Facing Changes

by Sketchy Changeling

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Luna, Drama, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Alternate Universe, Human, Anthro
Length: 21919

Having a new stepparent brings a lot of change and a lot of mixed feelings. Having that new stepparent be Princess Celestia makes it even harder.

I never thought that this day would come; the day that my dad would finally find someone to be with after being alone for so long. Not only that, but the one that he found, the one that he's decided to spend the rest of his life with, was none other than Princess Celestia.

I do feel happy for Dad, really I do, but I still didn't like the idea of my father getting remarried.

The thing is, though... I have no idea why I feel this way.

This story takes place in a universe where the human and pony worlds are in close contact, and the ponies are anthro in this story.

This is my first time writing a non-comedic story, so let's see how this goes. And because I know someone will ask:

This story is NOT connected to any of my previous stories.

Cover art by me.

Published 2014-02-11 23:40:08 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-03 17:46:55 UTC

Chapter I: The Ceremony

Weddings.

I haven’t been to many in my life, so far. I’ve only been to one other wedding when I was three, according to my dad.

Speaking of my dad, he just so happened to be the groom at this wedding, and I, having just turned eighteen, was just old enough to be a groomsman. I stood with the other groomsmen, who were all at least twice my age, and I could hear them whispering amongst themselves.

“Man, Calvin’s one lucky bastard, ain’t he?”

“For sure. He’s got himself quite the catch there.”

“Her sister’s pretty good looking, too. I wonder if I have a chance with her.”

I rolled my eyes at that last comment. They were right, though; my dad was lucky. Hell, saying that he was lucky would be the understatement of the year.

I mean, how many human men can say that they were going to marry an Equestrian princess?

Not just any Equestiran princess, but Princess Celestia! From what I had heard, many a suitor have tried to woo her and earn her hand in marriage, only for it to be all for naught. Who would’ve thought that my father, a small-time business manager from New York City, would be the one that she would end up marrying?

The minister looked at my father and asked “Do you, Calvin Summers, take this mare, Princess Celestia, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

My dad smiled and said “I do.”

The minister then turned to Celestia and asked “Do you, Princess Celestia, take this man, Calvin Summers, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

The princess gazed into Dad’s eyes and said “I do.”

“The bride and groom have written their own vows, which they shall read to each other now,” announced the minister.

Celestia took out her vows and read them first, as per the tradition of standard Equestrian weddings.

“Calvin, in all my years, I’ve never felt the kind of love that I feel for you. There was something special about you, something you did that no other man or stallion had ever done: you treated me like a normal mare. Yes, you did spoil me every now and then, but you never saw me as Princess Celestia. You saw me as just Celestia. You didn’t care that I was a princess; you simply loved me for who I was behind all the grandeur. The month that I spent in the human world when I first met you was the best month of my life, and you turned what was supposed to be a boring political trip into an incredible experience. As we continued to keep contact, and as our friendship blossomed into a romance, you became someone that I could be myself around, and eventually someone that I wanted to spend every waking moment with. You’ve brought a special kind of joy to my life, and as we stand here today, I want to tell you, in front of every person and pony here, that I love you with all my heart, and that you mean the world to me.”

I could hear the bridesmares sniffling and holding back tears, especially Twilight Sparkle, the mare that walked with me down the aisle when the ceremony began. Apparently, she was very close to Celestia.

Plus, she was supposed to be my cousin now, since Celestia’s niece is Twilight’s sister-in-law. God, these family ties are complicated.

It was then Dad’s turn to read his vows, and he cleared his throat before he began.

“Celestia, I first want to tell you how incredibly lucky I am to have met you. In fact, ‘lucky’ doesn’t even begin to describe my fortune. A better word to describe it would be ‘blessed’. I’m blessed that we got to know each other. I’m blessed that our relationship has grown despite our distance, and I’m blessed to be standing at this altar with you. You brought a spark to my life that I had been missing for years, and there are just so many things that I love about you. I love how you can be calm and reserved at one moment, then goofy and mischievous the next. I love how you put others before yourself, making sure that the ones you love are always happy, but most of all, I love the fact that you found something about me that made you feel all the things that I feel for you and more. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, and I will be nothing but the best husband to you.”

The audience aww’ed and sniffled, and as Dad and Celestia exchanged their rings, a smile grew on my face. I was incredibly happy for Dad. He had finally found someone to love after being alone for six years. He deserved to be happy with a good, loving wife by his side, and I was certain that Celestia would be just that. Things were only looking up for him, so why…

Why…

Why was there a part of me that felt mad at this whole situation?

Granted, this was a big change, and all, but I said that I was willing to face that change for the sake of my Dad’s happiness. Who was I to deny him that?

Not only that, but I had no personal issues with Celestia, either. She was a very nice lady, and she never once treated me in a way that would be considered bad, or even questionable. I actually found her to be a fun individual to be around. She was, in essence, the perfect mare.

That feeling of discontent still gnawed at me, like it did since the day Dad told me that he proposed.

So I did what I always did whenever I felt as though a part of me was uneasy. I imagined that I was talking to that part of myself in order to find out why it felt that way.

“Why do I feel a little mad that Dad’s getting married?”

“Why SHOULDN’T I feel mad?”

“Well for one, Dad’s finally found someone that he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Ever since Mom died, he’s lacked companionship. Sure, he lived every day like he did normally, but he was still lonely.

“Bullshit! How could he have been lonely when he had his son to keep him company? I was his best friend, and he loved to spend time with me. He was happy!”

“That may be true, but I’m about to leave for college in less than a year. Who’s he going to have then? Dad was lucky enough to find someone that he had a connection with, and now he won’t be all by himself when I inevitably move out.”

“But he didn’t even think about me! He didn’t give a single thought to how I would feel, or how this decision would’ve affected me!”

“That’s far from true, and I know it. Dad always thought about me and my feelings.”

It was not exaggeration either. When Dad started dating Celestia, he told me straight up that he wouldn’t continue the relationship if she didn’t like me, because, in his words:

“I can’t be in a relationship with someone that mistreats my son.”

Dad would always ask me how I felt about his relationship with Celestia, and he’s even let me tag along sometimes when he went out with her.

If that wasn’t proof of how much he cared, I didn’t know what was.

After explaining this to myself, I went even further. “Several months ago, he even asked me how I would feel if he ever decided to get married again, and I told him that I wouldn’t have any problem with it.”

“I didn’t think that I was practically giving him the OK to propose the very next week!”

“My answer still wouldn’t have been different otherwise.”

“Still, Dad could’ve waited until AFTER I graduated high school and moved out. Thanks to his engagement, I had to move with him all the way to Canterlot!”

This was true, and it was one of the biggest changes to come out of this whole thing. Dad had proposed early in the summer, and they had decided to have the wedding early in the fall. In the meantime, Dad and I moved to Canterlot and lived in Canterlot Castle.

“If that wasn’t bad enough, I have to go to that stupid prep school. Since word of the engagement had gotten out before I even started attending, all those stuck-up snobs kissed up to me, pretending to be my friend like I couldn’t see through their façade. If they hadn’t known that Celestia was going to be my future stepmother, those posers wouldn’t have even given me a second glance!”

“I’ve only been there for a week. I’ll find a real friend there, sooner or later. This is a big change for everyone, not just me. I can’t be selfish about this; I simply need to cope and adjust.”

“I shouldn’t have to cope OR adjust!”

My inner conversation was interrupted when I heard the minister say something that called my attention.

“If anyone objects to this union and has a reason for these two not to be wed, speak now, or forever hold your peace.”

“This is it! This is my chance!”

“Shut up! There is no reason for me to object to this. I’m perfectly fine with this.”

“No, I am not!”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!!!”

“Well then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister declared. “You may kiss the bride.”

My dad and Celestia got closer to each other, held each other’s hands tightly, and leaned in to kiss each other.

That was it. The union was sealed. There was nothing I could say or do about it now. The voice inside of me began to yell and curse, berating me for not speaking out against the marriage.

I merely tuned him out and focused on what was going on. Dad and Celestia had broken their kiss, and were presented by the minister as the newlywed Mr. and Mrs. Summers. Everyone then began to exit the chapel, starting of course with Dad and Celestia, followed by the ring bearer and flower girl. Next was Princess Luna, who was Celestia’s maid of honor, and she walked alongside Dad’s best man. Then the rest of us groomsmen walked with the same bridesmaids we walked with when we entered the church, which meant that I had to walk with Cousin Twilight again.

Once everyone was out of the chapel, Dad and Celestia rode in their own carriage while the rest of the family went in another. We were on our way to the royal gardens to take some photos before the reception. My father’s side of the family consisted of me, Grandma, Grandpa, and my Auntie Vanessa, while Celestia’s side consisted of Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Prince Shining Armor, and Princess Twilight.

I was told that there was another prince named Blueblood that was supposed to show up, but he never did, for whatever reason.

As the rest of the family talked amongst themselves, I simply stared out the window, looking up at the sky.

All I could think about was how much my life was going to change, and how much coping it would take to get through it. I tried to think of the positives in order to lift my spirits, but it was barely working. Thankfully no one seemed to notice my less-than-ecstatic demeanor.

We finally got to the gardens and once everyone was gathered around, we all decided the different photos we would take.

And by “we,” I meant “everyone else.”

First, of course, were the bride and the groom. The photographer was all set up in front of a decorative gazebo, and the happy couple stood in front of him to take the picture.

“Okay, smile, and… There we go! Now let’s have the son come into the photo.”

“Come on up, Devin,” Dad called, beckoning me with his hand.

“Coming,” I say, putting on a warm smile and walking up, standing in-between my dad and…

…and my new stepmother.

The three of us smiled at the camera, and the photographer took several pictures.

From then on, everyone went in and out of the gazebo, taking pictures in different groups: me and Dad, the guys, the girls, the parents, the siblings, the cousins, Dad’s side of the family, and Celestia’s side of the family.

“Okay… I think that’s everyone,” Dad said, making sure that there wasn’t a group that was left out.

“Actually, honey, Devin hasn’t taken a picture with me yet,” Celestia told him.

“Oh yeah, you’re right. Come on up, son. Take a picture with your new mom.”

“That bitch will never be my mother.”

“Shut up! Don’t call her that! What did she ever do to me?”

“Devin?” Celestia asked. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I was just spacing out, is all,” I lied.

I approached Celestia, and she didn’t hesitate to pull me closer to her. She looked down at me and smiled, and I nervously returned said smile.

“Okay, you two. Watch the birdie!” the photographer said to us, and we looked at the camera with smiles on our faces.

The photographer took the pictures, and with that, the photo session was over.

Despite my yearning to just go back to the castle and stay in my room, there was still one more event I had to attend:

The reception.

Chapter II: The Reception

A note to those that read the original version of this chapter: The contents of this revision are identical to the original, save for the ending, so feel free to skip ahead if you with to do so.

As our carriages made their way to the Canterlot Castle event hall, everyone was chatting amongst themselves while I looked out the window aimlessly. I pretty much tuned out everyone else as I stayed in my own little world, but then…

“So, Devin, are you excited?” someone asked. I turned around and saw that it was Princess Cadance that was addressing me.

“Excited? For what?” I asked, not knowing what she was talking about.

“Your coronation, of course! You and Uncle Calvin are going to be crowned as princes next week.”

“We were just talking about it,” Aunt Vanessa added.

“Well considering the fact that I wasn’t listening, it makes sense that I didn’t hear you guys mentioning it,” I thought.

“So, are you looking forward to it?” Shining Armor asked.

“Absolutely not!”

“Oh, no. Not you again.”

“Go ahead. Tell them. Tell them that I’m not looking forward to becoming a prince.”

“I am not telling them that!”

I cleared my throat and put on a fake smile. “Uh… yeah! Definitely. I can’t wait!”

I ignored my inner voice’s angry objections at what I just said and watched as my relatives smiled in satisfaction.

In all honesty, I really wasn’t looking forward to being a prince. Not because I hated the idea, but because I was scared. I never liked drawing too much attention to myself, and I’ve seen the way people hound celebrities back in the human world. I just wouldn’t be able to handle all that attention. On top of that, would I have to make some big decisions as a prince? Probably not, since there’s Celestia, Aunt Luna, and my dad, but there’s always a possibility.

My official status as a prince wouldn’t make my life at school easier, either. As it was, everypony there was already pining to be my “friend” for their own obviously selfish reasons. Once news of my coronation gets out, it’ll only get worse.

