The Royal Fillies REDUX

Chapters

Prologue, or a Professional Logue
Re: Birth (Re: Vised)
Feeding Time
The Sweet Sound of Silence
The Babysitter
Food Words
Kindergarten
Hearth's Warming Trip, Part 2
Difficulties
School Conference
Sick Daze
A Busy Day
Summer in Ponyville, Part 1
Summer in Ponyville, Part 2
Summer in Ponyville, Part 3
Budgeting and Renovating
Atop the (smaller) Crystal Throne
A Lesson on Letters
Friendship Formation
A New Slice of Life
New Friends, New Game
Birthday: De-De-De-Decade!
Royal Discussions
Marked Changes
Sixth Grade Stuff
The Best Class
Splitting The Party
Fractured Psyche
Division of Labor
Consolidation of Resources
Gilda's Visit
Destructive Developments
Departure
Wandering Around
Limit Tests
Returning Home
Birthing Pains
Recovery Efforts
Reactions
A Flurry of Changes
H&H: Sinister Start
Discord Discourse
H&H: Conniving Conclusion
Time With Luna
Hearth's Warming Trip, Part 1
Summer Vacation 2: Griffonian Boogaloo
Returns and Falls

Prologue, or a Professional Logue

High up in the castle at the middle of the Crystal Empire, a mare and a stallion overlooked all that they ruled. It was night, and most of their subjects were sound asleep. As it had been since their coronation, things were peaceful. The bubble that protected the Empire from the cold and snow outside, powered by ambient love and happiness focused through the crystal heart, also kept things relatively comfortable inside.

The ponies, Cadence and Shining Armor, were content with the state of things and went inside to go to sleep as well. As they lay in their very large and very comfortable bed in their large and spacious royal chamber, Cadence voiced some thoughts. "This is a bit much, isn't it?"

"What is?" Shining asked.

"Living in the castle with ponies taking care of everything we need. It's nice, but. . . Honestly, it makes me feel like I'm a paper doll on a stick in a puppeteering show."

"Just going from place to place to say things and make appearances?"

"Exactly. I also feel a bit. . . Distant from our subjects up here. I want to get closer to them and know more about what life is like on their level. Do you remember when I first started foalsitting Twilight?"

"You looked so lost and confused. You were wondering why the kitchen and living room were so close to each other."

"Things being that close felt a bit claustrophobic, but I got used to it and it felt nice."

"Your old place was huge."

"One million square feet per floor. I don't think I ever learned where everything was."

Shining chuckled a bit. "And you were willing to throw all of that away to go help some troubled ponies you were told not to help."

"And then I became an alicorn. I still don't really understand how that happened."

"Celestia sent you to foalsit after that."

"And here we are." She shared in her husband's chuckles. "You know, maybe we should move out of here. Find a house out in the empire, maybe have some foals."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's possible?"

"Well, there's nothing saying an alicorn can't get-"

"No, I meant finding a house. A lot of ponies have been moving here recently, so there might not be many options."

"Oh." She gave her idea some extra thought. "We could buy a nice plot of land and have a house built in a nice area close by."

He mulled the idea over a bit. "Hmm. . . That could work."

"Then I'll do a flyover and see what's available tomorrow."

"That sounds good. Good night."

"Good night."

The next day after court, Cadence did her flyover. As she was looking, she thought about the financing for the project. She could easily write off the land purchase as a Crown expense, and possibly even the whole construction cost. Since the Empire had a surplus of bits, it wouldn't be much of an issue either.

The idea of the convenient approach, while appealing, clashed with her goal of being more down to earth and living more like her subjects did. None of them had the power of a government budget behind them, and if she dipped into that, it would sow the seeds of distrust. No matter how much her subjects loved her, and even if that was the one and only time, there would be a bad taste in her mouth every time she came home.

She steeled her resolve to use only her own bits, same as her subjects would have to. A bit of doubt crept into her mind, though. How would she know that the realtor wouldn't crank the price up or down because of her royal status? She would need somepony else to price it out ahead of her.

Finally, she saw it. A clearing surrounded by crystalline trees. Large enough for a good size house, plenty of room for a front and back yard, and the trees would give a degree of privacy. It was perfect.

After casting a spell to remember it, she turned back to the castle to tend to the rest of the day's work, and maybe send some of the castle staff to price out the lot.

The realtor had turned out to be an honest one. She didn't change the price for Cadence or Shining because of their royal status, and after they had paid with their own bits, the royal couple was given some information on the local construction companies.

After news got out about the purchase, there was a shift in the daily routine. Cadence was holding court at the edge of the lot, and the contractors with their bids and offers easily made up a quarter of the hoof traffic. She sent them to Shining, sitting about 25 feet behind her. Another quarter was the normal petitioner, and the remaining half was media from around the world. She kept her answers short, sweet, and honest, something Applejack had once taught her. It was easier to tell the truth, plain and simple, instead of maintaining a web of lies, concealment, denials, and half-truths that would hurt forever when peeled away.

After two weeks of the outdoor court, Cadence and Shining had made their choice. The layout was set and the builders were ready. As much as the royal couple would have liked to help, they didn't actually know much about construction, and left it to the professionals.

Three months later, the house was done and paid for. In that time, Cadence and Shining had made a joint declaration: while they were not performing royal duties, they were to be treated like normal ponies. No special pricing, no preferential treatment, and especially no bowing.

The declaration also held an announcement: Cadence had been looking a bit rounder recently because she was pregnant with twins, and they were due sometime in April or May.

There was much rejoicing, and the bubble around the empire expanded six feet after the announcement.

Author's Note

And so begins the Redux, with a bit more realism.

Re: Birth (Re: Vised)

Life is interesting. Life is amazing. Life is capable of changing the world and persisting through the worst of disasters. It can create just about anything, including things to make things that make things. Without life, a planet may as well be dead.

Life on Earth is boring. I wake up, feed my cat, Notch, and then get ready for work, running errands, handling some household tasks, or doing a whole lot of nothing. The day ahead of me was one of blissful nothingness, filled only with Notch, my collections (some serious, some casual), and some sketching. I couldn't claim to be a fantastic artist by any measure, but drawing out the basics for armor, weapons, and machines was fun. It also made for decent reference material on the occasion I chose to commission art.

My schedule of nothingness even extended to my online stuff. How people practically lived on social media with no apparent idea of privacy was beyond my comprehension. It was rare when I found enough reason and will to share anything on the few sites I was on, and while the generally positive comments were nice, they lacked something that actually hearing it conveyed.

Eventually, the day of nothing really productive came to an end, and it was time to go straight to bed. I did not pass Go and I did not collect $200, but I did find a quarter on the floor.

Notch, instead of sleeping in her bed in the other corner of the bedroom, chose to curl up next to me. I gave a single shoulder shrug to myself since she was in the way of the other one. Who was I to tell a cat what to do?

"Greetings, human," a booming voice said, taking me from asleep to fully awake. I immediately noticed two things: there was no sleeping cat near me, and the space I was in seemed like a pure void. Not black, not white, just pure nothingness. A black and white humanoid robot with a scythe and deep red glowing parts appeared before me. There was nothing that made the machine look friendly. "I am Death, and you are here for a reason."

Why Death looked like a custom Gundam instead of the usual robed skeleton had me confused, on top of trying to comprehend the void around us.

"It is time for you to leave this life and go to your next," he continued. "Before that, I must congratulate you. You are one of the few who avoided the various circumstances I had set up throughout the day by staying home. Crashes, bullets, fatal food poisoning, you avoided it all."

"Uh, thanks?"

"The cosmic powers that be wanted you dead, but since you avoided everything, I had to make a hard kill. Do you have any questions before I send you on your way?"

"What's going to happen to me?"

"You will be reborn as royalty. No, I do not know why you were chosen. I am just the courier." A moment later, the crook of the scythe blade was against my neck. "Our time is now over. Never again shall we meet, and never shall you remember me." He swung his scythe, and I saw stars go by as I felt myself fade away.

It's a warm, dark, and wet place, yet I feel safe, like nothing can harm me. Staying here forever would be nice. However, there's part of me that isn't in this safe place, and the space is getting smaller.

"Alright Princess, we can see the second one's horn. Just push a bit more and she should come out." The sound came from outside, and I felt pressure all over myself.

Finally, there's a single strong push and I'm in a cold bright place. Eyes shut, I started crying, wanting to go back to the comfortable dark warmth. Not even being wrapped up in something warm helped, since it was still so bright, and there was a terrible sound out there too.

Even being placed in what I can tell is a safe place doesn't stop the sound. All I could do was cry.

"It's okay, little one," a soothing voice from above said, but the sound didn't stop. "Mommy's got you and your sister. There's nothing to worry about."

I had no idea how long the sound went on, but it seemed to go away as I got more tired. When it finally stopped, I found the energy to open my eyes, and there were suddenly a lot of voices around me. I looked around and saw lots of faces and colors, but the light pink one above me made me feel safe, and I fell asleep.

After the filly wore herself out and fell asleep, a tired Cadence looked down at her. "Well, you had a lot of energy." She looked at the other one that had fallen asleep after only a couple minutes. "And you slept through it all."

Shining Armor, standing next to his exhausted wife, looked at the fillies. The first one to fall asleep looked a lot like Cadence herself, though darker and sporting Shining's eye color. While her mane and tail were mostly purple and yellow, there were traces of cyan mixed in. The one that had cried and cried and cried herself to sleep had a simple solid orange color on her coat and wings while her mane and tail were almost solid black, except for a few bold cyan streaks. For the few moments she was quiet and awake, she showed eyes of a slightly darker blue than Shining's. "What should we name them?"

Cadence looked upwards as she gently adjusted the sleeping bundles in her gentle hold. "Eleven months and I have nothing."

Shining looked out the window. The sun had set in the Empire, and the sight of Luna's night coming more alive brought back a memory only a few days old. It was the last time he and Cadence had gone out before she took to the castle's medical wing, and it was a late night picnic dinner. The meal she'd made for it was excellent as always, but it was the night sky that he remembered more. Specifically, it was one little spot. One of the stars had rapidly expanded and exploded as they watched the aurora. The event was at the forefront of his mind and wouldn't leave, so he drew inspiration from it. "Inova. The orange one is Inova."

"She is the same color," Cadence noted, remembering the event as well. "And the other one is. . . Skyla. I'm naming her Skyla." She yawned as the world of dreams beckoned her. "I'm not feeling creative."

"It's still a good name, sweetheart." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You rest up and I'll take care of everything."

*Canterlot Times*

Princess Cadence Gives Birth to Twins

At 7:18 PM on April 30, 1015 ANM, in the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence gave birth to twin alicorn fillies, the first ones to be born in recorded history. These future princesses have been named Skyla and Inova. Reportedly, nothing interesting happened with Skyla's delivery, which was the first of the two. The second filly, Inova, cried for about thirty minutes after delivery, not even stopping when given to Princess Cadence. She seemed to quiet down due to exhaustion before falling asleep in her mother's loving embrace. Skyla slept through her sister's crying, despite the two both being held in Cadence's loving embrace.

The former bearers of the elements of harmony were all present outside the room. They all got to see the fillies after the two had fallen asleep. We asked each of them for a short opinion of the foals.

"They are both positively adorable," Rarity said.

"I don't know what to tell ya. I like them both," Applejack said.

"Um, I'd be willing to foalsit them," Fluttershy said.

"I think they're cool," Rainbow Dash said.

"I have extra curricular educational material planned for them already," Princess Twilight Sparkle said. She had enough books and scrolls behind her to make an accent wall in the maternity ward.

"There's some greater force at work here," Pinkie Pie said, before putting on a tinfoil hat and running around like a madmare and cursing an indecisive mollusk. We here at the Times love her antics.

We surveyed all of our staff members on this topic as well. General consensus is that the foals are adorable, we're curious about how they'll grow up, and that the bearer of laughter is crazy. That last one is more of an accepted fact than an opinion. Our reporters will conduct surveys throughout Canterlot for opinions among the populace, which we will present the results of in two weeks.

Author's Note

One year in this story is 420 days, split into twelve months of 35 days each, going from Sunday 1st to Saturday 35th.

Updated after a brief discussion with Poparakelis in the comments.

Feeding Time

It's been some number of days since I was born, and I haven't gotten anything in me. For some reason, the sight of mommy's teats or a bottle makes me cry until I fall asleep. I'm very weak right now, and movement is difficult. It's easier just to not move at all. The feeling of emptiness in my belly has faded to the background of my mind.

Today is a special day, apparently. Skyla and I are picked up and put in pouches on mommy's sides before we leave home. We're covered by her wings, and I like that. I decided it would be a good time for a nap.

When I'm woken up, we're in an unfamiliar room. Mommy's laying on the ground, and I soon feel myself being set against her chest, along with Skyla, who starts wandering around.

Soon, an unfamiliar pony came in. "Hello, your highness. I'm Dr. Softhoof, and I'll be your foals' pediatrician."

"Thank you," mommy said. "Could you start with Skyla?"

"Of course, Princess." The doctor lay down across from mommy and started looking over my sister. He also asked mommy things about her, which she answered.

After he finished with Skyla, I was floated over to him, and I just let myself flop onto the floor. After a few seconds of looking at me and a poke to my shoulders, he spoke. "I've never seen a foal in this bad of a shape. I think the only reason she's still alive is because she's probably immortal. Has she gotten any milk?"

"No," mommy said. "Every time she's presented with a bottle or my teats, she cries herself to sleep. I don't know why she does that."

"Every time?"

"We try to get her to drink some milk when we feed Skyla, but she doesn't take to it at all. Shining Armor and I are actually considering having Twilight raise Inova until she's eating solid food."

"Princess Sparkle?" The doctor finished looking me over and I was floated back to mommy. Both her and the doctor sat up, Skyla and I at mommy's hooves.

"Yes. We're thinking of having her just teleport the milk into Inova's stomach."

"I wouldn't suggest doing that, your highness," the doctor firmly stated. "Even if it's done slowly, teleporting the milk in won't end well. It won't break down and be absorbed properly due to the lack of saliva. Inova might also have trouble learning to eat properly later on as well."

"Hm?"

"If you were raised with milk and food being teleported into your stomach, what would you do with food set in front of you?"

Mommy was silent for a while. "Alright. So if teleporting isn't a viable option, what else can we do?"

"Either some mind altering spells, which I really don't like the sound of, forcing her to drink, or putting her on a nutrient drip."

Something inside me took note of those last two words. I don't know why they seemed to scare me, but I knew, somehow, how to avoid it. I found the will and energy to move and went between mommy's legs to immediately find a teat, which I started nursing from. I did not stop until I felt full, at which point I was floated over mommy's shoulder and pat on the back until a small burp came out of me. For once, I was feeling sleepy in a really good way.

"Well doctor, I don't think we'll have any problems with her not feeding again," mommy said. "I just wish I knew why." Not long after, I was asleep again.

Princess Cadence put Skyla and Inova back in their pouches after talking with Dr. Softhoof a bit more about them. After deciding on the next checkup date, Cadence paid for the appointment like any other pony would have to and left to head home.

When she got home, after doing some light grocery shopping, Inova was still asleep and Skyla still had plenty of energy. After putting the groceries away, Cadence lifted Skyla out of her pouch and set her on the floor, where she immediately started exploring again. Inova was taken out and set on the couch, still asleep.

After spending some time with Skyla, Cadence set about making supper for herself and Shining Armor, who was still working back at the castle. It was his first day back since Inova and Skyla were born one week prior, so there was a bit of a backlog for him. Shining was liable to get caught up in his work, like his sister did, though he had a bit more restraint than she did. He knew when to stop and take a break, for one thing.

While she was waiting for Shining Armor, Cadence went ahead and started eating her supper. Fifteen minutes later, moments after finishing her food, Shining Armor came in.

"Hello, Shiny," Cadence greeted. "How was work?"

"Hey Cadence," Shining Armor replied. "Work was pretty good today. I didn't have quite as much of a backlog as I thought I did and finished all of it."

"That's some good news. But I have better news," Cadence smugly said as she levitated Shining's prepared plate to his place.

"Better than getting through a week's worth of backlog in a day?" He sat down and took a bite of his food. "Better than this meal?"

"Inova finally started nursing."

Shining Armor let that fact sink in for a bit. "How did you do it?"

"I was at the pediatrician's office with the fillies and the doctor. I was talking with him about what we might have to do to make Inova healthy, when she suddenly moved and started nursing off of me. I don't know what brought it on, but I have a feeling she'll drink from now on, whether from me or a bottle."

"That is good."

"Yes it is. Speaking of the foals, it's about time to feed them again. I'll go take care of that."

I was awoken by mommy gently shaking my body.

"Inova, Skyla, it's your mealtime," she said. I didn't know quite what she meant, but that feeling of emptiness I had so recently gotten rid of was back. Skyla and I were placed between mommy's legs and we both started nursing at the same time.

After we finished and the burps were gotten out of us, daddy came in. Skyla was given to daddy for some reason while mommy stayed with me. I decided to move around a bit to explore. The going was slow, and mommy helped me a lot. By the time I had managed to cross the room, I was tired and collapsed onto the floor slowly, aided by some force I felt, but couldn't see.

Mommy and I kept doing that for a while until something warm and wet appeared in my diaper. I didn't like how that felt and started crying. I felt myself floating and soon found myself on my back on a table with mommy over me. But even as she changed the diaper and cleaned me (which felt nice), I couldn't stop crying for some reason. That noise I hated was in the air again.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, something else warm and moist, a bit more solid than the first thing, appeared in my diaper, causing me to cry loudly again. Once again, mommy changed my diaper and cleaned me, but I fell asleep during the cleaning. It felt nice.

Cadence walked out of the foals' room, Inova sound asleep in her crib, and returned to her husband and Skyla. "We're going to write a memoir about these girls," she suddenly stated.

"Why so soon?" Shining Armor asked as he made little ramps for Skyla to play on. "They're only a week old."

"Not yet, Shiny. Do you remember the books Twilight gave us about raising twins?"

He gave her words some consideration. "We've already derailed from all of them, haven't we?"

"They all said that they would behave similarly for a month before personality differences really started showing."

Shining glanced in the direction of the foals' room. "It might be because they're alicorns. They're the first naturally born ones, after all."

"Dr. Softhoof did suspect the only reason Inova's still alive is because of her immortality. I don't know how else she would have survived." She watched Skyla stumble, fall over, and get back up to play on the ramp shields. "I still don't know why she made such a fuss about feeding time or why she suddenly started on her own."

"We may never know."

The Sweet Sound of Silence

In a royal home in the Crystal Empire, all was quiet, and four ponies of great renown and fame slept soundly. That all changed when Skyla's diaper went from empty to full and she began crying for a change.

Shining Armor and Cadence opened their eyes. "The fillies are crying," he said in an obvious statement.

"I only hear Skyla," Cadence said. A moment later, Inova started crying too. "You're right." She got out of bed to go to the foals' room.

"I'll see if I can get Inova to quiet down, you take care of Skyla." Shining rolled out of bed like the trained soldier he was.

"Isn't it your turn to change Skyla?"

"I have a theory. Let me test it and I'll do the next three changes for Skyla."

"Make it four."

"Deal."

The parents, with a plan in mind, entered the cacophonous chamber of their foals' room. Each one levitated their chosen child out. Cadence went to the nearby bathroom to change Skyla while Shining took Inova to the living room and set her on the plush rug. By the smell, or lack thereof, she had no need for a diaper change.

He did some thinking out loud, if only so he could try to hear himself think. "You cry after your sister starts, you cry at normal things foals cry at, and then you always go on until you run out of energy or throw up." He spared a glance at a section of floor by the dining room table, and he noticed Skyla's crying stop. "You even cry through a diaper change. Maybe what you need is this." He created two small bubble shields and gently nestled them in Inova's ears.

The effect on Inova was almost immediate. Inova calmed down and looked around. When she spotted her dad, she made a happy little sound and raised her forelegs in happiness.

The effect on Shining was just as fast. "I was right!" He got down to Inova's level with a big smile on his face. "Cadence, I got Inova to calm down!"

"Just a moment!" Cadence called back. When she entered the living room, Skyla, with a fresh diaper on her, was sound asleep on her back. "So, how did you do it?"

Shining turned Inova with a playful nuzzle, revealing the shields he was moving with great skill. "The sound of crying."

"I know she always starts crying when other foals start crying, but what-"

"Even her own crying."

Cadence was stunned. "So, a feedback loop?"

"Exactly. She doesn't like the sound of crying, she actually hates it. She just hasn't figured out that she was the source of it."

"Are we going to need a special tutor for her?"

He pointed a flat look to his wife as he dispelled the shields. "Cadence, the foals are barely a month old. It's too early to tell."

"But-"

"Inova has had challenges already, I know." His gaze was pulled down by the orange filly grabbing his muzzle and starting to climb up his face and onto his neck. "But now that we know this. . . I don't know where I was going with that."

Cadence let out a little chuckle. "I'll have to write an apology letter to Fluttershy."

"There's no way she could do this." Shining sat up and his back became a slide for Inova. "Definitely once they're out of the diaper stage, though."

"Naturally. Let's get them back to bed."

Shining would have gone along with the idea, were it not for Inova trying to climb him again. "I'll try to wear Inova out."

"Best of luck, Soldier." Cadence took Skyla back to her room.

Shining took the chance to pry Inova off before getting back down to her level and held a forehoof out. "I'm going to teach you how to hoof wrestle, okay?"

Inova tilted her head quizzically at him, then saw his hoof. She got on her rear hooves and, with all the physical might and power she could muster, pushed against her dad's hoof.

He was too strong for her to actually move, but his act of surprise was half-genuine. "Oh gosh. Oh heck." He slowly pushed back with a feigned sound of effort, then let Inova come close to winning before easily beating her and gently knocking her on her side. "That was close."

Instead of crying at the defeat, Inova got back to her hooves and started the rematch.

Twenty minutes later, Cadence walked back in. "Shining, how's. . . Do you need a blanket?"

Shining, laying down on the couch with a tired filly on his chest, turned to her. "Would you believe me if I said Inova did this?"

"Not at all. I heard you climb up there with her."

"Oh darn. Doesn't change the fact that I'm stuck here."

Cadence levitated a spare blanket and a pillow out of the closet and set them on the couch as she approached her husband with an amused smile. "Just this once, you silly pony."

"Thanks, Cadence." The two shared a quick kiss before Cadence went back to their room for the night.

Author's Note

Did Inova inherit some feline gravity powers? Probably not, but it's understandable how that conclusion could be reached.

The Babysitter

"Inova, Skyla, your dad and I have to go take care of some things for a while, and we can't bring you with us," mommy said. "Somepony else will be taking care of you today."

I could hear dad talking with somepony close by in the house. Whoever it was, she had a very nice voice. Not as nice as mommy’s though. Hers was the best.

Skyla and I each got a wing hug and kiss just as the new pony came into sight. “Girls, this is Sweetie Belle, and she will be foalsitting you today. Daddy and I will be back later tonight, so don’t worry." She turned to Sweetie Belle. "There's a hundred bits in the kitchen for you, and guidelines for what to do with each filly. Have fun~."

"Thanks, Cadence," Sweetie Belle said. "I promise the house will be intact when you and Shining Armor get back." Shortly after they laughed a bit, the front door closed and mommy and daddy were gone. Skyla ran towards the door and tried to go through it, to no avail. After a few seconds, she started to cry, and I reached up to cover my ears.

Sweetie Belle picked up my sister with her light green magic and cradled her in her forelegs, singing a bit. Her voice was very clear, and the song seemed to calm Skyla down.

"Let's play with some toys, you two," She said, putting Skyla in her magic again and picking me up. I didn't like being picked up that way, and I started flailing my limbs in a panic.

"You're safe, Inova," Sweetie said in that soothing voice of hers. It only paused my flailing for a few seconds before I started panicking again, and soon, I was set back on the floor, along with Skyla. I liked the floor. The floor was solid.

Sweetie Belle left for a bit, and Skyla and I started playing with each other. It was fun until Sweetie came back and picked Skyla up in her magic and me by the back of my neck with her mouth. I did not flail around or panic.

We were put down in our room, which was full of toys. “Alright you two. Let’s find something to play with together,” Sweetie said. “How about some dolls?” She floated some dolls out of the toy box, along with some wagons, which she set down on the floor. Skyla went for the dolls, and I went for the wagons. I liked moving them without a doll attached.

As Skyla and I played with the dolls and wagons, Sweetie Belle hooked up wagons I wasn’t playing with to dolls Skyla wasn’t playing with. My sister and I were quick to disconnect them before going back to playing on our own.

Eventually, it came to be time for feeding. Skyla and I were taken to the table where we were sometimes fed while Sweetie went into the kitchen. She came back with two bottles in her magic. One was floated over to Skyla, who greedily accepted it. I was picked up and held in one of Sweetie’s forelegs as she held the bottle to my mouth.

“You’re an odd filly, Inova,” Sweetie said as I started on the bottle. “I’ve never heard of a foal who prefers being fed like this. Then again, the world is a big place and even my tours don't go everywhere.”

I didn’t really know or care what she was talking about. All my attention was focused on the floating bottle ahead of me.

Eventually, after Skyla had already done so, I finished my bottle and got burped. A few minutes after that in the living room, I felt the liquid wetness in my diaper, and I froze up, with only my eye twitching occasionally. On the way to the changing table, I felt the icky wetness appear as well.

The diaper changing didn’t go as fast as when mommy does it, but I still got cleaned and a new diaper was put on me. While it did feel nice, I didn’t want to live like that for long. Something in me didn’t like it.

After I was set back on the ground, I could hear Skyla crying, and then I couldn’t hear anything as Sweetie went to get Skyla and I was surrounded by a light green bubble. I figured it was time for Skyla’s diaper change.

I decided to take a nap right there, and so I closed my eyes. I got picked up and put in the crib before sleep fully overtook me. Sweet, warm, comfortable sleep.

I woke up to the sound of mommy, daddy, and Sweetie Belle talking to each other.

"Thanks again for doing this for us," daddy said. "This meeting was not one for the girls to be at."

"I'm sorry to pull you away from your tour like this," mommy said.

"It's fine, Cadence," Sweetie assured. "It was actually kind of refreshing. I needed a break from it anyways. Besides, we're friends."

"That we are."

"Were the cheat sheets helpful?" Daddy asked. "Don't tell Twilight I call them that."

"They were. I couldn't help but notice most of it was about Inova, though."

"She does seem to prefer the more physical way things are done instead of magical. She doesn't even like being levitated."

"I noticed. I'd better get going, though. I can't stay away from the tour for too long."

"You can tell them you were foalsitting for us," mommy said. "Or even just helping us."

"Thanks. Bye bye!" The door closed a moment later and I went back to sleep. The day wasn't very busy, but I was still tired.

Author's Note

Not much in this chapter, and not much was changed from the original.

Food Words

Today's breakfast is different. It's not the normal bottle of milk, but some kind of gooey stuff on a spoon on daddy's hoof. It came out of something that wasn't a bottle, it smells alright, and is mostly green. All I do is stare at it, not sure what to do.

"It's alright, Inova," daddy says as he brings the stuff closer to me. "It's not going to jump on your face."

I'm still not sure what to do. I want it and I don't want it at the same time.

"Shining, I'm going to take Skyla out back to play with her," mommy said. "She cleaned out a full jar of the foal food." She held up the jar and I didn't see anything on the inside. It was clean.

"Already?" He suddenly looked confused.

"I had to keep her from eating the spoon and the jar." Mommy picked up Skyla with her glow and carried her off to the back.

Daddy turned back to me. "The sooner you eat, the sooner you can go play with your sister."

I wanted to go play, so I slowly took a bite of the stuff on the spoon. It tasted good, and I waited for more.

As I ate, daddy talked with a smile on his face. "Your Auntie Sparkle actually thought the foal food was going to attack her the first time your grandparents tried feeding her the stuff. I was too busy laughing to remember it, but I do remember being late to school that day. That was also the only tardy that whole year across the whole school that got forgiven." I had no idea what he was talking about.

It wasn't long before I felt full and was taken to play with Skyla.

For a while, I've felt something vague, yet meaningful inside me, trying to get out. It's something mommy and daddy use all the time: words.

It's breakfast, and all of us are having oatmeal with apple pieces in it. It's good stuff. Mommy and daddy are using spoons while Skyla and I are just sticking our muzzles into our bowls.

All of a sudden, I felt like trying to use words. "Du."

Mommy and daddy stopped eating and looked at me. "Did she say 'two'?" Mommy asked.

"No, she didn't," daddy said.

I kept trying. "Dur. Duri."

"She's still working on it," mommy said, looking eager for something.

Finally, I felt the word and got it out. "Durian!"

Mommy's glow left her horn, her smile turned into a frown, and her spoon fell into her bowl. "Shining, did she just say what I think she said?"

"Yep," daddy said.

Mommy suddenly looked not good. "Excuse me." She ran faster than I'd ever seen her move and there was suddenly a very gross sound coming from the bathroom.

Daddy looked at me while Skyla looked at mommy's bowl. "I don't know where you learned that word, but I don't want you to say it around your mom again, got it?"

I nodded. I didn't want her to make more gross sounds like that.

As the fillies soundly slept one night, Shining and Cadence sat at the dining room table with an intense and epic game of Go Fish going on. "I was ready for nearly anything before the fillies were born, but I can't say I was ready for this," Cadence said. "Got a red 3?"

"Go fish," Shining said. "I think Skyla's the more normal filly, all things considered. Got a black 5?"

Cadence floated the card over. "I've never seen a foal with as much of an appetite as she does."

He set the black fives on his pile of matches. "Agent Rumor Mill's told me that most of the castle staff think it's because she's an alicorn. Red 7?"

"Go fish. That alone wouldn't explain Inova, though. She's much more curious than anything. Red queen?" A moment later, she put the pair of queens on her pile of matches.

"She's the real interesting one. Raising a fuss over drinking her milk in her first week, then suddenly being willing to drink, her feedback loop of crying, her first word-"

Cadence put a wing over her mouth. "Don't remind me. Black ace?"

"Go fish. There isn't as much talk about Inova, though. It's a pretty even split between whether she's slow to pick up on things or just incredibly patient, like no foal ever was. Black jack?"

"No, we're playing Go Fish. Also, go fish. Do you think that one came from when we got soft serve? Red 6?"

"Go fish. Inova was only halfway done with hers before Skyla took it and wolfed it down. I had the shields and bits ready, but Inova didn't really react that much. Joker?"

Cadence gave up the freshly drawn card. "Maybe being an alicorn foal magnifies some personality traits? That would explain Skyla's appetite and Inova's patience."

"Twilight would say that more alicorn foals need to be observed to make that conclusion. For all we know, there could be normal foals out there with those traits." He set the jokers on his stack. "All we can do is make sure they grow up good."

Out in Ponyville, Discord was reading his personal newspaper, the Chaos Wheneverly, and raised an eyebrow at an article. "Cadence reacted that way?"

"Reacted to what?"

"Little Inova's first word."

Fluttershy gasped in excitement. "She said her first word? What did she say?"

"Durian."

She paused at that. "Durian?"

"Durian."

"That really big, spiky, and nasty fruit from Indoneighsia?"

"Yes."

"The kind that made Cadence sick on her honeymoon there?"

He looked away from his paper. "It did?"

"She had a very ghastly look on her face when she talked about it and looked like she was about to get sick just thinking about it."

"Huh. That would explain her reaction in this story."

"Hm?" Fluttershy fluttered up and read the article. "Oh my." She looked at him. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

Discord produced a signed affidavit printed on construction paper. "I swear all I did was make Inova say 'durian' since I figured it would be a funny first word. I did not know of Cadence's experience with the actual thing."

She sighed as she landed. "Discord, I want you to keep that to yourself. I'll stay quiet about it as long as you do."

With a snap, both of them were suddenly wearing blue helmets and trenchcoats. "We know nothing. Nothing!" His newspaper suddenly burst into green fire, and once it died down, he swept up the ashes and dumped them into Fluttershy's flower bed, making some of the plants sneeze.

Author's Note

I'd say this chapter is a huge improvement over the first version.

When funny things happen, it's reasonable to presume Discord is involved somehow.

Kindergarten

As we walked through the Empire, I did my best to ignore Skyla's constant barrage of questions to mommy and daddy. Something about the word 'kindergarten' seemed familiar to me, but I couldn't put my hoof on why.

A few Crystal Guards in shiny blue armor flew in and gently parted a crowd in front of a colorful building. Even from the distance we were at, I could see and hear the cameras at work in the crowd.

Mommy leaned down to Skyla and me. "Just smile and wave a bit, girls."

Skyla lifted a wing to wave at the cameras. I raised a forehoof to wave, only to promptly trip and fall onto the crystalline ground with my lower jaw taking the brunt while my rear went up into the air. It sounded like everypony gasped or groaned when I landed.

Daddy was immediately in front of me, and he was very worried. "Are you okay, Inova? Do you need to see the doctor?"

"No," I said before getting my rear hooves back on the ground and standing again. "I'm fine."

"Let me check." His horn glowed and I felt the skin on my face tingle a bit. "Well, you seem alright. Just wave with one of your wings next time, alright?"

"My wings?" I looked back and there they were on my body. "Oh."

"It's okay. Let's just get you to class, alright?"

"Okay." My jaw still stung, but I was a strong filly and I would not cry over it.

We went through a short hallway with some doors on one side and some big windows on the other, letting the ponies outside see us without getting to us. I stopped at the threshold to the classroom we went to. Colts and fillies were running around everywhere and playing with each other. Skyla was quick to run in and join a group of them, but I didn't want to go any further.

"It's okay, Inova," mommy said as she put one of her wings on my back. "You'll make some friends of your own before you know it."

Daddy put a hoof under my chin and gently got me to look at him. "I know it's loud, but I know you'll be able to handle it. We'll be back before you know it."

I looked back into the classroom. "Is there somepony that can quiet the noise?"

"Not the way I can. Ms. Vine is a great teacher, and she'll be looking out for everypony here, including you."

"Now go and have some fun." Mommy pushed me forward into the room, my recently polished and smoothed hooves doing nothing to stop her. "Bye, Inova! Bye, Skyla!"

I watched as they left, then looked around the room. Skyla didn't even notice mommy and daddy leave. There was a play kitchen in one area, a few small tables in another, some artsy stuff in another area, some short slides were against a wall, there were a few doors, and in the middle was a big circular fenced in space, except for one section. I wanted to go to the fenced in space, but it was in the middle, which meant the loudness would be everywhere.

The door opened and some ponies that weren't mommy or daddy came in with a colt of their own. I moved to the side so I wouldn't be in their way as the colt went to the slides and they left.

A mare with light green fur, a purple mane and tail, no horn, and no wings came in without a foal. "Okay everypony, it's time for class!" Her voice was clear and crisp, and despite being right next to her as she shouted, it wasn't that bad. "Come meet me in the corral!"

Some of the foals stopped what they were doing and went to the fenced in space while others kept playing. I slowly made my way there while the mare went around to herd those that weren't going to the corral. Skyla was there, but I couldn't sit with her because of the foals surrounding her, so I picked a spot just inside the corral entrance and glanced at the entrance to the classroom. I also noticed some big mirrors up high on the wall, and I turned to look at them. "What are those doing here?"

On the other side of the one way glass overlooking the room, Princess Cadence and Shining Armor watched their fillies. Other parents were there to watch their foals as well, a statement that could be taken a couple different ways.

Cadence looked to her left and saw a yellow pegasus stallion next to her that she recognized as being part of the press. The Crystalline Chronicle, if she remembered right. Immediately, she knew that he was going to be writing articles on her fillies and their school life. As much as she didn't like the idea of there being no privacy in Inova and Skyla's education, it was the cost of their status.

She chose to talk to him. "Excuse me."

He turned to see her, and everypony that was listening in. "Oh, hello, Your Majesty. Can I help you with something?"

"Am I right in my presumption that you're going to be writing articles about my daughters? Please state your name and answer honestly."

He felt a bit nervous immediately. "Well, yes. I'm Lucky Spotter, and it's partly by coincidence that I'm here. I have a filly of my own in this class as well."

"Just a bit of luck, then. I would appreciate it if you kept any articles on my fillies to no more than once every one or two weeks."

"I can respect that wish. But what would happen if I were to publish something daily?"

"Nothing will come from the castle or myself, but it may become something ponies glance at and pass over if you publish that often."

Shining joined in the conversation. "So you're basically getting paid to watch your daughter here, right?"

"Effectively, yes."

"Cadence and I won't be able to be here as much as we'd like since we have royal duties, so if you could report any odd or troubling behavior to us before publishing it, we'd appreciate it."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you'll miss out on some rewards that I haven't thought of yet."

Lucky turned his attention to the foals in the classroom. "I'll give it two weeks before I publish anything, and I appreciate the access."

"He didn't promise that." Cadence lightly smacked the back of her husband's head with a wing.

"Of course. Sorry for the presumption."

Two weeks later

After putting the foals to bed, Shining showed Cadence the day's paper. "He's alright so far."

"It's just the first article from him." Cadence accepted the paper and read the article.

Alicorns In Kindergarten

The young Princesses Inova and Skyla have recently completed their second week of kindergarten, and already, differences between the two are readily apparent, and these differences are about as subtle as the coat colors of Princesses Celestia and Luna.

Princess Skyla has shown great ease interacting with other foals, and doesn't seem to care that she's usually the only alicorn in a group. Unicorn, pegasus, earth pony, she has made friends with all three. She runs and plays with her friends whenever she can, whether indoors or outdoors. The only trouble she seems to cause is going after her classmates' food during snack and lunch times. Credit must be given to the teacher, Ms. Grape Vine, for her ability to discipline Skyla when she does start going after other foals' food. In the two weeks so far, Princess Skyla has shown a minor reduction in that behavior.

