Chapter 51: A dozen Royal Guards and Princess Celestia
As for Aerie and Hoshiko, their little group had arrived at the medical center without incident. Naturally, they made a fuss over the identical cousins, and then Hoshiko and Selena went back to an examination room.
“Hoshiko…” The doctor said, their tone was tinged with concern. “You are healthy, no sign that anyone’s done anything... inappropriate to you. And yet, I can’t help but feel you are holding back. What aren’t you telling me?”
“The truth?”
“It would help.”
“I was on Inari Mountain when I found myself transported to Takamagahara. The high plane of Heaven. Aerie and Aurora are divine Kami. They found me, and brought me here because there wasn’t any ready means to return me directly to Japan.”
The doctor let out a pained sigh. “Hang on, this isn’t one of them things… you know like how Thor turned out to be real and alternate worlds and all that stuff is it?”
“Might be best to stick with she can’t remember. It’d be a whole lot easier,” her mother suggested.
“Miss Potter bends needles when we give her shots or try to take blood samples… point taken. And with that, we are done. Miss Hoshiko is in top physical condition. Aside from being a little on the thin side that is.”
👩⚕️
Equestria, the morning before Hearth’s warming eve. It’s Mrs Silverwood’s world where Aerie and Aurora had taken custody of a young Scootaloo. Mrs Spoiled Rich was sited making her way to the courthouse. Aerie and Aurora were notified shortly after and hurried out the door. The two made their way to the courthouse and arrived even as Mrs Rich entered in through the back door. Aerie put an anti-squeak charm on the hinges of the door, opened it, and then followed the as-yet-unaware Mrs Rich. Aurora followed her, and she was followed by Shining Armor and two guards all three out of uniform. Mystique was soon on their heels along with her two best stallions. Ray Mustang had a devilish smile on his face as he watched Mrs Rich enter an office oblivious of the train behind her.
“Mrs Rich, I see you made it,” offered a clerk as Aerie pushed in behind her.
“Argyle-bargyle, let’s just get on with it.”
“I thought I told you to come by yourself, as in no pony else with you.”
“I did.”
“I came for the auction,” Aerie announced. Her words caused Mrs Rich to jump high enough to smack her head on the ceiling.
“As did I,” Mystique offered.
“This is a private-” Argyle began.
“By law, all auctions must be open to the public.” Mystique’s tone indicated she had no intention of entertaining any argument from anyone. I should probably point out that she’s not wearing her pendant.
“Well, if you are indeed here to bid on the property…”
“We had a deal!” Spoiled spat out.
“And that deal was contingent on no pony else finding out.”
“And who told them!?” Spoiled was working up her self-righteous anger, ready to go full Karren at any moment.
“It was Diamond Tiara who was good enough to tell me,” Aurora offered coyly causing Spoiled Rich to seethe.
“Let’s just get on with it,” Aurora protested. “I bid one Royal.”
“I see your Royal, and bid two Royals,” Aerie offered.
“What?” Mrs Rich protested.
“Two hundred bits. Still a bargain for a prime lot,” Argyle announced. “Still a bargain.”
“Two hundred and one bit!” Mrs Rich shouted angrily.
“Three Royals,” Aerie countered.
“Three hundred bits, do I hear more?”
“Three hundred and one.” Mrs Rich growled.
“Oh, are we nickel and diming it?” Aurora asked. “Three Royals and three Royal Guards.”
“Three Royal Guards and two Generals,” Aerie countered.
“A dozen Royal Guards and Princess Celestia,” Mystique offered.
“What?” Argyle asked. Only then did he realize that one of the ponies in the room was a captain of the guard. The sound of hooves out in the hall caused his eyes to go down to pinpricks. A moment later guards in uniform began to file in followed by Princess Celestia.
“What is the meaning of this farce!? That property is mine!” Spoiled shouted. “I want to see your manager!”
“I am the manager,” Princess Celestia stated.
“No, you are not. You’re an impersonator brought in as some kind of joke.”
“Guards, take her away,” Shining Armor ordered.
“Get your hooves off me! My husband owns this town! Do you know who I am!? I went to Canterlot Woodlot Academy! I know the dean! There is nothing wrong with what I’m doing, it’s not like I haven't done it before!”
And on it went as she was cuffed and all but drug out of the building. Meanwhile, Princess Celestia slowly walked over to an all-but-frozen clerk whose ears were down flat in fright. His body language was also that of a cornered dog.
“The deed?” Princess Celestia asked kindly enough. “Also, we will need a quit title certificate declaring that Ponyville and its agents, such as yourself, surrender any and all claim to the property.”
“I believe we were at three royals,” Argyle-bargyle squeaked out. His response was answered by Aerie and Aurora reaching up with a wing and shutting off the N-sid rings and revealing their horns. The two amped up their glow for effect and Argyle-bargyle fainted dead away.
“Did you get the property back?” Scootaloo asked a short time later as Aerie and Aurora entered the kitchen.
“Yes, and no,” Aerie offered as Mystique and Princess Celestia entered.
“Princess Celestia?!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“Relax, my little pony,” Princess Celestia offered with a smile.
