Chapter 10: City Charade
Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 10: City Charade
It was nearing the end of the twelfth hour of the night, and as it drew to a close, the soft glow of sunlight began to shine just beyond the horizon. One by one, the birds around Canterlot began to wake. Fluttering through the air, they chirped and sang, letting out a musical tune as they greeted the dawn with their song.
It was around this time that the royal guards would switch shifts. While the sun began to rise into the sky, Celestia emerged from the shadows of the dawn. She ran in a hurry towards the castle gate. When she got close, her form came to a stop in front of Luna and Cadance. The two were waiting expectantly for the eldest alicorn, who was a little out of breath. Celestia breathed out, "Okay, that was too close, but I don't think Elayne saw me."
With a firm tone, the Lunar Princess suggested that they head out immediately, and Celestia quickly agreed. With a nod, the three princesses turned towards the gate and began walking. Tia's steps were slow and drawn out, and she struggled to stay awake.
Over the past week, Celestia hadn’t received a moment’s rest. Upon returning to Canterlot castle, the solar princess almost fainted when she saw the amount of paperwork waiting for her. The stack of papers covered her desk and dwarfed the size of Philomena’s cage. Much to her dismay, she spent the last few days working through the paperwork. She had to work both day and night to get through it, and when she did, she celebrated with a victory cheer. Later, during the same day, she learned that there was a three-week-long waiting list for Daycourt, to which she screamed out in frustration.
Luna didn't get a break either. Over the past few weeks, the residents of Canterlot were plagued with nightmares. Almost all of them were of the changeling swarm invading Canterlot. The sheer number of ponies who experienced such nightmares had her running through the dream realm like a mad mare. And as morning came, the lunar princess wanted nothing more than to rest. She was mentally exhausted, and she frequently yawned as she went about her day. With a curious glance, she looked over at the pink pony walking alongside her.
Cadance was trotting along with a skip in her step and a smile on her face, humming a happy tune to herself. She was inspecting her camera, making sure that it was in perfect working order. She polished the lens and then double-checked to make sure that she had brought enough film with her. With all her preparations complete, Cadance looked up towards the two sisters and asked, "So, who's Elayne?"
The Royal sisters, who were struggling to keep their eyes open, straightened up as they visibly shuddered. Just the mere mention of the pony's name was enough to raise the anxiety in their hearts. As the trio passed through the gate, a door could be heard slamming open in the distance. A moment later, the words, "Oh, there you are!" cut through the courtyard.
Celestia and Luna stopped as a chill ran through them, and the fur on the back of their necks stood on end. With strained movements, Tia and Lulu slowly turned to look back at the castle. Their eyes widened in horror as the dreaded secretary pushed up her glasses, causing them to shimmer. Elayne opened her saddlebags and pulled out a quill and a checklist.
Cadance smiled and waved at the pony, but the royal sisters looked at each other with worry. With a silent nod, Tia and Lulu turned to the waving pink pony. Grabbing her by the hoof, Celestia knelt and whispered into Cadance's ear, "Run!"
"What?" That was all the dumbfounded Princess could say before she suddenly found herself being pulled along by Tia. At seeing the trio suddenly run away, the secretary gave chase. She was desperate to hold them to the schedule she had planned out.
Following the three, Elayne ran into the city streets, waving her schedule back and forth as she called out to the Princesses. "Wait! You'll be late for the first appointment!" She shouted, but the Princesses didn't slow down. Instead, they seemingly sped up, and Elayne continued calling after them as her loud shouts echoed through the city streets.
Unfortunately for the secretary, she was not built to run very far, and she soon lost sight of the Princesses. As they disappeared from view, the secretary groaned as she looked down at her schedule. With a huff, she took out her quill and began trying to rearrange the appointments.
A couple of minutes later, from the perspective of a narrow alley, Elayne's form quickly trotted past. Celestia and Luna huddled against the wall, and they held their breath. Luna also covered over Cadance's mouth in an attempt to keep her quiet. The tension they felt began to fade, and as they keenly listened, no sounds hinted to the secretary's return.
Sighing, the two sisters felt a bit of stress lift off their shoulders. Luna let go of Cadance's face, and the pink pony furiously wiped the debris of dirt from Luna's hoof off her face. Grumbling a little bit, she looked at the other Princesses and grumpily asked, "What was that all about?"
Luna lowered her head slightly, "Sorry, Cadance, but for our plans to work, we needed to lose her. Had she caught up to us, she would likely give us work to complete while we were out."
The pink pony rolled her eyes as she held back a smile. "Oh, come on, auntie Luna, it can't be that bad."
"No, it's worse," Celestia said with a jolt, and Cadance looked up at the white mare. Then she noticed that the alicorn had lines under her eyes, and they were bloodshot from a lack of sleep.