Princess Inova, on the other hoof, has shown herself to be rather antisocial, preferring to be by herself as often as possible, not talking with other foals very much, and even refusing to join games when asked by her classmates. When given a choice on what to do indoors, she routinely goes for the building blocks and takes them next to the door that leads to the playground. Her focus appears to stay on the blocks and what she's building above all else, but her ears are almost always in motion. Multiple times, in the moments before a classmate started crying over something, she would abandon her blocks and go outside, where she simply sits and waits until things are quieter again. There have also been times where other foals, while running around, accidentally knocked down what she was building. Instead of getting upset over it, as other foals have, she started rebuilding. Inova causes the least amount of trouble in class, but Ms. Grape Vine says that her lack of social interaction is worrisome.

The next article on these royal fillies will come out in two weeks, unless something big happens.

Cadence set the newspaper down. "I'm glad Skyla's getting disciplined for her appetite."

"We have been rather lenient on that," Shining added. "It's time to stop her before she eats everything."

"And we will. As for Inova. . ."

"We might just have to give her time." He took a moment to introspect. "Maybe we need to use what we learned with Twilight to help her."

Cadence was quick to summon a notepad, and the two began a romantic evening of brainstorming ideas for Inova and stuff for Skyla.

Author's Note

And here we see a new character for the Redux: Lucky Spotter. He's a journalist that often ends up in the right place at the right time on accident. His cutie mark is a star under a magnifying glass. It's not mentioned in the story because I came up with it as I was writing these author's notes.

Hearth's Warming Trip, Part 2

During our two week trip to Canterlot, I got to meet and learn more about the mares and dragon from the picture at Pony Joe's.

Skyla and I sat on Aunt Celestia's back between her wings while she was laying down by the fireplace on our third evening away from home. "How do you like Canterlot so far, girls?" She asked with her warm voice.

"I love it!" Skyla happily answered. "There's so many new toys and snacks and things! Can we go to Pony Joe's?"

"Maybe later. What about you, Inova?"

"It's okay." I lay down along her shoulders and her moving mane came dangerously close to tickling my nose. "I'm bored."

I could almost hear the cunning smile in her voice. "Bored in Canterlot? I guess we'll have to do something about that, won't we?"

"Are we going somewhere, Aunt Celery?" Skyla asked.

Aunt Celestia suddenly made a sputtering sound and my spot on her back began shaking. It wasn't long before she began laughing out loud. "Au-Aunt Celery? HA HA HA!"

The door to the room opened and Aunt Luna entered. She looked a bit grumpy, but also hopeful. "What's got you laughing, sister?"

"S-Skyla called me. . . Pfffft, HA HA HA!"

Skyla sounded worried. "Aunt Celery?"

Luna started laughing as well and I reached up to cover my ears. The room echoed, and the two laughing alicorns made a lot of noise.

After a while, the laughter died down and I was able to uncover my ears. "I needed that," Aunt Luna said with a satisfied smile. "One of the Bluebloods petitioned again."

"Was it a shortsighted thing or a selfish thing?"

"Both. It's admirable how much effort he put into his scheme, but alas, he didn't put that energy towards actually achieving it himself."

"Typical Blueblood behavior. But enough about that family, we have a bored filly to entertain."

"Hi, Aunt Luna," I said with a wave.

"Hello, Inova," Aunt Luna responded with a smile. "Celery, do you mind if I teleport Inova to my chambers? I have something that may entertain her."

"If she wants," Aunt Celestia said before turning to me. "It's your choice."

I didn't have anything better to do, so I carefully got off Aunt Celestia's shoulders and walked over to Aunt Luna. "I'm ready," I said.

"I'll let your parents know where you're going, Inova. Luna, I believe this will be her first teleport, so be ready for anything."

"Of course," Aunt Luna said before she gently put a forehoof on my back. "Here we go." There was a flash of light and a brief feeling of pressure, then we were suddenly in a different room. "How do you feel, Inova?"

"Dizzy," I answered as I tried to keep my breathing steady. I didn't feel anything churning in my belly, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

"That's normal for a first time teleport. Just keep breathing until you feel alright." She ran her hoof down my back as I followed her instructions. "You're already doing better than some ponies."

"I am?" The dizziness was fading fast and I began feeling better.

"Indeed. Some don't handle it so well, leading to. . . Messes. As for why we're here, I have something you may like." Aunt Luna levitated a box in front of me, and the shaking sound of its contents were both new to me and oddly familiar. "These are Golem Bricks. You can build things out of them."

I looked at the box. It had a variety of colorful pieces on it, and I felt somewhat excited for some reason. "What kind of things?"

"Whatever you want. I'll help." She moved and lay down across from me, opened the box, and used it as a tray for the pieces. It was both lots of fun and relaxing at the same time, except when multiple pieces came up on the bottom of my hoof.

Skyla and I sat with Twilight, our dad’s little sister, with her wings wrapped around us as she told us a story with a book. The book was mostly uncolored pictures and she explained what happened as she went along. “Long ago, there were two sisters-”

“Like us?” Skyla interrupted.

“Not quite. The older sister raised the sun and brought the day to the land of Equestria, while the younger one raised the moon and brought the night. For a time, things were harmonious, and the sisters worked together to make sure the land they ruled over was peaceful. But, as time went on, the sister of the night started to become jealous of her older sister and all the praise she got, while the ponies slept through her night.

“The younger sister, overcome by her emotions, refused to make way for the day and attacked her older sister. The older sister defended herself and wielded the Elements of Harmony against her twisted sister, banishing her to the moon for a thousand years.”

“That’s a long time out,” I said.

Auntie Twilight chuckled at my description. “Yes, a thousand years is a long time to think about what you did. The older sister had her difficulties, too. With her sister banished, she was lonely, even when surrounded by subjects that loved her. For a thousand years, she ruled over Equestria alone as its sole Princess. Then, on the thousandth year, during the eve of a Summer Sun Celebration, the younger sister came back and banished the older one to the sun. Six ponies went out to find the Elements of Harmony, and together, they cleansed the younger sister of her jealousy and brought the older one back. They reunited, made up, and have been ruling as equals since then.”

“Wow,” Skyla said in awe as Twilight closed the book. “Where are the sisters now?”

“Right there,” Twilight pointed to them on the other side of the room.

Skyla was shocked. “Aunts Luna and Celery!?”

“I told you, Twilight,” Aunt Celestia said. “I am what my dietician wants me to be.”

Aunt Luna snickered behind one of her wings. “I don’t think ‘full of cake’ is what she meant.”

“Oh, please. I am Princess Celery of the Peanut Butter and Raisin Kingdom. All shall adore me for my amazing ability to put peanut butter and raisins on a stalk of my namesake.”

Luna gasped. “You fiend! The Fruit Salad Shogunate shall not stand for this! Have at thee!”

“Luna, there is no need for violence.”

“Maybe not. . .” Aunt Luna’s horn glowed, there was a flash of light, and she suddenly had a pair of instruments in her telekinesis. “But there is room for violins!”

“Not this again.” Auntie Twilight’s horn lit up and I felt the sound stopping shields appear in my ears.

I didn’t hear what was said next, but I did hear a little bit of the violins. I’d never seen or heard them before, but it sounded like Aunt Luna could not play them at all.

"Hello, Inova," Rarity said with a smile as I met her in a workshop in the castle. "I've got an early Hearth's Warming present for you." She set a plain box with a lid on it on the floor in front of me. "Go ahead and open it."

I pulled the lid off and saw two things in the box. Both of them were black with light blue lines like my mane and tail, but I had no idea what to make of them. "What are they?"

"Your mother told me about your cold shock on the train ride here, so I made some wing covers for you. Would you like some help putting them on?"

I looked back and tried to get my wings to open, but for some reason, I couldn't get them to. "Please?"

"Of course! You won't mind if I use a bit of levitation on you, right? I only need to hold your wings open for a bit."

"Just don't lift me."

"Can do." Rarity used her levitation to open my wings and put the wing covers on one at a time before gently closing them. "What do you think?"

I inspected the wing covers. Part of me was expecting them to be itchy, but they were actually quite comfortable and I could already feel my wings getting less cold. "They're nice. Thank you."

Rarity smiled at the praise. "You're welcome, Inova. Just make sure to take them off before you fly."

"Okay."

I sighed as I laid on the floor and read a picture book about pegasi and all they could do in the sky. Each page made me aware of my wings and the comfortable covers that were on them, but despite knowing that, everything in the book seemed like it was out of reach for me.

The door opened just as I shoved the book away in a huff. "Is something wrong, Inova?" Fluttershy's soft voice asked.

"I'm never going to fly," I glumly said as I rested my head on my forehooves. "I have wings, but. . ."

Despite having hooves and being on a marble floor, Fluttershy somehow quietly walked over and lay down by me. "You'll get it eventually. Some day, you'll be able to fly without thinking about it too much."

"I don't think so."

"I believe you'll be able to, because I was once scared to fly."

That caught my attention. "Really?"

"Oh yes. It took a long time for me to master flight, and even today, I still make mistakes." For a bit, she just lay in silence with me as the sun started going down. "Nopony's expecting you to be perfect right now. You haven't even started first grade, so don't worry about it. You've got plenty of time to figure it out, and you'll have lots of good teachers along the way."

Her words were soothing, and I was less upset after hearing her talk. I was still mad at the taunting book, but with her next to me, I was able to get most of it out of my mind.

Applejack led me through the Canterlot gardens outside the castle. It was quiet and peaceful, with the crunch of snow underhoof as the only sound. “So, how’s kindergarten treatin’ ya?”

“It’s okay,” I answered. “I like to stack the blocks in the corner by myself.”

“Ya do anything else?”

“I’ve been reading books.”

“How about outside stuff? Any racing?”

“No, I don’t do that.”

She sounded confused. “Really? Why not?”

I looked away from her as I answered. “I. . . I trip over my hooves when I run.”

“Really now?”

“Yeah.” I didn’t know what else to say, so I didn’t say anything.

Applejack, thankfully, found another topic. “See these little white flowers on the hedges?”

I looked where she was and saw a wall of small flowers. “What about them?”

“These are frostdew vine flowers. They help the hedges stay strong and healthy, bloom in the cold, and are a good snack this time of year.” She took a bite off the wall and chewed on the flowers for a bit. “Go ahead, try one.”

I inched closer and opened my mouth. Before I got close enough to bite down, a feeling of wrongness hit me and I stepped back. “I don’t want to.”

“It’s okay. They’re here for tryin’.”

“Well. . .”

She was concerned. “Is somethin’ wrong?”

“I don’t feel like I should eat it.”

“Hm. Okay.”

Her abrupt acceptance of my answer caught me by surprise. “Really?”

“If you don’t feel you should, then don’t force yourself.” She started walking and I followed. “Do you want to know why Ah didn’t invite your sister to walk with us?”

“Is it because she would try to eat everything?”

“Yup. Ah adore her just as much as Ah do you, but from what Ah’ve heard, Ah wouldn’t trust her near my farm just yet.”

“You have a farm?” I’d read about them, but nopony in the Crystal Empire had anything bigger than a small garden. A farm was full of gardens with lots of different things.

“Sweet Apple Acres. We do lots of stuff there. We grow crops, raise animals, cook up and sell food, fix machines, build shelters, can and jar what we grow, and. . . That’s a lot for you to get, isn’t it?”

I looked at her in awe. “You can do all of that?” I didn’t know what everything she said was, but it was still amazing.

“Well, yes. My sister’s better at the machine stuff, and she’s published books about that and construction. Ah didn’t think those books would sell all that well, but they do.”

“Is construction like stacking blocks?”

She gave my question a bit of thought. “Well, kind of. Sometimes, you stack blocks when you’re building things, but you don’t always build things by stacking blocks. Does that make sense?”

I tried to imagine what she meant, but my mind kept going back to stacking blocks. “No, not really.”

“That’s okay. You’ll learn about it someday.”

We kept walking around the gardens as the day wore on. It was nice and peaceful.

Rainbow hovered in front of Skyla and me in a large room in the castle. Between her and us was a fluffy white cloud, as big as Aunt Celestia with her wings out, sitting a couple feet above the floor, which didn't make sense to me, despite watching her bring it in. "I'm going to give you a head start on flying. The first thing to do is to stand on this cloud."

"Why?" Skyla asked.

"Because you can land and walk on them. And I'll buy a milkshake for whoever lands up here." She promptly stopped hovering and let herself drop onto the cloud. "Your turn."

Skyla was immediately upset. "You cheater! I wasn't ready to get up there!"

Rainbow was unfazed. "I said whoever lands on this cloud, not the first to land on it. If you can get up here in the next five minutes, you'll get a milkshake. It's not a race."

The explanation cleared things up for Skyla. "Oh." She immediately dashed forward and began jumping to try and get on the cloud.

"Come on, use your wings, Skyla," Rainbow encouraged. "You can get up here!"

My sister started using her wings, and her jumps got a bit more height. It wasn't long before she got enough height to get a hoof in the side of the cloud. As she climbed the rest of the way, she used her wings to give herself a boost, and she soon made it up over the edge. "I did it!" She cheered when she was on top with Rainbow.

"Hey, good job!" Rainbow looked back at me. "You coming up, Inova?"

Her question barely registered as I tried to figure out what was going on. I'd doubted all the stuff from the pegasus picture book since it didn't make sense to me, but everything that had just happened in under five minutes proved me wrong.

"Inova?"

"Get up here, Inova!" Skyla called out. "We'll get milkshakes!"

I couldn't bring myself to move as I kept trying to process everything. Clouds were supposed to be really really high up, and they shouldn't have been able to support anything, but my sister and Rainbow were just sitting up there on a cloud in a castle like it was nothing. Skyla had climbed it like a bug on the wall, which made even less sense to me.

"Okay. . . This doesn't look good," Rainbow said. "Skyla, I promise I'll come back with a milkshake for you. I just need to find Twilight first so she can help your sister."

Skyla nodded. "Okay."

Rainbow flew out of the room, briefly leaving a rainbow trail in my sight. As I kept trying to make sense of what happened, I didn't notice time going by.

A hoof poked my side, and I didn't react. "Hmm. . ." Auntie Twilight looked around me before ending up face to face with me. "Inova, are you there?"

"System error, system error," I quietly said.

Auntie Twilight's concern turned into curiosity. "System error? Inova, I hope you'll forgive me for this." She flew up to the cloud. "Skyla, could you get down for me? I need to borrow this cloud for a moment."

"But I need to stay up here so Rainbow will get me a milkshake!" Skyla objected.

"I'll explain if she needs me to. Can I have the cloud?"

". . . Okay." With some assistance, Skyla reluctantly got down.

Auntie Twilight seemed to massage the cloud for a bit, making it darker before she moved it over me. "Inova, please forgive me." A moment later, I was drenched from a sudden and brief downpour, which briefly distracted me from my confusion before I became confused again, but with extra creeping coldness.

Rainbow flew in at that moment with two milkshakes in her grasp. "Twilight, what did you do?"

"I was trying to snap Inova out of her confusion, but I don't think it worked."

"You'd better get her dried off before-"

The door loudly opened. "Twilight, what did you do?" Mom did not sound happy.

Auntie Twilight sounded like Skyla did when she was caught with her muzzle in the cookie jar, though not as muffled. "Well. . . Inova was really confused about something, so I thought soaking her would snap her out of it. I guess it didn't."

"You are going to dry Inova off, then you're going to go to your room and think about what you did."

"Cadence, we're both adults. You can't-" Twilight stopped when mom growled at her, and she sounded a lot more timid after that. "Okay, you can." Twilight landed in front of me, her horn lit up, and all the water in my fur and feathers vanished, along with the creeping chill. "I'll go now." She left the room at a walking pace without any fanfare.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that," Rainbow said. "Oh, Skyla, I forgot to ask what flavor you wanted, so I got an orange shake for you."

"Yay!" Skyla got the smaller shake from Rainbow and started on it immediately. It didn't last long before she was done, then she looked at me and started laughing. "Inova's all fuzzy and fluffy!"

I finally moved and hid behind mom's legs, where I felt safe. I just wanted things to make sense.

Things did not make sense. Skyla and I had been allowed into the castle kitchen so we could learn from and help Pinkie with some baking. Aside from her pronking instead of walking there, it started off pretty normal.

Then she started singing.

I couldn't make out the words to her song because I couldn't understand what was going on. She would start stirring something really fast, leave it, and it would keep stirring. I saw her disappear into a pantry and come out of an oven on the other side of the kitchen seconds later, and the kitchen wasn't small.

The chefs that were working in the kitchen when we arrived didn't seem bothered by what she was doing, and even went along with her song and dance. Even her coming out of a pot of mashed potatoes didn't slow them down, and she wasn't slowed by the lid getting put back on the pot she was in either.

While Skyla was being entertained by Pinkie doing the impossible, I quietly left the kitchen and sat down at a booth in the corner of the dining hall.

Before my brain melted, a quartet of guards showed up. "Is something wrong, Princess Inova?" One of them, a pegasus, asked.

I tried to use words to explain what I'd just seen, but none came, and I wound up just pointing towards the kitchen.

He looked the way I pointed. "It's your first time meeting Pinkie Pie, isn't it?"

I found a word to use. "Yes."

"That explains it." His tone turned more serious. "Gentlecolts, we're on royal friend duty now. We'll need nachos, cheese sticks, and some hearty salads." At his decision, the other three stallions moved, then he slid into the booth and sat next to me. "I remember what Pinkie did the first time I met her."

"What did she do?"

He put a wing across my back as he told his story. "I was with my fellow cadets during the last weeks of boot camp and we were being briefed on how to spot an intruder. She was there and she was wearing a paper mask with a picture of a guard stallion's face on it. Nopony seemed to notice anything was off, or maybe nopony felt like they could say anything. She acted perfectly like a guard until she slammed a baguette on the sergeant's horn with enough force to knock him out and dislodge her mask. She crab walked out and laughed in Prench all the way."

My confusion only grew, not just from the story, but from Pinkie's antics in it somehow making a weird amount of sense to me. "Huh?"

"She slammed the door on the way out and that was when the sergeant got to his hooves. 'All of you saw her. I know you did. If she was an infiltrator, she would have gotten past all of you. Just be glad she's silly instead of malicious.' After that, he levitated the baguette off his horn and started eating it."

"It had warm garlic butter on it," one of the other guards said as the three returned with the food. The nachos and cheese sticks went in the middle while the salads were distributed. My serving was smaller than the ones the guards had. "And it wasn't the first time either. The other guards told me that they experienced something similar, though she did different things."

"Like the Spider Mare bit," another one said. "Costume and everything."

"Or the bookcase frame," the fourth one added. "The shelves and books stayed in place, but the frame fell around the sergeant and she hit him with a cream pie. Half his face was covered, and he kept going like nothing happened."

I listened to the guard stallions talk about stuff as I nibbled on my salad. It was a very good salad, and I kept my focus on it. The salad made sense, but the stories did not.

"Hey Inova," Spike casually said as our paths crossed in a hallway. "I heard you're bored again. Would you like to play a game with me?"

His question stopped me. "A game?"

"I've got some modified arcade cabinets in my room here. I did the work on them myself. Everypony else is busy with something, so I was heading that way. What are you doing?"

"Getting lost." The halls all looked so similar, I couldn't tell where I was.

"I know that feeling. It took me a long time to learn where everything is here. Come on, let's go."

I followed Spike through the winding hallways and listened to his descriptions of the arcade games he had. I didn't know any of the characters he talked about, but they all sounded interesting with their various powers and abilities.

When we got to his room, it turned out he had a whole wall's worth of arcade cabinets. "Which one looks the most interesting to you? All of them can handle two players."

I looked end to end and cabinet to cabinet. The one that caught my eye was light blue with gold lightning bolts, featuring a group called the Power Ponies. "That one."

"Alright," Spike readily agreed. "Just let me get something for you to stand on so you can play."

While I waited, I looked at the machine. As cool as it was, it felt. . . Old, like it had shown up a long time ago and been replaced multiple times, yet was still here. I couldn't put my hoof on what I was feeling.

"Here you go." Spike rolled a wheeled set of short steps up to the machine and I went up, the top step turning out to be a platform. He started the game up. "Which Power Pony do you want?"

I looked at the controls in front of me. On my left was a stick with a ball on it, and on my right were three spaced out buttons labeled Attack/Select, Jump/Back, and Special. Moving the stick moved a blue thing on the screen. A red thing moved under Spike's control, and he chose a colt named Hum Drum. "Which one's easiest?"

"Hmm. . . Zapp. Her attacks all have some level of knockback or stun and her special moves hit the whole screen."

I chose Zapp and soon, Spike and I were fighting mummies that The Pharaoh sent at us.

After a couple rough starts, I had the hang of the machine. Spike's character didn't do much damage to the enemies, but he was able to give Zapp what he called Buffs, which made her more powerful.

Getting to The Pharaoh took a while and lots of concentration, but we did it. As the credits went by and I caught my breath, Spike gave me a pat on my shoulders. "You did really well. I'm actually impressed."

"That was fun," I agreed with a smile on my face. "Can we play again?"

"Maybe after supper. I heard we're having lasagna tonight."

December 25th, Hearth's Warming day, and more importantly to me, the last day in Canterlot before the train ride home. The wing covers Rarity made were very nice and so comfortable, I forgot I was wearing them on top of forgetting about my wings.

The first thing the thirteen of us did after a late breakfast was to go to a very nice theater in town to see a play. Auntie Twilight and her friends played the main characters once years ago, but none of them would tell me what the play was about.

Before the play itself started, the mare on stage made an announcement. "Fillies and gentlecolts, before we begin this year's rendition of The Founding Miracle, I would like to bring your attention to our special guests in the balcony." At her words, the spotlights turned on us. "The living bearers of the Elements of Harmony, all six alicorns, Prince Shining Armor, and the noble dragon Spike."

As the crowd cheered and stomped their hooves, I slowly lowered myself to hide behind the railing. I didn't want the attention from everypony, I just wanted the play to go on.

Mom leaned towards Auntie Twilight. "You do realize she technically mentioned you twice, right?"

"It's fine," Twilight said. "It really is the easiest way to describe our group."

After the crowd quieted down, I got back up and watched the play.

"So, what did we learn from The Founding Miracle?" Mom asked as we left the theater after the play was done.

"Friendship scares wendigos!" Skyla happily said.

"Inova?"

My answer was simple. "What Skyla said."

"So if you don't make any friends, you'll be haunted by wendigos and freeze."

Pinkie chimed in. "I heard they can even take you away and encase you in a frozen pool of liquid ice."

"They can do that?" I asked.

"If you're lonely and have no friends, they might be able to."

Dad changed the topic. "Hey, I heard there's something for us at the castle. Who wants to go investigate it?" All of us agreed to his idea, so we went back to the castle.

We found a big decorated tree in the castle's throne room with wrapped boxes under it. Skyla ran ahead to them while I walked up, though I was still excited. Some of them had a black ribbon with a light blue line on it, similar to my mane and tail. It looked like they were all mine because of the ribbon, but I double checked the tags anyways to make sure they were mine. I didn't want any of Skyla's presents, which all seemed to have ribbons that matched her mane and tail.

While my sister enthusiastically tore into her presents, I took mine more slowly. Among the toys I got, the ones that really caught my interest were the Golem Brick ones, though the sets looked very simple.

Shining Armor and Cadence shared a single present from Celestia and Luna. It consisted of two pieces of paper. One was a sizable check. The other was a letter.

Dear Cadence and Shining

Celestia and I have decided to be the best aunts ever and we will spoil Inova and Skyla. This is a threat. The 100,000 bit check attached is for you to renovate and give each filly her own room for play and creativity, and maybe even hosting events or media. Take your time to decide when to do this.

Thanks to my dream walking skills, I was able to see and discern some of what each of your fillies would like and learn from. Naturally, Skyla's dreams of a world made of food was untenable, but after digging under that delicious syrup drizzled pancake layer, the best choice of toys for her were the Enchanted Emotion dolls. As happy and optimistic as she is, she needs to learn how to deal with someone filled with different kinds of negativity, and these will help her with that.

Getting Inova the Golem Brick sets was actually a really easy decision, especially after letting her play with some. She's had some dreams that were practically made of the things before coming to Canterlot, which is really impressive since, as far as I'm aware, that toy hasn't even been advertised in the Crystal Empire. She even had a bunch of parts in her dreams that don't exist, including gears, frames, and a number of joints. My only concern is that Skyla might try to eat some of the pieces.

Make sure you find or make time to play with each of them. You're in their dreams, and it's only in good ways.

Sincerely, Luna

P.S.: We'll be sending some books back with you for each of the fillies. Celestia chose them based on what you've told us about them in your letters.

Cadence slipped the letter and the check under her wing. "That's a nice gift."

"That it is," Shining agreed. "That said, it's a lot to work with."

"We could turn it into a lesson on budgeting for the fillies. We'll take what we need for the walls, floor, and ceiling first, then split the rest between them for decorating to their tastes."

"Good idea. Let's wait before we do that, though."

On the train ride home, I read an autographed book Aunt Celestia had gotten for me. It was about the basics of construction and architecture, written by Apple Bloom. Mom and dad thought it was too much for me to grasp, but I liked it.

I wanted to keep building with the Golem Bricks since I really liked them, but something told me the train wasn't a good place for that, so I stuck to the book.

Author's Note

The segments with Luna, Celery, the mane six, and Spike all started off as 1-2 paragraph summaries. Pinkie's segment, like the mare herself, was the hardest to pin down.

Difficulties

Dear diary,

I have mixed feelings about school. Language arts and math are very easy for me, and I've been helping my classmates understand and learn the stuff, though I have to hold back some frustration from time to time. No matter how often or how well I explained things, I can't understand it for them.

That quip once got me sent to the principal's office after the filly ran from the room in tears. Word problems were clearly not her friend.

Social studies and history are very interesting for me, which makes me stand out since most of my classmates get really bored in those classes. I even find myself tapping out tunes on occasion in history, though I haven't found any words.

The classes I really don't like are general fitness, flight, and magic. My hooves start getting tangled up at anything faster than a light trot, and it's even worse when we play hoofball. The less said about the incident with the stairs, the better. As for flight and magic. . . I'm at the bottom of those classes. I keep on forgetting that I have wings and a horn. The teachers stopped shaving points off my grades in those classes when it became clear that the teasing I got for it was worse. The only thing keeping me from outright failing them is my high understanding of the mechanics and magic underneath them, and the effort I put in when I do remember I have wings and a horn. If I pass those, it's going to be by a slim margin.

It's rare that I have homework since I do it all in the library during recess or while waiting for my next class to start. I don't know why I do it that way, but I'm the only foal in my year that does. It does give me more free time at home, though.

I released the magic on the quill I used to finish writing and let it fall on the pile of the four broken ones I used before it for the entry. I'd only remembered that I had a horn when I wrote 'magic' and the results can be described as legible, with a bit of effort.

With an exhausted sigh, I left the open diary on the dining table and went to the kitchen for some water. It took a lot of effort for me to do the little bit of levitation that I could manage. Writing by mouth was still faster and cleaner for me.

While I was getting a glass, I couldn't help but look at it. More specifically, how I was holding it with the bottom of one hoof. I understood the basic principles behind the magic of it, but something about it was still fascinating.

Mom was reading my entry by the time I drank my water and put the glass in its place. "I can tell where you remembered your horn."

"Yep." There was no denying the difference in my writing or my brief glance upwards.

"And where you broke the quills."

"Yep." The four ink splotches and my writing around them were impossible to miss.

She set the diary down. "I'm sure you're improving. You aren't writing in here enough for me to tell, though."

"I just don't have much to write about. I go to school, do school stuff, and come home."

"Have you made any friends?"

"No, not yet." I knew my classmates' names and some things about them, but I never really talked with them outside of class.

"You're in second grade and you still have no friends? Inova, a pony needs friends she can rely on. Auntie Twilight did not defeat Nightmare Moon alone."

"Yeah, I know. It's just. . ." I sat down at the table and flopped my head onto it. "Part of me always wonders if they're trying to be friends for a connection to royalty. I don't want to hear it, but I can't argue against it."

Mom flopped her head onto the table so we were looking eye to eye. "Inova, you're too young to be worrying about political motives. Where did you even get that idea?"

"I'unno, but I can't unworry about it. How did you make friends in school?"

"I talked with my classmates and worked on what we had in common, or just went out to do stuff and have fun. School isn't everything, you know."

"Yeah, but. . . That's most of what I do. Nopony wants to talk about school after school."

Mom hummed in thought for a moment. "Maybe you could see if anypony wants to go to the spa with you?"

"They'd just think 'free spa trip' and go along for that."

My answer was met with a frown. "Are you really that cynical?"

I shrugged. "I guess."

Silence reigned between us for a minute or so. "How about we go to the spa? Just us."

"What about Skyla and dad?"

"He had to take her to the castle for something important. Let's go."

I followed mom out and began the walk to the spa. It was a nice place to go to.

Shining Armor sat on the throne, a disapproving look on his face at the subject below him: his own daughter. "I thought you were better than this, Skyla."

She withered under his stern glare, and those of the ponies around her. "But. . . I thought it was okay!"

"You know that your mother and I explicitly told everypony in the Crystal Empire to treat you and your sister like anypony else. If these same issues were brought up for somepony else, the verdict would be the same."

"But. . . The signs all said-"

"If anypony was going around eating everything at a buffet like you do, the same thing would happen. 'All you can eat' is not a challenge. Skyla, not only are you officially banned from buffets for a year, I will also allow all restaurants in the Crystal Empire to kick you out if you let your appetite get out of control without paying appropriately."

The ravenous filly's eyes began watering up. Those watching the proceedings were less concerned about the rightfully extravagant punishment and parenting on display and more curious about how a filly that ate as much as she did remained in good shape.

He added one more thing to his decree. "And I will be sending letters about this to Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Twilight."

I cracked an eye open during a massage that hit a really nice spot between my wings. "Hm?"

"What is it, Inova?" Mom asked as she got a similar massage, her eyes staying closed.

"I feel a disturbance in the force, like a great pit was blocked off."

"What force are you talking about?"

The massage continued unabated, making it difficult to figure out what I'd just said, on top of not quite understanding what I'd just said. "I don't know. It felt right to say."

"You have to think more about what you say before you say it." It wasn't the first time she'd told me that. "If you don't understand what you say, how can you expect anypony else to understand it?"

"Sorry." I relaxed as the spa ponies gently cleaned my wings and straightened some feathers out. It felt great.

When we got home, I saw Skyla laying on the couch looking sad. "Sis?"

"It's not fair. . ." She complained. "It only happened once."

"No it didn't, and you know it," dad sternly said. "Cadence, I've banned Skyla from all the buffets for a year, and given restaurants the ability to ban her if her appetite causes problems."

"You WHAT?" Mom asked in surprise.

I picked up one of Skyla's forelegs and let it fall down. It was oddly entertaining, and even funnier the second time.

"You've seen how much she eats at the buffets," dad explained. "She was actually affecting their expenses to the point that they petitioned together for something to be done. They even brought in their financial documents to prove their claims. We should have done something sooner."

"Okay, twice," Skyla said.

"No it wasn't, and if anypony else did what you did, I'd have given the same verdict."

Mom took a calming breath. "You did the right thing. We need to work more on her appetite control. Where does she even put all that food?"

Skyla put up no resistance as I booped her snoot.

Dad changed the topic. "I smell lilac and jasmine. Did you and Inova go to the spa?"

"We did." Mom's answer somehow made Skyla deflate even more, which amused me.

Author's Note

A short chapter this time. I wanted to add more, but nothing else came to mind.

School Conference

Skyla and I sat in Principal Ivory Tower's office, along with mom and dad. She was going to tell mom and dad about how Skyla and I were doing before Hearth's Warming break, and I was bored. I knew I was doing pretty well, so I wasn't worried about anything.

"Princess Cadence, Prince Armor, thanks for arriving," Principal Ivory calmly said as she levitated and opened a folder. "I'll get to the point and start with Skyla.

"Skyla's performance in class is slightly above average. Her teachers have reported that she sometimes thinks about food and what to try next instead of the class topic, and can get easily distracted."

"That sounds about normal," dad said. "Did you implement the wards I showed you?"

"Yes. They worked wonders to keep her out of the kitchen and our budget in order, as you promised. Since they went up, so did her grades."

"I just wanted a snack!" Skyla groused.

"Forty cupcakes is not a snack, Skyla," mom sternly said.

"That's as many as four tens," I added. "And that's bad."

"We have the same wards at home for the same reason," dad said. “They only failed when Skyla got Inova to go past them.” Memories of a hard hoof hitting my flank for that came back and sent a shiver up my spine. Skyla was a lot less quiet than I was when it was her turn.

“Skyla has otherwise shown herself to be quite cheerful and sociable,” Principle Ivory continued. “At this point, she’s on good terms with nearly everypony in each of her classes, and can name something good about each one of them. It’s almost to the point where it’s faster and easier to list those that aren’t in her herd of friends and acquaintances.”

“That’s good to hear,” mom said.

“All I can recommend is to work on her study habits to bring her grades up, which should be easier to focus on since her appetite is mostly under control.”

“We are still working on that,” dad assured. The buffet ban still had a few months left on it, and she still complained about it.

“Of course. That's everything of note for Skyla. As for Inova. . . She’s quite the mixed bag. She’s still struggling in her general fitness, flight, and magic classes and is at the bottom of those three in her year, possibly the whole school. I haven’t compared the scores across that level yet.”

Dad’s face twisted in confusion. “Is it even possible to fail general fitness?”

“She puts in the effort, but keeps tripping over her own hooves. The fact that she keeps getting back up and trying again in spite of that is what’s keeping her from failing it. Flight and magic aren’t quite as simple as that, though.”

“She’s still forgetting about her wings and horn?”

“As often as three times per week on occasion.” I looked down at my hooves in shame, since I’d forgotten about my wings and horn again before the meeting started. “It is an improvement from last year, at least. Her understanding of the paper material is very good in both, and she still tries in magic, but it’s like there’s a block of some kind keeping her from casting properly.”

“I had a thaumic scan done on her, and there’s nothing blocking her magic that way,” mom said.

“Just as Limelight himself reported. How she understands the paper part and intricacies better than 90% of those in her year and the one above, yet has so much trouble casting, that is confusing. Even those with less understanding are performing better than her on the casting portions.”

“And flight?”

“She’s scraping by in that class on an even slimmer margin. Aside from forgetting her wings, she’s still terrified to step onto a cloud, even when it’s a small one mere inches off the ground, and even when Radar is standing right there on it. Anytime she manages to get just a little bit off the ground, fear seems to take over and she goes back down, if her front legs don't give out when she tries. Once again, her understanding of the principles is outstanding, and she does try, but her performance is very lackluster.”

"Wait wait wait," dad urgently said. "What's this about her front legs giving out?"

"I was able to see it myself a few times. When she tries to control her wings, she seems to lose control of her front legs and often falls forward. Radar hasn't been able to figure it out, but she thinks it's a mental issue instead of physical."

He looked at me. "Inova?"

"I keep trying, but I can't!" I said. "It's really difficult for some reason."

“What do you suggest?” Mom asked.

Principal Ivory took a breath. “As much as it pains me to say this, she will need remedial home lessons in those categories, ideally from both of you, possibly even Skyla. Know that I do not make this suggestion lightly.”

“It’s really that bad?” dad asked.

“Yes. In fact, I have one other piece of bad news about Inova: there’s one unicorn filly, Nightshade, that’s been bullying her.”

Mom and dad both looked at me. “Why didn’t you tell us about this?” Mom demanded more than asked.

“She’s only a problem at school,” I said, though I had a feeling that answer wasn’t good enough.

“Nightshade’s bullying plays on all of Inova’s weaknesses. In addition, there’s also teasing and mocking statements around those weaknesses. Skyla has leapt to Inova’s defense, even threatening to bring the Crystal Guard in, but Inova stops her from doing that. At the same time, Inova hasn't done anything to retaliate."

"Can't you step in to do something?" Mom pleaded.

"We've tried talking to both of them, but it hasn't done much, if anything. However, it hasn't escalated to the point where we have to take more drastic measures. If they get into an actual fight, then we can and will take greater action. Until then, and unless Inova comes to us, we’re leaving the matter between them.

“Leaving that behind, Inova is actually excelling in her other classes, with just the occasional curiosity here and there." The change of topic was a relief to me. "We’ve actually moved her two years ahead to the fifth grade math classes, and she’s helping teach some of the students at that level. Are you sure she hasn’t had prior experience with numbers?” The question was in jest, but it also sounded sincerely curious.

“Math just seems natural to her,” dad said. “When she’s out shopping with us, she’s usually within 2 bits of the final total.”

“It’s just simple addition,” I said. “And some multiplication.”

“How do you keep track of all those numbers?” Skyla asked me. “I get lost after a fourth number gets put on before the equal sign.”

“I just do the math as I go.”

Principal Ivory cleared her throat. “Continuing on, Inova’s grasp of Equish is ironclad, with Social Studies close behind. We’ve been giving her fourth grade material and are strongly considering moving her up to that level. The only oddity is her question about there being other languages to learn.”

“Yeah, why aren’t there?” It was something that really bugged me, and I had no idea why.