“We came as soon as we heard,” Princess Luna (Aerie’s mom) said as she entered the Kitchen. Her Princess Celestia (Aerie’s Aunt Tia) was right behind her.
“Oh, um… hi,” offered Princess Celestia who’d come in behind Luna. “Did the property get sorted?”
“Indeed it did,” Offered the first Princess Celestia. She couldn't help but chuckle, followed by Scootaloo who found the situation comical. “Well, then… as I was about to say, Scootaloo, I’ve confiscated the property, and will place it in a trust to be managed by Miss Aerie and Miss Aurora until you have come of age at which point the property will be yours.”
“But, what about the mortgage?” Scootaloo asked.
“I’ve a mind to make Spoiled Rich pay it as part of her punishment as she seems to have been the driving force behind snatching up property… locally that is.”
“Pretty sure Filthy Rich will be the one to pay that bill, along with all the other bills Spoiled racks up,” Aerie pointed out.
“Right now she and her co-conspirators are looking at ten to fifteen years in prison.”
“What about Diamond?” Scootaloo asked. There was concern in her tone, especially now that she knew that Diamond Tiara could be a good pony.
“I’m going to have to let the courts decide, and given that it’s a first offense, so far as I’m aware, the courts will be lenient. Short of this goes well beyond ponies with an overblown sense of entitlement.”
“We’ve company,” Aurora announced. “Mrs Heardital is headed for the door.”
“Mom, Aunt Tia, if you could possibly duck out the way you came in…” Aerie prompted.
“Right, too many Princess Celestia’s,” Luna offered and herded her sister out the way they’d come even as Mrs Heardital was letting herself in.
“Oh…” was the first thing Mrs Heardital said, her eyes locking on Princess Celestia. And then she saw Mystique whom she was sure had been Princess Celestia.
“Mrs Heardital?” Aurora prompted.
“I, um, that is, I heard you’d been down at the courthouse.” She continued to look back and forth between Princess Celestia and Mystique a few times prior to looking at Aurora. A quick curtsy to Princess Celestia came as an afterthought unaccustomed she was to such company.
“The matter concerning the property owned by the Shutters had to be resolved this morning,” Princess Celestia informed her. “The property is to be held for Miss Shutter by the Crown for Miss Scootaloo Shutter, IE, myself, and Miss Aerie and Miss Aurora Summers Mustang will be the property managers. Now, you may wish to check on Miss Diamond Tiara. Her mother has been implicated in a plot to improperly acquire property, and if Mr Rich is implicated in the plot Miss Diamond may need a home.”
“Not it,” Aerie protested.
“Aerie?” Aurora reprimanded.
“Oh, that’s quite alright,” Mrs Heardital offered. “Had I known of the peculiarities of this property earlier I might have objected to Scootaloo being here. But then again, she’s been living here and has demonstrated that she is mature enough that a few irregularities aren’t going to be an issue. Miss Tiara on the other hoof is a might bit too high-strung for such goings on.”
“I’m sure you will manage it with your usual expertise and finesse,” Princess Celestia reassured. “And now I need to be off myself. Far too much for me to do to hang out here. As tempted as I might be.”
“Anytime you want to sneak on down here you are always welcome,” Aurora offered followed by showing her out the door.
“What’s to become of Diamond Tiara,” Scootaloo asked.
“Can’t say just yet,” Mrs Heardital admitted. “I’d best go make a house call. You take care.”
Aurora held open the door for her and closed it behind her.
“She’s not a bad pony,” Scootaloo offered as Aurora sat down at the kitchen table.
“No, she’s not,” Aerie offered. “It’s just that it’s hard to do the right thing when one’s role model is lacking in moral fortitude.
Christmas morning came and went with no special package for Aerie. Had Dumbledore given the invisible cloak to someone else? Surely not to Ron, he’d lose it to his brothers. To Hermione? No, she’d have told her. That left three possibilities that Aerie could think of right off hand. Neville, it wasn’t possible for Dumbledore to clandestinely deliver the cloak, and there was a possibility there might not even be a cloak. Granted that the wand existed, and the ring must surely exist or Dumbledore might have said otherwise. A fourth possibility is he’d decided to wait, or possibly number five is he’d decided to give it to another patsy. Who was as likely to cooperate as she was. Not that she needed an invisibility cloak. Aerie knew Shadow Magic. Something her tutor on Kitsune magic had instructed her on. It was the Shadow Magic that allowed her to call on her ghostly magic. Granted that Moonie acted as the facilitator of that specific spell it still required her to initiate it.
Now Shadow Magic was normally off-limits to most ponies. But then Aerie, that is Nova, was part Kitsune and that meant Shadow Magic was part of her kit whether she wanted it or not. And no, it didn’t give her the ability to make herself invisible. It did give her the ability to blend in with her surroundings so well that only the keenest eye could spot her. At least when she used the Chameleon effect. When coupled with the illusionary ability of Kitsune magic she could create all manner of effects.
“Nova… Aerie, you seem, distracted,” Luna prompted later that evening. The two were sitting by the fire in her flat the others in other parts of the house.
“Oh, I half expected Dumbledore to drop off a package for me.”
