• Published 7th May 2015
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Steady as She Flies - Witching Hour



A few months after Monkey Wrench's life changing procedure, Witching Hour receives a new assignment from Princess Luna - with the Wonderbolts?!

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Chapter 8 - Movement

Witch paces anxiously around the guest suite in the castle, much to her companion’s amusement. “Will you chill, Witch? I can’t understand why you don’t think you won’t enjoy this!” Cinna says, almost giddy as she admires herself in the mirror. Witch stops and glowers at her friend through the mirror, making Cinna laugh.

“Cinna… Not everyone loves the elite… and you and I both know why tonight could be rough for both of us,” Witch responds with no small amount of exasperation, making Cinna sigh and turn to face her friend.

“Look, Witch, I know it could go badly, but I’d rather focus on what could go well… And you should too!” Cinna explains patiently. “And I know you’d rather have your friend, Monkey, here, but your parents are doing the catering, and someone has to stay with Trick Step while you spend the night greeting ponies with Princess Luna.”

Witch sighs heavily, sitting on the floor and hanging her head. “Oh c’mon Witch!” Cinna says, trotting over and nudging her towards the closet. “You’re not even dressed!”

Witch resists Cinna’s shoving until a knock at the door startles her, allowing Cinna’s force to send her tumbling into the closet. “Come in!” Witch calls as she hastily extricates herself from the assortment of dresses that had fallen upon her, while Cinna collapses into a pile of helpless giggles.

Princess Luna blinks at the sight of her student and guest and the pile of outfits she herself had provided for them to wear - all of them were Witch’s size, and the fact that Cinna was the same size is simply happy coincidence. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?” Luna says, an eyebrow raised in amusement at Witch.

Witch sighs, pulling a tangle of midnight blue fabric off her horn. “Not at all, Princess!” she responds quickly, casting an irritated glare at Cinna, still rolling about on the floor and holding her stomach as she laughed hysterically. Luna simply shakes her head, smiling softly at Cinna before turning her gaze back to her student.

“I know you would rather spend time with your friend, but there’s something I would like to discuss with you before the Ball…” Luna says, making Witch blanch to the point where her gray coat almost turned white. Luna laughs at the stricken expression on Witch’s face before adding, “Fear not, my hopeful student… I’m not saddling you with another young foal in need, nor is it anything of great import… but it does need to be done before the guests begin arriving.”

Willing her heart to stop racing in her chest, Witch nods and follows Luna out of the room. Belatedly, she pokes her head back through the door and eyes the now calming Cinna. “Cinna, I’ll be back soon… Find me something to wear in black or white, would you?” she requests before dashing to catch up with Luna.

“So… What did you need to speak to me about, Princess?” Witch asks, eagerly looking to her teacher for an answer.

“For one, I wanted to make sure my student was settling in well with the new circumstances…” Luna starts, giving Witch a smile.

Witch blinks before smiling as well. “It was a bit rocky to start. Monkey and I fought the night after Tricks came home with us, but the Head Trainer pulled some strings and got the Elite Squad to pull her head out of her…” Witch hesitates briefly, clearing her throat before continuing, “plot… Since then, things have been pretty stable. Trick Step’s going in for his procedure tomorrow evening.”

“I’m happy to hear Trick Step has adjusted well to his new circumstances… And I’m glad Siren Bliss was able to help you with Monkey Wrench… She mentioned her plan when we had tea a week after you started with the Wonderbolts,” Luna replies, making Witch’s jaw drop.

“You had tea? With my new boss?” Witch asks incredulously, blue eyes wide as saucers behind her round blue frames. Again, Luna simply smiles and chuckles.

“Of course I did, Witching Hour. As often as our schedules allow. I have made a few friends since my return, and I am glad to count Siren Bliss among them. It certainly helped with getting your new assignment,” she replies. Witch continues to stare at Luna wide-eyed as the princess leads her through halls and stairwells leading down to a secured section of the private wing, passing by guards unchallenged.

“Regardless, I am glad that everything has been settled for the time being… Sir Fancy Pants tells me that Miss Monkey Wrench and young Trick Step are all that is charming, which doesn’t surprise me at all, given your closeness to them…” Luna continues, giving a nod to another pair of the royal guard ponies. The guards open the doors before them and Luna leads Witch into a dark room. As the doors close behind them, Luna’s horn flares with an amethyst light, making the lights in the room turn on.

Witch blinks rapidly to counter the almost dazzling flashes off the many bits of regal jewels on display there. She turns with an anxious and curious expression to Luna, wondering why the princess would have lead her to the royal vault.