But I had to do it. I couldn’t be selfish. I couldn’t let my father down. In a way, he had it worse than me. As Celestia’s husband, he’ll most likely be expected to fulfill royal duties just like Celestia. Not only that, but he’d probably get a lot of criticism from all the suitors that tried and failed to win Celestia’s hand in marriage. If he was willing to go through such a dramatic change and face all these difficulties, I should be willing to do the same.

Right?

The carriage finally pulled up to the event hall, and as we left, I heard Grandpa talking about how hungry he was, a comment that Grandma rolled her eyes at. Several minutes later, everyone was gathered around at the dinner table. Dad and Celestia sat at the head of the table, while everyone that was in Dad’s party sat at one side of said table, and the members of Celestia’s party sat at the other.

With everyone seated, Grandpa stood up and clinked his drink to get everyone’s attention.

“I’d like to thank you all for attending this celebration of the marriage between Princess Celestia and my son, Calvin. The first course is about to be served, so feel free to dig in!”

As if on cue, the royal chefs walked in and served the food. Since the staff consisted of ponies, humans, and even some griffins, there were plenty of options for everyone. While everyone else chose big meals, I just went for a sweet potato casserole, and I kept to myself as the others talked.

Before I knew it, Grandpa stood up again and called everyone’s attention.

“Before we continue with the dinner, does anyone have some special words to say to our happy couple?”

Princess Luna was the first to raise a hand. “I have a few things to say,” she said with a smile as she rose from her seat. Once she was standing up, she took her glass and held it up to her chest. “First of all, Celestia, I want to tell you that I’m immensely happy for you. You’ve been a much happier pony since you started seeing Calvin, and now that you’re married, I know that nothing but good things will come your way. I think I speak for all of us here when I say that you both deserve each other, and we’ll always be here to support you. And to Calvin, treat my sister right, you hear?”

Everyone at the table laughed as Luna sat down. The next person that had a few words to day was my father’s best man, his old college roommate. It was a standard best man speech. He said that was happy for dad, he made a corny joke, and he said some heartfelt things. I pretty much zoned out through most of it.

Next was Grandma. She stood up from her chair and smiled softly at Dad. “Calvin,” she said. “I just want you to know that I'm so proud of you. Seeing you sitting next to your lovely wife just makes me the proudest mother in the world. To Celestia, you’re a very kind, sweet, and lovely young lady, and I have no doubt in my mind that you two will cherish each other for the rest of your lives.”

Everyone aww’ed at Grandma’s speech, and Celestia chuckled when Grandma mentioned that she was a “young” mare despite the fact that Celestia was several times my grandmother’s age. Even I cracked a genuine smile.

Grandma was probably more supportive of Dad’s marriage than anyone else. It was no secret that Dad and Grandma were really close. Her relationship with Dad was near identical to my relationship with him; if he was happy, we were happy, and that was all that mattered.

The only difference is that I still felt that angry part of me clawing at my mind.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” said Grandpa. “Those were some lovely words. Now, does anybody else have anything to say?”

We all looked at each other and shook our heads, but then Grandpa looked at me.

“How ‘bout you, Devin?” he asked. “You got any special words?”

And just like that, all eyes were on me. I shrank in my seat as their gazes pierced through my skin.

I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t risk giving that voice in my head a reason to provoke me. If that were to happen, who knows what would follow? I may just say something foolish or hurtful and not only make an ass out of myself, but embarrass Dad, too.

“I… don’t really have much to say that hasn’t already been said,” I said quietly.

Grandpa smiled. “Oh, come on, Devin. I’m sure you at least have a good joke or two. You always were the funny man in the family.”

That couldn’t be further from the truth. Grandpa just had this weird thing where he’d laugh at whatever I said, like every sentence I uttered was the greatest joke in the world.

“Don’t pressure the boy, Derrick!” Grandma scolded, and I let out a sigh of relief.

With the speeches overwith, everyone got back to eating, and after what felt like hours, everyone moved to the dance floor to see Dad and Celestia’s first dance as a newly married couple. The DJ picked a slow, intimate song, and I watched from the back of the crowd as Dad and Celestia seemingly glided across the floor in each other’s arms.

I was particularly fixated on the smile that Dad had on his face, and it eased the unpleasant feelings that were inside of me. I was reminded of the reason why I was willing to go through all these changes. I wanted my father to be happy. At that moment, I began to feel like everything was going to be okay.

But then…

“Ugh, just looking at this makes me sick!”

No! Not now! Not when I was just beginning to accept this! Why did that part of me have to come back?

“Go away!” I thought furiously.

"Who does she think she is? Who told her that she could just barge in on my life!?”

“Just shut up!”

“She had no right to force my dad into uprooting his life and mine just so we could live with her. Selfish bitch!”

“That’s not how it happened! That’s not true!”

My head began to ache, and I sat in a nearby chair, rubbing my temples and trying to force that voice out of my head.

Dad and Celestia continued to dance until the song ended, and it was time for them to cut the cake. While some guests really wanted a slice of cake, others just wanted to get back on the dance floor. After pondering it for a moment, I decided that a slice of cake would help to ease me a little. Once I got my slice, I went back to the chair that I was sitting in and took a seat as I watched everyone else dance to their hearts’ content. I even saw Celestia dancing with Grandpa while Dad danced with Luna. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Dad and Grandpa were never very good dancers, a trait that I had, as well.

Within minutes, I finished my slice of cake, and I got up to throw away my plate. Once I threw it in the trash can, I turned around and walked right into someone that happened to be standing behind me.

“Oh, man. Sorry about that,” I apologized as I rubbed my nose with my eyes closed.

“Don’t worry about it, Devin,” they said.

Hang on… I knew that voice.

I looked up to see who was speaking to me, and sure enough, it was the one pony I hadn’t said a word to in months.

Celestia.

My pupils shrank in shock and I stepped back a little, and the mare merely smiled warmly at me. “My, my. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“A ghost? More like a demon.”

“Goddamn it, be quiet!”

“Anyway,” Celestia continued, “I came to you because I was wondering if you’d like to dance with me. I thought this would be a nice bonding moment for us.”

I was surprised by the gesture that Celestia was making. I had never expected her to ask me for a dance, and I considered taking her up on her offer.

“Not even if we were the last two beings in the world.”

“Will you just-”

“Devin?” Celestia said with a concerned look. “Do you want to dance?”

“NO!” I snapped, making the princess flinch and reflexively back away from me, looking down at me with a hurt look in her eye. “I mean, no thanks,” I said in a calmer voice, looking away from her. “I’m not much of a dancer, so I’d rather not go out there. Thanks for the offer, though.”

“Okay, I understand,” said Celestia. She looked down at the ground for a brief moment, and then she looked back up at me. “Devin, is something bothering you?”

“Yes, and if you look in the mirror, you’ll find out what that something is.”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine,” I said dismissively as I turned around to leave, but Celestia put her hand on my shoulder.

“Are you sure? Because before now, you haven’t said a word to me for months, and-”

“I said I’m fine!” I said angrily as I swatted her hand away. I heard Celestia gasp, and I immediately realized what I did. I dared not to look back, because I feared what her expression would be. Would I have been staring at the gaze of an angered and offended princess, or would I have been facing the hurt look of a saddened and rejected one.

“Oh… alright then,” the mare said emotionlessly. “I’m sorry for being so pushy.”

I then heard her walking away from me slowly, and it was then that I realized how badly I messed up. I had hurt Celestia’s feelings, and all she did was ask me for a dance.

The voice in my head was able to take over for one second, and in that one, short second, he made Celestia feel hurt on what was supposed to be a happy day for her.

“Ah, that felt good.”

“That felt horrible!”

“She deserved it.”

“No she didn’t!”

“I was definitely in the right.”

“No I wasn’t!”

I shook my head violently and left the hall, hoping that the lack of music outside would help to clear my head. I looked up at the rest of Canterlot Castle, and I decided that it would be best for me to go in my room. It was better to be in there than at the reception, where I could possibly make a scene.

After ten minutes of walking through the empty castle halls, I finally reached my bedroom. Once I was inside, I kicked off my shoes and lied down on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. At that moment, all of my concerns came rushing at me, one after another.

Having to move to another world,

Having new family members,

Having to go to a new school,

Not having any friends,

Having to deal with being royalty,

And above all else, having a princess as my stepmother.

I couldn’t take it anymore. All these changes were happening too fast, and I just couldn’t handle it. I gripped the sides of my head tightly and pulled at my hair in desperation…

And then the tears came.

I started to sniffle as the streams of tears flowed down the sides of my face. All the emotions that I kept inside of me for all these months finally took their ultimate toll on me, and they flowed out as I laid there on my bed in a quivering mess. I had no idea how long I had been there. Time was a secondary concern to me as I continued to cry, staining my pillow with tears.

All of a sudden, I heard several knocks on my door, and I raised my head in surprise when I heard them. I looked up at the clock that was hanging over my bed and saw that I had been cooped up in here for twenty minutes.

I wiped my eyes and composed myself before answering. “Who is it?”

“It’s Celestia,” I heard from the other side, and I froze when her voice hit my ears. “May I come in?”

I stayed in my bed, unsure of whether or not I should let Celestia come in.

“Devin, please let me in,” she said pleadingly. “I just want to talk to you. Everyone’s asking where you’ve been, and they’ve been getting worried.”

They were worried? I didn’t think that anyone would notice if I was gone.

I braced myself as I waited for that voice to come back and say something, but surprisingly, I didn’t hear a thing. I wondered to myself why I couldn’t hear it, and then I looked down at the pillow and saw how stained it was. I said hesitantly as I placed my hand on the pillow, and the second I did so, I felt a shiver run through me, like I had touched an ominous, cursed object.

It was like all my anger had left me.

Despite that, though, I still didn’t feel like talking to Celestia at the moment, or anyone else for that matter.

I needed to be alone.

“Now’s not a good time,” I said. “I don’t feel well.”

“Oh…” Celestia said dejectedly. “Okay, then. I hope you feel better.”

The next thing I heard were hoofsteps that got less and less audible as they continued.

I let out a deep sigh and changed out of my suit, deciding that I wasn’t going to return to the reception. After getting into some more comfortable clothes, I decided to go back to bed and take a nap.

I was woken up by several knocks on my door, and I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I got out of bed. I looked out my window and saw that the sun had already set and that it was well into nighttime. “Who is it?” I asked.

“It’s Dad,” I heard from the other side.

“Coming,” I said as I trudged towards the door and opened it.

“Hey there, champ,” Dad said as he saw me. “You okay? You just left the reception and no one could find you for a while. Celestia said that you weren’t feeling well, so we just decided to let you rest for a while.”

“Is it still going on? The reception, I mean.”

“No, it just ended. Grandma, Grandpa, and Auntie Vanessa went home, and Twilight, Cadance and Shining Armor will be staying here till morning.”

“Okay,” I said absentmindedly.

Dad gave me a concerned look “You alright, Devin? Is there something you want to talk about?”

I shook my head.

“If there’s something bothering you, you can always tell me, son.”

“I’m fine, Dad. Really. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Well, if you say so. I’ll let you get some rest. Don’t forget that tomorrow’s Monday, so don’t stay up too late.”

“I won’t.”

Dad smiled at me and ruffled my hair. “Good night, son.”

“‘Night, Dad,” I smiled back.

I shut the door and walked back to my bed. Talking to my dad always made me feel at least little better, but when I climbed back under the covers, I realized something that soured my mood again.

I had school tomorrow.

Chapter III: The Friend

I woke up the next morning barely able to function, and I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I blindly walked to my bathroom. After taking a shower and brushing my teeth, I threw on some clothes from my wardrobe and headed out of my room. As I walked through the hall, I was stopped by a guard that I passed by.

“Excuse me, Master Devin,” he said.

I shuddered when I heard him address me that way. Then again, I had to get used to being talked to like that since I was going to be a prince in less than a week.

“Yes?” I asked as I turned around and looked at the guard.

“I was just on my way to your room,” he said.

“Why?”

“Well, your family is downstairs for breakfast, and your parents would like everyone to be present.”

I let out an exasperated sigh. I hadn’t fully recovered from yesterday, so I really wasn’t in the mood to be around relatives, especially when most of them were from Celestia’s side of the family.

