//------------------------------// // 9 - The Waiting Game Begins // Story: My Overbearing Aunt: Alternate Perspectives // by Sketchy Changeling //------------------------------// Rarity With the final hour of the festival upon us, Octavia, Marcus, and I took a break from the festivities, lying on the grass at the back end of the school campus. “Man, this was probably the best party I’ve ever been to,” said Marcus. “Mm-hm…” Octavia and I hummed contently. “I’m glad I’m here with you guys, too,” he told us. “It made the experiences that much more fun.” “Even the haunted house?” Octavia asked with a smirk. “Yes, even the haunted house,” Marcus admitted. I was still rather perplexed as to why Octavia was so enthralled by the attraction. I hadn’t expected her to like things like that. Eventually, the three of us were ready to head back to the festival and enjoy the last hour of it, and as we got up off the grass, Marcus looked at Octavia and me with a smile on his face and said “Man, I definitely don’t want this night to end.” I opened my mouth the say something in agreement, but I instead heard another, more threatening voice. “Too bad.” Octavia and I looked to our left and our eyes widened in shock when we saw a tall, alabaster mare with a long, flowing mane and tail walking towards us. I was very familiar with this mare, but the furious look in her deep magenta eyes almost made me not recognize her. “For you, this night ends now,” she said, although I had no idea who she was talking to. “P-Princess Celestia!?” I said fearfully. “What are you doing here?” “I came here to pick up my nephew. Apparently he thought that he could get away with sneaking out when I specifically told him not to go to this party.” Wait, Blueblood was here? No, that made no sense. What would Blueblood be doing at a college festival? I then noticed that the princess’s gaze was focused on Marcus, and when I looked at him, I saw that he was shivering like Opal after a bath, but… there’s no way that… “Marcus, she can’t be talking about you, can she?” I asked, unsure if I was ready for the answer. “Because that would mean-” “That I’m his aunt,” Celestia finished. Octavia and I looked at her in disbelief, then we looked at each other, each of us wondering if the other heard what we had heard. Celestia, Princess Celestia, was Marcus’s aunt!? Neither of us could believe it! Octavia then turned to look back at our human friend. “Is that true Marcus?” the earth mare asked. “So you haven’t told them about me, hmm?” the princess asked. “Looks like I’m not the only one you’ve lied to.” Marcus winced when he heard that, yet he still tried to defend himself. “Auntie, I can explain-” “I don’t want to hear it!” she interrupted suddenly, and all three of us winced at that point. Celestia then turned her back to us. “Let’s go, Marcus. You are in SO much trouble.” Marcus hung his head in shame as he followed his aunt off the school grounds, leaving me and Octavia standing alone in a mix of confusion, terror, and nervousness. Octavia took a moment to steady her rapid breathing as she looked over to me. “I think we should sleep this off…” Luna “Blast it, blast it, blast it!” I cursed out loud as I angrily paced around the balcony outside my room. I heard worried squeaking coming from my pet opossum, Tiberius, who stood by the balcony door, looking up at me in concern, although I was too frustrated to acknowledge him. “Curse that brat Blueblood! Why didn’t I think of him foiling my plan! Now Marcus is in trouble because of me! How could be so stupid to let this happen!?” Tiberius squeaked louder, momentarily snapping my out of my building self-directed rage. I frowned as I moved my tail over to him, the little marsupial climbing up its length to where my hand was waiting at my hip. “I’m so sorry you had to see that, Tibbles,” I sighed as I brought him to my face. “It wasn’t my intention to scare you. I’m just a little upset, is all.” My ears perked as I heard the sound of a carriage car pulling up to the castle’s front entrance, and I peered over to see Celestia and Marcus walking out, the poor boy walking behind my sister with a grim look that, despite my distance, I could see very clearly. My eyes narrowed as I shifted my gaze towards Celestia, and I could feel my body tense up with frustration. Why did she have to be so overprotective of Marcus? All this just because of a party? I could only imagine how embarrassed the poor boy was when she showed up at his school. I looked at Tiberius before walking back into my room and setting him down on my nightstand. “Now you just stay here, Tibbles,” I told him. “I’ll be back soon, okay?” While he did give me an uneasy look, he ultimately gave a conceding squeak, and I left