Just Roll With It

by sunnypack

34 - Before

Chapter 34: Before

“Are you from the outside?”

“Why don’t you have a cutie mark?”

“Do you like the Ball?”

“Where’s your parents?”

I glanced between Luna and Celestia as they fired question after question at me.

“Uhh, hang on, there’s just so much for me to answer,” I said. I shot a look at Runner, who gave an unhelpful shrug and shake of his head.

Celestia bounded up next to me. She poked me in the chest, surprising me.

“We asked you a question,” she said primly.

“What?”

Celestia’s brow creased in a way that made it clear it was a pain explaining things.

“I said, we asked you a question.”

I felt a tug on my arm. Golden leaned in, her voice dropping low as she nervously eyed the royal sisters.

“You have to answer them.”

“What?” I know that word was getting repetitive, but I was genuinely confused. “What if I don’t want to?”

Luna huffed at me, her eyes narrowed as she glared at me. “You have to listen to us. Even if you don’t want to.”

“Why?” I shot back. I didn’t like their attitude. Were they like this when I wasn’t around?

“Because we said so,” Luna said smugly as if that answered everything.

“Yeah no, that’s not good enough,” I told them and turned back. On one hand, I was glad that Tempora didn’t tell me about my other form, but I was beginning to see a side of them that I didn’t like, and it was disturbing. Better make a quick exit.

“Let’s go,” I offered to Runner, Golden and Wavey. I started trotting in the direction of the food.

“Hey, stop!” Celestia commanded.

With a sigh, I stopped.

“Yes?” I said, doing an about turn.

“You can’t just trot away!” she exclaimed. “You have to answer our questions and do as we tell you.”

Looks like they weren’t going to let this go. I tried again.

“Why?” I said.

Celestia gave a better answer than her sister.

“Because we are royalty, you have to listen to us.”

I shook my head. “Do you know why you’re royalty?”

Celestia’s mouth quirked.

“Because Mommy said we have power.”

I tilted my head as if I was considering a deep point she made.

“Oh so you’re more powerful than me?” I goaded.

Celestia gritted her teeth together.

“You want to try?” she growled, her horn glowing. Luna added hers menacingly.

“There are three tribes in Equestria,” I cut in suddenly. “The unicorns, the pegasi, and the earth ponies. Before Equestria was founded, the three tribes hated each other and they despised all the others for being different. Do you know why alicorns are royalty? Do you know why you two are on your throne?”

Celestia’s glow faltered under the unexpected attack. Once again she considered it and then firmed her stance.

“We were born into it,” she declared imperiously. “You can only be royalty if you’re in the family.”

I nodded my head thoughtfully. “So you think that you will still be royalty if you were born somewhere else? If you never set hoof in Equestria?”

Celestia nodded uncertainly.

“What if you found out your parents weren’t your parents? What if you found out that they weren’t royalty. Would you not be royalty?”

Celestia hesitated, but then shook her head.

“No,” she said quietly.

“What about your brother? He’s not born from royalty, he doesn’t have much power like you two. Why would he be royalty?”

“He is!” Luna shouted, her eyes ablaze.

I waved a hoof, they weren’t getting what I was saying.

“I’m saying, according to you, he wouldn’t be royalty. So…?”

Luna’s brow crinkled in thought.

“I don’t—”

“Oh,” Golden said. “That means that you become royal someway different?”

I nodded slowly. “But not really in the different way, but because of a different reason.”

“But everypony who is born from royal is royal,” Celestia pressed.

“But not everyone who is royal is born royal,” I said. They were still missing the point. “But I’m not really talking about why you’re royal, but more why you’re sitting on your throne.”

When Celestia and Luna gave me blank looks, I continued.

“The only reason you can rule is when ponies listen to you, right? When I refused you, you could force me to do something I didn’t want with your power. But what if everypony didn’t listen to you? What if everypony that was not royal decided you were not royal?”

Celestia pondered my words for a moment.

“Then it would be very bad,” she said.

“Right,” I said. “You don’t command ponies, you command their respect.” I paused to let the full effect of my words sink in. “And right now, you don’t have my respect.”

It was harsh, I knew, but this would be something that I needed to get across.

I looked up. Hopefully, they would take it to heart—

Oh no.

Celestia’s eyes were brimming with tears. “I—” Then she dashed off, pushing through the crowd in her haste to get away.

Luna spared only enough time to glare at me and say two words.

“You’re mean,” she spat. Then she chased after her sister.

I stood there, frozen. I turned around to see Runner, Golden and Wavey giving me the same wide-eye look.