Celestia shook her head, embarrassed by her sudden outburst. She stood back up and smiled softly at the pink pony as she gave a little yawn. "Elayne is a sweet pony, and she is good at her job. But she's a little too zealous when it comes to clearing her schedules. I- I just needed a break."
Cadance nodded, "Okay, that makes sense." She said, getting up and dusting herself off. Then she began walking down the alleyway. Looking back at the other Princesses, she laughed as they nodded off slightly. "Come on, let's go!"
The two sisters Lifted their heads and quickly followed after the mare. Walking onto another roadway, the three of them began heading in the direction of the hospital. Some of the residents who had already woken up looked on in awe, and confusion, as they spotted the three Princesses stroll through town.
A nearby clocktower began to ring, and Luna looked up, nudging her sister. With an understanding glance, Celestia nodded and lit up her horn. Beside her, the lunar princess did the same, closing her eyes and feigning deep focus.
The two sisters took the opportunity to rest their eyes. Up in the night sky, the moon was slowly enveloped in Luna’s magic. It turned blue in hue, and it began to drop down below the horizon. As the moon fell in the west, in the east, the light of dawn gradually grew within a minute, and a half Equestria was under the full light of day.
Afterward, they continued on their way, but soon after the sun rose, their ears perked up as somepony yelled, "Look out!" The three princesses lifted their heads and looked around, but there was nothing. Then, the trio suddenly caught a glimpse of a red-maned mare. She shot past and narrowly missed the tower. Tapping it on her way past, the pony threw her forelegs out and shouted. "Wooo!" Then she sped off as she began laughing to herself about something.
Celestia and Luna looked at each other with wide eyes, and with a stunned expression, Tia lifted her hoof and pointed at the sky, asking, "W-was that, mother?..."
Luna breathed out with a grunt and nodded her head with a faint smile. "Yes, sister, I believe it was..."
Looking up into the sky, Cadence scrunched her muzzle and silently pulled out her camera. She waited for a good shot, but then a stray thought caught her mind. She turned her head to look at the sisters and asked. "Didn't the doctors say that she needed to keep from flying so her wings could heal properly?"
The two sisters visibly twitched at hearing her question, and they simultaneously snapped their heads up towards the flying mare. "Mom! Get back here!" They shouted, then they took off running after her.
The regal mask that the ponies had come to know vanished, and they simply became two daughters chasing after their mischievous mother. Several residents getting things ready for the day exited their homes only to be confused at the sight of the two sisters running through the streets shouting at the sky.
If that wasn't enough, a sudden flash of light caught the resident’s attention. They looked over to the source only to find Princess Cadance fiddling with her camera. The pink mare clicked the flash button off and then looked up to see the other Princesses had left her behind.
Down the street, the two sisters unfolded their wings and prepared to take flight. As they took to the skies, Cadance's eyes widened as she stumbled with her luggage as she pulled her wings out from under her saddlebag. Running after the two, she called out, "Hey! Wait for me!"
It was the beginning of the first hour of the day, and I found myself watching Lauren speed through the streets. The restless mare had been struggling with staying inside for the past few days, and I finally agreed to her plea's to get some fresh air. Now that she was out, the alicorn darted in between houses and narrow streets. Stretching her limbs out, she gave a cheerful smile and asked me, "(So, what do you think, Alex?)"
This is both awesome and terrifying! Came my immediate response. If there were some sort of seatbelt or safety bar, I’d be holding onto it for dear life, but a wide grin would undoubtedly be covering my face.
She laughed as she detected the nervousness in my voice and nodded, "(Make sure to take notes, kid, because your flying lessons aren't going to be easy.)"
Really? You're going to teach me how to fly!? My excited voice echoed through our mind.
The alicorn grinned at my enthusiasm. "(Sure thing, but a fair warning, I'm a strict teacher.)"
Pfff, I don't care! I get to learn how to fly! I mentally did a happy dance, and the alicorn rolled her eyes at my childish behavior. As we neared the middle of the city during our morning flight, the alicorn’s eye began to twitch. Her vision became more strained, and a shared sense of alarm flowed between us.
Time limit? I asked.
Lauren gave an irritated grunt, “(Yeah, It would seem so. Sorry Alex, but I have to switch with you again.)”
With a disappointed sigh, I said, So I take it our chances of them not knowing we snuck out, are?...
“(Absolutely zero.)” The alicorn deadpanned.
Yeah, I figured... Ugh, we are so getting a three-hour lecture when we get back, aren’t we?
“(... Probably.)” Lauren shrugged. With a sudden change in our plans, Faust steered us to the right and dropped down between two buildings. Upon landing, the soft clacking of our hooves against the cobblestone echoed through the corridor. Looking around with a cautious glance, Lauren checked to make sure no one was around.
