Ponies in Hogwarts [Edited]

by KittyrinnAiko

Chapter 43: Escort

“You think she’s got a chance?” Scootaloo asked as Canterlot rapidly approached.

“Rainbow Dash or Apple Bloom?” Nova asked.

Scootaloo had to think for a moment, “Let's stick with Dash for now.” Scootaloo had a grin on her face that suggested she wasn’t holding out much hope for Apple Bloom.

“Dash has got to get clearance from the tower to fly down off the mountain. The airspace around Canterlot is too crowded to just jump in any time we want, and every pony has to take their turn.” Nova offered. “Tower, this is Knave One and Scooter on approach.”

‘Where? I can’t see you?’ the tower operator replied over the radio.

“Tower, by the time you see us you’ll be wearing your coffee.” Scootaloo teased.

‘Inbound is open, come on in, just be mindful of the airship.’ offered another voice over the radio.

“Roger that tower,” Nova replied.

‘Flight One-Oh-One heavy, I thought we had the clearance?’ asked a concerned voice.

‘They’ll be down before you are even lined up for your final approach.’ The tower offered.

Nova and Scootaloo angled down towards the airstrip. A large airship was coming around loaded with happy tourists. Nova activated her aura spell to light herself up, followed by Scootaloo doing the same, and the two zipping past the airship like a couple of shooting stars. They waited until they were on their final approach before slowing down, and came gliding in with a high angle of approach, wings spread wide, feathers splayed out.

‘Tower, Rainbow Crash requesting clearance from Mountain Base,” Dash’s voice could be heard over the radio as Nova and Scootaloo slowed to a slow glide, angled off the runway, set down softly, and started walking towards the arrivals gate.

‘Sorry Crash, you’re going to have to wait,’ the tower offered.

‘What?!” Dash protested.

“Use the stairs, it’ll be faster,” Scootaloo suggested.

‘You’ve got to wait too.’ Dash replied.

“Already on the ground.” Nova offered as she canceled her light spell, followed by Scootaloo doing the same.

‘What, no way?!’ Dash protested. ‘Diverting to the Wonderbolt auxiliary field.’

‘Captain, please keep your chatter to a minimum,’ the tower chastised. ‘Diversion approved.’

Nova and Scootaloo couldn't help but laugh as they made their way through the gate and past a dumbfounded crowd, some of whom looked like they weren’t sure if they should bow or not. When an escort of six guards moved in to flank the two, quite a few decided they’d best do it.

“So why the escort?” Nova asked as they made their way out of the terminal area and headed back to where the training camp was.

“Higher-ups thought it might be a good idea,” the Sargent offered. “Too many ponies who still have it in their heads that Princess Celestia is the only true Alicorn. Some are known to be more than vocal, and the Air Terminal has too many ponies we don’t know anything about.”

“So what you are saying is you are here to keep me from stomping some pony’s flank.”

“Trust me, she’s fully capable of stomping flank,” Scootaloo replied to the barely suppressed smiles. “Don’t let her petite size fool you. Seriously, just look at that chiselled physique.”

Whether or not the escort believed her they didn’t show it by their conduct. Some smiled, but most just looked forward with a look of grim determination. Over the radio, the tower could be heard calling operations to deal with a rogue thunderhead that had formed.

“Belay that tower, this is Knave One, it’s not rogue. It’s mine.” Nova said over her radio link. The sky overhead was indeed getting dark. “I’ll dismiss it when my escort has delivered me safe without incident.”

Ears on the guards escorting her suddenly dropped back as nervous looks overtook their faces. They’d been taking a rather circuitous route and it was bothering Nova to the point she was ready to blast every last one of them at the slightest provocation. The fact that there were little minor issues with their uniforms and armor was bothering her too. These were not Canterlot’s finest, and Nova was wondering if she should just ditch them?

“Seems like it’s taking us a lot longer to get back,” Scootaloo whispered.

“Tell you what, when I brush my wing against you stop, don’t move or say a thing,” Nova whispered back.

“Th-this way,” a Corporal directed.

Nova brushed her wing against Scootaloo, the two stopped, and to Scootaloo’s stunned delight, they also kept going as Nova wove a fine illusion that would make the guards think they were still walking with them.

