My heartbeat raced as I waited for Dad to answer his phone. How was I supposed to tell Celestia that I wasn’t getting along with her sister, especially after I told her that we were best friends earlier that day?
“Hey, Celestia! Remember when I told you that Luna and I were getting along? Well, I lied!”
Yeah, that wouldn’t be the best way to break it to her.
I just had to be honest and straightforward with her, no matter how hard it would be for me to do that. I took a deep breath and waited for an answer.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Dad. It’s me again.”
“Hey, Devin! How’s it going?”
“I’m pretty much doing the same thing I was doing when I talked to you earlier.”
“Meaning nothing?”
“Exactly.”
Dad laughed at my blunt answer. “So I guess you felt like having a chat with your old man, then?”
“Actually, I was hoping to talk to Celestia again. There was something that I… forgot to tell her.”
“Okay, sure!” dad said. “Hold on a sec, champ!” He sounded almost a little too enthusiastic if you ask me, but then again, he was probably just happy that I was willing to speak with her.
After a few seconds of silence, I heard Celestia’s voice.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Celestia…”
“Hi, Devin! You father said that there was something you forgot to tell me.”
I let out a long breath. “Well, it’s not really something I forgot to tell you, but rather something I should’ve told you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked with a combination of confusion and curiosity.
“When I said that Luna and I were getting along… I lied. We aren’t getting along at all.”
“Oh…” she said disappointedly. “But why didn’t you tell me that at first?”
“Well, we were just starting to get along and I didn’t want you to think that I didn’t like Luna.”
Celestia sighed. “Devin, I’m not going to think any differently of you just because you and Luna don’t see eye to eye. While it is a shame that you two didn’t hit it off, I’m not mad at you. What made you want to tell me the truth?”
I hesitated. “I…”
“Devin, you can tell me. I promise I won’t be mad, whatever it is,” she told me with an assuring voice.
I sat on my bed and stayed silent for a moment before speaking. “Luna and I… had a fight,” I finally admitted.
“A fight?” Celestia asked in disbelief. “What happened?”
“…Do I have to tell you?”
“Devin, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what happened.”
I know she told me that she wouldn’t be mad, but she had just asked me to tell her everything that happened during my fight with Luna. I was having a dilemma. If I told her what happened, including the part where I pushed Luna, she’d probably be furious with me simply because I put my hands on her sister. On the other hand, if I didn’t tell her, then she wouldn’t be able to help me, and she’s the only one that can. Not only that, if I don’t tell her, Luna obviously will, so Celestia will find out regardless, and knowing Luna, she’ll probably make it seem like what I did was totally unprovoked.
I sighed. Unless I wanted my feud with Luna to escalate, I had to come clean.
“Okay…” I said. “After I got home from the movies, she came up to my room to check that I didn’t stay out past her five-o-clock curfew. By then, I already knew that she didn’t like me by the way she was so cold to me, so I tried to ask her why. She then told me that she didn’t like the way I was ignoring you, but she thought I was doing it because I didn’t like you.”
“So it was a misunderstanding, then?” Celestia asked.
“Right, but as she was berating me, she started to get louder. I was so frustrated because she wasn’t giving me a chance to explain myself, so… I raised my voice at her.”
Celestia continued to listen.
“We started yelling at each other, and I said some things that I shouldn’t have, until I just started venting my frustrations at her. When I was done, she called me a selfish brat and then…”
“And then what?”
“Well, she said something…”
“What did she say?”
“You’re going to think it’s stupid.”
“I won’t Devin,” Celestia promised. “You have my word.”
“Well, I have this stuffed bear that my mother made for me when I was a kid, and Luna saw that I had my crown on his head. She called the bear a ragged child’s toy, and I got mad and shoved her out of my room.”
“You shoved her?” Celestia asked.
“I know, I know, I shouldn’t have done that, but I was just so mad!” I explained. “Luna insulted something that was really important to me, and I just reacted in the only way that I thought I could. She just kept going at me and I couldn’t take it any-”
“I understand.”
