Chapters Celestia was bored. The endless droning from the delegate from Fillydelphia had been going on for almost a full hour by now. It was some insignificant argument to settle a dispute with Manehattan over trade tariffs again. Celestia swore these happened at least every decade and it always settled the same way, by the tariff being modified by a few cents. She was besides herself with boredom, she'd done this charade for the better part of a thousand years.
"...and that is why the Fillydelphia docks charge two bits per one hundred pounds of raw materials that comes into our harbors. The fact that Manehattan only charges one bit per hundred pounds is positively absurd! They're taking all of our commerce coming in from Griffonia!" The Fillydelphia delegate exclaimed.
"I'm sorry but if you're charging double our tariff to be greedy then maybe Fillydelphia doesn't even deserve the commerce in the first place! I mean good grief you're supposed to be the heartland of Equestrian industry. You should have the cheapest price seeing as you make the most bits from industry alone! Are you all so daft that you can't budget right? Manehattan would never be..." The argument became heated again as the Manehattan delegate fired back. It was going to be a long day.
Celestia sighed inwardly and decided to day dream. This wasn't uncommon for the centuries old mare. She already knew where this was headed, in a few hours the delegates would reach a compromise and then she would just make the paperwork official. She didn't really need to pay much attention. Thus, she went into her mind and thought of a happier place. A place where it was just her in her room, her tea, her slice of cake and... her Twilight Sparkle.
A small smile crept on the princess' face. Oh how she imagined being close to Twilight Sparkle. Feeling the weight and warmth of her body pressed against hers. The feeling of her soft wings intertwined with hers. The intoxicating smell of her former student's lavender hair. It was magical. In her dream they laid together and had tea. They talked about whatever was current. The conversation would be intersected by sweet nothings and a kiss here and there. Seeing the lavender mare blush and turn away, then Celestia would use her hoof to turn her head and kiss her passionately. It was everything she ever wanted. The kiss would deepen and soon their tongues would start battling for conquest of each other's mouths. Celestia would turn over on her back and pull Twilight on top of her. Twilight would straddle her and keep kissing her. Celestia would use her hoof to massage Twilight's wings in the spots she just knew her former student loved. Twilight would moan into the kiss and then-.
A burst of green fire snapped Celestia out of her dream. A small piece of parchment materialized in front of her and dropped to the ground. The delegates, startled by the letter, stopped arguing and merely watched. She took a second to compose herself and her regality was back at full force. Something she had perfected to a science over more than a millennium of ruling. 'Speak of the king of Zaire and he shall appear.' She thought to herself. She used her magic to bring the letter to her and began to read it.
'Dear Princess Celestia.
Wow, it's been a while since I started a letter like that. No Spike don't write that down! (Hehehe -S) Anyways. I know you're busy right now. Actually, you're probably in day court judging by the time, but I need to talk to you. Not right now. Well, actually, yes right now but you don't have to come right now. I just... I need some advice on matters pertaining to uh well... love? I know maybe I should talk to princess Cadence about this but it just feels more cathartic to ask you about it. I mean you've been alive for well over a thousand years and I just think you might have the experience and wisdom I need. If you can come, please do so at your earliest convenience. Thank you princess Celestia.
-Your faithful ~~stu~~ friend, Twilight Sparkle.
Celestia couldn't help but chuckle softly and a warm smile presented itself on her muzzle as she read. Her heart skipped a beat when she read over why Twilight wanted to talk to her. 'A matter of love? Could it be...?" She let her thoughts wander for a moment. She imagined the scenario. She'd arrive at Twilight's castle, they would greet each other, sit down, have some tea and then Twilight would be here adorable awkward self. She'd sit down next to Celestia and ask about how to court a mare. She'd drop hints about how it was Celestia whom she wanted to court. Then Twilight would scoot closer and closer. Then finally, she drape her wing over Celestia and confess her feelings for her. Ahhh it was magical.
"Uh, Princess Celestia?" For the first time in what she figured was a century, Celestia felt embarrassed. She was definitely caught daydreaming this time. The delegate, the one from Manehattan, that spoke up looked at his princess with concern. "Are you alright?" The mere notion that the princess could be anything but a regal bureaucrat was a forgone concept for these delegates. Celestia composed herself, again, in only a second.
"Day court is adjourned. We shall resume tomorrow at our regular time. For now, the delegation will return to their quarters and I shall attend my other duties." She declared to the room, although at the moment only the two delegates and a few guards were there. With a curt nod of respect to both delegates, Celestia left without another word.
The two delegates looked at each other and blinked. "So uh... Drinks on me at our usual spot?" Asked the one from Fillydelphia. The one from Manehattan smiled and nodded.
"Hell yeah!"
Twilight Sparkle was stressed. Although not a foreign concept for the young Alicorn, the source of the stress was indeed foreign. Twilight, for all twenty or so years of her life, had never had to face such a thing as romance. In all her magic studies when she was a filly, she seldom had the time to have a social life, much less a romantic one. She knew what love, romance and dating entailed, who didn't, but it was the intricacies of it that boggled her mind. She was one hell of an awkward mare and she knew it. How was she suppose to even approach this, much less deal with it.
"Twilight you've been pacing so much you've worn a groove on the floor." Spike said with a deadpan tone. Indeed, beneath Twilight's hooves was a moat-like groove she had created around the friendship table. "Actually kinda impressive considering the floor is crystal."
"Spike what am I going to do?! I don't know how to deal with this. This is the first time something like this has happened to me and I'm clueless!" Twilight exclaimed, resuming her pace.
"Calm down Twilight. You've faced monsters that could destroy Equestria and ponies with magical power matching that of yours that did destroy Equestria." Twilight cocked her head at Spike. "Well I mean technically she did, that timeline was real. You just fixed it." He said and shrugged his shoulders. Twilight kept pacing. "You haven't let it get to you but you're gunna let this get to you?"
Twilight sighed and stopped pacing. "Spike I'm not even sure if I want this which is what scares me the most. I've never really thought about having a special somepony. I never really had the time. And now that the opportunity has presented itself, it scares me because I don't even know if I want it. And then if I do want it, I have no idea how to get what I want." She said and laid down into the groove. She put her hooves over her face.
"Twilight there's not much you have to do. I mean like you said, the opportunity presented herself to you." Spike said, walking over to Twilight and soothingly caressed her mane. "You just have to go with the flow. Let her court you." Spike smiled when Twilight peeked from under her hooves.
"But what if I mess it up Spike? I mean I might have already!" She suddenly jumped from her self imposed heap and gasped. "I didn't think about that but I just left her there with a 'I'll get back to you on that'. What kind of answer is that?!" She exclaimed as she held Spike in front of her with both hooves.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Silently giving thanks to whatever deity there was, Spike got out of Twilight's grip and went to answer the door. When he opened it, a deity greeted him.
"Hello Spike! It's wonderful to see you." Princess Celestia said and leaned down to give the young drake a hug.
"Thank you, princess Celestia." Spike said returning the hug.
Hearing the words of her former mentor, Twilight was brought out of her stupor. "Princess? Why are you here?" She asked as she came closer to the door. "Well I know why but why so soon? Don't you have day court?" Twilight smiled sheepishly.
