Sine Qua Nonby AndroidChaptersI. The Bite in the BottleII. The Light in the LensIII. The Cream in the CoffeeIV. The G'lamour in the GalaPrologueI. The Bite in the BottleSpitfire yawned, trotting down Cloudsdale’s streets, the cloudstone clicking under her hooves with each passing step, her saddlebags bouncing along her sides. Fall was coming and the air nipped her skin like a foal at a cookie. She gave the scarf around her neck a quick tug before breaking out into a gallop, heading for the outskirts. Around her, a multitude of pegasi moved by, some flying, some walking along the clouds. Each one, a unique combination of colors and hues, like a rainbow vomited out among the sky. She yawned again. The city was busier than usual today. She thought of spreading her wings and taking to the skies, but a quick glance upward dispelled her of that notion. The skies were crowded enough as it was. The last thing they needed was an orange, fire maned filly adding to the growing swarm of feathers and fur above. No, better to stay clouded for now. Eventually, she reached the edge of the city. A boardwalk running along the edges of a park and playground beckoned her forward. Sculpted cloudstone formed a long bar, preventing inexperienced foals from plummeting to the ground. Spitfire, however, was no foal. She rushed forward, leaping over the wall like a hurdler on the track, and allowing gravity’s embrace to take her again. She closed her eyes, permitting the all too familiar smile to take over her face as she fell. Wind rushed past her ears, the sound like the gentle whisper of an old flame. The air brushed against her fur, combing the hairs with far more grace and love than any brush could hope to provide. The rush of adrenaline and the thrill of flight began to take her as she spread her wings, arresting her descent. “Whoo!” She shouted into the wind, her grin now stuck permanently to her face. She allowed herself to relax as she glided along the currents before banking towards her destination. Canterlot, the city on the hill. Or cliff in this case. The fortress city sat built upon a large alcove in the mountain face. The plateau of land served as the perfect place for Equestria’s capital. High above the ground, the site was both remote enough that any attacker would be mad to try to take the city, yet close enough to the surrounding settlements as to be still accessible. It was the most strategically important place in the nation, as well as probably the most strategically placed. Towards the far side of the city sat the Royal Castle. A series of pearly spires and towers poked up above the slate rooves and stone streets of the surrounding metropolis. The entire complex was surrounded by a series of gardens and high walls that helped give the palace a more natural yet still secure feel. As she approached, she began to notice the patrols, both on the streets below and in the skies above, encircling the castle. Slowly, she descended, landing with a series of clicks just before the main gate. The guards here knew her well. “How’s it going today, boys?” She smirked. “Well, Miss Spitfire. You’re free to enter.” One answered, pulling his spear away. She nodded. “Thanks.” The gate opened as though the princesses had commanded it themselves, the movement smooth and slow. She scoffed. Clearly magic. She’d almost prefer a slight click or creak with their motions than the strange and disturbing silence that accompanied them. Still, the thought passed as a cloud on a windy day. She had somewhere to be after all. She moved through the courtyard and towards the main palace. The tall oaken doors slipped open just as silently as their gated brethren, revealing familiar regal white halls. The ceilings towered high above, enough for her to comfortably fly with room to spare. She zipped through the halls with remembered precision. Left here, two hundred feet straight then a right there. Her route had long been committed to memory to where she felt confident flying it with her eyes closed. Up ahead, lay one final set of doors. With a grin, she shot forward, bursting through the portal and into the light. She folded her wings to her side, skidding along the grassy surface to stop. She ran a hoof through her mane. A large open greenery greeted her. Numerous flowing trees dotted a landscape of flowers and ferns. An ocean of color spilled into her eyes from the innumerable species of flora, both rare and common. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, holding it for several long seconds before releasing it. It felt like home. She spared a glance towards her right, the large flower garden giving way to a hedge maze set behind the castle in the shadow of the mountain. Numerous stone statues poked out from above the emerald walls like Cloudsdale spires through the clouds on a rainy day. Someday, she thought, they would explore those hedges together. She shook her head, focusing on her destination. A stone path set itself before her, like a great carpet of the halls of the generously spacious castle she’d previously traversed. The destination, at the end of it, offered no less excitement than anything a royal red rug could ever hope to offer. And so trot she did, following the winding path through an arcadia of aromas and auras that perforated the air like the sweet perfumes the noble mares wore at the fancy state functions. Though considerably less pungent and repulsive to Spitfire’s nose. No, flowers and freshly fallen rain were the only scents that ever offered any appeal to her. Seated at the end of the path, the leaves began to pull away, revealing a small grassy clearing, surrounded on all sides by a cluster of trees. A small wooden bench sat near one end of the patch, the far other occupied by a small pond, filled with liquid crystal, shimmering in the light of the setting sun. The center of the patch, left only the comfort of soft grasses, like the smooth fabrics of the castle carpets. Directly across, on the far side of the clearing, the trees gave way to open sky and the stunning drop off of a cliff edge. She sighed, unclipping her bags, allowing them to fall to the ground with a dull thud before she bounded up to the cliff edge, leaning forward and reveling in the sensation of the wind’s gentle caresses across her face. “Punctuality isn’t something pegasi appear to have mastered, is it?” A voice asked. Spitfire opened her eyes. A smirk spilled across her face. “Punctuality is for losers with nowhere better to be.” She retorted, turning to face her accuser. Suspended a few feet from the bench, hanging between two trees, sat a rather strange creature, swinging absentmindedly in a hammock, notebook and pen in hand. Hand. Hands. Those were perhaps its strangest features, aside from its obvious bipedal nature. Uncharacteristically long limbs, at least from an equine perspective, and no fur minus the white tuff atop its head made for a strange appearance indeed. The creature’s two upper limbs ended not on hooves, but on strange things that resembled a Minotaur’s paw or a griffin’s claw. Its head, however, bore no resemblance to anything Spitfire had seen or read about in any book or myth. Its features were angular, though considerably less pronounced than any pony’s or dragon’s or griffin’s. If she had to place any sense of familiarity to it, it would be that of a monkey, though the monkey, as much as she hated to admit, was considerably uglier. Piercing blue eyes sat rested in its skull, between which sat the bridge of its nose that ran down the length of its face, ending just above its mouth. She’d seen it smile before, revealing teeth resembling those of a predator’s though nothing nearly as aggressive as a diamond dog or dragon. The only dangerous bits appeared to be the canines on either side of its jaw. Apparently, it was an omnivore, whatever that meant. And, perhaps most importantly, the creature was distinctly male. And, perhaps most strangely, the creature seemed obsessed with wearing clothes. Without looking up, he responded. “Perhaps you should find somewhere better then, considering our lessons don’t appear to hold the same value between the two of us.” Spitfire stiffened, before closing her eyes and shaking her head. “Come on Virgil, I’m not going to pass this class without your help.” “Hmm, yes, indeed. I hear the academy doesn’t take kindly to the prospect of considering athletes who failed their entry level mathematics. Sounds like you have quite the problem.” “Yes, I do.” She rolled her eyes. “One you agreed to help me with.” “Well considering you have somewhere better to be our agreement appears to be nullified.” She sighed. “You going to be a stick up my ass all day or are you going to help me?” “Is there a question in there?” “Are you really going to make me ask?” “I’m not making you do anything.” “Will you help me with my Calculus or not?” “Manners maketh the mare, young Spitfire.” “Will. You. Help. Me. Please?” He looked up, a small grin gracing his face. “There we go, was that so terribly difficult?” “Shut up and help me already. First test is in two weeks and I have no clue what I’m doing.” He rolled his eyes, closing his notebook and floating up from the hammock, landing with the gentle grace of a god, crossing his legs and sitting down before her. “Now, what is it you need help with?” He asked, placing his hands on his knees. Spitfire looked up at him. A strange feeling passed through her as her eyes lay across his alien face. A strangely familiar look sat glimmering in his eyes. Yet, a smile remained, as it always had. His expression could be called happiness, the loving happiness shared between two friends, as they always had. Yet, without placing a name to it, there was something strangely tortured in his gaze, which had not been there when she’d last seen him several days prior. Yet, he smiled still. Slowly, she rose from her slouched position and retrieved her saddlebags, dragging them over and removing two large textbooks. Virgil appeared to glare at them before reaching out a hand to the two of them. In an instant, the two books leapt to his hand. He gripped them between his fingers as though they were gigantic playing cards before quickly flipping through their collective pages. He sighed before grasping them separately in his hands. “You and I have not had the luxury of sharing a classroom in some time, but I have not been so far removed from mathematical studies to know that you should only require one textbook for this topic, not two.” Spitfire sighed. “There’s only supposed to be one. I got the other one because I got a week into the course before I realized I had no idea what I was doing.” Virgil frowned, glancing at the more massive of the texts in his right hand. “Well, for one, I can tell you straight away that whoever wrote this has little to no idea just how to teach a math class. You won’t be needing this anymore.” In an instant, a bright burst of flame appeared in his palm, incinerating the offending book into nothing but ash. Spitfire paled. “What the hell, dude? That was the textbook for the class! I was only renting it.” Virgil glanced down at the ash pile. “Oh. Well why didn’t you say so?” He raised his hand again, this time the ash pile flying back into his hand before beginning to glow a bright orange before quickly subsiding. In his hand, sat the previously destroyed book, fresh as the day it was printed. “There, now you can return this horrific piece of garbage to the university once your studies have been completed. However, unless you have any homework from that damn thing, I would strongly advise that you use this book instead.” He waved his left hand, tossing the approved text back to her. “So what now?” She asked. “Well, what do you need to know for your test?” He smiled. “Whatever you want to know, I’m yours until you either you fall asleep or until I have taught you everything necessary for you to pass your class.” Spitfire grinned. “Thank you for this.” Virgil rolled his eyes before clapping his hands once and conjuring a bottle filled with a dark amber liquid and two glass in the air beside him. “Thank me after you pass your tests.” He said, pulling one of the glasses out of the air and pouring himself a generous dram from the bottle. “What’s that?” “This, my dear filly, is a bottle of twelve year old Dutch Whiskey. Clydesmorangie. Breakfast of champions. Accept no substitute.” “You’re going to do calculus while drunk?” “No. You forget who, and what, I am sometimes. Drunkenness only applies when I feel like it. This time, it’s for the taste. Feel free to indulge if you’d like.” He nodded, floating the glass over to her. Spitfire sighed. “Drinking and deriving can’t be good for one’s health.” Virgil grinned, taking a sip. “No I think not. But it makes it all the more enjoyable.” “Fair. Alright, give me a little bit.” “Atta girl! Now be careful.” He said, filling the empty tumbler. “It bites like an angry dog but if you can tame the beast and get past that, you’ll find no better friend for meals, special occasions, or even morning coffee.” “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just pour.” “Just sip it slowly.” Spitfire grasped the cup in her wings, lightly sniffing it before putting it to her lips and allowing a small splash to slip across her tongue. Immediately her eyes went wide as the burning took over. Quickly she closed them again, scrunching her nose before mustering the courage to swallow. In front of her, Virgil’s laughter could be heard clear as the birds in the morning. “Ugh! What was that?” She stuck out her tongue. “What do you