“My hopeful student,” Luna starts, levitating a ebonwood box down from a high shelf, “I’ve been very pleased with your progress. You have come a long way, even in only six months… It’s my sincere wish to see you fulfill your potential… And I hope these will help you do just that…” she finishes as she opens the case and levitates a set of four jeweled silver cuffs from it.

Witch, her jaw hanging open and eyes back to being wide as saucers, simply stares at Luna and the precious adornments floating between them. “What do you mean ‘fulfill my potential’?” she finally squeaks out, her voice about half an octave higher than normal.

Luna sighs, moving the jewelry aside and stepping towards her anxious student. “If I told you, you would say you’re not ready for it… And I know you are not. I know that is not the answer you want, nor the one I would like to give you… The honest truth is that I do not know where you will go from here… But I do know that it is important, and I believe these bracelets will be of use to you.” She raises a hoof to stop the question forming on Witch’s lips. “How is not for me to say either, but for you to discover… Please accept them, Witching Hour.”

Blue eyes flick from Luna to the cuffs still hanging in the air surrounded by her mentor’s magical halo, and then back to Luna, still confused. “Luna… This is a lot…” Witch states softly, almost trembling. “I just want to help ponies…” she adds in a breathy whisper.

Luna smiles kindly, her eyes shining with sympathy. “You give so much hope, and yet keep none for yourself, my dear Witching Hour… Allow me to have hope for you… And I’m sure I am not alone in this…” she replies, her tone gentle and soothing as a lullaby.

Witch sighs, her breath shaking, before she pulls herself straight, standing almost rigidly before her mentor. “I trust you, Princess… If you say this is something I’ll need to do, I’ll do it…” she says. Though her voice attempts to convey the firmness of her faith, her eyes relay it far better, azure orbs looking up into Luna’s with fierce determination.

Luna’s smile broadens before she gently hugs Witch, her foreleg hooked lightly around Witch’s neck. “And you will exceed all expectations, my hopeful student,” she says with equal fervor. Witch pulls back after lingering in the embrace for a moment, and her magic takes hold over the bracelets, icy blue replacing pale violet.

The next few moments are silent but for the soft click of metal clasps securing the cuffs around her legs just above the fetlock joints. Witch waits only a few seconds before glancing with questioning eyes to Luna, raising an eyebrow. The princess smiles, a small chuckle escaping her as she nudges Witch back towards the door. “You didn’t think everything would happen right away, did you?” she asks with a teasing laugh as they exit the vault.

Witch sighs, falling into step beside her mentor. “Maybe I did… I don’t know what to expect with you being all cryptic about it…” she complains, though her tone is good-natured.

Luna laughs outright then before smiling down at Witch. “Just do as you have done, my dear Witch, and you will find out… Now hurry up and have your friend help you dress… There should be something in a silvery-blue I think will look perfect…”

Witch raises an eyebrow at Luna. “But won’t that be too much blue?” she asks, sending a puff of breath at a lock of her mane.

“Nonsense,” Luna replies firmly, her eyes crinkling in amusement. “If I’m remembering the dress correctly, it’s a light enough shade that it won’t blend with your mane… Besides, with all the nighttime colors, one of the greeting party should be more brightly dressed… I expect Princess Twilight will be in dark blue, and you already know what I’m wearing, so your idea of wearing black would turn you into my shadow… And that is something you are not.”

Art by Foxena!

Witch smiles in understanding as they reach the point where Luna would continue to the main hall and Witch would have to go upstairs to change. Impulsively, Witch throws her forelegs around Luna to hug her quickly before sprinting away.

Luna stands stock still at the junction of the two halls, her eyes following Witch until she disappears into the stairwell. “You know, Lulu… Perhaps you should live by your own words,” says a smooth yet mocking masculine voice from above her. Instinctively, she looks up, her bemused and thoughtful expression rapidly changing to angry irritation, and sees Discord’s head and torso hanging down from the ceiling with his eyes forming a set of binoculars at Luna’s eye-level.

DISCORD!!!” Luna shouts, her Royal Canterlot voice reverberating through the hall, scowling. “YOU HAD BETTER NOT BE HERE TO CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR THE BALL!!!” Even before she finishes speaking, Discord retracts back into the ceiling, chuckling in amusement.

Relax, Lulu… Your precious ball is safe. I’ll only prank the guests before they get to the castle…” Discord calls in a disembodied voice thick with laughter. Luna huffs, snorting in annoyance and stomping a hoof against the floor in flustered helplessness.