"Oh Twilight when I got your letter I just had to come over. Day court was slow anyways and well I want to be here for you for this unique problem." Celestia explained with a happy genuine smile on her face as she walked in. The two princesses and dragon walked side by side towards a place they could talk.
"Oh that's very... kind of you." Twilight said, an inkling of nervousness and worry in her tone. "Are you sure you weren't too busy? I would hate to have interrupted you." She asked, a bit worried of her possible transgressions. Both princesses sat down and Spike went off to the kitchen to prepare tea.
"Oh nonsense Twilight. You're a very dear friend to me and I feel... flattered that you sought my advice on this topic." Celestia said with a smile and just the barest hint of a blush.
Twilight relaxed slightly and she smiled. Celestia was at her rescue. She knew she could always count on the millennia old Alicorn. Even if she wasn't her mentor anymore, she definitely was one of her closest friends. It felt good to have somepony to rely on.
"Thank you princess. I really do appreciate you coming here." Twilight smiled and gave Celestia a quick hug of gratitude. Celestia relished the moment that Twilight made contact with her body. She could feel the softness of her fur and just barely feel the soft feathers of her wings. It was over far too quickly for Celestia but she made no show of that feeling.
"Well I guess I should start with what I'm dealing with..." Twilight trailed off. A moment later, Spike showed up with a tray of tea and snacks. He place them on the table, bowed and said goodbye to the princesses then left them to talk. "Ever since I was a little filly, I've never had much time for a social life, much less time for romance. As you know, I was studying a lot. So as you can imagine, I'm woefully inexperienced with the subject of romance, love and dating..." Twilight said, a blush of embarrassment flushed her face. She took a teacup in her magic and drank some of the hot liquid.
Celestia could explode right now. She watched the adorable young Alicorn fidget slightly as she talked. It was so precious to her and she wanted nothing more than to reach over and kiss Twilight's lips then tell her it was all right. That she loved her too. Inwardly, she was ready to give in at the slightest hint of her affection being returned.
"Princess have you ever had someone have a crush on you? Or have you yourself ever had a crush on someone?" Twilight asked tentatively but eager to hear an answer.
"More than a few times to both those questions, Twilight..." Celestia said with a knowing smile, she ever so discreetly scooted closer to Twilight. "Many ponies have fancied me and tried to court me. Only a few I have wanted in return." Celestia leaned in to Twilight's ear and let out a heavy breath. "And only a very special few have actually courted me." She leaned back and smiled. If Twilight didn't know better, or rather maybe because she didn't know, she would have noticed that Celestia's smile was a bit suggestive.
"Wow... I'm sure they were very special ponies to have been with you princess." Twilight said in wonderment. She still regarded Celestia as an almost divine being, and for such a divine being to have chosen a pony, those ponies had to have been special.
"They certainly were, Twilight." Celestia almost jumped at the opportunity that seemingly presented itself to her, but she kept her cool. "It's been such a long time now since I had a special somepony." Celestia took a small pause and made it obvious she was looking right at Twilight's eyes. "I'm waiting for the special pony that can steal my heart next." A soft smile followed Celestia's words. Inwardly, she was begging whatever deity was above her for Twilight to take the chance.
Twilight smiled softly and turned away from Celestia. For a second, Celestia cursed the sky but she rescinded the curse when she heard Twilight's words. "Princess... How do you... how do you court a pony... or rather a mare?" It was slow and the words balanced themselves on shaky platforms, but every word was deliberate.
Celestia could explode, again. "Well my little pony, courting has changed a lot throughout the years. But the basic concepts remain relatively the same." Celestia's smile threatened to spill the joy she maintained within. "You have to compliment her like telling her that she looks absolutely beautiful right now." Celestia said and leaned in close to Twilight. She almost went for the kiss and it took all one thousand years plus of will to refrain from kissing Twilight. "You have to take her out on dates, like say the Canterlot gardens?" Celestia waited to see if Twilight would get the hint, however Twilight did not. That was okay, Celestia's patience knew no bounds. "You have to trust her and be honest with her. Communication is key in a healthy relationship as well. Always tell her how you feel even if it's negative emotions." Celestia explained, the fillyhood smile never leaving her lips. "And you have to cherish, care for and support her unconditionally. Always be there for her. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Twilight listened intently and made a mental note of everything the princess said. After going over it in her head, she nodded slowly. "I think so princess... It sounds very daunting to me and quite scary to be honest but if that's how a relationship and love is supposed to be... I think I do want it." Twilight said with a smile, her worry slowly seeping away through said smile.
"I'm so happy you think so, Twilight." Celestia's smile did not waver, however she clearly had to push the young Alicorn just a bit. "May I ask why has the subject of romance come up?" The blush that flushed the young Alicorn's cheeks was all that Celestia needed to see.
"Well you see princess... I..." Twilight paused. Celestia almost jumped and said yes. "I was asked out by a mare..." Twilight finished feeling embarrassed.
"Yes! Twilight of cour-! Wait what?!" Celestia's smile finally fell. Time froze in her mind. The joy she had felt left a vacuum of emotions and all the negative ones were about to vie for power.
"Earlier today, I was visiting my friend, Nova Bloom. I met her a few months ago and she's a magic prodigy like I was and we hit it off. So today we were going to spend time together. She invited me to her house, made lunch for us and then we went on a walk to the park and then during the walk she began to say how she felt when she was around me. And how comfortable she felt with me. And how attractive I was to her and how she wanted to start a romantic relationship with me." Twilight explained, her explanation barely better than a word jumble. "And I panicked and said I'd get back to her with an answer and then I came here and Spike said I should write to you and now we're here!" Again, Twilight rambled.
In Celestia's head, anger had won the war. It had won with relentless fury, whose intensity was only matched by the sun itself. Nova Bloom. The name echoed within her own mind and she cemented it into her psyche. She needed to remember it for later. She was going to make sure this was nipped in the bud.
"I see." Celestia's expression was completely neutral. Almost emotionless, it was the experienced expression of a seasoned diplomat whom did not let emotions betray her. "Well Twilight that's quite the predicament that you've found yourself in. If this mare actually likes you, she will try to reach out again. In the meantime, I suggest you bide your time. See if she's actually interested in you." Celestia got up, her tea and snack forgotten. "Remember my little pony, she could be after that regalia upon your head. The consort of a princess does receive several social advantages." Celestia said with a small smile then turned and walked away.
"Princess?" Twilight asked tentatively. While she was not astute to the intricacies of romance, she could tell when a pony changed their demeanor.
"It's something to think about, Twilight. Don't let yourself be taken advantage of." Celestia said, not bothering to turn back to Twilight. "Now I must return to Canterlot, duty calls and such." She opened the door of Twilight's castle with her magic. "Oh and if she does come by and you do start a romantic relationship with this mare, I would love to meet her." With one last smile and a small wave, Celestia leapt into the sky and soared away.
Twilight watched as Celestia ascended to the sky with speed. She wondered what had happened. How come Celestia's demeanor had changed so dramatically? Why had she given her a warning about Nova Bloom? It was boggling her. A new set of worries started to set in and Twilight Sparkle was once again stressed.