taste?” He laughed. “Smoke. And pain. And a strange bit of cinnamon.” “Perhaps some soda over it?” “You can do that?” “But of course. Here.” He raised a hand, conjuring a bottle of cola in a flash of light before suspending it over her glass and pouring it over the whiskey, filling it almost to the top. “Poured a bit too much for my taste but you might find it a bit more palatable now.” She sniffed her glass. “I can still smell it.” “Of course you can, silly Spitty. There’s still whiskey in there. Go ahead, try it.” She eyed it suspiciously before taking another sip. This time, her eyes went wide and she glanced down at the glass again before taking another sip. “Slowly now. I don’t want have to try curing a hangover on a Pegasus. Now what do you taste?” She smiled. “Cinnamon still, a bit of a smoky flavor, vanilla, something citrusy I think. It’s sweet, with just the right amount of kick to it. I like it.” “Told you. Now come on, back to math. So what do you need help with?” Spitfire moaned. “All of it.” Virgil laughed. “Fret not, dearest Spitfire. I’ll make a mathematician out of you yet. Now, let’s start with derivatives.” Verbally, Spitfire released her desire to drop dead rather than spend the evening getting tutored in mathematics by Equestria’s only human. Internally, however, whether it was the whiskey or the cool night air, she felt a little warmer inside, snuggling up to her friend as he explained the unholy, mind numbingly boring, finer points of her university math class. Slowly, his words began to blend away, becoming lullabies and sweet melodies in their own right as the moon rose higher into the sky. Eventually, all consciousness abandoned her and she was asleep, slumped over the closest thing Equestria had to a god on earth. II. The Light in the LensCelestia sighed, her eyes dropping low as she trotted through the halls towards the Royal Observatory. After a long morning dealing with the court, a little sleep walking felt more than deserved in her book. That and a cup of coffee. Or maybe an absinthe. The trek up the tower’s steps always annoyed her to some degree. Even years since its installation, at one royal family member’s insistence, the walk up the massive spiral staircase never seemed to get any shorter. And, perhaps most unfortunately, the open design left open between the steps left little room for an alicorn of her stature to spread her wings and simply take flight up to the top of the tower. So climb she did. Next time, she’d go outside and take the proverbial short cut to the top. Eventually, mercifully, she reached the top. A sculpted archway with a brilliantly carved opening led to the top floor of the astronomy tower. With a small smile, she clip clopped through the portal into the laboratory. The room was a large dome with a titanic set of double doors on one end. The walls were lined with various tables and instruments. A few meters above them, about where a normal ceiling would begin, a set of gears and other mechanisms she didn’t entirely understand ran around the rim. She knew their purpose clearly, however. Accompanying the gargantuan telescope, currently aimed at a forty five degree angle up at a blank patch of the sky, the entire dome would rotate with the telescope, allowing it glimpse whatever it was aimed at within an entire three hundred and sixty degree radius. The entire apparatus, however, was no pony invention, instead designed and constructed by the laboratory’s strange occupant. Virgil sat, hunched over a nearby desk in the shadow of the telescope, running his fingers over a series of a stellar maps. His eyes burned into the papers as though he were commanding them to reveal the very secrets of the universe itself. In a way, she wasn’t wrong. “Hello mother.” He greeted her, without looking up from his maps. She sighed. “How long have you been up?” “Suppose I never went to sleep.” “Virgil, honey… That makes how many nights now?” “Nine.” Celestia sighed, running a hoof over her face. “Honey you really should get back in the habit of sleeping. This isn’t healthy.” “For ponies, you mean. Not healthy for ponies.” He answered, still engrossed with his charts. “No, it’s not healthy for any pony at all. Even for alicorns.” “Well fortunately I am not either of those things.” He glanced up at her. “And I see no purpose in indulging in something that serves no purpose for me.” His eyes focused back up at the tip of the telescope. Silent as the grave, his feet left the floor as he floated up to the lip of first of the massive lenses and mirrors that composed the device. He glanced at the large frame holding the first external lens and snapped his fingers, conjuring a cloth and spray bottle. He sprayed the cloth and began to polish the glass in gentle, circular motions. Celestia sighed. “Guards tell me you got in late last night.” “I did.” “You go out with Spitfire?” He scoffed. “No. She just needed help studying. Unfortunately for me, she fell asleep halfway through our lesson so I brought her home.” “How’s Stormy Flare doing?” “Well enough.” He continued polishing the lens. “I take it she didn’t ask many questions as to why a boy was bringing her unconscious daughter home late at night?” Celestia smiled. Virgil turned, his eyes dark. “Not funny.” “Oh humor your mother for a moment.” Celestia covered her mouth, suppressing a giggle. Virgil dropped to the floor with a thud, running a hand through his snow white hair, pushing it out of his eyes. With a quick snap of his fingers the bottle and rag vanished. “We’re not even the same species.” He deadpanned, returning to his charts. “So what?” "So things like that don't work." “Well she’s quite fond of you for one. And that hasn’t stopped zebras and ponies from having loving and productive relationships.” “You really should drop this subject.” He flipped to another chart. “The Gala’s coming up in several weeks.” “Quit prodding.” “Oh for the love of the gods, ask her!” Virgil snapped up, the unmistakable sound of paper crinkling and rubbing against itself echoing through the observatory. His eyes, normally a brilliant sapphire, now burned a ruby red. Above, the sound of metal groaning reverberated through the chamber. Below, the floor shuddered, the teeth chattering sound of stone cracking bouncing up the steps into the room. Celestia gaped, taking a step back. Virgil’s expression softened, the shuddering subsiding with him. The metal groaning vanished and the crackling dissipated. He turned away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” He said. “I’ll fix whatever damage done.” Celestia exhaled, placing a hoof over her chest. “Sometimes I forget you’re not the same young baby you were when you first arrived.” He raised a hand, the metal groaning returning only to fade away just as quickly as it came. “Nor am I some amateurish unicorn like that Sunset filly you tutored a few years back.” “No. You’re stronger.” She answered. “So much stronger. Remember what comes with great power, Virgil.” “Yeah, yeah, I know. Responsibility.” “Virgil, you really must be careful at all times. I really don’t know if what you can do is native to your species or not. Small sample size considered.” “Yes, it must be quite a mystery, wondering if you son’s species happen to be the gods incarnate.” Virgil rolled his eyes. “You know, to any primitive tribe or untouched sentient species, what unicorns can do would look just as indistinguishable from divinity as my abilities must look to you.” “I’m sure you can appreciate the difference here.” Celestia retorted. Virgil turned. “Says the one who raises the damn sun.” She sighed. “I don’t raise the sun. I just give the planet a little push to get going.” “I can show you the math for the energy required to rotate a body with the mass of a planet. So don’t go assuming that I’m a god.” “I never said I do.” “Mother please. I may not be several thousand years old but I can still see the slightly disturbed expression whenever I conjure up some impossible object out of thin air, or clone myself, or walk through walls, or do some other thing that appears to violate everything you know about the universe.” “Yes, well,” she cleared her throat. “Conjuring an entire ocean into being in the sky because you thought the sky was an actual sea is enough to disturb anyone. Especially if it’s a seven year old doing it.” “I could do it again if you wanted.” He smirked. “No, uh, I think that’s quite alright, honey.” “All it would take is a quick readjustment of the composition of the air.” “Stop it.” “Hmm.” He returned to his charts. “Now I know you decided to forgo university-” “Because it’s for idiots.” “Yes, well, that remains to be seen. However, you’ve been quite occupied up here for the last few months now. What exactly has you so engrossed?” “Actually, it’s quite simple.” He raised a hand, floating over a star chart for her to view. “A new star appeared in the sky a few months ago. I’ve been studying it best I can.” “A new star?” Celestia frowned. “Yes. I’ve circled it on the chart.” Celestia scanned the black and white image of dots and dust until a red circle stumbled into her vision. Overall, compared to the rest of the dots, this one appeared no more or less remarkable. “You can’t tell from the image,” Virgil continued. “But it’s bright red. Kinda just faded into view over a period of weeks. But the weird thing is that it’s been getting brighter. Can’t seem to figure it out.” “Is it a comet?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I wouldn’t have seen it until it started forming a vapor trail. And it certainly wouldn’t be red. No, I suspect it’s something else, but I’m just not sure what exactly.” “Well.” She floated the paper back to him. “Whatever it is, I’m sure Equestria’s brightest mind can figure it out.” “I wouldn’t say that.” He smirked, turning his gaze to his feet. “It certainly wasn’t a pony that designed and constructed this place.” Celestia smiled. “I know I don’t say it often enough but I’m very proud of you Virgil. Whatever you choose to do, you have my full support.” “Even if I decide not to go to university?” She sighed. “Yes if you insist on that one. Though I really do suggest you reconsider. Young colt like you should be out socializing.” Virgil scoffed. “Young colts like me can’t turn water into whiskey and back again.” Celestia coughed. “Well, uh, step one should make you very popular at parties.” “Aren’t you supposed to be the responsible one, Miss Sunbutt? You’re supposed to tell me, ‘No, my son. You better not be irresponsible and go out drinking and be partying all night. You should be studying like a responsible young colt’, or something like that.” “In this case,” Celestia cleared her throat, “If it got you out of the castle, I’d almost welcome it.” “Almost?” “Almost. I don’t want you getting any fillies pregnant.” “I have forty six chromosomes, you only have thirty two. Biological impossibility.” “Should make you even more popular then.” Celestia laughed. Virgil rolled his eyes. “Oh my gods. Don’t you have some meeting to attend to or Blueblood’s butt to wipe or something?” “Yes, unfortunately I can’t spend all day bantering with you, my boy. As much as I enjoy it. Will you be able to make it to dinner tonight or should I just count on you not eating again now for the sixth day in a row?” “That last part’s not exactly true. I had some whiskey last night with Spitfire.” “Whiskey isn’t food.” “Maybe not. But Clydesmorangie is.” He smirked, summoning a glass. “Breakfast of champions. Accept no substitute.” Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know how it’s possible for two youngsters like you and Spitfire to share a twelve year old Dutch and have absolutely nothing happen between you.” Virgil scoffed, sipping his drink. “Probably because she’s a quadruped and I’m a biped.” Celestia sighed. “She really does like you, you know.” “Yes, she likes a lot of ponies. She seemed particularly fond of Soarin’ last time I saw him.” “I think you know what I mean.” “Say, how many Minotaur pony relationships have you seen in recent history?” “Are you going to be like this all day?” “Only until this glass runs out.” He said taking another sip, before watching with some delight as the glass refilled itself. Celestia rolled her eyes. “Get out of the castle, Virgil.” “Is that an eviction?” “For your sake, I hope it isn’t. Treat it as a suggestion. One I advise you follow with all possible speed.” “On pain of death?” She turned with a grin. “On pain of I let Blueblood and his fraternity up here to use however they see fit.” Virgil paled. “You wouldn’t dare.” “I am the Princess of the Sun not the Princess of Mercy. Get out of the castle and socialize. Maybe you and Spitfire could do something together. Heavens know you two haven’t properly socialized beyond school work in months.” “If this is your poor attempt to set us up, forget it.” He turned, walking toward the observatory’s open doors and leaning on the railing. His eyes traced across the green garden of the valley floor below before he took another sip from his tumbler. “Besides… she’s already interested in somepony else.” For a moment, Celestia’s expression soften as she watched the human drink, overlooking the green plains below the city. Try as he might, she was still his mother. And there was no one else who could read him quite like her. She shook her head before replacing her mischievous grin upon her lips. “Well then, another condition. You have to get out of the castle at least once every two days or else I let Blueblood run ragged up in this lovely little laboratory of yours. Or…” He turned, his eyes still