Oh, man. That sounded mean…

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate them, I just wasn’t fully comfortable with the whole situation yet.

“Actually, I was going to take an early carriage to school today,” I told the guard. “I have to get there early and… take care of some things. Besides, I still don’t feel too well, so I don’t want to put a damper on things.”

The guard bowed his head. “I understand. I shall let your parents know that you won’t be attending breakfast this morning.”

Of course he would tell them. Great. Now I have to deal with an endless barrage of questions as to why I wasn’t at breakfast.

I guess I’ll just cross that bridge when I get to it.

On my way out of the castle, I called the royal chauffer and asked him to be ready to pick me up to go to school. By the time I was out of the castle, he was waiting for me.

“Good morning, Master Devin,” he greeted. “Off to school early today?”

“Yeah,” I answered as I climbed into the carriage-car. “Can we stop by the coffee shop before we get there, the one that serves breakfast?”

“Of course, sir.”

As we drove through the city, my mind went back to the wedding reception, when I overheard several older ponies talking about how much human and pony societies had changed since they made contact with each other.

“Hard to believe it’s been twenty years, isn’t it?”

“For sure. I remember when carriages were drawn by mere stallionpower, but now, thanks to the humans, we have engines in our carriages now.”

“My father would’ve been relieved to have that kind of convenience.”

I pretty much stopped listening after that, because they started to ramble on like most old folks do.

After a fifteen-minute ride, not including the stop at the coffee shop, I finally arrived at school, and I thanked the chauffer on my way out of the carriage. I took a deep breath as he pulled away, and I walked through the school’s main entrance, hoping that I’d at least be able to make it to my locker without any interruptions.

Things don’t always go the way you want them to, though.

“Hey, buddy!”

“Oh, great,” I thought.

I turned around and saw a stallion with a dark orange coat and a black mane and tail approaching me. He was dressed in a preppie getup complete with a blue sweater-vest and khaki pants. I remembered him telling me that his mother was the chief justice on the Equestrian Supreme Court, but his name escaped me.

“Hey, umm… What’s your name again?”

“Trenton Gavelstone,” he said. “You don’t remember me? I’m the guy that offered you a seat at my lunch table last Wednesday.”

“He really expects me to remember him just for that?” I thought. “I didn’t even accept his offer to sit with him.”

“Um… yeah. I remember you now,” I lied. “You need something?”

“I just came to tell you that my offer still stands. I haven’t really heard back from you, y’know?”

“Yeah, well, I’m usually really busy with other stuff during lunch.”

“C’mon man. It’s senior year! What ‘other stuff’ could you possibly be busy with? Trust me; you’ll have a blast hanging out with me and my posse. I’ll even hook you up with one of my female friends. Some of them really seem to like you.”

I tried not to show an annoyed face. “As enticing as that sounds, I still have to pass on that.”

“You sure? You’ll really be missing out, dude.”

Okay, this guy was really trying my patience. I opened my mouth to say something, but then-

“Well, seems like someone can’t take a hint.”

Trenton turned around to see who was talking to him, and I leaned to the side to see, as well. The pony that was talking to us was not a pony, but a zebra. He had a mane so short that it looked like he didn’t have one at all, and he was wearing a dark purple hoodie over a black V-neck along with some black jeans.

I was surprised that he was a zebra, though. Most zebras that I’d met had a distinct accent, but this guy didn’t have one.

“You know, you should really learn how to take ‘no’ for an answer, Gavelstone,” he said with a smirk.

“I don’t remember asking for your input!” Trenton snapped, his attitude doing a total 180.

Before the confrontation could go any further, the warning bell rang. Trenton let out a grunt and walked away, but not before looking back at me and saying “There’s always a seat at the table for you, man!”

I nervously chuckled, and then I quickly got my stuff for my first class in my backpack. “Thanks for helping me out,” I said to the zebra as I walked to my first class with him following behind me.

“No problem. You looked like you needed some help,” he smiled. “The name’s Kadeem.”

“Nice to meet you. My name’s-”

“Devin Summers?”

“You know my name?”

“You’re Princess Celestia’s stepson. Everypony knows your name.”

I chuckled. “I doubt that’s true. Most of the students here rarely call me by my name. It’s usually ‘buddy’, ‘dude’, or ‘guy’.”

“Point taken,” said Kadeem.

“So, what’s your story? You’re the first zebra I’ve seen at this school.”

“My dad’s an ambassador from Neighgeria.”

“Forgive my bluntness, but you don’t sound like you’re from Neighgeria.”

“That’s because I’ve attended boarding school in Fillydelphia for most of my life before high school.”

I smiled. “Interesting. So, what class do you have coming up right now?”

“AP Literature. I’m actually in your class.”

“Really? I never really paid attention to the other kids in class.”

“I don’t blame you,” Kadeem laughed. “A lot of the kids at Canterlot Academy are stuck up.”

“Apparently not all of them,” I chuckled.

“We should probably stick together, then.”

I thought about it for a while and smiled. “Well, I suppose if I had at least one friend, then this place just might suck a little less.”

“That’s some great school spirit you got there.”

Kadeem and I both headed towards our AP Lit class, and we sat together in the back of the room, away from the other students. We ended up having a lot in common.

“You into comics?” I asked with a hushed voice.

Kadeem scoffed. “Feh, ‘Am I into comics?’ I just happen to own every issue of Spider-Mane ever published. I even went to the midnight release of the movie last year.”

“You lucky bastard! I tried to get tickets to the midnight release back home, but they were sold out!”

“Yeah, I had to camp outside the theater to get mine.”

Just then, the teacher cleared his throat and looked right at the two of us. “If you two have something exciting to share, I’m sure we’d all love to hear it.”

We both gulped and said “No, sir.”

The teacher grunted and returned to his lecture on literary expressionism, or something like that. I wasn’t really paying attention, to be honest, and neither was Kadeem.

It turned out that we didn’t have that many classes together. Aside from AP Lit, we only had AP Art and Economics together. After the school day had ended, we walked out the main entrance and chatted as we headed towards the school gates.

“We should hang out, man,” said Kadeem. “You free on Saturday?”

I opened my mouth to say “yes,” but then I remembered something.

“Actually, I can’t do Saturday,” I said. “My coronation’s on that day.”

The zebra shrugged. “It’s cool. No harm done. Let’s exchange numbers so we can keep in touch.”

I smiled and accepted his offer, and we parted ways once my carriage arrived.

As I rode through the city on my way back to the castle, I thought about my impending coronation. Come Saturday, my dad and I were officially going to be princes. As Celestia’s husband, I’m sure he’d have to take on some of her political responsibilities, but what would this change in status mean for me? Would I have to take on any responsibilities? Unless Dad, Celestia, AND Luna were somehow not around to run the country at the same time, that hopefully won’t be the case.

Hopefully.

Then again, Blueblood is a prince, too, and aside from spending money and going out all the time, he doesn’t do jack.

If I’m lucky, the only thing that’ll change after my coronation will be how the guards address me.

The carriage finally pulled up in front of the castle, and I thanked the driver as I got out. Once I got into the castle, I decided to head up to my room. Before I got there, though, I heard someone call my name.

“Devin!” they said.

I turned around and smiled when I saw my dad walking towards me.

“How was school, champ?” he asked as he walked alongside me.

“Better than usual,” I answered. “I made an actual friend today.”

“Really? That’s great! Good to know that you’re starting to make friends at your new school,” Dad said, but then his expression turned less happy. “You didn’t show up to breakfast this morning, though.”

I averted my eyes from him and looked forward. “I was still feeling a little sick from last night, so I just left for school early and got breakfast on the way.”

“I know. One of the guards told us. It’s too bad, though. Celestia was hoping to see you, and your cousins wanted to say goodbye before they left.”

“Oh well,” I said dismissively.

“You don’t seem too upset about it.”

“Well, it’s not like I won’t ever see them again.”

Dad shrugged. “I guess that’s true. They’ll be here for our coronation this Saturday.”

I raised an eyebrow. “If that’s the case, then why didn’t they stay here for the few days before the coronation instead of having to travel back and forth?”

Dad shrugged again. “I guess they have things to take care of back at their homes.”

I looked at my father with a mildly astonished face. “How are you able to just accept anything that happens?” I asked. It was a trait of his that always had me scratching my head, but I also respected him for it. No matter what happened, Dad would always have a smile on his face.

It was as if nothing ever bothered him.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “I just try to ignore all the negatives and focus on the positives.”

I let out a deep breath. “You make it sound so easy.”

“What do you mean? Is something bothering you?”

I shook my head, and my dad sighed. “Devin, I know you haven’t talked to me about it, but I know that you’re not completely okay with all the changes going on.”

I said nothing, but I was surprised at how perceptive my dad was. You’d never expect him to be the kind of guy that would notice the little things.

“I know this is a really big change for the both of us, and I’m thankful that you’ve been able to put up with all the craziness that’s happened over the past few months, but it’s not good for you to just keep all your feelings inside. You have to talk to someone about it.”

I still didn’t say anything.

“And I’m not the only one that’s there for you. Celestia and her family will help you, too, if you give them the chance.”

I stayed silent for a few more moments, and then I let out a long sigh. “I don’t know…”

My dad frowned disappointedly. “Devin, please don’t be like that. I know you’ll really hit it off with them if you-”

“Can we not talk about this right now?” I asked calmly.

My dad looked at me for a few seconds and conceded. “Okay, I understand,” he said.

I sighed in relief. I was hoping to squash the discussion before I started to get upset. I didn’t want the Voice to come back again. In the short time that I’ve started hearing it, I noticed that it only came out when I was either angry or upset, and the only way I could keep it out was to keep my emotions in check.

Once I got to my room, I said goodbye to Dad and walked inside. As I kicked my shoes off and sat on my bed, I thought about what Dad said.

“Celestia and her family will help you, too, if you give them the chance.”

While that could have been true, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with talking to Celestia or any of my new family members about my feelings. For one, they were complete strangers to me. I didn’t know any of them very well, and it would feel very uncomfortable for me to talk to them about my personal issues. Secondly, if I were to tell them that I wasn’t really okay with being a prince, I could inadvertently offend them.

While I wasn’t ready to be all friendly with them, I didn’t want them not to like me or get the wrong idea about me, either.

I sighed and looked at my nightstand, and I found a large envelope lying on top of it. Curiously, I picked it up and read the attached note aloud to myself.

“Enclosed is an outline of the royal coronation ceremony, along with the coronation oath. The lines that you are required to recite are printed in bold. Please memorize these lines for this Saturday’s ceremony.

Signed,

Pencil Pusher

Secretary to Princess Celestia.”

I groaned in annoyance once I finished reading the letter. “Perfect,” I said. “As if I didn’t have enough homework to do.”

Chapter IV: The Coronation

Saturday morning.

Under normal circumstances, this would be a great moment for me. I’ve had a long week of school, and I could sleep in and do nothing all day.

But this wasn’t a normal circumstance at all. In just a few hours, my dad and I were going to be crowned as princes. I looked at the clock on my nightstand, and it read eight AM; the coronation was at one in the afternoon, but I had to be ready by twelve-thirty.

According to the packet that I got a few days ago, the coronation was going to be held at the castle chapel, the same place where Dad and Celestia got married. I tried not to think about that as I got out of bed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

For the past few days, I had been going over the procession of the coronation. Thankfully, there wasn’t much that I had to say. The only lines that I had were towards the end of the ceremony when Dad and I would be crowned. Celestia would read us our royal responsibilities and ask us if we accepted said responsibilities, and we would respond with “I will”.

It was a good thing I didn't have to say much. The less I had to commit to memory, the better.

In fact, the ceremony itself was really short.

I looked at the clock again, and it was five minutes after eight. I had arranged for my breakfast to be carried to my room today by one of the maids, and it would be here any minute now.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

That was quicker than I expected.

I walked over to my bedroom door and opened it, but instead of a maid, it was someone else.

“Oh, hey Dad,” I said.

“You were expecting your breakfast, weren’t you?” he asked.

“Sort-of.”

“Well, I told the chef to forget about it.”

“What? Why?” I asked, somewhat perturbed.

“Devin, for the past four days you’ve been eating your meals either by yourself or on your way to school. Can’t you eat with your family for once? Your cousins came here for our coronation, and it would hurt their feelings if you just didn’t show up for breakfast.”

