Chapter 4: Reflection

Canterlot Castle Halls

    After showing the guest room that would be Loki’s room for the duration of his visit, Celestia and Luna wished him a good night of sleep.

    They started a conversation on the way to Celestia’s chambers.

    “What are your thoughts on grandfather?” asked Celestia beginning the conversation.

    “I don’t know yet sister but it's refreshing to just feel like normal pony meeting another family member, and our grandfather at that,” answered Luna.

    “It certainly is, it’s the first time in millennia that I felt like a foal unaware of the world, in this case the universe,” said Celestia before adding, “I don’t know why our great-grandfather, Odin, thought it was good idea to send grandfather here, if what we felt from him in our first meeting in the courtyard is right, he could, if he wanted, conquer the this world without much resistance.”

    “Indeed it was the first time I felt so overwhelmed in my long life, although if we consider our father and grandfather there are individuals and species that can easily not only match our age but are powerful enough to consider us mere foals,” concluded Luna as the sisters reached a golden double door decorated with a stylized sun symbol.

    “It gave us much to think about and proved how ignorant we really are about the universe and its inhabitants, well good night sister and good luck with your duties,” said Celestia while she opens the double doors and enters.

    “Thank you sister. Good night, see you at breakfast,” said Luna as she starts the walk to her chambers, night court might have been cancelled for the next few days but she still has the duty to watch over the dreams of her little ponies.

    It wouldn’t make much of a difference as not many petitioner are willing to come to her court unless they have a request that can’t wait for them to schedule a time in Celestia’s court, ponies with business that operate at night and occasionally a pony that enjoys the nightlife in Canterlot wanting to meet her but Luna preferred this way, it is better than dealing with petty, vain, greedy and power-hungry nobles, frequent and futile requests that were rejected multiple times before and ponies that just want an excuse to see Celestia, the regularity of the latter is astounding.

    She likes the attitude of the business ponies they are polite but straightforward and don’t waste time, which works for her just fine, that leaves her with more time to be the guardian of dreams that her subjects needed.

    Entering her chambers she let her physical body rest as her astral form explores the dreamscape for any nightmare that might be lurking.

Loki’s room at the castle just after the sisters left

    Loki looked around the room, it was quite luxurious for the average hard-working citizen but it was ordinary for nobles.

    He likes the room this way, to indulge in luxury occasionally is fine, after all revelling in excess gets old after a few centuries.

    He thinks about his granddaughters, Nottmani or Luna as she prefers to be called is opening up to him, maybe she feels a sense of kinship with him, very likely if you take Nightmare Moon into consideration, Dagrsol or Celestia on the other hand, hoof, is wary of him probably trying to prepare for worst case scenarios for the good of her subjects, even young like this she reminds him of Odin, maybe he can change that.

    Finding a mirror on the door of the wardrobe, he stands in front of it and observes his current form, a teal-colored horse, or a very big pony if want to be picky, he has a very long cone shaped horn with spiral details around it, a brief shimmer of green light later and his clothes disappear leaving only the Crown of Lies, his helmet, channeling his seidr through his horn to create a telekinetic hold on his helmet, taking it off of his head and letting his black mane flow around his face.

    Put his crown on bedside table he returned his gaze to the mirror, shifting his position to look at his side he saw his wing with teal colored feather having multiples shades of green getting darker at the tip and a sigil in his hindquarters, the image of two snakes chasing after each other’s tails.

    But unlike that of his granddaughters his was a moving picture, the two snakes endlessly weaving through each other’s coiled bodies.

    Going to the bed, he lays on his left side and is ready to sleep but before that can happen he looks at the Crown of Lies.

    Since clothes are optional in this form it's better to change the crown into a more practical form, concentrating on it, a shimmer of golden light later and the crown has a new form.

Next morning

    Loki woke up with the sound of someone knocking on the door, he sat up on the bed when two pegasi guards, a stallion and a mare, open the doors.

    “Your highness it's time for breakfast..is.. “ the guards trailed off while taking in the image before them.

    Loki sitting on the bed his androgynous figure making him both beautiful and handsome, his face illuminated by the beams of light coming from the gap between the curtains, the light of the morning sun reflecting on his half open multi-shaded green kaleidoscopic eyes in an almost hypnotic pattern, his long waving black mane framing his face and moving by a unseeing wind just like the princesses, the same light of dawn that illuminate his face also being reflected and refracted on his glossy and silken strands of seemingly obsidian giving him a outworldly, almost tangible, aura.

    *POMF*

    The wings of the guards extended but they paid no mind to their embarrassing situation as they were to enticed what was in front of them.

    Loki, now fully awake, after a few minutes is getting annoyed at the fact that they are shamelessly staring at him, while he doesn’t mind being the center of attentions but they had a message to deliver, they could at least delivered the message before shamelessly staring at him.

    Using his seidr he pushes their helmets in front of their eyes breaking their trance.

    “Deliver the message before allowing your mind and eyes to wander,” Loki lecture them on their inefficient behavior.

    “A thousand apologies for our inexcusable behavior your highness!!!” they said at the same time while bowing to him.

    “Just get on and be done with it,” ordered Loki, the air crackling with his seidr showing his impatience.