bore a dead expression. Yet his curiosity seemed perked at the idea of getting to stay inside his cave. “Or…” Celestia continued. “You find yourself a date to the Gala next month.” Virgil scowled, crushing his glass into dust between his fingers. “Oh come on! That’s not fair!” “Whatever do you mean?” She smirked. “That’s cheating!” “How is that cheating?” “Blueblood’s going to turn this place into a damn strip club!” “Well, not if you can manage to get out of the castle once every two days.” She beamed. “Else I turn over ownership of this tower to your favorite cousin.” “You know, I wouldn’t mind killing him.” “You and many others. Get in line. Now those are your two options, sonny boy.” He scowled at her, his eyes turned to daggers. Celestia had little doubt that if he so chose, that little figure of speech could become a description of reality in the blink of a metaphorical and literal eye. “Your second request is impossible.” “Oh don’t give me that. If that’s what you think then I suggest you get your butt out the door for the day.” “I can’t just leave every two days! I have data to analyze and experiments to run! And I need to keep watching that new star every night!” “Then I suggest you find yourself a date! And fast. And no cloning yourself either.” “That’s not fair either!” “I’ll post guards up here if I have to.” He grit his teeth. “Why are you doing this to me?” “It’s more of a question of why you are doing… whatever this is, to yourself.” “I’m not a pony, mother.” “No. You’re not. You’re something far more. You’re intelligent and powerful, yes, but I am not going to allow you to shut yourself in your ivory tower all day asking questions of the stars. You’re young. You should be out socializing with other ponies your age.” “Other ponies my age.” He scoffed. “Go hang out with some unicorns or something, I don’t care. Though you would probably be better served by rejoining your old posse before you decided to forgo university. I’m sure they would welcome you back with… open arms, so to speak.” “Open wings.” “You can fly you know.” “They’re all trying for the Wonderbolts. Where do you think I fit in with that?” “That’s for you to find out. Now go. I’ll even help you send a letter.” Virgil rolled his eyes, letting out a giant exasperated sigh. A small grin flashed across Celestia’s face. He would hate her for this. At least initially. But in time, he would come to be grateful for it, even if he said nothing on the matter. No. He would enjoy his time away from his high tower and high castle. In the past, getting his predecessors into school and education had been the problem. Now, she never considered the possibility that she would be cursed with the opposite problem. He sighed. “Very well. Send your letter.” He trudged grumpily towards the staircase. “Where are you going?” He turned. “To get a drink. An actual drink since you’re banishing me from the house. Is that permitted, Princess?” She sighed. “Go. Do as you please.” Virgil returned an exaggerated tip of his chin. “Thank you.” With that, he dropped down the stairwell, landing below with a dull thud. Celestia exhaled. “You could use the stairs you know- oh forget it.” She glanced back at the charts on the table and quietly levitated them before her, arranging them by date. The circled star continued to increase in brightness as the weeks passed. She bowed her head, her smile fading into a pout. “Of course he saw it. Of course this time, he saw it first.” III. The Cream in the CoffeeSoarin glanced down at the letter he received. Spitfire wanted to meet up and go out for the day around Canterlot’s downtown. And apparently, a certain someone was going to be joining them. He smiled. Since high school ended, Virgil had effectively dropped off the face of the world. Thankfully, Spitfire still saw him occasionally but as of recently, despite her close ties with the guy, even she had trouble in interacting with Equestria’s only human. Well, up until now. It was going to be nice to see an old friend again. He folded up the letter and replaced it into his saddlebag, trotting up to the castle gates. Leaning against the wall, with a pen and pad in hand, was Virgil. Soarin shook his head. Almost a year since he’d last seen him and the human still kept his nose buried in his work. A blue and white blur zipped past him, bounding up to the gate. “Virgil!” A raspy voice shouted. The human looked up from his notes, his head whipping from side to side in search of the voice before a small blue Pegasus bounced into his legs. He stumbled, falling backward before catching himself with his powers, floating in the air before flipping and righting himself, glancing down at the offending Fleetfoot. “Oh, it’s you.” He said. Fleetfoot smiled. “Long time, alien colt.” “Mane still white as ever I see.” “Same with you, snow owl.” Soarin waved a wing. “What’s up, dude?” Virgil gave him a nod. “Not much. You?” “Usual, working through school. So, what have you been up to?” Fleetfoot looked up. “Yeah! Haven’t seen you since graduation!” He gestured to the castle. “Research.” “So, you’re the one who built that new tower.” Soarin said. “What even is that thing?” “Just a telescope.” “A big one at that.” Fleetfoot said. “So, what made you decide to leave your ivory tower up there? Spitfire finally drag you out of the royal house for once?” Soarin scoffed. “Obviously. She invited the two of us out here.” Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Did she now?” “Yeah. Why? She didn’t tell you anything?” He turned back to the castle. “That seems to be the running theme as of late.” “Well, it all worked out!” Fleetfoot smiled. “Don’t worry. It’ll just be like old times. Four of us together again.” “Well we’re still missing our glorious leader.” Virgil glanced back to his pad and paper as the sound of flapping wings approached. “Speak of the devil and she shall appear.” He deadpanned. Spitfire descended from the sky, swooping to a stop before the palace gates and dropping to the stone street. She ran a hoof through her mane and smirked. “Virgil! You decided to leave the house today! I’m impressed.” He gave her a frown. She only grinned in return. “Surprised you managed to get him out after all this time.” Fleetfoot laughed. “How’d you do it?” “I got my ways.” Spitfire snickered. “That what you’re going to call it?” Virgil scowled. “Shut it you and come out with us today.” “Seems like I don’t have much of a choice.” “Oh, you’ll enjoy yourself with us and you know it.” Spitfire said, trotting down the street. Soarin gave a shrug and followed her, chased closely by Fleetfoot. Virgil cocked his head and glared after Spitfire. “Come on, V.” Fleetfoot beckoned. “You can tell us what you’ve been up to all these months.” Soarin smiled as the four walked along. The three pegasi stayed ahead of the lone human, who trailed behind them, his nose still buried in his pad as he walked. It was almost as it had always been, though Virgil apparently grew considerably quieter over the last few months. Soarin almost forgot the human was there. Spitfire, didn’t forget. The pale blue Pegasus couldn’t help but chuckle to himself every time Spitfire paused and turned just to be sure Virgil was still there. He could see it in her eyes, the way she watched the human, almost as if she feared he would vanish on her if she didn’t perform a regular checkup. It was a familiar gaze, one he’d seen her focus upon the human colt time and time again in their youth. Eventually, the group stopped at a local coffee shop and bounced inside to the ringing of a bell above the door. The group quickly seated themselves and placed their orders, Virgil seemingly oblivious to what exactly was happening around him until a waitress deposited a large cup of coffee in front of him. He cocked his head and glanced at it. Spitfire and Fleetfoot both giggle and returned to sipping their lattes. Spitfire lowered her drink, licking the foam off her lips. “Black with three sugars, just how you like it, right?” She asked. “Uh, yeah, um, thanks.” He said before taking a sip. “How much do I owe you?” “Relax dude, it’s on me.” He gave her a frown before reaching into his pocket and removing a small bits pouch. “Seriously, how much?” he asked, pushing a small pile towards the fire maned mare. “Dude! I said it was on me.” “Don’t fight her on this one.” Fleetfoot shook her head. “I don’t like the idea of mooching off of you. Especially since I could have just conjured a cup myself.” “Maybe.” Soarin said. “But there is something magical about the freshly made stuff.” Spitfire pushed his money away. “Just consider it a tiny way for me to say thank you for helping me with my studies.” He sighed. “Alright, if you insist.” “I do.” “Ooh, so you’re helping her study?” Fleetfoot smirked. Virgil glared at the Pegasus. “Yes. I am. Just studying.” “Sure, you are.” “Oh, dear Celestia, Fleets!” Spitfire groaned, placing her head into her hooves. Soarin smiled, but still took the hint and turned to Virgil. “So other than helping this dumb filly here through her maths, what else have you been up to?” He sipped his coffee. “Well I build a new observatory and designed a new telescope to go in it. I’ve basically been just conducting astronomy research.” “You know, there was just a meteor shower outside of Ponyville the other night. You catch it?” “Yeah, I did. Wasn’t on the schedule which was kinda weird.” “Where’d they come from then if the Princess didn’t make them?” Spitfire asked. “Well, I don’t know exactly where, but I did get the direction. Funny enough, I’ve been tracking a new star in the sky recently. You actually might be able to see it soon enough without a telescope.” “A new star? What color is it?” Fleetfoot asked. “Red. And it’s been getting brighter. Still not sure exactly what it is yet, but I’ve been studying it as much as I can.” “Is that why you’ve had your nose buried in your pad since we met up?” “Uh, yeah, uh, sorry about that. Just kind of engrossing.” “To you, I’m sure.” Spitfire rolled her eyes. “Nerd.” Virgil scowled at her, raising his hands and snapping his fingers. In a brilliant flash, a medical cone appeared around her neck. Spitfire’s eyes went wide and her face turned a bright red as she struggled to pull it off. Soarin couldn’t help but laugh alongside Fleetfoot at her plight. After a few long seconds struggling, she squeezed her head through the hole and tossed the cone to the floor. Virgil grinned at her and sipped his coffee. “That wasn’t fair.” She said, her face still blushed red. “Not much you can do to stop me.” “Screw you.” “No need to be rude.” He said. “I think that was a request.” Fleetfoot giggled. Virgil glared at her before snapping his fingers again, another cone appearing around Fleetfoot’s neck. “Aw dude!” She groaned, struggling to pull her head out. Virgil turned. “Soarin?” He raised his hooves. “Hey don’t look at me. I’m not making that mistake.” “Good.” “I hate it when he does that.” Fleetfoot muttered, finally prying the cone off. Spitfire turned to face him. “Why don’t you use your unicorn powers on somepony who deserves it? Like, say, that cousin of yours, Blueballs.” “The thought has crossed my mind before, don’t you worry. And he’s not my cousin! We’re not even the same species, let alone related!” “Adoptive cousin then. Still a relative.” “If I shared any blood with that creature, I think I would throw myself into the sun.” “You can actually do that too, can’t you?” Soarin asked. “You can’t survive the sun!” Fleetfoot scoffed. “Can you?” Spitfire raised an eyebrow. “That’s a good question. Just how indestructible are you?” “Honestly, I don’t know. I mean, nothing else has really posed much of a threat to me over the years. Maybe I could do the sun with no problem. Hmm. Maybe that’s what I’ll do this weekend.” “What?” “Yeah. Take a trip to the sun, see what happens. Might be fun.” The three pegasi gaped at him. “What?” Spitfire sighed and planted her hoof over her face. “You are the only one I know who would think walking across the surface of the sun would be fun.” “I said it might be fun.” “Still giving it more credit than I would have.” “Speaking of fun.” Fleetfoot said. “The Gala’s next month. Everyone got their tickets?” “Got mine.” Soarin said. “Mine too.” Spitfire nodded. “Wonderbolts are gonna be there too. Might be a good chance to do some networking. What about you, V?” “Unfortunately, I can’t go to the Gala because it comes to me every year.” “Will you be attending then, you royal pain in the ass?” “My mother didn’t exactly give me a choice.” Fleetfoot titled her head. “Was that a royal degree or did she just mom-tell you to go?” “There’s very little difference between those two things. She wants me to go and socialize, whatever the hell that means.” “You should go.” Soarin said. “It’ll be good for you. After all, we haven’t seen you in months, my friend. It would be good for you to get out.” “Out of what? His high tower or his bedroom?” Fleetfoot laughed. “The Gala’s at his house, he won’t be getting out very far.” “No. But there will be plenty of young ponies and others there. Good opportunity for you to… you know… socialize.” Soarin grinned as he watched the human’s right eye unconsciously twitch. In his periphery, he watched Spitfire shift in her seat before placing a hoof on the table. “Hey, I have an idea.” She said. “Why don’t we all go together?” “Hmm?” Fleetfoot asked. “Yeah, the four of us. We can all attend the gala as a party or a double date if you will.” “Double date?” Virgil’s brow wrinkled. “Who’s dating who here? I miss that much since graduation?” “No! No, uh, no. No one’s