Once we knew that we were alone, she lit her horn. The reddish-orange glow lit up the narrow street, and the brightness grew like a flame. A moment later, there was a soft magical poof, and the glow of our horn went with it.
What was that? I asked.
The alicorn shrugged, “(Just a simple spell to make us look like a pegasus.)" She said this while walking towards a nearby window showing me our reflection. I looked us over, and sure enough, our horn was gone. While looking into the glass, the alicorn’s eyes began to twitch, and she gave a drowsy smile. “(Well, it looks like I’ve reached my limit for a bit, mind taking over?)”
"Sure thing," I said and then shook my head in surprise as I realized she had already given me control. Lauren had been really straining herself to stay with it while we were in the air, but on a side note, she was able to retain control for several minutes longer. So that was a plus. Still surprised at my reflection, I reached up and felt the appendage on my head. I pulled my hoof down and looked at it. “That’s so cool.”
(Thanks.)
I headed out, hoping to get back before our absence was discovered. Reaching the end of the alleyway, I had to stop and shield my eyes from the bright light. My eyes quickly readjusted, and as they did, I let out an inaudible gasp. Canterlot was a wonder in terms of architecture, and the fairytale sights were captivating. Like a tourist, I walked along with a wide-eyed expression and a curious smile. This was my first time visiting the city, and it was every bit what I was hoping to see. Lauren had been complaining to me about being confined to the hospital room this whole time, yet, now that we were out, I was probably enjoying it more than she was. I had been in Equestria for a little over a month, yet, this was my first time truly seeing the world I now found myself in.
Unfortunately for me, it didn't take long for me to get lost as I aimlessly wandered through the streets. Walking along, I passed by a bank, and a little further down the main street, I passed by what looked to be Canterlot's City Library. I gave a quick smile as I passed by as I wondered just how much time sparklebutt had spent her life in that building. Following the roadway, I soon found myself to be walking through a shopping district. Although it was still quite early in the day, it was already bustling with activity.
“Free samples, come get your free samples!” A voice called out, and my ears perked up as I heard that precious word. The promise of free food was always a nice one, but it also brought me a sense of hunger that I hadn't noticed until now.
I glanced around and spotted a food stand not too far away from me. Standing there was a young colt working with an older pony. It was most likely his father, and he had the job of calling out to attract customers. Unfortunately for him, most of the city ponies were in a routine of ignoring the sounds around them, and they continued on their way unaware.
While I stood a little ways off, I gave a curious smile and headed over. They had small skewers displayed on the tray of samples; they had mango slices and strawberries stacked on them. And they all had a light dusting of icing sugar on them.
Standing close by, I caught a whiff of the sweet snack, and my mouth began to water. I longed for something good, something sweet, really anything other than hospital food. Honestly, out of all the things that it could have been, why was bad food at a hospital an undeniable fact of the multiverse?
As I asked myself that question, I suddenly felt the urge to look up, and that's when I noticed that the colt had spotted me eyeing the snacks. He picked a skewer up in his magic and held it out to me, asking, "Would you like to try one, miss?" My ears twitched as I realized I had been caught, and with a sheepish smile, not thinking too much, I grabbed the skewer in my magic and thanked him sincerely. I then walked away without much more to be said, and the colt went back to work.
He called out, looking for others to try the treat, but then, a moment later, he turned around with a confused expression. Looking down the street, he tried to see the red-maned pegasus, but the mare was nowhere to be seen. "How did she do that?"
A little ways away, I walked into a round courtyard and sat down on a nearby park bench. Grabbing the skewer with my hoof, I gave it a try. It was very sweet, and the snack disappeared too fast. With a shrug and a disappointed frown, I tossed the stick in a nearby trash-can.
Reclining on the park bench, I looked at the bustling city around me as it came to life. The majority of ponies were out and about now, and I couldn't help but find the whole sight somewhat entertaining.
Through the street, I spotted a mare leading a group of children through the crowd of ponies. She was a green pegasus and sounded young. The group headed closer to me and stood a little ways away as they looked in my direction. The mare leading the kids then threw her hoof out in front of her and said. "Now, students, this is a very important pony. Does any pony know who it is?"
I suddenly felt quite self-conscious and began looking around in confusion. Curious, I looked to the side, and out of the corner of my eye, I was a little surprised to see a statue of a mare in the center of a water fountain. Turning in my seat to look at the sculpture properly, I noticed it was an alicorn standing on her hind legs. Her head was looking down, and a somber expression was on her face. It stood at nearly twenty feet tall and had a large base. The statue looked familiar, very familiar...
I turned, facing forward again as I asked my passenger. Hey Lauren, is that you?
(I think it is...)
I took another glance at the tall, slender statue and then looked down at myself and my average height. I smirked and whispered."Wow, you got short in your old age."