I stopped abruptly. “What?”
“I said I understand, Devin. I’m not saying it was right of you to retaliate like that, and you shouldn’t have raised your voice, either, but Luna was at fault, too. She shouldn’t have instigated the confrontation in the first place. I’m disappointed in both of you.”
“I’m really sorry, Celestia.”
“I know you are, Devin. I’m just glad you decided to be honest with me. I’ll try to talk to Luna and see if I can sort this out. In the meantime, just try to stay out of her way, okay? Luna tends to dwell on things like this when they happen.”
“Okay,” I said.
“I’ll talk to you later, Devin. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed, and then I lied on my stomach, looking at Misfit.
“You’re not some ragged child’s toy,” I told him as I held his foot. I then looked at the crown on top of his head. It was weird; when I looked at Misfit, I thought of Mom, but when I looked at the crown, I thought of Celestia.
Celestia…
I kept thinking about the talk we just had. The way she spoke to me, and the way I spoke to her…
It reminded me of whenever I’d talk to my mom.
Celestia had the same firm-but-fair tone in her voice, the same patient attitude when she listened to what I had to say, and when the conversation was over, I got that same comforting feeling that everything would be taken care of, and that I didn’t have to worry about a thing. I never realized how similar Celestia was to my mom.
Maybe that’s why Dad loves her so much…
This day was definitely bittersweet; while I did just have a falling out with Luna, I felt as though I was getting closer to Celestia, despite the fact that we weren’t face to face.
Eight-o-clock had rolled around, and as I sat on my bed, still playing video games, I felt my stomach rumble. I looked outside and saw that the sun had set and the moon was high in the sky.
“Dinnertime already?” I said to myself. I paused the game and stood up, stretching my arms. “I’ll be back, Misfit,” I told him as I walked out of my room. Once I got out, I decided to take a different route to the dining hall.
I lived in this castle, after all. I might as well learn the layout of the place.
I began my trek and hoped to God that I wouldn’t get lost.
The route that I took led me to the part of the castle that faced away from the mountain that Canterlot was built upon, giving me a gorgeous view of Equestria. I took it in for a brief moment, but then my stomach rumbled again.
“Okay, I get it,” I thought. “Food first, view later.”
I continued down the corridor on my way to the dining hall, but then I heard a voice that made me instinctively duck to the ground.
“And then he just pushed me while my back was turned and slammed the door on me! The nerve!”
That was Luna’s voice, no doubt, but where was it coming from?
I looked around and saw the princess in question on one of the castle balconies. She was using her magic to hold up a large hand mirror in front of her, and she looked like she was talking to it.
“She’s talking to her reflection? It’s official. She’s crazy.”
But then, I heard somepony’s voice coming from the mirror itself.
“And that justified the fact that you rammed his door after he pushed you?” the voice asked.
Was that… Celestia?
“All I did was say something about that stupid toy of his!”
“His mother made that toy. It’s important to him.”
“Why are you taking his side!?” the younger sister argued.
“I’m not taking anyone’s side. Both of you were wrong.” the older sister rebutted.
“How was I wrong?”
“Well, first you stormed up to his room to make sure he didn’t miss some ridiculous curfew that you made for him, then you implied that he wasn’t worthy of being a prince-”
“Because he didn’t respect his title!”
“Luna, I didn’t make him a prince just because I was married to his father. I felt as though he deserved the title regardless of that. Are you saying that I made a foolish decision?”
“No! I would never-”
“But enough about that, let’s get back to the matter at hand. So, you disturbed Devin for no reason, you personally insulted him, and then you started going on a rant about how he didn’t like me or our family and how he was a ‘selfish brat’.”
“I wasn’t the only one ranting! Devin is just as guilty of that!”
“I never said he wasn’t, and he was wrong for doing so, but there is a saying: ‘When a cat is cornered, it will scratch the even the fiercest dog’. Devin wouldn’t have yelled at you if you hadn’t kept prodding him. No matter how you felt towards him, the fact remains that he’s mine and Calvin’s responsibility, not yours. You shouldn’t have taken matters into your own hands.”
