Thanks for the Legacy: After Effects

by AizakkuHorooee

An Afternoon with George and Kevin

Roughly a month after the princesses announced and delayed their retirement, the search for Wind Rider has ended, which means Twilight, Spike and the rest can finally talk about moving. Unfortunately for me, that means I will end up home alone for the first time in my life.

But no one’s left yet, so I guess while I’m playing my brand new game, I can focus on explaining what’s happened since Spike got wings. So, a couple of months ago, Moondancer, Twilight, Starlight, and whoever else worked on Sim Hive made me another game: Crystal Cup Buckball. So yeah, a sports game added to that list of games I have now. And I do know how Buckball works because of watching Pinkie and Fluttershy’s first game back home.

Crystal Cup Buckball takes the court sideways at an angle like Pokemon Soul Sliver does with the overworld. Probably the easiest position would be the offense. I simply press the screen with the stylus in an arc with fair timing and the ball is on the other side of the court.

Of course, how could I forget the identity change all that news from last month left on me? Twilight elected to take me to Ponyville General Hospital afterward for surgery, so here I am now, about as comfortable as I was in the spring. She did end up having to stay overnight when it happened, since that was a special one that needed her there for permission.

Suddenly, I’m pulled back to reality when my DS lets me know I need to charge it before it drains. So, I head out of my room and into the library. I can see Starlight, Twilight and Spike packing a few saddlebags. As I set the DS on the mirror, Starlight spots me.

“Oh, hey Aita. What’s up?”

“Gotta charge the DS. Crystal Cup Buckball has been fun to play.”

“So sorry none of us could play this time around. Spike, Twilight and I are packing to go to Canterlot for the afternoon. Can’t start moving until we’re sure.”

“Oh yeah. That does remind me. Am I going to Rarity’s or did you have something else in mind?”

“Don’t worry about going to Rarity’s, Aita. Chrysalis has your company covered.”

Starlight nearly rejoins in packing. However, we hear a knock on the door.

“Starlight, could you get that?” Twilight asks, still focused on the task at hoof.

Starlight takes me with her as she darts for the main entrance, where my face plants onto the floor.

“Aita! Starlight!”

Kevin?

“Twilight! They’re here!” Starlight calls.

Wait. They’re?

“Ah, so you’re the one Queen Chrysalis wrote to me about, right?”

Is that who I think it sounds like? That therapist?!? At least I think he was a therapist. I lift my head to see Kevin with presumably a talking wolf that waves to me.

“Greetings, young one.”

Kevin gets me to a standing position. “Aita, this is George Ralph. He and I will be with you while everyone else is in Canterlot.”

George? That’s the wolf’s name? I mean it seems to line up with dog names I remember back home.

Oh good! Good! Good! Twilight runs up here with Spike following close behind, both wearing their saddlebags. Starlight takes hers out of Twilight’s magic. “Ready, Spike?”

“Yeah, but not Aita.”

I sigh relief that at least someone can let me process stuff for once. “Thanks. It’s not every day we have a wolf at our doorstep. No offense, G-George.”

“None taken, young one. So, are you three looking forward to the rendezvous at Canterlot Castle?”

“We sure are, George!” answers Twilight. “I don’t know why we didn’t think of this before for Spike’s trip to Sire’s Hollow!”

I giggle, remembering what happened. “Could it be because the map didn’t find anything? There hasn’t been a single mission the entire year.”

“We know, Aita,” replies Starlight. “Just send us a letter if you need anything from us.”

I nod and wave goodbye as the three start heading out. Once the door closes, I follow Kevin and George as they go into the throne room. I sit on Rarity’s throne while Kevin sits on Applejack's and George sits on Fluttershy’s.

“So, Chrysalis sent you guys… uh, does that mean she already knew you?” Kevin and George confirm what I say.

“Indeed Aita, Kevin recommended to her that I go with him, so she accepted. I look forward to hearing from you directly. I’ve heard a bit about you when Chrysalis needed my advice last month. So, tell me what’s on your mind.”

It’s really uncanny the way George acts. I can almost see him holding an open book with Fluttershy’s head on a green cover, and standing on the first floor of the Golden Oak Library. But now’s not the time to be thinking of… him.

“Okay, you know how the princesses and Chrysalis delayed their retirement, right?” George nods at me. “Well, I was there for the announcement, and Luna complimented me using a shard from the old throne as she saw in my projection spell. She said…” I change momentarily into Princess Luna to aid what I’m trying to say. “What wonderful use of changeling legacy!”

“Ah, I see. So I take it you have your own?” George asks me as I change back.

“Yeah. I come from the uh, real world as Discord calls it. I never lived at the hive, though I’ve visited quite a few times. I only knew to use a piece of the old throne because of what Thorax told Trixie, Starlight and Discord.”