Author's Note
So there we are! The first chapter of my first official story on FimFiction. I was loosely inspired by looking up Yandere stories on here and finding one about Celestia. The idea of a Yandere Celestia is very interesting to me because I believe it's a concept that has a lot of malleability, something you can play around with and have fun. That's what I intend to do with this story, have fun. I can only hope you guys have fun reading it. Of course, if you don't like TwiLestia or Yandere Celestia, feel free to stop reading, because it only goes downhill from here!
The wind blew harshly upon Celestia's skin. At the speed she was flying, it was as if she were fighting against a hurricane. It did not matter. It was not important. Only one thing was important right now. Nova Bloom. That name, engraved into her psyche next to the names of countless other enemies, shined with intensity. Keeping her keenly aware of its existence. Of her existence. She was going to fix that error upon the world.
After only a few more wingbeats, she could see Canterlot getting closer and closer to her. She began to slow down upon approach but kept some speed. She flew above the palace and headed beyond it, to the city of Canterlot itself. She knew exactly where she was headed. A few miles away from the castle, in the middle of an otherwise unassuming business district of Canterlot, stood a large building. The building itself was not too different from the other office skyscrapers besides it. The only difference was that most of its windows were impossible to see into. Celestia didn't even need to spot the building before she landed right in front of it.
The guards, although alarmed at first, did not stop her from entering the building. Above her head, above the threshold, were the words 'Canterlot Institute of Assistance.' A few ponies turned to look at the princess as she walked through the door. A couple of them were surprised to see her and some smiled and bowed. A few others, kept their expressions neutral and bowed. The Canterlot Institute of Assistance was an agency created by Celestia to assist handicapped ponies with their disabilities with any means available. As such, a group of disabled ponies waited in the lobby. Each waiting to be assisted by someone with whatever reason they were there for.
Celestia smiled when she came across some of the disabled ponies that were there. A lot of them had wheel-assisted walking apparatuses, a few had prosthetics and more than a couple were clearly mentally handicapped. She smiled and even gave them a few words of encouragement and assured them her ponies at the CIA would help them. They smiled back and thanked her. Soon she left them and walked towards an elevator in a hallway to the side.
The guards near the elevator let her through with only a curt bow. Her expression returned to a stoic neutral as she pressed the button to go down. The elevator lurched down and within a few minutes, the doors opened to a large room. A lot of ponies were in the room. All of them worse suits and some had military insignias upon those suits. Most of them moved throughout the room going from task to task. The room itself was dark blue, seemingly the very walls and tile floor was made of the dark blue material. Fluorescent lights illuminated most of the room. It was shaped like a bowl, wherein above there was a catwalk that had stairs that led down to a center area.
Celestia smiled as she saw her creation. Beneath her, she could see her own insignia emblazoned on the floor. Above it, the words 'Canterlot National Intelligence and Security Agency' could be read. This agency was much different to the one above, but all the same, it would assist her. Once ponies noticed the princess, they all stopped and saluted her.
"At ease my little ponies." She said with a smile. They still stood at attention however. "Where is the director?"
"Down here your highness." Called a voice from bellow. Celestia looked the railing and spotted the director in the area bellow. He was a pale yellow unicorn stallion with a black mane. The bags under his eyes foretold a lot of experience or a lot of sleepless nights. Without another word, she made her way down to the director and all the other ponies went about their tasks.
"Ah, director Spice. Just the pony I wanted to see today." Celestia smiled and the stallion bowed.
"How may I assist you, your highness?" His tone was formal and neutral. Another pony who's emotions could not betray him.
"Mind if we head to your office? I would feel more comfortable explaining my task there." Celestia said and without confirmation, headed to a far door behind the stallion. The stallion followed without another word. Once they were behind closed doors, Celestia's expression darkened considerably. "I need all the files that you have on a mare named Nova Bloom. Alive, Ponyville." Celestia wasted no time.
"Just a second your highness." Spice said as he walked behind his desk. Using his magic, he opened the blinds of his office opposite the door. The blinds opened to a large spiral tower made of a material resembling polished basalt. The tower extended upwards and downwards to seemingly endless extremes. Using his magic, he repeated. "Nova Bloom, alive. Ponyville." After a few seconds, a small wire of magical light extended from his horn to a small section of the tower that illuminated. Spice used his magic to pull out the files contained within the small compartment, then closed it. The compartment remained lit. The glassless window let the files into the office.
"Alright let's see here..." Spice said as he opened and read the files. "Born in Vanhoover. Prodigy of fire magic. Joined the Vanhoover militia and has basic training. Worked at the Vanhoover hydroelectric dam for six years. Joined the worker's strike of the dam. Was later fired due to 'industrial accident' involving her fire magic. Left Vanhoover shortly after. Now lives in Ponyville. Works at the Ponyville power distribution plant." Spice finished reading Nova's file. "Should we be concerned of this pony?" He asked simply and turned the file to show Celestia Nova's portrait
Celestia looked at the picture. She was a white coated unicorn with a red and black mane. Very striking, her colors would be hard to miss. "Pin her as a suspected rogue. Risk level high. Have agent Waters follow her and watch her every move. And reopen the Vanhoover hydroelectric dam investigation." Celestia said, as if marking off a check list in her head. "But this time, make sure there is enough evidence to warrant it an act of sabotage perpetrated by Nova Bloom herself."
"As you wish your majesty." Spice said simply, keeping his expression neutral. "Agent Waters is already in Ponyville conveniently enough. I will let her know of her new assignment. Shall we search and retrieve at the suspect's home?" Spice asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Yes and keep me informed of anything the suspect does. Specially if she visits Twilight Sparkle's castle." Celestia said with a firm tone, the fire in her eyes briefly lit itself. Then an idea struck her. "Oh and have agent Waters visit the Ponyville power distribution plant."
"Under what orders, your majesty?"
"Unrestrained sabotage. Using fire magic."
"It will be done, my princess."
Author's Note
Fun fact, Nova Bloom is a fusion of 2 old OCs I have, including her backstory.
It was mid afternoon over Ponyville. The sun had traversed most of the sky at this point and Celestia would soon set it under the horizon. A small dark blue unicorn with a pale pink mane trotted down Ponyville square. Having just bought herself groceries for the rest of week, she walked home and hummed to herself a happy tune. Rounding a corner, it wasn't long before she saw her house in the distance. Suddenly, her horn tingled. Knowing all too well what that meant, she focused her magic and casted a spell.
'Good afternoon Waters.' The voice of director Spice sounded in her head, as if he were just a thought. 'We have a new assignment for you. Directly from the princess.'
'I'm listening.' Waters responded, not skipping a step nor losing hold of her groceries in her magic.
'Suspect is Nova Bloom. A unicorn suspected of rogue activity. Adept at fire magic, currently residing in Ponyville and works at the power distribution plant.' Spice explained.
'Objective?' Waters asked, not really speaking but conveying her question as a thought.
'Track and survey suspect. Search and retrieve evidence at suspect's home for a definitive culprit of the Vanhoover hydroelectric dam sabotage. And unrestrained sabotage of the Ponyville power distribution plant using fire magic.' Spice explained. 'With definitive culprit of Ponyville sabotage being suspect, of course.'
'Unrestrained sabotage?' Waters questioned, a bit surprised.