my room, casting an invisibility spell as I shut the door behind me. I made my way down the halls of the castle, eventually catching up with Marcus and Celestia and following them as they walked. My sister ended up leading him to her room, where she opened the door and looked down at him with a cold stare. “In,” she commanded. I could feel how scared Marcus was, and I began to fear for what Celestia might do to him. When she closed the door, I made my way closer, putting an ear against it so I could hear what was going on inside. As I waited, I looked at the guards on either side of the door, somewhat concerned that they didn’t even notice an invisibility spell. Honestly, what were we paying them for? “I cannot believe that you deliberately disobeyed me, Marcus,” I heard my sister say. “I thought you knew better than that… To go behind my back like this… I’m incredibly disappointed. And to think that Luna helped you, too,” she continued. “All this effort just to go some ridiculous party.” She took a short pause before continuing. So what do you have to say for yourself?” My heart began to race. Marcus must have been on the verge of a breakdown. I’ve seen Celestia make grown stallions cry before, and she had the audacity to subject her own nephew to that same fate for something as petty as sneaking out. "All I could do was hope that Marcus wouldn’t suffer too much- “I don’t have anything to say.” I blinked. Was he standing up for himself? I sighed in relief, thankful that he hadn’t been reduced to a sobbing mess. Even as Tia stood her ground, he wasn’t fazed, and he talked to her in a surprisingly calm voice. “This just might work out,” I thought. “If Marcus and Tia can calmly talk this out, then things will be fine.” Unfortunately, I was about to find out how wrong I was, for as the conversation went on, I began to hear Celestia’s tone becoming more and more agitated, and even Marcus was starting to stir up a bit, something that my sister didn’t appreciate at all. “Watch your tone with me, Marcus!” she warned. “You think you’re grown, but you’re not! I’ve lived several of your lifetimes and I’ve seen things that you’ve never seen. I know what’s out there, and I know what’s best for you. When I tell you that you can’t go somewhere, it’s because I’m trying to protect you!” “Protect me from what!?” he asked angrily. “It was a friggin’ college party!” Oh, no. This was getting bad. Celestia hated it when Marcus swore. “I told you to watch your tone with me, Marcus. And I don’t appreciate that language, either.” “Well, if you just let me go to the party instead of locking me up in the castle all night and treating me like a damn baby, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation!” I don’t know what came over me at that moment. For a split second, I felt a terrible chill run through my body, from the tip of my horn to the end of my tail, and in that moment, I became more terrified for Marcus than I had ever been. “Alright… that is IT!!!” Celestia yelled, and the harshness she put into that last word caused a shockwave strong enough to shake the doors. The previously oblivious guards looked at the door in a combination of confusion and fear. “I’VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF THIS!” my sister’s voice boomed, the tone and distortion sounding very familiar. She… she was using the Royal Canterlot Voice! “I AM YOUR AUNT AND YOU WILL SHOW ME RESPECT! YOU THINK YOU’RE BEING LOCKED UP IN THE CASTLE, WELL I’LL SHOW YOU WHAT THAT’S REALLY LIKE! I’M KEEPING YOU UNDER LOCK AND KEY FOR THE NEXT MONTH! YOU’RE GOING TO COME STRAIGHT HOME AFTER CLASS EVERY DAY, AND YOU AREN’T TO STEP FOOT OUT OF THIS CASTLE FOR ANY OTHER REASON! STEP OUT OF LINE EVEN ONCE, AND I’LL KNOW!” There was a brief pause before she began again. “DON’T EVEN TRY TO SAY ANYTHING! YOU’RE LUCKY THAT I WAS GENEROUS ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU A MONTH AND NOT A YEAR. NOW GO TO YOUR ROOM, ORION!!!” Wait… who? Orion… it was the first time I’d heard that name. I hadn’t met anyone by the name of Orion before or after my banishment. “What did you call me?” Marcus asked, sounding just as confused as I was. There was a long moment of silence before Celestia finally responded. “Just go to your room.” I then heard footsteps coming towards the door, and I backed away as Marcus left Celestia’s bedroom. The guards looked at him nervously, agitating him. “WHAT!?” he snapped, prompting them to quickly look away as if nothing happened. Once Marcus left the hallway, Tia emerged and addressed the guards. “Send two guards to his bedroom door,” she commanded, “and let all of the guards know that he doesn’t go anywhere in this castle without an escort, understood.” “Yes, princess!” they