//------------------------------// // Chapter 35: Celestia gets a little hot under the collar. // Story: I am my own OC // by KittyrinnAiko //------------------------------// I will have to credit the staff for meeting us at the doors with lots of towels. Towels to wrap up any pony who looked even remotely wet, towels to create a path for us, and towels to clean up after us. A short time later we were all clean, dry, and in place just in time for the luncheon. Granted that Dash was a little confused as to how she’d ended up invited as well. Not that she minded. “Not one word to Rarity,” Dash whispered to Scootaloo who was a little confused concerning Dash at a fancy luncheon. “I may have stated that I don’t like this sort of thing, but I actually do.” “Rarity would have you doing tea parties every day, is that it?” Scootaloo asked. “Morning, noon, and night,” Dash admitted. “Too much of anything will spoil it.” “Princess Celestia,” Mrs Glory Rose Blueblood began in such a way as to be sure to catch every pony’s attention. “I was wondering if you were aware of the incident involving a group of pegasi frolicking in the big pond that borders the government buildings and the lower royal apartments?” Apartments for high ranking nobles but not royal. “I must confess, I’ve not heard a thing,” Celestia admitted. “I heard about it, quite scandalous,” Mom offered with false pomp. “Indeed,” Cadance offered. “Why the perpetrators should all receive a good dunking.” “My uniform is still drying from the first dunking,” Dash protested, and then let out a gasp as Spitfire elbowed her. “Right, dunked, they should all be dunked.” Princess Celestia was now looking at us with keen suspicion. “So how is it I missed out?” Celestia asked. “Weren’t you holding the morning session of Day Court?” Mom asked. “I was, but tell me, weren’t you going to go over to the school?” “We did at that, but apparently Nova can’t test because we never received our confirmation.” “Confirmation?” Celestia asked. Clearly, it was the first time she’d heard of it, but the various matrons at the luncheon presently bragging that their grand foal had received their confirmations gave evidence enough that such a thing was happening. “A Miss Ditsy Hooves hasn’t brought it by has she?” Lofty asked. “Without it, we couldn't even get in the door.” “I seem to be out in the cold this winter as well,” Sunset offered. “I just don’t seem to be on the list, and we ran into a number of ponies down by the tour meet-up area who’ve had the same thing happen. Ponies are coming to do testing and being told they have to have a confirmation letter. I thought confirmation letters weren’t supposed to go out until after testing?” “They’re not.” I’d a distinct feeling that there’d been a rather large solar flare erupting from the sun at that moment because it had gotten really hot. “Sister… Princess Celestia…” Celestia’s eyes shifted to see that it was Luna who’d spoken, and she was looking very nervous. I imagine I’d as likely had the same look on my face. “I... I’m sure it’s just some sort of misunderstanding. Maybe they had so many applicants they had to schedule them?” Mom offered. “Yes, of course, I’m sorry,” Celestia replied as the immediate vicinity around her began to cool down. I couldn't help but feel that Celestia was likely aware of something that I knew nothing about because I’d never seen her quite that angry. And it was more than just heat as she’d allowed her spiritual pressure to flow unchecked for the briefest of moments. Something that had undoubtedly contributed to the soiling of several seats around the long table. “I’m sorry,” Celestia repeated and then explained. “It’s just that I’m constantly having to deal with individuals who keep trying to subvert the school for gifted unicorns into some sort of status symbol for the foals of the nobility.” “Is that how Twilight hatched Spike?” I dared to ask. “It is at that,” Celestia replied. “After Twilight hatched Spike, I personally interviewed every student they’d approved and found that not a one required specialized instructions.” I assumed she meant that every last one could have attended any school with a magic program and been fine. “I set up the school to help foals who were prone to dangerous surges of manna or who’s raw power posed a danger to themselves and others.” Celestia continued in her explanation. “Obviously I need you at that school since you’ve already shown a proficiency and power level well beyond any foal your physical age possesses. I imagine that your level of maturity is playing