'Yes. Feel free to get creative with this one, Waters. Seems to me, the more collateral the merrier.' Spice almost seemed to add a bit of emotion to that one. 'Dossier on suspect will be sent to you shortly.'
'Understood. I will begin my operations immediately.' Waters did not question her orders further, but Celestia really wanted this pony gone. With that, she could feel director Spice cut the connection. She soon entered her home, still humming the same tune. Seconds after she was inside, she received a mental image of Nova Bloom's file. As a mental image, it was in its nature to slowly deteriorate within one's mind. As such, Waters quickly made a separate mental note of the suspects address, what she looked like and her work schedule. She ended her shift at 6 PM. Looking over at the clock, it was 15 before 3PM. Waters had enough time for a quick search and retrieve.
About half an hour later, Waters was across the street from the suspects home. It was a humble little house, no bigger than her own. One story, probably four rooms; kitchen, living room, study/office room and one bedroom. Modest and homely, like most houses in Ponyville. As she walked over to the house, she magically scanned it for any kind of defensive magic. She found none and immediately she knew that this would be simple. Before she even reached the front steps of the house, she teleported inside past the door.
After the brief flash and existential crisis of teleportation, Waters was inside the suspects home. Again, the inside was modest and homely. A few feet in front of her was a doorway to her left which led into the living room and one to her right which led into the study. Further down the hallway there were two more doorways that most likely were the kitchen and the bedroom. Yep, exactly the same as her home. Not interested in either the living room nor kitchen, Waters went into the right doorway. Into the study.
The study wasn't much to write home about. It was small and there were a few knickknacks and trinkets but nothing noteworthy or valuable. At the edge of the room, right behind the window was a small desk. On top of the desk was a small white notebook with the words 'Manifesto' on the cover. Now that was interesting. Waters opened the small notebook and skim over its contents.
It was more or less almost like a diary of the suspect. It detailed her grievances with the city government of Vanhoover, the unfair hours and pay at the Vanhoover hydroelectric dam and some small time rhetoric about changing the way the Equestrian economy operated. It wasn't anything illegal and far from dangerous but definitely useful for Waters. She left it open to a random page and focused her horn on the page. After a few seconds she magically scanned the horn writing of the suspect and Waters was able to perfectly replicate the writing style. With that, she powered up her horn for another spell.
Waters focused harder, feeling the mental strain of her magic but she needed to strain herself. This kind of magic had to be absolutely precise. With her magic, Waters was able to begin moving the ink on the paper. It was very precise magic but Waters was good at precision. She lifted the ink off of the paper, leaving only minor splotches behind, and began to use said ink to rewrite the journal. It took her a considerable amount of time and a headache had set in well before she was done, but Waters had done it. She was expertly able to rewrite the journal using the ink already upon it. She took another 10 minutes to clean up the very few and minor splotches she had made but she was proud of her work.
Now the manifesto read more like a confessional journal and the ravings of a political extremist. In it, Nova Bloom confesses to deliberately using her fire magic to sabotage the hydroelectric dam. Citing the unfair hours and wages as her main reasons. Her hatred for the Equestrian government and the princesses. Her radical calls for a violent worker's revolution and that she would be the instigator of such an uprising. That she would soon commit another act of rebellion within the Ponyville power distribution plant. All made to look like the original horn writing of Nova herself. It was mad. It was perfect. With that, Waters headed for the bedroom.
The bedroom was similarly small and insignificant. A twin size bed sat idly by on one side of the room with several personal belongings strewn about. Nothing of particular stood out to Waters at first but then she spotted it. Just behind the closet, the gleam of a red sapphire gemstone. When she walked closer she felt it. Magic radiated from the gem. Opening the closet she saw what was undoubtedly a magic staff. It was wooden, seemingly made from two tree branches that were intertwined into one another. At the top, where the branches coalesced, a red sapphire gemstone was embedded into both. Serving as the meeting point of both branches.
"Oh mare! You just made this way easier." Waters couldn't help but exclaim. This was an enchanted staff of, Waters assumed, fire magic. You needed a permit to own such a thing and the legal ones did not have gems embedded into them. As gems magnified the magical power output. The dossier sure as hell didn't mention Nova having a permit! She had illegally enchanted and modified a magic staff adapted to one of the most restrictive kinds of magic! It was like finding the murder weapon being held by the murderer at the scene. She gently opened the closet door and enveloped her magic around the staff. She focused and her magical aura took the shape of the staff perfectly. She channeled it, the spell framework taking shape in her mind. She copied it, ley line by ley line, until her magic took on the same exact spell framework. Then she used just a bit of the imbued magic in the staff to imbued the spell framework. Then she was done.
It worsened her headache into a migraine but Waters couldn't help but smile. Her work here was done. With the manifesto and the staff now useful as clear evidence of a rogue pony, the princess would have all she needed to make this work. Humming to herself she made her way out of the house. Reaching the front door, Waters noticed that it was unlocked. That wasn't uncommon in Ponyville. Shrugging and not wanting to worsen her headache, she simply walked through the front door and closed it behind her. Now all she needed to do was tail this mare and she would be done for the day.
Author's Note
That's about half of the story done. I'm thinking of keeping it at about 6-8 chapters, already have an idea for the rest. I'll write more soon! I hope you guys enjoyed this thus far.
The sun was starting to set, and Nova's shift was ending. Using her magic to punch in her clock out time, Nova walked out of the small office building near the plant. The rest of the plant was made up of a series of massive industrial generators all connected by wires and recievers. A low hum constantly sang in the air. It was a big plant that supplied power to all of Ponyville and the few minor communities surrounding it. Nova smiled as she looked back at the plant. She liked her job. She was always fascinated by the way electricity worked. Her dream was to one day be an electrical engineer, but given her recent misfortunes, that dream was on hold. She saw a few other ponies clocking out and even fewer still clocking in. It was the usual transition from day shift to night shift.
Nova soon walked away from the plant and into Ponyville proper. She looked up at the sky and noticed the wonderful colors of twilight. 'Twilight.' Nova sighed and looked back down to the ground. She had buried herself into her work to forget how embarrassed she had felt earlier that day. During her lunch break, she invited the purple Alicorn to eat lunch with her and then, with some spare time, decided to take a nice walk with her. However, during the walk, she made the stupid decision to confess her feelings for the young Alicorn and possibly ruined her friendship with her. Now that she was out of work, the full brunt of her actions hit her.
'For Celestia's sake, she probably just doesn't like me that way, and I was too stupid to realize. Or worse, she thinks I'm after her princess title. How could I be so stupid!' Nova chastied herself with her own thoughts. She looked up and saw that Twilight's castle was not too far from where she was now. 'I really should at least apologize. Maybe I can still be her friend.' Steeling her nerves, Nova made her way towards Twilight's castle.
The walk there didn't take too long, but the sun had formally set down the horizon, and night was starting to set it. Nova stepped up to the castle door and knocked on it three times. Silence followed for more than what was comfortable, and her resolved was deteriorating fast. Just before she was about to leave, the door opened.
"Oh, hello, uhhhhh... Nova!" Spike greeted her. Nova didn't blame the little drake for forgetting her name. They had only met once.
