- - - Day 6 pt 1 - - -
Luna looked down over the city as she banked towards home. The sun was not due to rise for another three hours, but she was overdue for a hot bath. Somewhere between the night court and the emergency trip to the Everfree, Luna had picked up a kink in her neck that was quickly turning into a full-blown headache.
“Owlbears,” Luna mumbled, while trying to rub her neck and fly at the same time. “Tenacious creatures.”
Lining up with the balcony, Luna began her descent. The sight of Clover watching her from the railing confused her for a moment. Veering a bit to one side, she landed next to him. A raised eyebrow asked what she could not with words. She knew well that neither her sister nor Merry were awake at this hour, but baggy eyes, and listless movements, told her the colt had been struck sleepless again.
Clover recited something in a humorless sing-song voice. He grinned like one having just told a joke, but the smile faded at her lack of response. With a sigh he turned and continued looking over the railing. Sitting next to him, she joined the silent vigil over the stars and city lights. It was a nice view, and she didn’t feel right leaving the insomniac foal alone in the night. The quiet didn’t last long before chattering teeth interrupted the silence.
Opening the balcony door with her magic, Luna motioned with her wing for him to come inside. Following him into the great room, they both sat down near the fire. Clover allowed the heat to warm his coat, while Luna fetched the iron tea kettle full of steaming water that Merry Hearth always kept there for her at night. She decided her bath could wait for a little while. Some hot tea would do them both good, then she could put the little one back to bed, and she could get her much-needed soak.
Luna rubbed the nagging muscle with her hoof while her magic pulled the tea service down from the mantel. Perusing the selection of loose tea, she settled on the same calming herb mix she had used last time she had found the colt awake and listless. Luna smiled as she added the tea to the kettle’s scalding water, wondering if this was going to become a ritual between them.
Waiting for the tea to steep, Luna looked at the red embers that marked where a proper fire had been hours before. She turned to fetch fresh wood from the corner of the room, but hissed when the movement tugged at the knot in her neck. The reaction did not go unnoticed by Clover, who watched her with interest as she floated a few logs onto the coals.
By the time the new logs had started to burn, the tea had cooled to a drinkable temperature. Clover seemed thankful for the added warmth, but he also seemed fascinated with Luna’s attempts to soothe her tense shoulder and neck. Sitting in silence, they sipped their tea and watched the logs burn. She was happy to see Clover had gotten better with holding things: he still had to use two hooves to hold the cup, but that wasn’t uncommon for his size. Setting her own cup down, she offered the kettle to Clover for a refill, which he accepted with a little nod.
The tea seemed to be working its magic on Clover, but it had done little for Luna’s now borderline migraine. It felt like if she could just pop something, it would all come loose. Shuffling off her regalia, she lay on the hard floor. Rolling onto her side, she tried to see if a little pressure and twisting would do the trick.
It was an undignified pose, but she didn’t care. This was her home, her shelter from the public eye; she’d run around with her tail up if she wanted to... Well, if there wasn’t a foal in the house.
Two tiny hooves touched her, one against her shoulder, and the other on her withers. There was a gentle authority to the colt’s touch; some aura that told her to relax. She let her body obey as the little hooves began kneading and pressing her muscles. If her nephew wished to give her a back rub, she would be happy to accept it.
His hooves worked their way from withers to ear with a pleasant, brisk massage. Then he changed position to start over again. This time his hooves moved slow and thoughtful, and with all the weight his frame could muster. The little hoof tips pressed with surgical precision, blurring the line of pleasure and pain, till Luna could only say that it felt.
When Clover’s hooves took hold of some strange point in her neck, her world almost went white from the sensation. She lay there, not sure if she wanted to giggle in pleasure or cry in pain. Motionless, Clover held the grip as his hoof sank into where she knew the muscle attached to bone. Within a few heartbeats the pain was winning the struggle. She flexed her foreleg to move, but a calm “Shhh...” from Cloved stopped her.