dating.” Spitfire sputtered. “Just a suggestion is all. These are formal events after all. Be kinda weird to show up stag.” “Plus…” Fleetfoot smirked. “Rumor has it that your mother wants you out of the house.” Virgil sighed and turned to Spitfire. “How much did she tell you?” “Who?” Fleetfoot and Spitfire said in unison. “Both of you.” “Enough.” They both answered back, before sharing a perplexed glance. “Please stop doing that.” Soarin said. “What?” The two mares replied. “That.” Spitfire cleared her throat. “So, are you in?” Virgil rolled his eyes and glanced out the window at the sun. “It appears I have no choice.” She grinned. “Excellent! Fleets, you and Soarin can pair up and me and Virgil will be a pair! Try to do matching outfits if you can, it’ll look cool that way.” “You seem awfully animated about this.” “The Wonderbolts are going to be there. Of course I’m excited. The fact my friends will be there with me is a great bonus.” “Gee, that makes me feel great.” Fleetfoot rolled her eyes. “Oh, you know you’re just as excited as I am.” “Maybe.” She said. “But I’m not above enjoying a nice night out with my friends.” “You think I won’t have fun at the Gala?” Fleetfoot smirked. “Maybe. You seem more excited about the Wonderbolts than anything else right now.” “What do you want me to do? Prove it to you?” “Yes, actually.” “What do you want?” “Hmm.” She put a hoof to her chin. “How about this? Twenty bits if you manage to prove it to me. But if you can’t twenty bits for me.” “What do you want me to do?” “Now if I told you right now that would ruin the fun.” “A blind bet?” Virgil said. “Sounds fun. Do it.” Soarin said. “What?” Spitfire titled her head. “Why?” “It’ll be fun. Do it. Do it. Do it.” He chanted. Spitfire rolled her eyes. “Fine. Better not make it impossible though.” “It isn’t.” Fleetfoot grinned. “Shake on it though.” She held out her hoof. Spitfire scoffed and grasped her hoof and gave it a shake. “Alright.” Fleetfoot said. “Now come here. I’ll tell you what I want.” Spitfire leaned across the table and Fleetfoot whispered into her ear. Spitfire listened carefully for a brief moment before her eyes went wide and she reeled back to her spot, shaking her head and crossing her hooves in front of her. From her expression, she seemed very close to taking on her namesake, her mane close to bursting into flames atop her head. “No! N. O. No!” She said. “No!” Fleetfoot’s grin only grew larger. “A bet’s a bet, Spitty. We already shook on it.” “Bet’s off, filly! No! I refuse!” “What’d she ask you to do?” Virgil perked up, genuinely curious. Spitfire’s face flushed red. “Shut up! No!” “Geez, sorry I asked.” “Come on Spitty, you promised.” Soarin added. “Oh, you too now? You idiots plan this or something?” “Plan what?” Virgil asked. “Stop talking!” Spitfire shouted. “You just shut up for a moment.” He rolled his eyes. “K. I’ll just go fuck myself then.” Fleetfoot laughed. “Why do it yourself when Sp-” Spitfire’s latte cup flew across the table, smacking the cyan Pegasus in the nose. “If you say another word, I’ll end you.” She seethed. “Alright, here’s the new proposition. Either you agree to this bet or I open my mouth again. A little wider than the last time too. I think you know what I’m talking about Spitfire. And you only have so many coffee cups before they throw you out of here.” “I hate you.” She sighed. “Look at it this way, you have a choice here. Either you do it yourself, or I’ll do it for you.” “Fuck you.” “That a yes or a no, Spitty?” “Fuck you.” She repeated, crossing her hooves. “Just take it as a yes.” Soarin chuckled. “Awesome. And best of all, if you do it, you’ll get twenty bits on top of it!” “Fuck you.” “If she does what?” Virgil asked. “Fuck you.” Spitfire turned to him. “That a statement or a request?” He deadpanned. Spitfire turned red and stood up, rushing out of the café. “Fuck you!” She shouted down the street. Fleetfoot, Soarin, and Virgil all stood up. Soarin shook his head. “Come on, we better catch up with her before we lose her again.” “What did you do to her?” Virgil asked. Fleetfoot winked. “A favor. I did her a favor.” The three bounced out of the café, following a yellow and orange form bolting through the sky towards the Canterlot shopping district. The three leapt into the air and zipped after their fiery friend. Soarin smiled. Life was good. IV. The G'lamour in the GalaVirgil stiffened as Celestia finished the knot in his cravat. The scowl had become an even more permanent part of his façade ever since she learned that he was attending the Gala with Spitfire and company. And almost on cue, he quickly returned to locking himself away in his tower, studying his new red star, only emerging to entertain Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot when they dropped by. Still, Celestia couldn’t complain. The three pegasi did manage to get the human out for the night. “You know, I could have done this myself.” He muttered. “Oh, relax and let your mother be a mother for one last night.” She retorted, tidying up the knot with one final flourish. His suit was something special, tailor made for the Gala by the palace’s own seamstresses. Black overcoat with red highlights, accompanied by a red vest and red cravat all seated over a white undershirt. Overall, she thought he looked quite handsome. “There’s supposed to be another meteor shower tonight.” He said. “So?” “I was hoping to get the chance to study it.” She sighed. “You really must learn to simply see things rather than study them. You take the life out of, well, life that way.” “I fail to see the distinction you’re trying to make here.” She sighed, running her magic through the fabric of the suit one final time, ironing out any wrinkles and removing any stray hairs. Her eyes focused into his chest. She felt a forlorn expression creep onto her face before swiftly banishing it. Now was not the time. “I’ve walked this world for thousands of years, Virgil. Now you may not live long enough to learn this yourself so just, as a mother, please trust me and take my advice on this. Some things in this world simply are. No amount of study will ever properly explain them. You just have to see the world for what it is in the moment. Without trying to understand it. See the painting for the picture and not just the colors and brush strokes upon the canvas. If you don’t, some of the best things in life will pass you right on by.” He stayed silent before relaxing his form and straightening his collar. “This your way of telling me to have fun tonight?” “The best I can. There will be other meteor showers to study. For now, I think you should take the time to enjoy the night for what it is. You’ll rarely get one as magical as this.” “I’d hardly consider a fancy dinner dance a form of magic.” She exhaled. “You’ll be with your friends on a beautiful night in a beautiful place. It won’t get much more magical than that.” “If you say so.” “Just… promise me you’ll try to have fun tonight? Especially with Spitfire. Please? For me?” He sighed. “I don’t know what you expect to happen but fine… I’ll try my best. But no guarantees.” She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. “Stubbornness must be a universal human trait.” Virgil perked up. “What was that?” “Nothing.” “No, you mentioned humans just now.” She sighed. “I did.” “Did… did you ever know any others? Other than me? Or was I the first?” She lowered her head, her horn dimming and her magic dissipating away from his suit. She turned and walked towards the open window. Down below, the lights of the gala began to illuminate the night and the distant sound of laughing voices tickled the tower’s walls. She leaned against the sill and sighed. In the distance, a red star glowed, the first of many that would be coming in the night as the moon and its mare shaped scar began to rise. She exhaled. With the amount of time left this time, there would be little harm in telling him a little something. “You weren’t the first human I’ve ever met. Nor was your species confined to mythology as previously thought.” “Are there others? Of my kind in the world?” “I don’t know. I doubt I ever will. You came from the sky, fell like a shooting star in a curtain of flames… just like all the others.” “Others? What others?” “You should go freshen up.” “No.” She turned and sighed. He wasn’t using his powers now, but even without them, she knew she couldn’t refuse his next request. “Virgil-” She started. He held up a hand. “Just… tell me. Who were they?” She sighed and turned back to the window. How would she word this? He wanted the truth, or at least some version of it. Some of it perhaps. All she could do was be honest with him. He deserved that much. “They were like you.” She answered. “Intelligent, brash at times, but always kind and always powerful.” “They had my abilities?” She nodded. “Yes, it appears to be a common trait amongst you. Your first counterpart was certainly quite a… handful as you’d put it. But… it got easier with the others.” “How many were there?” “Five before you. You’re number six.” “What… what happened to them?” “What do you mean?” “Did they die? Did they leave to find any others like me? What happened to them?” “No, uh.” She sighed. “They lived their lives and died… I guess what you’d consider naturally for them.” He nodded and stared at the floor. “So, when was the last time you had a human around?” Celestia turned and glanced up at the moon. “About a thousand years ago.” “I see…” She turned and walked to the door, pulling it open with her magic. “You should get going. Your friends will be here soon.” He turned. “The others… did they ever have families?” “Families?” “Husbands, wives, kids, any of them get that far?” He fiddled with his hands. She paused before nodding with a smile. “Yes, quite a few of them actually.” “Were they… were they happy?” “Yes. Quite. I recall they enjoyed their time here quite fondly.” He nodded and straightened his coat. “Can you tell me more about them? After tonight’s over?” “Of course, sweetie.” “Thank you.” “Come on. Your friends are waiting for you and I have guests to entertain.” She ushered him out with a wing before following. She gently closed the door to his room behind them, watching as he continued down the hallway. She glanced out a nearby window at the ominous red star in the sky. She hoped, prayed even, that he would enjoy this night as much as possible. Some final good memories to give him and leave them with. There wasn’t much time left. He’d figure it out soon enough. Just like the others. Celestia straightened her posture before galloping down the hall to catch up to him. Soon, they entered the main wing of the castle, the din of the various guests and their conversations began to reach them. Soon the main staircase was in sight. She paused, waiting out of sight as Virgil walked down the steps. She watched from afar as he swam through the crowds of ponies and other creatures towards the edge of the ballroom and the doors leading out to the garden. Three well-dressed pegasi stood waiting. She smiled as she watched him break out into a jog and join his friends. Soon the four disappeared out into the garden away from the inside crowds, out to join others their age. She took a deep breath. Perhaps he would hate her for not telling him everything. If so, she could live with that. Some of the others did. But at least here, like his predecessors, she could give him some final good memories to go by. Before fate and circumstance returned to take him away. PrologueYou came to Equestria like the others: encased in a red hot egg, light glistening along the shell like stars in the night sky. You were young then, only a baby. Just like the others. You landed in a small suburb just outside of Canterlot. The shock of your arrival thankfully was minimized by your remote landing site. No other pony saw your descent. It was only me. You were raised in the palace, away from your own kind. I doubt you even had a concept of what other humans were. The only one like you. I can only imagine what that felt like. One human child in a world of ponies and dragons. The world must have seemed like a strange place to you. Still, you were a child. My child. My subjects called me Princess. You called me mom. It wasn’t long before your abilities started developing. Telekinesis was first. I remember it well. You were stuck on the floor, reaching for a cup of juice on the counter above. You couldn’t reach no matter how hard you tried. Then, like magic, the cup sprung from the countertop to your waiting hands. Of course it spilled its contents all over the floor but you quickly lost interest in the drink. You had a new power now. And you were loving it. Flight came next. Small hops turned to giant leaps. Over the guards and maids of the castle, you turned vaulting over them into a game. Eventually, tall bounds turned to controlled levitation. You learned to go up and stay up. You really loved that one. Racing the sky guard became a daily hobby of yours. Unlike them, you never needed wings. Then you turned five. And your powers only increased from there, new abilities manifesting seemingly every day. I taught you to control them, to master them the best I knew how. You were a fast learner, always inquisitive, always asking questions. You quickly outpaced every lesson I threw at you. I knew I couldn’t continue to keep you cooped up in the castle forever. And so I made my first mistake, as I always did. I allowed you to go to school. And this time, I even let you pick. That was where you met her. Spitfire. The mare who would go on to become Captain of the Wonderbolts. This was where it started. This was where you destroyed her.