Mom answered. “It’s because Celestia’s been around for so long as Equestria’s Princess, other languages simply diminished and vanished as foreign relations simply became easier in Equish, then it simply trickled down from there. Practical and political reasons.”

“But. . .” It was the same explanation as before, and it did make sense, but it still didn’t sit quite right with me. I just had a feeling that there had to be more.

“I’ll see if a few books on unique cultural dialects and expressions can resolve her confusion,” Principal Ivory said before writing a note. “While she’s not excelling the same way in history, she’s still a top student there in her year. An odd thing she sometimes does is tap out something that feels like music on occasion, and she has come up with words for some of the tunes. Noble Note’s notes notably note that bringing up certain things brings out these tunes. While there’s no discernible pattern for the topics yet, bringing up the same topic brings up the same tune. For example, the pegasus general that's known for flying higher than anyone else in the skirmishes with the griffons in 359 ANM.”

I tapped the floor a bit to the tune I’d come up with for the Red Baron, and the few words I'd found for it. “Higher, the king of the sky. He’s flying too fast and he’s flying too high.”

“See? It’s actually helping some of her classmates remember the material. I’d like to hear a whole song from her at some point. Unfortunately, we can’t enroll her in any music classes due to her sound sensitivity, which she understood immediately. Finally, there’s one last topic that needs to be addressed: her friends. More accurately, her lack of friends. For all her brilliance, for all that her classmates rely on her for help with their work, she hasn’t been seen casually socializing with anypony."

"She still hasn't made any friends?" Dad asked, sounding exasperated.

"No. We've tried to coax her into making friends, but each attempt only made her distance herself more, so we stopped trying."

"So have we," mom tiredly added.

"That's something she'll have to work on on her own when she's ready."

"Is there anything else, Principal Ivory?"

Principal Ivory looked through her papers. "No, there isn't." She put them back into the folder and let mom take them. "We will keep an eye on Inova's issue with Nightshade. If it does get bad, you will be informed. Have a good day."

We left and I was feeling way less confident than when we arrived. It felt like Skyla got off easier than I did.

On the way home, we split up. Dad and Skyla went to take care of some non-food errands while mom and I went to the market for some groceries. As soon as we entered, some of the ponies behind their stands briefly tensed up, then relaxed.

I overheard a stallion quietly say, "Thank goodness Skyla's not here. I can't take another hit like that." Naturally, I knew what he was talking about. Not the exact case, but it wasn't hard to figure out what happened.

Our first stop was a stall with a variety of fruits and vegetables. While mom picked things out, I started adding up the cost. "2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14. . ." I called out the total when she went to the counter to buy the stuff. "25 bits."

The pony running the stall double checked his math, then looked at me with a smile. "That's right."

Mom paid the stallion, then levitated the bag in front of me. "Can you handle this, Inova?"

I knew what she wanted me to do, so I tried to reach out with my magic to grab the bag. However, just like in my magic class, I couldn't quite get it to work. No matter how clearly I envisioned the task, no matter how much I wanted to make it happen, I couldn't quite get my magic to hold the bag. "I can't. . ."

"Then we can try again later. Let's go home." She floated the bag up and we left the market.

Author's Note

This one took a bit due in small part to needing to make sure Inova's magic and flight skills (or lack thereof) were in line with previous chapters. It also took a bit in much larger part due to general laziness and being distracted by Borderlands.

Sick Daze

I woke up feeling like my body was made of bricks and my head was full of fog. I couldn't find the energy to move my legs or wings, and breathing through my nose as normal was almost impossible.

Skyla, in her bed across the room, was asleep until mom shouted, "Girls, breakfast is ready!" As usual, she woke up and shot out of our room in seconds.

Through the open door, I smelled nothing. "Inova, roll out," I tiredly said to myself before putting in what felt like ten times the usual effort to slowly roll over and get the day started. I succeeded, but I didn't get my legs under my body in time, so I fell onto the floor in a heap.

Mom appeared a moment later. "Inova, are you okay?" I tried to use words to answer her, but the haziness in my head and the pain from the fall only let me groan, then something in my throat made me cough for a bit. Once the coughing ended, she put a hoof on my forehead, right under my horn. "A fever! Inova, you are not going to school today!" Even if I'd wanted to, I couldn't argue. Focusing on anything was nearly impossible. "Just stay there. I'll be right back." She left the room.

Dad came in a moment later and put a hoof on my forehead. "This is bad. Honey, we should probably take Inova to the hospital!"

Focusing on mom and dad's conversation was difficult, especially with a tickling sensation in my nose. A few shallow breaths later, I sneezed the strongest sneeze I'd ever sneezed. It stung my throat and blasted a lot of green stuff from my nose onto one of dad's shields. In my daze, I could swear I saw a little trickle of red and some splotches of white in the snot. My sense of smell briefly came back, and I could smell iron, though it hurt to breathe.

I didn't resist or fight against dad levitating me onto his back. There was no energy in me to panic or care.

He went out to the living room. "Meet me there after you take Skyla to school."

"Yes, dear," mom said. "Now go."

Without another word, dad turned and left home. Before long, he was in a full gallop, and the world was going past me in a blurry haze of colors and sounds.

I was doing my best impression of a rag doll on the bed in the doctor's office. Dad had caught more of the stuff I'd sneezed out on the way in his shields, and the doctor had taken it somewhere.

While the doctor was away, mom showed up. "What's going on with Inova?"

"The doctor's testing the stuff she sneezed out," dad said. "I think she might have the pony pox."

"It's probably just a bad cold. I hope."

The time dragged by in silence, broken only by my sniffles, rough breathing, and assurances from mom and dad that I would be okay. Whatever was going on with me was not fun.

Finally, the doctor came in with a clipboard in his magic. "We've figured out what's going on with Inova," he stated. "She's sick with the pony pox and a bad cold at the same time."

Both of my parents gasped. "Is there any kind of treatment we can give her?" Mom pleaded.

"Rest, plenty of fluids, and some common medicine that'll work on both diseases, though the safe doses for her will take longer to work. I am curious, though. How did she contract the pony pox? Shouldn't she have gotten the vaccine for that?"

"About that. She was in first grade when we tried. . ."

"It'll only sting for a moment," Cadence gently assured Inova. "It's very important to keep you from getting sick."

Inova was in the corner of the room, staring in terror not at the doctor, but at the needle in his magic. "No! No no no!"

"A strong princess needs every advantage possible," the doctor calmly said. "A sick princess isn't powerful."

As the doctor slowly approached the hyperventilating Inova, a bright glow surrounded her horn and her eyes lit up with raw energy. "NO!"

Cadence used her levitation to pull the doctor away just before a blast of magic came from the fearful filly, blasting a large circular hole through three walls and scorching the fourth. The only pony harmed was the doctor, with some of his tail coming out slightly singed. The syringe sat shattered and bent on the floor, wasted and unusable.

When the magic surge ended, Inova remained standing, though on shaky legs. She was still looking fearfully around, waiting for the next needle.

Cadence looked at her with a bit of awe. "She's still standing and alert. Doctor, I don't think this is a good idea."

"We can try again." At those words, Inova's horn lit up again. "But yes, that sounds like a bad idea." The glow vanished. "No chance of waiting for her to pass out, is there?"

"I will not betray her trust like that, doctor. If she catches the pony pox, she will suffer through it."

"Alright. I will make a note of her adverse reaction to needles. Have a good day."

Assured that the threat was over, Inova promptly collapsed. She didn't even react to Cadence levitating her onto her back.

"So that's what those orange circles are about in the walls." The doctor looked at the one in the office we were in, the same one from mom's story. "I just transferred in from Canterlot, and nopony told me about those. I thought it was just decoration."

"Nope. As long as it's an oral medication, Inova probably won't resist it. The trick is to keep Skyla away from it."

"It might be as simple as telling her it's medicine for her sister. Skyla cares about her, right?"

"She was pretty sad about Inova not walking to school today, so that might work."

Hearing that Skyla missed me brought me a small amount of happiness. It wasn't enough to do anything against my blegh mood, but it did bring a brief smile to my face.

"We'll put it behind the wards against her just to be safe," dad added.

"I'll write out a three week prescription, then," the doctor said. "It should be more than enough. Here you go, and I hope Inova gets better soon."

"Thank you." Mom floated me onto her back and we left the office. As I rode out, I let myself doze off. Despite missing breakfast, I wasn't feeling hungry, and food just didn't sound appetizing.

Inova Falls Sick

It has been confirmed that Princess Inova has fallen ill, contracting both a bad cold and the pony pox at the same time. While Skyla is still going to school as normal, Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor are staying home to tend to Inova. So far, nopony else in Pristine Pearl or the royal family has fallen ill with what Inova has caught.

Inova is taking medication to help her fight off the cold and pony pox, and is sleeping most of the time. When she's awake, she seems rather loopy, and sometimes talks about praising The Grandfather, which she insists is not her own grandfather. She has not given any other details on this Grandfather she talks about.

She didn't react to Pinkie Pie and Discord appearing and acting out a ceremony praising The Grandfather while she was in a cauldron shaped hot tub he had summoned. It's possible that she was loopy enough to not even notice their antics.

Two weeks later

I woke up feeling sore, hungry, and a bit confused. My body ached, yet I couldn't remember doing anything strenuous. My stomach was even worse, and I was craving pancakes.

I rolled out of bed as usual, before Skyla did, and stumbled a bit. My legs felt like I hadn't used them for a while, and looked a bit thinner than I remembered. My wings were a bit droopy and needed grooming badly. Under them, I thought I saw some of my ribs.

The door slowly opened, and mom entered. She looked surprised to see me. "Inova? Are you okay? Is your nose still clogged?"

"I'm hungry," I said. The gargantuan growl from my stomach was enough to take my legs out from under me. "Ow. Can I have some pancakes?"

"Pancakes it will be, then."

"Pancakes?!" Skyla woke up as normal, then she saw me and gasped. "Inova lives! She can have my pancakes, mom."

Both of us looked at her in surprise. Her giving up food was incredibly rare. The only other time I could remember her doing that was after Nightshade flung my lunch away at school.

"I'll get started on it, then." Mom left the door open and went to go make breakfast.

Skyla got her head under mine and helped me get back onto my hooves. "You got this, sis. Mom's pancakes are the best and you're going to eat a whole mountain of them!"

"Yeah, I think I will." I was still a bit shaky, so Skyla helped me get to the dining room. "What day is it, anyways?"

"It's Saturday."

"Really? It feels like Wednesday for some reason."

When we got to the dining room, the first thing I noticed was the delicious smell of mom cooking breakfast. The second thing I noticed was a stack of folders at my spot on the table. For the first time I could remember, it looked like I was going to do my homework at home.

Author's Note

Just to make it clear, because I (unfortunately) feel like I have to say this: Inova was afraid of the needle itself, not the contents therein. That's how it was in the original version, and that's how it is here.

A Busy Day

The sound of the front door closing was enough to start waking me up. I didn't smell anything, so dad probably left to go take care of something. He never did any cooking. The ashes that were a bowl of cereal, and a cold sandwich he somehow burnt to a crisp were reason enough for him to not cook. All he can be trusted to do is pour drinks or move things from one container to another. The only pony that can happily eat what he cooks is Skyla.

I trudged my way to the living room, a yawn escaping me as I got there. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Inova,” mom said from the small table in the corner where she reviewed stuff. An open scroll was floating in front of her. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah. I had a weird dream again.”

“What was it this time?”

“Something about a nearly unhurtable filly in black and red armor. She fought with poison, but was very nice. I think she had tentacles too.”

“That’s. . . Interesting.” She put the scroll down and tied it up with a red ribbon. Whatever it was, it didn't get her approval. “Let’s work on your telekinesis before you go to school today.”

I followed mom out back to a nice little rock garden Auntie Twilight made for us with rocks from Pinkie’s family’s rock farm. How that worked without volcanoes, lava, or mines was beyond me. Still, it was a nice place in the back, and the smaller rocks were good to practice with.

Without any prompting, I sat on a flat circular rock, went through the motions of picking out a rock around it, and began working on levitating it. I let the magic flow around my horn, then reached out with it and let it envelope the small stone. With all the willpower I had, I tried to move it to my eye level. The rock stopped about three inches off the ground before my magic wavered, causing it to wobble before it fell back to the ground. “How does everypony else make this look easy?” I tried to levitate the stone again.

“It takes lots of practice,” mom said. “Celestia and I have some stories of when she was teaching me how to use magic.”

“Like what?” I got the rock about three inches off the ground before it wobbled and fell again.

“She taught me how to be gentle with my telekinesis by using banana cream pies. I pied myself in the face so often, she started teasing me about liking bananas. Then, one day, after I had pie on my face again, she asked that question. 'Do you like, mmmm, bananas?' I picked up a pie with my magic and hit her in the face with it.” I gasped in surprise. “She licked her muzzle clean and congratulated me. In my confusion, I slammed another pie in her face, and she thanked me for helping her bypass her dietician’s orders.”

I forgot the levitation practice as I laughed at mom’s story, then yelped in surprise when I noticed Skyla sitting next to me. “When did you get there?”

“Pie?” Skyla asked.

“It was just a story with them, Skyla,” mom explained, making my sister frown. “Since you’re both up, I may as well make breakfast now. Do you want cheesy grits or apple cinnamon oatmeal?”

“Yes!”

The decision fell to me. “Oatmeal, please.”

“Skyla, help Inova with her telekinesis. I'll come get you two when it's done.” Mom left us to go make the apple cinnamon oatmeal.

Until breakfast was ready, I kept trying to lift the rock further than before. Skyla did her best to encourage me the whole time.

As usual, mom walked with us to school. I knew the path well enough that I felt confident enough to walk it without her, but having her with us felt nice.

Also as usual, nothing interesting happened on the way there. I kept my eyes forward, Skyla asked mom math questions for her test, and mom gave math answers. I didn't need to ask her for help, since I already knew all the stuff for my test.

"Bye, girls! Have a good day!" Mom said as she waved to us once we got to school. Skyla waved back with a wing while I nodded in response on our way in.

We walked down the familiar hallways until we reached Skyla's math classroom. "Inova, can you stay with me to help on my test?"

"I can't," I said. "I've got to go take my math test too."

"But you're so far ahead of me! Can't you skip just one test?"

"Nope. I'll see you in flight class." I gave Skyla a hug before leaving to go to the fifth grade math classroom.

Flight class went the same as it usually did with me. Everypony was flying and gliding from cloud to cloud in a relay race between three teams of five, with Skyla on the yellow team. The clouds weren't too high off the ground, and Ms. Radar was quick to help anypony that crashed back to their hooves and into the air.

Everypony was racing except for me. I was standing still on a cloud even lower than the rest, trying to work up the courage to make a short glide to the ground, but I couldn't even get my wings to open for that. The fact that I still flopped forward when I tried to use my wings didn't help.

Getting to where I could bring myself to stand on a cloud was my most recent achievement, though it still scared me, and it was something Nightshade teased me about. I tried not to let it bother me, but it kind of did. I just liked having my hooves on the ground, I felt like the cloud could dissipate at any moment, and trying to control my wings and legs at the same time was awkward for me.

"Oh look, it's Princess Forgetful of Flopland," Nightshade taunted as I walked past her and her little herd. "Aw, did I just take the wind out from under your wings?"

I took a breath and just kept walking towards my history class. Or I would have, if one of my rear hooves wasn't held down by Nightshade's telekinesis. "Let go!"

"Make me."

I looked at the dark gray glow around my hoof and tried to cast a levitation spell of my own to cancel it, but I couldn't get it to work. After giving up on that method, I put all my strength into trying to pull out from the grip.

My attempted breakout wasn't working, then Nightshade let go, causing me to stumble forward and trip up as I tried to balance myself out, making me fall on my side. She and her herd laughed at my fall, something I was used to hearing.

"Inova!" Skyla was at my side shortly after I started getting to my hooves. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I held back a wince of pain as I got up. Falling on a saddlebag was not a good feeling, though the books inside did cushion the blow a bit. Thankfully, nothing spilled out this time.

"Let's go." Nightshade led her herd away with her nose turned up.

Skyla frowned at the departing group. "Why don't you do anything back, Inova?"

"Because I can't." My klutziness, weak casting, and flight difficulties made retaliation almost impossible. "Besides, you're here, and that's good enough."

"But what if I'm not here?"

"Then I'll just wait until she leaves." It worked often enough.

Skyla gave me a hug. "I'll see you in magic class."

"Have fun in art." We broke the hug and went to our separate classes.

"The general history of the minotaurs is unique in how it often repeats or echoes itself," Mr. Note explained. "This comes from an odd cultural thing: they are diligent when keeping and preserving records, but don't look back on them very often."

I raised a hoof and got called on. "How do they keep their records?"

"That is a secret kept by their librarians. Princess Celestia has confirmed that some of the books and scrolls are over seven hundred years old."

"No, not like that. Like, um. . ." I waved my hoof around as I tried to figure out how to describe my question. "Telling it."

"Oh! Well, having never read any of their history books myself, I have no idea. They probably don't use music like you do." The chuckles from my classmates made me blush and hide my face a bit.

I cast a baleful glare at the rock on my desk. Everypony else was levitating multiple objects at once, but I was still struggling with holding the one rock. Every time I got it a few inches above the desk, just like the rocks at home, my hold on it would waver and wobble before it landed back on the desk.

Nightshade was across the room from me, with four objects orbiting in her magic around her and a smug look on her face. She didn't have to say anything to taunt me.

I did everything I could to ignore her and went back to focusing on my one rock. After some more tries, it stabilized at the point it usually wobbled at, but my blue glow being replaced with a dark gray glow did not look good. I cut off my magic just before the rock smacked me in the face below my horn.

As had happened before, I pushed the rock back into place with a forehoof and kept practicing.

Lunch was a flower casserole with daffodil, rose, and tulip petals throughout it, a side of tater tots, and a carton of milk. Mom and dad always gave Skyla and me ten bits each for lunch at school. I only spent five of the bits I got while Skyla used all of hers to get twice as much as I did. The five I didn't spend went into a tin in my toy box at home. I'd been doing that for a while, and it was stacking up.

I usually ate alone, but Skyla decided to join me. "So, what are you learning in Equish class?" She tossed a tater tot in the air with her magic and caught it in her mouth before starting on her casserole.

"We've been starting on a play from Wobbly Javelin called The Winter Tale. It's. . . Odd. If Discord wasn't sealed at the time, I'd suspect him of writing part of it."

"Really?"

"One of the less good characters gets chased off by a bear that appears out of nowhere. Just. . . Why? Did a bear appear onstage during the first showing and he just went with it?" I started on my casserole.

"Maybe." She stopped eating to cast a sharp look to the side at Nightshade and her glowing horn. After Nightshade cut the magic and left, Skyla went back to her food. "Oh, we're going to be playing hoofball in general fitness today. That's always fun."

"I want to be on Comet's team for once so she's not kicking the ball at me."

Social Studies focused on cutie marks and their meanings. It was all rather abstract and confusing, as similar marks could mean totally different things. One mark could even have multiple meanings about the pony it was on.

I was the only one in the class who wasn't really enthusiastic about the topic.

I was not on Comet Kicker's team in general fitness, and just as Skyla predicted, we were playing hoofball. As usual, I ended up tripping over my hooves multiple times with no help from Nightshade, since she was elsewhere, and I accidentally caught a ball kicked by Comet. It hurt a lot and I got knocked down, but I got back up and kept trying. I wasn't going to be kept down so easily.

Equish class was a chance for me to relax and recover fron general fitness and the rest of the day. No Nightshade, no running, no flying hoofballs to the chest. Just a confusing play from Wobbly Javelin.

Skyla and I were in the same Language Arts class at the start of the school year, but I took the final test three months early. With a score of 100%, I was allowed to sit in with the fourth grade Equish class and participate in what they were doing for the rest of the school year.

Dad was waiting for us with a saddlebag on him when we left school. "Hi girls! How were your classes?"

"My math test was so hard!" Skyla complained. "All those numbers. . ."

"What did you score?"

"Well, there were twenty questions, I got sixteen right, so that's, uh. . ."

"80%," I answered.

"Yes, what Inova said. How are you so fast at that?"

"Numbers work the same all the time. I know their patterns. That, and your test had twenty questions, all I had to do was multiply by five, so that was pretty easy."

"That's a pretty good score, Skyla," dad said. "Didn't you have a math test too, Inova?"

"Fifty questions, got them all right, nothing I can't handle."

Skyla pulled me against her with one of her wings. "Please come back to my math class and help me!"

"You don't even know PEMDAS yet."

"Teach me!"

Dad chuckled. "It's been a long time since I actually used everything in PEMDAS. Your mom's got some important guests at home right now, so we're going to go to the park, do some homework, and have some fun."

Skyla frowned. "Why do I have to do homework at the park?"

"So you don't have any at home. Inova, I'm guessing you already did your homework."

"Yep," I answered.

"Then you're going to work on your hoof coordination while we're there. Side hops and bar jumps."

"Aww. . ." I didn't want to do those exercises. I'd already tripped enough at school, and I didn't want to do that again.

"I want both of you to put in serious effort as well. When you're both done, Skyla, you can play, and Inova, I have some engineering books for you to enjoy."

I suddenly felt very motivated to carefully do the hoof coordination exercises. I loved my engineering and mechanics books, even though mom and dad thought they were too much for me.

I stared intensely at the spread out Golem Bricks from a set that Aunt Luna had gotten me. She sent new ones to me all the time, and I had some piling up that were still in their boxes.

I liked to keep my pieces contained in one area on my desk. Having four legs made stepping on the pieces a terrible experience. At least that's how it looked after Skyla accidentally spilled some of my pieces on the floor and stepped on them, followed by mom running in and stepping on them. I stayed in my chair the whole time until mom picked all the pieces up with her magic and put them back on my desk.

Building with them was a little tedious. While I could do the grabbing thing with my hooves that I didn't really get, it had a tendency to pick up extra pieces along the way, and I didn't feel confident enough to try using my levitation on them. Whoever designed the blocks did not have hooves in mind.

While I was working on my royal carriage set, Skyla was sitting on the floor with her dolls, playing out conversations with them. It made for some good background noise.

I leaned against the side of the tub and put all my effort into opening my wings. After I felt my forelegs slip a bit, I succeeded, making a splash. "There."

"Hold still." Skyla, in the sudsy water with me, said as she started cleaning my wings. She was very good when it came to cleaning them, and they always felt refreshed when she was done. On the other hoof, I didn't like the fact that I practically needed her help for that. I couldn't levitate anything long enough, and I couldn't keep my wings open while controlling my forelegs, which was practically a requirement to clean them myself. "Inova, why do you flop when you use your wings?"

"I don't know." It was the same answer I gave every time, and it was something I couldn't figure out. Skyla and all the other pegasi were able to use their wings and legs at the same time, and I was used to not being able to fly with them. That didn't stop me from getting frustrated at myself. "I wish I knew."

"You'll get it someday."

"Are you excited for summer break, Inova?" Skyla asked from her bed as I turned off the light in our room. "We won't have any homework!"

"You won't have any homework." I got into my bed and got my blanket over me just as I liked it. "I'll probably still have all that magic, wing, and hoof coordination practice. I wish I didn't."

"Maybe we'll go on vacation somewhere! Do you think we can spend a week at Pony Joe's?"

"I'd rather go to a beach. It looks interesting." A yawn escaped me, and I decided it was time to call it a day. "G'night, sis."

"Good night."

Author's Note

Don't worry, dinner was served. I just didn't feel like writing that scene.

Summer in Ponyville, Part 1

The end of third grade was marked with a celebration. Dad, who had been gone for two weeks on some kind of official business thing, brought donuts from Pony Joe's and mom let Skyla bring some of her friends over to party. She would have let me invite some friends as well, but I still didn't have any, and I was totally fine with that.

While the party was going on inside, I went to the rock garden in the back and sat down on the circular stone in the middle to work on my levitation. I still heard the sounds of Skyla and her friends celebrating, but being outside brought the noise down to a very tolerable, if still annoying level.

Dad showed up while I was trying to get a rock past four inches off the ground. "You're really working hard, aren't you?"

I dropped the rock and took a few breaths. "Yeah. It's tough." Magic was exhausting in a way physical exercise wasn't.

"You know what was even harder?"

"What?"

He levitated a box out from inside. "Keeping this safe from your sister. I've got one last donut in here, and it's yours." The box was placed at my hooves and opened. "Sorry it's just a plain glazed donut. The fancier stuff doesn't handle the train from Canterlot very well."

"That's okay." I picked the donut up with my forehooves and quickly ate it. It was pretty plain, but one nice thing about the glazed donut was how little stickiness it left on my hooves. "Simple can be good."

"That it can. By the way, your mom and I have a plan for you and Skyla for the summer."

"Really?" The seasons didn't mean much in the Crystal Empire, due to the shield and the very stable climate inside. They were more like groups of months than anything.

"Yep."

After Skyla's friends left and dinner was cleaned up, mom made the announcement. "Girls, you will be going to Ponyville for the summer to learn from Auntie Twilight and her friends."

"Summer school?" Skyla groaned.

"Sort of. There won't be any grades, but you will be learning important things from them, including some things you haven't been able to learn in school."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Science. We had to make a hard decision on which academic topic to drop for you two so you could have magic, flight, and general fitness. Twilight will personally teach that material."

Dad spoke up. "We'll be taking you there in a few days. Until then, relax and have some fun."

The trip south was different, aside from leaving at a time we're normally asleep at. The sun came up while we were on the train. After leaving the snowy areas around the Empire, things started looking more lush and green, instead of being snow covered. I had to take my wing covers and scarf off before getting to Canterlot since it was getting too warm to wear them.

The transfer to the Ponyville train at Canterlot was easy enough, and to Skyla's dismay, we didn't have enough time to get anything to eat. As much as I would have liked to get something as well, having only ten minutes between arrival and departure wasn't long enough to go and get anything. Thankfully, the train to Ponyville did have some sandwiches, so we at least had something on the way.

It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at Ponyville, and Auntie Twilight greeted us at the station. "Hi everypony!" She looked down at Skyla and me. "What's going on with them?"

"Would you believe me if I said this is their first time in warm temperatures like this?" Mom asked. "They may need a few days to acclimate."

My fur and wings felt damp and sticky from my sweat, and it was worse around my mane and tail. Apparently, black stuff got warm really fast under direct sun, and I'd chosen to sit on the sunny side of the train. It was making me miserable. Despite that, I stayed tough and on my hooves. Skyla, on the other hoof, let herself collapse on the platform. She looked a lot like I did when I tried to use my wings.

"Well then. . . That changes my science lesson plans a bit, but I can work with that."

"Thanks for doing this, Twi," dad said. "I know you're busy, but this means a lot to us."

"Hey, it's fine, Shining. We're family. In fact, could you and Cadence do something for me while you're here?"

"Name it."

"I was going to give the girls a tour of Ponyville, but given their condition, that's not a good idea right now. Could you tell my friends about the change of plans?"

"I'll tell Rainbow and Rarity," mom said.

"I'll take Applejack and Pinkie, then we can meet at Fluttershy's," dad added.

"Thanks," Twilight said. "To your hooves, Skyla. We've got science lessons and a cool bath ahead of us."

Skyla, Twilight, and I were relaxing in a huge tub in her castle, the cool water cooling us off while Twilight gave a science lesson. I never thought a cool water bath could be so refreshing.

"-and heat energy, like matter, can't be created or destroyed, just transferred from one place to another, such as from you to the water. This loss of heat is why you feel cold."

I raised a forehoof. "What about magic doing those things?"

"Magic is a form of energy as well. It's complex, contradictory, and can be confusing to even the most studied thaumaturges."

Skyla raised a forehoof. "What's a. . . What you said?"

"Thaumaturges specialize in the study and understanding of magic via scientific principles. I happen to be a part time one myself. Did you know that friendship actually makes magic more powerful?"

"Really?"

I braced myself for another speech about making friends. "Of course, it's not just about the number of friends, but the strength of those bonds, and that has to go both ways. Skyla, you've got lots of friends, right?"

"There's Arctic Tail, Tricky Arrow, Comet Kicker-"

"Let's start with those three. How well do you know them?"

Skyla put a hoof to her chin in thought. "Arctic Tail likes to go outside the Empire's bubble and play in the snow, and she takes really good care of her fluffy coat. Tricky Arrow is really good at tossing things with his telekinesis, and he wants to become a Crystal Guard someday. Comet Kicker loves to play hoofball, and she has a really powerful kick."

"She does," I groaned. Getting hit in the shoulder by a ball launched by one of her kicks hurt a lot.

"Anything else?" Auntie Sparkle asked.

Skyla started to look worried. "Well, uh. . ."

"Having lots of friends is good, but you need to take the time to care for and nurture each friendship. It may mean you spend more time with some of your friends than others, but that's okay. I sometimes spend more time with Fluttershy than Pinkie, for example. Pinkie is always fun and entertaining, but sometimes, I need to see somepony that's a bit quieter to take a breather from my royal duties. That, and Fluttershy makes a very refreshing herbal tea." She turned to me. "What about you, Inova? Do you have any friends at school?"

"Nope," was my simple response. For some reason, I wanted a hard hat to lift off my head.

"She likes being alone at school," Skyla said. "She's also really smart."

"You know, I used to be that way too," Auntie Twilight said. "I did make some friends in my study groups, but I never really got to know them very well." I rolled my eyes as the friendship lecture resumed. Mom often gave me similar, less detailed ones a couple times per month, so I tuned it out. "-and it could be that one reason you're having so much trouble with basic levitation is because you don't have a friend to encourage you."

"So. . . I should make friends so I can do magic better?" I asked.

"Well. . . Yes and no. Making friends just for power is no way to go about it. It has to be a genuine bond, and that is what will give you power."

I gave her explanation some thought. "I have to make friends to get more power, but I can't want power in order to make the friendship?"

"Something like that."

I put that confusing bit of logic right next to the idea that ponies wanted to be my friend for bragging rights or connections. The reasons to be skeptical had doubled. "Noted."

A few days later, after an outdoor experiment on erosion with a specialized table Auntie Twilight had built for the lesson, the sky began to darken and fill with clouds moved into place by pegasi. Twilight smiled. "Girls, welcome to your next lesson: weather. The Crystal Empire's weather is the same day to day in and out of the bubble, but here, it isn't."

"What's this?" Skyla was nervous about it, but I felt oddly calm.

"It's going to start raining in a few minutes. You see, Ponyville has a lot of agriculture, and the crops need the rain. In fact, nearly every apple in the Crystal Empire comes from Ponyville. For now, just sit under my wings and watch."

Skyla and I left the erosion experiment and sat on the grass under Twilight's spread wings while she teleported it away. The sky rumbled and I moved closer to her. "What's happening now?" Skyla nervously asked.

"It's a thunderstorm. When the pegasi make rain clouds, their magic mixes in to let them better control the release of the rain. The heavier, darker clouds have more of their magic in them. This creates a reaction with the water in big enough cloud structures, which generates electricity, which can come down as a bolt of lightning." As if the clouds obeyed her words, there was a flash of lightning and a huge clap of thunder that hit somewhere in the middle of town, making Skyla shriek. A moment later, the downpour started. Twilight's wings kept us mostly dry. "There's very little that the pegasi can do to direct the lightning beyond going down, so most ponies don't go out during these thunderstorms."

While the storm raged on, I slowly crept out from under Twilight's wing and into the rain. It felt oddly pleasant, despite the cracks of thunder, bolts of lightning, and Twilight calling for me to come back to her.

I examined the model alicorn skeleton on the table in front of me. It was attached to a base with a number of buttons on it, with each one making something on the model appear or disappear. Muscles, organs, blood vessels, nerves, magic conduits, and fur and feathers. The fur and feather layer on my model was Aunt Celestia while Skyla had Aunt Luna.

"Pegasus wings, as you can see, are laced with magic conduits, outnumbering blood vessels by approximately a 3 to 1 ratio," Twilight explained.

Skyla raised a hoof. "Auntie, why are there so many more conduits?" When the gray conduit layer was on, it made a dense cage around each wing, covered most of each hoof, and practically recolored the horn. The conduits also covered the rest of the body, but were more spread out.

"The conduits are a ghost layer, as there's no physical way to interact with them. This lets them spread out past the wing and feathers, though not by much. It's what lets pegasi fly at all, as the wings alone can't allow more than a controlled glide at best. Rainbow's magic conduits in her wings extend out about an inch around them, which is the world record."

"Then how does Pinkie do what she does?"

Twilight's expression turned serious. "That is something I don't want to explore again, and I'm not going to use the conduit vision spell to find out. I'm honestly afraid of what I might see. There's no questioning Pinkie or what she does. All you can do is accept that she takes the laws of physics and magic as suggestions." A pink hoof went into the air. "Yes, Pinkie?"

"Twilight, did you forget to get your balloon ready for their trip to Cloudsdale?"

Skyla and I both shared looks of confusion. Pinkie was not with us when the anatomy lessons began, the door had been closed, Twilight only had two models, and Pinkie's model looked like mom with the fur and feathers on.

"I knew I was forgetting something." She turned back to Skyla and me. "I'll be back in about half an hour. For now, Pinkie will teach you a bit about laughter."

As Auntie Twilight left, Pinkie took her place. Before she could say anything, I asked the question that was on my mind, and probably Skyla's too. "When did you get here?"

"At the exact time it was expected of me," Pinkie answered. "And no, Twilight didn't tell me ahead of time."

"Who expected you?" Skyla asked.

"The readers, duh. But that's enough seriousness. It's time to get silly!"

After Pinkie's lesson and all its eccentricities that left me more lost than laughing, the balloon ride was nice and quiet. As it ascended, the air got a bit cooler, which was a welcome relief from the heat down below.

During the flight, my vain hopes that Cloudsdale might have just been the name for a town on the ground that made clouds were dashed. It was a city made of clouds, and I could feel the fur on my back rise in fear. The ground was much further away, and I could feel my chances of becoming a pancake rising. "Auntie?" I nervously asked.

"Yes, Inova?" She brought the balloon down for a gentle landing on a cloud platform.

"Can I take more science lessons with you? Science is fun."

"As much as I'd like to, I promised your parents that I would bring you here. This is as much about loyalty as it is learning to fly. Most of what I learned about flying, I learned from Rainbow. She'll have you flying in no time."

"But. . ." The side of the basket opened up and Skyla walked out onto the clouds, letting me see some ground that was far away and a long way down. "I can't even glide yet."

"You'll do fine." I felt Auntie Twilight's magic pushing me from behind, and as much as I tried to push back, my hooves couldn't get enough traction on the basket, and I was sitting on the cloud very quickly.

Rainbow appeared a moment after the basket closed behind me. "About time, Twilight."

"I got a little caught up in one of their science lessons," Twilight admitted. "Let me know if I need to come get them."

"I'll be fine, and so will they. You have my word."

"Alright. See you later." Twilight left, and as much as I wanted to try and jump into the basket, I was more scared of going splat, and my wings were folded so tightly in fear against my body that it hurt.

"Alright you two, I've got your first mission," Rainbow barked at us. I turned around to face her. "You see that cloud down there?" She pointed down to a cloud a moderate distance away and lower than ours. "I want you two to glide down there. Once we're all there, we'll go get lunch."

"Lunch!?" Skyla leapt into action and off the cloud. She opened her wings and smoothly glided down to the cloud. "I'm ready!"

I looked down over the edge of the cloud and backed up. "I can't!"

"It's just like gliding in your flight class," Rainbow assured. "Just higher up and further away."

"She hasn't gotten to gliding yet!" Skyla called out.

Rainbow looked to her, then back to me. "Really?"

"I don't wanna go splat, I don't wanna go splat, I don't wanna go splat, I don't wanna go splat. . ." I muttered from my safe area laying in the middle of the cloud. As long as I didn't look or think down, I felt alright.

Rainbow landed in front of me. "Alright, Princess. To your hooves!" At her order, I got to my hooves and looked up to make eye contact. "Now work up your courage and spread those wings!"

With some effort, I managed to fully extend my wings, but I couldn't keep my forelegs straight and faceplanted into the cloud. "This again. . ."

Rainbow was surprised into silence, or so I imagined. With my face in the cloud, I couldn't see her. "Skyla, is this normal for her?"

"Mom's been trying to help her with that, but she always falls forward!" Skyla answered. "So, yes!"

A frustrated sigh escaped Rainbow. "Alright. Inova, get back to your hooves." I got my wings to fold up before I got my hooves back under me and to a standing position. "We're going to do some experiments later. Not Twilight's kind. For now, take the long way around and meet us down there." She flew off and sat down next to Skyla.

I looked around and began figuring out the best hoof path through the clouds, starting with where Rainbow and Skyla were and working my way backwards. Once I had that figured out, I began my walk.

It took fifteen minutes to get to the cloud. What had looked simple wasn't as easy as I'd thought. Paths that looked straight from the landing platform had long curves, and the thinner paths slowed me down since I really didn't want to fall. Despite the challenges, I didn't give up and I made it. "Okay, I'm here now."

"About time. Since Inova's got some control difficulties, we're going to walk, and I'll tell you all about loyalty, especially how you can take it too far. Don't do that."

"How does that work?" Skyla asked as we started walking along the paths I'd just taken to get down to the platform.

"Have you ever heard of blind devotion? Following and supporting without question is terrible. For example, in Daring Do and The Third Crusade. . ."

Skyla and I sat in the middle of Rainbow's cloud house's living room. It was experiment time, she had a clipboard, and we were to follow her orders. "Wings out!"

Skyla smoothly opened her wings. I could easily imagine the sound of straining metal as I worked to get mine open. As before, my forelegs gave out when my wings were open.