The two followed at a discreet distance as the escort turned into a blind alley. “What, no, that’s not right,” the Sargent cautioned at the mouth of the alley. “Hold up.”

“Well, I do believe we are lost.” Nova’s doppelganger offered. “Perhaps we should turn around and try again?” The guards seemed to be hesitating.

“Guys, you really should turn around.” Scootaloo’s doppelganger suggested. “Um, guys?!”

Scootaloo’s eyes went wide as one of their escorts pulled out their sword.

“Care to explain?” Nova asked just as the guard who’d pulled his sword laid it down, bowed low and began begging for forgiveness.

Nova let the illusions fade away to reveal their true location.

The guards each, in turn, turned back just as Rainbow Dash, and two dozen of Princess Celestia’s finest landed nearby.

“I know those guards, they are from the Temple of the Sun.” Dash offered. “They are a bunch of radicals.”

“We just wanted to make ourselves useful,” The Sargent offered as each bowed.

“So, what is it, you just don’t know your way?” Scootaloo asked. They each nodded in agreement.

“No harm done, I guess,” Nova offered. “Perhaps if someone could escort them back to their temple? Let their own supervisors do the chewing out.”

“You sure about that, Princess?” Dash asked.

“Well that and give them to Sargent Thruster so he can make proper guards out of them,” Nova suggested with a devilish grin.

“Couldn’t you just zap us with a thunderbolt instead?” One of the Temple guards asked in an almost pleading tone. Sargent Thruster was the training Sargent for an elite combat group, and as such had developed something of a reputation. As for why he did Flight Camp, he liked to look for ponies he thought had the temperament, and would, if possible, direct them along the appropriate career paths that would place them within striking distance of joining the elite group.

Nova and Scootaloo continued on this time with a proper escort.

“Where’s my baby?” Scootaloo called as they approached Princess Celestia’s group only to have the wind knocked out of her as Rose and Goldwine latched on.

“Told you they’d show themselves come feeding time.” Nova teased with a lilt to her voice.

“You just wait till it’s your turn,” Scootaloo muttered having caught her breath a moment later.

“Aww, they’re so cute.” Offered a group of fillies who only a moment before had been playing with the babies. Alalme approached with Alya trotting alongside a moment later and gave each a kiss and a warm hug. Alya who’d yet to be fully weened took that moment to dive in under her mother.

“We were just about to go in, check on Harry, Hermione, and Hedwig, and then have lunch.” Princess Celestia offered.

“We’d be delighted to join you.” Nova offered.

“Excuse me but I’m a little immobilized here.” Scootaloo pointed out.

“I could levitate the three of you.” Nova offered with a grin.

“You are not parading me like a Macy’s Day balloon.” Scootaloo scolded.

“Macy's Day?” Nova asked. She’d no idea what that was a reference too.

“Just start walking.” Alalme offered and began to move forward. Alya had no choice but to let go.

“Mom!” Alya protested as she fluttered her wings in distress.

“Oh, now you tell me.” Scootaloo protested, took a tentative step, and a moment later the group was on its way while the three foals protested and flapped their wings like the little impatient fledgelings they were.

Comments

[KittyrinnAiko]

10038174
I asked around about Cursed Child. I ended up not bothering to read it. I like playing around with time travel but when it gets to the point a person needs a spreadsheet to keep track of things we've really got a problem. Not something I'd do for a serious project. Also the reason this story is only bassed on my first three books on here, and not a sequal. Too many contenuity issues.

[Georg]

10050677 I read part of the Cursed Child book in the store and gave up. Wife bought it, brought it home, was baffled. I tried working through it again, read the outline and the time travel bits, and determined that JK Rowling went starkers. I had to wonder if perhaps her husband wrote it, maybe? All the rest of the Harry Potter series are fascinating, this one is just baffling. (That's why my Hogwarts story is just ignoring it too.)

[KittyrinnAiko]

10056000
It was actually written by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. No idea how much it if any of it was by JK Rowling other then she put her name on it for marketing purposes. She may have had some rough notes that they started from but she had nothing to do with the finished product. Which is probably why it jumped the rails so badly. It could have been a perfectly fine story without the time travel.