said in fearful obedience, and my sister went back into her room, shutting the door behind her. “You know who this ‘Orion’ fellow is?” asked the guard on the left. “How about we just forget what just happened altogether…” answered the one on the right. The left guard looked at his fellow soldier for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea...” he said as he took out a small radio to alert the other guards. Meanwhile, I made my way down the hallway, following Marcus back to his bedroom, but when I got there, I saw that two guards were already posted at his door. “I think it’s time for a little nap,” I thought as I cast a sleeping spell, causing the guards to drop like flies. We really needed some better soldiers. I shook my head as I walked into Marcus’s room, hoping to cheer him up at least a little. SUNDAY Octavia Rarity and I couldn’t sleep after what had transpired last night. The shock of finding out that Princess Celestia was Marcus’s aunt was apparently a lot to take in. Eventually, after trying and failing to get back to sleep, Rarity and I decided to simply sit on the couch and drink some tea to calm our nerves. We’ve been up since five in the morning. “I’m not sure what I’m more surprised about,” said my roommate, “the fact that the princess is Marcus’s aunt, or the fact that he kept it a secret from us.” I took a sip of my sweet tea as I pondered her observation. “I don’t know, Rarity. He was usually quite open with us. He never came off as the type who would keep secrets.” “It just goes to show how someone you think you know can still surprise you.” “Are you mad at him?” Rarity took a moment to answer. “A little. Knowing that Marcus kept this from us makes me feel like he couldn’t trust us. I don’t know if I’m taking this too personally, though.” She let out a sigh. “What about you?” I pondered the question for a moment. How did I feel about it? “I can’t really find a word to describe how I feel,” I sighed. “I don’t really feel the same as you. I’m sure Marcus had a reason for what he did, but I’d be lying if I said that I’m not curious as to what that reason is.” “You and me both,” said Rarity. *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* My ears twitched as I head those knocks on our door. “Who is it?” Rarity asked. “It’s Marcus,” we heard from the other side. The unicorn looked back at me. “Should we?” she asked softly. “We did say that we wanted to know why he kept this secret from us,” I reminded her as I got up from my seat. “Whether we’re mad at him or not, this is our chance to find out.” Once I let Marcus in, we had him explain everything to us, Rarity was the first to ask him the question. “What I don’t understand is why you would keep this a secret from us,” she told him. “Why didn’t you tell us that Princess Celestia was your aunt? Aren’t we your best friends?” I glanced over at her, and I could tell how emotional she was getting. She must have felt more upset than she let on. “You are my best friends,” Marcus defended, “I just didn’t want anypony to know that Celest…ia was my adoptive aunt. If everypony knew that I was a royal, then they’d start kissing up to me and pretend to be my friends just so they could brag about it. I didn’t want fake friends, I wanted real ones.” At that moment, things began to make sense. While Rarity didn’t believe him at first, I realized how Marcus felt about his situation. Eventually, Rarity settled down and the air was finally cleared between the three of us. “Hopefully we can put all of this behind us and start fresh again,” I thought, “although…” I looked at Marcus with a smile on my face. “We’ll accept your apology… on one condition.” MONDAY Celestia Today was simply exhausting. I found it incredibly hard to focus on my work, as my mind kept going back to my outburst two nights ago. When I finally signed the last piece of paperwork, I slouched back into my chair, looking up at the ceiling and staring at the fan hanging from it. Without any work to distract me, I began to think back to the previous night once again. I never thought that I would ever use the Royal Canterlot Voice on someone I loved, especially Marcus. What would Maria and Hector have said if they found out that I practically screamed at their own son? I promised that I’d take care of him and that’s how I keep that promise? Still, Marcus did break my trust, and he would’ve gotten grounded regardless of whether or not I used my Voice on him. As much as I regretted using the Voice and as much as I want to take it back, he still needed to learn that there were consequences for his actions. I shook my head and got out of my chair, hoping that a walk could clear my head. As I wandered aimlessly though the halls