I. The Bite in the BottleSpitfire yawned, trotting down Cloudsdale’s streets, the cloudstone clicking under her hooves with each passing step, her saddlebags bouncing along her sides. Fall was coming and the air nipped her skin like a foal at a cookie. She gave the scarf around her neck a quick tug before breaking out into a gallop, heading for the outskirts. Around her, a multitude of pegasi moved by, some flying, some walking along the clouds. Each one, a unique combination of colors and hues, like a rainbow vomited out among the sky. She yawned again. The city was busier than usual today. She thought of spreading her wings and taking to the skies, but a quick glance upward dispelled her of that notion. The skies were crowded enough as it was. The last thing they needed was an orange, fire maned filly adding to the growing swarm of feathers and fur above. No, better to stay clouded for now. Eventually, she reached the edge of the city. A boardwalk running along the edges of a park and playground beckoned her forward. Sculpted cloudstone formed a long bar, preventing inexperienced foals from plummeting to the ground. Spitfire, however, was no foal. She rushed forward, leaping over the wall like a hurdler on the track, and allowing gravity’s embrace to take her again. She closed her eyes, permitting the all too familiar smile to take over her face as she fell. Wind rushed past her ears, the sound like the gentle whisper of an old flame. The air brushed against her fur, combing the hairs with far more grace and love than any brush could hope to provide. The rush of adrenaline and the thrill of flight began to take her as she spread her wings, arresting her descent. “Whoo!” She shouted into the wind, her grin now stuck permanently to her face. She allowed herself to relax as she glided along the currents before banking towards her destination. Canterlot, the city on the hill. Or cliff in this case. The fortress city sat built upon a large alcove in the mountain face. The plateau of land served as the perfect place for Equestria’s capital. High above the ground, the site was both remote enough that any attacker would be mad to try to take the city, yet close enough to the surrounding settlements as to be still accessible. It was the most strategically important place in the nation, as well as probably the most strategically placed. Towards the far side of the city sat the Royal Castle. A series of pearly spires and towers poked up above the slate rooves and stone streets of the surrounding metropolis. The entire complex was surrounded by a series of gardens and high walls that helped give the palace a more natural yet still secure feel. As she approached, she began to notice the patrols, both on the streets below and in the skies above, encircling the castle. Slowly, she descended, landing with a series of clicks just before the main gate. The guards here knew her well. “How’s it going today, boys?” She smirked. “Well, Miss Spitfire. You’re free to enter.” One answered, pulling his spear away. She nodded. “Thanks.” The gate opened as though the princesses had commanded it themselves, the movement smooth and slow. She scoffed. Clearly magic. She’d almost prefer a slight click or creak with their motions than the strange and disturbing silence that accompanied them. Still, the thought passed as a cloud on a windy day. She had somewhere to be after all. She moved through the courtyard and towards the main palace. The tall oaken doors slipped open just as silently as their gated brethren, revealing familiar regal white halls. The ceilings towered high above, enough for her to comfortably fly with room to spare. She zipped through the halls with remembered precision. Left here, two hundred feet straight then a right there. Her route had long been committed to memory to where she felt confident flying it with her eyes closed. Up ahead, lay one final set of doors. With a grin, she shot forward, bursting through the portal and into the light. She folded her wings to her side, skidding along the grassy surface to stop. She ran a hoof through her mane. A large open greenery greeted her. Numerous flowing trees dotted a landscape of flowers and ferns. An ocean of color spilled into her eyes from the innumerable species of flora, both rare and common. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, holding it for several long seconds before releasing it. It felt like home. She spared a glance towards her right, the large flower garden giving way to a hedge maze set behind the castle in the shadow of the mountain. Numerous stone statues poked out from above the emerald walls like Cloudsdale spires through the clouds on a rainy day. Someday, she thought, they would explore those hedges together. She shook her head, focusing on her destination. A stone path set itself before her, like a great carpet of the halls of the generously spacious castle she’d previously traversed. The destination, at the end of it, offered no less excitement than anything a royal red rug could ever hope to offer. And so trot she did, following the winding path through an arcadia of aromas and auras that perforated the air like the sweet perfumes the noble mares wore at the fancy state functions. Though considerably less pungent and repulsive to Spitfire’s nose. No, flowers and freshly fallen rain were the only scents that ever offered any appeal to her. Seated at the end of the path, the leaves began to pull away, revealing a small grassy clearing, surrounded on all sides by a cluster of trees. A small wooden bench sat near one end of the patch, the far other occupied by a small pond, filled with liquid crystal, shimmering in the light of the setting sun. The center of the patch, left only the comfort of soft grasses, like the smooth fabrics of the castle carpets. Directly across, on the far side of the clearing, the trees gave way to open sky and the stunning drop off of a cliff edge. She sighed, unclipping her bags, allowing them to fall to the ground with a dull thud before she bounded up to the cliff edge, leaning forward and reveling in the sensation of the wind’s gentle caresses across her face. “Punctuality isn’t something pegasi appear to have mastered, is it?” A voice asked. Spitfire opened her eyes. A smirk spilled across her face. “Punctuality is for losers with nowhere better to be.” She retorted, turning to face her accuser. Suspended a few feet from the bench, hanging between two trees, sat a rather strange creature, swinging absentmindedly in a hammock, notebook and pen in hand. Hand. Hands. Those were perhaps its strangest features, aside from its obvious bipedal nature. Uncharacteristically long limbs, at least from an equine perspective, and no fur minus the white tuff atop its head made for a strange appearance indeed. The creature’s two upper limbs ended not on hooves, but on strange things that resembled a Minotaur’s paw or a griffin’s claw. Its head, however, bore no resemblance to anything Spitfire had seen or read about in any book or myth. Its features were angular, though considerably less pronounced than any pony’s or dragon’s or griffin’s. If she had to place any sense of familiarity to it, it would be that of a monkey, though the monkey, as much as she hated to admit, was considerably uglier. Piercing blue eyes sat rested in its skull, between which sat the bridge of its nose that ran down the length of its face, ending just above its mouth. She’d seen it smile before, revealing teeth resembling those of a predator’s though nothing nearly as aggressive as a diamond dog or dragon. The only dangerous bits appeared to be the canines on either side of its jaw. Apparently, it was an omnivore, whatever that meant. And, perhaps most importantly, the creature was distinctly male. And, perhaps most strangely, the creature seemed obsessed with wearing clothes. Without looking up, he responded. “Perhaps you should find somewhere better then, considering our lessons don’t appear to hold the same value between the two of us.” Spitfire stiffened, before closing her eyes and shaking her head. “Come on Virgil, I’m not going to pass this class without your help.” “Hmm, yes, indeed. I hear the academy doesn’t take kindly to the prospect of considering athletes who failed their entry level mathematics. Sounds like you have quite the problem.” “Yes, I do.” She rolled her eyes. “One you agreed to help me with.” “Well considering you have somewhere better to be our agreement appears to be nullified.” She sighed. “You going to be a stick up my ass all day or are you going to help me?” “Is there a question in there?” “Are you really going to make me ask?” “I’m not making you do anything.” “Will you help me with my Calculus or not?” “Manners maketh the mare, young Spitfire.” “Will. You. Help. Me. Please?” He looked up, a small grin gracing his face. “There we go, was that so terribly difficult?” “Shut up and help me already. First test is in two weeks and I have no clue what I’m doing.” He rolled his eyes, closing his notebook and floating up from the hammock, landing with the gentle grace of a god, crossing his legs and sitting down before her. “Now, what is it you need help with?” He asked, placing his hands on his knees. Spitfire looked up at him. A strange feeling passed through her as her eyes lay across his alien face. A strangely familiar look sat glimmering in his eyes. Yet, a smile remained, as it always had. His expression could be called happiness, the loving happiness shared between two friends, as they always had. Yet, without placing a name to it, there was something strangely tortured in his gaze, which had not been there when she’d last seen him several days prior. Yet, he smiled still. Slowly, she rose from her slouched position and retrieved her saddlebags, dragging them over and removing two large textbooks. Virgil appeared to glare at them before reaching out a hand to the two of them. In an instant, the two books leapt to his hand. He gripped them between his fingers as though they were gigantic playing cards before quickly flipping through their collective pages. He sighed before grasping them separately in his hands. “You and I have not had the luxury of sharing a classroom in some time, but I have not been so far removed from mathematical studies to know that you should only require one textbook for this topic, not two.” Spitfire sighed. “There’s only supposed to be one. I got the other one because I got a week into the course before I realized I had no idea what I was doing.” Virgil frowned, glancing at the more massive of the texts in his right hand. “Well, for one, I can tell you straight away that whoever wrote this has little to no idea just how to teach a math class. You won’t be needing this anymore.” In an instant, a bright burst of flame appeared in his palm, incinerating the offending book into nothing but ash. Spitfire paled. “What the hell, dude? That was the textbook for the class! I was only renting it.” Virgil glanced down at the ash pile. “Oh. Well why didn’t you say so?” He raised his hand again, this time the ash pile flying back into his hand before beginning to glow a bright orange before quickly subsiding. In his hand, sat the previously destroyed book, fresh as the day it was printed. “There, now you can return this horrific piece of garbage to the university once your studies have been completed. However, unless you have any homework from that damn thing, I would strongly advise that you use this book instead.” He waved his left hand, tossing the approved text back to her. “So what now?” She asked. “Well, what do you need to know for your test?” He smiled. “Whatever you want to know, I’m yours until you either you fall asleep or until I have taught you everything necessary for you to pass your class.” Spitfire grinned. “Thank you for this.” Virgil rolled his eyes before clapping his hands once and conjuring a bottle filled with a dark amber liquid and two glass in the air beside him. “Thank me after you pass your tests.” He said, pulling one of the glasses out of the air and pouring himself a generous dram from the bottle. “What’s that?” “This, my dear filly, is a bottle of twelve year old Dutch Whiskey. Clydesmorangie. Breakfast of champions. Accept no substitute.” “You’re going to do calculus while drunk?” “No. You forget who, and what, I am sometimes. Drunkenness only applies when I feel like it. This time, it’s for the taste. Feel free to indulge if you’d like.” He nodded, floating the glass over to her. Spitfire sighed. “Drinking and deriving can’t be good for one’s health.” Virgil grinned, taking a sip. “No I think not. But it makes it all the more enjoyable.” “Fair. Alright, give me a little bit.” “Atta girl! Now be careful.” He said, filling the empty tumbler. “It bites like an angry dog but if you can tame the beast and get past that, you’ll find no better friend for meals, special occasions, or even morning coffee.” “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just pour.” “Just sip it slowly.” Spitfire grasped the cup in her wings, lightly sniffing it before putting it to her lips and allowing a small splash to slip across her tongue. Immediately her eyes went wide as the burning took over. Quickly she closed them again, scrunching her nose before mustering the courage to swallow. In front of her, Virgil’s laughter could be heard clear as the birds in the morning. “Ugh! What was that?” She stuck out her tongue. “What do you taste?” He laughed. “Smoke. And pain. And a strange bit of cinnamon.” “Perhaps some soda over it?” “You can do that?” “But of course. Here.” He raised a hand, conjuring a bottle of cola in a flash of light before suspending it over her glass and pouring it over the whiskey, filling it almost to the top. “Poured a bit too much for my taste but you might find it a bit more palatable now.” She sniffed her glass. “I can still smell it.” “Of course you can, silly Spitty. There’s still whiskey in there. Go ahead, try it.” She eyed it suspiciously before taking another sip. This time, her eyes went wide and she glanced down at the glass again before taking another sip. “Slowly now. I don’t want have to try curing a hangover on a Pegasus. Now what do you taste?” She smiled. “Cinnamon still, a bit of a smoky flavor, vanilla, something citrusy I think. It’s sweet, with just the right amount of kick to it. I like it.” “Told you. Now come on, back to math. So what do you need help with?” Spitfire moaned. “All of it.” Virgil laughed. “Fret not, dearest Spitfire. I’ll make a mathematician out of you yet. Now, let’s start with derivatives.” Verbally, Spitfire released her desire to drop dead rather than spend the evening getting tutored in mathematics by Equestria’s only human. Internally, however, whether it was the whiskey or the cool night air, she felt a little warmer inside, snuggling up to her friend as he explained the unholy, mind numbingly boring, finer points of her university math class. Slowly, his words began to blend away, becoming lullabies and sweet melodies in their own right as the moon rose higher into the sky. Eventually, all consciousness abandoned her and she was asleep, slumped over the closest thing Equestria had to a god on earth.