“Holy Stars, Harmonica,” Runner said. Golden made an affirming grunt. Even Wavey nodded.

“I guess I was a bit harsh, wasn’t I?” I said sheepishly.

“It’s not that,” Runner spluttered. “You just lectured the royal sisters! Oh we are in such deep trouble!”

Golden smacked me. “Why’d you go and make the princesses cry?”

“First of all,” I said. “It was just one—” I stopped myself. That was not an excuse. I sighed. “No, you’re right.”

Wavey shook her head. “Even though you were right,” she murmured. “That was kind of scary.”

Runner looked at me with something approaching awe. “Well I never thought you had that side of you, Harmonica. Wowee. That came out of nowhere!”

Golden laughed nervously. “Yeah, it was pretty cool, but uhh, don’t do it again, or at least, not in front of one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria, okay?”

I groaned, clutching my head with my hooves. Oh that’s a lot of guilty little pricks in my heart.

“What’ll I do?” I moaned.

“Maybe we should do something to cheer her up,” Wavey offered. “I mean, they must be lonely. There aren’t many other foals here.”

Golden scanned the crowd in surprise.

“Huh, you’re right,” she murmured. “Usually there are more from our school.”

Runner shook his head. “Did you hear?”

“Hear what?” Golden asked.

“About the sickness.”

“What sickness?” Golden interjected.

“Maybe if you let me finish, I’ll get to it!” Runner grumbled. He waited a few moments for Golden to say something, but she kept quiet. Huh, so there are times when Golden doesn’t talk. I never would have known.

“They say there’s this new sickness that’s affecting unicorns,” Runner whispered. His voice lowered conspiratorially sot hat we all had to lean in to listen to what he was saying.

“Mother says that the sickness came from the commoner villages, but Father says it might be something from the pegasi.”

I blinked at them, then burst out laughing. Golden and Wavey looked at me in surprise, while Runner stared at me with his brow wrinkled in annoyance.

“What’s so funny?” he demanded.

“Disease can’t be caused by anypony,” I replied, incredulous. “You just get them through germs.”

“Germs?” Wavey said.

“Yeah, germs,” I said. “Little things that are so small you can’t see them. They get into your body and cause sickness.”

Runner and Golden burst out into laughter.

Runner patted me on the shoulder, his own still shaking with mirth.

“Ah you got me there, Harmonica. I thought you were serious for a moment,” he said.

Golden chuckled. “Little tiny things you can’t see that sneak into your body and make you sick? Are you trying to scare us?”

Only Wavey had a thoughtful expression on her face, she shrugged though, not really understanding. I guess the Germ Theory of Disease wasn’t discovered in Equestria yet.

“Ah okay,” I said, with an embarrassed shrug. “Forget about it.”

Golden giggled for a little longer before settling down.

“Okay,” she said. “He he, woo. What were we talking about again?”

“Uhm, the sisters, right?” Wavey offered.

I winced. Yeah, I still had to do something about that.

“Why don’t you go and apologise to them?” Golden suggested.

I nodded slowly.

“Should we come?” Runner added.

“Of course!” Golden exclaimed, she glared at Runner in admonition.

“Actually,” I said. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Runner cocked his head.

“Why?” he said.

“Well the sisters might be angry, and I wouldn’t want to get you three in trouble…”

Golden rolled her eyes. “Don’t be silly, we’re going with you.”

“Sink or swim,” Runner added.

Wavey nodded.

I stared at the three of them, suddenly struck by how loyal my friends were. Certainly more than I gave them credit for.

“Okay,” I muttered. “But don’t blame me if Celestia tries to heal you or something.”

“What?” Runner said.

“Nothing.”

—————

We spread out to find the royal sisters. I couldn’t see hide nor hair of Celestia. The courtyard wasn’t a place I frequented, and the layout of the castle beyond a few rooms were a mystery to me.

“Where is she?” I mumbled to myself.

I heard a voice right next to my ear.

“Hey, I found her.”

I almost leapt out of my skin.

“Gees Wavey! You scared the beejeezus out of me!” I exclaimed, hoof to heart.

Wavey gave me a quizzical look.

“Beejeezus?” she queried, cocking her head in confusion.

“Nothing,” I said. “You found Celestia and Luna?”

Wavey nodded. “I’ll go fetch Runner and Golden and meet you back where I found them.” Wavey turned tail and lead me up a flight of stairs to the end of a hallway.

She pointed a hoof down it.

“On the left,” she whispered. “Good luck.”

I nodded, for once feeling nervous. I was their brother for flip’s sake, but now I felt more nervous than when I was climbing Star Swirl’s tower.

Ba-bump. Ba-bump.