'(Hey! I didn't get short. I just expelled most of my magic getting here. I was as tall as Tia before I met you.)'
So... You're like a balloon?
(I am not a balloon!)
I began to laugh, You're a magical pony balloon!
(I am not.)
Hey, if you take in too much magic, do you pop?
(Will you stop already.)
Using her admin privileges against me, the alicorn took over and bonked our head with her hoof. A moment later, I sat there holding my aching head as I gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, ma'am."
In response, she gave an amused grunt, and I shook my head with a faint smile. Glancing back at the class of students, I listened in as they tried to guess who the statue represented. The colts and fillies threw out several guesses, but none quite hit the mark. Rather than a specific name, they would come up with generalities such as hope, harmony, rulership, and so on. The teacher clapped her forehooves together and thanked the students for their guesses. "Yes, all excellent answers. However, this statue is a representation of one particular mare. She is known throughout history as the Fausticorn."
(Faust-i-corn? That's what they're calling me?)
With a shrug of my wings, I glanced to the side, whispering, "Well, I mean, it kind of fits." I didn't get any response, but a wave of embarrassment washed over me.
Listening to the lesson, the teacher continued, "Some say that she’s the mother of the royal sisters, but no pony has been able to confirm it. Others say she was a contemporary of gusty the great. But one thing we do know is, according to the records of Starswirl the Bearded, she was the sole pony responsible for Equestria being what we know today."
As we listened, I found myself intrigued, curious about what must’ve happened in the past. Then my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of laughing coming from the recesses of my mind. What's up?
(Haha! Starswirl finally grew a beard!) Came the giggling pony's response, and I shook my head, rolling my eyes with a smile.
The teacher then reached into her saddlebags and pulled out what looked like a camera. Pulling a tab at the corner, she wound the film roll inside and took to the air as she looked through the viewfinder. "Okay, class, everypony smile at the camera."
The class collected together and looked towards her with smiles stretched across their faces. Seeing that she wasn't going to be in the shot, I got up without really thinking and approached the mare. "Excuse me," I said, and the pony looked up from her camera. “Would you like me to take the picture for you?” I asked.
The teacher glanced at me with a bemused expression, and then a look of gratitude crossed her face as she realized what I was asking. “Oh, thank you,” She said, then gave me her camera. Running over to stand with her class, the pegasus joined the shot, and I quickly looked the device over, being that it was an older style model than what I was used to. Figuring it out, I aimed the shot and instructed the ponies to get closer together.
When I had everyone in the shot, I put my wing up as if to say, okay, stay there, then began counting. “Three... Two... One.”
Click!
The ponies let themselves relax, and the teacher made her way over to me to retrieve her camera. As she approached me, her head tilted slightly, and she said, “You know, you look so familiar to me.”
I raised my eyebrows, "I do, do I?"
"Yes, but I can't put my hoof on it. Do I know you from somewhere?"
"Yeah, I think maybe you do..." I said, giving back the camera. She gave me a confused frown as she continued trying to place me. I smiled, then turned to leave. I spun around, and, taking a step forward, I bumped into an agitated Luna. With a startled gasp, the teacher and her students quickly bowed, as did the rest of the ponies standing around us. Following the crowd's example, I bowed and gave my respects.
As I kept my head low, I felt the princess's gaze burn into me. She let a moment pass, then she stated, “Your disguise is pathetic. You only hid your horn.”
Oh, crap! Standing up, I looked at the princess with a sheepish expression and rubbed my fore-hoof against the other. "Hehe, hi Luna." My sudden casual demeanor caused the ponies around to look on with confused expressions, and they watched in anticipation as the Princess stared down the red-haired 'pegasus.'
“Yes, hello, It's so nice to see that you are getting your rest and are recovering comfortably." Her tone was slow, calm, and collected, and somehow it frightened me.
Straightening up, I looked around nervously, "Yes, rest... You know I heard that fresh air is perfect for one's recovery..."
Luna raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so?" She took a step forward, and I took a step back. Glancing to either side, I spotted Celestia and Cadance walking towards us with drinks in their grasp, and they shared startled expressions upon spotting me.
Onlookers became intrigued at the scene playing out before them, and my ears folded back in embarrassment. "Yeah, I-I also heard that running is good for one's health too..."
“Really?” The princess hardened her gaze, and I scrunched up my muzzle.
Then, with a sudden jolt, I turned and began running. As if on cue, Luna launched forward and tried to bite at my tail, but she missed. I managed to make it into the crowd of stunned ponies. My small form swerved quickly in between them. But then, a blue Alicorn parted through the ponies like walking through tall grass, and she said in an irritated tone, "Mom, you get back here right now!"