"Wings in!"

Closing her wings took Skyla no time at all, while I took some time to get mine closed before I could get my forelegs working again so I could sit up.

"Wings out and stand!"

Skyla got to her hooves and spread her wings. I spread my wings and flopped down again. Instead of closing them, I got to my hooves, leaving my wings hanging from my sides.

"Wings up high!"

My forelegs gave out and I faceplanted when I followed the order.

"Hover!"

I felt the downdraft from Skyla's wings as she hovered in place. I tried flapping my wings, all in accordance with what I'd learned in school, but it didn't do anything except push me forward a few inches and put my flanks higher up while my forelegs dragged along the cloud floor.

"Land!"

There was a soft 'pompf' as Skyla landed, and I got my wings to close before I stood back up.

"At ease! I think I have everything I need to know." There was a knock on her door. "Right on time." She opened it. "Hey, Twi. We just finished the experiment."

Auntie Twilight walked in. "What kind of results did you get?"

"Skyla's just fine, but Inova can't work her wings without her forelegs giving out or just not working."

"Really?"

I demonstrated, voluntarily faceplanting. Clouds really weren't so bad for that.

"It's almost like she wasn't born with wings," Rainbow said.

"Well I wasn't, but I did learn from the best."

"Inova, stand!" At the order, I got to my hooves with my wings hanging again. "And then there's that. Wings in and stand!"

"Must be something psychological," Auntie Twilight concluded as I faceplanted, got my wings in, and stood back up. "I'm not aware of anything like this, though." Her horn lit up and I felt a tingling sensation along my shoulders, wings, and upper back. It was a scanning spell the doctors sometimes used on me.

"Even Fluttershy could do the basics at Inova's age. I mean, only when she couldn't see the ground from up here, but she could do it."

Twilight's horn glow cut out and the tingling faded a moment later. "All her nerves and conduits are fine, so that's out."

"I think she needs a more physical method to learn how to fly, and I know just the place for it." Rainbow's statement filled me with the dread of going splat.

My remaining time in Cloudsdale was mostly spent in flight training places, with falls from one cloud to the next as Rainbow dropped me and I tried to achieve a simple glide. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep my wings stable and my legs in position at the same time, and if I had my legs in position, I couldn't keep my wings straight enough to glide. Seeing the ground far below through the gaps in the walls did nothing to help my nerves either. What little awkward gliding I did manage often ended with my head in the cloud walls or just landing on the floor.

Skyla, meanwhile, was flying from cloud to cloud. She did her best to encourage me, but no matter what, I just couldn't get my wings to work the way I wanted them to. It was frustrating, but I kept my cool throughout the whole ordeal. Knowing that Cloudsdale was the only flying place we’d be in helped a bit, and I was all too happy to go when Auntie Twilight showed up with her balloon again.

Summer in Ponyville, Part 2

When Auntie Twilight's balloon touched down and the basket opened up, I was the first one out and I practically hugged the grassy hill we landed on. "Sweet, sweet ground."

"Ooohhh," Skyla said as she walked over to a tree with dull red apples on it, though they looked a bit smaller than the kind I'd seen back home.

"Remember, Skyla: the Apples can punish you if you eat their crops," Twilight reminded her. "And they're all very strong."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Have fun, girls!" Auntie Twilight took off in the direction of her castle.

I looked up from where I was praising the solid ground in time to see Skyla spread her wings and start to slowly flap them. "Skyla, what are you doing?"

I could easily imagine her salivating. "I want to eat that apple."

"Don't do it."

"Just a single bite."

"Do not eat that fruit."

"I'm going to eat it."

"No!"

"But-"

"Stop wanting!"

Skyla took off, but before she could get the apple, a rope wrapped around her and pulled her down to earth with a hard landing. "That apple ain't yours, Princess," Applejack stated as she walked over.

"It's just one!"

"Even if it is just one, you shouldn't. Besides, those ain't ripe yet. They need some more time to grow."

"Is that why they're so small and dull?" I asked.

"Yep. You can't harvest them too early, otherwise, nopony would want them. If you don't mind me asking, why are you hugging the ground like that, Inova?"

"I don't like Cloudsdale. It's too high and I can't fly."

Applejack let out a solid laugh at my answer. “Same here, Sugarcube. Ah understand. Now come along. Let’s get you familiar with the farm.”

After a couple days of working with Applejack and her visiting family, Skyla and I were both aching. "I want to go home," Skyla said one morning after Big Mac casually flipped her out of bed just past the crack of dawn. I didn't need any help getting out of bed, since Aunt Celestia had apparently decided that her sunlight would land directly on my eyes to wake me up. It was very rude.

"Me too." The soreness I felt in my body was way worse than anything from our general fitness class, and it hurt.

"At least the food's really good." She got to her hooves and did some stretching. "That makes it better, right?"

"A bit. Let's get going." I took the lead in going downstairs to wait for breakfast with everypony else. By my count, there were about fifteen ponies in the house aside from us, and it was a smaller house than home.

I made no attempts to talk with anypony as I found a spot at the table. The novelty of Skyla and me staying there had worn off quickly for the guests, and we were now mostly just there with them.

Applejack and one of the visiting mares brought out a spread of food. Any tiredness Skyla still had faded away as it was set out.

After the three of us took care of a field of tomatoes, Applejack began her lesson on honesty with us under an apple tree. "Ah'm sure Cadence and Shining have already told you to be honest, but Ah can tell you how important it really is."

"Honesty looks pretty simple," Skyla said as she looked up at the fruit hanging above. "I just need to not lie, right?"

Applejack shook her head. "Dishonesty can be more destructive than a tornado, and it's deeper than just not tellin' lies." She cast a quick glare at Skyla to make her focus on the lesson. "If we weren't honest with each other on the farm, things would break down and nopony would have anything to eat. Things that needed fixing wouldn't get fixed, and the problems from that would get worse and worse. We also have to admit when we can't fix something and get somepony else to help us. Honesty is all about stating things as they are."

"What about just not saying something?" I nervously asked. There was something on my mind.

"That would be, in fancy speak, a lie of omission, and can be just as bad as telling a lie, or even worse. It's better to admit the truth and face the music." I made a mental note of that. "On that note, there's one pony above all others you must be honest with."

"Is it mom?" Skyla asked.

"It's yourself. If you can't be honest with yourself, you'll have a hard time being honest with anypony else. If you can't face your own problems, how can you help somepony else with theirs?"

"Like my hoofwork, magic, and flight difficulties?" I asked.

Applejack nodded at my question. "Yes. Ah heard you've been workin' real hard on that. How's it going?"

I grimaced as I answered her. "I hate it. I keep tripping, I keep flopping, and I'm making almost no progress on simple levitation! I just want to run, fly, and cast like anypony else can. Why is it so difficult for me? Why can't I just do it?" As my tirade ended, Skyla gave me a hug, which did help calm me down a bit. "I just want to do those normal things."

"Ah'm sure you'll figure it out in time. And Skyla, Ah've heard good news about you too."

"Is it about how many friends I've made?" Skyla asked without releasing me.

"No, it's about the progress you've made on your appetite."

I saw Skyla glance upwards to the apples on the tree. "Uh, yes?"

"Ah heard you ain't running around trying to eat everything anymore. It's just what's in front of you, and since you haven't eaten any crops, Ah think you're doing even better than that."

A disappointed sigh escaped me. Skyla making better progress on her appetite than I was with my issues bummed me out. It made me feel like I was that much further behind her than I already was.

"Inova, hurry up!" Skyla called out. "We'll get to talk to the cows again!"

"I'm- oof!" My third attempt at running to catch up ended in a third faceplant in the dirt.

"You ain't gonna be herdin' the cows at this rate, Inova!" Applejack said. "You got this!"

"Yeah, right." I got to my hooves and tried yet again to run, but my legs got tangled up as usual and my face was introduced to the ground for a fourth time. "Why?"

Applejack came over to me as I got back to my hooves again. "You okay, sugarcube?"

"Yeah." I took a moment to spit out some dirt that had gotten in my mouth. "Is there anything I can do without needing to run?"

She looked around and thought for a bit. "Well. . . There is somepony important coming over. How about you go back to the house and clean what you can?"

"Who's coming?" I looked back over the hills I'd crossed and saw the long trek back to the house ahead of me.

"Ah think it'll be better if Ah don't tell you. Go on, then."

I walked back to the house by myself while Applejack and Skyla continued out to herd the cows. While the cows were smart enough to hold a conversation, and were agreeable to lots of things, they apparently had a stubborn streak with their grazing locations, and had to be herded from one pasture to the next regularly before they ate all the grass and started eating the dirt.

There wasn’t much to clean, so I was able to quickly wash the dirt off my face once I was done. I climbed onto one of the rocking chairs on the porch after that. It creaked as it went back and forth, and paired with the wind rustling a nearby tree, made things feel very serene and peaceful. It was nice enough for me to almost take a nap.

Before I could doze off, a light yellow mare with a red mane and tail showed up with a big pink bow in her mane. “Howdy, Inova!” She happily greeted me as she approached.

“Uh, hi.” Everypony knew who Skyla and I were, and I’d known that for a while, but actually experiencing it was still weird.

She came up on the porch and held out a forehoof. “I’m glad to meet you in person. I heard you really like my work.”

I warily shook her hoof. “I do?”

“I’m Apple Bloom.”

I gasped in surprise as I realized that my favorite author was in front of me. “Really?”

“Really really. I’ve got somethin’ for ya, but work comes first. Let me see if Mac left that list I asked for.” She went inside, then came out with a clipboard in her mouth. “Cm un,” she said around it.

I got out of the chair and eagerly followed her before tripping up and faceplanting yet again. “Ow.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I got to my hooves and shook some dirt off my once clean face. “I just trip when I run.”

"Oh. Well, let's take it easy for now and just walk."

I followed Apple Bloom out to a barn in a happy and comfortable silence. I never imagined I'd be in her presence, and it made me too nervous to talk any further.

I looked at the yoke Apple Bloom put on me. "What's this for?" It was a little loose on me, but otherwise fit alright.

"We're fixing the lift system for the barn, but I can't do it easily by myself," Apple Bloom explained. "I need you to be my operator until I get it fully repaired."

"But why me? Why not Applejack or Big Mac?"

"Well. . . They're busy with other chores, and from what Apple Turnover said, you're really not cut out for the work out there."

I winced at the explanation. "But. . . I tried my best. . ."

"AJ said that in the notes. Unfortunately, the farmwork out there waits for nopony. Now, you know how to use your earth pony magic, right?"

"Kind of." I still felt the sting of Apple Turnover's description of me, but the change of topic was an alright distraction.

"I'll need you to use that for a bit." She picked up a rope and tossed it over a beam before wrapping one end around part of a platform. After that, she tossed the other end back over the beam and threaded both ends through a dual pulley. "Hold still for a moment." I watched as she somehow tied the rope to the yoke. How she made knots with hooves was a mystery to me. "When I tell you to, just walk forward."

"But that looks really heavy." The platform was solid wood, and there were boxes of metal parts on it.

"The pulleys will make it easier." Apple Bloom went to the platform. "Now walk forward."

I got ready and tried walking forward. The yoke shifted a bit, I felt some resistance, and then I started putting more effort in. After a few steps, I was feeling the strain. "What happened to easy?"

"I said 'easier,' not 'easy.' You've got it started, now keep going!"

I glanced back and saw that the platform was already a couple feet off the ground. That bit of progress gave me some encouragement, so I kept putting one hoof forward at a time. Progress was slow, but I knew that each step was a little bit more height on the lift, and that kept me going.

"Okay, hold it! Stay right there!" Apple Bloom ordered. "Won't take but a minute."

"But. . . I'm getting tired."

"Think of heavy things and hold steady. That's how I do it."

I took Apple Bloom's suggestion and started thinking of heavy things. Eventually, my mind settled on a train engine, and that also made me feel stronger somehow. I couldn't help but ponder it.

"Okay Inova, I need you to slowly back up until you feel the yoke loosen."

I slowly backed up. Keeping a steady pace was a bit tricky since I was fighting gravity, but I managed it and felt the yoke loosen before long. A relieved sigh escaped me as I slipped it off. My legs and body hurt from the strain, but it wasn't quite as bad as some of the other work I'd done.

A foreleg was draped over my shoulders. "Good job, Inova. Wanna try the lift?"

I looked up to Apple Bloom. "Are you going to pull this time?"

"Nope. We'll ride it up together." She walked back to the lift and I followed.

I looked over the lift and saw an odd machine on it. "How do I use it?"

"You know what a bicycle is?"

"Yeah." I didn't have one, but some ponies in the Empire did. I'd overheard numerous complaints about them in the market before, but mom and dad never took any action on it one way or the other.

"It's like that, but with your forehooves. Stand on this side and pedal like you're walking forward."

I made my way over to where Apple Bloom pointed out and put my forehooves on the pedals. "So I just spin it?"

"Yep."

"Will it fall if I stop?"

"Nope. I just fixed that. If you stop, so will the lift."

I took a calming breath and started pedaling. The lift moving up startled me a bit, but I kept going. Getting it up with the pedals was a lot easier than pulling, and it wasn't long before we were at the top. "That was fun."

"Now go to the other side and pedal it down."

I did as she said and pedaled the lift down. "That was fun too." I remembered something important. "Don't you have something for me?"

"It's in the house. We've got some other things to fix first, though. The sooner we get it done, the sooner you'll get it."

With the promise of a reward from her, I felt more motivated and followed Apple Bloom around as we fixed things.

I looked on the bed where I'd been sleeping during my time with the Apples, and I felt only unbridled joy and happiness. "Is that. . ."

"My next book, not in stores yet," Apple Bloom proudly explained. "I even signed it for you."

I snatched the book, Mechanics of Moving Machinery and More, and hugged it tight. "This is amazing! Thank you!"

"You're welcome." She gave me a hug, even as I hugged the book.

Skyla, with her legs, body, and muzzle roped up, got tossed on the floor of the house, drawing my attention from my days old new book. "Did she try to eat something?"

"Try?" Applejack asked in an exasperated voice. "While we weren't lookin', she went and ate a whole row of jalepeños. Ah don't know how she's not feeling the spice, but she did it."

"Sounds like Skyla to me. She can eat anything. Does that mean she's going to miss dinner?"

"Eeyup." At that confirmation, Skyla's eyes began watering up. "You already ate, so you don't need dinner, little filly." Applejack turned back to me. "Weren't you supposed to be helpin' make dinner?"

Apple Fritter came out of the kitchen at that moment. "Inova tried her best, but she couldn't keep up, so she left at my direction."

"I really wanted to help, too." I closed my book and set it down. "I'm just too klutzy for it. If I turn too fast, I fall over." That new degree of klutziness really frustrated me. "It's better if I just stay out of the way."

"Ah see. Pardon me while I take Skyla to her room." Applejack picked up my tied up sister and took her upstairs.

Apple Fritter watched the two leave. "You two leave tomorrow after breakfast, right?"

"Yep," I answered. "She almost made it without eating the crops."

"But why the jalapeños?"

I shrugged. "Probably because that's where she was."

Applejack walked with us through town. "Rarity's a fancier pony than us Apples are, and she'll probably have you do some kind of frilly stuff at some point. It ain't bad, but Ah don't really enjoy it mahself."

"Are we going to dress up?" I asked.

"Ah wouldn't be surprised if you do. Skyla. . ."

"Yes?" Skyla warily asked.

"If Rarity needs me to, Ah can come back and punish you. Ah promise you won't like the taste of soap."

My sister straightened up immediately. "I won't do anything, I promise!"

"Ah hope not." Applejack looked ahead to a round building with very fancy purple designs on it. "Here we are. Rarity's expectin' you, so go on in."

I took the lead and went through the doors. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, girls," Rarity gracefully greeted us as we walked in. "I'll be teaching you two about what it means to be generous."

"Oh, I know this one!" Skyla called out, her worries about Applejack apparently gone. "It's about giving without asking for anything in return, right?"

"Yes, it is. It's about doing good for others, whether it's by giving things or time. It's very similar to kindness like that. However, it's possible to go overboard, or be wrongly generous."

"By giving away things that aren't yours?" I asked.

"Exactly, Inova! You wouldn't give away Skyla's dolls, and Skyla wouldn't give away your blocks, right?"

"Nope!" Skyla and I said at the same time.

"Another part of being generous is making sure you have the resources for it, and knowing who you're giving to. Inova, if one of your friends asked you for 50 bits, and you had it with you, would you give her the money?"

I gave the question some thought. "Well, I'd start by asking her when she became my friend, since I don't have any."

"Mhm, asking what it's for is-" my full answer finally seemed to hit her. "Wait, you really have no friends?"

"Nay nay nay, not a one." I sang out the answer since I felt like it. Apple Bloom didn't count, since she was an author I admired, which was totally different from the friend category.

"Well, that's no fun. . . Skyla, what about you?"

"I spend all my bits on lunch at school, so I don't have any I can give away," Skyla said. "Lunch is my favorite part of school."

Rarity was at a loss for words, but managed to collect herself. "Well. . . Being generous isn't as easy as it sounds. You have to work hard in order to be generous materially and to have the freedom to give your time. Put simply, you have to put your own well being first before you can really give things away. Otherwise, you won't be in a position to help anypony at all.”

I watched bolts of fabric fly by in front of Skyla and me as we stood on a platform. It had been at least half an hour since the first bolt flew by. "Uh, Rarity?"

"Not this one, not that one, certainly not dark green. . ." Rarity said as she moved a huge number of bolts. "Maybe something floral. . ."

"Rarity?" Skyla asked, sounding concerned.

"No, floral patterns won't work. There's got to be something that'll do the trick."

I decided to try something. "How about a plain dark gray?"

Her attention was caught. "Absolutely not! Not only does that contrast badly with your coat colors, it's a terrible color for a sundress! At best, it could be an accent, but even then, it detracts from the casual feel that a sundress is supposed to have."

"Blue?" Skyla asked.

"Blue would go well with both of you, and could be used for nicer dresses later, but that's too cool of a color for being out in the sun." She put all the bolts back where they came from in their neatly arranged layout. "Perhaps we should go for a stroll and a spa treatment."

My sister was ecstatic. "Spa trip yay! I love the spa!"

"But. . . What about the sundresses?" I asked. The sudden change of direction, while far from unpleasant, was confusing.

"There are times that you need to step away from a project and take a moment or two for yourself," Rarity explained as we left the building. "Sometimes, it's during those breaks that you have a flash of inspiration and then you know what to do."

"But what if you don't get that flash of inspiration?" Skyla asked, voicing my question as well.

"Then it may just be that it'll take more time. The flash of inspiration can sometimes go the other way, telling you that the project isn't worth the effort."

I looked up at the sign over the place we were going one afternoon. Of all the places for Rarity to take Skyla and me, I was not expecting a dojo. I didn't know what a dojo was, but it felt like something that had to do with fighting.

"Welcome to the Subtle Hoof Dojo, girls," Rarity said as we walked in. "I was able to talk the owner into letting you two try some martial arts here for free."

"How did you do that?" I asked as I watched a group of colts and fillies going through what looked like punching and kicking motions at a stallion's direction.

Rarity dabbed at her forehead to clean up the sweat from the day's exercises and practice in the dojo. "Mr. Subtle, I'll be watching over a couple of fillies for a bit over the summer. Would it be okay if they take a single lesson for free with you to see if they like the martial arts?"

"You know the rules, Rarity!" The earth pony stallion countered. "No free trials!"

"What if I told you it'll be Princesses Skyla and Inova?"

Subtle Hoof gave it some thought. "No. Not even Princesses get free trials. If you want that for them, you'll have to beat the dojo master!"

"You said it." Rarity dove at the stallion and thus began the duel. Hooves flew up, down, left, right, forward, and back. Anypony looking at the combatants would think Rarity had a terrible disadvantage, and the truth was that she did. However, there was one thing she had much more of than Subtle Hoof did: work ethic. His talent for martial arts certainly gave him an edge, and he'd worked hard as well, but Rarity had been training under him for years, and she had Discord as a training partner outside of the dojo.

After a long minute, Rarity emerged victorious. The duel had been difficult, and the stallion had tried his best, but alas, he fell to the floor in defeat. "So, can they get a free session?" Rarity asked as she used her levitation to help the stallion to his hooves.

"You beat me, so I'll allow it," Subtle Hoof begrudgingly admitted. "But only one session!"

"That's all I ask for. I'll see you next week."

"Peaceful negotiations," Rarity said. "I used the power of words to achieve what I wanted."

I raised an eyebrow at what she said. Something didn't seem fully truthful about her explanation, but I couldn't figure it out. After pondering it a bit longer, I decided to drop the line of thought and followed her further into the dojo. The floor changed from wood to a padded surface that felt soft underhoof, though not as soft as a cloud.

The stallion saw us approach, then turned to the foals in front of him. "Keep going without me."

"Yes, Mr. Subtle!" All the foals said at the same time as they continued their routine in sync.

He nodded once and approached us. "So, today's the day." He turned his attention to Skyla and me. "What do you two know about the martial arts?"

"Uh. . ." Skyla had no clue.

I took a guess. "It's. . . It's about fighting without magic or weapons, right?"

"On the surface, perhaps," Mr. Subtle said. "It's also about discipline, fitness, and awareness. Without those, any fighting moves you know become less effective."

Skyla raised a forehoof. "Why should we know how to fight without magic?"

"Magic is powerful, but it takes focus to use, and if you become magically exhausted, without martial arts, you'll be more vulnerable."

I didn't need to give it much thought to understand what he meant. I didn't see how it could help me against Nightshade, since I was still a klutz, but it seemed like a useful skill.

"In fact, to show you how useful martial arts can be, I will challenge you two: I'll blindfold myself and you two come at me. No spells." A blindfold floated over to him in Rarity's magic and he put it on. Just as with Apple Bloom, I had no clue how he tied it with hooves. "Go ahead, don't be shy."

Skyla let out what she probably thought was a battle cry and ran straight at Mr. Subtle. He stopped her with a single forehoof, booped her snoot, got his foreleg under her, and flipped her away. "Try again." At his words, Skyla got back to her hooves, and tried again.

I saw no chance for me to even land a single hoof on him as Skyla tried more approaches, and since there was a chance he could move, I decided my best course of action was to sneak away. As slowly as I could, I moved one hoof at a time and made my way around the foals that were still going through their exercises. Thankfully, nopony did anything to give away my presence.

It didn't take long after my escape for Skyla to call it quits. "I'm done," she said as she flopped onto the padded floor. "I give up."

"That's one down," Mr. Subtle said as Rarity levitated Skyla away. "Now, where's Inova?"

I stayed still and kept my breathing slow and quiet. Skyla's quiet approaches from the side hadn't worked, likely due to him feeling her through the floor or hearing the way the floor sounded with her approach. I was able to feel when the foals' hooves hit the floor, so there was no reason he couldn't either.

He began walking around the front half of the room as he tried to find me. Skyla slowly went from sad to smiling as she watched him keep searching. Her forehooves went to her muzzle as she tried not to laugh. The foals around me were also starting to smile as it went on. Finally, one of the fillies lost her composure and fell down laughing. That breakdown caused the other foals to start falling down laughing. Skyla and Rarity weren't immune, and they started laughing as well.

Mr. Subtle raised an eyebrow and lifted the blindfold, which Rarity levitated away once it was off. "There you are, Inova. You do realize you didn't land a blow on me, right? You didn't win."

"Neither did you," I countered.

"She's got a point," Rarity chimed in. "You beat Skyla, but didn't land a hoof on Inova."

Mr. Subtle looked around, then let out a hearty laugh of his own. "Well done, both of you! Skyla, you kept trying, and that's admirable. Inova, you had the best defense possible: not being there. Both are different aspects of martial arts and self-defense. Come, do some stretching and join the class!"

Skyla and I accepted his offer to try the martial arts. It looked like it could be fun, and the foals already there seemed excited about it too.

"Have fun, you two," Rarity said as she got up. "I've got some business to take care of in town, but I'll be back in an hour."

An hour later, true to her word, Rarity was waiting for us. Skyla and I were both worn out, and neither of us were smiling, but for different reasons. "How did they do, Subtle Hoof?"

"Oddly," Mr. Subtle said. "Skyla seems to have some natural skill with martial arts, but she lost her enthusiasm pretty quickly."

"The repetitions are so boring!" Skyla cried out. "It's just the same thing, over and over."

"On the other hoof, Inova was clearly driven and motivated. I'd even say she wanted to enjoy it. But. . ."

"I'm klutzy," I glumly said, still upset at my performance in the class. "Just say it."

"Yes. She fumbled around more than any other foal I've ever trained, and that kept on frustrating her. No amount of encouragement from me or the other foals, including Skyla, helped her."

Rarity rubbed her chin in thought for a moment. "Well, at least they tried and stuck through the whole class. I'm glad you gave them a chance. Thank you."

"It was an honor. Will you be back next Thursday?" His question sounded a little less professional and a little more hopeful than I expected.

"I can't promise it, since I'll still be watching these two." Her answer had an odd bit of remorse to it, almost like she didn't want to miss it. "Have a good day, Mr. Subtle."

"You too, Rarity."

We left the dojo and the sun felt great on my aching body. I couldn't enjoy it for long, though. There were pegasi flying around and moving dark gray clouds into place, casting shadows on the ground. "Are we going anywhere else, Rarity?" I asked.

"No, we're not," Rarity said. "We're heading home, you two will clean up, rest up, and we'll figure out what to do after that."

I was just sitting around Rarity's workshop, browsing the myriad of magazines she had, when a thought and a memory crossed paths in my head to make a realization. "Rarity?"

"Yes, Inova?" Rarity asked without taking her eyes off the lace she was sewing onto something.

"What happened to making matching sundresses for Skyla and me?"

"Ah, that. You know how I said that sometimes, the inspiration says that a project isn't worth doing?"

"Is that what happened?"

"Yes. The best color I could come up with was yellow, but even that has problems with the different ways it complements and contrasts with you and your sister."

"Oh." I looked upwards as I imagined what she was talking about. On me, the yellow would be close to my orange coat, but it would greatly contrast my mane and tail. On Skyla, it was almost a full opposite color with her, except for the yellow parts of her mane and tail. Individually, both of us looked fine, but side by side, it didn't look as good. "I see."

"Sometimes, that's just how it is."

Rarity didn't seem to have her usual pep over breakfast. She still wore a smile, but her energy just wasn't there. Even after her morning tea, she didn't seem quite like herself.

Skyla was the brave one and approached her. "Rarity?"

"Yes, Skyla?" Even her voice sounded a bit dull.

"Did you want to see Mr. Subtle today?"

Skyla's question was spot on, and Rarity stopped in her tracks. "I promised that I would teach you two about designing, so let's-"

"What about generosity?"

"W-well, that's important too, but today-"

I stepped up next to Skyla. I didn't need a spell to tell we were thinking the same thing. "We'll try martial arts again if you want to see him."

Her objections became more energized. "Girls, I couldn't possibly make you do that again! Neither of you left with a smile last time, and I couldn't stand to see you leave looking sad and frustrated."

I pointed out the major flaw in Rarity's argument. "We're volunteering to do this for you. Isn't that generosity?"

She had no counter to my question, and actually seemed to brighten up a bit. "Well, if you're offering it like that, how can I refuse?"

Skyla and I shared a high hoof at our success. The knowledge of my klutziness inevitably striking made me start to second guess my decision, but it was too late to back down.

Mr. Subtle's reaction to seeing us walk in was one of what looked like a pleasant surprise. "So, the fillies want to try again?"

"Y-yes, they do," Rarity said, sounding a bit flustered. "They really surprised me with that."

"I think she just wanted to see you," my sister bluntly said.

"Skyla!" Rarity chided.

Mr. Subtle suddenly looked a bit uncertain of things. "W-well, it is just about time for Rarity's regular class to start up, and I did come up with some plans for Skyla and Inova, so they can join as well."

Skyla and I followed Rarity around to the padded floor again. The group of ponies already there were mainly adults, though there were also a few foals with them. There were gasps of surprise when Skyla and I were noticed, which made me feel a bit self-conscious.

"If I could have your attention, everypony," Mr. Subtle called out. "Your routines will stay the same. Start on those stretches!" As everypony else did as he said, he approached us. "Skyla, I'm sending you to the training dummies."

"It's not nice to call somepony a dummy!" Skyla objected.

"No no no, these dummies aren't actual ponies. See?" He turned Skyla's head so she was facing one of the side walls, where there was a pony shaped thing made of wood covered in padding. "Go ahead and start hitting it with everything you've got."

That got Skyla excited. "Really?"

"After you pull it out to the floor." As Skyla left to go drag out and fight the dummy, Mr. Subtle turned to me. "You get to do balancing exercises."

"Balancing?" I asked.

"Yes. Start by standing on three hooves." I picked up my right foreleg. "Now hold it until you feel like you can't."

"And after that?"

"Go through all your hooves that way three times. Don't use your wings."

"I won't." I knew what would happen if I tried.

"Good." With that, Mr. Subtle left us and went back to his regular class.

"My hooves hurt. . ." Skyla groaned as she rode out draped across Rarity's back. "Ow. . ."

I walked out with a smile. The balancing exercises actually made me feel like I made some progress against my klutziness, and I'd decided to do them more often. "I'm feeling great," I happily said.

"Good for you. . . Ow. . ." Even through her pained and exhausted voice, I could tell that she was glad for the progress I made and the path forward that I'd found.

"We are going straight to the hospital," Rarity stated, her tone and Skyla's situation leaving no room for argument. "Skyla, I hope you learned something from this."

"Not to hit so hard with my hooves? Ow."

"The importance of self-control. If you don't know when to stop, you'll end up hurting yourself and then you won't be able to help anypony."

"Got it. . ."

Rarity turned to me. "Inova, I'm going to rush your sister to the hospital. I need you to wait for me at Sugarcube Corner."

"Okay." I looked around and tried to find the place. "What's it look like?"

"It looks like, but definitely is not, a gingerbread house covered in candy, just ahead and to the left."

I looked ahead and saw the building in question. It really wasn't hard to miss. "Oh, so that's what that place is?" I'd seen it before, but hadn't gotten to go inside yet. Neither had Skyla.

"Yes. The Cakes can keep an eye on you while I'm busy getting your sister healed."

"That sounds good." I followed Rarity to the building and went inside. The smell of delicious pastries filled the air, and there were ponies scattered about the dining area, idly chatting about things.

As I walked towards the counter, I noticed the chatter die down and suddenly felt very aware that everypony was looking at me. The only sound was that of my hooves, and after I stopped at my destination, the silence became very eerie.

A pegasus stallion showed up behind the counter and looked around the room. "Okay everypony, it's just one of the visiting Princesses, no need to stare." His words got everypony's attention away from me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "You'd think a visiting Princess would be way below the weirdness threshold needed to draw everypony's attention in Ponyville. Anyways, how can I help you, Princess Inova?"

"Are you one of the Cakes?" I asked. "Rarity had to run Skyla to the hospital, I can't run, so I'm waiting here."

"Pound Cake, at your service." He looked out over the crowd again. "If you want somewhere more private, you can go upstairs."

"Thank you." Going behind the counter felt wrong, like I wasn't supposed to be there, but my want of being away from prying eyes motivated me to work past it.

Pound led me to an orange door. "My sister's in here with her foals. She'll be happy to watch you. I'll come get you when Rarity shows up." He knocked on the door. "Hey Pumpkin, I've got a lost foal for you to watch, and she's very polite!"

"Send her in!" A mare's voice called out from inside.

Pound opened the door. "Here you go, Princess."

I walked in and he gently closed the door behind me. In the middle of the brightly colored and furnished room was a light orange unicorn mare laying on the floor with two little foals, an earth pony colt and a pegasus filly, still in diapers, sleeping against her body. Tales of my crying loops jumped into my head immediately, and I stopped moving when I saw the filly move just a bit.

"They won't hurt you, Inova," the mare, Pumpkin, softly said. "What brings you here?"

I slowly approached her, and when I felt like I was close enough, I explained the day's events in a soft voice. I did not want to wake the foals and make them cry.

"Hm, that makes sense," she said after I finished my tale of the day. "How about I introduce you to my foals?"

I looked at the sleeping foals, both of which looked like they would remain asleep for a while. "Sure."

"My little filly is Tiramisu, and she has to be the most gentle foal I've ever seen. My little colt, Coffee, can switch between high energy and deep sleep very quickly. Their father, Lemon Tart, is out doing guard related work in Canterlot." She gave a wistful sigh. "I love that stallion, but I wish he'd find something a bit closer to home."

As time went on, Pumpkin and I just talked. Her foals, to my pleasure and delight, stayed asleep and quiet the whole time.

Almost an hour later, there was a knock on the door and Pound poked his head in. "Inova, Rarity and Skyla are here."

"I'm on my way." I thanked Pumpkin before heading out and following Pound downstairs. Rarity was waiting by the counter, and Skyla was on her back, her hooves and lower legs wrapped up in bandages. Before I got out from behind the counter, I was suddenly stricken with a case of silliness. I reared up and got my forehooves on the counter. "Hi, Rarity. Can I help you?"

She looked up at the menu above me and at the pastries on display. "Oh, hmm. . . I need something for a couple of very good fillies that did something very good for me today, and worked very hard, but I'm very not sure what to get. Can you make a suggestion?"

By my amazing, spectacular, and unbelievable powers of persuasion, I got Rarity to get some slices of cheesecake, which Skyla was fine with. Pound helped me and played along with my antics. After Rarity had the slices in a box in her levitation, I left from behind the counter and followed her. As we left the bakery, so too did the silliness leave me. "How is she?"

"She'll be fine in the morning, as long as she minimizes how much time she spends on her hooves," Rarity explained. "They had an ointment and gel treatment that they put on her before the bandages. It just needs to soak in so her hooves can properly heal up overnight. It's a good thing the damage was shallow, otherwise, I may have had to send her back home."

"Oof."

The cheesecake would not be eaten as soon as we got back to Rarity's place. It was placed in the fridge and then served up for dessert after dinner, and it was delicious.

Summer in Ponyville, Part 3

After one last spa trip, Rarity walked us towards a very colorful house that looked like a stack of jester's hats. "Now girls, you need to prepare yourselves for Pinkie and Cheese. They are both very high energy, and can be a bit much at times, but they're lots of fun to be around."

"Are they loud?" I asked, feeling worried. What I remembered of Pinkie wasn't loud, but it also wasn't in her home.

"Usually not, but their partillery can be. Despite appearances, they're very considerate. You can't throw a good party without knowing what the recipient does and doesn't like, after all."

"So they'll be a bit quieter for me?"

"That. . . I can't promise that." We stopped at the door. "Here we are. Go on in."

I was just about to raise a hoof to open the door when I barely heard a scrambling of hooves and hushed voices on the other side. "Skyla, how about you open the door?"

"Okay," Skyla happily answered. I stepped aside and she was just about to open it when she stopped. "Why are you letting me open it?"

"Because I'm being generous and giving you the honor?" I suggested. It sounded lame to me, but it was all I could think of on the spot.

She raised an eyebrow at my explanation. "Rarity, you open the door."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly do that," Rarity said with the grace I'd come to expect of her. "This is your trip, so you should open the door."

I put an ear to the wall and barely heard a rapidly tapping hoof. "I'm not opening it," I stated.

"Well if Inova's not opening it, I'm not opening it," Skyla firmly stated from the other side of the door.

"And it's not my place to open it either," Rarity added. We were at a standstill.

A yellowish orange earth pony stallion with a curly brown mane and tail zipped up. "Well if none of you will open it, I will!" He opened the door very quickly, blocking my view with it in the process.

"FUS RO PIE!" There was a huge blast of air and confetti, and the stallion was sent flying what looked like a hundred feet away, barely missing and not touching Rarity, but messing up her freshly curled mane and tail as he passed.

"I think that's a vacuum effect?" I thought as I saw it happen and recalled some of Twilight's science lessons. "Pressure differential?" I stopped thinking about it, looked past the door, and saw that Skyla's mane was messed up as well, and she looked surprised. We both looked at the other side of the doorway and saw a grinning Pinkie Pie standing behind a powerful cannon with air tanks on it. "Hi girls! How are you. . . Wait, wasn't I supposed to get one of you with the cannon?" She pulled out some papers from behind the air cannon and started reading them. As she tossed them aside and shrugged, I caught glimpses of red crayon over what looked like a script of some kind. "Guess not."

"I did nothing, just as I Pinkie Promised," Rarity said. "I leave them in your capable hooves, Pinkie. If you'll excuse me, I need to get my mane and tail redone." She started walking off.

Pinkie waved as Rarity left. "Sorry about that! Just tell them Cheese did it!"

The stallion zipped back up to the door. "I did not!"

"Well they're all out of 'Pinkie Did It' vouchers for the month, so they've got to use the 'Cheese Did It' ones instead."

"Oh." The stallion relaxed at the explanation, then looked down at the air cannon, the end of its barrel resting right in front of his body. "Are you going to-"

"FUS RO PIE!"

"Girls, meet Lil' Cheese," Cheese Sandwich said as he introduced us to a colt that seemed more interested in his big oversized book than what was happening around him. The colt looked a lot like Cheese did. "Lil' Cheese, Inova and Skyla are here."

"Cool," Lil' Cheese said, sounding like he was rather indifferent about our presence. He didn't even look up from his book.

"I'm sure he'll warm up to you two eventually. Moving on with the tour, we have the shop floor over here." He took us on a short walk to the shelves full of colorful goods. "Over here is our party and prank stuff. We have a printing press as well for some custom printed party wares, primarily the paper pieces."