My heart pounded in my ears.

Calm down, calm down. Just a quick apology and everything will be alright.

I trotted forward. Around the bend on the left were Celestia and Luna crouched down. They were on one of the balconies overlooking the courtyard. Below the murmuring of the crowds reached us in smooth waves of ambient sound.

Celestia was lying down with her head in her hooves, looking very sorry for herself, with Luna comforting her and whispering things I couldn’t hear. Even with the noise of the Ball below, Luna’s ears pricked and she shot to her hooves.

“You,” she growled menacingly. Her horn glowed in ready anticipation. “What do you want?”

I shifted my hooves awkwardly.

“To apologise,” I said. “I think I said too much, and I’m really sorry I hurt your feelings.”

The last part of the sentence was directed at Celestia. I waited a moment more, but Luna and Celestia didn’t say anything. I sighed.

“Okay, that’s all I wanted to say.”

I turned back.

“Wait.”

I paused.

Celestia got to her feet, they were a little unsteady.

“I—” she stopped, her mouth shutting with a click. She took a shaky breath and tried again.

“I didn’t like what you said.”

I nodded slowly, expecting that.

“But some of it was right.”

Now this I didn’t expect.

“‘Tia!” Luna said. “He’s wrong, he’s just a meanie!”

Celestia nodded. “Maybe,” she replied. “But we were a little mean too.”

Luna fell silent.

I couldn’t help it, I broke into a grin. I’m so proud of her!

Luna stared at me like I suddenly grew a head.

“Why are you smiling like that? Stop it!” she said.

“Sorry!” I said. “It just– Never mind.”

“You’re weird,” Luna said.

I rolled my eyes. “You have no idea,” I said, then cleared my throat. “Well I’m glad we, uhh, straightened that out.” I turned around to see Golden groaning, Runner shaking his head and Wavey giving me a stern look.

“What?” I said.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“Huh?”

Golden pranced forward.

“I’m Golden,” she said. “You can ask me about anything. I know it all.”

Runner burst into laughter. “Yeah, you’re a know it all, alright.”

Golden glared at Runner as he introduced himself. “I’m Runner.”

He swept a hoof at Wavey, beckoning her forward.

“I’m Wavey,” she said with a deferential tilt of her head.

Celestia looked befuddled with the storm of introductions.

“Why are you telling me all of your names?” she asked.

Golden, Runner and Wavey shared a look.

“Uhh, cause that’s how you make a friend?” Runner said.

“Friend?” Celestia said, then she brightened. “I’m Celestia!”

Luna glanced between her sister and my friends.

“I-I’m Luna,” she said, becoming uncharacteristically shy.

Golden laughed. “Don’t be so stiff,” she said. “You sound like you’ve never made friends before.”

“Don’t be silly,” I said, recalling how they played with me. “Of course they’ve had friends.”

Luna flushed, but didn’t say anything.

Celestia shrugged in embarrassment. “We’ve never had friends before,” she muttered bitterly. “All the others don’t like to talk to us.”

“They do!” Luna objected. “But in a bad, mean way.”

“Some of them get sweet and sappy, like half the ponies Mommy meets,” Celestia said.

It all made sense now. Now it was my turn to feel embarrassed. Usually I was good at seeing these things, but right now I felt as blind as a bat.

“Sorry,” I repeated with more feeling. “I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay,” Celestia replied. “We weren’t very nice either.”

“You didn’t tell us your name!” Luna demanded.

I started. She was right.

“Uhh, I’m Harmonica,” I said.

Celestia smiled.

“That’s a weird name,” she said.

Good to know.

Author's Note:

Type de type.

Oh so tired.

Next Chapter: Princess Problems. Of the proportional kind.

As always, my pigmented readers, thanks for reading!

Comments

[Seeking Dusk]

Hey, I'm pigmented!

Nice that Harmony got to teach his sisters a good lesson about ruling from outside the sibling relationship.

[pahnazd]

Well, now Harmony's disguise definitely helped. Even things which you don't like to see have to be seen.
And in this case, he was able to help. As they say, sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.
But yay, it got better!

[Wind of the Skies]

As always, my pigmented readers, thanks for reading!
but i'm paler than paper. the sun gives me headaches and nausea if i stay in it for more than ten minutes. it's part of the reason i'm nocturnal and why i'm so pale.

[Carrara]

What's pigment got to do with anything? Anyways, great chapter, but I found an error!

They were on one of the short railing balconies overlooking the courtyard.

I don't know what's wrong, I only know that something's not right.

[Lord_01010000]

6338533
Maybe it should be "short railed balconies".