I sighed. I had forgotten that Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor had spent the night here at the castle after arriving here last night. Dad sure picked the right time to cancel my breakfast arrangements.

Rather than put up an argument, I just accepted the fact that I had to join my new family for breakfast.

“Come on, champ,” said Dad. “Everypony’s waiting for us downstairs.”

I quietly left my room, closing the door behind me and following my dad down the hall. The walk to the dining hall was dead quiet, and I kept my eyes to the floor as we walked. In an effort to break the silence, my dad cleared his throat and spoke.

“So, Devin…”

“Yeah.”

“Last night, I… told Celestia about how you’ve been feeling.”

“What!?” My eyes widened and I walked ahead of Dad and blocked his path, glaring angrily at him. “Why did you do that!?” I said with a hushed yell.

“I was only trying to help, son,” Dad said softly.

“You knew that I didn’t want to tell anyone how I felt, but you went ahead and told someone anyway? Whose side are you on!?”

“There aren’t any sides to take, Devin,” my dad said, his tone becoming somewhat stern. “All I want is for you and Celestia to get along. I thought that if she were aware of what was going on, she’d make more of an effort to make some sort of connection with you.”

I glared at my dad some more, still in disbelief at the fact that he ran his mouth. Just then, I felt a tingle in the back of my head…

“When are you going to get it? I don’t need you trying to fix my problems for me! I’m eighteen years old, dammit!!!”

Crap! Not now!

I let out a deep breath and tried to calm down in an effort to push the Voice out of my head. “Regardless of whether or not you wanted to help,” I explained, “my feelings were kept to myself for a reason. You weren’t supposed to tell anyone.”

“Well, you never said that…” Dad pointed out.

“Should I have to!? You’re my Dad! You should be able to figure it out!”

“Will you be quiet!? I’ll handle this.”

Easier said than done. It was becoming more and more apparent that the longer this conversation went on, the more frustrated I got.

“Devin, trust me. It’s a good thing that Celestia knows how you feel. Just give it some time and-”

“Alright, alright I get it!” I interrupted. “There’s nothing either of us can do to change it now, so just forget it.”

There was no reason to carry the conversation past that point. In fact, it would most likely do more harm than good. If I wanted to keep the Voice from coming back, I had to keep my emotions in check.

After what felt like an eternity, we finally got to the dining hall, and I put on a fake smile as we entered.

Celestia was sitting at the head of the table, with the surrounding seats being filled by Luna, Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor. My false smile wavered when I realized that there were two vacant seats on either side of Celestia.

“There you guys are!” she said happily as we approached the empty seats. Dad took the seat to Celestia’s right while I took the seat to her left. I ended up between her and her younger sister, Luna. As I sat down, I quietly hoped that nopony would try to strike up a conversation with me.

“So, Devin…”

Damn.

I looked to my left and saw Luna addressing me. “Where have you been these past few days? We’ve hardly ever seen you.”

I looked back down at the table, and I felt everypony’s eyes on me. “I wasn’t feeling very well over the past few days. I think it was something I ate.”

While Luna and my other relatives seemed to buy it, Dad and Celestia gave each other concerned looks. Celestia then turned to me with a small smile. “Well, at least you’re feeling better,” she said.

At that moment, the royal servers filed in and served everyone their breakfast. The breakfast I got was a stack of pancakes topped with syrup and butter, with two hashbrowns on the side. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw my food, and Celestia turned to me with a bigger smile than she had before.

“Your father told me that this was your favorite breakfast,” she told me quietly, “so I asked the chef to make it for you.”

I looked up at her and saw the hopeful expression on her face. Like Dad said, she really was trying to get me to accept her as a mother, and I actually felt a little grateful that she did that for me-

“Kissing up to me isn’t gonna get you anywhere, ‘Princess’.”

I quickly turned away from Celestia and put my hand on the side of my face. “Thanks,” I muttered with a neutral tone.

I didn’t see the look on Celestia’s face, but I had a feeling that it wasn’t good. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Luna looking down at me with a disapproving stare.

Great, I barely said a word, and I’ve already messed up. Why did that stupid Voice have to come in and ruin things for me! I would’ve actually made some progress with Celestia hadn’t it been for that Voice.

As the breakfast went on, I tried to keep to myself as much as I could. Everyone else simply talked to each other, and only occasionally somepony would ask me something. Whenever that happened, I would just give a one or two-word answer.

“How are you liking Canterlot?” asked Twilight.

“It’s nice.”

“How’s school so far?” asked Cadance.

“Okay.”

“Any mares in your class catch your eye yet?” asked Shining Armor.

“No.”

All the while, I didn’t look up from my plate, trying not to look at anypony. After who-knows-how long, the breakfast ended, and we all went back to our rooms to get ready for the coronation. By the time I had gotten to my room, it was almost nine-thirty, and in my head I tried to figure out how much free time I had before I actually had to get dressed.

“Okay, so I’ll have to be dressed and ready to go by ten after twelve if I want to get to the chapel by twelve-thirty.” I thought. “Getting dressed will probably take me twenty minutes at the most, so I’ve got from now until about eleven-fifty to just relax.”

I walked to my bed and pulled out a plastic bin from underneath it. A bunch of DVDs were inside the bin, and I decided to pull out a box set of one of my favorite TV shows. I figured that I could get three or four episodes in before I had to get ready. I popped a disc into my laptop relaxed on my bed as it played. I felt myself getting calmer by the second, and I sighed in relief as I watched my show.

As time went on, though, my mind went back to earlier that morning. I never expected Celestia to get the chef to make my favorite breakfast for me. It was a very kind gesture, and I felt bad for not thanking her properly. If it wasn’t for that dumb Voice, I could’ve actually started to make a connection with Celestia.

Why was it so hard for me to accept Celestia as a mother, though? Why was I so adverse to the idea of her family becoming part of mine? It’s not like I had anything against any of them, and I’m not intimidated by any of them, either.

Except maybe Luna…

They seemed nice enough, so what was my problem?

Maybe I just needed some time to get used to everything, is all. Yeah, that makes sense. All I need to do until then is stay calm and not get too worked up; otherwise the Voice could come out again.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

I raised my head from the computer screen and looked at my bedroom door. “Coming,” I called out as I paused the DVD and got out of my bed. I took my sweet time walking up to the door, assuming that it wasn’t urgent. When I opened the door, I saw who was knocking.

Celestia.

A almost forgot to breathe when I saw her, and I felt as though I was shrinking.

“Hello, Devin,” she smiled.

I looked to the ground. “Do you need something?” I muttered.

Celestia’s smile wavered, but it stayed on her face. “Well, I wanted to tell you something about the coronation,” she explained. “Normally, after the ceremony, there’s a big presentation to the city followed by a royal parade, but it’s not a requirement for you to participate in those events if you don’t want to. I can just tell everypony that you got sick again.”

I could hear the hopeful tone in her voice, and I could tell that she was trying to make me feel more comfortable with this whole coronation thing.

I couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Thanks,” I said quietly.

Celestia smiled back and said “You’re very welcome, son.”

I instinctively winced at that word and grabbed my shoulders as I took a step back from the princess. Her eyes widened and she immediately noticed the mistake she made, but I could tell that she wasn’t sure how to rectify it. Uncertain of what to say, she simply told me “See you at the ceremony,” and left my room.

I shut the door as she left. I stood there, feeling more confused than anything else. Should I have been offended that she tried to address me as her son, or should I have been happy that she saw me as a son?

No, I can’t dwell on this. I can’t risk getting frustrated again.

I shook my head and went back to my laptop, pretending that what just happened… didn’t happen.

It was five minutes after twelve, and I was standing in front of the mirror straightening my tie. Once I was all ready to go, I took one last look at myself and took a deep breath. With my mind steeled and my emotions suppressed, I walked out the door to meet Dad by the main entrance of the castle.

“Celestia’s already at the chapel preparing for the ceremony,” he told me. “We’re supposed to meet her in the preparation room.”

I nodded my head as we started heading towards the chapel. The entire walk was dead silent, and neither of us said a word to each other, but in all honesty, I actually preferred that. I really didn’t feel like talking to Dad, or anyone else for that matter. I just wanted to get this coronation overwith so I could just go back to my room and relax.

“Please, just let this be quick,” I begged inwardly as Dad and I reached the chapel’s preparation room.

Inside the room were Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, and Twilight Sparkle. Dad’s face brightened when he saw Celestia, as it always did whenever that happened. “Hi, honey!” he said happily as he walked over to her and leaned in to give her a kiss.

The princess glanced at me uncomfortably and then she stopped my dad with her hands. “Umm… Maybe later, Calvin,” she told him. “I have a lot of things to look over before the ceremony begins.”

Dad chuckled. “You’re right. You must have a lot to think about.”

I let out a mental sigh at dad’s obliviousness. It seemed that the only time he ever noticed subtle things about someone was when that someone was me.

“I have to go and make sure that all the preparations have been made,” Celestia announced to everyone. “I’ll be right back.”

Everyone nodded their heads in understanding as the princess left, and they began to talk with each other. As usual, I isolated myself from the others and looked out of a nearby window, my relatives’ voices becoming a jumbled mess as I tuned them out.

There was a half hour left until the coronation ceremony began, and I just sat in my chair, waiting for it to be over and done with-

“Hey, Devin!”

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard two voices behind me, and I turned around to see Cadance and Twilight standing in front of me. I looked behind them and saw that Dad, Luna, and Shining Armor were having their own conversation, so I guess Cadance and Twilight needed someone to talk to.

“Sorry to scare you,” said the older princess.

“It’s okay,” I said, looking away from her. “So, do you two need something?”

“We just wanted to talk,” said Twilight. “You must be nervous about your coronation, huh?”

“You could say that.”

“Well, it isn’t as bad as you may think,” she told me. “I’ve been a princess for two years, and my life hasn’t changed that much. Besides, the ceremony isn’t even that long.”

“Way to tell me something I already know,” I thought, mentally rolling my eyes.

“If you ever need somepony to talk to you, just give us a call,” said Cadance. “We always make time for family.”

“Um… Thanks, I guess…”

The older princess giggled. “Come on, Devin. Cheer up a little! This is supposed to be a happy occasion!

I sighed. She did have a point. This was supposed to be a happy occasion, if not for me, then for my father. He was married to one of the royal sisters and was now about to be inducted into the royal family. Why shouldn’t this be a happy moment for him?

I decided to put my own convictions aside for my Dad’s sake.

“I guess you’re right,” I conceded, receiving a wide smile from Cadance and Twilight. “Could you two excuse me? I need to get some water.”

I walked past the two princesses and headed towards the water cooler, hoping that a cold drink would help me, which it did, to a certain extent. The minutes seemed to fly by as the big moment came ever closer, and I suddenly heard music playing. I looked up in surprise, my heart nearly jumping out of my chest, and I saw Luna, Cadance, Twilight, and Shining Armor look at each other.

“That’s our cue,” Luna said as she and the other royals went up to the door and left in a single file line, leaving me and Dad in the room by ourselves.

At that moment, I mentally went over the ceremony’s procession:

-The royal band begins to play, with Princess Celestia at the royal altar.

-The remaining royals proceed down the chapel hall, lining up next to Celestia.

Next came the part where-

“I would like to thank you all for attending this glorious event.” Celestia announced, her voice reaching the preparation room. “We are gathered here today to crown two special individuals, making them official members of the royal family. Not only is this a joyous occasion, but it is also a historic one, for these inductees are the first two humans to ever become Equestrian royals.”

The next thing we heard was a round of applause from the audience.

“So, without further ado, let the coronation begin!”

There it was. That was me and Dad’s cue to walk down the chapel hall towards the altar. Dad had already approached the door, and he looked back at me with a smile.

“Ready, champ?” he asked.

I took a deep breath and walked up to the door, stopping right beside him. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I answered.

Just then, the band started to play again, and Dad and I walked out of the door proceeded down the chapel hall. I tried my best not to look at all the ponies and people that watched us as we walked. Each second was more agonizing than the last as their gazes penetrated my skin. In an effort to ignore the hundreds of eyes that were on me, I focused my vision on the altar’s steps and blocked out everything else. I felt my heartbeat becoming calmer and calmer as I ignored everything around me, and before I knew it, I was standing before Celestia with Dad at my side. We both bowed and knelt before her.

First, Celestia approached Dad, and she looked down at him with a loving smile.