    They shivered in fear feeling at his monstrous, to them, magic but they said,” The princesses requested your presence for breakfast, we are to accompany you there.”

    “Will this meal be served in the same room as the one from yesterday?” asked Loki.

    “Yes your highness,” responded the mare.

    Getting out of the bed he used his magic to fix the bed, groom his mane and put on his crown, all of this made in a fluid and elegant motion.

    “Come, let's not waste any more time,” ordered Loki as he walked past them.

    They got up and silently follow him.

    On his way there, while making a turn he bumped into someone, keeping his asgardian attributes even in this form he almost didn’t felt that he bumped into another pony.

    Loki was about to politely apologise and offer help but the stallion he bumped into started to talk immediately after accident,” How dare you bump into me like this, do you have any idea of who I am?”

    Whatever apologies Loki had for him died before leaving his mouth, he ignored the probably petty noble and was about to be on his way when the stallion got up and blocked his way.

    “Don’t ignore me, hasn’t anypony taught you to properly address to s pony of my status? You must be a peasant, no matter how beautiful you are a true noble mare would know how to properly behave in my presence.” said the white stallion with blonde mane.

    “I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with your kind right now, be gone,” said Loki with his clearly male voice.

    Blueblood was embarrassed by this turn of events and in front of the servants, guards and passing nobles all of which noticed the wings on Loki’s sides, Blueblood was oblivious to that fact because being in front of Loki he couldn’t get a clear view of his sides.

    “Guards arrest him for trying to ruin my image and reputation, also for disrespecting royalty,” demanded Blueblood.

    Loki just raised an eyebrow, noticing the lack of action on the guards part Blueblood questioned,”Why are you not arresting him?”

    Before they could answer Blueblood’s question the double door leading to dining room, where the princesses’ meals are served, opens and Celestia comes out to see what the commotion is about.

    Blueblood seeing his chance to turn the situation in his favor, how wrong he was, called for his aunt,” Auntie! These guards are refusing to follow my orders.”

    Celestia just looked at the guards, it was unusual for guards to refuse Blueblood, that only happens when his orders are unreasonable.

    “And what were your orders Blueblood,” she asks like a concerned mother.

    “To arrest this ruffian for assaulting and disrespecting me,” said Blueblood simply, he has a reputation to keep after all.

    Celestia had to resist the urge to facehoof at the situation.

    “Celestia we are already late for breakfast, it might be best to just send them away,” said Loki ignoring Blueblood.

   “How dare you speak with royalty like that, see auntie, he must be put in the dungeon immediately,” said Blueblood.

    “Unfortunately I can’t agree with you Blueblood,” said Celestia.

    “Why auntie?” asked Blueblood.

    “He is my grandfather,” answered Celestia, she wanted to wait until later today to introduce her grandfather but now that is no longer possible.

    “G-gr-gra-gra-grandfather!!! But then I, he,you….” Blueblood tried to say something but fainted from shock in the process, if it was because there was another alicorn, he is Celestia’s grandfather or the way Blueblood spoke to him, it was anypony’s guess.

    Celestia sighed looking at the guards on the dining room’s entrance she asked,” Take him to the infirmary, come grandfather let eat.”

    As Celestia and Loki entered the dining room the onlookers started to gossip, soon the news/rumors will spread through Canterlot.

Dining Room

    “What took you so long sister?” asked Luna.

    “Blueblood,” said Celesta.

    “Say no more sister,” answered Luna before turning to Loki and asking,” We were hoping that you could answer few of our questions grandfather.”

    “How about a trade a question for a question,” suggested Loki.

    “We agree,” answered Celestia after looking at Luna and nodding.

    “After breakfast, I haven’t had a decent meal in almost two years,” suggested Loki.

    “Of course grandfather, you are a guest in our home,” said Luna before clapping her front hooves to call the servants.

    The trays of food were delivered and breakfast was served, Loki almost commented on the lack of meat but remembered that he is in a herbivore’s form.

    At least the assortment of fruits, vegetables, grains and flowers were delicious, it's fascinating how one’s taste can change radically by assuming another form.

    After eating breakfast they waited for the trays to be removed before starting the conversation.

    “Before we start, why were you late for breakfast?” asked Luna.

    “Those two over there just keep shamelessly and lustfully staring at my body while I was in bed and neglecting their mission to deliver the message to me,” answered Loki while pointing to the guards that were about to leave the room and guard the door outside, seeing as the guards that were previous guarding the entrance are now in the infirmary with Blueblood.

    “WHAT!!” screamed Luna while Celestia choked on her tea, she is getting the feeling that this will happen again in the future. The guard in question froze but composing themselves they turned to face the consequence of their lapse of judgment.

    They tried and failed to not squirm under the glare of a very angry alicorn princess and the look of disappointment on the other but Loki continued his explanation,” indeed they should deliver the message before shamelessly and lustfully staring at my body,” concluded Loki.

    “Are you not angry at their blatant disrespect?” asked Luna.

    “Not at all, not to sound narcissistic but it's not their fault, I known that I can sometimes entice and enthrall mortals, I had thousands of children after all,”

    “Very well, return to your duties but be mindful next time,” ordered Luna.

    Once the guards left the room leaving only the three royals.

    “Who gets the first question?” asked Celestia.