A Royal Getaway

by IronStories

Chapter 4: Vanhoover Trails

Novo slept like a rock at the bottom of the sea. She did a lot during her trip to Manehattan, and she and Celestia arrived in Vanhoover pretty late. The first thing she did when they arrived at the cabin they were staying was crash into her bed and sleep. She didn't even unpack her luggage. Celestia took a little time to unpack before she went to bed. As the morning approached, Celestia was actually already up while Novo was still sacked out. She wanted to wake the Queen up and get the day started, but Novo tends to be very grumpy when she is disturbed from her beauty sleep. So she spent much of the time reading a book she brought with her. Soon, Novo woke up, feathers all rustled and eyelids still heavy.

"Good morning!" Celestia said. "I see you got plenty of rest."

"I haven't slept that good in months." Novo yawned. Celestia handed her some Vanhoover-branded coffee. "Oooh, this tastes wonderful! I need to bring some back home with me."

Celestia and Novo got dressed and got some breakfast. Like last time, they discussed what they were going to do for the day, using Novo's list as a reference. Vanhoover has plenty for them to do, with its vast wilderness trails and the breathtaking view of Neighagra Falls. Plus the waters are almost as clear as those around Mount Aris, and they're home to a wide variety of aquatic life. As they were eating breakfast, they discussed their plans for the day.

"Oh! Have you ever been zip-lining?" Celestia asked.

"I don't think I have." Novo was a tad confused. "Why?"

"I went zip-lining with Luna during our vacation." Celestia explained. "It was lots of fun. Neighagra Falls has a really nice zip-lining corse, and I think it would certainly be up your alley!"

"I never pegged you for being an adrenaline junkie, Celie," Novo said, taking a bite out of some wheat toast, "in fact, you're the last pony I would expect to be into that sort of thing! But we can defiantly give that a go. You know, along with other stuff too."

"Other stuff?" Celestia got curious. "All I see on here for Vanhoover is 'Visit Neighagra Falls' and 'Dive with sea creatures."

"We got the whole day to explore this place! We can see all the sights and wonders this beautiful little area has to offer!"

"At least until this evening." Celestia said. "Remember, we have to catch the train to our next stop."

I know, I know," Novo replied, "so what are we waiting for? Let's go out there and have fun! Race you to Neighagra Falls!"

"Oh, you're on, sister!" Celestia and Novo exited out the cabin and dashed towards Neighagra Falls, laughing and chasing each other like young fillies. It was refreshing for them to not have to worry abut royal duties and hang loose, even if it was for a short time. Novo especially was enjoying it. For so long she never had a break like this, and she always worried about her kingdom and her subjects, especially after the Storm King invaded. But now she was able to have so much fun. Not since she was younger did she have so much freedom.

As they raced each other, Celestia gained a slight lead ahead of Novo.

"I'm gonna beat you! Ha hah hah!" Celestia giggled.

"Not if I get to you first!" Novo excitedly exclaimed. "Think fast!"

Without warning, Novo leaped into the air and playfully tackled Celestia. They were sent rolling along the path until they stopped. The Royals were laughing up a storm. They continued to chuckle until they realized they have reached their destination.

"Oh look, we're here!" Celestia said.

They got their composure together and trekked up the waterfall. It was a long walk up, but the exercise was well needed. When they finally reached the top, they got to see a vastness of the landscape, and were in awestruck, especially Novo.

"I've never seen so much beauty outside my kingdom." She said, taking in the surroundings.

"I know." Celestia added. "As much as I love Canterlot, this has to be one of my favorite places to visit."

They headed closer to the falls, where they could hear its mighty roar and feel the droplets of water. It was here that they say the nearby zip-lining corse. Celestia got excited. "There it is! You're gonna love zip-lining, Novo!"

Novo looked at the whole thing. It seems to be going on and on. She grew a little weary.

"Are you sure this is safe?" She asked.

"Of course it is!" Celestia replied. "I've been on this one. Safe as can be! What do you say? Wanna give it a go?"

"Well, I don't know..."

"Come on, don't be a chicken!" Celestia teased.

"Hey!" Novo's feathers got ruffled. "I'll have you know I am part griffon! And griffons are part eagle if I recall!"

"Well, an eagle is a bird, and chickens are birds too!" Celestia playfully said.

"Alright, move aside, sister!" Novo walked up to the start of the corse. "Catch you down wind!"

Celestia got excited, seeing her friend try something she hasn't done before. The ponies running the zip-line corse set Novo up, giving her a helmet, a harness, and making sure she was secure. They pushed her to the edge, and she looked down, feeling incredibly nervous.

"Are you read, m'am?" The zip-line worker asked.

"Um, I uh, suppose so...." Novo nervously replied.

"See you down there, Novo!" Celestia beamed.

"Yeah, see you dow- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!