"Hey Spike, is uh... Twilight available?" She asked, nervousness tainting her words.
"Yeah, lemme go get her." Spike said with a smile and then closed the door on her face. Wethere that was rude on purpose or not, she wasn't sure. She supposed it was the latter. A few minutes later, the door reopened, and Twilight Sparkle stepped out.
"He-hey Nova."
"He-hey Twilight."
The two mares looked away from each other, not knowing what to say or how to continue. The silence between them persisted for a good few moments before one spoke up.
"I want to apologize." Nova said, having organized her thoughts and steeled her resolve. Her pink eyes met the purple of the Alicorn's eyes. "I don't want you to think that I was trying to overstep any boundaries with you and I want you to know that if you don't feel the way that I feel for you, I completely understand." Nova sighed. "I just, I meant what I said, Twilight. These past few months I've known you, you've made me really happy and I feel really comfortable with you. I wanted to see if maybe you were interested in something more than friendship. But it's okay if you don't. I just don't want to lose you. I hope we can stay friends." Nova took a breath and waited for how Twilight would respond.
Twilight was silent for a good moment. Taking in everything that Nova had said. Her own thoughts were both put at ease and organized by Nova's explanation. "Listen, I have absolutely no experience in dating. That's why I freaked out and basically ran away from you. I didn't know if I even wanted to date anyone at all." Twilight explained. She took a breath and remembered her conversation with Celestia. "Earlier today, I was given advice, and I think I do want to date someone." Twilight stopped yet again and looked at Nova. Really looked at her for once in a different light. Her white coat was pretty, her pink eyes were striking, the colors of her red and black mane clashed a bit harshly with her coat, but it was unique, and Twilight appreciated it. Nova wasn't ugly to her. Plus, she thought back to every time they hung out. How she also felt very comfortable with the unicorn mare and how much fun the two had. "And I think I want to give you and I a shot." Twilight finished with a smile.
Nova was silent for a bit, both taking it in and being surprised by the fact that she had gotten a yes. Well, sort of. She had to be sure. "You do?" She asked tentatively.
"Yes. I still don't know how this is all going to feel, but the fact of the matter is that I've had a lot of fun with you. And you have made me feel comfortable and I really like spending time with you." Twilight said earnestly. "And well, you're pretty too, hehe..." She finished with nervous giggle. A blush aappeared on her cheeks.
"That's... That's awesome." Nova said seemingly dumbstruck. "Sorry, I'm just a bit surprised. I was expecting a no, haha..." A fillyhood smile was now plastered on Nova's face. "So when are you free? I wanna take you out on our first date."
"Well... I'm free right now." Twilight said with a smile.
"Right now? Oh, but I don't have anything planned! Oh well I do but it was gunna be this whole thing at a restaurant and I'm not even ready I mean I was gunna wear a nice dress and I just came from work so I probably smell like metal-" Nova's rambling was stopped by Twilight booping her snout.
"Shh, I know it's sudden, so why don't you just come in instead? We'll spend some time together. Maybe read a few books, drink some tea, and just be with each other?" Twilight suggested, a smile never leaving her lips. "Also, you're adorable."
Nova blushed, but her smile remained. "That sounds lovely." She said simply. She followed Twilight into her castle for a night and a first date that would be wonderful.
A few meters away from Twilight's castle, agent Waters had watched the interaction the two mares had. She was in a bush. It was a very rudimentary tactic, but it worked, and the bush was close enough to hear the conversation. Plus, she really couldn't risk casting powerful magic near Princess Twilight. Waters was sure the princess would detect it. The headache hadn't gone away either.
While the conversation had been juicy, Waters now had a dilemma. Princess Twilight Sparkle was, by the rule of military law, her superior. Thus, Waters could not unlawfully enter her home. Unless there was a suspected rogue within her home. Which there was, but the rogue was with the princess. At the same time, Waters knew the princess' castle would be impossible to break into undetected. Bringing validation to her point, Waters cast a quick scanning spell over the castle. Sure enough, the castle was completely covered in wards, and every doorway was double covered in more wards. She figured the wards would stop teleportation into the castle. Without the wards allowing her magic through, Waters was incapable of entering. Furthermore, the castle was also technically government property, and there was a whole heap of laws against unlawful teleportation in a government building. In essence, Waters was screwed. Having no other options, Waters casted a small spell.
'Agent Waters, what do you have to report?' A few moments later, the voice of director Spice echoed in her thoughts.
'The suspect is within princess Twilight Sparkle's castle. Invited into the castle by Princess Sparkle herself.' Waters thought in her head. 'As you know, I'm not able to pursue.' There was silence for a few seconds.
'Why did princess Sparkle invite the suspect in?' Spice asked.
'For a date.'
'A date?'
'Yes, a date of a romantic nature.' The silence that followed was deafening. Before Waters could think her concerns, Spice responded.
'Interesting.' Further silence followed.
'Do my previous orders stand?' Waters asked.
'They do. Wait for the suspect to leave and continue surveillance on her.' Spice commanded. 'Do you have anything else to report?'
'I found the evidence we need for a definitive culprit. Once the Ponyville sabotage occurs, which will be tomorrow, all the investigators need to do is search her home.' Waters explained, smiling to herself.
'Great work, agent Waters. Proceed.' Spice said, and the connection was cut. Waters settled into the bush and kept a look out for when Nova would leave Twilight's castle. It was going to be a while.
Miles away in Caterlot, director Spice sat in his office mulling over the details he had just received. "You're in love with Princess Sparkle."
In front of him, Princess Celestia eyed him. "Be careful of what you say, director Spice. My motives are of no concern to you."
"I just find it humorous." Spice said with a very small smile on his face.
"Your comments are of no concern to me either." Celestia dismissed him. "What did agent Waters discover?"
"The mare is within Princess Sparkle's home. She was invited in by Princess Sparkle herself. They're on a date." The small smile never left the director's lips.
"That whore." Celestia spat through her teeth. Her anger on full display. "I'm going to love seeing her face when I execute her."
"Speaking of, the Ponyville sabotage will occur tomorrow. Once it happens, all the investigators will need to do is search the suspect's home." Spice repeated. "And we will have our definitive culprit."
"Excellent." Celestia smiled, her anger sated with the news. "If this all goes without delay, give agent Waters a bonus."
"Of course, your highness." Spice said, the smile gone and a neutral expression returned.
"I'll be leaving now director. My sister will probably begin to question why I've been gone for so long. I'll be back tomorrow." Celestia said as she got up and turned towards the door. "Do make sure everything goes well."
"Understood, my princess." Spice bowed as the princess left. Once the princess was gone, he chuckled to himself. "Mares."
A few hours later, back in Ponyville, Nova Bloom exited princess Twilight's castle. A smile and a small blush plastered on her face she turned around and faced the young Alicorn. "I had a great time tonight, thanks Twilight."
"I had a great time too, Nova." Twilight said, a small blush on her face as well. "I hope we can do this again soon."
"Oh we definitely will but I want to take you out next time. How about next Friday?" Nova asked a tinge of excitement in her voice.