a role in that. Twilight proved herself to be prone to massive power surges, and if she had gone to a normal school it could very well have ended in bloodshed. The egg that Spike the dragon had been hatched from was at the time being used to justify denying entry to students deemed unworthy without regard to whether or not the individual was in need of specialized instruction. I expelled every last new entry, fired the ponies who had been responsible, and word had to be sent out to schools across Equestria to be on the lookout for foals who would truly benefit from the specialized instruction that is provided here less there be another disaster...” She took a breath and let it out slowly. “Subsequently it has become something of a sore subject for me. It’s a problem that comes up with every other generation.” “She means me,” Sunset offered. “I was the disaster. I was living in an orphanage. Ponies didn’t give me half the credit I deserved and frequently dismissed me as a pony who would ever amount to anything. A teacher liked to harass me by making me levitate heavy objects. Heavier and heavier objects. Never once did it occur to her that I shouldn't be able to do what she was making me do. She’d make me stand up in front of the class lifting some heavy object while berating me. And then I lost control. Both emotionally as well as my manna flow.” “She left a crater where her classroom had been,” Celestia said softly. “A lot of foals had been critically injured, they locked her up and when I went to confront the monster as she was being called, I came face to face with my own daughter. She never should have been in that classroom. She never should have been in that orphanage. I made sure the media got the full story and let them go on about how a gifted filly who should have been at my school so that she could learn how to control her magic had instead been dumped by uncaring foster parents who were just working the system.” “And then that mare wanted vengeance on Sunset for her own decisions,” Cadance offered with a touch of distaste on her tongue. “What say we change the subject,” Mom offered with a hint of cheer. “Scootaloo made her first real flight today.” On hearing the news there was a hint of a smile on Celestia’s face. “The dunkings began when I thought Scootaloo was going to crash into Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire offered. “And crashed into me yourself,” Dash added with a smirk. “True,” Spitfire admitted. “I’m not entirely sure how we ended up with so many ponies in the drink. “Even Shining Armor seems to have been drug into it.” “He put up quite the struggle too,” Cadance admitted with a sparkle to her tone. “I imagine he’s going to spend the rest of the day polishing his armor.” “You didn’t?” Celestia asked as her sour mood shifted to mirth. “I must confess, the whole incident was completely spontaneous,” Mom offered. “One moment we are chasing after reckless fillies and the next we are all trying to get each other as soppy as we can. It was a hoot!” “I do miss all the fun.” Celestia mused, but then her mood seemed to sour again. “But how can you be so carefree given what happened at the school?” “And the tour queue,” Mom offered with a mischievous smile. “One old biddy didn’t think it possible that we might actually want a tour of the place, thought we were impostors, and called the guard on us.” “What?!” Celestia looked like she was ready to start boiling again. “Not to worry, everything worked out for the best,” Mom offered. “And why we were never too concerned over what’s going on at the school is because we all have confidence that you’ll put to rights whatever the problem is. I dare say not a one recognized me, though I can’t help but wonder if the correct image is being distributed?” “Ah… oh dear,” Celestia replied. “It’s entirely possible ponies are using an old painting that shows a version of you that is perhaps a bit more mature. I thought the side effects of the elements would have worn off by now.” “It’s entirely possible I’m going to age at a fairly normal rate. It could be another ten years at the least before I’ve returned to my pre-nightfall stature. Assuming I was ever meant to be that tall and my stature hadn’t been influenced by the Night Mare. I shall simply have to sit for a new portrait.” “Or we could just take a picture with a camera,” Celestia offered with a grin. “Camera?” I heard mom ask as she’d never heard of such a thing. Then again, maybe she hadn’t. “It’s a little box with tiny elves inside,” Sunset offered. “Sunset, have