The scream seemed to echo for miles. Novo was use to flying great heights, but that was under her own wing power and control. Here, hooked up to all this stuff, she had no control, and she felt terrified. She continued to scream.

Celestia was done getting set up. Part of her felt concerned that Novo wasn't having fun, but another part felt that she would warm up to it. "Don't worry, Novo! I'm coming! WOOOOOOOHOOOHOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Celestia went down too. She was screaming, but not in fear. These were screams of joy and fun. She enjoyed the adrenalin rush. Novo turned around, still screaming in fear, but she saw Celestia having a good time, and, after surveying her surroundings, felt a little at ease, and she actually liked it. Her screams of terror transformed into ones of pure joy. She was having the time of her life. Celestia was also having just as much fun.

Finally, they made it down to the end of the corse. Novo was the first to make it down, and while she was relieved to be on the ground, she was still giggling from the fun she had. Celestia was next, and she was happy to see Novo having so much fun.

"I take it that you had fun?" Celestia asked.

Novo tried to regain composure. "Yeah! It kind of was! But now I think it's best if we head for the beach."

"Wanting to knock down that 'dive with sea creatures' part of your list?"

"That, and it's pretty relaxing." Novo added. " Zip-lining was great, but the beach is more my speed."

The two headed to the beach, which was in close proximity to the falls. It was fairly quiet there, only a couple ponies were there enjoying the tranquility . The waves were fairly calm and the sands remained untouched. Novo enjoyed going to the beach back at Mount Aris. She enjoyed the sunshine, the sparking clear seawater, and overall peace it brought her. It relieved a lot of stress for her. But when her workload got to be too big, she was unable to go and unwind. As a part of her vacation, she wanted to at least visit the beach at Vanhoover, if only just so she could take a swim with all the creatures that lived underwater.

"This looks like a good spot." Celestia said. The pair laid down some beach towels and set up their spot. Novo grabbed a bucket and went to go look for some shells to take home as a gift for Skystar. She managed to find several good ones, but her eyes were caught staring at the falls. She got an idea. Celestia had fallen asleep, and Novo darted to the peak of the falls. She spread her wings and flew up until she was close to the edge of the falls.

There was a lot of chatter going about. So much that it woke Celestia up from her nap. She looked around and didn't see Novo anywhere, but she saw a large crowd gather near the beach. They were looking towards the falls, and there Novo was, clinging to the edge.

"NOVO!!!" Celestia was sent into a panic. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Trust me, Celie!" Novo shouted from afar. "I know what I'm doing!"

And just that that, she let go and began to glide towards the center of the water. The glide then turned into a dive, and the onlookers watched on in both awe and fear. Celestia was panicking, and she started to fly towards Novo to get her to safety, but before she could get any closer, Novo had already dived into the water with a big splash. Seconds went by, and Celestia and the audience grew even more worried. Until...

"Woooo Hoooo!"

Novo had leapt out of the water gracefully in her SeaPony form, almost like a dolphin. The crowd cheered at the spectacle they just witnessed, and Celestia was both relieved and very upset. Novo returned to the surface.

"Come on in, Celie!" She said. "The water feels wonderful!"

"Novo, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Celestia was far from amused. "Why didn't you tell me you were gonna do something crazy like that?!"

"Well, you got your adrenalin rush. I thought I would get mine in too."

"Zip-lining is completely different!" Celestia insisted. "You could have gotten hurt, or worse!"

"Relax," Novo tried to calm down her friend, "I use to do this all the time when I was younger. I still got it."

Celestia was starting to calm down. While she does flare up at times of frustration, she was incredibly quick to cool down.

"Sorry. I just wish you would have told me what you were doing first."

Novo looked down a little. "Yeah, I guess I should have told you." They both managed to reconcile.

"So do you want to go swimming with me?" Novo asked. "I don't like swimming by myself in unfamiliar waters."

"Let me get my gear on first." Celestia replied, as she flew back to the shore.

"I don't think that will be necessary." Novo said, as she pulled one a Pearl necklace from her shirt pocket. Wearing this allowed they user to become a SeaPony.

"Well that was certainly convenient of you! Thanks, Novo!" Celestia said, and she put the necklace, turning her into a SeaPony. She made a big splash as she landed in the water, causing Novo to chuckle a little. The two then dived down to survey life underneath the waves.

The waters were as clear as could be, and Novo was loving it. Celestia had a hard time catching up with Novo due to her unfamiliarity with being a SeaPony, so Novo had to stay with her and teach her a few SeaPony swimming lessons. But they were still enjoying the time they had together, and admiring the aquatic ambiance.

"Isn't this wonderful, Celestia?" Novo asked.

"Yeah, it certainly is." Celestia replied. "I'm use to beauty on the land. But I never knew how lovely it is underneath the water."