of the castle, I came across Luna standing out on one of the balconies. I hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether or not my presence would be welcomed, but I decided to try and hope for the best. I cleared my throat as I stepped out into the sunlight. “Good afternoon, Luna.” She looked back at me, regarding me with an uninterested expression. “Same to you, sister,” she coldly replied before looking back out at the view. “Can I… talk to you?” I asked. “Depends. Are you going to use your normal voice?” “I guess you heard me, huh,” I sighed, my ears folded in shame as I walked up to her side. “One of my night guards felt the shockwave of it the other night. Since I knew that you had gotten Marcus back from the party, I put the pieces together. So much for ‘never using it on a loved one’.” “Lulu, I swear, I didn’t mean to break our promise to Star Swirl. It just slipped out.” My sister merely shrugged. “Nothing we can do about it, now. It is what it is. So, what is it you wanted to talk about?” “I’ve been thinking about what happened that night and how I should handle Marcus’s punishment.” “And?” “I wasn’t supposed to give him such a harsh restriction, but I’m afraid that if I let up now, he’ll think that I’m a pushover and act out again. I just want to know if I’m making the right decision by letting him go through his grounding.” My sister scoffed. “Well, don’t ask me. I said that he should’ve gone to the party in the first place.” Luna’s way of using her words as weapons never ceased to amaze me. “Right…” I sighed. “Well, what are you up to?” “Well, Marcus should be home any minute, so I’ll guess I’ll go down and wait for-” Her eyes widened in fake realization. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot.” “I get it,” I said as I walked off. I suppose I shouldn’t have asked for support from somepony that wasn’t on my side on the issue, but you’d expect your own sister to show some kind of understanding. I continued to wander the halls of the castle, the cool afternoon breeze doing little to ease my spirit, until I heard someone rounding the corner, and I barely held in my surprise when I saw who is was. “Marcus?” He was home already? Just how long had I been walking these halls? I noticed the absence of a smile on his face, which made me mimic the frown that was there instead. Even though I felt bad, however, I still couldn’t let him think that I was going to budge on his punishment. I took a deep breath and looked forward, focusing only on reaching the corner of the hall. I practically forced myself to use tunnel vision, blocking out anything that wasn’t my destination. When Marcus and I finally passed each other, I slowly and silently let out a breath of relief and quickened my pace a little. As I reached the corner, though, I felt the urge to at least look back at my nephew before I left. “Just one quick glance won’t hurt…” I thought. I looked back and watched as Marcus continued on, and averted my gaze once he made a left. A sigh escaped me as I began to feel bad for putting him through this. But I still had to press on. Honey Pot “So, word’s going around that Marcus got grounded,” Dusty Feather told me as she changed out of her uniform. “I heard. One of the guards told me,” I said. “She said that she felt a light tremor while she was patrolling the east wing of the castle, and she later found out that the princess had used the Royal Canterlot Voice.” I sighed as I collapsed on my bed. “Oh, my poor Marcus!” I cried. “To think that he’d end up in trouble like this. I’m sure that whatever it was, he must be innocent!” Dusty scoffed at me. “I didn’t know you were auditioning for Law and Order, HP.” “Don’t mock me,” I mumbled. Just then, an idea sparked into my head, and the cogs began to turn at full speed. “Hold on a sec! I think I can use this to my advantage!” I exclaimed as I shot up out of my bed. “Say what?” Dusty asked, confused. “Word around the castle is that Marcus is pretty much under lock and key while he’s grounded,” I explained. “I could use this time to introduce myself, get to know him, and have him get to know me.” “Don’t you think it’d be a little weird that a grown mare that’s ten years older than him would want to randomly strike up a friendship with him?” “You’re not thinking big enough, Dusty,” I said in a singsong voice. “Since he’ll be spending all his spare time in the castle, he’ll want to take advantage of his access to the maids sooner or later, and once he does, I’ll be the first one there to help out! From there we’ll start talking, and it’s all smooth sailing from there.” “I still think this is a really farfetched idea, Honey Pot,” said Dusty. I giggled, finding her doubt cute. “Oh, ye of little faith…”