Well buck me, I didn't think she would catch up so quickly.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this Princess Twilight,” I said to her, bowing my head. “I really hope you didn’t come here just for me, as a Princess of Friendship, you surely have more important things to do?”
She scowled at me, taking a breath before she responded, “I cleared my schedule for the next few hours, just for you,” The unicorn guards around her stared me down intimidatingly as she took a step closer to me. “I really hope you don’t plan on fighting your way out of this one, Azure,” she said, sticking her chin up, but I still saw uncertainty in her eyes.
“I have no desire to have pain inflicted upon myself at this moment in time, Princess Twilight,” I said as I started moving towards the streets, “but I do hope we can continue this on the way to finish my business at hoof.”
Princess Twilight opened her mouth, perhaps to order me arrested, but nodded instead. She motioned for the guards to follow alongside us. We walked down Restaurant Row towards the residential districts, our group silent until I broke the tension.
“Princess Twilight, I’m sure you’re very uncertain about me,” I said while looking back at her. “So why don’t we turn this into a game?”
She looked at me with a small frown. “What kind of game would that be?” she asked.
“It’s the easiest way to get to know someone in a short amount of time, I call it the Question Game,” I said looking back at her. “We take turns asking each other whatever we wish, and there is only one rule.” She raised one eyebrow skeptically, but said nothing, so I continued. “The only rule is that you may not lie when asked a question. You may refuse to answer, but then you have to do a dare.”
Twilight huffed at me, then after a pause said, “If it will make things easier, then yes, I agree to your game.”
“Fantastic," I said, giving her a smile, "I will go first to start us off.” I thought for a moment, deciding to ease her into it. “What is your favorite food?” Princess Twilight blinked at me, before giving a small snort and smiling.
“I really enjoy pancakes, especially when my friend Pinkie Pie makes them,” she said sincerely.
“Fair enough, I’m glad I just ate, or I would be craving pancakes myself now," I said while laughing. “Your turn to ask me a question now, Your Highness.”
“Alright then”, she said as she placed a hoof to her chin, the group stopping to let her think. “Where did you learn to fight like that?” She asked curiously.
Harder questions right off the bat, I see. “That’s quite a long story, so I’ll give you the short version for now,” I said. “I was bullied a lot when I was a colt—particularly by my brother. There were a few colts and fillies that gave me a hard time in Canterlot, especially after I showed interest in studying magic. Trouble always seemed to find me after that I suppose," I said, and then turned my head to watch her reaction.
She processed my answer for a moment, and then asked in a confused voice, “You were picked on for trying to study magic?”
I held up a hoof at her inquiry, smirking, and then reminded her, “One question at a time, Princess Twilight.”
She blushed momentarily, then said, "I am sorry, Azure, please ask your next question.” She looked at the ground, perhaps embarrassed, waiting for me to continue.
“Thank you, Princess Twilight," I said while trying to sound encouraging. “As for my next question, how did you become the Princess of Friendship?”
She started to reply, and then stopped to gather her thoughts. After some contemplation she said, “It’s actually pretty complicated, but like you did, I shall tell you the abbreviated version. I was assigned to study the magic of friendship, in a town called Ponyville by Princess Celestia, after my friends and I conquered the evil of Nightmare Moon.” She looked up into the sky, maybe picturing the events she was describing, and then continued, “After many trials, the bonds that I shared with my friends only grew stronger. Then one day, I accidentally set off an unfinished spell, written by Starswirl the Bearded."
I looked back in surprise, I hadn’t heard any of Starswirl’s unfinished works being released.
“I’m guessing Celestia gave you the spell,” I said with mild irritation.
“Yes she did, maybe she thought I would find it interesting,” she said, shrugging at me. “It definitely did cause some interesting things to happen, swapping the cutie marks of all my friends. When I figured out the other half of the spell, I met with Princess Celestia in a different realm, before being changed into an alicorn.”
And I’m sure it was just a coincidence that Celestia happened to find the spell, and then gave it to Twilight—knowing nothing of what would happen. “Alright Princess Twilight, it’s your turn to ask me a question,” I said while turning the corner onto a new street.