"No! Don't make me go back to that boring place!" I begged as I swerved through the crowds of ponies. Some protested as I pushed past them, but others merely stared in shock as the Princess chased after a pony. In my attempts to escape my coming doom, I turned a sharp corner and dove into an alleyway. While I ran through the center, Cadance and Celestia walked into view at the other end.
Jumping up, I ran on one wall and then hopped to the other as I vaulted over the two. The Princesses simply watched, drinking their shakes as I went past.
Luna had to skid to a stop to avoid running into the other two, and she glanced at her sister with an irritated frown. "Tia, will you please, stop stuffing your face and help me!"
The solar princess took a sip from her drink and then let out a sigh. "Oh, alright."
She lit up her horn, and a moment later, from down the street, a shout of, "Oh, that's bullshit!" echoed between the buildings. The alicorn in disguise was then forcefully dragged back to the group. "Ow ow ow ow! At least don't drag me by my mane~."
Thankfully she listened to my complaint, and Tia tossed me up into a bubble of her magic. I floated above the Princesses with crossed forehooves and a grumpy frown on my face. Looking down at Celestia, I grumbled. "You cheated,"
To which, Tia looked back at me. She took a sip from her drink, then stuck her tongue out, saying, "You never said there were any rules."
"Aww, man."
They dragged me back to the hospital, and the doctors checked over me for any further injuries. Thankfully there were none, and they had me discharged within the hour. By midday, I stood back in my room. I took in a deep breath, filling my nose with the scent that the room had come to know and love. It was a smell of parchment and expensive woods. I took a moment to acknowledge how comforting that mix had become to be.
Tia and Lulu were with me, walked past, and crawled into my bed. Their exhaustion finally catching up with them. Somehow seeing them like this seemed relatively peaceful, and I couldn't help but wonder what those two were like when they were fillies. The thought made me smile, and somehow I knew my co-pilot was smiling too. I laid down and took an afternoon nap as well.
It only seemed like a few minutes passed, but the sound of a click at the door. It woke me up, and I cracked an eye open, only to see the doors of my room burst open. I watched as thirty or more servants flooded into the room. “Your highnesses, you must get up! you need to be ready!” One servant announced. Their maids practically swarmed the two Princesses; the poor alicorns didn't even get to wake up before they were dragged out of bed. Both of them made a loud thud as they fell onto the floor. Sets of one or two unicorns straightened them up in their magic, and their royal regalia was slapped onto them. I watched, horrified by the swarm. They tossed the two half-asleep Princesses into two oversized chairs they had brought with them and then began their makeup attack.
I was so thankful that I hadn't been singled out yet, and I had no intention of being part of this. So while the maids were distracted, I scampered off the bed and found a spot at the end of the room. Unfortunately for me, all the doors and windows seemed to be blocked by the vast number of makeup artists. So I hid at the corner of the room, hoping that I'd remain unseen. I was confused. What was with this all of a sudden? Why were we getting ready? What was it for? I was so focused on the unanswered questions that laid in my mind that I didn't even notice my three attendants push their way into the room. They had a large suitcase with pictures of hairbrushes and other makeup products with them, and as soon as I saw it, dread-filled my heart.
"Oh, no." I glanced over the group swarming over the solar and lunar Princesses, and my heart skipped a beat in fear. Outwardly I did my best to hide any sense of discomfort, but it still didn't stop the hair on my neck from standing up. Along with a very goofy-looking changeling as she tried to hide her amusement. My expression may have been too easy to read for her to need to taste my emotions. To my relief, when they opened the bag, it was literally just a comb and a blow dryer. That, I could handle. But if there were any chance of me looking like Rarity when she gets all caked up in face products, I'd be running for the hills. So sitting down at the desk that Lauren had introduced herself to me at, I willingly let Minuette do my hair or mane, much to her enjoyment. It seemed that ever since I first met her, she was constantly glancing up at my messy hairdo. Perhaps this would make her happy. Still, though, what was this all for?
After a few minutes of pondering the question, I gave up on trying to figure it out myself and decided to ask Lyra in a hushed voice, “So, what's going on?” Quickly making a mental note, I noticed that I'd need to practice whispering in this body. Because as soon as the question left my mouth, a sense of tension hung in the air. It wasn't so much from my attendants but rather from some of Celestia’s makeup ponies. They turned unanimously towards my direction, and some glared at me harshly. It was as if they thought I was the most insensitive person on the planet.
What did I say?
(I don't know.)
One pony stepped forward, her face failing to hide any trace of disgust. “It's Cadence’s wedding day!” The pony said. Her tone was filled with contempt, and there was a sense of nobility in her voice that I noticed. Because the way she talked reminded me of a stuck-up ass. The room went silent. Those who had seen me, and have heard of me, turned in fright as they waited for some type of judgment to occur. And I waited along with them in anticipation. Because at that moment, I could feel Lauren take control, it seemed almost out of reflex on her part. She turned to the pony and gave a shallow smile.