“Calvin, in the time that I’ve known you, you’ve been nothing but a kind and generous person to everyone you met. No matter what would happen, you would always face the day with a smile on your face. You have a pleasant air about you that always puts others in a good mood, and when you commit to something, you truly give your all. That commitment is what makes you worthy of becoming royalty.”

Celestia then cleared her throat and recited the oath.

“Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the citizens of Equestria according to our respective laws and customs?" she asked.

“I will,” he answered.

"Will you to your power cause law and justice to be executed in all your judgments?"

“I will.”

“Will you swear to act not only as a ruler, but as a guide to all Equestrian citizens, and to protect them in times of crisis?”

“I will.”

Celestia looked down at him with a smile, and then she approached me. When I felt her shadow covering me, I felt another tingle in the back of my head.

“Great, let’s see what she has to say about me. I’d love to hear it.”

I winced, shutting my eyes tightly and shivering. “Damn it! Not now, of all times. Go away!”

“Devin,” she began, and I looked up to see her face. Surprisingly, she seemed just as happy as she was when she addressed my father, if not more so. “When I first met you, I’ll admit that I was rather nervous, but after getting to know you a little, I saw what a great person you were. You were willing to put your own feelings aside and endure great change just so that your father could be happy. Putting others before oneself is a very admirable quality; a quality that I feel makes you more than worthy of becoming a prince. I want you to know that it is an honor and a privilege to be a part of your family, and it humbles me to bestow the same honor upon you.”

I looked at Celestia in astonishment as she spoke to me, a genuine smile on her face as she did so, and I bowed my head as she prepared to recite the oath again.

“Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the citizens of Equestria according to our respective laws and customs?" she asked.

“I will…” I answered.

"Will you to your power cause law and justice, to be executed in all your judgments?"

“I will.”

“Will you swear to act not only as a ruler, but as a guide to all Equestrian citizens, and to protect them in times of crisis?”

I hesitated for a moment, but I took a deep breath and said “I will.”

As I looked down, I saw a few drops of water fall to the floor, which confused me. The chapel didn’t have any leaks in the roof, as far as I knew, and even if it did, it wasn’t even raining. I looked up curiously, and my eyes widened.

Celestia was crying.

She took a second to compose herself and turned back to Luna, who levitated a pair of crowns to her big sister. Celestia then took hold of the crowns with her own magic and lowered one onto Dad’s head and the other onto mine.

“Citizens of Equestria,” she announced. “I am pleased to announce your new princes, Calvin and Devin Summers!”

Dad and I looked at each other and nodded, and we slowly rose to our feet and turned around to face the crowd, and everyone in the audience cheered for us, some even standing up out their seats. Just then, Celestia stepped in-between us, and then I remembered the last item on the procession:

-Celestia and the new princes lead the royals out of the chapel.

There was something, something about this moment that made me want to smile as we walked down the aisle. Seeing Celestia cry as she accepted me as part of her family made me feel… special, for lack of a better word. After we left the chapel Celestia pulled me aside and lit up her horn.

“Just fulfilling the deal I made with you,” she said, and everything instantly went white. When my vision cleared up, I found myself right outside my bedroom door. “There you go, just like you asked,” said Celestia.

“Thanks,” I said as I turned around and opened the door.

“Devin,” Celestia called, and I turned around and looked at her with a curious face.

“About what I said at the ceremony… I want you to know that I meant every word of it. I really am glad to be part of your family.”

I was taken aback, but I smiled at her still. “Well, I’m flattered you feel that way. Thanks, Celestia.”

“You’re welcome, Devin,” Celestia smiled, and she lit up her horn again and disappeared in a flash of light.

Now that I was alone, I went back into my room and sighed in relief. I threw off my suit and changed into more comfortable clothes. As I changed, I thought about everything that happened today. Maybe it actually was a good idea for Dad to tell Celestia how I felt. I surely didn't have the heart to tell her myself, and if she hadn't known what I was going through, she wouldn't have tried so hard to make me happy and help my adjust to my new life. Granted, I still hadn't completely accepted my situation, but I felt like I was getting there.

I got my dress shoes and walked over to my closet to put them away, but as I opened the closet door, something fell on my head. Thankfully, that something was really soft, whatever it was.

I looked down at the ground and saw a stuffed bear lying face down. I looked at it as I picked it up, and it had stitches in its ear, mismatched eyes, and a patch on its cheek. I smiled as I immediately recognized the toy.

His name was Misfit, and he was a teddy bear that my mother made for me when I was little.

I smiled as I walked to my bed with my old friend in my arms. Once I got comfortable, I pulled my laptop out from under my pillow and placed my crown on the bear’s head.

“The crown fits you nicely, Misfit,” I told him. “Why don’t we watch a movie together?”

Chapter V: The Honeymoon

*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!*

“That’s the bell, class dismissed,” the economics teacher said as the other students and I got up and crowded the doorway. “And don’t forget to study for Friday’s test!”

Everyone simply ignored him as we left the classroom to head home for the day. Kadeem and I walked to our lockers as we made idle chitchat.

“So, Devin,” said Kadeem, “How’s it feel to be a prince?”

“Honestly, it feels weird,” I answered. “The guards now bow to me whenever I pass by, and other ponies get really antsy around me.”

“I’m not surprised. That’s how the Equestrian royals are usually treated. At least in Canterlot, anyway.”

I thought about it for a moment. It had been two days since the coronation, and I reflected on everything that had happened since then. “Well, I guess it’s not so bad when I think about it. I was worried that royalty around here would be treated similarly to how royalty is treated in the human world.”

With all the stuff we needed packed into our bags, Kadeem and I headed out the school’s main entrance.

“So, how do you plan on spending your day off tomorrow?” he asked me.

“Wait… we have a day off?”

“You mean you don’t know? On the third Tuesday of every month, there’s a scheduled Teacher’s Conference Day. All the teachers come to school to do… teacher stuff, I’m assuming, and the students have the day off!”

“Days off are always good.”

“So, what do you plan on doing?”

I pondered on the idea for a moment. “I dunno. I’ll call you tonight and let you know if I have any plans.”

Just then, the royal carriage pulled up in front of the school.

“Well, that’s my ride. See you around, Kadeem.”

“Catchya later, Devin!” the zebra said as he gave me a fist bump.

I sat in the carriage as it drove to the castle, and I wondered what I would do to spend my day off. My mind then went back to the day of my coronation, when Celestia took me back to my room. Even though it was for a mere instant, there was a moment where I felt a small connection with Celestia. She had made an effort to try and help me adjust to the life of a royal, and she welcomed me into her family with open arms. The least I could do was return the favor, and this day off was the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Once I got back to the castle, I walked to my room and dumped my backpack on the floor. I then took off my jacket and left my room to head towards Dad and Celestia’s. On my way over, I wondered what to say.

“How am I even gonna ask her? Hmm… Hey, Celestia! Do you want to spend the day together tomorrow? …Nah, that sounds too eager. She’ll think that I’m being insincere. Maybe I should just cross that bridge when I get to it.”

Before I knew it, I found myself in front of the door to Dad and Celestia’s room. I took a deep breath before I knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” Dad said from inside.

I hesitated before answering. “It’s Devin.”

A pause…

“Coming!” Dad called, and the door opened not five seconds later. “Hey there, champ. How was school?”

“It was fine,” I answered, and I looked past Dad to see Celestia in the back of the room, trying not to look at me.

“So, is there something you want to talk about?” my father asked.

“Actually… I was hoping to talk to Celestia.”

I immediately noticed the princess’s reaction. Her eyes widened, and her head turned to me in surprise. She slowly turned around and walked towards me, apprehension in her walk, but hope in her eyes.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” she asked me.

“Well, uh… I don’t have school tomorrow, but I was wondering if you had any free time on your hands so we could… spend the day together…”

I tried not to look at her, afraid of how she was going to respond, but I was pleasantly surprised when I heard her say:

“I’d love to, Devin!”

I smiled a little, and I looked up to see Celestia smiling back down at me, but then her smile wavered a little.

“But… unfortunately, I can’t.”

“Huh?”

“Celestia and I are leaving on our honeymoon to Neighagra Falls tomorrow, Devin,” Dad told me.

I raised an eyebrow. “And why wasn’t I told about this?”

“We talked about it when we had dinner after the wedding, remember?”

Honestly, I really wasn’t listening to anyone at that dinner. Everything just went in one ear and out the other.

“Not really,” I answered.

“Maybe we can do something when your father and I come back,” she said.

“How long are you guys gonna be gone?” I asked.

“We’ll be leaving in the morning at ten, and we’ll be back Sunday morning. Until then, you can spend some time with Luna!” she said, trying to make the situation a little better. “She’s been wanting to get to know you better.”

I raised my eyebrow again, questioning the validity of that statement. I remembered the morning of my coronation when Luna gave me that nasty look at the breakfast table, and since then, she hadn’t said a word to me.

I had this sinking feeling that the Princess of the Night wasn’t too fond of me.

“Okay then,” I said. “Have fun on your trip, you guys.”

“Thanks, Devin,” Celestia said, and I left their room, heading back to mine.

“This isn’t good,” I thought. “There’s a good chance that Luna doesn’t like me, and the fact that it’s gonna be just me and her for almost a week probably won’t be a good thing.” I sighed and tried to find something good about this situation. “Okay, maybe this could be a good thing. This could be my chance to get on good terms with Luna. If I try to get to know her a little better, maybe she’ll see that I’m not a bad person. Plus, there’s the fact that she doesn’t dislike me, and that I was just worried about nothing.”

That night, I got called down to the dining hall for dinner. Since it was just me, Dad, Celestia, and Luna, we sat at a smaller table so we could all be closer together; Celestia sat to my left, Dad  sat to my right, and Luna sat right across from me. I gulped nervously as we sat at the table.

“So, Luna, I hope you’ll be able to handle my royal responsibilities in my absence,” Celestia told her sister.

“Of course, sister,” she replied. “You needn’t worry about a thing.”

“Oh, really? Last time I left you in charge, you left a bunch of ponies standing on a life-sized chess board.”

“I was going to go back for them.”

“Anyway, this would be a good time for you and Devin to get to know each other,” said Dad. “I’m sure you two will really hit it off!”

I nervously smiled at the princess, and surprisingly, I got a smile back, but something about her smile felt… insincere.

“I look forward to it,” she said. Her voice sounded genuine enough, but I still had that sinking feeling that there was some hidden resentment towards me.

Maybe I was just being paranoid.

After dinner, I headed back to my room while Dad and Celestia went to their room to pack for their trip. As I sat in my bed with Misfit by my side, I wondered what I was going to do about Luna. While it would be a good idea to spend my day off with her, I wouldn’t want to practically throw myself at her. I might as well be shouting:

“HEY! BE MY FRIEND! DON’T HATE ME! HEY!”

I wouldn’t want to deal with that, would you?

I didn’t think so.

“Maybe I’ll just hang with Kadeem tomorrow and play this whole Luna thing by ear,” I said, and then I looked to my left. “What do you think, Misfit?”

The bear stared back at me silently.

“I thought so, too.”

The next morning, I took advantage of my day off by sleeping in. I had called Kadeem the night before and made arrangements to meet him at the movie theater at one in the afternoon. When I finally woke up, I looked at the clock and tried to read it, but it looked like a blurry mess. I reached out and grabbed the clock, pulling it closer to me, and when I got a better look at the time, my eyes widened in shock.

Ten-o-five.

“Shit!”

I practically threw the sheets off of me and got out of my bed as fast as I could. I went to the window to see if Dad and Celestia had left yet, and sure enough, their carriage-car had just pulled out from in front of the castle.

“Dammit!” I yelled, slamming my fist onto the windowsill. I was hoping to at least say goodbye before they left. I sighed, walked over to my nightstand, picked up my phone, and started dialing Dad’s number. I stood there with the phone to my ear as I waited for him to pick up.

“Hey there, champ!” he said as he answered. “Did you have a good sleep?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t get to say bye to you guys.”

“It’s okay, Devin. Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy your day off!”

“Sure. You enjoy your honeymoon, and tell Celestia I said hi.”

“Of course. See you Sunday, Devin!”

The phone clicked and the line went dead, and I smiled as I put the phone down, happy that my dad was having a good time. Just then, I felt a rumbling sensation in my stomach, so I headed to the bathroom so I could take a quick shower and head down to the dining hall for a nice, filling breakfast.