She smiled at me, and nodded, then said, “Thank you, Azure, and please just call me Twilight if it makes you feel more comfortable — all my friends do anyway.”
I stopped to consider the implications of her statement, “Thank you, Twilight, now I shall await your next inquiry with baited breath," I said with an exaggerated voice.
Twilight giggled softly, “You would get along great with my friend Rarity. She has a flair for the dramatic, and an affinity for gemstones, just like you.” I touched my collar reflexively, and then relaxed. Twilight didn’t seem to notice and continued uninterrupted, “Alright, for my next question, where did you get that mask?”
"Oh, the one that almost got me skewered earlier?" I jested at her. She blushed with embarrassment, and then nodded to me. "It was made for me by a zebra, who had become a good friend. I was traveling through zebra tribes, trying to inquire about an old ruin. I had seen details of such mentioned in some old texts. But the locals became nervous after I mentioned the ruins, and it didn't take long before I felt unwelcome in their village."
I thought back to small tribe, the buildings were only little shanties, and tried to remember where I first met my friend. "That's when Ravé, a young timid zebra, approached me after others would not. He was very quiet at first, being that I was a stranger. But with some patience, we both got to know each other quite well. When we parted ways, he made me this mask as a sign of friendship, and to show the zebras that I was protected by the spirits."
I turned to see Twilight listening attentively, then nodded at her to show I was finished. "Okay, thank you for sharing that story with me, I guess it's your turn to ask again," she said, waiting for my next question.
I nodded and then looked straight ahead, steering our path to a park ahead of us. "Do you think Princess Celestia has ever lied to you, or misled you at some point?" I asked in a neutral tone. I stopped walking when I didn't hear steps behind me.
"Why would you ask me that?" Twilight said confused, giving me a look of concern.
"It's my turn, Twilight, you can ask me that afterwards if you wish," I said.
She stopped, and then closed her eyes. I watched her curiously, her guards pretending not to hear us. They had been a silent partner to our whole conversation, and feigned deaf now that we were on a topic of interest. Twilight took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes, meeting my gaze with a neutral expression.
"I don't think Princess Celestia has ever lied to me, at least not when I asked her a direct question. However, perhaps there may be things she hasn't told me, but only because she cares about how I might be affected," she finished carefully.
Who is she trying to convince, me or herself?
"It seems you really believe that, so for your sake, I hope it's true," I said without sarcasm.
"Why do you have a grudge against Princess Celestia, Azure?" she asked me.
I stopped walking and looked back her, "That question will have to wait, Twilight, until after I finish my business with my brother. We have arrived at my first destination, and I would like to get this over with, sooner rather than later," I said, my left eye twitching. Twilight looked at me with concern, but nodded to me.
"Alright, we can continue later then." Twilight walked next to me and then turned to the unicorns behind her, "I want all of you to stand guard and await our return here." They saluted her smartly, and then took positions to either side of the small staircase in front of us.
I walked up the stairs, up to the maple-colored door and raised my hoof to knock. I hesitated, looking to the side at Twilight, before taking a breath and rapping my hoof against the door three times.
"Hey," Twilight looked around, "this place looks familiar somehow."
The door opened partway before she finished looking around, and then a blue unicorn stallion peered out at me. When he recognized me, I saw his facial expressions change multiple times, before settling on neutral. I thought I saw irritation and concern in the mix, but I couldn't be sure.
"What could possibly have been horrible enough to make you visit my home, Azure?" he said. I felt the spark of a familiar anger inside me, but I doused it with force of will. Remember why you're here, Azure.
"I have something for you, and I would like to get a few things off my chest as well," I said while keeping eye contact.
"Fine." He opened the door wide, and then stopped, his mouth falling open. "Twilight, what are you doing here?" he said in complete bafflement.
Twilight shifted her gaze at the question, and then her eyes went wide. "Dad? What are you doing..."
I swear I could hear the wheels turning inside her head.
Night Light skipped the question she would most likely ask next by simply stating, "Twilight, this is your uncle, Azure Sparkle."