The muscle twitched, shuddered, then released the tension it had been holding; taking with it the headache that had been plaguing her. A giggle escaped her as the sensation washed over her.
Clover echoed the laugh; taking his hooves from her, he stepped back into her line of sight.
“Thank you,” she said, watching the curiosity that was Clover sip his tea.
Sitting back up, Luna tested her neck, moving it through its range of motion. She might have a bruise in the evening, but to be rid of the knot, she’d call it a fair trade.
Her attention came back to Clover when he let out a slow yawn. He had a drowsy look to him now. Standing up, she nudged Clover to follow her. “Let’s get you back to bed.”
Clover followed her with heavy hooves, climbing into his bed as soon as they reached it. He seemed perfectly content as she tucked him in. For a moment, he was just a happy foal, safe in his bed. Luna watched him close his eyes, and snuggle into his pillow. She could feel sleep wash over him. Sitting perfectly still, she watched him fall asleep.
Her magic touched Clover’s mind. His will reacted faster than ever to her presence; his time with them had made it sharper. The iron door to his dreamscape was shut tight, and the slightest effort to open it made the construct grow chains and locks. Pulling the effort back before she woke him, Luna quietly left the room. So many questions would be answered if he would only allow her into his dreams, but she would have to wait. He would grow comfortable with her mind’s presence in time; or not.
Walking into her room, Luna again flexed her neck, testing to see if the knot had truly been banished. There was still some tenderness, but the knot was no longer there. Though she still believed a hot shower was the first thing she needed. The skirmish in the Everfree had left her smelling more of sweat and trees than her preferred scent of jasmine. After the shower, a nap would pass the time till her sister woke up.
- - -
Luna awoke when the dawn nagged at her. Shuffling onto her hooves, she dismissed her moon before opening her door and stepping out into the hall. Across from her, Celestia had also just stepped out of her room. Celestia gave her a crooked, sleepy smile, before mumbling out, “Good morning.”
Wandering into the kitchen, Luna began her ritual of making coffee, while Celestia rummaged the pantry for cereal. Weekends were Merry’s time to relax as well, leaving the sisters to fend for themselves. They both considered themselves good cooks, but mustering the effort was another matter.
“How was your night?” Celestia asked, pouring marshmallow-speckled cereal into bowls for the both of them.
“Hectic,” Luna answered. Lighting her horn, she pulled down three coffee cups. Setting them on the table, she blinked at the one Clover had taken to using. She had pulled it down by habit, without him even being up yet. “Clover was awake when I got home again.”
“Oh?” Celestia asked, looking from the cereal, to Luna.
The click of a door, and the sound of little hooves on hardwood drew their attention to the hallway. Celestia pulled down a third bowl, and filled it too.
“Yes,” Luna poured coffee for the three of them. “He gave me a massage.”
A bit confused, Celestia floated the cereal and a milkbottle onto the table. “He did?”
Luna trickled milk over her cereal, watching it absorb some of the color. “He was quite good at it; more than natural talent would account for. He has been trained.”
“Oh?” Celestia watched Clover float clumps of dry cereal into his mouth, chewing it with a distant look in his eye. When Luna sat the milk bottle down, she started to add some to his bowl, but he waved it off. “Do you think...?” Celestia let her voice trail off as the added milk to her own cereal.
“No, I do not.” Luna sipped at her coffee. “Not now anyway. It was a thought for a moment, but such things leave scars: we would have noticed. I do not question that he has suffered some trauma, but not of that kind.”
Celestia nodded. “There was an airship in the harbor, the day Clover showed up. I think it was from the lands south of Minoa.”
Luna nodded. “Otto seemed to think he was from Artiodactyla, but that land is bad for a pony’s health, the air and ground are soured to us.”
“Poisoned to keep you out,” Discord’s voice corrected. Sitting in the middle of the table, with the box of cereal already in paw, he crammed his taloned arm shoulder deep into it, in search of something. The extra length of arm the box could not account for emerged from Clover’s bowl; the disembodied claw reached blindly in every direction.