“(Oh, I was uninformed. Thank you, young one).” She said. Her answer was clear and sweet. But for some reason, the others in the room refused to make eye contact. They vigorously continued to work, doing so as if they were trying to avoid getting noticed. Perhaps it was not so much the words she spoke but what she said with her eyes.
Someone needs a coffee. I teased but got no response. Instead, I found myself suddenly in control again. Turning back, I looked at my reflection. Minuette had just finished doing my hair. I still preferred the other way, but at the same time, I had to admit, she did a damn good job. While looking in the mirror, Lyra brought over a white box with crimson trim and set it on the table. Minuette and Lillybreeze went to open it, but when they did, they gasped in surprise. Both stepped back with grins on their faces, and I soon found myself lured in by my curiosity. Confused about what seemed to shock them, I walked over to see what it was. When I looked in, my nerves spiked, I was dreadfully hoping no one saw me blushing because it was severely embarrassing.
Inside the box, there was golden regalia with Faust's cutie mark. You ever have one of those moments when you're dying inside but can't show it because everyone else doesn't see the whole picture. That's how it was for me at that moment. Looking over at Lillybreeze, I could see a wide smug smirk stretching across her face again.
Fricken changelings, they pick up on every emotion.
(Aww, what's wrong, Alex? Is it too girly for you?)
Shut up, you old lady!
That struck a nerve, and we started to argue. The two of us were spouting nonsense and insults at each other. A vast internal war within our own mind. It must have looked odd from everyone else's perspective because I was fairly sure we had a blank stare into space right now. Unfortunately for me, I kept on forgetting that I was up against an experienced trickster, and I often fell for her traps. In this instance, she used the argument to focus on her and not the outside world. Lifting the objects out of the box and putting them on, she managed to slip everything into place as I continued to insist that we'd never wear it. It took me a second to notice she had once again taken control and was prancing around as if to get back at me.
I was both appalled and severely impressed that she managed to do that. Inside, however, I was struggling with the thought. I wanted to rip off the stupid crown and toss it to the side. On the other hand, part of me knew that would only make things worse. It was clear that a lot of effort was put into making these things, and the more I inspected the new outfit, the more guilt I felt for feeling ready to throw it aside.
I looked over to my three friends and gave them a warm smile, “Thank you all; please let the pony who made this know that I'm thrilled with it.”
(It's a miracle! He's becoming a mature human!)
Don't push it, Faust!
“Will do, Lauren,” Lyra said as she gave a salute before trotting or pushing her way out of the room in search of the artist. Looking at myself now, I was pretty much done other than a few small things. For some reason, it seemed as if for a single moment, everypony stopped making noise. And that's the time my stomach decided to growl in hunger. Honestly, why do things always work out like that? It's as if some idiot with no storytelling skill was in charge of these events. The ponies simultaneously turned to find the source of the sound, and they found me. They took their time staring. All as if they had seen an anomaly for the first time. “What!? I missed dinner last night, okay...” I tried to defend myself from their relentless gaze but to no avail.
Lillybreeze tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I wanted her to bring some food from the kitchens. I smiled and gave a quick nod. Little did I know how much I would have liked her to stay.
Not even two minutes after she left, a filly ran through the doorway. She and then erupted in a burst of green flames, and Pennilia jumped towards me. “Law-wen! You’re back!” She cheerfully said. A moment of silence passed as all the servants paled.
“I-I-It's a Changeling! Run!” One maid shouted. Mass panic among the servants spread quickly, and they all began to run around aimlessly as they screamed at the top of their lungs. The vast mob of chaos was so distracting that I almost didn't notice the nymph had run up to me and bonked me on the nose with a jump.
“Catch me if you can!” She taunted.
Now I know the proper thing to do would have been to calm down the servants and keep order in the castle, but... well, I'm not one to resist a challenge, nor do I ever do the proper thing. “Oh, it's on!” I exclaimed, and I jumped out of my seat and ran out of the room after the little rascal.
As we were running through the halls and acting childish, Pennilia kept on finding odd places to hide. Behind the curtains, on the ceiling, under the couch, and on my head. I don't even know how she managed to pull that one-off, but somehow she made herself almost weightless. Once the chase was on, but this time as we traveled through the halls, the commotion we were causing didn't go unnoticed. Two guards came at us with their spears drawn and a slight look of fright in their eyes. “Stop right there!” They commanded me.
The nymph and I stopped as they said, and I looked at the determination in the guard's eye. Deciding to play dumb, and I leaned against the wall with a nonchalant attitude. “Hey, what's up?”
The guard snarled. “Tell us what you have done, you beast!” He moved the spear forward to try to intimidate me.
I looked around with a dumbfounded expression on my face. Finding no other people or ponies for them to be talking to. I turned back to them. “You mean me?”