II. The Light in the LensCelestia sighed, her eyes dropping low as she trotted through the halls towards the Royal Observatory. After a long morning dealing with the court, a little sleep walking felt more than deserved in her book. That and a cup of coffee. Or maybe an absinthe. The trek up the tower’s steps always annoyed her to some degree. Even years since its installation, at one royal family member’s insistence, the walk up the massive spiral staircase never seemed to get any shorter. And, perhaps most unfortunately, the open design left open between the steps left little room for an alicorn of her stature to spread her wings and simply take flight up to the top of the tower. So climb she did. Next time, she’d go outside and take the proverbial short cut to the top. Eventually, mercifully, she reached the top. A sculpted archway with a brilliantly carved opening led to the top floor of the astronomy tower. With a small smile, she clip clopped through the portal into the laboratory. The room was a large dome with a titanic set of double doors on one end. The walls were lined with various tables and instruments. A few meters above them, about where a normal ceiling would begin, a set of gears and other mechanisms she didn’t entirely understand ran around the rim. She knew their purpose clearly, however. Accompanying the gargantuan telescope, currently aimed at a forty five degree angle up at a blank patch of the sky, the entire dome would rotate with the telescope, allowing it glimpse whatever it was aimed at within an entire three hundred and sixty degree radius. The entire apparatus, however, was no pony invention, instead designed and constructed by the laboratory’s strange occupant. Virgil sat, hunched over a nearby desk in the shadow of the telescope, running his fingers over a series of a stellar maps. His eyes burned into the papers as though he were commanding them to reveal the very secrets of the universe itself. In a way, she wasn’t wrong. “Hello mother.” He greeted her, without looking up from his maps. She sighed. “How long have you been up?” “Suppose I never went to sleep.” “Virgil, honey… That makes how many nights now?” “Nine.” Celestia sighed, running a hoof over her face. “Honey you really should get back in the habit of sleeping. This isn’t healthy.” “For ponies, you mean. Not healthy for ponies.” He answered, still engrossed with his charts. “No, it’s not healthy for any pony at all. Even for alicorns.” “Well fortunately I am not either of those things.” He glanced up at her. “And I see no purpose in indulging in something that serves no purpose for me.” His eyes focused back up at the tip of the telescope. Silent as the grave, his feet left the floor as he floated up to the lip of first of the massive lenses and mirrors that composed the device. He glanced at the large frame holding the first external lens and snapped his fingers, conjuring a cloth and spray bottle. He sprayed the cloth and began to polish the glass in gentle, circular motions. Celestia sighed. “Guards tell me you got in late last night.” “I did.” “You go out with Spitfire?” He scoffed. “No. She just needed help studying. Unfortunately for me, she fell asleep halfway through our lesson so I brought her home.” “How’s Stormy Flare doing?” “Well enough.” He continued polishing the lens. “I take it she didn’t ask many questions as to why a boy was bringing her unconscious daughter home late at night?” Celestia smiled. Virgil turned, his eyes dark. “Not funny.” “Oh humor your mother for a moment.” Celestia covered her mouth, suppressing a giggle. Virgil dropped to the floor with a thud, running a hand through his snow white hair, pushing it out of his eyes. With a quick snap of his fingers the bottle and rag vanished. “We’re not even the same species.” He deadpanned, returning to his charts. “So what?” "So things like that don't work." “Well she’s quite fond of you for one. And that hasn’t stopped zebras and ponies from having loving and productive relationships.” “You really should drop this subject.” He flipped to another chart. “The Gala’s coming up in several weeks.” “Quit prodding.” “Oh for the love of the gods, ask her!” Virgil snapped up, the unmistakable sound of paper crinkling and rubbing against itself echoing through the observatory. His eyes, normally a brilliant sapphire, now burned a ruby red. Above, the sound of metal groaning reverberated through the chamber. Below, the floor shuddered, the teeth chattering sound of stone cracking bouncing up the steps into the room. Celestia gaped, taking a step back. Virgil’s expression softened, the shuddering subsiding with him. The metal groaning vanished and the crackling dissipated. He turned away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” He said. “I’ll fix whatever damage done.” Celestia exhaled, placing a hoof over her chest. “Sometimes I forget you’re not the same young baby you were when you first arrived.” He raised a hand, the metal groaning returning only to fade away just as quickly as it came. “Nor am I some amateurish unicorn like that Sunset filly you tutored a few years back.” “No. You’re stronger.” She answered. “So much stronger. Remember what comes with great power, Virgil.” “Yeah, yeah, I know. Responsibility.” “Virgil, you really must be careful at all times. I really don’t know if what you can do is native to your species or not. Small sample size considered.” “Yes, it must be quite a mystery, wondering if you son’s species happen to be the gods incarnate.” Virgil rolled his eyes. “You know, to any primitive tribe or untouched sentient species, what unicorns can do would look just as indistinguishable from divinity as my abilities must look to you.” “I’m sure you can appreciate the difference here.” Celestia retorted. Virgil turned. “Says the one who raises the damn sun.” She sighed. “I don’t raise the sun. I just give the planet a little push to get going.” “I can show you the math for the energy required to rotate a body with the mass of a planet. So don’t go assuming that I’m a god.” “I never said I do.” “Mother please. I may not be several thousand years old but I can still see the slightly disturbed expression whenever I conjure up some impossible object out of thin air, or clone myself, or walk through walls, or do some other thing that appears to violate everything you know about the universe.” “Yes, well,” she cleared her throat. “Conjuring an entire ocean into being in the sky because you thought the sky was an actual sea is enough to disturb anyone. Especially if it’s a seven year old doing it.” “I could do it again if you wanted.” He smirked. “No, uh, I think that’s quite alright, honey.” “All it would take is a quick readjustment of the composition of the air.” “Stop it.” “Hmm.” He returned to his charts. “Now I know you decided to forgo university-” “Because it’s for idiots.” “Yes, well, that remains to be seen. However, you’ve been quite occupied up here for the last few months now. What exactly has you so engrossed?” “Actually, it’s quite simple.” He raised a hand, floating over a star chart for her to view. “A new star appeared in the sky a few months ago. I’ve been studying it best I can.” “A new star?” Celestia frowned. “Yes. I’ve circled it on the chart.” Celestia scanned the black and white image of dots and dust until a red circle stumbled into her vision. Overall, compared to the rest of the dots, this one appeared no more or less remarkable. “You can’t tell from the image,” Virgil continued. “But it’s bright red. Kinda just faded into view over a period of weeks. But the weird thing is that it’s been getting brighter. Can’t seem to figure it out.” “Is it a comet?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I wouldn’t have seen it until it started forming a vapor trail. And it certainly wouldn’t be red. No, I suspect it’s something else, but I’m just not sure what exactly.” “Well.” She floated the paper back to him. “Whatever it is, I’m sure Equestria’s brightest mind can figure it out.” “I wouldn’t say that.” He smirked, turning his gaze to his feet. “It certainly wasn’t a pony that designed and constructed this place.” Celestia smiled. “I know I don’t say it often enough but I’m very proud of you Virgil. Whatever you choose to do, you have my full support.” “Even if I decide not to go to university?” She sighed. “Yes if you insist on that one. Though I really do suggest you reconsider. Young colt like you should be out socializing.” Virgil scoffed. “Young colts like me can’t turn water into whiskey and back again.” Celestia coughed. “Well, uh, step one should make you very popular at parties.” “Aren’t you supposed to be the responsible one, Miss Sunbutt? You’re supposed to tell me, ‘No, my son. You better not be irresponsible and go out drinking and be partying all night. You should be studying like a responsible young colt’, or something like that.” “In this case,” Celestia cleared her throat, “If it got you out of the castle, I’d almost welcome it.” “Almost?” “Almost. I don’t want you getting any fillies pregnant.” “I have forty six chromosomes, you only have thirty two. Biological impossibility.” “Should make you even more popular then.” Celestia laughed. Virgil rolled his eyes. “Oh my gods. Don’t you have some meeting to attend to or Blueblood’s butt to wipe or something?” “Yes, unfortunately I can’t spend all day bantering with you, my boy. As much as I enjoy it. Will you be able to make it to dinner tonight or should I just count on you not eating again now for the sixth day in a row?” “That last part’s not exactly true. I had some whiskey last night with Spitfire.” “Whiskey isn’t food.” “Maybe not. But Clydesmorangie is.” He smirked, summoning a glass. “Breakfast of champions. Accept no substitute.” Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know how it’s possible for two youngsters like you and Spitfire to share a twelve year old Dutch and have absolutely nothing happen between you.” Virgil scoffed, sipping his drink. “Probably because she’s a quadruped and I’m a biped.” Celestia sighed. “She really does like you, you know.” “Yes, she likes a lot of ponies. She seemed particularly fond of Soarin’ last time I saw him.” “I think you know what I mean.” “Say, how many Minotaur pony relationships have you seen in recent history?” “Are you going to be like this all day?” “Only until this glass runs out.” He said taking another sip, before watching with some delight as the glass refilled itself. Celestia rolled her eyes. “Get out of the castle, Virgil.” “Is that an eviction?” “For your sake, I hope it isn’t. Treat it as a suggestion. One I advise you follow with all possible speed.” “On pain of death?” She turned with a grin. “On pain of I let Blueblood and his fraternity up here to use however they see fit.” Virgil paled. “You wouldn’t dare.” “I am the Princess of the Sun not the Princess of Mercy. Get out of the castle and socialize. Maybe you and Spitfire could do something together. Heavens know you two haven’t properly socialized beyond school work in months.” “If this is your poor attempt to set us up, forget it.” He turned, walking toward the observatory’s open doors and leaning on the railing. His eyes traced across the green garden of the valley floor below before he took another sip from his tumbler. “Besides… she’s already interested in somepony else.” For a moment, Celestia’s expression soften as she watched the human drink, overlooking the green plains below the city. Try as he might, she was still his mother. And there was no one else who could read him quite like her. She shook her head before replacing her mischievous grin upon her lips. “Well then, another condition. You have to get out of the castle at least once every two days or else I let Blueblood run ragged up in this lovely little laboratory of yours. Or…” He turned, his eyes still bore a dead expression. Yet his curiosity seemed perked at the idea of