"It's a date!" Twilight exclaimed and giggled. After that, Twilight looked at Nova, thinking something over. Without another word, she leaned in and kissed nova on the lips. It briefly caught the unicorn off guard but she soon returned the kiss. After a few more seconds, it ended.
"Wow. I didn't expect to, I mean, I wanted to do it but I didn't know if it was okay or not I-" Nova was cut off by Twilight giving her a quick kiss.
"I know I didn't expect to do it either but I had a really great time tonight and it felt right." Twilight explained with a smile. "I'll see you later Nova."
"See you later, Twilight. Goodnight hehe." Nova said before turning and walking away. A happy smile plastered on her face accompanied by a small blush. Twilight watched her go before giggling and closing the door.
Nova was in a very good mood. The date had been lovely. Twilight and her had spent the time reading their favorite books, talking and they even ate dinner together. It had been one of the best nights she could remember. She felt so happy and was looking forward to what the future held for her and Twilight.
It didn't take her long to get to her house. More or less because she spent most of the time fantasizing about future dates with Twilight, so time wasn't in the forefront of her mind. Actually, she still was fantasizing as she walked through her door. She went to her bedroom and got ready for bed. She absent-mindedly went through her nightly routine. Once she was done, she turned off her lights and got cozy in her bed. All the time, thanking her luck and riding the high she was in. She was soon fast asleep, a small smile on her face.
Outside of Nova's home, agent Waters watched as Nova entered the house. She had followed the suspect since she had left Twilight's castle. Clearly, the date had gone well but she didn't really care about that. She was just trying to do her job. She waited a few more minutes to make sure the mare didn't leave her house. Once she saw that all of lights were off. She walked up to the front door. Waters slowly put her ear up to the door and focused. She tuned out everything around her. Every other sound. Then she used just a bit of her magic to help her focus on the sounds within the house. Immediately she was hit with the chittering of bugs walking within the walls. She tuned them out. Then she was hit with the sound of wood settling ever so slightly. She tuned that out too. Finally, she was able to hear what she needed to. The ever so subtle breathing of someone asleep. She smiled to herself and took her ear off the door.
Making sure to be as quiet as possible, agent Waters opened the door. To her luck, the door made the barest of sounds as it clicked open. Once passing through, she gently set the door back to just before it clicked closed. Thankfully, there was no breeze tonight so the door would not move. She was only going to be there for a few seconds anyway. As silently as she could, she made her way to the bathroom. The bathroom was just outside of the bedroom, in between the space that separated the study and the bedroom. She didn't even bother to see if Nova was asleep, Waters merely entered the bathroom and searched for what she needed.
She quickly found it. Nova's mane brush. The suspect had recently used it so it was easy to pick out the loose hairs that adorned it. Waters had what she needed and made her way out of the house. Not once did the suspect make any kind of noise that she was awake. Waters exited the home and clicked the door closed. She briskly walked to a nearby alleyway and watched the house to make sure there was no sign of activity. Once she was satisfied, Waters made her way back to her own house.
It didn't take long before she was walking through the door of her own home. She was a mare with a job to do tonight. She made a right turn and went into her study. Within her study, there wasn't much besides a desk and a large storage trunk. She used her magic to open the trunk and took out a duffle bag. She opened the bag and took out a black full body suit. It didn't take long to put on the suit. The suit covered her whole body, tail, mane and horn. Only her eyes could be seen but only if they were open. Leaving her to appear completely black.
She walked over to her room and checked herself out in her mirror. Just as advertised, she was completely black save for her eyes. But it was more than enough for the job she needed to do. She walked over to her closet and took out 3 small round devices then strapped them to her side. Then she put the hairs she had confiscated into a small clear bag and put the bag in a small pocket. With those devices and the hair secure, she was ready to head out. Without another thought, she walked out of the front door of her house and disappeared into the night.
The moon hung low in the clear night sky. Luna had decided to make the night interesting it seemed, as the moon itself appeared quite large and closer than normal. It was a nice night. Clearly a night not meant to be slept through or at least, enjoyed for longer than usual. True to its intentions, a few ponies were still out in Ponyville. Most of them in the local nightclub.
Agent Waters smiled as she looked up at the moon. Luna was smiling down on her tonight, she was sure of it. Sneaking through the town hadn't been an issue. Really she didn't even sneak around but stuck to the shadows and stayed away from a very few ponies that were out in the streets. It had been a piece of cake. She looked down from the moon and saw her target in the distance; the Ponyville power distribution plant. A sizeable array of pylons and 6 magitech generators that provided power to all of Ponyville. Sneaking into it wouldn't be as easy as sneaking through Ponyville. However, agent Waters was prepared.
As she came closer to the plant, she noticed that a few ponies were working tonight. All of them had caution vests on and a few had hardhats. There were at least 7 working from the few she could see. Not enough for this to be too hard. With a smile to herself, agent Waters simply walked over to the small office building and snuck around the corner of it. Directly behind the small office was one of the main generators. She got closer to the generator and she could feel the energizing magic that radiated off of it. It tickled her horn but she remained focused. She took one of the devices strapped to her side and gently placed it under the generator. The small gray metal device easily camouflaged itself with the gray metal of the generator. Waters used her magic to attune the device with the spell she needed.
'Explosive spell triggered with the spark of fire magic. Force multiplier attuned to three times the usual yield. Magical residue attuned to that of fire magic matching the magic on that staff.' Waters thought to herself as the spell framework visualized in her mind. With a few more attunements, the device made one small beep to signify its readiness. With a smile to herself, Waters made her way deeper into the plant to set up the other 2 devices.
The ever-present hum of electricity was soothing to agent Waters. It calmed her and let her focus on the task at hoof. Sneaking through the rest of the plant was easy. None of the employees saw her and even if they did, they probably wouldn't even care. She was soon done placing the other 2 devices under more of the generators. They were evenly spaced out, enough to make sure the explosion would destroy the whole plant and kill everyone working there. She quickly made her way out of the plant. Once she was far enough away, she settled down in some foliage and looked back at the plant. A few of the employees went about their duties. Most were just talking amongst themselves as, to be frank, the plant ran itself. Waters looked down at her watch. It was 12 AM, she still needed to wait a few hours until she could blow up the plant.
Princess Celestia walked into her castle. The guards that saw her bowed in respect and did not question their princess. She smiled softly at each one that greeted her but kept walking with a purpose. Soon she was within the hallways of her castle, headed for her chambers.
"You were out for a while."
The voice froze Celestia in her tracks. It was rare for Celestia to be startled but the only one whom could do it without fault was her own sister. She turned and faced her younger dark blue counterpart.
"Yes, I was taking care of an issue that arose today." Celestia answered, not bothering to acknowledge her brief startle. "I had to use the resources of the CNISA to take care of it."
"Was it resolved?" Her sister asked, a neutral expression on her face.
"It will be soon." The same neutral expression adorned Celestia's face.
"I see." Luna looked out of the window. The brightness of the moon reflected itself in her eyes. She had made it specially beautiful tonight to give her ponies something to enjoy this evening. "She must be a dangerous one for you to use your... Agency." The tone of the word 'agency' carried a malice that was seldom spoken by the moon princess.
"She is. She was the perpetrator of the Van Hoover dam explosion." Celestia said without missing a beat nor giving an indication of hesitation.