I never thought I’d say this, but I was hoping that Luna would be there.

After my shower, I decided to go with an all-black look and put on a black t-shirt with black jeans and black sneakers.

What? I like monochrome colors.

When I got to the dining hall, the breakfast foods were already set, and Luna was standing there, getting her food. I took a deep breath and walked up beside her.

“Morning, Luna,” I said with a smile as I took a plate and took my pick of the food on the table.

The princess looked down at me silently, and then she said. “You plan on going somewhere today?”

“Okay, she’s making conversation. That’s a good sign.”

“Well, I’m going out with a friend of mine from school. We’re going to see a movie.”

I didn’t expect the response I got.

“I expect you home by five.”

I flinched a little and looked up at Luna, only to see her glaring down at me. I opened my mouth to say something, but-

“Ah! I don’t want any excuses,” Luna interrupted. “The last thing I need is to hear that you’ve been going on a rampage in the streets. Royals must conduct themselves with dignity and class, which means they don’t go out at all hours of the night, understood?”

“I was just gonna say ‘okay’,” I said with a pathetic voice.

“And you can drop the polite act. I’ve already seen your true colors.”

Without another word, Luna walked past me, plate in hand, most likely returning to her room. I stood there watching her as she left, practically paralyzed by her severe demeanor.

“This… is gonna be a long week…” I thought.

After breakfast and a small bit of time killing, I brushed my teeth and called for the royal chauffeur to be at the main entrance to the castle when I got down. As I asked, he was waiting for me by the time I made it there.

“Where to, Prince Devin?” he asked.

I chuckled. I still needed to get used to that title. “Starlight Cinemas. I need to be there by one.”

“You got it, sir!”

I got into the carriage and it promptly left the castle, heading towards the movie theater, and I made it there five minutes before one.

“Thanks for the ride,” I told my chauffeur.

“Anytime, Prince!” he said. “What time do you plan on returning home?”

“Before five.”

“Okay, then. I’ll be here at four-fifty to pick you up.”

“Alright,” I said, but then I remembered how serious Luna sounded when she said she wanted me home by five. “On second thought, make it four-forty-five just in case.”

“No problem, sir!” the stallion said with his usual smile, and he drove off back to the castle.

I stretched my arms up and let out a yawn, and then I heard someone call me.

“Hey, Devin!” they said.

I turned around and looked at who was addressing me. “Hey, Kadeem. What’s up?”

“Nothing, but what’s up with you?” the zebra asked with a concerned face. “You look like you saw a demon.”

“Well, that’s one way to put it.”

“What do you mean? Problems at home?”

“Sort-of,” I told him as we walked into the theater lobby. “My dad and Celestia left for their honeymoon earlier this morning, and Luna’s looking after me while they’re gone. They won’t be back ‘till Sunday.”

Kadeem gave me a confused look. “How’s that bad, though? You get a break from the ‘rents and you can just chill out for a couple of days.”

“The problem is Luna.”

“What about her?”

“She fucking hates me, that’s what.”

“You sure about that?” Kadeem asked. “Maybe you’re just overreacting. My dad’s met Princess Luna before, and he said that while she seems a little intimidating at first, she’s actually really nice.”

I scoffed. “In that case, then the Luna I met this morning must’ve been some kind of imposter.”

“Alright then. If you’re so sure she hates you, do you have any idea why?”

I sighed and thought about it for a moment. “If I had to take a guess, she probably thinks that I don’t like Celestia, considering the fact that I spent months trying to avoid her up until now.” I sighed again. “I can’t believe it; right when I finally start warming up to Celestia as a stepmother, Luna starts to think otherwise.”

“Ain’t that a bitch,” said the zebra.

“Get this: she wants me home by five!” I told him, holding up my open palm for emphasis. “To be totally honest, I have no problem with that, but the way Luna said it to me just…. Ugh! I just don’t see what her problem is! I even tried being nice, and she just assumed that I was faking!”

“Look, man. Maybe you should just give her some time. It may just take a couple more days for her to get used to you being around.”

I sighed. “I guess so, but it’s kinda hard living with somepony that can’t stand you.”

Kadeem put his hand on my shoulder sympathetically. “Just hang in there, bro. So, since you’ve got to be home before five, we’ll hit a fast food joint after the movie, and you should still have time to get home.”

“Why aren’t we getting snacks here?”

“’Cause movie snacks are expensive as shit.”

“Point taken.”

“So, what movie do you wanna see?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. I think a good comedy would brighten my spirits, though.”

“Joyride 3 it is!” Kadeem exclaimed as he directed me to the ticket counter. It was then that he decided to make a joke. “You know what’s funny?”

“What?” I asked.

“Odds are that you’re dad’s gonna become the envy of every stallion in Equestria tonight.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Don’t let Luna hear you say that,” I told him. “Besides, I think it’s safe to say that my dad has already become the envy of every stallion in Equestria by now.”

Kadeem and I had a good laugh as we bought our tickets. I hoped that this movie would be a fun distraction from my problems at home…

But distractions can only last for so long.

Chapter VI: The Falling Out

It was three-twenty in the afternoon, and Kadeem and I were at a fast food joint that was near the movie theater. As we ate, we talked about the movie we just saw.

“I know that sequels usually get a bad rap,” said the zebra, “but I think this one blew the other two out of the water!”

“Definitely,” I agreed. “Although I did feel that the ending was a little predictable.”

“It’s a comedy, dude. It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey.”

“Touché.”

Once we had finished our food, we leaned back into our chairs and let out satisfied sighs. “Man, that was good,” I said, “and for only eight bits, too!”

“Now isn’t that better than paying fifteen bits for a large popcorn and ten bits for a large soda?”

I rolled my eyes. “I get your point, Kadeem. You don’t have to keep rubbing it in.”

We left the restaurant and headed back into the city, stopping by the square.

“Well, I don’t want to risk losing track of time and cause you to miss your new curfew,” said the zebra. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

“Later, Kadeem,” I said as I bumped fists with him. I then called the royal carriage to pick me up from the square, and I was whisked back to the castle.

Once I got back, I walked up to my room. Thankfully, Luna was so occupied with her sister’s duties that I didn’t run into her. Once I got to my room, I kicked my shoes off, tossing them under my bed. I then changed into some more comfortable clothes and laid down on my bed next to Misfit.

Just then, my phone rang, and I answered it without looking to see who was calling.

“Hello?”

“Hey there, champ!”

“Oh, hi, Dad. What’s up?”

“Well, I was just calling to let you know that Celestia and I got to Neighagra Falls safely, and that we just got settled in.”

“That’s good to know. What do you two plan on doing there, anyway?”

“Well, for one, we’re going to see the falls up close, and then we’ll just see the sights, enjoy the tourist attractions, and all that good stuff. We didn’t really have a real itinerary. We’re just playing it by ear. How about you? Did you do anything on your day off?”

“Well, I went to the movies with a friend from school, and then we got a bite to eat afterwards, but that’s about it. Nothing particularly special.”

“Well, at least you didn’t stay home all day,” Dad chuckled, and I chuckled with him. “Do you want to talk to Celestia?”

I shrugged. “Sure. Why not?” I figured that I could still try to form some kind of bond with her despite the fact that we weren’t face-to-face.

“Alright. Hold on a second.”

The next thing I heard was footsteps, along with the sound of a door opening, and then…

“Hello?”

“Hi, Celestia,” I said, and I was surprised by how happy I sounded.

“Oh, hello, Devin! How are you?”

“I’m doing good. You?”

“I’m just great. I’m just sitting here, reading a book. How did you spend your day?”

“I just got back from the movies.”

“Oh really? What movie did you see?”

“Joyride 3.”

“They made a third one already? I didn’t even get a chance to see the second one. Was it any good?”

“It was great, but I don’t want to say anything that’ll spoil the second movie for you.”

Celestia laughed. “True. It would be a shame if I found out what happened before I actually saw the movie.”

It was strange; all these months I hadn’t said a word to Celestia. Hell, it was a challenge just to talk to her last night, but here I was talking to her so casually over the phone. It may have been because we weren’t talking face-to-face.

Now if I can only work up the nerve to hold a conversation with her in person… or pony… whatever.

“So, how are you and Luna doing?” she asked, unknowingly causing a certain level of discomfort to arise within me. “She hasn’t caused Canterlot to go up in flames, has she?”

“No,” I nervously chuckled. “But I have a sinking feeling that she might do that in an attempt to kill me,” I thought.

“I’ll bet you two became fast friends, just like your father and I said you would!”

“Heh, heh… yep. We’re practically inseparable…”

Celestia let out a contented sigh. “That’s good to know.”

I let out a silent breath of relief.

“I’m really glad the two of us can talk like this, Devin,” she continued. “And here I was worried that you didn’t like me.”

Shit… She thought I didn’t like her?

“That’s not true,” I immediately said. “It’s just been hard adjusting to everything, is all.”

“I understand that now, and I’m looking forward to seeing you when your father and I get home, and then we can plan a day for the two of us, just like you wanted!”

“Right,” I smiled. “See you Sunday.”

“Mm-hm. Enjoy the rest of your day off!”

The phone clicked, and then I let out a sigh. I then looked at Misfit, who looked back at me with his usual blank expression.

“Don’t give me that look,” I told him. “You wanna be the one to tell Princess Celestia that you don’t get along with her sister.”

No response.

“Exactly. I’m finally starting to get used to having Celestia as a mother, and the last thing I need is something like a misunderstanding with her sister ruining it. I’m not gonna take one step forward to get knocked three steps back.”

Once I had finished talking, I realized that I was having a full-on conversation with my teddy bear.

“I need more friends,” I sighed.

For the past hour or so, I had been playing video games to occupy my time as I tried to figure out how I was going to work things out with Luna.

“What am I gonna do?” I thought. “If I try to be nice to her, she’ll just think I’m faking it. I know Kadeem said to just give her time, but living with someone that hates you based off of a misunderstanding isn’t the best of situations to be in.”

I looked to my nightstand and saw the time; it was one minute to five.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Luna since I got back from the movies. I should at least check in with her so she won’t think that I skipped her curfew.”

I paused my game, stood up, and stretched my arms with a yawn. I then walked to my bedroom door, but right when I was about to open it, I heard someone knocking on it firmly.

I wonder who that could be.

Knowing who was going to be on the other side, I took a deep breath before opening the door.

“Hi, Luna,” I said pleasantly.

“Hmph, so you’re back on time,” she responded coldly. “I was half-expecting you to be late.”

“Well, the movie was only two hours, so I just came back early. I’ve been here for about an hour and a half.”

“And yet you didn’t even bother to tell me.”

I flinched. “Well, I thought that you were really busy, what with you taking over Celestia’s responsibility as well as yours, and all. Plus, I thought that as long as I was here on time, it’d be fine.”

Luna scoffed. “You know, that laissez-faire attitude is unbecoming of a prince of Equestria.”

“Sorry…” I said pathetically. “I didn’t know.”

“You don’t know much, do you?”

I flinched again. As much as that last remark hurt me, and as much as I wanted to say something back, I sucked it up and tried to be calm.

“Okay, Luna,” I said, “I know we got off on the wrong foot, but we don’t need to be doing this. This is just a huge misunderstanding.”

“On the contrary, Devin, I understand perfectly. You don’t like my sister, and you’re threatened by the fact that she’s your stepmother, so you try to shut her out even when she tries so hard to be a part of your life.”

“I know it seems like that, but-”

“You have no idea how much Celestia has been trying to get into your good graces. She spent her valuable time appeasing you, only to be ignored every single time. She asks you to dance at the wedding reception, and you give her a pathetic excuse. She gives you your favorite meal for breakfast, and you don’t even look her in the eye to thank her. She leaves for her honeymoon, and you don’t even show up to see her off!”

“I overslept!” I snapped back, unintentionally raising my voice.

“She’s gone too far…”

My eyes widened and I felt a familiar tingle in the back of my neck.

“Go ahead. We were just about to tell her off. Not that it was ever a good idea to try and be friends with her, but apparently this ‘princess’ doesn’t know when someone’s trying to be nice. She thinks we’re so bad, then let’s give her what she’s asking for.”

“What good will that do?”

“It’ll show her that she can’t treat us however she likes. Look at us! She’s made us her little whipping boy!”