getting to stay inside his cave. “Or…” Celestia continued. “You find yourself a date to the Gala next month.” Virgil scowled, crushing his glass into dust between his fingers. “Oh come on! That’s not fair!” “Whatever do you mean?” She smirked. “That’s cheating!” “How is that cheating?” “Blueblood’s going to turn this place into a damn strip club!” “Well, not if you can manage to get out of the castle once every two days.” She beamed. “Else I turn over ownership of this tower to your favorite cousin.” “You know, I wouldn’t mind killing him.” “You and many others. Get in line. Now those are your two options, sonny boy.” He scowled at her, his eyes turned to daggers. Celestia had little doubt that if he so chose, that little figure of speech could become a description of reality in the blink of a metaphorical and literal eye. “Your second request is impossible.” “Oh don’t give me that. If that’s what you think then I suggest you get your butt out the door for the day.” “I can’t just leave every two days! I have data to analyze and experiments to run! And I need to keep watching that new star every night!” “Then I suggest you find yourself a date! And fast. And no cloning yourself either.” “That’s not fair either!” “I’ll post guards up here if I have to.” He grit his teeth. “Why are you doing this to me?” “It’s more of a question of why you are doing… whatever this is, to yourself.” “I’m not a pony, mother.” “No. You’re not. You’re something far more. You’re intelligent and powerful, yes, but I am not going to allow you to shut yourself in your ivory tower all day asking questions of the stars. You’re young. You should be out socializing with other ponies your age.” “Other ponies my age.” He scoffed. “Go hang out with some unicorns or something, I don’t care. Though you would probably be better served by rejoining your old posse before you decided to forgo university. I’m sure they would welcome you back with… open arms, so to speak.” “Open wings.” “You can fly you know.” “They’re all trying for the Wonderbolts. Where do you think I fit in with that?” “That’s for you to find out. Now go. I’ll even help you send a letter.” Virgil rolled his eyes, letting out a giant exasperated sigh. A small grin flashed across Celestia’s face. He would hate her for this. At least initially. But in time, he would come to be grateful for it, even if he said nothing on the matter. No. He would enjoy his time away from his high tower and high castle. In the past, getting his predecessors into school and education had been the problem. Now, she never considered the possibility that she would be cursed with the opposite problem. He sighed. “Very well. Send your letter.” He trudged grumpily towards the staircase. “Where are you going?” He turned. “To get a drink. An actual drink since you’re banishing me from the house. Is that permitted, Princess?” She sighed. “Go. Do as you please.” Virgil returned an exaggerated tip of his chin. “Thank you.” With that, he dropped down the stairwell, landing below with a dull thud. Celestia exhaled. “You could use the stairs you know- oh forget it.” She glanced back at the charts on the table and quietly levitated them before her, arranging them by date. The circled star continued to increase in brightness as the weeks passed. She bowed her head, her smile fading into a pout. “Of course he saw it. Of course this time, he saw it first.”
III. The Cream in the CoffeeSoarin glanced down at the letter he received. Spitfire wanted to meet up and go out for the day around Canterlot’s downtown. And apparently, a certain someone was going to be joining them. He smiled. Since high school ended, Virgil had effectively dropped off the face of the world. Thankfully, Spitfire still saw him occasionally but as of recently, despite her close ties with the guy, even she had trouble in interacting with Equestria’s only human. Well, up until now. It was going to be nice to see an old friend again. He folded up the letter and replaced it into his saddlebag, trotting up to the castle gates. Leaning against the wall, with a pen and pad in hand, was Virgil. Soarin shook his head. Almost a year since he’d last seen him and the human still kept his nose buried in his work. A blue and white blur zipped past him, bounding up to the gate. “Virgil!” A raspy voice shouted. The human looked up from his notes, his head whipping from side to side in search of the voice before a small blue Pegasus bounced into his legs. He stumbled, falling backward before catching himself with his powers, floating in the air before flipping and righting himself, glancing down at the offending Fleetfoot. “Oh, it’s you.” He said. Fleetfoot smiled. “Long time, alien colt.” “Mane still white as ever I see.” “Same with you, snow owl.” Soarin waved a wing. “What’s up, dude?” Virgil gave him a nod. “Not much. You?” “Usual, working through school. So, what have you been up to?” Fleetfoot looked up. “Yeah! Haven’t seen you since graduation!” He gestured to the castle. “Research.” “So, you’re the one who built that new tower.” Soarin said. “What even is that thing?” “Just a telescope.” “A big one at that.” Fleetfoot said. “So, what made you decide to leave your ivory tower up there? Spitfire finally drag you out of the royal house for once?” Soarin scoffed. “Obviously. She invited the two of us out here.” Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Did she now?” “Yeah. Why? She didn’t tell you anything?” He turned back to the castle. “That seems to be the running theme as of late.” “Well, it all worked out!” Fleetfoot smiled. “Don’t worry. It’ll just be like old times. Four of us together again.” “Well we’re still missing our glorious leader.” Virgil glanced back to his pad and paper as the sound of flapping wings approached. “Speak of the devil and she shall appear.” He deadpanned. Spitfire descended from the sky, swooping to a stop before the palace gates and dropping to the stone street. She ran a hoof through her mane and smirked. “Virgil! You decided to leave the house today! I’m impressed.” He gave her a frown. She only grinned in return. “Surprised you managed to get him out after all this time.” Fleetfoot laughed. “How’d you do it?” “I got my ways.” Spitfire snickered. “That what you’re going to call it?” Virgil scowled. “Shut it you and come out with us today.” “Seems like I don’t have much of a choice.” “Oh, you’ll enjoy yourself with us and you know it.” Spitfire said, trotting down the street. Soarin gave a shrug and followed her, chased closely by Fleetfoot. Virgil cocked his head and glared after Spitfire. “Come on, V.” Fleetfoot beckoned. “You can tell us what you’ve been up to all these months.” Soarin smiled as the four walked along. The three pegasi stayed ahead of the lone human, who trailed behind them, his nose still buried in his pad as he walked. It was almost as it had always been, though Virgil apparently grew considerably quieter over the last few months. Soarin almost forgot the human was there. Spitfire, didn’t forget. The pale blue Pegasus couldn’t help but chuckle to himself every time Spitfire paused and turned just to be sure Virgil was still there. He could see it in her eyes, the way she watched the human, almost as if she feared he would vanish on her if she didn’t perform a regular checkup. It was a familiar gaze, one he’d seen her focus upon the human colt time and time again in their youth. Eventually, the group stopped at a local coffee shop and bounced inside to the ringing of a bell above the door. The group quickly seated themselves and placed their orders, Virgil seemingly oblivious to what exactly was happening around him until a waitress deposited a large cup of coffee in front of him. He cocked his head and glanced at it. Spitfire and Fleetfoot both giggle and returned to sipping their lattes. Spitfire lowered her drink, licking the foam off her lips. “Black with three sugars, just how you like it, right?” She asked. “Uh, yeah, um, thanks.” He said before taking a sip. “How much do I owe you?” “Relax dude, it’s on me.” He gave her a frown before reaching into his pocket and removing a small bits pouch. “Seriously, how much?” he asked, pushing a small pile towards the fire maned mare. “Dude! I said it was on me.” “Don’t fight her on this one.” Fleetfoot shook her head. “I don’t like the idea of mooching off of you. Especially since I could have just conjured a cup myself.” “Maybe.” Soarin said. “But there is something magical about the freshly made stuff.” Spitfire pushed his money away. “Just consider it a tiny way for me to say thank you for helping me with my studies.” He sighed. “Alright, if you insist.” “I do.” “Ooh, so you’re helping her study?” Fleetfoot smirked. Virgil glared at the Pegasus. “Yes. I am. Just studying.” “Sure, you are.” “Oh, dear Celestia, Fleets!” Spitfire groaned, placing her head into her hooves. Soarin smiled, but still took the hint and turned to Virgil. “So other than helping this dumb filly here through her maths, what else have you been up to?” He sipped his coffee. “Well I build a new observatory and designed a new telescope to go in it. I’ve basically been just conducting astronomy research.” “You know, there was just a meteor shower outside of Ponyville the other night. You catch it?” “Yeah, I did. Wasn’t on the schedule which was kinda weird.” “Where’d they come from then if the Princess didn’t make them?” Spitfire asked. “Well, I don’t know exactly where, but I did get the direction. Funny enough, I’ve been tracking a new star in the sky recently. You actually might be able to see it soon enough without a telescope.” “A new star? What color is it?” Fleetfoot asked. “Red. And it’s been getting brighter. Still not sure exactly what it is yet, but I’ve been studying it as much as I can.” “Is that why you’ve had your nose buried in your pad since we met up?” “Uh, yeah, uh, sorry about that. Just kind of engrossing.” “To you, I’m sure.” Spitfire rolled her eyes. “Nerd.” Virgil scowled at her, raising his hands and snapping his fingers. In a brilliant flash, a medical cone appeared around her neck. Spitfire’s eyes went wide and her face turned a bright red as she struggled to pull it off. Soarin couldn’t help but laugh alongside Fleetfoot at her plight. After a few long seconds struggling, she squeezed her head through the hole and tossed the cone to the floor. Virgil grinned at her and sipped his coffee. “That wasn’t fair.” She said, her face still blushed red. “Not much you can do to stop me.” “Screw you.” “No need to be rude.” He said. “I think that was a request.” Fleetfoot giggled. Virgil glared at her before snapping his fingers again, another cone appearing around Fleetfoot’s neck. “Aw dude!” She groaned, struggling to pull her head out. Virgil turned. “Soarin?” He raised his hooves. “Hey don’t look at me. I’m not making that mistake.” “Good.” “I hate it when he does that.” Fleetfoot muttered, finally prying the cone off. Spitfire turned to face him. “Why don’t you use your unicorn powers on somepony who deserves it? Like, say, that cousin of yours, Blueballs.” “The thought has crossed my mind before, don’t you worry. And he’s not my cousin! We’re not even the same species, let alone related!” “Adoptive cousin then. Still a relative.” “If I shared any blood with that creature, I think I would throw myself into the sun.” “You can actually do that too, can’t you?” Soarin asked. “You can’t survive the sun!” Fleetfoot scoffed. “Can you?” Spitfire raised an eyebrow. “That’s a good question. Just how indestructible are you?” “Honestly, I don’t know. I mean, nothing else has really posed much of a threat to me over the years. Maybe I could do the sun with no problem. Hmm. Maybe that’s what I’ll do this weekend.” “What?” “Yeah. Take a trip to the sun, see what happens. Might be fun.” The three pegasi gaped at him. “What?” Spitfire sighed and planted her hoof over her face. “You are the only one I know who would think walking across the surface of the sun would be fun.” “I said it might be fun.” “Still giving it more credit than I would have.” “Speaking of fun.” Fleetfoot said. “The Gala’s next month. Everyone got their tickets?” “Got mine.” Soarin said. “Mine too.” Spitfire nodded. “Wonderbolts are gonna be there too. Might be a good chance to do some networking. What about you, V?” “Unfortunately, I can’t go to the Gala because it comes to me every year.” “Will you be attending then, you royal pain in the ass?” “My mother didn’t exactly give me a choice.” Fleetfoot titled her head. “Was that a royal degree or did she just mom-tell you to go?” “There’s very little difference between those two things. She wants me to go and socialize, whatever the hell that means.” “You should go.” Soarin said. “It’ll be good for you. After all, we haven’t seen you in months, my friend. It would be good for you to get out.” “Out of what? His high tower or his bedroom?” Fleetfoot laughed. “The Gala’s at his house, he won’t be getting out very far.” “No. But there will be plenty of young ponies and others there. Good opportunity for you to… you know… socialize.” Soarin grinned as he watched the human’s right eye unconsciously twitch. In his periphery, he watched Spitfire shift in her seat before placing a hoof on the table. “Hey, I have an idea.” She said. “Why don’t we all go together?” “Hmm?” Fleetfoot asked. “Yeah, the four of us. We can all attend the gala as a party or a double date if you will.” “Double date?” Virgil’s brow wrinkled. “Who’s dating who here? I miss that much since graduation?” “No! No, uh, no. No one’s dating.” Spitfire sputtered. “Just a suggestion is all. These are formal