"Mm." Luna merely nodded. "Well then, I am to assume that she will be given the highest punishment for treason?"
"Yes."
"Very well."
Without another word, Luna turned away from her sister and walked down the hallway, towards a turn in the hallway. Celestia watched her go. Her sharp pink eyes watching every step her sister took, until Luna turned a corner. Then, Celestia herself turned and walked to her chambers. The door shut behind her and the hallway carried the sound for a few seconds. Finally, everything was silent.
It had been about four hours. Agent Waters had bid her time. She was still nestled neatly into some foliage, quite literally counting the seconds. No one had noticed her. Then again, no one had passed near her either but if they had, they wouldn't have seen her. With only a few more seconds to go, Waters trained her magic. It took seconds to focus her magic on the three devices. It took a few seconds to synchronize them. It only took a second for all hell to break loose.
The devices exploded.
Immediately the rocketing boom of an explosion expanded around the field. Loud enough that most of Ponyville was sure to wake up from it. Debris rocked into the sky as the plume of the explosion followed. The whole plant was engulfed in a ball of orange fire. The employees did not even get a chance to scream as most of them were immediately torn apart from the explosion. The little office itself had been reduced to its bare foundations. All of the magitech generators were gone, absolutely destroyed. The base magic within them all was released and mixed with the fire, turning the flames blue. All that there was of the Ponyville power distribution plant was a fiery blue hell.
Agent Waters smiled. A job well done. Without another thought or look at the blue fireball, she opened the bag of hairs and dumped them into the imprint her body had left on the foliage. She looked towards Ponyville. It had gone completely dark and no sounds came from it yet. Or maybe it was because the crackling of the flames behind her didn't let her hear. Whichever it was, she made her way back into Ponyville. Leaving deliberate hoof tracks that led back to one house in particular.
As morning came, the flames died. The Ponyville fire brigade has spent the better part of three hours fighting a raging fire. Water seemed to only be mildly effective at subduing the flames. Eventually it was realized that since the flames were imbued with magic, water magic was needed to really douse the flames. It took a while for a resident water adapted unicorn to join the fight. Even when they did, it still took a while for the flames to really die down. By that time, most of Ponyville had come out of their homes to witness the blue hell. With the flames doused, the rising sun revealed the extent of the damage.
No survivors. All 8 of the employees working that night were pronounced dead. Only a few remains were found for them, in the form of charred broken bones. The Ponyville power distribution plant was completely destroyed. The town would have to go weeks without any proper electricity. Everyone was in shock.
Princess Twilight Sparkle, acting as regional administrator and direct line to the princesses, immediately tasked Mayor Mare and the Ponyville Police Department into opening an investigation on the explosion. She feared it was not an accident. She contacted the princesses to inform them of what had happened and they adviced her on how to proceed. The site was sealed off to the public by the police as they investigated.
Nova Bloom was as shocked as everyone else and distraught as her coworkers were killed in the explosion. She confided in Twilight and even though the nascent princess was now incredibly busy and stressed, she still comforted her new marefriend.
A couple of days later, Nova Bloom was placed under arrest.
She had been walking into the market, coming from Twilight's castle, when the police surrounded her. They all pointed horns and high power magic staffs at her and ordered her to surrender or she would be shot. Nova Bloom had never felt as much fear as she did then but she immediately surrendered and was placed under arrest.
An hour later, Princess Twilight barged into the interrogation room.
"Tell me it's not true!" Twilight yelled, tears streaming down her face. The police officers in the room almost drew their weapons but quickly stopped when they saw a very distraught princess Twilight. "Please!"
Nova Bloom had been sobbing for the last hour and her throat was dry from yelling. A new round of sobs started when she saw Twilight.
"Twi-... Twilight! I swear! It isn't- it isn't true! I would never hurt anyone!" She yelled through sobs. The police officers looked at her with disgust.
"We have every bit of evidence against you! Your magical signature was found at the epicenter of all three explosions!" The officer yelled, outraged. "Your hair was found only a few meters away from the plant. Your hoofprints lead back into Ponyville." He then slammed his hoof on the table. "We found your confession in your house! How can you still deny it?!"
"BECAUSE IT WASN'T ME!" The loudest yell she had ever mustered came from Nova's throat. Unfortunately, it only made her seem more deranged.
"You were going to use me!" Twilight yelled, startling everyone. "I read your journal. I know how much hatred you have for the princesses and I know that includes me!" She yelled, the angriest anyone had ever seen the nascent princess. The officers did not get in her way. "How could you... I trusted you, I wanted us to have something special. But you were just going to use me!" With raging anger she looked Nova dead in her pink eyes. "I hate you." That was all. Princess Twilight left without another word.
The sobs of a broken mare filled the police station for the rest of the day.
Celestia smiled. Today was a good day. She had already raised the sun high into the sky and the beautiful blue sky only accentuated the natural beauty of her sun. The rays of said sun peered through the large windows of the courtroom she was currently in. She made the smile on her face vanish as court began. It took a lot of will not to smile. Below her podium, many ponies were assembled for the court. In center of it all was a lone pony, the defendant.
Nova Bloom looked unrecognizable. She was scrawny, unkempt and her mane had lost almost all of the vibrancy it once had. Not to mention most of the mane itself was gone too. Her orange jumpsuit was dirty with built up sweat and dirt over at least a month. She was ghastly, she seemed at death's door already. The courtroom silently judged her.
"Nova Bloom." The voice of Celestia broke the silence. "After a short trial and a mute defense, has the jury reached a verdict." Celestia looked to the speaker of the jury.
"Yes, your highness. We the jury find the defendant." The speaker paused for a second. "Guilty on all charges." The silence in the court resumed. No one objected and even Nova's lawyer just shrugged. Nova herself made no reaction, she had already given up a long time ago.
"Very well." Celestia brought up the gavel with her magic and poised to strike. "Nova Bloom, for the crimes of treason, eight counts of murder, two counts of terrorism and illegal possession of a modified magic staff. I sentence you to be executed by hanging. Effective immediately." Celestia slammed the gavel down on the podium. She watched as Nova Bloom made no reaction to her sentence. It slightly annoyed Celestia to see no reaction but ultimately she didn't care that much. Nova Bloom would be dead by this afternoon. Princess Celestia looked down at Nova Bloom in silent glee.
Princess Twilight Sparkle looked down at Nova Bloom with disgust. She felt disgust at the fact that a pony could be so heinous. She felt disgust that she had hugged and even kissed a pony so heinous. She felt disgust at the fact that she had almost been used as a plaything in such a heinous pony's plans. She felt disgust that even now after everything she still felt a pang of sympathy for such a heinous pony. She felt disgust at herself for crying at the sentencing of such a heinous pony. Before Nova was even escorted out, Twilight looked away in disgust.
Princess Luna watched as the bailiff escorted Nova Bloom out of the courtroom. She would be taken to the gallows shortly thereafter and she would probably be dead by this afternoon. Nova looked up slightly and locked eyes with the moon princess for a brief second. Luna felt a chill down her spine. Nova's eyes were dead. Long gone were the vibrant pink eyes, replaced with a dull off white color. The pain behind those eyes was indescribable. It took all of her years as a royal to not break down in the courtroom. She took a deep breath and looked at her sister in the podium next to her own.