I looked up at Luna, who was now glaring daggers at me. “You’d do better than to raise your voice at me. I won’t be yelled at by some selfish brat! If you don’t like my sister, then why don’t you say it to her face instead of treating her like dirt!? You have a whole family of supportive relatives, and yet you just ignore us!”

I stepped back, looking up at her in fear, but suddenly… that fear turned into aggression. For once, I actually agreed with the Voice. I didn’t deserve to be treated like this.

“So the reason you’ve been antagonizing me is because I don’t like your sister?” I asked.

“Was that not clear?” she asked back.

“That’s got to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard! My dad and your sister were dating for over a year before they got engaged, and she was nothing but nice to him. Why would I not like her!? If I didn’t like your sister, I would have told Dad about it a long time ago! If I didn’t like your sister, I wouldn’t have accepted Dad’s offer to be his best man, and I would’ve objected to the union! If I didn’t like your sister, I wouldn’t be trying to get you to like me! If there’s anyone in this family that I don’t like, it’s you!”

Luna gritted her teeth and growled. “Why you little-”

“Maybe if you took the time to actually get to know me, you’d know how hard this whole situation has been for me! I had to leave my home to come all the way to Equestria for this! I had to go to a new school where almost everypony there harassed me for attention, and even then, I still put up with it. My dad gave me several chances to say no before he decided to go through with his proposal, but I didn’t say a thing because it would hurt him AND Celestia.”

“You’d better-”

“I know, I could’ve been nicer to her, and I wish I could’ve changed that, but I’m trying to make up for it now, and with the way you’ve been treating me, you’re making it near impossible to do that! Maybe if you stopped dwelling on the mistakes I made, you’d get it, but instead you just keep stepping all over me, and I’m sick of it!”

I saw Luna clench her fists, but then she loosened them. “I was right,” she said. “You are a selfish brat.” She then looked past me. I turned around, and then I looked back at her.

She was looking at Misfit.

She scoffed. “You don’t seem to have any regard for the royal crown, either,” she told me before turning around. “Such disrespect, using it as an accessory for some ragged child’s toy.”

What… did she just say?

Without another thought, I used all the force I could muster and pushed Luna out of my doorway as she was walking out. I slammed the door and locked it not a second later. I let out a heavy sigh and rested my back on the door, but then I felt something slam into it from the other side, shaking the door and pushing me off of it. Strangely, it didn’t feel like magic, but like brute force.

Luna must have been pissed.

Not that I should have cared. At that point, I was done with her. Trying to be nice wasn’t worth being Luna’s punching bag, and as far as I was concerned, all I did was give her a taste of her own medicine.

Even so… I still felt a tiny bit of guilt, because while I did stand up for myself, I also destroyed any chance of being on good terms with Luna, and that wasn’t going to help my situation with Celestia.

I then started to worry about what Luna would do. There was still a chance of her retaliating against me. She might start to treat me even worse than she already was.

“Shit,” I said, putting my hand on my forehead. “I’ve really done it now.”

It was then that I realized that I should’ve been honest with Celestia. If I had told her that I was having problems with Luna, she would’ve done something about it, but now it was too late…

Or was it?

I got up and picked my phone up from my bed and dialed Dad’s number, and I waited as the phone rang.

Chapter VII: The Confession

My heartbeat raced as I waited for Dad to answer his phone. How was I supposed to tell Celestia that I wasn’t getting along with her sister, especially after I told her that we were best friends earlier that day?

“Hey, Celestia! Remember when I told you that Luna and I were getting along? Well, I lied!”

Yeah, that wouldn’t be the best way to break it to her.

I just had to be honest and straightforward with her, no matter how hard it would be for me to do that. I took a deep breath and waited for an answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Dad. It’s me again.”

“Hey, Devin! How’s it going?”

“I’m pretty much doing the same thing I was doing when I talked to you earlier.”

“Meaning nothing?”

“Exactly.”

Dad laughed at my blunt answer. “So I guess you felt like having a chat with your old man, then?”

“Actually, I was hoping to talk to Celestia again. There was something that I… forgot to tell her.”

“Okay, sure!” dad said. “Hold on a sec, champ!” He sounded almost a little too enthusiastic if you ask me, but then again, he was probably just happy that I was willing to speak with her.

After a few seconds of silence, I heard Celestia’s voice.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Celestia…”

“Hi, Devin! You father said that there was something you forgot to tell me.”

I let out a long breath. “Well, it’s not really something I forgot to tell you, but rather something I should’ve told you.”

“What do you mean?” she asked with a combination of confusion and curiosity.

“When I said that Luna and I were getting along… I lied. We aren’t getting along at all.”

“Oh…” she said disappointedly. “But why didn’t you tell me that at first?”

“Well, we were just starting to get along and I didn’t want you to think that I didn’t like Luna.”

Celestia sighed. “Devin, I’m not going to think any differently of you just because you and Luna don’t see eye to eye. While it is a shame that you two didn’t hit it off, I’m not mad at you. What made you want to tell me the truth?”

I hesitated. “I…”

“Devin, you can tell me. I promise I won’t be mad, whatever it is,” she told me with an assuring voice.

I sat on my bed and stayed silent for a moment before speaking. “Luna and I… had a fight,” I finally admitted.

“A fight?” Celestia asked in disbelief. “What happened?”

“…Do I have to tell you?”

“Devin, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what happened.”

I know she told me that she wouldn’t be mad, but she had just asked me to tell her everything that happened during my fight with Luna. I was having a dilemma. If I told her what happened, including the part where I pushed Luna, she’d probably be furious with me simply because I put my hands on her sister. On the other hand, if I didn’t tell her, then she wouldn’t be able to help me, and she’s the only one that can. Not only that, if I don’t tell her, Luna obviously will, so Celestia will find out regardless, and knowing Luna, she’ll probably make it seem like what I did was totally unprovoked.

I sighed. Unless I wanted my feud with Luna to escalate, I had to come clean.

“Okay…” I said. “After I got home from the movies, she came up to my room to check that I didn’t stay out past her five-o-clock curfew. By then, I already knew that she didn’t like me by the way she was so cold to me, so I tried to ask her why. She then told me that she didn’t like the way I was ignoring you, but she thought I was doing it because I didn’t like you.”

“So it was a misunderstanding, then?” Celestia asked.

“Right, but as she was berating me, she started to get louder. I was so frustrated because she wasn’t giving me a chance to explain myself, so… I raised my voice at her.”

Celestia continued to listen.

“We started yelling at each other, and I said some things that I shouldn’t have, until I just started venting my frustrations at her. When I was done, she called me a selfish brat and then…”

“And then what?”

“Well, she said something…”

“What did she say?”

“You’re going to think it’s stupid.”

“I won’t Devin,” Celestia promised. “You have my word.”

“Well, I have this stuffed bear that my mother made for me when I was a kid, and Luna saw that I had my crown on his head. She called the bear a ragged child’s toy, and I got mad and shoved her out of my room.”

“You shoved her?” Celestia asked.

“I know, I know, I shouldn’t have done that, but I was just so mad!” I explained. “Luna insulted something that was really important to me, and I just reacted in the only way that I thought I could. She just kept going at me and I couldn’t take it any-”

“I understand.”

I stopped abruptly. “What?”

“I said I understand, Devin. I’m not saying it was right of you to retaliate like that, and you shouldn’t have raised your voice, either, but Luna was at fault, too. She shouldn’t have instigated the confrontation in the first place. I’m disappointed in both of you.”

“I’m really sorry, Celestia.”

“I know you are, Devin. I’m just glad you decided to be honest with me. I’ll try to talk to Luna and see if I can sort this out. In the meantime, just try to stay out of her way, okay? Luna tends to dwell on things like this when they happen.”

“Okay,” I said.

“I’ll talk to you later, Devin. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed, and then I lied on my stomach, looking at Misfit.

“You’re not some ragged child’s toy,” I told him as I held his foot. I then looked at the crown on top of his head. It was weird; when I looked at Misfit, I thought of Mom, but when I looked at the crown, I thought of Celestia.

Celestia…

I kept thinking about the talk we just had. The way she spoke to me, and the way I spoke to her…

It reminded me of whenever I’d talk to my mom.

Celestia had the same firm-but-fair tone in her voice, the same patient attitude when she listened to what I had to say, and when the conversation was over, I got that same comforting feeling that everything would be taken care of, and that I didn’t have to worry about a thing. I never realized how similar Celestia was to my mom.

Maybe that’s why Dad loves her so much…

This day was definitely bittersweet; while I did just have a falling out with Luna, I felt as though I was getting closer to Celestia, despite the fact that we weren’t face to face.

Eight-o-clock had rolled around, and as I sat on my bed, still playing video games, I felt my stomach rumble. I looked outside and saw that the sun had set and the moon was high in the sky.

“Dinnertime already?” I said to myself. I paused the game and stood up, stretching my arms. “I’ll be back, Misfit,” I told him as I walked out of my room. Once I got out, I decided to take a different route to the dining hall.

I lived in this castle, after all. I might as well learn the layout of the place.

I began my trek and hoped to God that I wouldn’t get lost.

The route that I took led me to the part of the castle that faced away from the mountain that Canterlot was built upon, giving me a gorgeous view of Equestria. I took it in for a brief moment, but then my stomach rumbled again.

“Okay, I get it,” I thought. “Food first, view later.”

I continued down the corridor on my way to the dining hall, but then I heard a voice that made me instinctively duck to the ground.

“And then he just pushed me while my back was turned and slammed the door on me! The nerve!”

That was Luna’s voice, no doubt, but where was it coming from?

I looked around and saw the princess in question on one of the castle balconies. She was using her magic to hold up a large hand mirror in front of her, and she looked like she was talking to it.

“She’s talking to her reflection? It’s official. She’s crazy.”

But then, I heard somepony’s voice coming from the mirror itself.

“And that justified the fact that you rammed his door after he pushed you?” the voice asked.

Was that… Celestia?

“All I did was say something about that stupid toy of his!”

“His mother made that toy. It’s important to him.”

“Why are you taking his side!?” the younger sister argued.

“I’m not taking anyone’s side. Both of you were wrong.” the older sister rebutted.

“How was I wrong?”

“Well, first you stormed up to his room to make sure he didn’t miss some ridiculous curfew that you made for him, then you implied that he wasn’t worthy of being a prince-”

“Because he didn’t respect his title!”

“Luna, I didn’t make him a prince just because I was married to his father. I felt as though he deserved the title regardless of that. Are you saying that I made a foolish decision?”

“No! I would never-”

“But enough about that, let’s get back to the matter at hand. So, you disturbed Devin for no reason, you personally insulted him, and then you started going on a rant about how he didn’t like me or our family and how he was a ‘selfish brat’.”

“I wasn’t the only one ranting! Devin is just as guilty of that!”

“I never said he wasn’t, and he was wrong for doing so, but there is a saying: ‘When a cat is cornered, it will scratch the even the fiercest dog’. Devin wouldn’t have yelled at you if you hadn’t kept prodding him. No matter how you felt towards him, the fact remains that he’s mine and Calvin’s responsibility, not yours. You shouldn’t have taken matters into your own hands.”

Luna gritted her teeth and groaned in frustration. “For Tartarus’s sake, Celestia! Where is your self-respect! That boy has been ignoring you and treating you like a dog since he’s been here! There was no way that I was just going to stand by and let him do that!”

“Sometimes inaction is the best action, sister.”

“This is not one of those times! Honestly, Tia, why do you put up with him?”

“Because that’s what a mother is supposed to do, Luna!” Celestia shouted, making me and Luna flinch. “I endure it because I’m trying to make a connection with him, and I want him to finally see me as a mother! I can’t just ignore him!”

“And why not?”

“Because the last time I ignored someone I cared about, I ended up having to banish her to the moon!”

It was at that point that Luna stopped arguing, that last statement hitting her hard. She stood there silently for a few moments, and during that time, Celestia simmered down.

Luna looked up at her sister. “Tia… I was only trying to defend you…”

“I know you were, Lulu,” she replied softly, “but I’m trying to get Devin to accept me, and you scaring him hasn’t been helping. Besides, he’s been through a lot. It’s only natural that he doesn’t take to the idea of me as his mother right away.”

Luna said nothing.

“You know,” Celestia continued, “the reason why I believed that you and Devin would be friends is that you both have a lot in common.”

“We do?” Luna asked.