"So I could have my name on a bunch of paper plates for a birthday party?" Skyla excitedly asked.

"If you really, really, really want that. I advise against it since plastering your name on everything the guests see and use is tacky, and not in an entertaining way. Now, the store is just one part of what we do." He led us through a door and down some stairs to a stage with rows of seats facing it. "We also put on shows here three days per week. One show before lunch, one after lunch, and one before dinner, every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We have props, costumes, and more backstage, and more importantly, we have fun."

"Laughter is the part of friendship that lets you make the best memories," Pinkie explained, though the disguise glasses she wore made it hard to take her seriously. "Of course, you have to be willing to laugh in the first place. Even Applejack, as serious as she is, can laugh at funny things. I have seen ponies that will not laugh or smile at anything, no matter how silly or clever the bit is, and let me tell you, those are the most boring ponies."

"The Crystal Guards sound more interesting than those ponies," Skyla said. "And they mostly just stand around when they're not doing anything."

Pinkie nodded sagely in understanding. "Indeed they are. Laughter also serves as a way to deal with tough situations. That said, you have to know when it's alright to laugh. The wrong laugh at the wrong time can be devastating and destructive, not just for those around you, but for you as well."

Memories of Nightshade and her crew laughing at me came to mind. I didn't like being laughed at, but they liked laughing at me when she bullied me. I really wanted some way to get back at her, and as I tried to figure that out, I started understanding the potency of laughter.

"Everypony, we're going to put on a little comedy special next week, in addition to our regular scriptless shows," Pinkie announced over breakfast. To my surprise, she made normal breakfasts instead of the cake ones I was expecting, and they were very good. There was still cake off to the side, and Skyla was eyeing it like a hungry predator.

"Am I going to be the punchline in this special?" Lil' Cheese tiredly asked.

"Only for one of the gags," Pinkie said. "Inova and Skyla will take the rest of it."

"What?" Skyla asked, now distracted from the cake. "Why?"

"In a word, experience. Not just with getting laughed at and acting, but also with being on stage in front of everypony and being the butt of the joke. If you're nervous sitting on the throne, then you can't make good choices or a good appearance, right? Stage fright can happen in more places than just the stage, after all."

The connection Pinkie made, while unexpected, actually made sense when I gave it a little thought. "Alright. What are the scriptless shows?"

Cheese answered. "Everypony gets a role for the day, as chosen by the wheel of fate." He pointed to a colorful picker wheel on the wall. It had a lot of different spots on it, and a lever coming out of the floor in front of it. "These shows have no script, so they're entirely ad libbed. All you have to do is play your part."

"What if you can't?"

"Ah, now there's the fun part. You have to be creative to make it work. There are no take backs or respins for your role." He went over to the lever and gave it a pull. As soon as he let go, the wheel began spinning and its colors blurred together. "What'll it be? What'll it be?" The wheel began slowing down, and when it stopped, the golden arrow on the bottom was pointing at a green spot labeled Ninja. "Now, if we had a show today, I'd be playing the part of a ninja, doing ninja moves with ninja things. However, if I didn't have ninja skills-"

"You don't," Lil' Cheese interjected.

"Then I'd have to figure out something to do with the role. Maybe I'm the least stealthy ninja ever, or I tell people where I'm hiding so they know not to look there."

"What's the special about?" Skyla asked as I tried to figure out Cheese's illogic.

"The history of the joke," Pinkie said. "I'd tell you more now, but I need a cutscene so I don't spoil anything for the readers."

"Who?" I asked, pulled from one illogical thing to another illogical thing.

"Mom's weird like that," Lil' Cheese said.

"You bet!" Pinkie sounded a little too proud of that claim. "Now, here's what we'll be doing. . ."

I stayed still as Cheese put face paint on me for a clown look after breakfast. The wheel of fate had chosen that I be a clown after I pulled the lever. Skyla had gotten Wise Pony, and I wanted to trade roles with her, but the rules were the rules.

Something had been on my mind for a while, and I finally decided to voice it. "Hey, Cheese?"

"Yes, Inova?" He asked back in his usual happy tone.

"I can't put my hoof on it, but I swear I've heard your voice somewhere before. It's weirdly familiar, and that's been bothering me."

"Really now?"

I quickly gave some assurances. "You didn't do anything wrong, it's just. . . Weird."

He shrugged. "I get that occasionally. What color do you want going around your eyes?"

With my weird feeling voiced and mostly dealt with, I was able to think a bit more clearly. "How about light blue?"

After the scriptless shows were over for the day, I flopped into the makeup chair backstage, physically and mentally exhausted. Playing a clown was not something I could do, but everypony else was able to work with my largely floppish efforts. I tried to be silly as a clown should be, but I had no idea what to do most of the time, partially due to stage fright. The second and third shows were easier, but they went very similar to the first for me.

"How do you do this so often?" I asked as Pinkie started washing the makeup off of my face.

"I just have fun with it," Pinkie said as if it was the most obvious thing ever. "I live to make others laugh, and if they're having a good time, so am I. Oh, Cheese is whipping up a fast dinner, and after that, we'll rehearse the special."

I groaned as Pinkie kept cleaning my face. I knew the script for the special was all comedy and in jest, and was actually pretty funny, but it was still weird.

"I'm going to the town square," Lil' Cheese said after breakfast on Sunday. He didn't even wait for Pinkie or Cheese's approval before he started walking towards the exit.

"Don't have too much fun!" Pinkie said as she waved after him.

I decided to do the same. "I'm going with him."

"Have fun, Inova!" Cheese said as I left.

As soon as I saw Lil' Cheese, I began my not-as-fast-as-I-wanted pursuit. "Hey, wait up!"

He stopped for a moment. "What do you want?"

I caught up to him. "I like your idea of leaving for a bit. Pinkie and Cheese are. . . Uh. . ."

"I get it. I usually just lay down on the edge of the big fountain and do nothing."

"Nothing sounds good." I walked with him and found out that his plan really was as simple as he said it was. He lay down on one side of the big circular fountain and I did the same on the other side. "It's a lot quieter out here." I let my forehoof dip into the water and idly moved it in circles.

"That's why I like it."

The sounds of nature and ponies going about their business eventually filled the air, breaking the silence in a way that wasn't bad. It was way better than the high energy at Pinkie's place, and watching the way the water rippled was way more entertaining than it should have been.

Skyla smirked as she held the one card in her hooves. Pinkie had a big stack of cards in her hooves. Cheese had won the Uno game multiple turns prior, and was basking in his well earned victory.

"Second place is mine next turn, Pinkie," Skyla stated.

"I don't think so." Pinkie started slapping cards down in succession, forcing Skyla, to her growing dismay and horror (THE HORROR!), to skip turn after turn after turn and draw cards upon cards. "Uno! And-". Pinkie slapped a red 0 on top of the stack. "All zero."

"What? But. . . I. . ." Skyla's slack jawed expression spoke well to her surprise.

Cheese blinked a few times. "Pinkie, did you let me win just so you could do that?"

"Nope," Pinkie answered. "You won fair and square. I just got lucky and had a plan. Who wants some lemonade?"

The time for the special came, and the curtain lifted. Cheese was behind a tall podium on one side, Lil' Cheese, Skyla, and I were on the opposite side, and Pinkie was backstage with props.

"Thank you for coming, everypony, to our special on the history and origins of the joke," Cheese opened with. Out in the audience, I saw Auntie Sparkle levitate a quill and scroll. She was ready to take notes, and I knew she would be both entertained and disappointed. "The origins of the joke date back to as early as the late third century, or as late as the early third century. These early jokes started outdoors, and set the format of instigator and dupe that is still used to this day. Two of my assistants will demonstrate one of the first such jokes."

Lil' Cheese walked over next to the podium and stuck a foreleg out. Skyla walked forward and tripped, falling over and landing a lot like I did. The crowd laughed at it.

Cheese's narration continued. "The instigator and dupe format would evolve when moved indoors. For this, we will need a highly specialized piece of machinery." At his cue, Pinkie bounced out and set a chair on my side of the stage. Lil' Cheese walked over and stood behind it. "Now, observe." I moved to sit down and missed when Lil' Cheese moved the chair away, making me fall down. Thanks to my real experience with falling down, I didn't have to act unfazed.

As Lil' Cheese and I took our spots with Skyla, Cheese continued his speech. "Diplomatic and economic relations with the Zebrican continent would bring with it a new source of comedic material." Pinkie came back onstage and was balancing a banana on her muzzle. With a casual motion, she sent it flying towards Lil' Cheese, and he caught it perfectly. "Its utilization will now be demonstrated."

Lil' Cheese peeled the banana, took the peel, and let me have the fruit that was inside it. He went towards the front of the stage and dropped it. Skyla went to the end of the stage and did some exaggerated stretches, which got some chuckles from the crowd, who likely thought they knew where the bit was going.

Skyla casually walked forward, heading straight for the banana peel, and walked right over it without laying a hoof on it. She turned around, walked back, levitated the banana peel and dropped it right on Lil' Cheese's head like it was a hat. The subversion got lots of laughter from the crowd, and the two came back to stand in line with me, with Lil' Cheese tossing the peel away over Skyla.

"Now, the next form. . ." Cheese looked down at me and pointed at the fruit I was still holding. As per the script, he motioned for me to somehow get rid of it.

I decided to improv a bit, breaking the banana in half and sticking both halves in my mouth to look like oversized fangs. "Rawr!"

Cheese only sighed in irritation. "Inova, if I told you once, I told you a single time, you need the full costume for a proper vampire look. Fangs alone won't cut it. Now cut out that silliness so we can get back to our history lesson."

"Sawry." I took my banana fangs out and promptly ate them. It wasn't as fast as Skyla would have eaten them, but that was a given.

"Now, as I was saying, the next form involves the instigator remaining unaware of the comedy being instigated as the dupe is sideswiped."

Skyla moved over to the podium while Lil' Cheese and I went to the end of the stage, where he was given what looked like a piece of lumber, but was actually just a soft prop with enough rigidity to hold its shape.

From the other end of the stage, Skyla said, "Hey, buddy." Upon being addressed, Lil' Cheese turned, bonking me in the back of the head as I fell. When he turned back, I got to my hooves.

"This simple formula soon evolved into the double sideswipe."

Skyla said the words again. "Hey, buddy."

Cheese bonked the back of my head again, I quickly got to my hooves, then got bonked in the face and sent back down again, earning more laughter. As much as I hadn't fully enjoyed my time with Pinkie and Cheese, I had managed to improve my hoof coordination a bit under them, so that was something.

Skyla walked over and stood on the other side of Lil' Cheese as the lecture continued. "We will now see what experts call the double double sideswipe. Hey, buddy."

Lil' Cheese turned, bonking both Skyla and me and sending us down. Right as we got back up, he turned again, knocking us back down.

With the crowd laughing, Pinkie came in and collected the board. However, in deviation with the script, she slipped on the banana peel as she went off stage, and multiple silly crashing sounds could be heard as she landed. She came out a moment later with more bandages than fur visible, along with one eye completely covered by bandages and the other partially swollen shut. "What happened?"

Cheese easily explained it. "That would be the Checkhovian method, where something is set up, set aside, and then sees use generally after it's forgotten about." He turned to the audience. "Does anypony have a Pinkie Treatment license here? No?" He turned back to the bandaged mare. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to walk it off."

"Walk it off? How do you expect me to do that?"

"It's a step by step process." The joke got plenty of snickers and groans.

"Oh, I see." Pinkie turned around and limped back offstage.

The lecture continued as the three of us moved and sat down so Skyla was in the middle. "As popular as this is, it doesn't even hold a candle to, as the military experts may call it, the dispatch of an edible missile."

Pinkie, looking like nothing had happened, came out with a tray and six paper plates of whipped cream on her back. Each of us took two of them, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Skyla trying not to eat the whipped cream.

Cheese explained what was going to happen. "We will start with a simple straight dispatch of the edible missile." Skyla turned to Lil' Cheese and he put one of his plates on Skyla's face, and there was laughter from the crowd as she turned back to face them. She shook her head to get the plate off before licking her muzzle clean, though the rest of her face had whipped cream on it. "Now, the lateral dispatch." Without looking, I tossed one of my plates sideways and got Skyla on the side of her head. As in the rehearsals, I had to fight to hold back a smile. "The retaliatory pie." Skyla turned back to Lil' Cheese and raised one of her plates, only to get interrupted by a straight pie to the face from the colt, giving her more whipped cream to lick up. "And finally, the high level low blow." Skyla turned back to me and I delivered my last pie right between her forelegs.

The audience's laughter went on long enough that we had to wait a bit for it to die down, but eventually, it did. "Can we get some new pies, please?" Pinkie came out with six new plates of whipped cream. I took two new ones, Skyla set hers on the tray so she could clean herself up a bit, and Lil' Cheese took two new ones. After Pinkie left, Skyla looked between Lil' Cheese and me, both of us armed with the whipped cream and her without any. "And now, the rarely seen three course complex."

It was time for the hardest part of our performance. Lil' Cheese and I turned to face Skyla. She ducked as Lil' Cheese tossed a pie, hitting me in the face. I tossed one of mine as Skyla got back up, hitting her in the side of her head. Lil' Cheese got her in the back of her head with his second one and brought her face down into my second pie. There was both laughter and cheering from the crowd, and I felt proud for the successful performance.

"Finally, there's the surprise pie." Cheese said as Pinkie brought out the chair and a pie. "This is the kind of pie that is unexpected, unforeseen, and unpredictable." She stood on the chair and smirked as she got her pie ready, with Cheese seemingly unaware of her presence. "The delivery must be done stealthily, sneakily, and suddenly." He leapt down and a prop that looked like Pinkie's sister Maud popped up and pied Pinkie in the face. "And that concludes our special on the history of the joke. Thank you."

Aunt Twilight met us backstage after the show was done and while Skyla was getting cleaned. "Hi, girls. Did you have fun?"

"I had fun," I tiredly said from the chair I sank into after leaving the stage. My face was already cleaned off from the pie I'd taken. "I don't like being on stage, though."

"That's fair."

"They've both improved a lot, though," Pinkie said as she finished cleaning Skyla. "I wouldn't say they've embraced the stage, but they're mostly not scared of it now. Slightly."

Skyla sat up and got out of her chair. "Is being on the throne really like being on stage, Aunt Twilight?"

Aunt Twilight gave the question some thought. "Well. . . Yes and no. You are putting on a show, like on stage, but it's more like management instead of entertainment. Everypony's watching you, and the pressure is there, but. . . It's complicated. Oh, Pinkie?"

"Yes, Twilight?" Pinkie happily responded.

"Can you say Hi to Fluttershy for me when you take the fillies to her? I've got something to take care of in Canterlot and I'll be gone for a bit."

Pinkie gave a sharp salute. "Thy will be done, my friend!"

"Thanks, Pinkie."

As soon as Fluttershy's cottage was in sight, Skyla and Pinkie dashed off to race to the front door. I didn't run after them, not only because I would have tripped over my own hooves, but also to give myself some breathing room and peace. Spending two weeks with Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich really made me understand what Aunt Twilight had said about being with some friends more than others. Lil' Cheese was alright since he wasn't loud.

In the silence from the absence of Pinkie and Skyla, I enjoyed the sound of birds chirping, leaves rustling, and the occasional insect buzzing somewhere. There was a small bridge over a stream on the path, and I stopped on it to watch the water and the fish swimming in it.

Over lunch one day, Fluttershy gave us a lesson on her element. "Kindness is all about helping others and doing things that are nice in order to support and help them. That said, kindness, taken too far, circles back around to cruelty."

"How?" I asked.

"There's a play by Wobbly Javelin, The Docile Maiden. It's about a delicate filly and her family, and how their desire to shelter and protect her at all costs turned out horribly. The manor got destroyed, leaving them without a home. The filly, having never been far from home, or even outdoors, was terrified of everything. During the trek to find somewhere to start anew, the family realized that they did nothing to prepare her for the world, and in their attempts to stay together, are slowed down by the one they cared for so much."

"What happens next?" Skyla asked, enraptured with the story like I was.

Fluttershy looked crestfallen as she answered. "Everypony died in the wet winter that came, and the protected filly was the last one. She came close enough to a town to see the lights, but didn't make it there."

I gave the story some thought while Skyla was trying to hold back her tears at the summarized story. "But. . . Why couldn't she make it?" She asked.

"She had her every want and need taken care of by others, so she was weak. Mere minutes after her death, some ponies from town find her, and a pegasus comes in from where she had, and tells of the bodies on the trail. They all conclude that the filly had been cruelly imprisoned and kept weak, then forced to endure the cold trail for some unfathomable reason."

I took a sip of my refreshing herbal tea. It was very good. "So. . . The family was misguided on what to do?"

"Misguided, confused, zealous, and more words Twilight could come up with. They had been too kind. Sometimes, kindness means pushing somepony to do something. Just make sure you know what you're doing first."

"Girls, there's someone here you need to meet," Fluttershy said after we fed her animal friends. There were a lot of them. "It's very important that you get to know him, since he's immortal like you, and very powerful."

"Is he an alicorn?" Skyla asked. "I thought there were only six."

"He's Discord, the spirit of chaos." The calm and casual way she said it clashed horribly with the images in my head. "He and Pinkie visited you for a bit while Inova was sick."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Really? I don't remember that."

A new voice echoed out from somewhere. "I'm hurt that you don't remember me, but I understand."

I looked around as the voice answered, and it looked like it came from where mine and Skyla's shadows crossed over each other. As I tried to figure out more about the voice, I realized something. "Wait. . . Shadows don't do that."

A long serpentine thing with mismatched everything dramatically sprung out of the shadows. "Here you are being introduced to Discord, the spirit of chaos himself, and you're more interested in how shadows cross each other? You wound me!"

"Inova, save me!" Skyla tried to hide behind me. I could feel her shaking.

I looked between Discord and my scared sister. "Well it doesn't make sense, and we just spent two weeks with Pinkie Pie."

He was suddenly much more cordial and polite. "Well, you'll find that Pinkie and I actually share a similar philosophy: what fun is there in making sense?"

Fluttershy raised a wing. "Ooh, ooh, I know! Making candles!"

Discord gave Fluttershy a flat look, then burst out in a smile. "Fluttershy! I am such a terrible influence on you! I'm so proud!"

She gave him a smile. "I know. Now fix their shadows and I'll make an herbal tea for us."

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy!" Discord began bouncing on his tail like it was a pogo stick into the cottage.

I looked down and watched as our shadows sprang back into place, complete with a springing sound. "Is it safe?" Skyla warily asked.

"Yes," I assured her.

I looked down at Skyla. "Do you need any help?"

"I can't get up!" Skyla complained. "I'm stuck!"

I looked over her forelegs and the sleepy kittens laying on them. "You know, I can't argue with that."

"They're so heavy!" A kitten got onto her back and curled up for a nap.

"Yep, that's why you're stuck."

"Discord must have done this!"

"No, I think it's just a cat thing."

Discord, the same size as a kitten, appeared on Skyla's head. "It really is just a cat thing. You see, cats have solar charged gravity powers. They lay in the sun to charge up, then they release the gravity charge by laying down on you."

"Uh huh." The explanation was silly, but I kind of liked it.

"It's more potent in kittens, as they're smaller, but have the same amount of gravity power. That's why it's so difficult to get up when a kitten is on you. It has absolutely nothing to do with them being so adorable at all. Not in the slightest! Everything I explained is the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth, and completely not made up."

"Can't you move them for me?" Skyla pleaded.

"Ah, but alas, I am unable to do that. There are some things even my chaos powers can't do. Toodles!" With a snap, Discord disappeared.

Skyla and I watched the sick raccoon laying on Fluttershy's outdoor checkup table. He didn't look good, he was whimpering, and his breathing was labored. It reminded me of when I was sick, at least what I could remember of that. "So, what's wrong with him?" Skyla asked.

"Tanuki ate something bad," Fluttershy said. "In order to help him, we need to, um. . . Make him throw up. If you want to skip this, that'll be okay. It will be gross."

"I'm out!" Skyla ran back inside.

"Inova?"

"I guess I'll stay," I said with a shrug. "It'll make me less grossed out later, right?"

She nodded at my guess. "That's right. For now, just stay there with him while I get the medicine."

While she went to get the medicine, I got closer to Tanuki. "Hey." My casual greeting got no response. "So. . . Tanuki. Nice name." He nodded weakly. "I'm Inova. Do you think I have a nice name too?" He weakly nodded again, which made me feel happier than I should have.

Fluttershy came back with a small basket in her mouth and a bucket on her back. She set the bucket on the ground at one end of the table and the basket near Tanuki. "Inova, you'll be my assistant. Can you get Tanuki to a sitting position?"

"Okay." I got on my rear hooves and rested my body against the table so I could use my forelegs to set him up facing the end of the table with the bucket. He put up no resistance and wobbled a bit. "Now what?"

"Gently tilt his head up just a bit." I did as instructed, then watched Fluttershy use two feathers on a wing to pick what looked like a dried and seasoned blue leaf out of the basket. "Open up, Tanuki. I've got just the thing for that bad belly ache." He opened his mouth and she put the leaf in.

I took my hoof away from Tanuki's mouth as he slowly chewed and ate the dried leaf. "So, what kind of medicine is that?"

She didn't give me an immediate answer. "That's good, Tanuki. Just focus on the tasty leaf."

Shortly after the last of the leaf disappeared, Tanuki started looking a bit green around his face. Shortly after he got a paw to his face, he lurched over, grabbed the edge of the table, and promptly threw up into the bucket. In addition to bits of the leaf, there were also pieces of what looked like garbage and rotten bits of food.

I suddenly didn't feel so good myself, and promptly made my own contribution to the bucket. It was not pleasant, and even after I felt empty inside, I still felt my gut trying to get more out. It was only after Fluttershy moved the bucket away that I started feeling better and let myself lean against the table.

"I'll be right back, you two." Fluttershy left again.

I managed to make eye contact with Tanuki. "Well, that sucked." He gave no response aside from a worn out look that I felt like I had. It was very understandable.

Eventually, Fluttershy returned with two cups of something pleasantly fragrant and lightly steaming. "This will help restore your body. I sweetened it with some honey."

I got back to standing against the table on my slightly wobbly rear legs and accepted one of the cups. Tanuki did the same and we both drank. The honey didn't hide all of the bitter flavor of whatever else was in it, but it was enough to make it very slightly tolerable. "That was gross." By the look on his face, Tanuki agreed.

"Yes, but it will soothe and cleanse your throat faster than anything else. It'll also calm your stomach."

I groaned since I still didn't feel too good, but it was still an improvement from moments before. "So, what was that blue leaf?"

"Specially dried and prepared poison joke. Normally, that plant does something funny to you, like a prank, when you get enough on you. My friend Zecora, however, has found that drying and preparing it a certain way takes out the joke factor and creates an easy way to induce vomiting in whoever or whatever eats it. Speaking of which. . ." She turned to Tanuki, and the racoon shrunk a bit under her stern gaze. "I thought I told you not to go around eating garbage and rotten food last month, mister! It's not good for you!" She looked like she understood the chattering noises that Tanuki made. "I know you get hungry in the middle of the night, but that's no reason to eat things you shouldn't." She gently picked him up and set him on the ground. "Now go and do whatever you do, but remember: no garbage."

Tanuki nodded before running off towards the woods, and I looked at Fluttershy. "Am I getting lectured like that too?"

Her normal gentle look came back. "Oh no, not at all. However, there was a lesson in kindness there. Can you tell me what it was?"

I gave the question some thought as I considered everything that Tanuki and I experienced, but my mind was still a little hazy. "What was it?"

"Sometimes, kindness means putting someone you care about through something unpleasant so they come out better. I'm sorry you had a more. . . Personal experience with it than I wanted. Maybe you should go lay down on the sofa?"

"I will. Thanks." I got back to all four hooves on the ground, walked in, and let myself down on the sofa. It was just as I was dozing off that I realized that my legs didn't shake at all during that short walk. "Huh. That tea really works."

"Girls, I have to go take care of some errands," Fluttershy said. "I'll be out for a few hours. In the meantime, Discord will take care of you."

"Can I go with you?" Skyla pleaded. "I don't like Discord."

"Hrk!" Discord clutched his heart, which had an arrow sticking out of it, as he fell over like a board.

"Now now, Skyla," Fluttershy gently chided. "Discord said he's got something fun planned for you two, so give him a chance for me, okay?"

Discord was suddenly shrunken and on his knees, paw and talon clasped as he gave Skyla as innocent a look as he could give, including a quivering lip and a halo over his head. "I promise I'll show you the fun side of chaos, and that I'll keep you and your sister safe."

Fluttershy turned to me. "Inova?"

I shrugged. "I'm okay with it."

"Alright. Discord, try not to scare Skyla too much."

He returned to full size with my sister draped over his head like a hat and gave a serious salute. "Aye aye, Admiral Shy!"

"Have fun, everyone," Fluttershy said as she left the cottage.

There was a flash, and suddenly, I found myself sitting in Discord's back just in front of his wings, and Skyla was right behind me. "Thank you for taking the Discord Express today, everypony. Please fasten your seat belts securely across your lap and keep your trays and seats in the upright and locked positions. Keep all legs and wings inside at all times, unless we come to a stop or you're feeling silly."

I looked down and saw what had to be the seat belt. Clicking the two parts together was pretty easy, and despite having never seen a seat belt before, the motions felt weirdly familiar.

Skyla seemed to be having some challenges with hers. "Uh, Discord? How do I do this?" A moment later, there was a click. "Oh, that's pretty simple."

"And now, we depart!" He slithered through the air, opened a window, and continued into the dark portal that wasn't there a moment earlier.

"This is pretty dark," I noted.

"There's no light, so of course it's dark. We'll be back in the light soon."

True to Discord's word, there was light soon, and I had to hold a foreleg up over my eyes as they adjusted. "Where are we?" There were tall buildings all around, and I didn't recognize any of them.

"Welcome to Manehattan, the home of the pony that invented the hat! Maybe. I'm not sure. Hold on tight, we're going to cause some chaos." Shortly after the warning, Discord lowered himself to the ground, turned his arms and legs into wheels, and started speeding along the ground.

The wind in my face and the way it blew through my mane felt great, and I was having a great time. Based on the way Skyla was screaming, I couldn't tell if she was having fun or not. We were weaving through the hoof traffic, and I could hear annoyed and angry shouts fading in the distance as we sped along.

"Shouldn't we apologize to those ponies?" Skyla asked after another upset pony's shouting faded away.

"Pft, nah," Discord casually answered. "You see, we're causing some chaos. As future Princesses, you must know when to disrupt things. Ooh, here's somewhere you'll love, Skyla." He slowed to a stop, and I could tell there was something on the other side of his bat wing, but it was up and keeping us from seeing what was there. "Oh, one moment." There was a cranking sound as his wing lowered like a drawbridge before landing lightly with a heavy sound on the cart on the other side. The stallion looked stunned. "Who wants a hot Manehattan hay dog?"

"Me me me me me!" Skyla excitedly said.

"I'll have one," I happily concurred.

The stunned stallion was still stunned, but composed himself enough to talk. "What would you like on your hay dogs, Your Highnesses?"

"I'll just have cheese on mine." The simple combination was good.

"Princess Skyla?"

I looked back and saw Skyla intensely thinking as she looked at the toppings. Some of them, like chili and relish, sounded disgusting together. "Can I have chili, cheese, onion, corn chips, and peppers on a double dog?"

"And I'll have what they're having," Discord added. "What's the total, good sir?"

The stallion added the cost up and got the same amount I did. "Fourteen bits, but since they're Pri-"

"Ah ah ah, their food will be paid for just like anypony else's." A smaller Discord appeared on my head and I felt him reach into my ear. "Just let me get the bits."

I looked up at the little Discord as best I could. "You'd better not be taking any of my bits," I quietly warned him. "I've counted them."

"Don't worry, I'm just reaching into my account. Aha!" He pulled a stack of bits out of my ear and leapt onto the cart. "Fourteen bits, good sir."

The stallion started with the double dogs, which were two hay dogs together on a wider bun, and stacked the toppings on top of them. In comparison, my single hay dog with cheese was rather small.

Once we had our food and thanked the stallion, the Discord we were riding in started moving again, but more slowly. Skyla had a head start on her double dog, but mine was smaller, so I was done first. "That was tasty."

"It's something Manehattan is becoming famous for," Discord explained. "And now, will become more famous for."

"How?" Skyla asked around a mouthful of her meal.

"When word gets out that you two got something from that cart, and that you liked it, ponies will come to try it, and others will try their hoof at it. That's one form of chaos, my dear." He ate both of his hay dogs in a single bite each. "Now that we're all done, let's keep going!" The smaller Discord disappeared and the bigger one we were in started zooming around again.

Our trip around Manehattan came to an end when Discord took us down a sewer grate and we wound up splashing down in a river. "Where are we now?" I asked as I tried to slow my brain down.

"Jellostone National Park!" Discord, now a canoe, said as we drifted along on the water. "And no, there's no wild Chungus around here."

"What's a Chungus?" Skyla asked.

"A wascally wabbit that bwiefly takes on a bowling pin shape. Do try to keep up."

"Can we go fast again? That was fun."

"Later. For now, let me tell you about the chaos going on here."

"I wanna go fast too," I added.

"You see, not all chaos is fast. For example, that tree hanging over the water on the shore did not exist at one point. It grew and changed the area as it strived to survive. Now, it provides shade, perches, and food for the wildlife. Eventually, it will die, and as that happens, the area around it will likewise change."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Yes and no. Life will find a way to survive. Life itself is chaos!"

As we passed the trees, a rushing sound caught my attention. "Discord, is there a waterfall ahead of us?"

"Yep."

"Big one?"

"Neighagara Falls, so yes."

"Will we live?" Skyla nervously asked.

"Most certainly."

The roar of the falling water got louder and louder. As we got closer, I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the fall to happen.

I felt Discord turn downwards and let out a scream of surprise. When I didn't feel the wind rushing past me, I cracked one eye open, then opened both and looked around. We were falling very slowly. "Huh?"

"I did say we would live, did I not?" Discord smugly asked. "Of course, if you want, we could fall at normal speed."

Skyla objected. "Slow is good! Slow is good!"

"Yes, this is good," I hastily added.

During our slow fall, the water began soaking us. By the time we gently landed at the bottom, all three of us were drenched. "Hmm. . . I know just where to go next!" Discord started spinning in place, making a whirlpool and diving down into its depths.

We came out of a cliff and skidded to a halt on a rocky plain. The air was dry and the sun was intense. Despite the heat, I couldn't help but shiver. "W-w-w-why am I so cold?"

"Twilight would tell you that it's because of the water evaporating off of you and carrying heat with it," Discord explained. "And she would be right. For now, we ride fast!" He took off like in Manehattan, zooming around the wasteland and kicking up clouds of dust behind us.

After a while of speeding around, Discord took us through a crevice at full speed. On the other side, we came to a halt mid-air, and I barely had time to recognize the place we were in before gravity took over and we splashed down in some warm water.

A door opened, and I heard Fluttershy's voice. "-and the fillies have been quite nice so far. Inova's been helping me, and Skyla's been very attentive to my kindness lessons, though she did skip out on helping Tanuki."

"That's lovely," Rarity happily said. "Why, I'd give them. . ." She trailed off as she and Fluttershy noticed the three of us in the water.

"Uh, hi?" Discord nervously asked.

"We went to Manehattan and Neighagara Falls!" Skyla excitedly said, making me wince from her volume.

Rarity and Fluttershy looked at each other for a moment. "Well, we're already here, may as well make a day of it."

I unbuckled my seat belt and got out of Discord's back. Skyla forgot she was buckled in and didn't get far. I helped her out and we went to the edge of the tub. After the dusty ride in the wasteland, it felt good to get the dust out of my fur and feathers.

I looked up at the dog in front of me. "Uh, Fluttershy?!" I nervously asked.

"Yes, Inova?"

"Big dog." The dog looked bigger than most of the ponies I'd seen in Ponyville, and towered over me.

Fluttershy looked out a window of her cottage as she washed some dishes. "Oh, that's Little Pete. He's Carrot Top's Great Dane."

"Why is his name Little Pete? He's huge!"

"Carrot Top was probably just being funny. I never asked. He won't hurt you. Little Pete's a sweetheart."

Her words did nothing to calm my nerves, and I started to backpedal. Pete kept up with ease, then I turned too quickly and fell on the ground belly up. A massive clawed paw came down on my chest, pinning me in place. "Fluttershy!"

"You'll be fine, Inova."

I closed my eyes and prepared for the worst when Little Pete lowered his massive head down to my face. I was not prepared to get licked in the face over and over, and it tickled. It wasn't long before I was giggling, despite the fear I was feeling moments before and still being pinned in place.

Aunt Twilight was waiting at the train station when Fluttershy brought Skyla and me there. Our new saddlebags were filled with things we'd picked up during our trip. "Hi girls. Are you ready to go home?"

"Do we have to?" Skyla asked. "We were having fun."

"Your mom and dad miss you a lot. Besides, you've got to get ready for school. It starts in a few weeks, after all. You'll get to see your friends, too."

Skyla quickly realized Twilight's point. "That's right! Let's go, Inova!" She rushed up to the platform and stopped at the edge. "Where's the train?"

"We're early," I said as I caught up to her.

"Aunt Twilight, can you make the train come faster?"

Aunt Twilight chuckled. "No, I can't. There are some things I just can't do. So, tell me about your time with Fluttershy."

I took a deep breath once we got off the train. The air of the Crystal Empire was a nice familiar temperature and felt safe.

"Come on, girls," Twilight said. "Let's get you two home."

Skyla and I followed her out of the station and onto the familiar crystalline roads of home. The summer had been a busy one for us, and I was glad to make it back. After all that had happened, I was ready for the regular schedule of school to start back up. It was predictable and normal, especially without Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, or Discord there.

Along the way, ponies waved at us. Skyla and Twilight waved with their wings while I just nodded. Trying to wing wave and walk would only result in faceplanting, and crystal was nowhere near as forgiving or soft as clouds.

Finally, we arrived home. While Twilight and Skyla went straight to the front door, I stopped at the curb and looked at the house. It had gotten taller while we were gone. "Inova!" Twilight called.

"Sorry." I walked up to the front door as Twilight knocked.

Mom opened the door, and before she could say anything, Skyla tackled her with a hug. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH, MOM!"

I carefully stepped to the side as Skyla loudly blabbered on and on about how much she missed mom and dad during our trip. I missed them too, but not as much as she seemed to have.

It took a few minutes for Skyla to calm down enough for me to enter. "Hey," I casually said.

"Welcome back, Inova," mom happily said as she took my saddlebags off and set them to the side. Her fur had distinct tear stains on it from Skyla. "What did you think of your trip?"

"It was fun. And not fun. And weird."

"That's Ponyville for you," Twilight casually said.

"Go join your sister in the living room," dad said. "We have something to tell both of you."

"Okay." I went to the couch and sat next to Skyla. She looked a little nervous, so I scooted up next to her.

Mom, dad, and Twilight came in a moment later. "Girls, while you were gone, we did some renovations. You each have your own rooms now, complete with a personal bathroom."

Skyla's nervousness disappeared at the news, and I was intrigued. "Is that all upstairs?"

"About that," dad said. "We were able to move Skyla's stuff upstairs with ease, but when we tried to move Inova's toy box, it was a lot heavier than we expected."

"We looked into it and found tins full of bits on the bottom," mom explained with a serious tone and a look my way that would not harbor any silliness. "Where did you get those bits, Inova?"

I was easily able to stay calm as I gave the honest answer. "I only spend five bits on my school lunches." Giving the partial answer made me feel a bit lighter, but I still felt some tension over the discovery of my stash.

She looked in the direction of what was probably still my room. "How long have you been doing that?"

"Since. . . The second week of buying lunch at school? I think. I bought the tins on my own at the toy store."

"But when. . ."

"I think I know when," dad said. "Remember that time we had to take Skyla out because she was throwing a fit over not getting something?"

"Yeah, we. . . We left Inova there for about ten minutes."

"I had my money with me," I added.

"And she left with that box on her back."

"I can fit two hundred bits in one tin. Five high, five deep, eight wide. I've got eight full ones, a partial one, and three empty ones. I got them for two bits each."

Mom looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "How did you get them that cheap? Aren't those usually four or five bits?"

"The stallion said they were out of season and needed to move, so I got the full dozen."

"That's a good deal," dad said with a nod of approval before his eyes widened. "You've got over 1600 bits saved up?"

"Yes." With my secret project out, I felt both unburdened and a little bit ashamed. The thought that mom or dad would be upset over me saving bits suddenly looked ridiculous, and I wondered why I even kept it secret in the first place.

Skyla raised a hoof and changed the topic. "Can we see our new rooms?"

"Your room is upstairs," mom answered. "Look for the door with your mane colors around it. Inova, your room is on this floor. The door has your mane colors around it. Take a look around and come back when you're done."

"Yay!" Skyla ran off to find the stairs while I took the familiar path to the same door I'd gone through many times, finding my mane colors around it.

I pushed open the door and realized two things: the space had been expanded, and with Skyla's stuff gone, there was even more room for me. My bed and desk were still together in the corner, but the corner was now further away. My toy box was still at the foot of my bed. I checked it and found my bit tins where they were before on the bottom. Something about mom and dad knowing about it made the stashed money feel less exciting.