I see Kevin widen his eyes at what I say about Thorax. “You know about Thorax, Aita? What happened to him? I heard Ponyville performed a memorial for him.”

“You weren’t there, Kevin?” asks George.

I shrug. “I guess you were the only one that was, George. I was home in Wisconsin. But yeah, back to that… I don’t think I’ll ever have access to home now that Tim and Sophie are the only ones there Chrysalis could ever trust.”

George gets up off the throne, gets down on all fours, and stops to my left after going around the map. “Well, have you ever approached her about going home?”

“Um, no?” I hesitantly answer.

George rests his paw on the arm of Rarity’s throne. “Then perhaps that’s where you should start. Even Princess Twilight might help too if you consider the option. You do live with her after all.”

Alright, now that is sounding very familiar. This is the same thing that happened with Sunburst when Stellar Flare constantly wrote to him… and Starlight when we went to Sire’s Hollow for the first time… and Areola during her friendship mission. Looks like George is right if those were anything to go off of.

I sigh. “Okay. I get what you’re saying. I’ll wait for Twilight to get home before I call Chrysalis about going home, that way I can talk to them both… Going home… wait a minute. Hey George, you said Kevin wanted you to come with him, right?”

“Correct.”

“Did he somehow know I was still missing home?”

“Of course, Aita,” Kevin interjects as George runs behind me and comes around him. “It’s going to take more than one story to mitigate homesickness.”

“Tell me,” says George as he rests that same paw from before onto the arm of Applejack’s throne. “When did this homesickness start?”

“Last winter, which was roughly a year after moving here, right when the semester in school ended,” I answer. “I find it weird. It never happened last summer, and that was no different compared to how this summer’s been.”

George moves his paw off as Kevin’s hooves rest onto the arm.

“Well,” Kevin points out. “you have us now, and Lightning Dust and that dragon sheriff where Starlight grew up. I don’t think you had any of us over for your first party in Equestria.”

“Kevin has a point, Aita,” George agrees, walking to me and putting his paw on my back. “While going home might help temporarily, it’s not going to eliminate it entirely, which in and of itself might be impossible. You can if you want, but you should also try to spend more time with your friends. See if it helps. Don’t hesitate to come to me if you need to. I’ll be more than happy to give you further advice.”

I nod at George with a smile. “Thanks, George. I’ll try it out.”

He then heads back to Fluttershy’s throne the way he came. “So, now that Aita’s been taken care of, would anyone happen to know the time?”

I spring up and teleport in my DS, then I slide it over to George. “Oh! I think I do. Here.”

When George looks at the time, he doesn’t even flinch. “Ah, plenty of time before they get back. Well Aita? Are you open to some of our adventures?”

I shrug, taking the DS with my magic and putting to my right on the throne. “Why not? I could listen to a couple of stories.”

“So Kevin, would you like to tell her your story or should I do mine?”

Kevin double takes when he hears George using my new pronoun.

“Well, the retirement and mo-,” I try to explain, interrupted by Kevin waving his hooves.

“No-no, I get it. No need to explain, Aita. I’ll try to adapt.” Kevin sighs. “Why don’t you start, George.”

“Sure thing, Kevin. Well, alterwolves don’t come by Equestria often. I first met Cranky when he was looking for Matilda at the foot of Mt. Everhoof. Once he settled into Ponyville, I thought I would move down there too in hopes of celebrating his findings. Unfortunately, Pinkie Pie finding Matilda brought some unforeseen consequences. I was more than willing to help out Cranky, but seeing him enter my therapy room with so much despair was certainly a harrowing experience for me.”

When I hear the name of George’s kind, I am instantly hooked. The “alter” part of alterwolf seems to come from them alternating between two’s and four’s like George has been doing this whole visit. Not only that, but did George really just say he was a therapist himself?!?

“No wonder Kevin recommended you come with him to the castle! You’re a therapist?” George confirms my conclusion with a nod. “So then, were you at Cranky’s wedding too? I don’t remember seeing you there; just Kevin.”

“Oh I was there, Aita. I was in one of the balconies, though I don’t think you saw me. I guess that’s everything about how I managed to live up here. Why don’t you tell your story now, Kevin.”

Kevin grins at the suggestion. Nothing hiding it now. “Alright. For me, I used to live in the hive when Queen Areola was around. When One Thirteen hit, I ended up stranded in Ponyville. I was restricted to the outskirts because of my nature, and it made me severely homesick. But I couldn’t return to the hive because I thought Queen Areola would execute me. One day at one of the bridges by the square, shortly before the changelings returned here, I finally met her.”

---

In a flashback, Kevin was by the south bridge, looking at his reflection.