Luna gritted her teeth and groaned in frustration. “For Tartarus’s sake, Celestia! Where is your self-respect! That boy has been ignoring you and treating you like a dog since he’s been here! There was no way that I was just going to stand by and let him do that!”
“Sometimes inaction is the best action, sister.”
“This is not one of those times! Honestly, Tia, why do you put up with him?”
“Because that’s what a mother is supposed to do, Luna!” Celestia shouted, making me and Luna flinch. “I endure it because I’m trying to make a connection with him, and I want him to finally see me as a mother! I can’t just ignore him!”
“And why not?”
“Because the last time I ignored someone I cared about, I ended up having to banish her to the moon!”
It was at that point that Luna stopped arguing, that last statement hitting her hard. She stood there silently for a few moments, and during that time, Celestia simmered down.
Luna looked up at her sister. “Tia… I was only trying to defend you…”
“I know you were, Lulu,” she replied softly, “but I’m trying to get Devin to accept me, and you scaring him hasn’t been helping. Besides, he’s been through a lot. It’s only natural that he doesn’t take to the idea of me as his mother right away.”
Luna said nothing.
“You know,” Celestia continued, “the reason why I believed that you and Devin would be friends is that you both have a lot in common.”
“We do?” Luna asked.
“Of course. For one, you’re both quiet and introverted. For two, Devin would do anything for his father, just like you’d do anything for me. And lastly, it’s really hard to get either of you to open up.”
Luna reflected on this for a moment and sighed.
“After all this time, Devin is finally giving me a chance, and I’m asking you to do the same for him,” Celestia told her sister. “Can you do that for me?”
The younger alicorn let out another sigh. “I’ll talk to you later, Tia,” she said as she put down the mirror. I immediately ducked out of sight once she did so, and I went back the way I came so she wouldn’t see me. As I found another way to the dining hall, my mind went back to what I had just witnessed.
Even though it was just for a short moment, I saw Celestia get angry. The second she raised her voice, and at her younger sister, no less, it scared me half to death. She was twice as scary as Luna.
But then I realized… she was defending me. While she did say that Luna and I were both wrong, it was evident that she was on my side a little. Not only that, but she really wanted me to accept her as a mother. I had no idea how hard she was trying, but after hearing her, I finally realized how much she wanted to be a part of my life.
Who was I to deny her that?
After getting some dinner, I went back up to my room with a full belly and an occupied mind. I climbed into bed, the big meal I ate making me tired. It was best that I slept early though. I did have school tomorrow, after all.
“I have school in the morning while Dad gets to relax at Neighagra Falls.” I thought as I rested my head on my pillow “Lucky bastard.”
Good chapter. You had Celestia handle both sides rather appropriately.
Great chapter you sir/madam are an artist
I like alot. Love your human in Equis stories. Can't wait for the next chapter (btw, I'd like to see another wonderbolt story )
Very well done. Your writing is improving.
This felt so tastefully done well, you made the interactions seem so real and connective. Good job and I applaud you, and celestia did well even if it was really hard for her to do so. Hehe she also just made huge progress towards being accepted as a true mother to Devin without even knowing
I'm serious about those turtles, man. Their killing your interwebz. Soon, they'll go after your local library, and then the whole town! Who's to say that they won't go afterr the world?
4183201
You're right! I am an artist! You can follow me on deviantART and on Tumblr.
4183346
Actually, my folks just forgot to pay the bill...
The mirror communicator mechanic is quite a clever little concept. I'm glad you didn't go down the whole telepathy route that so many seem to.
4183519
That's good to know. I considered telepathy, but then I realized that it wouldn't make sense. Since telepathic conversations can only be heard by the parties involved (at least I assume so), Devin would just be seeing Luna talking to herself.
4183416 well, in that case, crisis averted!