The more they swam along, the more that the local aquatic life began to show up. Most of it was fish, but there was the occasional octopus and small shark. They even saw a pod of orcas, and while Novo was worried that they might try to attack, the pod allowed her and Celestia to swim along with them. It was a breathtaking experience. However, it was staring to get dark out, and this meant that it was time to head back to the cabin and catch the next train.

Celestia and Novo returned to the beach, where Novo returned to her hippogriff form and Celestia gave the Pearl necklace back to Novo. They packed up their beach things and headed back to the cabin. Once there, they took a moment to rest before they packed up their things to catch the next train.

As they boarded, they began to discuss what their plans are for the next day. Turns out, Novo wanted to pay a proper visit to Ponyville. She had never been before, and always wanted to visit its famous spa, as well as visit its vast daily market. Celestia figured that they would be visiting Ponyville during their trip, and asked Twilight Sparkle if they could stay at her castle for the day. In typical fashion, Twilight was overwhelmed with nervousness, but she eventually was fine with it. Novo was fairly worried, as her first encounter with the Princess of Friendship was a fairly rocky one.

"Are you sure she'll be okay with us staying for the night?" Novo asked, sounding a little concerned.

"Of course she is!" Celestia replied. "She is my personal student after all. Why would you think she wouldn't?"

"It's just," Novo tried to keep her composure, "when we first met, it didn't go as you'd expect..."

"That's all in the past, Novo." Celestia told her. "Besides, the both of you managed to work things out in the end. There's no need to worry about anything."

Novo knew what Celestia meant, but even so, she was still worried. When she first met Twilight and her friends, it wasn't at the best of times. Novo and her kind were still living in exile in Seaquestria due to the Storm King, and after seeing both Mount Aris and her husband fall before her eyes, she grew very weary of outsiders. And she was about to warm up to her visitors, until Twilight fumbled at the last moment by attempting to steal the Pearl, and feeling betrayed, Novo sent them out of Seaquestria. Even after the Storm King's initial defeat, and the hippogriffs reclaiming their old home, and even after she and Twilight managed to make amends with each other, Novo still felt tremendous guilt, even though she was acting accordingly.

After a long train ride, they arrived in Ponyville, greeted by Twilight and her assistant Spike.

"Welcome, Princess Celestia and Queen Novo!" Twilight gleefully said.

"It's wonderful to see you, Twilight!" Celestia replied. "Thank you for letting us stay at your castle for the night."

"Um, yeah," Novo worryingly chipped in, "I appreciate the very kind gesture."

As Celestia and Novo got their luggage and accompanied Twilight and Spike back to the castle, Twilight and Spike noticed Novo feeling a little down.

"Is everything okay, Queen Novo?" Spiked asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, honey." Novo tried to be cheerful, but the memories were hitting hard.

"Are you sure?" Twilight pitched in. "I know you needed a vacation and all, but don't tell me you're not enjoying it."

"Not enjoying it?" Novo remarked. "I've had the most wonderful trip ever! So many places to visit and so many things I never got to do! I just..." She had a hard time telling Twilight about the past.

"Just what?" Twilight asked. "You can tell me."

"Just... everything that happened when we first met. I know we made up, but I still felt such guilt over the whole thing."

Twilight knew exactly what Novo was talking about. She felt particularly bad about that day too, no doubt due to being under so much pressure after the Storm King's forces invaded Canterlot, among other things.

"Isn't that when Twilight tried to take your pearl?" Spike asked. "I mean, I would be pretty mad too if someone tried taking something of mine."

"Not helping..." Twilight remarked. She then turned to Novo. "Queen Novo, I know that day wasn't good for either of us, but it's all in the past. The present is more important. You should be happy with what you have now. You can't hang onto the past forever. You can either hide from it or learn form it. I think the latter is the better choice. Don't you agree?"

Novo started to feel much better. "Thank you, Twilight. You are so wise. I should take a cue."

"Well, I did learn from the best." Twilight beamed. Celestia smiled, and Novo smiled as well.

At last, they arrived at Twilight's castle. It was already dark out when they arrived. Twilight and Spike showed Celestia and Novo the room that they would be staying in, and they unpacked and were getting ready for bed.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!" Twilight said.

"Unless it's really late at night and we're all trying to sleep." Spike added.

"Spike!" Twilight was slightly annoyed. "These are our guests. And they're the Princess and the Queen!"

Celestia and Novo chuckled. "It's okay, my dear. We won't be too much of a fuss." Novo told them. "Now go get some shut-eye."

Twilight and Spike soon left the room and Celestia and Novo got ready for bed. It was a fun day in Vanhoover, but they were defiantly worn out. And Ponyville has plenty to do, so they wanted to get as much rest as they could. They turned out the lights and went to bed, ready for whatever tomorrow will bring.