The corner that would have had Skyla's bed and desk had a pile of Golem Brick sets in it, next to an open door leading to a bathroom. There were familiar sets I hadn't gotten to and a bunch of new ones that Aunt Luna probably sent while Skyla and I were in Ponyville.

The rest of the room was barren, smooth, and empty, except for a simple light in the middle of the ceiling. The bathroom was functional, with the only decoration being an orange shower curtain. With nothing else to do, I went back to the living room. It wasn't long before Skyla came down, and she had a question. "What are the other rooms up there for?"

"As often as you've asked to have friends over, we decided to add some guest rooms up there," mom explained. "That's another reason we put your room upstairs and let Inova stay downstairs."

"I don't have any friends to ask over," I stated. It was obvious and well known, but I felt like it had to be said.

"Not yet. Anyways, this leads to your next lesson: budgeting. We've got 5,000 bits for each of you to spend on decorating and upgrading your rooms. How you go about it and what you decorate with are up to you."

Skyla's eyes lit up, and I could just imagine the kitchen in her mind cooking up an idea. "Anything?"

"You're not getting a pantry or fridge, and this money is not going to be spent on food," dad firmly said.

She deflated a bit at the answer, then her eyes narrowed in concentration. "Hmmm. . ."

"Additionally, there will be three options for extra work, like putting things together or mounting shelves. You can do it yourself for free, your mom or I can do it for a small fee, or you can pay the professionals to do it for a higher fee." It almost felt like I was being targeted for my bit stash. "You'll also have to budget that from the 5,000 bits. If you can't afford it from that set of money, you'll have to build it yourself." I felt a bit better with that statement.

"We will cover delivery fees, but that's all," mom said.

I suddenly noticed something. "Where did Auntie Twilight go?"

"She teleported back to Ponyville. Something about feeling like she had to be there for-"

Auntie Twilight suddenly appeared next to mom, it looked like she had been dragged through mud and fire, and smelled even worse. "Okay, so I can confirm that hydra fire is unique since it doesn't make swamp gas pockets ignite or explode, but normal conjured fire does make the gas explode, and. . . Froggy Bottom Bog is now much deeper and more spread out."

"You blew up a swamp?" Dad flatly asked.

"Twice. There were two big underground gas pockets and they were connected. I'd better get back to Ponyville. The hydra's still there. See you later." Auntie Twilight teleported away.

Mom broke the silence after a few long seconds and a spell to clear the air. "So! Each of us will go shopping with one of you tomorrow for stuff for your rooms. For now, tell us about your trip to Ponyville."

Author's Note

And thus concludes the Summer in Ponyville arc.

Budgeting and Renovating

During the first breakfast after coming home, mom laid out the plans for the day. "Girls, we're going to the hardware store today."

"Do we have to?" Skyla sadly asked over her empty plate. "I wanna go to the toy store."

"If you want your walls, floor, and ceiling to look the way you want, then we're going to the hardware store. Today is not for buying anything big, we'll just be picking out samples of things you like and taking notes."

"Do the samples come out of our budgets?" I asked as I worked on my breakfast.

"The free samples will not come out of your budget. Any samples or catalogs that cost anything, however, will."

I finished what I felt like I could of my food and pushed the leftovers to Skyla. "That makes sense."

Dad came over to the table with a pair of saddlebags on him. "Tomorrow, we'll help you further plan out what you want to do. As soon as. . . Now that Skyla's cleaned that plate, we can leave when you're both ready."

The walk to the hardware store was longer than the walk to school. As with the walk to school, I kept my eyes forward and thought about things.

"Mom, could I have a wooden floor?" Skyla asked. "The ones at Applejack's place were really nice."

"You'll have to budget it," mom said, neither approving or, more importantly, denying the request.

"Does pink paint cost more than yellow paint?"

"Coloring the paint doesn't affect the price," dad answered. "If you want different colors at once, that's okay, but you'll have to budget it."

"Can I get some new lights?"

"That. . . That depends. Lamps are alright, but light fixtures. . . Those will require professional installation, so keep that in mind with your budget."

As Skyla continued asking questions, I kept listening to the answers. It was all useful information, and it answered some questions I had as well.

"This is cool," I said as I looked at a square floor lamp with shelves on it. "Dad, can I have my notebook?"

"Of course." Dad got my notebook and a pencil out from one of the saddlebags.

I opened the notebook to the first page, which had the layout of my room drawn on it. While I was looking at the dimensions, I suddenly realized something. "Why are the walls in my room so tall?" I'd never paid any attention to it before, but seeing that the walls were ten feet high surprised me. It also got me thinking about other places I'd been to, and all the walls were tall.

"In case Celestia visits. She's about eight feet tall, so that gives her some head room."

"Oh. Will she?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I doubt she would turn down an invitation, though."

"Hey, dad?"

"Yes, Inova?"

I pointed to a kit on a shelf. "Can I replace the hinges and handles on my doors?" The fact that the doors in my room were mine had me more excited than I felt like I should be. "I like this silver color and flat shape."

He took a breath as he considered my question. "I'm going to say no to that."

My heart dropped. "What? Why?"

"Because we've already had work done on the doors once, and it could cost more time than you might expect."

"Time?"

He turned my attention to the kits. "Do you see the differences in the hinges?"

I looked between the different kits with flat silver handles. "Does it make a difference?"

"Yes. The shape alone can make a huge difference. I also think you can come up with a better way to spend 50 Bits than two of those kits for your doors."

What dad said made sense, so I reluctantly turned away from the shelf, but not before making some notes in my notebook about it.

I looked between different paint cans on the shelf. "What's primer for?"

"That goes on the wall before the paint," a pegasus worker explained. He had a paint brush cutie mark, so he probably knew what he was talking about. "It lets the paint stick better and even affects the end result."

"It does?"

"It does." He pointed out a display of different shades of orange on some wood. "Without primer, the color and texture of the wall will show through the paint. If a crystal wall has light come through it, that can make the paint glow in ways you might not want."

"Oh. Like a cloud in front of the sun?"

"Sort of. Are you going to paint your room?"

"Yeah." I looked at him. "How did you know that?"

He shrugged. "Lucky guess. Do you want an energetic or calm feel to your room?"

"Uh. . ." It was something I'd never considered before, and I was stumped. "Well. . . I don't want pink."

"That's a good way to go about it. Figure out what you don't want so you can figure out what you do want."

Mom showed up and had an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry you had to watch Inova. Skyla was being difficult. Turns out the wooden floors she wants are more expensive than she thought."

"It wasn't a problem, Your Highness. I was just teaching her about paint and why primer is important. I've never seen a foal just sit and listen to. . . Well, anypony here like she does."

"She's very patient and curious like that. We're letting the fillies choose stuff for their rooms on a budget."

"Oh? Well, in that case, let me get you something." The stallion went to a nearby desk and came back with a couple pamphlets, which mom promptly accepted. "For your perusal, and budgeting assistance. Paint prices may change, but it's good for calculating simple painting projects."

"Thank you, sir. Inova, it's time to go to our next place."

"Okay." I followed mom and we quickly caught up with dad and Skyla, who was pouting.

We split up when we got to the furniture store. Skyla went to the more sparkly, glitzy, and brightly colored furniture with mom behind her, while I went over to the darker colored, more plain area with dad. The dark side was much easier on my eyes than the sparkly one.

"You do know these are more expensive, right?" Dad asked as I browsed.

"They look better." I leapt up onto a dark brown corner sofa and lay down to test it. It was decently comfortable. "I think this would be good."

"For your friends?" Dad teased.

I looked side to side and leaned over to whisper, "so mom doesn't annoy me about being ready for friends. And I like the dark color."

"Mhm. Inova, why do you want dark colors instead of bright ones for your furniture?"

Memories of confetti blasts, explosions of color, and overall brightness ran through my head. "Well. . . Pinkie and Cheese."

Just that was enough of an explanation for him. "Oh, I see. They can be a bit much sometimes." He checked the tag attached to the corner sofa. "This one's on sale for only 200 Bits."

"That's a good price." For something that felt so sturdy and comfortable, 200 was a good price.

"But today's the last day of the sale."

At that moment, a stallion wearing a jacket and tie came up to us. "Interested in this one?"

"I want it!" I exclaimed. "It's going in the corner of my room."

"She can afford it," dad said. "The fillies are learning about budgeting. We're just looking around for now."

"Always a good skill to have," the stallion said. "I have some of these boxed up in the back, and if you'd like, I can put your name on one and any other furniture you get, then hold it until you want it delivered."

"How much does holding it cost?"

"Absolutely nothing, and I can hold it for a month, but it has to be purchased first. The benefit of holding it until you have everything you want is a reduction in total delivery fees."

"How so?"

"Paying for one big delivery is cheaper than paying for multiple small deliveries."

Dad turned to me. "You understand that, right?"

"Yeah.” I had no idea how much the fees were, but it made sense. "Can we put it on hold?"

"Are you sure you want to do that? It will-"

"Come from my budget, yes. I can afford it."

"If you say so."

The store stallion nodded. "I'll get a ticket started for you." He left to go do that.

Curiosity stuck like lightning. "Dad, why is the stuff over there cheaper?"

"There's a couple reasons," dad said. "One is that the foal size furniture is smaller, so it takes less material and work to make. Another is that foals eventually grow into adults, so it's not made to last quite as long."

"So it's not as sturdy?"

"Probably not. Do you want to keep looking?"

"Yeah." I got off the corner sofa and kept looking around, waiting to see things that stood out to me.

A few days later

I had a few receipts and various notes from my folder in front of me on the table, along with the costs of things I wanted. My corner sofa would be accompanied by a bigger bed, a nice chair, new desk, night stand, a wardrobe, a square coffee table, and multiple display shelves, which ate up about 2200 Bits. The sofa, desk, night stand, coffee table, wardrobe, and chair came pre-built, though the bed and shelves would need assembly beyond what I could do, but that was within what mom or dad could do, so that was another 40 Bits. Skyla had some furniture from there as well, but her costs weren't mine to worry about, and thankfully, neither were the delivery or removal fees. My main consolation was that the furniture would last longer, so it wouldn't need to be replaced.

Three of the shelf lamps came to 90 Bits, and needed assembly that I couldn't do, which would be another 15 Bits to have mom or dad put together. Each glance at the assembly costs made me frustrated with myself. I was still stuck at getting a single rock past four inches off the ground, let alone picking up more than one object, and I couldn't see myself putting the supposedly simple lamps together. I thought about the Golem Bricks and how putting them together might work for putting the lamps together, but the smaller size of the bricks didn't translate very well in my mind to the bigger items. I set my mind on trying anyways, but still budgeted for the mom and dad level assembly fee.

A crystalline ceiling light that caught my fancy with its gear-like shape was 150 Bits, and would need professional installation to replace the simple one already in place, an extra 30 Bits. At least one of Apple Bloom's books did have instructions on replacing fixtures by hoof, pictures included, but it was something neither mom or dad knew how to do, so they couldn't do it.

I'd settled on four colors of paint for my room and bathroom: dark blue for the walls, bronze for the gear designs I wanted, black to outline the gears, and orange for the trim around the doors and floor. The amount of paint needed, along with primer for it all, felt like one of Comet Kicker's flying hoofballs to the belly, at 725 Bits before professional installation, which would be another 75 Bits. The only compromise I could see to bring that cost down, if needed, was switching the metallic bronze paint with something non-metallic and similarly colored.

I wanted to replace the carpet, but the cost of getting it removed and the new carpet professionally installed was too much with everything else. I understood Skyla's dismay much better after seeing the numbers. Like her, I settled on a large rug for the middle of the room instead. Her chosen one had a floral pattern while mine was just blue, gray, and white rectangles and squares. The rug was 140 Bits, and a smaller matching one to go next to my bed was another 60. The only challenge I could foresee was unpacking them, but if I needed help, there was no fee on that.

My bathroom also got some attention beyond just painting the walls. I didn't like the faucet, so I got a different one for 70 Bits. The unframed mirror got a 20 bit frame, and getting those installed was another 30 Bits. I also picked out a pair of lights for 140 Bits to go on either side to replace the ones that were already there. Getting the lights replaced at the same time as the ceiling one would be a mere 10 Bits on top of the first fee. The towels, washcloths, and shower curtains got replaced with orange ones that had straight light blue and black stripes on the bottom, which matched my mane and tail perfectly. Skyla made a similar choice, going with her own themed set. Seeing the Princess themed sets of items was weird, but I got over the feeling of confusion quickly. The set cost 60 Bits, which seemed like a lot, but whatever the towels were made of was very soft and very nice, which stood in contrast to the quality of the cheaper ones.

I wrote down all the costs, added them up, and sighed in relief. Out of my 5,000 Bit budget, everything I wanted, along with assembly and installation costs, came to 3,855 Bits. I still had 1,145 Bits left for other things, and I began brainstorming.

Skyla, sitting across from me, looked up from her doodling. "Is something wrong, Inova?"

"I've got leftover Bits for my budget, but I don't know what to spend it on."

"I've got a lot leftover. Can you help me get my wooden floor?"

I considered it. "How much do you need?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Figure that out and then I'll consider it."

The doodles got left behind. "Mom! How much have I spent on my room?"

"I have the receipts and notes in my office!" Mom called back. "You can do the math!"

I could hear Skyla's groan from the office. She came back with her folder of what she wanted and the costs of everything. "Inova, can you help me?"

"Sure." I dragged my chair around to Skyla's side of the table and sat down with her.

"Where should I start?" She opened the folder and spread all the papers out. Thankfully, there was some blank paper available.

"Which of these are from the furniture store?"

"Uhm. . ." She started levitating the papers in a frantic rush to figure out which ones were from the furniture store. "These!"

"Set them in one stack."

We continued sorting out what came from where, and what each thing was for. I had her add things from each stack, then add all those totals up. Even though she could levitate things, she still opted to have others build for her. As the final total started coming into view, she started looking scared. The seven she wrote was shaky, and it looked like she'd rather fight Aunt Celestia than face the numbers. "Sis?"

I looked over the numbers again and double checked the numbers. All the math was done right, and her total was 7,580 Bits. Even if I gave her all my leftover Bits, it wouldn't be enough, and I wasn't about to give up any of my stuff. "Okay, we need to get rid of some things."

"No. . . Mom!"

"Yes, Skyla?" Mom responded.

"Inova says I have to get rid of stuff for my room!"

That was enough to get mom to come to us and double check everything. "Well, the math's right. . . Oh, there. Inova also included your wooden floors and professional installation. If we take that out, it comes down to 5,780 Bits. You still have to cut things out to get under your budget."

"Can I cover the 780 Bits for her?" I asked.

"If you can afford it from your budget, you can." She went over to my stack of papers and math. "Well, it looks like you can, and you'll have. . . 365 Bits left."

Skyla gave me a big hug. "Thanks, sis! You're the best!"

Over the next couple weeks, ponies came in and out of the house to do the work to upgrade our rooms. The fixtures were replaced first. While the furniture being replaced was gone, Skyla and I slept together on the couch. The painting stage took the longest amount of time, since each coat had to dry before the next one could go on.

When the furniture was delivered, Skyla and I got to direct where each item went. The only ones I couldn't immediately direct were the ones that needed assembly.

Skyla had opted entirely for professional assembly on what she needed assembled. While she was out with some friends one day, I spent time at home with mom and dad as they built my lamps, bed, and shelves. Seeing everything come together was nice, and I tried to use my levitation to help, but I couldn't do much.

One thing that had gotten bigger was my stack of Golem Brick sets. Aunt Luna sent them while Skyla and I were gone, and it was more sets for the stack, which got put back in my room as a pile.

Once everything was done and all my other stuff was moved back in, there was another problem I faced: getting things on the new shelves.

Thankfully, I had a cunning plan, and I found just the stallion I was looking for easily enough. "Psst, hey, dad," I whispered after he got home one day.

"Yes, Inova?" He whispered back.

I looked around to check for spies. "Can you put my things on my shelves for me?"

"Inova, that is something for you to-"

"I have 365 Bits left in my budget. I'll pay you all that to put things on my shelves."

Dad started acting conflicted. "Oh geez. You are making a very good offer. . . But I have to stay resolute and not waver. As the Prince of the Crystal Empire, I cannot be bribed with simple money."

"I'll go with you for ice cream."

That did the trick, and he caved with a dramatic sigh. "Oh alright, you talked me into it."

"Yay!" I led dad into my room and to the stacks of things around the room. "I already grouped things together."

"Oh? Are you making this easy for me?" He taunted. "Because it seems like you're making it easy for me."

"I can make it difficult if you want."

"So where does this stack of books go?"

The first stack was the most important one, since it was all the books by Apple Bloom. They went on a shelf that I could easily get to from my new desk.

We went around, and he put everything up just as I asked him to. The only thing he didn't help me with was my pile of unbuilt sets. "Hmmm. . . Do you want this organized?"

"I'll take care of that," I assured.

"We can do some levitation practice with it. Come on, let's try."

"Okay." I wasn't happy about the sudden magic practice, but obliged.

I was really happy while I was having ice cream with dad. I still hadn't made much progress with my levitation, but with some suggestions from him, I was able to move some of the smaller boxes on top of other boxes, and just that was a big victory for me. It wouldn't be enough to organize the whole stack, but it would help.

Author's Note

Skyla got herself a few pictures to hang in her room. What kind of pictures? Leave your silliest ideas in the comments.

Atop the (smaller) Crystal Throne

I'd been sitting in court with mom for a few hours, something that had become a regular Sunday thing shortly after fourth grade started, listening to petitioners making their cases. It often ended up with mom giving a polite declination and either encouragement to think more about what would happen, how to do it, or stating that there's not enough money for the proposal. The one time she didn't was with two stallions bickering over the placement of a statue. The base was fully on one stallion's property, but the statue hung over the property line and the other stallion's property. She watched the two argue in front of her for a few minutes before telling both of them they were acting like spoiled foals and to sort it out themselves, like adults.

If anything really made sitting and listening for that long tolerable, it was the smaller throne I sat in next to mom's. Despite looking like it was made of solid crystal, it was actually rather comfortable.

Lucky was also in the throne room, waiting for anything that needed to be put in the paper.

Towards the end of the session, I turned to mom. "Can I try?" Having seen her handle lots of petitioners over the weeks, I felt confident that I could do the same.

She held up a hoof to stop the announcer pony from getting the next petitioner. "Inova, are you certain about that? It's not as easy as it looks. You have a lot of things to consider with each petition."

"But you'll be here if I need help, right?"

She looked like she was about to make a counterpoint before the question really sank in. "Alright. You can handle a few, but I can overrule your verdict if I need to."

Her decision sounded good to me. "Okay." At my agreement, Lucky started writing things down.

Mom nodded and the announcer left for a moment before coming in. "Presenting Mirror Finish, from Canterlot."

The coat, mane, and tail of the light gray unicorn stallion that entered were so reflective and so shiny, I wanted to look away to save my sight. With him came the smell of whatever treatments made him as reflective as he was. While I could smell the excess, the announcer had it much worse. His eyes were watering up just being close to the stallion, and I felt bad for him.

Mirror bowed in my direction. "Princess Inova, it is an honor to petition you."

"Thanks," I politely answered. "Please start your petition."

"Your Highness, I would like to propose giving every crystal building in the Crystal Empire a bright, clean, reflective finish." The passion in his voice was clear enough to see through. "Every wall, floor, ceiling, pathway, even the roofs, all polished to perfection! It would make the Crystal Empire the second brightest beacon of light in the world, right behind Canterlot. When the sunlight hits, everything will light up, and even into the night, the buildings will glow. None shall be lost in the dark again!"

"Uh huh." I kept my breathing slow and steady, giving myself time to think about his proposal and, more importantly, minimize how much of the fumes I breathed in. The announcer had already left his post and was gulping fresh air from a window he opened at one end of the throne room. "So, everything would be reflective like your coat?" I didn't let the revelation that the window could be opened distract me.

"And even brighter! Every surface would be usable as a mirror, and the reflections would go on and on endlessly, making the Crystal Empire a form of living art as everypony walks around!"

Not only could I imagine the headaches from the light, I could feel one starting. "How would you go about that?"

"By having ponies go around and polish them with the same things I use for my coat, of course."

"I see." I wanted to get him out, and the polite methods mom used were not fast enough, so I turned to the snark side. "Actually, I wouldn't see it. Nopony would see it. That level of polish and brightness would blind anypony without three layers of industrial sunglasses. All it would take to blind a room is for one unicorn to start using a spell. So no, the Crystal Empire will not get your super polish."

"But. . . Isn't more light supposed to be good?"

"Not when it blinds ponies! The Empire is shiny enough as it is, and does not need more shine. Now, please leave. The fumes from whatever you use are giving me a headache."

"But-"

I pointed to the doors. "Out!"

"I. . . Okay." Mirror Finish left in a slump.

Mom stopped the announcer from getting the next petitioner. "Inova, what was that?"

"His idea was dumb, so I made sure he knew what was bad about it."

"You didn't need to take the tone you did."

"But it was stupid!"

"I'm not disagreeing with that. It's how you did it. Princesses are supposed to gently let the bad petitions down, not decimate them. We have a positive image to maintain, especially here."

"How would you have done it?"

Mom cleared her throat before answering as if she took the petition. "Maybe you can try it in the crystal fields first to see how it turns out and what everypony thinks of it before the crown allocates any funds towards this project. You may come back in two weeks with the results."

I mulled over her answer for a bit. "But if his polishing blinds anypony, and we said he could try it in the crystal fields, wouldn't that leave us to take some of the blame?"

Mom looked like she was about to give a retort, but stopped before she said anything. "You. . . Might not be wrong. But if that's how you're going to handle things, I'm taking over."

I saw no victory for me, so I relented. "Go ahead." All of a sudden, I wanted to leave, even though there were only two more petitioners to go. The comfy throne wasn't so comfy anymore.

Skyla sat on the small throne, bored. Cadence decided that it was time for her to do something and stopped the announcer from bringing in the next petitioner. "Skyla, I'll let you handle the next petitioner."

Skyla perked up at that. "Really?" She nervously asked. "Do you really think I can do it?"

"I'll be here to help you," Cadence assured. "However, if I need to, I can overrule your verdict. I told Inova the same thing."

"Okay." The young alicorn took a deep breath to calm her nerves as the announcer stepped out.

After a minute or so, the announcer returned. "Presenting Wealth Spread, from Manehattan."

The unicorn stallion practically pranced in, gave a polite nod to the announcer, and faced Skyla with a deep bow. "Your Highness, it's such an honor to be the first to petition you directly."

"Uhh. . . You're welcome?" Skyla uncertainly said. "What kind of petition do you have?"

Wealth Spread straightened up. "Princess Skyla, I have a plan to bring wealth to the poor and lower classes so they may prosper and flourish to their full potential."

"You do? What is it?"

"It's quite simple, really. We tax the richest, below you and your fellow Princesses, and send the bits to those who don't have enough so they can buy what they need to live, with everypony ending up with the same amount of bits."

Cadence watched Skyla with bated breath. Math and economics were not Skyla's strong points, but she wasn't asking for help immediately. The fact that she was trying to figure it out on her own first was a good point.

Eventually, Skyla answered with a question. "So. . . Would that be like making sure everypony has the same number of carrots to eat?"

The odd question took everypony off guard for a bit, but Wealth Spread managed to roll with it. "Yes, it would be similar to that. Everypony gets the same amount of carrots to eat."

The analogy made things easier for Skyla to work with. "Ew, gross! That's disgusting!"

"But you love carrots," Cadence noted before quietly adding, "and everything else, too."

"Princess Skyla, don't you want everypony to enjoy carrots?" Wealth Spread asked, just as confused at Skyla's reaction as Cadence.

"Silver String hates carrots! Why would I want to force her to have them when she doesn't want them?"

"Because. . ." Wealth Spread had no answer in the face of Skyla's compassion for her friend.

Skyla continued. "Feather Gale's helping me learn how to fly better after school since he's a pegasus, but Silver String has no wings, so she can't fly. I don't want to take one of his wings and give it to her. Neither of them could fly with only one wing."

"Uh. . ."

"I don't really get what you're talking about with Bits, but if it works like that, it's bad. I won't approve of it. You may leave now."

Wealth Spread looked between the two alicorns and decided not to press any further. He left without any polite or rude words, still stunned by Skyla's way of refusing his petition.

Cadence was surprised as well. She hadn't been expecting Skyla to reach a verdict as quickly as she had, and in immediate hindsight, should have expected the lines of logic that she used.

"Did I do it right?" Skyla asked.

"You did alright," Cadence answered. "It wasn't the way I would have-"

"Sorry. . ."

"No no, it's fine. In fact, you might have made a better argument against his petition than I would have." Cadence turned to the announcer. "How many more petitioners do we have for today?"

"Two more, Princess," the announcer answered.

"Would you like to handle them, Skyla?"

"I don't think so," Skyla answered.

"That's alright." And so Cadence took care of the last two petitioners of the day.

Two weeks after my first verdict, I was back in the small throne, but dad was in the bigger one. He handled it differently from mom, asking more questions than she did.

Towards the end of the session, just as mom had done, he stopped the announcer. "Inova, how about you handle the next one?"

"Really?" I wasn't expecting to be allowed to take another petition, but I wasn't about to turn it down. "Okay."

Dad nodded, and before the announcer could say anything, he was run over by a frantic crystal earth pony mare. "Your Highness, we need to put the Crystal Guard on patrol! There are changelings here! They're going to drain all the positivity out of everypony in the Empire!"

I waited for the mare to calm down a bit. "Where and when did you see the changelings?"

"In an alleyway not far from the train station! It was during sunset last night! Please, put the guard on patrol! I don't want them to replace me!"

"And you're sure that's what the changelings are going to do?"

"It's what they do! They replace and infiltrate! They'll replace you if they're here long enough!"

I could feel my patience wearing down in the face of the hysterical mare. “I’ll consider it, but if you don’t slow down, I won’t.”

“But. . . Changelings! Aren’t you worried?!”

“Maybe a bit. I’m also wondering if you just saw shadows and thought it was a changeling.”

“I know what I saw!”

“And I wasn’t there. I’ll wait for more reports before sending the Crystal Guard on a bug hunt. For now, please leave.”

“But-”

“Your shouting is not helping your case. If you still want to shout, go do that alone at home. Please leave before I have the guards take you out."

The mare looked around a bit before angrily leaving. With her departure, the tension in the throne room dissipated.

"You did a good job keeping a level head, Inova," dad said. "A little snarky, but pretty good."

"Thanks."

"Do you think there are changelings in the Empire, though?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I didn't like how she was shouting about it, though."

"It did undermine her case. If there are any reports of changelings, I'll let you know."

"Thanks."

A whole month later, and I'd heard nothing official about changelings in the Empire. I'd gotten over the hysterical mare pretty quickly, and decided that she was just seeing things that weren't there.

Author's Note

As important as the events here are, something with an even bigger impact for Inova is coming soon. And on top of that, it was an idea someone gave me. I won't say who just yet, though.

A Lesson on Letters

I closed the front door behind us after Skyla and I got home. Mom and dad stopped walking with us to and from school shortly after fourth grade started, and while they weren't by our side, I knew they were watching us. They weren't as sneaky as they liked to think they were, and I'd quickly come to recognize the sound of mom teleporting.

"We're home!" Skyla announced.

"Hey, girls," mom said as she walked over from the living room. "How was school?"

Skyla promptly started complaining about one of my favorite classes. "History is so boring. Why do I need to know why somepony did something seven hundred years ago?"

"Because history can repeat itself," I said. "And the way trains changed everything is pretty cool."

"Nerd."

I let my chest swell with pride. "Yes, I am the nerd of nerds. You may bow before me."

Skyla rolled her eyes before going towards the dining table to start on her homework. Mom levitated an envelope over to me. "By the way, you got a letter from Ponyville, Inova."

I looked at the envelope with some confusion. My name was in the middle, and up in the return address area was a familiar name. "Why would Lil' Cheese send me a letter?"

"I don't know." Mom opened the envelope and pulled the letter out for me.

I took the letter with my teeth and went to my room with it. Once my saddlebags were off and I turned the light on, I went to my desk and read it.

Dear Inova

I'm writing this letter as a school project for some extra credit. Buck Shot's calling me a nerd for it, but I like the idea of having a pen pal.

Things are still as weird as usual with mom and dad. I've been going to the fountain and Sugarcube Corner after school for peace and quiet more often, but with the pegasi preparing for winter, the fountain's becoming less appealing. Whenever I go to Sugarcube Corner, Cup Cake gives me a hot chocolate for free. She says it's because mom considers her my honorary aunt, which I don't get.

Dad's been trying to get me to learn to play the accordion, but I want to do something else. I don't know what, though.

Mom's being, well. . . Mom. You met her, so you know what that's like. I don't know how she does what she does, and neither does anypony else. Same with dad. They're too chaotic for me, and I've played card games with Discord.

Maybe I'll see if I can spend some time in the Crystal Empire. It's a quiet and peaceful place, right?

Sincerely, Lil' Cheese

I put the letter down and set my shaking forehooves on the desk. The sound my hooves made was drowned out by my racing thoughts and confusion. Ultimately, it came down to one question. I called for the pony that could answer it. "Mom!"

"Just a moment, Inova!" Mom called back. It felt like weeks and less than a minute before she came in. "What's wrong?"

I stared at the letter. "What do I do with this?"

She glanced over the letter. "Well, it looks like he considers you a friend. You should write a letter back."

"Wha-bu-I. . ." I sputtered as I tried to figure it out. It didn't make sense to me. I didn't have any friends, so why would somepony consider me one?

"Consider it some surprise Princess training." She draped a wing across my back. "Sometimes, you have to talk to someone through letters like this. You have to respond quickly, but you also have to slow down and think about what you say."

"So what do I say?"

"Well, you need your writing materials first." She levitated them onto my desk and set Lil' Cheese's letter to the side where it was out of the way, but could still be read. "Now, think of it like you're just talking and go from there. If you need to, you can start over on a new piece of paper. I'll check on your progress in a bit."

I stared at the blank paper as I tried to figure out what to write in response. The myriad of colliding thoughts and ideas did not help.

Dear Lil' Cheese

I'm responding to your letter because mom said it was the right thing to do. I've never written a letter, so this is new to me.

The Empire is pretty boring compared to Ponyville, but I'm happy with my Golem Bricks, so I don't really go looking for things to do. I usually just go along when mom or dad go somewhere.

Dad tried making a salad a few days ago. There's still a faint smell of smoke in the kitchen. I don't know how. Skyla ate the burnt salad by herself, since nopony else would touch it.

Mom's been giving Skyla and me Princess lessons, and we've been with her to learn how to run court. It's not as easy as I imagined it would be, and not fun in the slightest.

I'm still a klutz with my hooves, wings, and magic. I trip, flop, and can't do much levitation. I've been trying forever to get better, but it feels like I'm going nowhere with any of it.

Sincerely, Inova.

Mom looked over my completed letter. "This looks good for your first attempt. Well done."

"Thanks." I wasn't fully satisfied with the letter. There were more things I wanted to include, but with mom looking it over, I didn't put them in. "How do I send it?"

"Let's go to the office." Mom took my letter and the opened envelope, and led me to her office, the main paperwork area of the house. "We need an envelope, quill, and stamp."

I sat in mom's chair at the desk and picked up the quill. "Now what?"

"Write your name and our address in the upper left corner. . . Now put Lil' Cheese's name and address in the middle. . . And a stamp in the upper right corner. Very good."

"What about the letter?"

"We fold it like this." She folded it into three, then put it in the envelope. "Now carefully lick it here."

"Uh, why?" The idea of potentially licking important papers was very confusing.

"So the glue on the envelope will stick and keep it closed. Just do it carefully so you don't cut your tongue." She held the envelope in front of me.

I carefully licked the envelope as mom directed me to. "Blegh! That tastes weird."

"You'll get used to it. Now close it. . . And there we go. The mail's already been delivered today, so I'll show you how to send it in the morning before you leave for school."

"I wish I could send it by pressing a button."

"That would be nice, but there's nothing like that. Maybe you'll be able to create the letter sending button." She set the envelope into the tray labeled Out.

"Mom!" Skyla called out. "Can you help me with this history stuff?"

"I've got it!" Dad called back.

I looked around the office. I hadn't been in it very often, so it was still a bit of a mystery room to me. "How are things organized here?"

Mom smiled at the question. "Your Aunt Twilight helped design it. This is where I sort the mail based on how important it is. . ."

After learning more about the office, I decided to lay down on my corner sofa and just stare upwards at nothing. The fact that I'd gotten and responded to a letter from somepony that considered me a friend shook me quite a bit.

Laying down to stare at nothing wasn't doing much for me, so I decided to go through some balancing exercises.

The balancing exercises didn't help much, so I went to my desk to work on a Golem Brick set.

Building wasn't helping me, so I started pacing around on the rug. As I made the short laps along its edge, I felt the nervous energy dissipate a bit, though my mind was still racing at speeds I could only dream of actually achieving.

Finally, I decided to just give up on trying to make sense of it all and went back to the corner sofa. I still felt some tension from the letter, but giving up on making sense of it had gotten rid of a lot of it. I even found myself wondering what Lil' Cheese's response would look like.

Author's Note

This chapter owes its existence to F0st3r21, who gave me the idea of Lil' Cheese and Inova being pen pals.

Friendship Formation

I was just about to leave school for the day, the first one back after Hearth's Warming Break, when I heard somepony galloping up through the hallway. "Inova, wait up!"

A sigh escaped me. "What is it, Diamond Heart?"

The light red earth pony filly from some of my classes skidded to a stop next to me. "Well. . . You just look sad and I want to make you smile."

"I'm going home. That's enough for me to be happy."

"Come on, let me walk with you." She looked around for a moment. "Where's Skyla?"

"I dunno. Probably off with her friends planning another raid on a buffet or something. Is there something I can help you with? Math, Equish, or some other topic?"

"Well. . . I've overheard ponies saying mean things about how you forget about your horn and wings-"

"I've heard it too. I'm used to it. I've gotten better about it." I didn't mention the occasional phantom sensations around my forehooves. Nopony needed to know about that recent development, and to that end, I’d told nopony about them.

"-and that's not right. I'm going to give you a hug."

I held up a forehoof to stop her. "No thanks."

"Too bad." She was quick to wrap her forelegs around me in a hug, pinning my foreleg between us.

I just sat there and let her do her thing. "Are you done?"

"Not until you hug me back." She tightened her grip on me a bit.

I waited for her to give up, but when it was clear she wasn't going to, I relented and losely wrapped my free foreleg around her. "Is this good enough?"

"You can do better, but it'll do for now." Diamond let go and so did I. "And I'm walking you home."

"Please don't."

"Oh come on. I already know which house is yours, so I won't get lost." The reminder of how well known my family and I were wasn't pleasant, but I let it slide. "Ooh! What was one of the history topics you were tapping to before break?"

"The siege of Neighenna?" I began telling her about the event as we walked, and I found my mood improving as I talked. The Griffonian Hussars, led by King Steelbeak in person, made their first military move as Equestrian allies there to stop the invading minotaurs at the town, gliding low and fast down the mountainside to strike. Neighenna was saved in the nick of time, and the celebration after was what solidified the good relations between Equestria and the Griffon Empire.

"-and against all odds, the 300 earth ponies held out and pushed back against the 5000 minotaurs, sending them off a cliff and into the ocean below."

"Wow. Inova, why does it seem like it's just the war history you tap tunes to?"

I shrugged without tripping. Somehow. "I dunno, but it's not all of the war stuff." I glanced around, seeing a nice neighborhood that wasn’t mine. "Wait, where are we?"

Diamond looked around and facehoofed. "This is my place. Sorry, Inova. I got so distracted listening to you that I forgot we were walking to your place."

"And I was too busy talking to notice either. Should I just leave, or . . ."

"Come on in. Nightshade ruined your lunch, so you can have a snack here."

"Well-" I was rudely cut off by my own grumbling stomach. "I don't think-" The grumble became much louder, so I relented. "Okay, sure."

"Yay!" Diamond led the way into her house. "Mom, dad, I brought a new friend over!"

"Who is it?" A stallion called out.

"Inova!"

There was a scramble of hooves and panicked voices for a bit before a dark red mare and a light red stallion, both unicorns, ran up to me and bowed. "Hello, Your Majesty."

"Uh, thanks?" I turned to Diamond. "What do I do now?"

"I don't know," Diamond said. "Maybe give them a royal order or something?"

I considered the suggestion for a bit, especially since her parents seemed to be waiting for something like that. "I order you to stop groveling and to treat me like a normal pony."

The mare looked up in confusion. "Wait, you mean we don't have to bow before an alicorn?"

"Who told you that? Nopony's bowed before me like that before, except in court and Canterlot. My parents even made a decree that my sister and I should be treated like normal ponies, but it’s only effective in the Empire."

The stallion looked up in confusion. "Why would they do that?"

"They say it's so Skyla and I know more of what normal ponies experience. If the Canterlot nobility is any indication, they might be right." The trip down there over break had really revealed just how snooty they could be, and how much better my budgeting skills were than theirs. It was kind of depressing, but giving a lecture on basic math to them was fun.

Diamond cut in before her parents could respond. "Can we have some snacks? Inova's lunch got ruined and she's really hungry."

The mare and stallion looked at each other for a bit before she made an offer. "Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? That's all I can do right now."

"I was going to go to the market after Diamond got home," the stallion said.

"Good enough for me," I casually answered. "Can I have two?"

"I'll whip them up," the mare confidently said. "Go ahead and take a seat in the living room."

"I'll go get the groceries." The stallion gave Diamond an affectionate nuzzle before heading out to go take care of the errand.