“Of course. For one, you’re both quiet and introverted. For two, Devin would do anything for his father, just like you’d do anything for me. And lastly, it’s really hard to get either of you to open up.”

Luna reflected on this for a moment and sighed.

“After all this time, Devin is finally giving me a chance, and I’m asking you to do the same for him,” Celestia told her sister. “Can you do that for me?”

The younger alicorn let out another sigh. “I’ll talk to you later, Tia,” she said as she put down the mirror. I immediately ducked out of sight once she did so, and I went back the way I came so she wouldn’t see me. As I found another way to the dining hall, my mind went back to what I had just witnessed.

Even though it was just for a short moment, I saw Celestia get angry. The second she raised her voice, and at her younger sister, no less, it scared me half to death. She was twice as scary as Luna.

But then I realized… she was defending me. While she did say that Luna and I were both wrong, it was evident that she was on my side a little. Not only that, but she really wanted me to accept her as a mother. I had no idea how hard she was trying, but after hearing her, I finally realized how much she wanted to be a part of my life.

Who was I to deny her that?

After getting some dinner, I went back up to my room with a full belly and an occupied mind. I climbed into bed, the big meal I ate making me tired. It was best that I slept early though. I did have school tomorrow, after all.

“I have school in the morning while Dad gets to relax at Neighagra Falls.” I thought as I rested my head on my pillow “Lucky bastard.”

Chapter VIII: The Understanding

…

I found myself in a dimly lit hallway, the only source of light coming from a set of double doors in front of me. I heard muffled music coming from the doors, and I looked around the hallway that I was in. For some reason, this place felt familiar, but there wasn’t enough light for me to clearly see where I was. On a whim, I chose to open the door to see what was happening on the other side. The door led to a gymnasium that was festively decorated with balloons, streamers, and banners. It was then that I realized where I was.

This gym was identical to the one at my old middle school.

I looked at the main banner, which read “Highland Junior High Annual Parents’ Night Dance,” and then I looked at everyone there. I recognized many of my old classmates, but they looked exactly the same as they did when we were around twelve or thirteen years old.

“Was this supposed to be some kind of flashback?” I thought.

Everyone was either on the dance floor, by the punch bowl, or sitting on the bleachers, and the DJ was playing a mix of songs that were popular during my middle school days. I remember coming to this Parents’ Night Dance for both of my years in middle school, and I couldn’t tell which year this was.

All of a sudden, the music stopped playing, only to be replaced by a slower tune a few seconds later.

“Wait…”

“Alright everybody,” the DJ announced. “Now it’s time for all the moms in the house to share a special dance with their kids.”

I saw all the kids pull their mothers onto the dance floor as the music played. The eager mothers held their kids close to them as they danced, the tone of the music providing the perfect atmosphere. The dance floor soon became the most congested area in the room, and with everyone there, I spotted a kid standing in the corner watching everyone else.

It was then that the realization hit me. I remembered which year this was.I was thirteen, in eighth grade, and this was the first Parents’ Night that passed since Mom died.

That kid was me.

I saw my younger self looking at the crowd, the smiling faces of the other kids reminding him of what he… of what I no longer had. He walked around the walls of the gym, shuffling and fidgeting as he tried not to cry, until he approached a man that was sitting on one of the bleachers. When he approached the man, he pulled on his sleeve to get his attention.

“Dad… can we go  home?” my younger self asked the man.

“Sure, Devin. Let’s go,” he answered with a somber tone.

All the while, I stood by the doorway, watching the entire scene. This was probably one of the most painful times of my life, one of the most painful reminders of the fact that I no longer had a mother.

And I had to watch it unfold all over again.

I decided that I had seen enough, and I turned around to leave the gym, but then I spotted something shining in the shadows.

I focused my eyes on the figure standing in the darkness, and I was able to make out a sparkling mane and tail with two shades of blue, along with a pair of greenish-blue eyes, eyes that were looking upon the same scene that I was, eyes that were welling up in sadness.

“Luna?” I asked.

The figure flinched in surprise, but then it slowly revealed itself, or rather, herself.

“Yes, it’s me,” she admitted softly as she looked to the ground. “Forgive me for intruding.”

“What are you doing here?”

The princess sighed. “Earlier tonight, I had a talk with Celestia about the altercation we had, and she wasn’t pleased with the way I acted. She said that she wanted me to give you a chance, and I originally was going to do so solely because she requested it, but then…”

“But then what?”

“I was walking through the dreamscape, as I do every night, when I felt a mass of negative energy coming from somewhere, and the trail led me here, to your dream.”

“So this is a dream then,” I said to myself, my suspicions confirmed. I then looked back at Luna. “How long have you been here?”

“I arrived not long after you walked through the door,” she admitted, and then she let out a sigh. “I… I never realized how much pain you were in. For someone to lose their mother at such a young age… it’s so tragic.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I just try to move on, you know?”

“I now see why Tia thought that we were so alike,” Luna said as she sat on the floor with her back against the wall.

“What do you mean?” I asked as I sat beside her.

“When I first returned from my banishment four years ago, I had a hard time adjusting to the modern way of life. As a result, I didn’t really open up to anypony other than my sister. By the time I was ready to come out of my shell and try to make friends, a year had already gone by. In a way, you’ve adjusted to your new life more quickly than I adjusted to mine.”

I shrugged. “Well, to your credit, the change you had to go through was a lot bigger than mine.”

“I suppose that’s true. Anyway, I decided to go to Ponyville and attend their Nightmare Night festival, but that night didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped.”

“How so?”

“Everypony there assumed that I was the same mare that tried to bring eternal night to Equestria, and no matter how hard I tried to convince them otherwise, they didn’t give me the benefit of the doubt. Even though a few ponies tried to help, I still felt alone, like nopony could understand my pain.” she then sighed. “I never realized that I was treating you in the same manner that they treated me. I barely had any idea of how you felt, and yet I still decided to judge you…” Luna took a moment to let out a deep breath, and then she looked right at me and said:

“I’m sorry Devin. Could you ever forgive me?”

I blinked in disbelief at first, but then I smiled. “Sure,” I told her as I extended my hand. “Shake on it?”

Luna looked at my outstretched hand, only to move it away with hers. I gave her a look of confusion, but then I saw the smile on her face.

“We don’t shake hands in this family,” she told me as she reached an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to her. “We prefer hugs.”

I smiled and returned the embrace I was receiving, happy that Luna finally accepted me into the family.

The princess of the night sighed and looked down at me, lighting up her horn. “Now wake up, Devin. You have school in a few hours.”

Before I could respond, everything went white, stunning my eyes for a few moments before I finally regained my vision. When I was finally able to see, I found myself in my bedroom, which was dimly lit by the falling moon. I looked to my right and saw that my clock read six-thirty AM.

“Ugh, morning already?” I asked myself as I rubbed my eyes and got out of my bed, heading for my bathroom. After being fully woken up by a warm shower, I dried myself off and got dressed. Before I left my room, though, I took a quick look at Misfit, and saw that something was… wrong.

I looked at him some more, wondering what was so different about him, when I suddenly realized what it was. It was so minute, but it made so much of a difference. I reached forward and moved his crown a little so it sat properly atop his head.

“There. Now you’re crown isn’t crooked anymore.”

I left the room and made my way down to the dining hall to get some breakfast, and as I was picking out what I wanted on my plate, I felt a familiar presence.

“May I join you?” a voice said.

I turned around to see a smiling Princess Luna looking down at me. Smiling back at her, I nodded my head yes and sat at a small table with her.

“So, I guess it’s just the two of us for the next few days while Tia and your father are on their honeymoon ,” she said.

“Isn’t there another royal that lives in this castle? What’s his name?”

“Oh, Blueblood,” the princess groaned with a roll of the eyes. “He just comes and goes as he pleases. Some days he’s in the castle, and other days he would stay with whatever random mare he'd meet at whatever social event he'd happen to be at. Celestia’s tried her best with him, but eventually we all decided that he was just a lost cause.”

“He’s that much of a bother?”

Luna gave me a serious look. “You have NO idea.”

I couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. “Back to the honeymoon, though, I’m just waiting for Dad and Celestia to get back. I promised Celestia that I’d spend a day with her once they do.”

“Is there anything in particular that you have in mind?”

“Not really. I haven’t figured out what I should do.”

Luna shrugged. “I wouldn’t fret over it too much. Regardless of what you two do, Tia will just be glad that she'll be spending time with you.”

“You think so?”

“I’m positive,” she smiled.

After we finished our breakfast, I stood up from my seat, but then…

“Hold on, Devin,” Luna said.

“Yeah?”

The princess sighed and looked up at me. “There’s one more thing I need to apologize for.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Your stuffed bear. I didn’t know that it was a memento from your mother, and I shouldn’t have talked about it like that.”

“Oh, it’s fine Luna,” I assured her.

“No it isn’t,” she insisted as she lit up her horn and revealed something from behind her back, “especially when I have a stuffed animal of my own.”

It was a pale blue stuffed bunny with two black buttons for eyes, one of which was misplaced by about a centimeter.

“Her name is Lucinda. Celestia made her for me when we were fillies. It was the first and only stuffed animal she’d ever made, so her eyes are a little off, but I love her regardless. Seeing you with your bear reminded me of her. I haven’t looked at her in years.”

I chuckled. “I’m glad I could help reunite you two,” I said as I left the dining hall.

I went back up to my room to brush my teeth, and then I took the royal carriage-car to school. When I got there, I met up with Kadeem in the main hallway looking at the bulletin board.

“What’cha looking at?” I asked.

“I saw a bunch of students crowding around here earlier this morning, and they were talking about this particular flyer.” The zebra pointed to a piece of paper pinned to the center of the board, and I read it aloud.

“CANTERLOT ACADEMY ANNUAL PARENTS’ NIGHT DANCE

NEXT FRIDAY @ 7:PM IN THE SCHOOL GYMNASIUM

FREE ADMISSION, FOOD AND DRINKS WILL BE SERVED”

My eyes focused on the words “Parent’s Night Dance” for a moment, but then I just shook my head. “Everyone’s getting excited for this, of all events?” I asked in disbelief. “Don’t most high school events involving parents end up with low attendance?”

“Normally, yes, but not this year,” Kadeem answered.

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it; this school hasn’t had a student from the royal family since Princess Cadance graduated. With you here, there’s a chance that you’ll be at the dance, and if you’re there, then Celestia will be, and that means…”

“That it’ll be the perfect opportunity for all the stuck up nobles to have an excuse to kiss up to her,” I finished.

“Bingo. You have no idea how badly these ponies try to get her attention. Despite the fact that her marriage essentially cuts the number of nobles bothering her in half, there are still a considerable number of them that want to chat her up for reasons other than courtship, be it politics or just for bragging rights.”

“It is kinda fucked up when you think about it. These guys are taking advantage of the fact that they have kids enrolled here in order to get to Celestia,” I said. “Why are the other students excited, too, though?"

“They probably just want to get into your good graces, too."

“The more we talk about this, the less appealing it sounds.”

Kadeem shrugged. “I dunno. To be honest, despite all that, I still think it’d be a good idea to go.”

“Really?”

“Well, yeah. You’ve been talking about trying to make a connection with your stepmom, so this is the perfect opportunity.”

I stared off vacantly, dumbfounded by the fact that I didn’t think of this myself. “Kadeem, you are a genius,” I said to my friend.

“I know,” he smirked. “So, while we’re talking about princesses, how are things with Luna?”

“Well, when I got home from the movies, we had a bit of a fight, but everything’s all good now.”

Kadeem raised an eyebrow. “You had a fight with Princess Luna, the princess of the night, and now, the very next day, everything is all good?"

“Sounds like you understand perfectly,” I smirked.

“Well, what happened? You two obviously had to make up somehow.”

I chuckled at how privy the zebra was to how I managed to settle my feud with Luna overnight. “Let’s just say that Celestia helped the two of us find some common ground.”

Kadeem rolled his eyes. “I guess that’s as good an answer as I’m going to get.”

I laughed at his disappointment, and then I thought about the upcoming dance. It really was the perfect idea, in more ways than one.

Firstly, it’d be a great way for Celestia and I to spend some time together, and then she’ll know that I’m willing to accept her.

And secondly…

I’d finally have a mother to go to Parents’ Night with.

Chapter IX: The Reunion

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Final Chapter: The Dance

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.