events after all. Be kinda weird to show up stag.” “Plus…” Fleetfoot smirked. “Rumor has it that your mother wants you out of the house.” Virgil sighed and turned to Spitfire. “How much did she tell you?” “Who?” Fleetfoot and Spitfire said in unison. “Both of you.” “Enough.” They both answered back, before sharing a perplexed glance. “Please stop doing that.” Soarin said. “What?” The two mares replied. “That.” Spitfire cleared her throat. “So, are you in?” Virgil rolled his eyes and glanced out the window at the sun. “It appears I have no choice.” She grinned. “Excellent! Fleets, you and Soarin can pair up and me and Virgil will be a pair! Try to do matching outfits if you can, it’ll look cool that way.” “You seem awfully animated about this.” “The Wonderbolts are going to be there. Of course I’m excited. The fact my friends will be there with me is a great bonus.” “Gee, that makes me feel great.” Fleetfoot rolled her eyes. “Oh, you know you’re just as excited as I am.” “Maybe.” She said. “But I’m not above enjoying a nice night out with my friends.” “You think I won’t have fun at the Gala?” Fleetfoot smirked. “Maybe. You seem more excited about the Wonderbolts than anything else right now.” “What do you want me to do? Prove it to you?” “Yes, actually.” “What do you want?” “Hmm.” She put a hoof to her chin. “How about this? Twenty bits if you manage to prove it to me. But if you can’t twenty bits for me.” “What do you want me to do?” “Now if I told you right now that would ruin the fun.” “A blind bet?” Virgil said. “Sounds fun. Do it.” Soarin said. “What?” Spitfire titled her head. “Why?” “It’ll be fun. Do it. Do it. Do it.” He chanted. Spitfire rolled her eyes. “Fine. Better not make it impossible though.” “It isn’t.” Fleetfoot grinned. “Shake on it though.” She held out her hoof. Spitfire scoffed and grasped her hoof and gave it a shake. “Alright.” Fleetfoot said. “Now come here. I’ll tell you what I want.” Spitfire leaned across the table and Fleetfoot whispered into her ear. Spitfire listened carefully for a brief moment before her eyes went wide and she reeled back to her spot, shaking her head and crossing her hooves in front of her. From her expression, she seemed very close to taking on her namesake, her mane close to bursting into flames atop her head. “No! N. O. No!” She said. “No!” Fleetfoot’s grin only grew larger. “A bet’s a bet, Spitty. We already shook on it.” “Bet’s off, filly! No! I refuse!” “What’d she ask you to do?” Virgil perked up, genuinely curious. Spitfire’s face flushed red. “Shut up! No!” “Geez, sorry I asked.” “Come on Spitty, you promised.” Soarin added. “Oh, you too now? You idiots plan this or something?” “Plan what?” Virgil asked. “Stop talking!” Spitfire shouted. “You just shut up for a moment.” He rolled his eyes. “K. I’ll just go fuck myself then.” Fleetfoot laughed. “Why do it yourself when Sp-” Spitfire’s latte cup flew across the table, smacking the cyan Pegasus in the nose. “If you say another word, I’ll end you.” She seethed. “Alright, here’s the new proposition. Either you agree to this bet or I open my mouth again. A little wider than the last time too. I think you know what I’m talking about Spitfire. And you only have so many coffee cups before they throw you out of here.” “I hate you.” She sighed. “Look at it this way, you have a choice here. Either you do it yourself, or I’ll do it for you.” “Fuck you.” “That a yes or a no, Spitty?” “Fuck you.” She repeated, crossing her hooves. “Just take it as a yes.” Soarin chuckled. “Awesome. And best of all, if you do it, you’ll get twenty bits on top of it!” “Fuck you.” “If she does what?” Virgil asked. “Fuck you.” Spitfire turned to him. “That a statement or a request?” He deadpanned. Spitfire turned red and stood up, rushing out of the café. “Fuck you!” She shouted down the street. Fleetfoot, Soarin, and Virgil all stood up. Soarin shook his head. “Come on, we better catch up with her before we lose her again.” “What did you do to her?” Virgil asked. Fleetfoot winked. “A favor. I did her a favor.” The three bounced out of the café, following a yellow and orange form bolting through the sky towards the Canterlot shopping district. The three leapt into the air and zipped after their fiery friend. Soarin smiled. Life was good.
IV. The G'lamour in the GalaVirgil stiffened as Celestia finished the knot in his cravat. The scowl had become an even more permanent part of his façade ever since she learned that he was attending the Gala with Spitfire and company. And almost on cue, he quickly returned to locking himself away in his tower, studying his new red star, only emerging to entertain Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot when they dropped by. Still, Celestia couldn’t complain. The three pegasi did manage to get the human out for the night. “You know, I could have done this myself.” He muttered. “Oh, relax and let your mother be a mother for one last night.” She retorted, tidying up the knot with one final flourish. His suit was something special, tailor made for the Gala by the palace’s own seamstresses. Black overcoat with red highlights, accompanied by a red vest and red cravat all seated over a white undershirt. Overall, she thought he looked quite handsome. “There’s supposed to be another meteor shower tonight.” He said. “So?” “I was hoping to get the chance to study it.” She sighed. “You really must learn to simply see things rather than study them. You take the life out of, well, life that way.” “I fail to see the distinction you’re trying to make here.” She sighed, running her magic through the fabric of the suit one final time, ironing out any wrinkles and removing any stray hairs. Her eyes focused into his chest. She felt a forlorn expression creep onto her face before swiftly banishing it. Now was not the time. “I’ve walked this world for thousands of years, Virgil. Now you may not live long enough to learn this yourself so just, as a mother, please trust me and take my advice on this. Some things in this world simply are. No amount of study will ever properly explain them. You just have to see the world for what it is in the moment. Without trying to understand it. See the painting for the picture and not just the colors and brush strokes upon the canvas. If you don’t, some of the best things in life will pass you right on by.” He stayed silent before relaxing his form and straightening his collar. “This your way of telling me to have fun tonight?” “The best I can. There will be other meteor showers to study. For now, I think you should take the time to enjoy the night for what it is. You’ll rarely get one as magical as this.” “I’d hardly consider a fancy dinner dance a form of magic.” She exhaled. “You’ll be with your friends on a beautiful night in a beautiful place. It won’t get much more magical than that.” “If you say so.” “Just… promise me you’ll try to have fun tonight? Especially with Spitfire. Please? For me?” He sighed. “I don’t know what you expect to happen but fine… I’ll try my best. But no guarantees.” She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. “Stubbornness must be a universal human trait.” Virgil perked up. “What was that?” “Nothing.” “No, you mentioned humans just now.” She sighed. “I did.” “Did… did you ever know any others? Other than me? Or was I the first?” She lowered her head, her horn dimming and her magic dissipating away from his suit. She turned and walked towards the open window. Down below, the lights of the gala began to illuminate the night and the distant sound of laughing voices tickled the tower’s walls. She leaned against the sill and sighed. In the distance, a red star glowed, the first of many that would be coming in the night as the moon and its mare shaped scar began to rise. She exhaled. With the amount of time left this time, there would be little harm in telling him a little something. “You weren’t the first human I’ve ever met. Nor was your species confined to mythology as previously thought.” “Are there others? Of my kind in the world?” “I don’t know. I doubt I ever will. You came from the sky, fell like a shooting star in a curtain of flames… just like all the others.” “Others? What others?” “You should go freshen up.” “No.” She turned and sighed. He wasn’t using his powers now, but even without them, she knew she couldn’t refuse his next request. “Virgil-” She started. He held up a hand. “Just… tell me. Who were they?” She sighed and turned back to the window. How would she word this? He wanted the truth, or at least some version of it. Some of it perhaps. All she could do was be honest with him. He deserved that much. “They were like you.” She answered. “Intelligent, brash at times, but always kind and always powerful.” “They had my abilities?” She nodded. “Yes, it appears to be a common trait amongst you. Your first counterpart was certainly quite a… handful as you’d put it. But… it got easier with the others.” “How many were there?” “Five before you. You’re number six.” “What… what happened to them?” “What do you mean?” “Did they die? Did they leave to find any others like me? What happened to them?” “No, uh.” She sighed. “They lived their lives and died… I guess what you’d consider naturally for them.” He nodded and stared at the floor. “So, when was the last time you had a human around?” Celestia turned and glanced up at the moon. “About a thousand years ago.” “I see…” She turned and walked to the door, pulling it open with her magic. “You should get going. Your friends will be here soon.” He turned. “The others… did they ever have families?” “Families?” “Husbands, wives, kids, any of them get that far?” He fiddled with his hands. She paused before nodding with a smile. “Yes, quite a few of them actually.” “Were they… were they happy?” “Yes. Quite. I recall they enjoyed their time here quite fondly.” He nodded and straightened his coat. “Can you tell me more about them? After tonight’s over?” “Of course, sweetie.” “Thank you.” “Come on. Your friends are waiting for you and I have guests to entertain.” She ushered him out with a wing before following. She gently closed the door to his room behind them, watching as he continued down the hallway. She glanced out a nearby window at the ominous red star in the sky. She hoped, prayed even, that he would enjoy this night as much as possible. Some final good memories to give him and leave them with. There wasn’t much time left. He’d figure it out soon enough. Just like the others. Celestia straightened her posture before galloping down the hall to catch up to him. Soon, they entered the main wing of the castle, the din of the various guests and their conversations began to reach them. Soon the main staircase was in sight. She paused, waiting out of sight as Virgil walked down the steps. She watched from afar as he swam through the crowds of ponies and other creatures towards the edge of the ballroom and the doors leading out to the garden. Three well-dressed pegasi stood waiting. She smiled as she watched him break out into a jog and join his friends. Soon the four disappeared out into the garden away from the inside crowds, out to join others their age. She took a deep breath. Perhaps he would hate her for not telling him everything. If so, she could live with that. Some of the others did. But at least here, like his predecessors, she could give him some final good memories to go by. Before fate and circumstance returned to take him away.
PrologueYou came to Equestria like the others: encased in a red hot egg, light glistening along the shell like stars in the night sky. You were young then, only a baby. Just like the others. You landed in a small suburb just outside of Canterlot. The shock of your arrival thankfully was minimized by your remote landing site. No other pony saw your descent. It was only me. You were raised in the palace, away from your own kind. I doubt you even had a concept of what other humans were. The only one like you. I can only imagine what that felt like. One human child in a world of ponies and dragons. The world must have seemed like a strange place to you. Still, you were a child. My child. My subjects called me Princess. You called me mom. It wasn’t long before your abilities started developing. Telekinesis was first. I remember it well. You were stuck on the floor, reaching for a cup of juice on the counter above. You couldn’t reach no matter how hard you tried. Then, like magic, the cup sprung from the countertop to your waiting hands. Of course it spilled its contents all over the floor but you quickly lost interest in the drink. You had a new power now. And you were loving it. Flight came next. Small hops turned to giant leaps. Over the guards and maids of the castle, you turned vaulting over them into a game. Eventually, tall bounds turned to controlled levitation. You learned to go up and stay up. You really loved that one. Racing the sky guard became a daily hobby of yours. Unlike them, you never needed wings. Then you turned five. And your powers only increased from there, new abilities manifesting seemingly every day. I taught you to control them, to master them the best I knew how. You were a fast learner, always inquisitive, always asking questions. You quickly outpaced every lesson I threw at you. I knew I couldn’t continue to keep you cooped up in the castle forever. And so I made my first mistake, as I always did. I allowed you to go to school. And this time, I even let you pick. That was where you met her. Spitfire. The mare who would go on to become Captain of the Wonderbolts. This was where it started. This was where you destroyed her.