The two of us sat down on a sofa in the living room. The room was smaller than the one at home, but it still felt very comfortable. "So, what now?"

"We could. . . Well, what do you usually do when you get home? I've got homework."

"I have magic, flight, or hoof coordination lessons," I said. "I do all my homework at school."

"Really?" The mare asked from the kitchen. "You don't practice royal stuff at home?"

"I do that on Sundays at the castle. Skyla has Saturdays."

"That's interesting. What have you learned?"

I let out a brief sigh of irritation. "I've learned that nopony is used to their petitions being picked apart, broken down, or criticized the way I do it."

The mare came in levitating a plate with four sandwiches in her magic. "Could I try my hoof at it?"

"You can try."

She set the plate down, then cleared her throat and made her petition. "Princess, if you're going to be Diamond Heart's friend, I would like you to know both my name and my husband's name."

I put on a show of thinking about it, then a sudden realization hit me, so I looked at Diamond. “Wait, are we friends now? What do friends even do?”

Diamond blinked owlishly at me. “Have you really never had any friends before?”

“No.” As nice as being Lil' Cheese's pen pal was, it was mostly just us complaining about our lives to each other.

“Nopony to laugh with? Nopony to talk to? Nopony to help you? I thought that was just a rumor.”

There was crying all of a sudden. It wasn’t me, and it wasn’t Diamond. It was Diamond’s mom, and she was getting very emotional. “Th. . . That’s so sad! Kindergarten and three whole grades of school with no friends? You must be so lonely, Inova!”

“I’m okay being lonely,” I said, trying to calm down the drama queen. “And I thought dad could get emotional.”

“But it’s not right! Ponies learn so much from each other by being friends. Just think of how much more you could know when you go experience things with even just one friend!”

“But I’ve already got really good grades. Mostly.”

“Not book knowledge. Experiences! Things books can’t teach you! Next time the carnival sets up in the Empire, I’m going to get tickets for both of you and you are going to have fun.” She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Also, you haven’t answered my petition.”

I thought back and realized that she was right. “Oh. Well, I’m here, so I guess I can.” Any objections I had to being Diamond’s friend were fading fast, and I found myself wanting to object less and less as well. The idea of having a friend as it was happening was quickly burrowing into my head and it felt nice. It felt right, somehow. “But before you do, let me congratulate you on being the first to have a petition approved by me.”

She was taken aback by the statement. “I am?”

“Yes. It costs nothing but some time, and I can only see positive long term effects. Start with your name.”

“I’m Ruby Cutter, and I’ve got a talent for making jewelry. My husband, Nicked Artery, teaches surgery at the local medical school.”

“That. . . That sounds like a terrible name for a surgeon.” It was also the first time I’d heard of the Empire having a medical school. “Or a doctor in general.”

“He did lose his license to operate years ago after losing a patient's skeleton, but he can still use his skills on dummies to teach his students. And don't worry, the patient got his skeleton back before anything worse could happen.”

“I see.” I picked up a sandwich and took a big bite of it. “Thish ish gud,” I said around a mouthful of the stuff. The peanut butter and bread were normal, but the jelly tasted like a mix between grape and blueberry, and it was very nice.

“Thanks. I do love it when I get compliments on the simple stuff. I’ll leave you two alone so you can. . . maybe work on Diamond’s homework?”

“In a moment.” I was hungry and the sandwiches were delicious.

Mom gave me a curious look when I got home. “And where have you been that’s got you smiling like that for once?”

I was suddenly aware of the smile on my muzzle that had replaced my normal neutral look. “Well. . . Would you believe me if I said I was at a friend’s house?” My answer was a small bolt of magic that hit my chest and stung just a bit. “What was that, mom?”

“I was just making sure you weren’t a changeling. Did you really make a friend?”

“Um. . . I think she kind of made herself into my friend? She gave me a hug and listened to some of the history stuff I’ve tapped tunes to, and we somehow ended up at her house. She’s an earth pony, but her parents are unicorns. I helped her with her homework and then came home.”

She gave me an inquisitive look. “Is that really all? Meeting her parents and doing homework? What’s her name?”

“Diamond Heart. She. . . She didn’t seem to care that I’m an alicorn, or that I still forget about my wings and horn.”

Mom thoughtfully nodded at my description. “I’d like to meet her sometime. Casually. Maybe her family too. First friends are a big deal, after all.”

“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll just head to my room until-”

“You’re not getting out of wing exercises tonight, young mare. Just because I’m glad you finally made a friend doesn’t mean we aren’t going to work on getting you off the ground.”

I grumbled at my misfortune before putting my saddlebags in their spot by the door and walking back outside. My wing exercises always ended up with two types of crashes: hitting the ground face first or an adrenaline crash after getting a little lift. It always left me feeling very tired and made me fall asleep very quickly.

Author's Note

After writing this chapter, I got the things needed to make a peanut butter, grape jelly, and blueberry jam sandwich. If you get the right proportions on the spreads, it's pretty good. Balancing the grape and blueberry part is the real tricky bit.

A New Slice of Life

"-and that's why the nobility in ancient Bitaly thought the planet was banana shaped," I explained. Diamond and I were walking around after school and she had some history class questions.

"Really? I guess limiting pegasi flight routes could lead to that. Was Bitaly also the place with the whole sheep bladder and earthquake thing?"

"No, that was the Minotaur Kingdom. They got rid of and banned all sheep, saying sheep bladders caused earthquakes. Nopony knows how they reached that conclusion. That lasted until the next earthquake, which was followed by the populace overthrowing the king at the time, which was the one after the one that banned the sheep."

"Oh, I see. . ." She slowed down and sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"

I stopped and sniffed the air. Whatever it was, it smelled good. "Yeah. . . Wanna go find it?"

Diamond smirked. "Am I talking to Inova or Skyla?"

"Inova. Skyla would have just started following her nose immediately." After a bit of sniffing and searching, we came to an alleyway that was slightly spooky looking with how the shadows cut across it. "This looks dangerous. You should go first."

"You're the Princess and a leader, so you should go first."

"You know I can't run if things get bad, so you go first."

"You're immortal, so you won't get killed. You first."

"No, you."

"No, I will."

"Alright, you can go first."

"I will!" I'd only made it ten feet into the alley when I realized what had happened. "Hey!"

"You. . . You volunteered." It was difficult to stay upset at Diamond for her trick, especially when she was struggling to hold back her laughter. "Don't worry, I'm right behind you."

I wanted to argue the point, but decided against it and kept going forward. It wasn't long before we came across an open door with the good smell coming out. The inside had dark wood floors, green cushioned furniture, and red brick walls, all in stark contrast to the bright shiny crystalline Empire outside. It all felt very comforting and inviting in a way nothing else in the Empire did. There were even a few ponies casually chatting and eating inside, which somehow made it feel more welcoming than the decor already did.

To the left from the entrance was a kitchen, and behind the counter was a tan earth pony stallion with a white and brown mane. "Hello," he happily greeted, then he seemed to realize who I was. "Princess Inova. What brings you and your friend to my pizzeria?" His voice had an accent to it that seemed to just fit with the atmosphere.

"We smelled something and got curious," I explained before looking around as an idea came together in my head. "What can we get for five bits?"

"Two personal pizzas or a small pizza. What topping would you like?" He gestured towards a chalkboard with a list of things that could go on the pizzas.

Diamond was at a bit of a loss of words. "Uhh. . . Well. . . I think. . . But maybe. . ."

I gave Diamond a simple question. "Do you even know what pizza is?" I didn't know, but I'd gotten the basic idea pretty quickly from some of the decor and what the ponies were eating when we came in.

"Well. . . No, I don't."

"It's from Bitaly," the stallion explained. "I actually grew up there, and I moved here with my family a few years ago. I'll make some cheese pizza for you two, since it's your first pizza. Two personal pizzas or one small?"

"One small one seems good," I said. "Diamond, the bits are in the front of my right saddlebag." I stood still as Diamond went through my neatly organized bag, pulled out the bits, and paid the stallion. "Thank you, Diamond."

"Go take a seat and I'll have it out when it's done," the stallion said before he started tossing some dough.

I led Diamond to a table in the middle of the area, we got our saddlebags off, set them in some empty chairs, then sat in the other two chairs. "Let's talk about something else," Diamond suggested. "How have your court sessons been going?"

I told her about my latest venture in the dealings of court: writing legislation. It was agonizing in a way I thought writing couldn't be, and was a pain in the neck for me, especially since I still couldn't levitate a quill long enough or precisely enough to write even a decent piece of pretend legislation. Writing that stuff hurt in a way that nothing else I wrote did.

My tale of mental and neck pain came to an end with the arrival of the food. "One small cheese pizza. Enjoy!"

I looked at the pizza. It was still steaming and it was cut into six slices. Thanks to a lifetime of living with my sister, I was quick to grab a slice and take a bite.

It was truly simple, no more than warm bread, seasoned tomato sauce, and melted cheese. However, with that first bite, it suddenly felt like finding something I'd missed for a long time. It was a strange feeling, but one I didn't think about for long as I devoured the delicious pizza.

"Are you sure you haven't been influenced by your sister?" Diamond asked as I worked on my second slice.

"Hm?" I paused to ask.

"I've never seen you this happy about food before."

"Oh please." I swallowed the gooey goodness and contently exhaled. "She's just happy to eat anything. I'm more of a. . ." I waved a forehoof around as I tried to find the word I wanted.

"Connoisseur?" The stallion suggested.

"Yeah, maybe that. It's just the good stuff I get really excited about." I thought about what else to say, but nothing came to mind, so I went back to my slice. The fact that I didn't have more bits with me was disappointing, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Mom was busy helping Skyla with what looked like history homework when I got home, so as quietly as my hooves would allow, I slowly sneaked away and into my room. Once I quietly closed the door, I let out a sigh of relief and turned around to go to my desk.

"Hey, Inova," dad said.

My yelp of surprise was incredibly dignified and refined, and nopony would change my mind on that. "Dad! What are you doing in my room?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was meditating? I don't know how you came up with it, but your room is actually quite relaxing." He stood up from the rug in the center of the room and sat down on one side of the corner sofa. "Maybe it's because of how organized and clean you keep things in here."

"Like Aunt Twilight?" I teased. Her organization system was much more complex than mine, but I did manage to puzzle some of it out during my summer trip.

"Maybe. So, did you go do something with Diamond?"

"We found a pizza place."

He looked surprised. "There's a pizza place in the Empire?"

"Yeah. It's pretty good."

He did some exaggerated stretches. "You know, I think I could go for a walk. Want to come with me?"

I picked up on what he was really asking. "Sure."

"And I want you to trot as fast as you can all the way there."

I was suddenly less excited about the walk. "Okaaay."

After a few minor wrong turns, we arrived, and I was happy to sit down while dad went to the counter. My hooves and legs felt fine, but trying to navigate and failing to not trip wore me out.

"Prince Armor, welcome," the tan stallion said. "What would you like?"

Dad looked over the menu for a bit. "Inova, what toppings do you want?"

"Uhh. . ." I wasn't expecting to be called on. "Not too many?"

"One small and one personal pizza, with mushrooms, spinach, and peppers on it."

"Eleven bits," the tan stallion said.

Dad paid and came over to me. "Mr. Slice seems like a good stallion."

I raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"

"No, he has his picture and name on the wall by the menu."

I looked over and saw what he was talking about. "Oh."

"So, how's Diamond doing?"

Dad and I came home full and happy. Mr. Slice's pizza was even better with the toppings on it. Neither of us finished all of our pizzas, so we made the daring and dangerous decision to bring the leftovers home. Dad kept the pizza box in a solid bubble shield so the smell wouldn't reach Skyla as quickly, nor would she be able to see it.

Mom gave us a curious look when we arrived. "And where have you two been?"

"Look at what Inova found on the way home." Dad made the shield transparent enough for mom to see the box with the leftovers.

Mom blinked owlishly at the pizza. "We have such a place here?" She quietly asked.

"Yes. Inova and I aren't hungry, so we're giving you the leftovers."

"I'll add it to our supper then." Mom took the box and dad dispelled the shield. "By the way, has Inova had any of her daily training?"

"I had her trot as fast as she could all the way there and back. She tripped up twice each way."

Her expression brightened at the report. "That's an improvement. Good job, Inova."

"Thanks," I tiredly said. Being very full of delicious pizza made the trot home more physically tiring than the trot out, and the falls I took didn't help. "I'm going to go study some school stuff." I went to my room and did just that.

Author's Note

I know the chapter title is a cheesy pun, but at least it was done in good taste.

New Friends, New Game

"Inova, we've been friends for a while now," Diamond said as we met up at the exit to leave school one Tuesday afternoon.

"It's barely been a month," I pointed out.

"I'd like you to meet the rest of my friends." She went in a direction that was decidedly not the exit.

As much as the knot of nervousness in my stomach said not to go, I followed her anyway. Diamond was a good friend, so her other friends were probably good too. It seemed like friendship stuff worked that way.

We went into a classroom that wasn't one of mine, and there was a white unicorn filly by herself in the room, with a wavy mane that looked like flowing water. "There you are, Diamond," she said from the head of a cluster of desks. "Where have you been?" Her question seemed more teasing than serious.

"I made a new friend that's new to being friends," Diamond said before turning to me. "Inova, this is Storybook, but we call her Brooke. She's the GM for our Humans and Hostiles games."

"Humans?" The term sounded strangely familiar, though I couldn't remember from where. I chalked it up to probably having heard or seen it somewhere in passing a few times.

"A mythical creature of great intelligence and skill," Brooke explained. "No magic, no flight, squishier than unicorns, and relatively low strength, but able to build incredible things to compensate." She levitated some pictures out of a folder, showing the general shapes of males and females. I'd never seen anything with such a shape, but it all felt very accurate somehow. "Now, Diamond, I have a question for you."

"Yes?" Diamond asked.

"Is Inova really willing to join us or did she just follow you here?"

"I invited her here, and I think we should give her a chance to see if she really wants to join."

Brooke considered the idea for a bit. "Inova, I'll give you five minutes to start on a human character. The only requirement I'll lay down is the need for some kind of combat ability or gear. Character details are good too, but we can figure that out later."

"Okay." I sat down on one side of the desk cluster next to Brooke and started thinking.

As I let the gears of my mind turn, I idly noticed colts and fillies coming in one by one and taking spots around the desk cluster. Brooke closed the door when what was probably the last one came in. With me, there were eight of us in total.

After every spot was taken and another desk pulled up, Brooke began talking. "Fillies and gentlecolts, I'm sure you've noticed the Princess in our midst."

"What? Where?" The green pegasus colt across from me said before putting a wing over his eyes and looking around like he was trying to find me in the distance. "I don't see any Princesses here."

"Hi." I meekly waved a forehoof at him.

"Woah!" He shouted, almost jumping out of his seat. "When did you get there?"

"Uhh, before you?"

"Hmm. . ." He gave my explanation some intense thought. "Okay, that sounds reasonable."

"Quick Quip's a bit of an oddball," Brooke explained. "You've already met Diamond and me, so let's have everypony else introduce themselves."

"I'm Sunflower," a light brown earth pony filly cheerfully said. Her auburn mane and tail were a bit of a mess, but it looked alright on her.

"Girder," a gray earth pony colt said. He was the biggest out of everypony in the room, and looked like he could bend iron with his forehooves alone. His short red mane and tail made him look even stronger somehow.

"Soprano," a tan pegasus filly almost sang out with a nice accent that sounded vaguely familiar. "But some ponies call me Soapy."

"She likes keeping things clean," Diamond explained.

"And I'm Hearthstone," the unicorn colt said. "It's nice to be back to eight ponies here."

"Back to eight?" I asked. "What happened?"

"I spent some time away from the club to help you," Diamond said. "Before that, Brooke had to expel somepony."

"Technia understood the game very well," Brooke said. "But her solution to everything was explosions and blowing it all up. That included the ocean. She was too hard headed to change what she did, it was making things too predictable, so I had to kick her out."

"Oh." I made a mental note to try and stay creative.

She turned to everypony. "I've given Inova some time to come up with a character and combat gear, so before we start, let's hear what she came up with." At her word, everypony turned to look at me. "It's okay if you don't have much. Just start talking and we'll help if you need it."

I glanced between everypony's expectant gazes and took a breath to try and calm myself. I felt more nervous than I did sitting on the throne or on stage. "Well. . . My character. . . She's a queen wandering around, hiding her face with a white fox mask. Her combat gear is a belt mounted thing that she can put one or two other things on to give her armor and weapons, and the front of the belt can turn over so she can flip the body and arm armor to her legs, or the other way around."

Brooke wrote down what I'd said and looked it over. "You know, for five minutes, this is pretty well thought out. Why is this queen wandering around?"

"Is she on a revenge quest?" Sunflower asked.

"Or maybe she's on the run," Quick Quip said.

"Or vacation!" Hearthstone suggested.

"What if she's just trying to see the land for herself?" Diamond suggested.

"And she's trying not to get caught by her zealous guards."

I looked between everypony, then to Brooke. "Do I have to take all those ideas?"

"Just the ones you like, or none of them," Brooke answered. "But I will say that I like the zealous guard idea. It gives me some extra material to work with. Inova?"

I shrugged. "I'm okay with the guards trying to get her back. Um. . . Can you choose why she's wandering? I can't pick anything."

Brooke gave my request a bit of thought, then wrote something down on the sheet she took notes on. "How's this sound?"

She floated the notes over to me and I took a moment to admire her writing. It was elegant without being difficult to read. "I like that idea. Oh, she needs a name. Is Nova okay?"

Brooke snorted at the name. "Did you use all your creativity on the equipment?"

"Hey, it's her first time making a character," Diamond said in my defense. "Let her have that."

"I suppose I can. So, let's finish up some equipment details for you and we'll get started."

Rita Scripture, adventurer scribe extraordinaire, held up a hand to stop the party with her. "Is that who I think it is?"

"I'd recognize that armor anywhere," Joakim, a barbarian and history nerd, said. "Ferria's back!"

"Hey, everyone," Ferria, in her polished knightly armor, happily said as she waved her free hand, her other carrying her shield and the hammer sheathed within it. "Can I blame Jester for the explosion that blasted me away?"

"It wasn't me," Jester the trickster said with his hands raised in front of him. "It was one of Machina's mines. I found her name on a fragment from the blast. See?" He held up a green piece of metal with the name in question on it.

"A little ferret confirmed it," Rex the druid added. "He saw her plant it. Being a ferret, he had no idea what to do, so he did nothing."

Solaria dashed up to Ferria, her white cloak moving just enough to reveal some of the highly durable light armor underneath. "Are you okay? Do you need any healing?"

Ferria held up her free hand. "I'm alright. I paid some healers after I landed."

Solaria ran her staff over Ferria, checking her anyways. "They did good."

Aurora, the bard, strummed her guitar. "It's good to have you back. I'd sing you a song, but I don't have one."

"It's alright," Ferria assured before turning to the scribe. "Rita, where are we going?"

"We took on a quest from a duke to investigate some plant monsters while you were gone," Rita explained as she pulled out the scroll with the mission. "It was just a rumor, but he was willing to pay a lot of gold, so we figured, why not?"

"I may have sang him a little something to make him willing to pay more," Aurora teased. "So, shall we go?"

"Let's go," Ferria agreed. "And you would not believe what I saw on the way here. . ."

I paused the game with a question. "Who's this Machina person?"

"That was Technia's character," Brooke explained. "I use her as an occasional antagonist or plot excuse."

"But. . . Isn't Machina her's? Why would you do that?"

"There's nothing saying I can't use someone else's characters for my stories. Besides, she wasn't doing anything good for the game by blowing everything up, so Machina's an easy punching bag for us."

"I'll tell you how Brooke wrote the character change later," Diamond offered. "Back to the game."

The seven adventurers arrived at a sinister looking multilevel greenhouse, its evil vibes greatly detracted by the beautiful sky above and the sound of birds singing a pleasant melody at Rex's direction, accompanied by Aurora's guitar. "This is the place," Rita said. "Time to investigate."

Jester was the first one through the door, and the party entered right behind him. Inside, the greenhouse was much spookier, with vines growing on the trees that doubled as supports, or had simply grown into the position. Regardless, their canopies and everything growing off of them cast dark shadows along the ground.

The door closed behind the adventurers with a slam, locking them in. "Ah, a fresh delivery of fertilizer for my garden," a deranged man calmly said as he approached, armed with a shovel. "Just as I'd ordered."

"Ordered?" Ferria asked as she drew her hammer and took a defensive position. "We don't have any deliveries for you."

The man laughed at the statement. "Oh no no no. See, you aren't bringing me anything. You are the delivery." His eyes and the shovel head glowed green and he struck the blade into the ground. Vines came out of the ground to ensnare his delivery by the ankles.

Ferria got trapped in place while Jester leapt to the safety of her armored shoulders. Joakim's ankles were ensnared, and his attempt to eacape critically failed when he tripped, fell over, and was promptly distracted by a cleverly misplaced history book. Rita, with some fancy spearwork, was able to keep the vines at bay and even free Solaria. Rex was able to call for the mice and insects in the greenhouse to eat and claw away at the vines holding him in place, though it would take some time. Aurora had the worst of it, as the vines she got rapidly formed a tight cocoon around her.

Jester, Rita, and Solaria quickly regrouped. "We've been in worse situations," Solaria said, trying to assure both her free teammates and herself. She raised her staff. "Light, I call upon you to make fire on these trecherous vines!" The end of the staff lit up, and the light it gave off wasn't enough to ignite the very green and lush vines, but it was enough to dry them out and weaken them a bit.

Rita continued pruning the vines as they approached, her spear's eternally sharp head cutting through with almost no effort. "Jester, do you have anything useful for this?"

"I've got something." Jester produced some throwing knives with purple blades and tossed them at the ground where the vines were coming out, hitting them perfectly. The vines he hit loosened their hold on the captive adventurers and became disoriented, but their hits hurt more than before.

"Was that supposed to poison them?" Solaria asked as she kept trying to dry out the vines around her. "It didn't work!"

Jester sniffed one of the purple knives he had on him. "Ah, that explains it. These are my wine knives. The vines are drunk now."

Ferria got a red gem out of a holster on the side of her belt, put it in her hammer, and activated it. Her armor let off a burst of flame and heat, incinerating the vines that were holding her in place. "Have at thee!" She charged the nefarious gardener, her hammer ablaze with fire and raised to strike.

A humanoid mass of vines with a faceless pumpkin head appeared in front of Ferria and caught the handle of the hammer before landing a surprisingly powerful punch, sending her back to her allies. More of the pumpkin vine monsters appeared, and a few of them, bigger than the others, had carved faces.

Rex's animal helpers were either full or worn out, leaving him only slightly less stuck than before.

Joakim was still distracted by the history book.

As the pumpkin monsters encroached on the adventurers, there was a shattering of glass, and a woman in a dark bodysuit came through a window. Most of her face was covered with a white fox mask, and on her waist was an oval device with a glowing white and red core. She looked around and surveyed the situation.

I drew a blank as I tried to come up with something cool for Queen Nova to say. "Uhh. . ."

"You can have her just arm up and rush in if you want," Brooke offered.

"Yeah, I'll do that."

The new arrival slid a small black and yellow device on the right side of the device on her waist and activated it. "Armed Claw," the device announced before some light armor appeared on her upper half and a pair of long claw weapons appeared in her hands. Without a word, she rushed past everyone and started slicing parts off the pumpkin monsters. The claws cut through the viney limbs with ease, and pierced the pumpkin heads with greater ease.

"Oh, a surprise delivery," the gardener noted. "I won't turn down more fertilizer. Get her!"

The mystery woman kept slicing and cutting with her claws, until one jab missed the pumpkin head and the claw got snared in the viney torso of one of the pumpkin monsters with a carved face. With her other mostly free hand, she slid a second small device on the belt and activated it. "Armed Claw. Armed Scissors." The new armor appeared on her legs, and the scissors were on the outside of her left leg.

"That looks a bit awkward," Rex noted as his animal friends finally got him free.

"She's got a plan, right?" Solaria asked.

"I don't know who she is, but she's helping, and I'm good with that," Rita said as she cast a small fireball.

A kick with her left leg sent the carved pumpkin monster down, and with some luck, the scissor blades were perfectly placed around one of the monster's legs. One snip later, the vine leg was reduced to a stump, and she was able to free her snared claw. With both claws free, she was quick to follow up and decapitate the monster.

The gardener came in next, swinging his shovel like it was a spear. "I spent a lot of time raising those monsters, and your little trimming spree is really ticking me off!"

With the scissor unit on her leg, dodging was difficult, though most of his attacks were easy to predict. The gardener didn't have much combat experience. After smacking him in the face with the back of a claw, the woman hit a button on top of the belt device, then turned it over. "Revolution."

The rest of the adventurers watched as a circle appeared around the woman, then her head seemed to disappear as the rest of her spun over. What were her upper body and arms became legs and her legs turned into her upper body and arms, followed by her head reappearing. The claws got scaled down and were now on her feet and the scissor unit was on her right arm.

Aurora, finally free from her cocoon, voiced her thoughts first. "What just happened to her?"

Ferria was busy looking up and down, trying to figure out the same thing.

Solaria ran a diagnostic spell on the woman. "She's just fine. Nothing's out of place."

"I'll just do what I do when Jester does something weird again and shrug." Joakim, done with the book before the Revolution move, did just that and shrugged.

The gardener, just as confused, ran back at her and swung the glowing shovel. The head would not reach its destination as the woman held up her right arm and caught the handle in the open scissors. One snip later, the handle would be shortened and free of the shovel head. With the momentum in hand, she rushed forward swinging the scissor unit like the arm mounted blade that it was. After knocking him a distance away, she finally spoke. "The finisher." She took the small scissor gadget off, and the armor it granted disappeared. She replaced it with a much larger red, black, and gold one with what looked like a handlebar coming off of it. "Revolution." Before she rotated, she twisted the handle, causing the red panels on it to move. After the rotation, red armor appeared on her legs, with a pair of pipes coming off each lower leg. "Boost! Armed Claw." With another twist of the handle, fire came out of the pipes and an aura came off of the claws. "Boost, Armed Claw, Triumph." In a burst of speed, she was hurtling towards the gardener, and became a tornado of fire and claws just before striking.

The gardener, defeated, disappeared, and the spooky aura of the greenhouse lifted a little. Rita was the first to approach the mysterious woman with the fox mask. "Excuse me, but would you-"

The woman held up a hand and claw weapon. "Wait a moment." The red device on the belt began shaking and giving off steam. With the sound of a firework being launched, it launched itself off the belt, smacked Rita in the face, and flew away, making a hole in the roof on the way out. "Sorry, it does that after a finisher with it. I hope I can find it again."

While Rex helped Rita to her feet, Joakim, trying to make up for his utter distraction and zero contribution to the battle, approached her. "So, who are you?"

The woman sighed as she removed the device that gave her her claws. "I'm Queen Nova, from the Novarian Imperium."

Aurora laughed at the name. "Did. . . Did you name it yourself?"

"I didn't name it! My great great grandfather, King Nova the First, did. I managed to escape a coup before that traitorous Starzkran could get me. He threw my father out the castle window."

"So, do you want to join us?" Rita asked.

"I want you to help me take back my kingdom. I can't do it alone, even with the gear I escaped with."

Jester casually draped an arm across Queen Nova's shoulders. "Listen Queen Nova, here's how it's going to work: we can't go to the Novarian Imperium yet. You'll have to work with us before we go take out Starzkran."

"But my kingdom! My people!"

Ferria casually tossed Jester away like an old rag. "We'll help you, but we need to figure out how we'll all work together with you joining us. Okay?"

"But-"

"Can you break a tree with your bare hands?" Joakim asked while flexing his muscles.

"Well. . . No."

Rex approached Queen Nova next. "Why the fox mask? And what do you call your equipment?"

"I'm trying to stay hidden and anonymous so Srarzkran's agents don't spot me. And my gear is the General Equipment and Armament Transference System, or GEATS. Made it myself."

Rita offered a reason for Nova to follow her and her party. "If you come with us, you can make more things to go with your GEATS system. Starzkran can't prepare for what he doesn't know."

Nova gave it some thought. "You know what, that's a good point. I'll join you." The newly expanded party explored the greenhouse. Someone owed them money and an explanation.

Brooke set her papers down. "And that's where we have to end it for today, everypony. We're out of time."

"Aww. . ." My disappointment was immeasurable and my day was ruined.

"We'll meet again, same time next week, and I've got some fresh material to work with. This is gonna be fun!"

"I want to see what else Queen Nova has up her sleeves," Sunflower chimed in as she helped pack things up.

"But. . . Do I really have to leave now?" I sadly asked. "I was having so much fun. . ."

Everypony looked around at each other for a few seconds, then Brooke made a decision. "How about we walk home with you? I've got stories from previous games that will make you laugh."

"Really?" There was a glimmer of happiness, and it was very nice.

"Really." She levitated a book, labeled 'H&H Tales, Volume 7,' out of her saddlebag.

"-and when the table tilted up, Jester managed to stay seated at it while the rest of us fell to the floor," Brooke said. "He even caught a glass of fruit punch that was sliding down it like it was nothing."

The antics reminded me a bit too much of Pinkie Pie for my liking, but it was still pretty funny. "So. . . How?"

"Jester has a skill called Roll With It," Quick Quip explained. "It lets him go on with things in spite of interruptions or even work with them."

"He breaks physics and makes saving rolls with it," Girder added. "I thought he was just going to use it to. . . I don't know, but Brooke lets him take it to those crazy levels."

"And it just wouldn't be the same otherwise," Sunflower added. "Oh, here we are."

I looked up and saw that we were at my home. Right in front of the front door. "Well, this was fun," I said with a smile. "Thanks for-"

The door opened and mom was there. She looked across our herd with a raised eyebrow and a confused look. "Inova?"

"Yes, mom?" I quietly asked.

"I thought you only had one friend. Why does it look like you have seven?"

Diamond turned to Quick Quip to ask him for help. I hadn't even known the colt for three hours and I already had a bad feeling about getting advice from him. Diamond gave mom her explanation with an apologetic and guilty look. "Your Highness, I'm the one who dragged Inova into her new circle of friends and. . ." She realized what she was saying and how she was delivering the message. "Quick Quip!"

"Hey, you asked for advice, and I gave it," Quick Quip quipped with a smug grin.

"You should know better than that by now," Soprano added before giving a more sincere answer. "We're Diamond's friends, and she decided to try and become friends with Inova a month ago. Today, she introduced her to us, and here we are."

"So I guess they're all my friends now," I suggested with a shrug.

Mom was quiet and expressionless for almost two whole minutes, then she exploded with happiness. "OH THIS IS SO SWEET! INOVA'S GOT MORE FRIENDS! I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU, INOVA!"

"Voice, mom! Voice!"

I only lowered my forehooves from my ears when she calmed down and lowered her voice. The rest of my friends looked a little shell shocked. "I'm sorry, everypony. It's just. . . She's gone so long with no friends and now this. . . Why don't you all come in and have some tea?"

Soprano was the first to answer. "I'd love to, but my papa wants me home very soon, so I need to leave."

Mom nodded in understanding. "That's alright. Maybe next time."

"Thank you, Princess." Soprano gave a bow before flying off.

"I've got a garden to take care of," Sunflower said. "I forgot to water it yesterday."

"Go ahead, then," mom gently said before Sunflower left.

"How about we just plan on coming here next Tuesday?" Brooke suggested. "I'll talk to Sunflower and Soprano about it."

"That sounds good to me," Hearthstone said. "Let's do that."

There was more agreement, and before long, I was the only foal on the front porch. "So. . ."

"You're still working on your magic tonight," mom stated as I went inside. "But I'll go easy on you if you tell me what the eight of you did."

The offer was too good to pass up. "We played a game called Humans and Hostiles. It's a tabletop thing with lots of dice and. . . Stuff. It was a lot of fun."

"Really? Tell me about everypony."

As I worked on my levitation, I told mom what I knew about everypony I'd become friends with. At some point, the practice was forgotten and I ended up just telling the story of the game I'd played. She seemed really happy about everything I told her. That, or that I simply had more friends. It was hard to tell which made her happier.

When the next Tuesday came around, all eight of us met up after school and we walked to my place. Along the way, I was told how Machina went from good to sometimes evil. Her fervor and passion for explosions and blowing things up had caught the attention of something, it dragged her away through a swirling vortex dripping with spaghetti and marinara sauce, and after that, she became the recurring nuisance everypony poked fun at. Brooke never explained what happened between her being dragged away to the pasta dimension and her return, but whatever happened caused the change of her character type. Not knowing the details actually made it a little scary.

When we got to my place, I opened the door. "Mom, my friends are here!"

"I'll have the tea ready in a moment!" Mom happily called back from the kitchen.

I looked back at my friends and decided to lead them to the dining table. "So, this is my home, I guess," I uncertainly said.

Quick Quip made me regret my choice of words immediately. "You live at a dining table?"

"That's more of Skyla's thing," mom answered as she arrived with the tea. "Inova, would you kindly introduce your friends?"

I did as mom asked, starting with Diamond and going around the table, ending with Brooke as she was setting up our H&H game. To my surprise, she had a picture of Queen Nova with no armor or gear drawn, apparently by her own magic, and she looked just about like I imagined. She was even drawn with a ponytail that looked like a fox tail, which was a nice detail I hadn't thought of.

Mom decided to sit with us as the game began.

The party of eight entered the tavern where six of them had gotten the mission to go to the greenhouse. Queen Nova let herself drop into a chair with less grace and poise than usual, tired from all the hiking and walking she had to do. "How do you do this all the time?"

"Lots of experience," Ferria said. "Need a drink, Nova?"

"Something good, please."

Jester sat down next to Queen Nova. "She'll have whatever I'm having."

"I need a meal," Joakim said as he joined them.

"What am I, the waitress?" Ferria asked.

Aurora handed the lady knight a notepad. "If we do the waiting, we get a discount. I convinced the owner to let us do that."

Rex sat down like a proper gentleman, set his hands on the table, and started meditating, or at least it looked that way to any outside observers.

While the orders were being placed and Ferria groused about being a waitress for the party, Rita and Solaria were looking around at the guests at the tavern, looking for one in particular, then sat down with everyone else. "He's not in here."

"Who are we looking for?" Queen Nova asked.

"A duke that owes us for our little investigation," Solaria said. "And more than just gold."

"That gardener said he ordered a shipment of fertilizer when he saw us," Joakim said. "Do you think the duke is his supplier?"

Jester started juggling the silverware since he was bored. "Got anything, Rex?"

Rex held up a hand as he focused on his apparent meditation. "Wait a moment. . . Okay, now go that way. . . Good, good, just like that. . . Yes, do act cute. . . No, not you. . . Just a little further. . ."

Solaria, realizing what was going on, stood next to the doorway and waited with a spell.

The duke, merrily laughing as a dog tugged on his sleeve, stumbled into the tavern. "Hey, stop that! I've got to. . . Uh. . . Hi, everyone," he sheepishly said. "Did you find out what was going on with that greenhouse?"

"We've got some questions," Solaria said as she hit him with the spell, making him unable to go more than ten feet from any of the party members.

"Like where our money is," Rita said. "Do you have our payment?"

"Ah, yes, I do have that." The duke reached into his coat pocket and handed Rita a check. "As promised."

The party's leader inspected the document. "Looks good to me. Now, come join us."

Mom hummed in thought. "Where are the hostiles?"

"Not every session has a fight," Brooke explained. "That said, one of our characters is very talented at interrogation. . ."

After the meal, the party and the duke went to an inn, renown throughout the land for just how quiet each room was. You could have a rave party in one room and you wouldn't even be able to hear it if you put your ear against the closed door.

It was in one spacious room that the duke sat tied to a chair, withering under eight glares, though he couldn't tell if the one with the fox mask was glaring or not. "Wh-what do you want from me?" He stammered. "I'll triple your pay if you let me go!"

"We want information," Rita said. "And we want the truth. Stage one, go."

Aurora went first and sat on the duke's lap, lyre in her hands. She had the perfect melody in mind to make him talk.

"Roll for seduction," Soprano said.

Brooke rolled the dice. "Okay, you fail to seduce him. Critically fail."

"Nooo. . ."

Quick Quip raised a wing. "I want to help make this failure a success!"

"Roll for the check," Brooke reflexively said. ". . . And with Jester's help, you manage to succeed, but get no information out of him."

"Explain," mom said.

The duke was laughing his face off. The strings on Aurora's lyre had all snapped when she tried to pluck a tune, her curse made a very unladylike grumble come from her body, her singing was off key, and Jester topped it off with a flying pie to her face.

Rex was barely holding back his laughter.

Joakim's glare was broken by the occasional upwards twitch of his lips.

Queen Nova managed to maintain her form, if only because she was more confused than anything and her fox mask hid most of her face.

Rita sighed and rolled her eyes at the move.

Ferria and Solaria managed to not break down like the rest of the party.

"E-excuse me." Aurora nervously laughed as she tossed the lyre to Rita and made her way to the bathroom to deal with her curse's side effects.

"Stage two," Rita said. "I hope we don't have to go to stage three."

Ferria stepped up, hammer aflame and drawn, as she took her turn and asked the first real question, glaring down at the hostage. "Do you know who that gardener was?"

"I. . . I don't know much about him," the duke stammered out. "I just know he's crazy."

"You know enough to have a location, and we found multiple envelopes with your name and address on them there. Keep talking." She brought the hammer head close enough for him to feel the heat on his face.