Witch sighs for what feels like the millionth time that night. She had known it would be dull from what her mother had told her in years past, but simply standing in line between Princess Luna and Princess Twilight Sparkle for hours on end, being ignored as insignificant or regarded with jealousy by turns, Witch finds herself wishing more and more to escape and talk with Cinna. Her eyes flick between guests to the dance floor, easily spotting her pink-maned friend twirling about with unicorn stallions and even once with Witch’s father, Holly Sweep.

“Witching Hour, wasn’t it?” asks the princess to Witch’s right. Blinking back to her immediate surroundings, Witch realizes that (at last) there are no more ponies in line waiting to be received.

Witch turns her head to regard the newly minted Princess of Friendship with a slight smile. “That’s correct,” she replies, nodding.

Twilight Sparkle grins back at her cheerfully. “Fantastic! I’ve only heard a little bit about you and I have to know what it’s like studying under Princess Luna!” she says, starting to pull Witch off to the refreshment area. Witch glances over her shoulder as she’s nudged away, and Luna simply smiles and nods. With another sigh, Witch relents and follows Twilight away to the beverages.

“So!” Twilight starts, getting them both cups of iced tea from the table. Witch flashes her mother a quick smile as she works behind it a little further down, pouring cider into glasses for a pair of richly dressed unicorns barely hiding their disdain for their server. “What’s it like studying with Princess Luna? What does she teach you?” Twilight asks, bringing Witch’s attention back.

“I mostly study with other teachers… She occasionally works on magical theory with me, but otherwise she arranges for instructors. I was working at the hospital for a while, learning practical and emergency medicine, until she reassigned me to the Wonderbolts’ staff last month,” Witch explains, mentally making notes to deal with this princess while talking about learning as she would with Cinna while talking about the Canterlot Elite.

“You… became a doctor through Princess Luna’s teaching?” Twilight states slowly with a questioning tone, brows furrowed in something akin to confusion and disappointment.

“I was already well on my way to being a doctor on my own before Princess Luna took me under her wing…” Witch corrects, smiling. “There are still other things I enjoy, like music, logic puzzles and theory exercises… But medicine is a specialty I’ve worked hard to master. To be honest, before Luna became my mentor, I was very unfocused and hopping from idea to idea without any real rhyme or reason.”

Twilight smiles then, understanding dawning brightly in her violet eyes. “So what magic theories have you worked on with her then?” she queries eagerly.

“Well… About six months back, a pegasus had a horrible accident in the Weather Factory. Her wings were totally mangled, and the Cloudsdale doctors were sure she wouldn’t…” Witch trails off, smiling shakily at Twilight, unwilling to give voice to the obvious conclusion. Tellingly, Twilight winces and nods. “I’d only been Luna’s student for a short while by that point, maybe a month or so, but it’d been long enough for me to be on the medical team that was trying to save Commander Soarin of the Wonderbolts.”

“I thought you looked familiar!” Twilight interrupts excitedly. “You hardly look the same without your lab coat and mane pulled back!”

Witch simply nods. “Yes… Anyway, after Commander Soarin’s incident, I decided I’d look into something far less… risky?... For such situations, if they arose in the future… Monkey Wrench’s accident happened not a month later… Princess Luna didn’t so much teach me how to get the spell right as she pointed me in the right direction… You’ll be glad to hear that Monkey Wrench is doing fine, and flying better than ever.”

Twilight grins, eyes dancing with excitement at the prospect of a new spell to study. “Tell me all about it! I have to hear this!!” she says, her horn flaring with violet light to create a scroll of parchment and a quill to take notes with.

Witch chuckles, eyes crinkling in amusement. “I know I won’t be able to satisfy your curiosity now, but I promise I’ll send you a copy of my notes tomorrow,” she says, smiling as Twilight’s eyes light up with joy. “Did you know that there’s a variant of iron that the Crystal Empire uses for bone replacement?”

It becomes easy to talk to the princess as Witch sinks into detailing the creation of her spell. The quick mini-illusion spell of Monkey’s current appearance makes Twilight’s jaw drop. “That is spectacular… Did you predict-”

Witch quickly shakes her head. “I had no idea what the crystal iron would look like in the end, and I certainly couldn’t have known it would suddenly increase her flying capabilities… She spent her therapy relearning how to handle her wings. A light flick of her wings took her airborne, and her usual effort sent her crashing into the ceiling…” she explains quickly. “That first session was… well… it was pretty crazy. She flew me around the physical therapy room, she was so happy…”

Twilight and Witch share a grin of understanding when Witch spies Cinna approaching with another unicorn mare, glittering in a ruby-toned gold-trimmed dress and her violet mane is pinned up in elegant curls with jewels and a gold crown.