“Yes!” The guard answered. His friend closed in with his spear held ready. “Now, Changeling, tell us what you have done with the Princess's mother!”
I couldn't get the look of ‘what the hell’ off my face, and I'm sure neither could my counterpart. “(I'm right here, dipshit.)” She said. But It was safe to say that they didn't believe her. Instead, they tossed their spears against our neck.
“Don't play games with us. Do you think we're blind? I can see you scheming with your associate.” The guard took a glance down at the whimpering nymph, and I couldn't help but feel frustrated with his attitude.
With a mocking tone, I began to dramatically say, “Well, you've caught us. Playing tag with a child is obviously the evilest, most despicable, horrible thing I could do.” I finished off with my hoof over my head, emphasizing my performance.
The guard jabbed his spear forward, "So you admit it then!"
I dropped my arm and gave him a half-lidded stare, "You can't be that stupid..."
“They’re that stupid...” I said to myself, walking into the wedding hall. I had guards on either side of me, and Penilia sat on my back. We were both in shackles, and the guards led us in to present us to the Princesses. I glanced at the guests sitting in their seats and the wide-eyed shock that covered their faces. Twilight and her friends were stunned, speechless, and Luna was withholding her irritation at what she was seeing.
Bound and shackled in chains, the guards pulled me along and up to the stage. I looked off to the side as a blush of embarrassment passed through me. When Celestia caught sight of me, she put a hoof over her mouth as she tried to keep from breaking into hysterics. Holding back caused tears to appear at the corners of her eyes, and I gave a snort.
The two guards stepped forward and knelt in front of Tia's position on the stage. "Your Highnesses, we have found these two changelings in the castle. We have brought them here and are awaiting your command. What are your orders?" Shining Armor, who was standing in his position on stage, was on the verge of hyperventilating as he saw what his guards had done. Twilight was standing beside him, and she reached out, putting a hoof on his shoulder to calm him down.
With a bored expression, I leaned into view and said, “Yo, Shining, you mind helping me out with these morons?” I shrugged and motioned to Penilia on my back, "She's a bit scared right now." The said nymph curled up on my back and whimpered as she tried to hide in my mane. Her shackled hooves prevented her from getting a good grip, though.
The Captain was in the shakes as his frustration spiked, and his eye twitched. Gathering his wits about him, Shining put a hoof on his chest and breathed out, calming himself down like a certain mare had shown his sister. Sighing, he stood up straight and shook his head as he held a hoof against his head.
Looking down at his two troops, he said, "Thank you both for your efforts to try to keep the castle secure. I understand your position, although I am ashamed to say that you are both mistaken." The guards looked up at the Captain with confused expressions, then dread filled their souls as they realized what he was saying. Continuing his explanation, Shining said, "Under the authority of the royal sisters and Queen Faust, this nymph and her elder sister are here as refugees. They are no threat to us, and we are to treat them as everypony else. This was already covered in the meeting last week, so if you will, please release them."
The two guards looked back at me with fearful expressions, to which I smiled and waved my wing. They hurriedly ran over and began undoing the restraints. "We are so sorry!" They both said. I glanced up at Tia, who was obviously having fun with the ridiculous situations I always seemed to find myself in. Once Penny and I were free, the two guards almost ran out of the wedding hall. Their faces were beat red, and they took the shackles with them.
Shaking my head, I walked over and sat down beside Luna, placing the nymph in between us. The little cuddle bug looked up at the Princess and began playing with her mane. Luna smiled as she looked down at the curious child. A moment later, she wrapped the nymph in her wing. Penny let out a little chirp of glee, and then the ceremony began. Twilight looked over at her brother and adjusted his uniform with her magic. Then the birds began singing.
At the cue of the music, the doors to the wedding hall opened, and three crusaders skipped their way down the aisle spreading flowers around the room. Immediately after, everypony’s attention turned to the bride. Cadence walked with the music, almost dance with it. Her face shined a brilliant smile. Her eyes were purely locked onto Shining Armor and as she stepped onto the stage to meet him. Finally, after all the waiting, the two could now be married. Celestia teleported her cue cards away and thus began her part, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. May we have the rings, please?" Spike ran over and gave them the rings, and as they were placed upon their horns, Tia said, "I now pronounce you mare and colt, you may kiss the bride"
Shining and Cadence almost lept for each other as they shared their first kiss as a married couple. Confetti and sprinkles erupted from the ground, and Pinkie Pie was jumping for joy. Rainbow shot out of the window, and a moment later, the sky lit up with a multitude of colors, which was closely followed by a resounding boom.
I hadn't noticed it, but when Luna passed me a tissue, I realized I had been crying. I don't know if it was me or if it was my other half, but the tears and sheer joy I felt was something that made all the troubles from earlier worth it.