“Hey there… former top drone. What’s it like getting abandoned in a town instead of an island?”

Are… are you talking to yourself? asked a voice. When Kevin turned around, he saw a donkey carrying a small cart of apples. She had a brown mane and wore a white shirt collar and an earring.

“Oh hi,” Kevin said in his continued monotone inflection.

“What’s that long face for, dear?” asked the donkey.

“I’ve been really out of it since I was stranded here. I want to go home, but doing that means I get executed by the queen.”

“Are you sure she would do that?” Kevin nodded to her. “Well, I’m not sure this would help in any way, but you look like you could use an apple. I’m Matilda.”

Kevin looked unsure what to say. “A-are you sure about this?”

“Positive. Nopony is about to go hungry on my watch.” Matilda took her harness off and picked up an apple from the cart, approaching Kevin with it. “So, what’s your name?”

“Synth… It’s mind blowing you’re doing this so unconditionally,” remarked Kevin as he grabbed the apple with his hoof.

“Kindness never judges, Synth. I’m actually on my way home from the east orchard. Would you like to accompany me?”

---

Back in the present, Kevin has just finished with exactly what he remembered, by buzzing his wings to mimic a younger version of himself and Matilda.

“So, I went to live with Matilda. After a while, I’d finally moved on from going home because of her and she considered me an honorary brother. Before we knew it, Mayor Mare renamed me Kevin.”

Man, I remember he knew Matilda, but I didn’t expect she would be so important to him.

“Whoa… So how did you meet Chrysalis?” I ask Kevin.

“Truth be told, I was itching to find out who would be ruling the changeling kingdom after hearing about Thorax’s funeral. I actually heard about it because of George and Cranky picking up Matilda.”

“Wait…” That took place after Chrysalis got her throne back, didn’t it? “Are you sure about that, Kevin?”

“Of course, Aita. I’m confident I met Chrysalis through a trip to the hive. Why?”

“Because if I remember correctly, she went to collect the changelings she still had left so that they could get her kingdom back. Did she try to collect you?”

Kevin looks up and puts his hoof on his chin. “Not that I know of, no. One morning right before Nightmare Night the other year, there was a little commotion in the living room, but I didn’t think much of it.”

“Huh, so that means she did try,” I conclude. “but failed because of Matilda. You did tell her about your conflicting feelings about home when you two first met. That checks out pretty solidly.”

Kevin blushes a faint green. “Aita, only Matilda normally flatters me that hard.”

“So, would you like to announce the time?” George asks.

I float the DS again and turn it on. “What time are Twilight and the rest going to be back?”

“Around five,” answers Kevin.

When the clock appears, it says 4:50 PM. “Huh, it’s almost five now.”

George and Kevin blink to my announcement. “What timing,” George remarks. “They should be back any minute now.”

And right on cue, someone is knocking on the main entrance of the door. I take flight and zip for the door, which I use my magic to open. Kevin and George are following as close behind me as they can.

“Twilight! Spike! Starlight!” I exclaim, promptly hugging the three.

Twilight giggles. “It’s good to see you too, Aita. So how was your afternoon with George and Kevin?”

“It was great! We got on pretty well, I’d say.”

“Yeah. We all shared our stories with each other, although Aita’s served more as a therapy session than George’s or mine.”

Starlight gets excited when Kevin specifies my experience. “Well that’s great!” She suddenly stops herself and hammer-spaces a cup of cocoa to sip into. “D- I mean… I see.”

“So, how did the meeting go?” I ask Twilight.

“Aw, it was awesome!” declares Spike. “We were in and out at the snap of a claw! We had plenty of time to meet our Canterlot friends and eat at Pastry Princess!”

George puts the backs of his paws on his sides. “Huh, did Chrysalis and Carve join you?”

“Actually, they told us to go ahead. I think they needed to chat with each other,” Twilight admits. “Anyway, thanks - Kevin and George - for staying with Aita while we were gone. She clearly enjoyed it.”

George now steps toward Twilight and holds out one of his paws, which she shakes with her hoof. “Thank you for having us over, Twilight. It was a pleasure meeting Aita for the first time. So, will there be anything before Kevin and I head home?”

Twilight shakes her head. “We’re good, George. We’ll see you two later.”

So, George and Kevin walk past the others and wave goodbye, going their separate ways. Once they’re out of view, Twilight, Starlight and Spike lead me back into the castle.

“So Aita, what advice did George give you?”

I answer Twilight’s question by teleporting in four pears, giving one to each of us.

“Well, besides calling Chrysalis, he actually said I should spend some more time with my friends than I have been.”

“But Chrysalis is still in Canterlot, isn’t she?” asks Starlight.

“Only one way to find out.”

I lead the three into the throne room as each eat our pears.