her grandmother was Princess Celestia, and maybe that meant it was just going to take a little longer. Princess Celestia was well over a thousand years old. What then was ten or eleven years? It was nothing, barely a drop in the bucket.
“Would it be possible to register Nova’s amulet?” Luna asked a moment later. “It’s one of my original prototypes and it’s calibrated so that only she can use it.”
“I think we can manage that,” Sungift offered and asked for me to hoof over the amulet.
Moonie decided to make an appearance, on my head no less in her more diminutive form, at that very moment.
“Oh my?” Sungift said.
“Moonie, behave,” I admonished as I took the cord on which the amulet was hung off my neck and passed it over.
“Is that, is that a guardian?!” Sungift asked while gazing at Moonie, her eyes wide in wonderment. “I thought they were only theoretical?”
“She’s a one-of-a-kind, so far as we know,” Luna offered. “And to be honest I was being influenced while not yet fully possessed by the shadow which eventually took control. That is to say, I can’t really be sure how I made her. My sister and I can tinker with the spell-work, but the full matrix of the spell has grown beyond our understanding.”
“The theory suggests that such a warding spell would eventually become self-aware,” Sungift offered as she delicately took the amulet in her outstretched hoof rather than risk a reaction to her magic. She placed the amulet in an identification tag scanner, Moonie glided over and landed on top of the scanner looking back and forth at me, Sungift, and what she intended to do.
“Given the stone I used,” Luna said with a smile as we watched Moonie’s curious behavior,” I would not be one bit surprised.
“I’d say both those stones have some interesting properties,” Sungift offered as Moonie jumped down onto the scanning surface. “Here now, don’t be getting into there.”
“Keep in mind that her true form is the pendant,” I offered just as Moonie’s fur went poof. Moonie stood there like she wasn’t too sure what just happened, shook herself, picked up the amulet with her mouth, and brought it back to me.
“Hang on, I wasn’t done,” Sungift protested.
“Looks like she’s decided that you are,” Luna offered. “Was that strictly a passive scan?”
“Well, that is…”
“Messing about with other pony’s magic can be dangerous you know,” Sunset chastised.
“All I was doing was probing her matrix,” Sungift offered. She took a look at the data she did get. She only got a glance when her processor overloaded and the system crashed.
“That does not look good,” Lofty offered.
“So, did you get anything?” Luna asked.
“The scan overloaded the memory matrix,” Sungift said softly. “There was too much data. My supervisor is going to kill me.”
“Tell them you’ve been given Princess immunity, I never should have let you try to scan that with ordinary office equipment,” Luna offered.
“But it’s not ordinary office equipment, it’s state of the art!?”
“Am I going to have to pay for that?” I ask.
“No, dear, it’s my fault, I should have stuck to a passive surface scan,” Sungift admitted. “Everyone’s done now so you can all go.”
“Thank you,” I offered just as another office worker entered the room.
“Why do I smell smoke?”
“I’m sorry sir, I pulled a Twilight,” Sungift admitted as we filed out.
“Pulled a Twilight! Oh my gosh!” I say on my way through the reception area my pendant plus my new identification tag hanging from my neck.
“Hang on, I don’t have an I-D tag yet!” Sunset protested.
And then we had to stop and turn around … only … the machine was busted and Sunset was forced to use a temporary VIP visitor pass.