After the ceremony, when everyone was leaving for the reception hall, Tia walked out and spotted an out-of-breath pony standing not too far away from the double doors. With a sigh, the pony said, “I’ve been... searching for you... all day...”
Tia smiled at the pony. “Oh, hi Elayne, where have you been?” The secretary simply grunted and then collapsed in a heap.
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Stares
"hmm"
Staring INcreases
"Hmm..."
INTENSE STARING
"HMM!!!"
10687742 Alright, alright.
10687760 Thank you.
Stay safe and frosty too my dude 😙😙😙
10687781 Thanks, you too. 👍
10687761
I didn’t expect Penny’s next meeting with Lauren to play out like that.
that authors note almost had me spooked as fuck, thought you were tryna say the story is "finally complete" lmao
On the chapter though, delightfully fun as always, thanks for bringing some good vibes to my morning while i drink my coffee. Until your next post fren!
Trollesia striked again... It is really hard being a secretary of the playful alicorn.
Oh that's bullshit line got me laughing. and Alex, by now you should know. the ENTIRE GUARD is that stupid
awesome chapter, the last part gave a good finish chuckle^^
aspunnischment for those two guard's ; day and night shifts guarding lauren 24/7 untill they colapse :
Wup wup on we go! Yay the day is saved!
I laught way to hard at this point! Brilliant xD
The guards at this moment: " challange accapted!"
It is awesome! Well worth the waiting ^^
Yay. Wedding 2.0.
I do believe that is Elayne
Probably
Probably
Magic
You totally are
Yes they can
Hmmm, think there's a 'married' missing before the kiss as I seriously doubt they haven't done it before now ...
Love this chapter
10687981
10688235 Actually, I changed it this morning.
This was a very fun chapter. Also, I feel bad for Elayne.
10687799 Mission impossible Penny will come.
10687839 Sorry for the scare.
10688028 Thanks
10688284
I feel bad for those guards they were just doing their job
Because hospitals don't know this thing called salt. Pizza doesn't have salt, nothing has any taste but maybe the jello
10688437 They’ll be fine
10688604 Yeah, I remember hearing somewhere that salt was bad for those with heart difficulties. 🤔
Faust is a hypocrite, isn't she?
10688679
And you would probably be correct, here's a tip if you're hospitalized don't just get a burger or steak right after getting out, eat some rice or somethin before going all out
Finished reading the chapter and I loved it. Really happy you didn't just abandon the story so I cam expect this to be finished at some point.
10687981
I think they ment as husband and wife....
10688697 I which sense?
In the original, I tried to have a subplot that she knew more then she was letting on, but that's mainly because I thought I was clever.
Since the rewrite, I'm trying to make her more relatable but have a lot of experience to draw off of.
Yes! An update! And a good one to boot. It almost make up for the long wait... almost...
10689046 I glad you liked it, I promise to have the next chapter done sooner.
Dang it. I thought it was the forty second time that was the charm.
Either way, good chapter. Can't wait to see more!
10689241 I actually thought about putting that, but I wasn't sure with myself. Thanks.
Honestly, I could easily be up there... Fimfiction showed that I visited the chapter to work on it at least 152 times before publishing.
10689320
Faust almighty, talk about mental pacing.
I forgot how fucking fun this story was! And how stupid pony guards were. heh
10688679
here's a funny thing about doctors, almost every doctor anywhere will tell you that if you have high blood pressure to avoid consumption of salt (because they have to), but all studies on the subject show that salt intake has nothing to do with blood pressure and if you press them on the issue they will relent.
10689036
Faust is sometimes more childish and strongheaded that the MC. For example it was Faust who ran away from the hospital and she was nagging the MC to do so for days
10689921 In that case, then yes, I suppose so... Honestly, I didn't think much further into it other than that she would be more likely to become restless in a hospital than Alex. That... and I wanted to keep the sneaking out part from the original draft.
10689974
Why would she care, being a backseat driver?
10689676
It's actually _only_ related to medication. Some blood pressure medications in extreme cases require additional meds to prevent water retention... or patient will have edema-like effects. Increased salt intake supposedly reduces effectiveness of those meds.
10690839
I can believe that
10690831 I changed my previous comment, so my answer is a bit more honest and makes more sense.
To answer your question, I would say Faust would care because, while she tends to ignore minor formalities. It's still her body and her reputation, so she still cares about that to a degree.
Creepy..... 😨
I'd ask permission to send these two idiots back to basic training
This chapter was an absolute joy to read 🤣🤣
10691198 Thank you.
10690839
YAY! Advanced biology lends a hoof!
I love remembering little bits of courses from ... we'll go with "awhile ago".... yes... awhile.
Me gustó mucho el episodio
MOAR!
10704355 Gracias
10705726 Ask and thou shall receive!