Let me guess: AT&T U-verse? I had a whole lot of problems with them before the contract was terminated.
Anyway, good chapter.
4183764
No. I got Optimum. My folks forgot to pay the bill.
4183857 Ah. Well best of luck on that.
4183382 Lol. Perfect comeback! Quick everyone, since he's advertising, might as well!
Disappoint or not, Devin came as the bigger man in the end, he admit he was on the wrong he felt terrible were honest and, touch Celestia when he prove her that he can give him a chance…while Luna…well I think she was…'wha,wha, Devin bad I good, Devin was the only in the wrong' yeah it pretty much clear why she defend Devin.
Its weird to think that lie and then confess and be honest make me think he earn Celestia respect?
Celestia for best mother figure. I gotta say, she handled the conflict very well, and made sure she heard both sides of the argument before she tried to settle things between them. She even pointed out how the bear was important to Devin, but I'm not sure if Luna felt anything from that after hearing it. We can definitely see Celestia's trying to do the best she can to give support for those she cares about, both Luna and Devin, learning from her mistakes after banishing the former. It seems Luna's having some trouble getting on board with her sister's request, as she just stopped the conversation that abruptly. The chapter played out very well, I can't wait what you'll come up with next.
Oh! Two things I just realized after skimming the chapter once more.
First:
I think you meant word in that sentence.
Second: What can we say about Devin's feelings towards Celestia in the earlier chapters? It doesn't seem like he dislikes her, but his angry side said otherwise though. I can understand he was trying to adjust to this sudden change in his life, especially with Celestia being his new stepmom, but can we say Devin was being very honest with her while they had that talk about his confrontation with Luna? Maybe he wasn't ready to be completely open with his feelings to Celestia yet, but we can certainly see how he respects her all the more now, especially since he sees some resemblance between her and his birth mom.
Great chapter and damn that internet goes down.
4184097
Devin never had any negative feelings against Celestia herself, which is why he never said anything about his Dad's relationship with her when they were dating. It was only when the idea of marriage came into play that he started to feel uncomfortable. Devin's negative emotions (and his negative inner voice) stem from the idea of someone becoming his new mother and replacing the one he lost.
4184586
Ah, that makes much sense then.
I begin imagine how you send scroll through dragon... Enough pony for today
You, sir, are a literary genius.
You surely are good at characterising and giving more personality to characters that aren't focused much, like Celestia. You give her such an accurate description as to what she would do in that situation and what drives her to take such actions.
I commend you, good sir. You are certainly getting better at these faster than I thought. Glad I got to witness your beginnings
Your characterization is superb, stupendous, sublime... and a bunch of other adjectives meaning great that start with 's'. And those cliffhangers... I hate them so much! But you do them so well... You're tearing me apart...
I'll say, I enjoyed this chapter because it was simple and not too terribly mushy on anything but I have to say one thing that just sort of...got to me is how you ended up basically portraying Devin. Now, I can understand Celestia berating her younger sister like she did because it is true that the age between the two means little and Luna is a stubborn, sometimes childish kind of character. However, the way that Devin was portrayed in this seems a little much doesn't it? He's 18, an adult by normal standards. And we've seen he can be a mature individual, if a troubled one at times. Yet even Celestia talks down to him not only like her 'son' but like he's a kid in general. And it's kinda cutesy at some point but it's kind of set-up in a way that is a little straining on the suspension of disbelief. His shoving luna out of his room might've been a bit childish but it was also sort of forced. I mean she was leaving anyways, he could've easily been the bigger man and just let her walk out without a care. He's pretty comfortable in his environment already to be able to have that kind of outburst when he's still JUST fitting in. Especially as generally unprovoked as it was. It was just slightly out of character I think, and other than that he really wasn't in the wrong as Celestia said. He had a right to argue with someone about the freedom to define who he was. Especially under false accusations. It's a really minor detail, but that bothered me a little, yet you did well to rectify it by ensuring both sides had equal reason to be berated. As always, you still do very well with general character interpretation. Keep it up!