a care, she might believe you,” I cautioned. “Oh, I know the tone of one who is pulling my tail,” Mom offered with a grin. “It’s actually a device that directs light via a lens onto a thin film coated in a chemical solution that changes in shades of darkness according to the intensity of the light and the duration of the exposure. Once exposed the film is treated to a chemical bath that neutralizes the chemicals thus preventing any further exposure.” “There were quite a few ponies with camera’s at the tour entrance,” Ms Holiday offered. “Oh yes, I saw them,” Mom admitted. “Once they all realized we were the real thing there seemed to be a lot of pointing and clicking.” “What?” I asked as she gave me a pointed look. “It’ll be thine own fault if thy likeness ends up in the papers with thy tongue out.” I smile a mischievous smile. “You weren’t harsh were you?” Celestia asked with concern. “Harsh? They were far too cute in their antics for anything more than a mild rebuke,” Mom replied with a smile. “They?” Celestia asked. “A nice filly I met who’d been hoping to get into the school,” I offered. “I’ve got a hunch she has some Kitsune ancestry and her magic might be a little erratic.” I had a wickedly devious thought cross my mind. “Aunt Tia, if you were to stand in line as we did, I wonder how long it would take them to notice?” “Surely they’d spot me right away?” Celestia responded. “I’m not so sure…” Sunset mused with a wicked smile on her face. “those ponies had their noses so high in the air I doubt they ever really looked at any of us. Let's face it, our pictures have been in all the papers.” “Mostly the tabloids I expect,” I offered. “Short of they are just using file footage.” “Well then we shall just have to schedule a photoshoot,” Celestia announced. “I don’t have to get my picture taken do I?” Dash asked. “If you want to be a Wonderbolt, you should,” Spitfire offered. “Publicity shots kind of come with the territory.” “Rainbow Dash, are you going to do a pinup shot?” Scootaloo asked. “Can we not talk about pin-ups,” Dash pleaded as she began to blush profusely. “Why? You’ve got a whole room dedicated to the Wonderbolts with just about every pin-up they ever did. She’s even got Ponfred von Richthoofen.” “You’ve got a pin-up of the Red Barron?!” Spitfire asked excitedly. “Those are super rare as in I didn't think there was any outside of museums.” “Mom, didn’t you have a Ponfred von Richthoofen in the Shadowbolts?” I ask. “He was a Shadowbolt,” Dash admitted. “From way back. Many of the original Shadowbolts were immortalized in Wonderbolt memorabilia. It was a way to honor those who had faithfully served the Crown.” “Von Richthoofen was the one who came up with the concept that the Wonderbolts are modeled after. General Firefly formed the Wonderbolts, but he didn’t invent the concept,” Spitfire informed Scootaloo. “Lots of ponies don’t know that. In a way, they were the first special forces team.” “I can remember having a huge crush on him,” Mom admitted with a wistful tone. “Oh, don’t give me that look,” Now she was admonishing me. “I was still just a little filly at the time. As I understood it, our numbers were nowhere near what we would have needed to maintain a full force on the walls of the citadel, so he came out with the idea of a floating unit that could rapidly respond to any given location along the walls. After they’d trained enough ponies for a full squadron they started doing night patrols.” “I can remember him insisting on placing polished bronze covers over lamps to direct the light down,” Celestia offered. “But not all the lights, just those visible from the air. He also made oversize lamps to light up the area beyond the walls that were hidden away during the day. I never understood that.” “I get it,” I offered. “It would present an illusion to any creature approaching that they were closer than they really were. Attacking armies would misjudge the distance and likely make their move too early. Bright lights are one of the many hazards a night flier must learn to navigate.” At that point mom realized that The Barron had in fact created a killing field, and I could only wonder what was going on in the minds of a number of the weaker-willed guests at the table. We’d gone from a point where Celestia was more than likely scorching her chair, to lighthearted banter about the incident involving the pond, to talk of pinups which had somehow morphed to talk of the kill zone that surrounded the citadel that the old palace was part of. To their credit Lofty and Holiday held up well.