Clover bolted from his stool, barking out something in his language. He paused a few steps away looking to Celestia and Luna, searching for a reaction. Celestia forced herself to smile and seem happy to see Discord. Whatever reaction she had, Clover would assume he should have the same. She found it odd that she was more inclined to frown at her son than Discord at the moment. Whatever he had said, she was pretty sure it was something she should scold him for.
“If you knocked on the door, would it unmake you?” Luna asked.
“Never tried; don’t intend to find out.” Discord withdrew his arm from the box. Much to his dismay he found himself eye-to-eye with a very angry and very familiar bunny. Cramming the rabbit back into the box, he fished around some more before pulling his claw back out. Pleased to see the cereal’s toy this time, he examined the colorful little prize he had found. “Meh… I already have this one.” With a shrug, he sat the toy next to the bowl Clover had been eating from.
“What do you want, Discord?” Celestia asked, keeping her expression happy, and tone sweet, in spite of herself.
Discord straightened his posture. With one hand on his chest, and the other held up in oath, he spoke, “Nothing more than to be introduced to the heir apparent. And honest, nothing up my sleeves this time.” Discord made a point to show that indeed, nothing was in the sleeves of the fillyscout uniform he had donned at some point. “It’s a shame I have to rely on Rarity to tell me what’s going on up on this mountain.” With a snap, a formal suit appeared on him. “If I hadn’t needed a new suit for one of dear Fluttershy’s tea parties, it may have been weeks before I found out. But as it was, Rarity was all too happy to tell me about the young prince-to-be.”
Luna sighed. “I had a long night, and only a short nap. I will be in my room should you need me.” With coffee and cereal in levitation, Luna left the room.
Jumping off the table in a puff of smoke, Discord landed on the floor shrunk down to Clover's height. He started to move towards the colt, paw outstretched, and joy-buzzer at the ready, but Celestia’s magic yanked him up into the air. Before he could blink, Discord found himself nose to nose with a smile that could blister paint off the wall.
“Think very carefully, Discord,” Celestia said through smiling teeth. “Contrary to legend, I do know where the Sun Spear is, and it is not so far away.”
Discord let out a nervous laugh, as he resumed his normal size. “I take it now isn’t a good time for introductions?”
Releasing Discord, Celestia took a step back to look for Clover. She was happy to see him still beside her, apparently not too frightened by the scene, and trusting her for protection. Sitting on her haunches, Celestia put on her best formal air. “Discord, this is Clover. Clover, this is Discord,” she said, waving a hoof from one to the other, and back.
Clover looked from Celestia to Discord, an expression of disbelief on his face. “Hello,” Clover said, not bothering to wave.
While watching Celestia from the corner of his eye, Discord gave the colt a timid wave. “Hello,” he repeated back.
Clover’s posture straightened, and his eyes focused on Discord as if by will and not their natural reflex. It was an expression of one forcing clarity past fear. The expression did not go unnoticed by Discord, who gave the foal his full attention as the colt started chanting the sounds of his strange language at him. The cadence and expression needed no translation, he was asking “Do you speak my language, can you understand me?”
“Have you heard that before?” Celestia asked.
Discord hummed and scratched at his chin, before mumbling something.
The light of hope sparked in Clover’s eyes, and he responded with another phrase that was gibberish to Celestia. She wasn’t sure, but she felt like Clover had switched to a new language. Again Discord spoke, but this time Clover slumped in defeat, shaking his head.
“I see...” said Discord. Looking from Clover to Celestia, he paused, giving her a look of deep contemplation. It was an expression she wasn’t used to seeing from Discord, and it unsettled her.
Nodding to some unasked question, Discord sighed. “I do owe you a rather large favor.” Pulling a coin out of his left ear, then a second from his right, he pondered the two coins with a scowl. “But I’m a few bits short.” Looking to Celestia, his expression perked up. “Ah!” Reaching out, he pulled a third from Celestia’s ear. then a fourth, fifth, and sixth—all tied together with a series of rainbow-colored cloths.