“A package?”
“Part of his little game. Not that that’s going to be an issue. He needed me to stay in Hogwarts. Harry Potter was supposed to receive an invisibility cloak which he’d use to go snooping about the castle and find the mirror of Erisid. Dumbledore would find him, explain how it worked, and admonish him not to try to find the mirror again. By going home I’ve thrown off his plans. He needs me or some other patsy to locate the very mirror Moonie stole.”
“Hang on?”
“Moonie replaced it with a shadow illusion,” Offered a six-year-old Princess Luna whose face had chocolate smeared all over it. Six years of age just seemed to be the right age for making a pig of oneself with candy. Nearby was a pair of twin Scootaloos who were doing their best to keep up. Scootaloo along with Spitfire from Aerie’s home world had come to visit, and the two immediately became friends. Aerie’s Diamond Tiara was there too and the three were whispering about possibly playing a prank on the other Diamond.
“Are we sure Discord didn’t mess with her matrix?” Luna asked.
“Even if he did, Kitsune Magic overrides Chaos Magic. That and her core is powered by a harmony stone and a Hōjo-no-Tama. The two gems are embedded in the pendant. I doubt it’s possible to corrupt it or the nightmare might have used it to set up a contingency plan. Still, though, I like her ability to transform herself like that. She can be any kind of companion when I need a friend.”
“Hōjo-no-tama? It’s a stone your father gave me.”
“Wish-fulfilling jewel. He must have loved you very much to give it to you because not only is a kitsune severely limited without it, it’s the focus they use to do magic, it’s said to contain the sole of the kitsune and grant immortality.”
“Best not be telling anyone about it then,” Luna warned. “Riddle would want it if he knew. And to think you've had it in plain sight.”
“I tuck it away most of the time. It provides healing and purification… and may well be a true philosopher’s stone now that I think about it, but I doubt it’d give him what he wants beyond restoring him at great cost as it is also said to contain in part the essence of the Buddha if I’m not mistaken and I doubt it’d accept anyone attempting to do dark magic with it.”
“Philosopher's stone. Wasn’t that what Dumbledore has hidden away at Hogwarts?
“What he thinks he has hidden away.”
“Oh?”
“I wasn’t going to leave it to chance. Just in case, mind you. And it’s a false stone. A bloodstone from which can be created an elixir that grants extensions on life but not vitality. Even if Riddle were to get it it would not restore him.”
“I am well aware of what a bloodstone is, it is stolen life, and it has limitations. To think that our Sunset nearly had one placed about her neck.”
“And with an enchantment that would bring out the worst in her. It was you, or perhaps it was the Night Mare who instructed me about it.”
“So what does Dumbledore have?”
“The cake that Hagrid made for my birthday.”
“OK, what’s so funny over there?” Aurora called as she entered the room. Luna was laughing up a storm, and Aerie was having a hard time not joining in.
“I’ll just have to tell you later.
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“The cake that Hagrid made for my birthday.”
ok so what is slow poke never learn Dumbledore up to?
amazing chapter for a awesome story.
lol, sly fox she is
11626182
i was thinking more of moonie the magical construct, rather then the witch version of luna. snape seemed convinced that the moonie was fully capable of unaliving him when he probed nova's mind. and snape is no slouch. i dont remember umbridge being depicted as a powerful witch. so attacking a powerful magical creature and getting petrified as a result sounds plausible, could be explained that aerie's guardian causes malevolent magic to rebound on the caster so it was umbridge who petrified herself by trying to petrify aerie. thats why tom and flints killing curse rebounded, the baby was bonded to a powerful magical creature. wouldnt that twix dumbledorks britches? the one tossing a wrench in your works in an avatar of the goddess luna herself.
11626331 WE have several versions of Moonie(Selena in several cases) all of which have been tweaked and evolved through their experiences but they all started as magical constructs made by Luna. The big difference is the path Nova took this variation's Nova (Silverwood-Swan) didn't come forward in time.
Well we should be soon back at school and I am willing to bet she will just find a way to out Qurillmort early. Maybe a dungbomb to the back of the head?
11626331
In the case of Snape's fear of Moonie, there is Nova Silverwood's Moonie to think of. As in my previous Hogwarts story that Moonie was responsible for killing a basilisk.
11626984
If I do anything too soon I lose opportunities to cause chaos.
11627451
Oh so is the basilisk in the chamber of secrets already dead then? I was wondering how or if they where going to Deal with that. I see no reason why the ghosts of hogwarts wouldn't know where every "hiddin" passageway in that old castle is. That's something that always bothered me. If they wanted to know where something is, why not ask a ghost?
Lol, hear in the comments, coming up with plays on the old man's name, and my autocorrect supplies "dumb old dork" unprompted and I had to laugh.
11627458
In my original story, there were two basilisks. Given that I haven't really said anything definite for this story, the option is still available.
Great chapter
11629050
Yeah I never saw what he saw in her considering that she was being ridiculous considering she was acting like crazy fan girl who wants to crazy stalker wife. She never even tried to be a friend despite the fact he was friends with her brother. She wouldn't even try to be his friend without being nuts.