Luna had known Celestia long enough to tell what she was really feeling behind the neutral expression she currently had. Right now, all she saw was happiness in her sister's pink eyes. 'Nine new counts of murder, sister. I wonder when it'll be enough for you.' Luna thought to herself. She turned and looked out of the window. It really was a beautiful day today. It pained her that it would be stained with the blood of an innocent. Princess Luna looked away in disgust of her sister and herself.
"Court is adjourned."
Director Spice silently inputted revisions into an existing file. 'Nova Bloom. Terrorist responsible for the sabotage of the Van Hoover hydroelectric dam and for the complete destruction of the Ponyville power distribution plant. Responsible for the death of 8 ponies. Sentenced to execution by hanging. Currently dead.' He read over the revisions in his head once more and then used to magic to put the file away in the large tower.
"Another job well done, director?" Came the soft voice of agent Waters.
"Yes ma'am." Director Spice said without turning. "You really outdid yourself on this one, Waters." With his back still turned, he used his magic to take out a small envelope from his desk. The envelope was christened with the royal seal. "That's for you. A bonus from her majesty herself. She is very satisfied and grateful for your work."
"Tell her majesty that I am most humbly honored and always at her service." Agent Waters said as she took the envelope in her magic. "Speaking of, any new assignments?"
"Not at the moment. Plus, her majesty saw it fit to also give you leave for a month." Director Spice looked over his shoulder, one eye locking with Waters. "Paid leave of course." He turned back to looking at the tower beyond his window. "That is all, you are dismissed."
"Thank you, sir." Waters said as she stood up and walked to the door. "And tell her majesty thank you as well."
Director Spice did not respond. He barely even acknowledged the door open and close behind the agent. His attention was solely on the near infinite twisted black tower made of polished basalt. The light of nine files blinked periodically. Showing that they had recently been accessed. The barest hint of a frown found itself on Spice's mouth as the nine lights blinked in unison. The blinds of the director's window closed with a soft shuffle a second after.
"Thank you for inviting me, Princess Celestia." Came the soft voice of Twilight Sparkle.
"It's okay to call me Celestia, Twilight." Princess Celestia smiled. "I promise I won't be mad."
"I know I just... Old habits die hard." Twilight smiled. "Thank you Celestia, I really needed this." Twilight laid into Celestia's side, and nuzzled her. Twilight felt safe when she did that and Celestia had been very adamant that it was okay as no one could possibly see them here.
"I know things have been hard back home with everything that happened." Celestia said, a sympathetic tone in her voice as she nuzzled Twilight back. "I just want you to know that you're always welcomed to spend time with me."
"I feel safe when I'm with you, Celestia." Twilight admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed about it but at the same time so comfortable.
"I'm very happy that you do. I'll do anything to keep you safe, my dear" Celestia leaned in to Twilight's ear. "Anything." She said softly. Twilight sighed happily.
Ever since the incident 3 months ago, Twilight had started to spend more time with Princess Celestia. It started with Celestia inviting Twilight to the Royal Gardens to talk about what had occurred and it slowly evolved into something more. Twilight had been very distraught with the events that took place, for obvious reasons, and Celestia had been there for her. She kept inviting Twilight to come over until it just became a regular thing. Almost like a date. Celestia comforted her, reassured her and gave her sound advice. All things that Twilight greatly appreciated. Twilight began to enjoy her time with Celestia more and more. Now it felt as if she couldn't go the week without at least visiting Celestia twice or thrice. It just felt natural.
Celestia for her part was more than overjoyed to have the object of her affection spend so much time with her. Every time they had spent time together Celestia would subtly hint that they should be more than just friends. Celestia wondered if her little hints were working. She decided to test the waters. Celestia extended one of her wings and gently laid it over Twilight. Due to the size difference, it was as if a small blanket was draped over her. It felt very soft.
"Celestia...?" Twilight blused. She was no foal. Even with her inexperience at romance, she knew that such a move was a common flirtatious advance. And she had just recieved it from princess Celestia herself. Both excitement and anxiety raced to the top of Twilight's head and she began to fidget.
"Oh my, I'm sorry!" Celestia, believing the fidgeting to be a negative response, retracted her wing and blushed in embarrasment.
"No no no, I didn't mean it was a bad thing..." Twilight trailed off, the blush ever-present in her cheeks. "I was just... surprised is all." She smiled. "You can... you can put it back if you want to..." Her voice barely above a whisper but with how close Celestia was to her, there was no trouble hearing her.
"Of course." Celestia smiled and draped her wing over Twilight's body. Twilight took the liberty and snuggled into the wing with a happy sigh.
"You're..." Twilight lost her nerve. Celestia, not wanting to ruin the moment only moved slightly to show she heard Twilight. "You're very soft... and warm..." Twilight finally found the courage to speak her mind. A raging blush was on her cheeks but she was hiding beneath Celestia's wing.
"If you want, we can do this every time you come by. I don't mind. Actually, I really enjoy it." Celestia decided to speak her mind as well.
"I'd love that..." Twilight responded. Celestia couldn't properly see her but she could feel her warmth next to her. Celestia needed to officially seal the deal.
"Listen Twilight... What if you stayed with me tonight." Celestia asked in an almost sheepish way. As it seemed even with her years of experience there were certain things that could even make her nervous. "We'll have dinner and then we can spend more time together. Like this." She offered
About a hundred thoughts crossed Twilight's mind at that moment. She knew what this was, Celestia was asking her out. She thought back to that fateful day about 3 months ago. When she had first asked Celestia for advice. How fast Celestia had been there for her. Her first attempt at romance had been ruined. For a second she questioned if it really was wise to try again. However, she dashed those thoughts immediately. This was the princess after all. There was no way that a relationship with Celestia could ever end as bad as her last relationship. Princess Celestia had always been there for her and Twilight knew that the princess had her best interests at heart. Perhaps, princess Celestia could show Twilight what an actual loving relationship was supposed to be like. Twilight smiled the brightest smile before answering.
"It's a date."
High above the Royal Gardens, in the balcony of a tower, the piercing teal eyes of the moon princess looked down in disgust.
"So that was your play all along, sister." She spoke outloud to herself. She watched as the two ponies below her enjoyed each other's company. Her frown deepened. Dead pink eyes flashed in her mind for a second. Her anger simmered. A thought crossed her mind. A thought that had crossed her mind only once before. The sickening temptation to take up arms against her own family. The same temptation that she had felt a thousand years ago. Luna sighed and turned away from the balcony before her anger could boil over.
A thousand years. A thousand years was a long time. Absurdly long for most mortals. Ten lifetimes for mortal ponies. A lot could change in a thousand years. A lot had changed for Luna. It was hard to adapt to how much her home country, her little ponies, had changed in that time. But the one thing that disturbed, and perhaps even frightened, her the most was the fact that her sister had not changed at all. Not even in a thousand years had princess Celestia changed. It finally dawned on princess Luna that her sister would never change. The sickening temptation surged.
Author's Note
Finally finished! This was fun to write and I hope it was fun to read for those of you that read it. Feel free to leave any comments or constructive criticism below. Thank you!