Clover chuckled at the show, while Celestia rubbed the spot where Discord’s magic had touched her. It always left a numb tingle she found more annoying that she should have.
With a poof, the colored cloths vanished, leaving only the coins. Reaching down, Discord pressed the coins into Clover’s hooves, then mimed for him to toss them to the ground. With a shrug, Clover started to obey, but Discord’s paw stopped him mid-motion.
Leaning close to Clover, Discord blew on the coins in the colt’s hooves. “For luck,” Discord said.
Clover and Celestia rolled their eyes in unison.
Once Discord backed away again, Clover tossed the six coins to the ground. As soon as the coins landed flat, Discord pulled a tome from someplace and began consulting its pages. Looking from the coins to the book, he flipped from one page to the next before finding what he wanted.
Celestia twisted her neck to read the cover of the book Discord was holding. “Is that the Book of Changes? How did you get that?” The quiksilver lettering on the spine answered the question for her; it was indeed the artifact she had assumed lost over a millennium ago.
Discord ignored Celestia. Instead clearing his throat; he read from the book in a quiet mumble that Celestia couldn’t quite make out.
Turning the page, Discord paused just long enough to meet Celestia’s eyes: she had the same look of confusion as he did. Returning his attention to the book, he continued reading, but silently this time.
“Interesting...” Discord drawled, scratching at his chin. He was snapped out of his pondering when the book’s quiksilver lettering began to fume. Snapping it shut, he let it fall to the floor. Seconds later, the tome was a puddle of cold metal on the floor.
“What did it say?” Celestia asked.
“Oh you know, just the usual vague ramblings of prophecy.” Ignoring the spent artifact on the floor, Discord paced over to the ice box. “Shattered winds, the value of wisdom, stand ready to chose the mountain upon which you lay your heart—that sort of thing.” Pulling out the orange juice, he drank straight from the bottle
“Interesting indeed. I don’t suppose you’d elaborate more,” Celestia said, leading Clover back to his breakfast. Looking behind her, Celestia watched the puddle evaporate to nothing. She couldn’t help but worry about where it would reform next.
Discord shrugged. “I may be able to learn where he came from, but do you want me to?”
The will to speak left Celestia’s breath. Did she? She had been searching for answers just hours ago, but what would happen when she found them? It could very well mean losing Clover. If he had a rightful place, she could not deny it to him. If he had been the victim of great wrongdoing, did she truly want to know? Her anger had once left a scar so deep in the soil that an entire civilization still shuddered at her name.
But truth was truth. She would not cloud her eyes in ignorance. “If you can, then do. I will consider it a personal favor.”
Discord nodded. Setting the bottle back, he vanished as he had appeared.
- - - x- - -
Celestia looked over the scattered puzzle pieces on the table. Finding one that she could use, she floated it into its place.
“Your turn,” she said.
Clover hummed as he scanned for one he could use. His magic picked up one piece, then another, before finding one that fit.
Jigsaw puzzles were a wonderful way to pass a quiet morning, and an excellent way for Clover to practice his magic. Smiling, Celestia picked up one of the flash cards Green had made, and held it out for Clover.
“Gwy,” Cloved said, correctly sounding out the syllable.
Celestia nodded. They had been at this for an hour now, sipping coffee, taking turns adding pieces to the puzzle, and drilling the flashcards. She had decided to start with just eight letters, let him get confident with those, before adding more. He was getting them right more than wrong now, so she added two new cards to the mix.
Looking over the table, she found another puzzle piece and added it to the growing image.
Clover had already spotted his next piece, and added it with his magic the moment Celestia's left hers. Seeming pleased with his quick and accurate placement on the puzzle piece, Clover sat back and waited for the flashcard.
This time Celestia held up one of the new letters, causing Clover to scrunch his face in confusion.
“Eng,” Celestia pronounced, then let Clover repeat the sound.