“Cinna!”

“Rarity!”

Twilight and Witch share a confused glance before their respective friends mob them.

“Oh my goodness, Witchy!” Cinna exclaims excitedly, draping an arm around Witch’s shoulders. “I just met this lovely mare when we had a little run-in on the dance floor… My partner wasn’t very skilled and sent us crashing into Miss Rarity and her partner…”

“And then like ruffians, those two dunderheads started fighting over it and got themselves forcibly removed…” Rarity continues, making Twilight sigh and press a hoof over her face.

“But we decided to make the best of it, and came over here to get refreshments,” the pair finish together. Witch shakes her head before turning to the exasperated princess.

Your friend who’s obsessed with the Canterlot Elite?” Witch asks, an eyebrow raised and a corner of her mouth curled up in bemusement.

Twilight, returning the expression, nods. “Uh-huh…” she confirms wryly. “Yours?” she queries, and Witch nods in reply. They share a slight smile, amused that they both had similar friends.

Cinna and Rarity look at each other, silently asking questions before they smirk. Witch leans back, already terrified of whatever thought has crossed her friend’s mind. “Idea!!!” Rarity calls out in a sing-song voice before the pair pounce on Twilight and Witch.

A short scuffle later, Witch and Twilight find themselves out on the dance floor, being guided through the steps of a dance. Witch sighs, reluctantly following her partner’s lead, getting an amused chortle out of him.

“Sounding so disappointed can do a number to a stallion’s ego, m’lady,” he says dryly.

Witch flinches, stumbling a step. “Sorry… My friend…” she starts, eliciting another chuckle of bemusement from the stallion.

“Yes… Miss Cinnabelle… She is rather enthusiastic, is she not?” he replies, almost smirking at Witch’s discomfort. “Truth be told, she’s rather too… Vibrant for my liking,” he adds.

“I’m sorry… I’m Witching Hour… You are?” she prompts, forcing herself to take in her partner’s appearance. In a stylish gray tuxedo almost invisibly pinstriped with small silver threads, her partner is dark blue pegasus, with a darker blue mane swept to one side that had a pale blue stripe through it that matched the color of his hooves.

“Forgive me, Miss Hour… My name is Midnight Storm,” he says, flashing a bright smile. “I must admit that I already knew your name from the receiving line, but it’s no surprise you would not recall me, given the number of guests this evening,” he adds, a note of self-deprecation in his voice.

Witch smiles sheepishly. “Too true… I don’t know why I was up there though… It’s not as though a simple unicorn stands out when flanked by two princesses…”

“Don’t you though?” he asks, guiding Witch into a spin that causes the silvery fabric of her dress to swirl around her. “At the last Gala, Princess Twilight was at Princess Celestia’s side all evening,” he adds, pulling Witch back with another spin. As he catches her, he sweeps her into a dip, meeting her gaze with a serious expression in his dark purple eyes. “Why should Princess Luna’s student be treated any differently?” he asks softly.

Witch freezes, blue eyes going wide even as her cheeks burn with a bright blush. Carefully, Midnight puts her back on her hooves. “Forgive me, Miss Hour… My mouth sometimes runs off without asking…” he stammers, his cheeks turning an even darker shade of blue in his own embarrassment.

Witch stammers incomprehensibly for a long moment before shaking her head vigorously. “I’m sorry… I have to go…” she stammers before darting away, ignoring all looks of scandalized shock and concern as she leaves the dance floor at a full-tilt run.

Witch doesn’t much care where her hooves take her, the halls blurring into non-descript haze. She stops when she finally breaks into cooler air, breathing hard and looking around with wild eyes.

The tower, she realizes with a relieved sigh, is deserted, and the nighttime breeze blows her mane into her face. Witch heads to the railing and leans against it, brushing her hair back with an irritated hoof.

“I wish Monkey were here…” she sighs to herself, her eyes watching the stars twinkle overhead in the clear sky. Witch knows Monkey is likely already abed, given the late hour, and Tricks would’ve gone to bed long before now. She’d seen Fancy and Fleur at the ball, and they were supposed to return home together, but she knew they’d likely be ensconced for a while longer.

The music floats up from the open balcony several stories down, making Witch sigh wistfully. Did she really belong here? Did her simple desire to help others really elevate her so much that she had a place beside two princesses? She shakes her head, deciding that it shouldn’t… But there’s also the question of this mysterious ‘potential’ that Luna had alluded to earlier.

Another breeze rustles through the pennants streaming from the tower, almost muffling the noise of a knock at the door from the stairwell. She looks just as the door opens, easily spotting Twilight hushing whoever came with her (presumably Rarity and Cinna), and waits for the princess to join her at the railing while returning her stargazing.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Twilight asks gently as she sits next to Witch, half-turned to keep an eye on the gray unicorn.

“How do you talk about something you don’t know anything about?” Witch retorts in frustration. Out of the corner of her eye, she catches Twilight smiling sympathetically.

“Those are some nice bracelets… Are they new?” Twilight asks, hoping for a neutral topic only to stumble right into the subject bothering Witch.

“New to me… Princess Luna gave them to me tonight…” she answers, sighing heavily. Twilight blinks, blushing and chuckling nervously.

“Sorry… Did she tell you anything about them?” the princess asks, making Witch groan in frustration. “Never mind… Sorry I asked…” Twilight quickly says, almost squeaking.

“No… It’s fine… Just…” Witch waves Twilight’s apology away, turning to face her company, her brow furrowed into a thoughtful and highly conflicted expression. "I don’t know what she expects from me… She says I have this great potential but she won’t tell me what for… She just said that these,” Witch rants, holding up her forelegs to show the cabochon blue jewels set in the scalloped silver bracelets, glittering benignly in the moonlight, “will help me realize this ‘potential’… I don’t know what to do…”

Twilight sighs, thinking for a long moment before an errant thought makes her chuckle. “I know what you need to do,” she says, smiling brightly.

Witch looks up sharply, her neck snapping almost audibly as she looks over at Twilight. “What?” she asks, both for the princess to repeat her words and to explain them all in one simple query.

“You just need to keep doing what you’ve always done, Witching Hour,” Twilight explains patiently, still smiling. “Why should knowing anything special change what you do?” she questions with a slight shrug of her shoulders. “When Princess Celestia sent me and my friends to the Crystal Empire to find some way of protecting it, she impressed on me that I alone had to find the way to do it… But in the end, I got trapped and I had to ask Spike to get the Crystal Heart to Cadance… Celestia told me it was a test to see if I was ready for the next level of my studies… And despite the fact that I wasn’t able to do it in the end, I still passed the test because I put the future of others above securing my own future. Look at me now.”

Witch sighs, looking back out into the night. “That’s what I’m afraid of…” she mutters. Twilight can’t stop the dry chuckle that escapes her then, making Witch turn back to her with a scowl. “What?” she almost growls out.

“Relax Witching Hour…” Twilight replies calmly, reining in her amusement. “I’m sure no one knows where you’re meant to go, or what you’re meant to become… I’m sure Princess Luna has said as much as well.” She pauses briefly, just long enough for Witch to nod. Twilight smiles slightly, and puts a light wing around her new acquaintance. “Your friend is worried about you… And I don’t think she’s the only one… I think you can handle anything as long as you have them beside you.”

Twilight casts a brief glance back towards the door, and the sound of hooves running quickly in her direction is Witch’s only warning before she finds herself tackle-hugged by Cinna. Witch grunts before returning her friend’s hug.

“Witchy! I was so worried! Are you okay? I’m sorry if I upset you! Or if that stallion-guy said anything to upset you!” she rambles, squeezing Witch tightly. Witch sighs and leans against Cinna.

“It’s okay… Neither you nor Midnight Storm meant to upset me… It just piled on top of some other things… I’m sorry I worried you, Cinna…” Witch says softly. “Look… I’ve got tomorrow off… I’ll tell you and Monkey all about it if you want to come over for lunch. Think you could let Flash know too?”

Cinna pulls back just enough to give Witch a nod. “Sure… Sounds good, Witchy.”

Quietly, Twilight slips away, grabbing Rarity on her way back down from the tower balcony. “C’mon Rarity…”

“But details!” Rarity whines as she’s dragged back downstairs.

Author's Note:

Phew! :ajsleepy: That was not easy! But I had so much fun writing this. The word-count is about twice my average, so there's a special treat too! :pinkiehappy:

Cinna seems to have reduced her caffeine intake, but it was canceled by meeting her Mane6/Fashionista Counterpart. Oops! :twilightsheepish:

Midnight Storm is random OC that popped in... No idea what I'll be doing with him later, if anything.

And don't worry, Rarity and Twilight won't become huge crutches in here. :raritywink: But it was fun to throw them in! :scootangel:

Additionally: Thanks to my mom for reading over this to make sure I'm not making horrible grammar mistakes and to give me ideas for further adventures. Kudos to Calm Wind for the assist on Discord's cameo... And last, but certainly far from least, MASSIVE love to Foxena for the beautiful art of Luna and Witch! Best Art Trade EVAR!

Thanks for reading!