Setting the card down, she started to take her turn at assembling the puzzle, but a knock at the door made her look up to the clock; it was almost two.
“Coming,” she called. Standing from the kitchen table, she walked to the vestibule. Opening the door, she found Spike on the other side. “Hello, Spike. Come on in,” she said, stepping aside for him. Looking down the stairs, she searched for Twilight’s father. “Where’s Night Light?”
“He ran into Star Light in the lobby. Those two guys can talk about astronomy for hours, so I decided to head on up.”
“Oh my.” Celestia hid her smile with a hoof. “You may need to borrow the broom, to chase them out.”
Spike laughed. “I’m sure Clover and I can drag him out.”
“What play are you seeing?” Celestia asked. She turned to fetch Clover, but found him already trotting into the room.
“The one about the prince that gets turned into a duck.”
“Oh, The White Duck. That’s a wonderful play; beautiful dancing.” Turning to a confused looking Clover, Celestia motioned for him to follow her. Heading down the stairs towards the lobby, she rested a wingtip on his back as she made small talk with Spike.
Stepping into the lobby, Celestia passed her door guards, giving them a nod of recognition. The sound of her bare hooves against the marble floor reminded her that she had left her regalia in its stand. She laughed inwardly, she almost never left her home without the regalia of state on her, but here she had done it twice, in as many days.
In the center of the room, Night Light and Star Light eagerly engaged each other in a conversation she could only just follow; completely oblivious to her presence. Celestia smiled; they were used to the ring of her golden shoes; she was as good as invisible without them.
Off to one side, three foals were entertaining themselves by investigating every little corner and piece of decor in the room.
“Who are these little ones?” Celestia asked with her warmest voice. Her question startled the foals for the briefest moment, but their curiosity returned in a heartbeat. Bright eyed, they scrambled to Night Light’s side, and watched her.
"These are my friends," Spike said with pride before Night Light could answer.
"Their families live on our street," Night light added. “Fusée, Vellum, and Burnish Bright,” he said, pointing to each foal in turn; who gave her a proper bow at the sounding of their names. “Primrose will be joining us too, but she’s helping her father at the moment.”
Celestia smiled at the little ones. They seemed well behaved. She even knew Vellum by name; the first son of one of the college's librarians. Turning her gaze to Spike, she gave him a mock-serious expression. “I’m trusting you to look after Clover. Can you be his big brother for the day?” Celestia knew very well the seed she had planted in Spike’s head.
Spike returned the expression, puffing out his chest, and saluting her. “You can count on me, Princess.”
After a bit of introduction and pantomiming, Night Light and Celestia got the idea across to Clover that he was to spend the day with them. He seemed reluctant at first, but Spike’s presence tempered his anxiety, and he eventually consented to following the group away from Celestia’s presence.
When the door closed behind them, Celestia let her eyes drift up to a patch of black on the ceiling. A moment later one of Luna’s Night Guard drifted from the magic shadow, and onto the floor.
“At your command, Princess,” the burly bat-winged stallion said.
Celestia eyed the pony for a moment. Luna had changed their uniform just a bit, but it was still archaic. “My sister asked you to help?”
“We were told to make ourselves useful while Clover’s personal guard was off shift.”
A smile wiped away the frown Celestia didn't know she was making. She had planned on getting Stone Fruit and Messer to escort Clover for the day, but Luna’s guards could watch him while remaining invisible.
“I do not want them to know they’re being escorted. I want them to feel normal. Only interfere if you feel it is absolutely necessary.”
“Yes, Princess,” he said with a bow, then flew off as silent as a soft wind.
Walking back to her suite, she paused before the two Day Guards posted by the stairwell. “Let Stone Fruit and Messer know they have the day off. I’m letting the Night Guard escort Clover. If they complain, tell them to go to the hospital, and read to some patients.”
“Yes, your majesty,” the two said in unison.
Halfway up the stairs, Celestia looked back to the lobby. The desire to go follow them nagged at her, but Clover needed room to grow.