The duke recoiled, but found some spine. "I know nothing else. Now let me go."

"Stage three it is," Rita said. "Queen Nova, if you want to skip on this, you can."

That caught his attention. "Qu-Queen Nova!?"

Ferria seized the moment and his collar. "How do you know her? Where are you from?"

"I'm from the Novarian Imperium! Everyone knows her there! I thought she was dead."

Solaria gently and elegantly moved Ferria out of the way. "You will reveal your connection to him and within the Imperium."

"Not likely," the duke scoffed. "What are you going to do? Heal me into talking?"

"That is what she does," Jester said with uncharacteristic seriousness. "Just talk and you won't have to experience it."

Brooke nervously looked between mom and me. "Um. . . Is it okay if Sunflower and I describe what happens?"

"Now I want to know even more," I said. "How is the healer the worst of the interrogators?"

I saw mom shudder. "I think I know. Go on with the scene. You won't get in trouble for it from me."

Solaria lightly tapped the duke's knees with her staff. "Tell me, which leg is your favorite?"

"Uh, my left one, I guess," the duke said.

The healer swung her staff at the man's left shin, getting a shout of pain and alarm from him. "If you don't talk now, my next swing will break your leg."

His breathing was heavy from the pain he had been dealt. "Ahh. . . Ahh. . . Ahh. . . You wouldn't dare do that to a duke and think you can get away with it. . ."

"They'll never know," Solaria whispered. "Because you'll have no injuries when you leave here, so they won't believe you." She lightly tapped the spot she struck. "Now, will you talk or be broken?"

The duke relented. "I'll talk! I'll answer anything you ask! What do you want to know?"

"How long have you been sending people to that gardener?"

"For over a decade. It started off as only the worst criminals going there, but he paid me so well for each one. . . Tens of thousands of gold per head."

"So you got blinded by the money," Joakim concluded. "Where did he get that much gold?"

"I don't know. All I know is that he sends checks that always work after each job, but I don't know where he gets all of it. It's too much to just be scavenged off of those I sent him."

"Did anyone tell you who needed to go to him?" Rex asked.

"Scrolls from an advisor to the king and queen. They all had the official seal of the Novarian Imperium on them, and you don't simply refuse an order like that." The duke started breaking down as he made his admission. "After the gold started flowing in, I didn't even need the orders from the Imperium."

"The king and I never issued any orders like that," Queen Nova said. "Starzkran must have been doing that on his own."

"But why be sincere about the reward to kill the gardener?" Aurora asked as she came out of the bathroom. "If he really wanted us dead, why do that?"

"To cover himself, obviously," Ferria said.

"I set it up so I'd benefit either way," the duke admitted. "If he won, I'd have gotten lots of gold, but you won, so now he's not my problem anymore. I didn't think you'd actually investigate anything. I didn't even think there was anything that could be investigated."

"And I think that's where we'll wrap it up for today," Brooke said. "Most of us have longer walks than usual to get home." Her decision was met with a round of groans as she started packing up the game.

"Solaria's interrogation wasn't as bad as I expected," mom said.

"The duke failed some rolls, so he talked more easily. Otherwise. . . Well, she probably would have broken his leg, healed it, and attacked there again."

"That's more like what I was expecting." Mom looked in my direction. "Inova, what do you think?"

I gave the explanation some consideration. It sounded very traumatic, but it also sounded like a good interrogation method, especially with magic to do the healing. "It could've been worse. How did Solaria become the stage three interrogator?"

Sunflower raised a forehoof. "That was my idea. After all, if you can heal his leg to be good as new, that means it can be broken again, and the threat of continued pain like that usually gets someone to talk.” Her smile did not falter during her explanation, which made the fur along my spine stand up.

“You’ll get used to her,” Girder said.

“Her dark side can be a bit scary,” Hearthstone added. “But that only comes out during our games. She’s really nice the rest of the time.”

“I hope so.” The assurances assured me a bit, but I was going to wait and see what she was like outside of the game.

“It was nice being here, Princess Cadence,” Brooke said as she finished packing up.

“Thank you,” mom said. “Any time you want to come over is fine. Same for everypony else.”

“Including Inova?” Quick Quip asked.

“Especially Inova. She even gets to live in this house.”

Quick Quip gasped in surprise and turned to me. “Inova! Do you really get to live with Princess Cadence?”

Soprano bonked his head with a wing. “Of course she does.”

“You’ll have to forgive him,” Diamond said. “His first reflex is to live up to his name.”

“At least he keeps things interesting,” Brooke added. “Everypony, it’s time to go. We’ll meet in the usual classroom next week.”

After everypony left, mom turned to me. “We’ll do half an hour of magic practice.”

“Yes, mom.” We went to the rock garden out back and I took my usual spot to start the usual practice.

I picked out a rock and started slowly levitating it. It went up one, two and three inches with no problem. I started getting nervous at the four inch mark, but it stayed steady instead of wobbling. I brought it up further, and it went past five inches. At six inches, it began wobbling before falling back to the ground.

Mom and I both stared at the rock, like it had done something rocks shouldn’t do. “Have you been practicing behind my back?” Mom asked.

“No,” I quietly said, just as surprised as mom was. “Should I try again?”

“Yes.”

I reached out and picked the rock up again. Just like the first time, it went past four inches before wobbling at six and falling. I repeated it, and it went to the same level before falling again. “Mom, what’s happening?”

“I’ll ask Luna and Twilight about it tonight. For now, just keep practicing as normal.”

In the clear murkiness of a neutral area of the dreamscape, three alicorns met up. “I have brought Twilight, as you requested, Cadence,” Luna said. “Now tell us what you need help with?”

“It’s Inova,” Cadence said. “We were working on her levitation after her friends left, and she got a rock up further than before. I know going from four to six inches of levitation isn’t much-”

“That’s a big percentage, Cadence,” Twilight said. “Wait, when did Inova make friends?”

“Her first friend was a little over a month ago, and now she’s at seven friends. She’s getting along well, and they all seem like good ponies.”

“Hmm. . .” Multiple open books appeared around Twilight as she looked back through her own memories. “Okay, so there was that. . . Then that happened. . .” She slammed one book shut and tossed it away with a blush on her face. “Not that one.” More books appeared in front of her as she kept checking everything she knew. “Hmm. . .”

“Twilight?” Luna asked.

“Okay, I think I have a theory. I just need to cross check a few books on sociology, psychology, and biothaumics. Luna, I’d like to check in the Royal Canterlot Library first.”

“I’ll have the librarian build your customary pillow fort of solitude.”

Cadence did her best to hide a smile and a laugh. The Princess that she once foalsat was still a little filly at heart. “Do - do you really still do that?”

Twilight turned around and hung her head. “Yes, I still make pillow forts of solitude.”

Cadence let out a short laugh before walking over to Twilight and draping a wing over her. “You know, if she could, I’m sure Inova would be right there with you. Let me know when you have your theory.”

Author's Note

Le gasp! Inova is suddenly better at levitation? What could have possibly caused this development?

Birthday: De-De-De-Decade!

Mom sat down at the table as I was helping Skyla with her math homework. "Do you know what's coming up, girls?"

I gave the question some serious thought. I hadn't heard of any events, things seemed to be going smoothly at the castle, and I hadn't picked up any rumors around school from my friends, so I had no idea what it could have been.

"Our tenth birthday!" Skyla happily exclaimed, making me feel silly for overthinking it.

"That's right! One whole decade! What do you two want to do for it?"

Both of us started thinking about it, and Skyla voiced her answer first. "I want a Pinkie Pie party at the castle with all my friends!"

My answer had a lot less energy than Skyla's did, but I was no less enthusiastic about it. "I'd like to hang out with my friends at Mr. Slice's Pizzeria."

"Oh." Mom sounded disappointed. She looked between both of us for a few seconds. "Are you sure you don't want to celebrate it together? Ten years is a big milestone."

Skyla and I looked at each other as we considered it. "Nah," we said at the same time.

"No? But why?"

"Inova would just wander off with her friends to play their game," Skyla answered. "Right?"

"Yep," I added. "Skyla and her friends would be too loud for me, so I'd just ruin the mood."

"You're absolutely sure?" Mom almost pleaded.

"Yep," Skyla and I said at the same time.

On the Saturday after our actual birthday, it was time to celebrate. Mom walked with Skyla to the castle while dad walked with me to the pizzeria. "You really don't want anything big or fancy?" He asked as we made our way through the Empire, still sounding confused about my choice of birthday celebration.

"Aunt Luna's always got that covered with the Golem Bricks," I stated. The stack of sets was inching closer to being halfway to the ceiling in the corner, and that was with neat stacking. My limited levitation skills definitely helped, but I was still on adjusting only one small box at a time at most. I didn't have the time to build them all either, especially with all the time I'd been spending with my friends, and I was running out of shelf space as well. "Besides, I like quiet."

"That you do. Are you sure I can't join your game?" He leaned down and whispered, "I'd really rather learn that than be at the castle right now."

I shrugged. "I'll let Brooke make that decision. She's the GM, after all."

"But it's your birthday."

"If I want a good game, I will leave it in her capable hooves, and I want a good game." We turned and went down the alley that led to the pizzeria. When we went in, we found the tables set up in the middle of the dining area, and all my friends were already there. "Hi, everypony!"

"Happy birthday, Inova!" They all cheered.

Brooke put a sly look on her muzzle. "Or should I say, Queen Nova?"

"You're just the scribe, Rita," I said with the haughtiest voice I could before going back to normal and taking my spot between Brooke and Diamond. "Do you have room for dad to join? He doesn't want to go to the castle for Skyla's party."

Brooke looked between dad and everypony else at the table. "I suppose we could use the adult supervision since Quick Quip is here."

"Hey!" Quick Quip responded with his usual mock indignation.

"That makes sense," Sunflower added. "We need somepony that can counter him properly."

"Oh come on!"

"I'm here, too!" Mr. Slice called out from the kitchen.

"We're extra safe," Girder noted, much to Quick Quip's feigned dismay. "Inova, have you told your dad about humans yet?"

Dad levitated a chair up and made a spot between Diamond and me. "She's told me a bit and showed me what they look like."

"You have five minutes to come up with some character details and combat equipment," Brooke stated. "You'll share what you have and we can help fill in the gaps after that. No relation to Queen Nova, please."

"Okay, I think I have something," dad said once his five minutes was up. "My character is a heavily armored knight, and pieces of his armor can come off to become floating shields that move at his direction. He's on a mission to. . . Uh. . . Help me?"

"Prince Armor, this is a fictional character," Quick Quip explained. "He can't help you."

Soprano bonked his head with a wing. "Lone mercenary."

"A scientist testing his creation," Diamond suggested.

"Someone testing the scientist's creation," Hearthstone added.

"Sole survivor of his battalion on a revenge quest?" I suggested.

"I was going to say a revenge quest!" Sunflower exclaimed.

"No more revenge motives, please," Brooke said. "Well, Prince Armor?"

Dad gave it some thought. "Can he be a survivor turned mercenary testing a scientist's creation?"

"Certainly!" Brooke wrote down the relevant details. "What's his name?"

"Uh. . . How about Wallace? Is that a human name?"

"It can work as one. So, our intrepid party of merry misfits has to defend the town of Canyon Cliffs, nestled between some lovely hills in the desert plains, from an incoming horde of criminals that are out to ransack the place. I'll give you all a little perk since we have someone new here. . ."

Atop a dusty hill, Queen Nova looked through her binoculars to try and get some kind of visual on the criminal camp a couple miles away, but her fox mask kept her from being able to use them properly. "Joakim, you take a look."

The barbarian gently took the binoculars and looked through them. "Ooh, that's a lot of baddies. Solaria, how are the defenses coming along?"

The healer took the binoculars, looked through them, and grimaced. "Not good enough for these kinds of numbers."

Jester took the binoculars and looked to the side with them. "Hey, we've got a visitor. Big guy, lots of armor. Can't even see all of him with these things, he's so big."

Joakim reached past Solaria and yoinked the binoculars from Jester. "That's because he's right. . . In front of. . . You. Hi."

"Hey," the new guy said, standing only three feet away from Jester. "What's going on here?"

"We've got intel that Canyon Cliffs is going to be attacked by that band of criminals out that way," Queen Nova explained, apparently not worried about the sudden appearance of the newcomer. "We also need some supplies from here, so we'll defend them and get paid for it."

"Ah, mercenary work." The man sounded almost wistful. "I once looked down on it, but now it's what lets me live."

"Are you passing through or do you want to help us?" Solaria asked.

"I'll help. It'll work out for my employer as well. He wants me to test out this armor."

"Good enough for me," Jester said. "Let's take him back to town and see if we can come up with something."

On top of a building in town, the introductions were made. The new guy, Wallace, was working for a scientist, and the armor was his most recent development. He demonstrated what it could do, with parts of it detaching and unfolding into a dozen shields that he could control and move around. He didn't have any other weapons, though it didn't seem like he needed any.

Rita laid out the situation in town. "The mayor and the people have promised us their full cooperation and support for our plans. If we need something built, they'll do it."

"What do we have so far?" Wallace asked.

"We've got a few walls set up like a maze to slow them down," Rex said. "Unfortunately, if they wise up, they can just break through them instead of taking the long way through."

"Joakim and I can try to hold them back with power, but there's only so much we can do," Ferria explained.

"I've done what I can to encourage the people with my music," Aurora added. "I'll provide what support I can from the sideline."

"What we really need is something else to slow them down with," Rita said. "If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears."

Jester warily raised a hand. "What if we take a page from Machina's book and set up explosives in the maze?"

"That'll only work on one group of them," Wallace pointed out. "After that, it's a minor inconvenience at best."

"So we need something else," Queen Nova said. "Something that can slow them to a crawl."

"Which will give us more time for more defenses," Rex added before looking out over the maze wall.

"What about a toll booth?" Solaria suggested. "Do we know who they're working for?"

"Starzkran," Rita answered. "Multiple scouts reported that he was there giving a speech earlier. These are criminals, though. They're not going to obey a toll booth in the middle of the desert."

"I say we give it a try," Wallace said. "If nothing else, its presence should be a minor distraction. Ferria, Joakim, I'll help you build it."

Aurora raised her hand. "I'll try to find a volunteer to run it."

"I really doubt this is going to work," Rex said.

"Yeah, that sounds a bit too silly," Queen Nova added. "Good luck."

The dice rolled once, the dice rolled twice.

Some groaned, while others said "Nice!"

The stallion from Bitaly brought out a fresh pizza. "Who wants the first slice?"

The birthday filly and her father leapt at the offer, and he said, "sorry, force of habit."

In the morning, the criminals made their move. On horseback, they rode out. A mile from town, their commander came to a halt at the sight before him, and with him, the rest of the criminal army stopped. "Starzkran thruway 57? Now what'll that idiot think of next?" He turned to the forces behind him. "Has anybody got a silver?" Everyone checked themselves and came up empty. "Well somebody's gotta go back and get us a buttload of silvers."

Inside the toll booth trap, Jester was doing his utmost best not to laugh. As intelligent and clever as the reports said the criminals were, they were acting really stupid, and didn't seem to notice the wide open spaces on either side of the toll booth.

It took most of an hour for someone to come back with a chest full of silvers, and the commander knocked on the booth. "Hey, I've got the silvers for everyone to go through. Can I just give you the chest and you let us all through?"

Jester gave it some consideration. "Hmmm. . . Sorry, no can do. Starzkran wants accurate counts, so everyone has to pay for themselves. One horse, one rider, one payment, one pass. The formulas for other rates are listed on your side."

The commander growled in frustration. "Oh alright." He grabbed one of the coins. "Here."

Jester took it. "Thanks for using the Starzkran thruway." He lifted the arm, dinged a bell, let the commander through, and lowered the arm right after.

Everypony was struggling to hold back their laughter, including me. "How. . . How much time does this buy us?"

Brooke checked her notes, rolled some dice, and made a decision. "Not much, since the commander gets impatient and rides towards Canyon Cliffs with a fraction of his criminals fifteen minutes after he's through."

"How small are we talking about?" Dad asked.

"About one tenth of his army."

The struggle became too much, and all of us broke down laughing, including Mr. Slice. The fact that something so stupid was working so well was spectacular.

Sunflower, after collecting herself, wrote something down and let Brooke take it. "So, this is the extra defensive measure you chose to make?" Brooke asked, sounding like she was resigned to her fate.

"Roll to see if it works," Sunflower said.

Brooke obliged, then groaned. "Why are you doing this to me, Sunflower? First the toll booth, now this?"

Sunflower shrugged with a smile. "The dice decided it."

The commander and the present fraction of his forces rode to Canyon Cliffs, the town visible just ahead. "There it is, men! Today, we'll take this town!" He was so eager to attack and so impatient to get it done, he didn't notice that something was a bit off about the town until he and his horse slammed into and broke through a painted wooden wall.

His forces had been a bit more patient than he had and stopped by the hole he made. "You okay, boss?"

"I'm fine!" He barked. "Just another obstacle.” He carefully had his horse approach the town, which was another wooden wall. “Start putting holes in these walls so everyone else can get through!"

At his order, those who had the tools available began working on their task. They cut holes to peek through, then used explosives to make bigger holes in areas that weren't critically important in its support. The process of going through multiple walls this way slowed them down even more, allowing extra prep time for the town, but also letting the remaining forces catch up.

"Sounds like they're getting through," Aurora noted from her perch on top of the town's saloon.

"Good thing, too," Wallace said. "I still need to test this out." He leapt off and went to join Joakim and Ferria by the walls.

"I'd better get ready." Queen Nova produced her one large Buckle, put it on, and activated it. "Magnum." With its activation came the white armor and a dual mode gun.

"Wait, a gun?" Dad asked. "What's a gun?"

"A handheld way to blast things like unicorns can," I explained. "When humans can't do something, they make things to do it, a lot like earth ponies. Mine has a short mode for close combat and a long mode for long range combat."

Brooke tapped the table twice. "Now that the explanation is done, back to the siege."

It took a while, but the criminals made it through the maze, and they began pouring into Canyon Cliffs. Joakim, Ferria, and Wallace were the first ones to meet them, and through their combined efforts, managed to stop a decent number of horses and cause a minor pileup. They were, however, still only three people, and the rest of the army went around the blocked mounts.

Rita and Rex were right behind them. "Excuse me, do you have a moment?" Rex asked of the horses that ran past. Occasionally, he'd get one to stop, giving Rita an opening to take out the rider with her spear or a spell.

Solaria and Aurora were perched on a roof nearby, and used their magic attacks to harass and annoy the attackers.

Queen Nova was the furthest from the breach and she had her gun in its long mode, sniping at every enemy she could see.

Jester made it back with two big bags of silver coins in tow, and he was using them as improvised flails. The chest they had once been in was open and on his head like an oversized helmet.

All throughout the town, the people were fighting back as well, further culling the numbers through sneak attacks and traps. Some even masqueraded as criminals in order to cause even more disorder in the invaders' ranks.

The fighting was intense and harsh, but the defense was working. The raiding criminals didn't have the coordination to fight back, especially after getting bonked on the head with a flying shield, blinded by a light spell, or simply seeing Aurora. Some of the criminals, after making it through the toll booth and seeing what was going on, were demoralized and left.

The commander and five tough looking guys charged in on foot through the pileup and managed to break through the shield, muscle, and armor barrier. The commander conjured a single bladed tonfa and swung at Ferria. The knight blocked it with her shield while Wallace brought his floating shields around to try and hold off two of the tough looking guys. Joakim, using a book, had taken one out of the fight by telling him about the five year war of 2,000 soldiers, but he was also out of the fight at the same time. The last two tough looking guys were attacking Rex and Rita, splitting them off and putting them on the defense.

Solaria and Aurora, seeing that the common criminals were being handled quite well by the townsfolk, left their position to go join the melee. The bard went to support Rita and Rex while the healer went into interrogator mode and struck the distracted tough looking guy in the elbow, dealing damage, snapping him out of his trance, and giving Joakim a chance to smack him in the face with the book.

Jester, after securing the money somewhere safe (nobody ever thinks to look in the cactus!), joined the fight as well, leaping on top of the commander to put him in a chokehold. It was about as effective as throwing a single wet noodle at the guy.

Queen Nova, thanks to the successful setup and coordination, had remained untouched while she sniped and picked off the common enemies, focusing on those that were being sneaky. At some point, after saving a bunch of townsfolk that way, the Boost Buckle fell from the sky and embedded itself in the roof next to her.

As the townsfolk cleared up the rabble, Queen Nova watched the melee. Everyone in it was too close and moving too much for her to get a clean shot. She set her rifle down and looked at the selection of buckles available to her. She had two big ones for the first time and an assortment of smaller ones. All she had to do was figure out which ones to use.

"Let's take a bathroom break, everypony," Brooke said. "We'll pick it back up in fifteen minutes."

Sounds of disappointment and agreement came from the rest of us. "So, is this party everything you hoped for?" Dad asked.

"You mean pizza and a game?" I asked. "It's perfect. Are you having fun?"

Dad glanced at Brooke's empty seat before turning back to me. "We'll see. Excuse me." He left to go use the bathroom, and I decided to do the same.

By the time I got back, Brooke and dad were both back, and I glanced between them for a moment. "Hey, Brooke?"

"Yes, my queen?" Brooke snarkily answered.

"You and my dad have the same colors from head to tail."

"What!?" Quick Quip shouted. "That's impossible." He stood between both of them. "As you can clearly see, their coat colors couldn't be more different, the blue in their manes and tails are completely different hues, and their eyes aren't even the same shade. There is absolutely nothing that makes them resemble each other in the slightest."

Dad blinked a few times at the proclamation before turning to me. "You have to deal with him all the time?"

"Pretty much, yeah," I said. "Oh, and you're both unicorns too."

“Hm?” Quick Quip got close to both of them to inspect their horns and appeared to give it some thought. "You know, I do see some similarities there."

Girder took action and easily pulled the silly pegasus back to his spot at the table. "Now that we're all back, let's pick it back up."

"Alright," Brooke said as I got back to my seat. "Queen Nova spends her turn trying to figure out which buckles to use."

I raised a foreleg. "Can I roll for a moment of realization?"

"Insight check."

Queen Nova's attention went from the buckles to her gun. Something she hadn't realized before on it suddenly stood out to her: there was a spot for a buckle on it. A whole new set of options opened up for her, and she started figuring out a course of action.

Aurora, Rex, and Rita's two tough looking guys had them on the backstep. Rita would be able to occasionally get a swipe of her spear in to deal some shallow wounds. Rex couldn't command any of the horses yet, and was limited to a knife and some magic. Aurora's attempts to dance and fight did slow the tough looking guys down, but she had difficulty landing any blows with her guitar while doing that.

Joakim and Solaria's tough looking guy was largely under control. With her interrogation techniques and Joakim's continual book slaps and demands that the tough looking guy learn some history, he was very much stun locked and getting whittled down.

The commander and the last two tough looking guys had Wallace and Ferria pushing their defense specialties to their limit. Jester was no longer trying to use the chokehold, and had instead been promoted to screaming shield, helping keep the commander safe. Ferria was able to easily block and even push back against the attacks with her frost empowered shield and hammer, but the tough looking guys and the commander had the numbers and agility to push her back. Wallace had the shields to block on multiple fronts, but with nothing physical backing them, he had to continually move them around. With the number he had, he was able to mount some measure of a counterattack, though the bladed tonfa was still an issue.

Queen Nova, seeing the situation, made up her mind, loaded the Boost Buckle on her belt, gave it a Revolution, and got the red armor on her body and arms. "Let's give this a try." With the pipes at full blast, she let the red armor pull her along towards the brawl. Just as she approached, she gave the belt another Revolution and drifted around on her back behind Wallace. She loaded a small black and pink buckle onto the gun and quickly aimed at the tough looking guy the shield warrior was fighting. "Armed Hammer. Tactical Shot." She didn't have to wait long for one of Wallace's shields to get between her and her target before she fired. The blast hit the shield, then the shield and blast hit the tough looking guy in the face with enough force to send him flying over the brawl, only to have a hard landing on the dusty ground. He was down for good.

Brooke looked at me. "I'm not sure if you helped Wallace because of the situation or if it's because your dad is playing him."

"I came up with that idea shortly after he mentioned floating shields," I said.

"Girder and I have some good teamwork going, but that move was something else," Sunflower said.

"I had to use up all my declaration points to do that, though."

"You actually used one more than you had," Brooke stated. "As a result, you must suffer a penalty."

I could only dread what kind of penalty I was going to suffer. "Oh no."

After the high speed movement, Revolution, and the finisher move, Queen Nova was suddenly hit with a serious bout of weakness. The only reason she didn't drop her weapon onto the dusty ground was because it landed across her body. Her arms and legs were practically useless, effectively putting her out of the fight.

"Cover me!" Rex called out as he ducked out of his fight, leaving Rita and Aurora to face the two tough looking guys by themselves.

"I like that idea!" Rita and Aurora said at the same time before also turning tail and running away, the tough looking guys in pursuit of the ladies.

"Learn your history!" Joakim shouted as he smacked the tough looking guy across the face again with his book.

"Tell us your secrets!" Solaria swung at his lower back, dealing some serious damage.

"Help me!" Jester called out.

"I got you!" Ferria swung her hammer at one of the floating shields, caught it, and managed to pull the silly man out of the commander's grasp with the combined gear. "What are those strings on your fingers?"

"Oh, these?" Jester decided to give the knight a hug. The strings pulled on some traps he'd sneakily placed on the commander, covering him in foam, spider webs, and silly string, heavily impeding his movement. "Well, I guess they're just strings now."

"Go cover Nova!" Wallace shouted as he took advantage of the opening to recall and send his shields around.

Ferria casually tossed Jester towards their downed ally. "Oh, hey," Queen Nova tiredly said. "Ever used a gun before?"

"It looks easy," Jester said.

"Good." Queen Nova took the small buckle off her gun and folded it down to its short mode. "Here, use it."

Jester accepted the weapon. "Gladly!" As he took the weapon, he also took the Boost Buckle off her belt. In her weakened state, there wasn't much the queen could do to resist.

The commander and his available tough looking guy focused on Ferria and attempted to get past her defense. They knew the one that was getting smacked by book and staff was basically a lost cause, and didn't bother trying to help him.

The two that were chasing Aurora and Rita now had the duo back to back. Wallace decided it was his time to shine and sent a pair of shields to them. Rita slammed the flat of her spearhead on the back of one shield, giving her a heavier and larger spearhead. Aurora caught the other and put it on the body of her guitar, just behind the strings. "And now, the song of shields!" As she played, she and Rita's toughness went up, and Rita's new spearhead became sharper.

"Bring it on," Rita confidently taunted. The tough looking guys took it and charged at the same time. Rita and Aurora moved in opposite directions, letting the spear wielding scribe draw their attention with a wide swing and make them focus on her.

Solaria paused after landing yet another blow to the tough looking guy she and Joakim had been pummeling. "Should we let him live so we can make him talk?"

Joakim gave it some thought. "Nah." He put his book away and delivered a straight punch to the dazed tough looking guy's face. At the same time, Solaria delivered a strike to the back of the guy's head. The skull couldn't withstand any more and shattered. Solaria, unfortunately, had succeeded too well, and her staff continued on to hit Joakim's fist. "AGH!" The barbarian shouted.

"Sorry!" Solaria promptly started healing his hand.

Ferria caught four floating shields on her hammer's head, and with the increased weight and force, she was able to deal massive damage with each blow that struck her target. The ice empowerment had the bonus effect of freezing the foam on the commander where struck, dealing bonus damage and slowing him even further. Wallace kept his six remaining shields and went in to simply punch his enemies.

The tough looking guys that were facing Rita and Aurora had wised up to what was going on, and changed targets to take out the bard. Rex, however, had a different plan, as he rode in on a tamed horse and pulled Aurora up onto its back. "Hold onto me for a moment." She paused her song long enough to hold on as the horse, at Rex's command, bucked hard and sent one tough looking guy flying into a wall.

"Nice!" Rita went back to her now single target as the song of shields resumed.

Jester made his move after seeing that the one tough looking guy in the wall was getting back up to fight, and was looking at the horse and its riders with fury in his eyes (or maybe a few fallen eyelashes. It was hard to tell). The silly man snuck up as he prepared his attack, unfolding the gun to its rifle mode and attaching the Boost Buckle to it.

All of us looked at Quick Quip and his absurd grin. "And here you thought I was the mean one," Sunflower pointed out.

"Here I go!" Quick Quip rolled the dice, and the results were interesting.

"Hey," Jester said, catching the tough looking guy's attention just as he pointed the Boost empowered gun at him. "Bye." Once he pulled the trigger, the recoil sent him flying around while the shot itself stayed in place. Jester's screams filled the air as he flew around and eventually crashed into a cactus somebody had filled with a bunch of silver coins.

"Idiot," the tough looking guy said. Just as soon as he did, the stationary blast moved and took him out.

The Boost Buckle, as usual, gave off some steam before blasting off like a firework. As usual, it turned towards Rita. Rita moved so the buckle, at the last minute, would instead hit her opponent in the head and deal the finishing blow. "Ha ha!" Rita's celebration was short lived, however, as it circled back and slammed into her back before flying off for real. "Why me?"

With the commander effectively immobilized and only one tough looking guy left, the rest of the fight was easy enough for the adventurers to clean up.

Rex gathered up some of the horses, easily tamed them, and brought them over for the party to ride on. There were easilyvenough for everyone to have one.

The sheriff came over. "Thank you, everyone. Canyon Cliffs is safe once more."

"It's all good-ow!" Rita said, using her spear to support herself. "Can we rest here for a bit before we leave?"

"As long as you stay for breakfast."

Solaria made the rounds to give emergency healing as needed, then the party went to the undamaged inn to rest up.

"And so ends today's encounter," Brooke said. "And yes, you'll get a chance for loot and splitting the toll booth money. Prince Armor, what did you think of it?"

Dad issued his verdict. "It was lots of fun. I may have to rearrange my schedule to free up my Tuesdays, if you'd allow me to keep playing."

Brooke's verdict was quick. "I'll allow it, but if you become a one trick pony in the game, I will kick you out. Inova, have you told him about Machina?"

"I'll do that when we get home," I said before yawning. "If I can."

Mr. Slice walked up to our group. "Before you leave, I'd like to give all of you a personal pizza to take home. What toppings do you want?"

We all took turns asking for the toppings we wanted, but I noticed something odd. Once Mr. Slice left to start on the pizzas, I turned to the filly of interest. "Soprano, Mr. Slice skipped you. Why didn't you say anything?"

"He's my papa," Soprano answered.

"It makes sense now!" Diamond suddenly exclaimed. "I was wondering why your accent sounded so similar to his."

“Do you think we can meet up here for H&H sometimes?” Hearthstone asked. “I really like the aesthetics here.”

“And the pizza’s delicious!” Sunflower added. “Can we, Soapy? Please?”

Soprano turned to Brooke. “Can we not do that? I’d rather play H&H somewhere else.”

The executive decision was soon given. “By default, we will not play any of our games here. We’ll need both a consensus and Soapy’s approval.”

“Thank you.”

Quick Quip raised a forehoof. “Question! Since we have Prince Armor and Princess Inova in our group, does that make us the most official H&H group ever?”

Brooke lightly smacked his forehead with one of her books. “No.”

“Aww. . .”

“Soprano, can you come help me?” Mr. Slice called out.

“Yes, papa!” Soprano left the table and went into the kitchen.

The next few minutes were spent joking about the session and its events. Dad even joked about putting a tactical toll booth in Canterlot Castle as a prank.

Soprano and Mr. Slice soon gave out the personal pizzas. Dad winced when he looked at a note on top of his box. We all began dispersing after we said our goodbyes. “What did Mr. Slice write on that note?”

“Nothing for you to worry about, Inova,” dad said. “Just something for me to take care of tomorrow.”

“Is it the bill?”

“200 Bits. We all ate a lot of pizza today, didn’t we?”

“Yeah. You can take one of my Bit tins.”

He did a double take at my offer. “You’re sure?”

“Each full one has 200 Bits in it, so it works out perfectly.”

“Well, if you insist on making it easy, I guess I’ll do that.”

Cadence and Shining only met back up after she got home with Skyla. Once the filly was off to bed, she joined him in their bed. “So, how was Inova’s quiet party?”

“Lots of fun, actually,” Shining said with a smile in his voice. “She’s really embraced friendship now, and all her friends are good. They even let me join in their game and join them on Tuesdays after school to play with them. What about Skyla’s party?”

“I’m glad Pinkie and Cheese handled most of it. Skyla brought one hundred friends in, and she was able to name everypony and tell me a bit about them too. It was loud, exciting, and full of games. Lots of fun as usual. I played Twister and lost to the foals. I need to do some stretching more often.”

“Well, let me tell you about the tactical toll booth. . .”

In the dreamscape, Cadence, Luna, and Twilight met back up. “Do you have a theory now?” Cadence asked.

“After nearly three months of research and reading, I do,” Twilight proudly stated. “I can sum it up in three words: friendship is magic.”

“Elaborate,” Luna requested.

“Ponies, by nature, are a herd species, and very social.” Twilight created some caricatures of prancing ponies in the space between the three Princesses. “This trait also has an effect on the magic inherent in ponies, making it stronger with each bond and with stronger bonds. This also releases endorphins in the brain, making friendship literally feel good.”

Cadence held up a forehoof. “What gets released in the brain?” She warily asked.

“Endorphins are naturally occurring. . . Oh, right, I got that from the other side of the mirror. Equestrian science hasn’t gotten that far yet. Anyways, it’s basically the stuff that makes you feel happy when you do something.” She didn’t stop for Cadence’s followup question. “Moving on, I compared memories and stories of when I was a filly to Inova’s life and progress. It’s not a perfect comparison, but there are some parallels.”

“Nerd,” Luna taunted.

“That’s the main one. I was very hesitant to make friends, and it was only after I had a couple of friends that my magic skills and power accelerated.”

Cadence considered the information for a moment. “I always thought your parents had downplayed your magic skills while I was foalsitting you, but if I’m putting this together right, you got stronger and more skilled because you considered me a friend?”

“That’s the theory, yes. Inova’s been very slow with her magical growth, and it’s only been recently, after making multiple friends, that she’s made significantly more progress with her magic. Has she started moving multiple objects at once yet?”

“I’ll see about getting her started on that soon.”

“Hoof coordination?”

“She still trips up at higher speeds and tighter turns, but she has improved.”

“Wings?”

“Still flopping.”

Luna jumped in. “Aha! A hole in the theory! It does not explain the floppening!”

“No, it doesn’t,” Twilight admitted. “She can control her wings just fine, but I don’t know what’s causing her to lose control of her forelegs. There is no documented case of a pegasus with this issue and no other alicorn has that, so that’s the big unknown.”

“Even you?” Cadence asked.

“I just somehow. . . Knew how to move my wings when I got them. It took experience to get good with them, but Fluttershy and Rainbow were very good teachers for me. That only makes Inova’s case even stranger.”

“I can see things going one of three ways with Inova and her wings,” Luna said. “She gives up and has relatively weak wings, she keeps trying and manages to figure it out, or we get a miracle.”

“I will not let her give up,” Cadence firmly stated. “And she isn’t going to give up either.”

“I’ll poke around a bit more to see if there’s anything more esoteric and theoretical,” Twilight offered. “Living in the same town as Pinkie and Discord, I can’t rule out the bizarre so easily.”

“Of course,” Luna said. “If only my sister and I had to deal with those two instead of the Nobility. Just when you think they’ve reached rock bottom on stupidity, they find another shovel.” Her assessment was met with groans of agreement. “By the way, is it just me, or have the petitioners been thinning out a bit recently?” The question was met with raised eyebrows and confused looks.

Author's Note

Shining's character's name was originally Clay, but Wallace is a bit punnier.

Royal Discussions

I hummed something tuneless as I concentrated on building the pegasus wind warrior model in front of me. My levitation skills were still far behind practically every unicorn my age, but I’d made some very good progress. I was still limited to one fairly close object at a time for a few seconds, but I could at least put one Golem Block onto another before any wobbling started.

Something Aunt Twilight said before vaguely echoed in my head, but I ignored it in favor of the pieces in front of me. Being able to move things in three dimensions was exciting, and I was even tripping up less often as well. If anything brought me down, it was my lack of progress on my wings, but that was a concern for later.

A knock from the front door caught my attention. The sound of mom walking to answer it let me know I didn't have to worry about it, but I kept my ears focused in that direction.

"Oh, hello." Mom sounded pleasantly surprised.

"Hello, Cadence." The sound of Aunt Celestia's voice made me pause. "Are the girls in?"

"Skyla's out with her herd of friends, but Inova's here. She's in her room if you two want to visit her."

"We'd love to," Aunt Luna said. "I'd love to see what she's built. She's got enough pieces and the talent to make something unique." I stopped building and nervously glanced around my room in a panic, going between the stack of sets in the corner and the models that were on display. Every single one was built by following the instructions, and there were no custom builds.

My mind began racing. "I haven't made anything original! I don't want to disappoint Aunt Luna! There's no time! What do I do? What do I do?"

There was a knock on my door. "Inova, may we come in?" Aunt Luna asked.

"Y-yeah," I squeaked out. There was no escaping Aunt Luna's disappointment for me.

I turned in my chair to face Aunt Luna and Aunt Celestia as they came in. "Wow," Aunt Celestia said, the top of her horn mere inches from the ceiling. "Cadence wasn't lying when she said Inova's room was neat and organized."

"She's right there, sister," Aunt Luna said as she came in and looked around. "Hmm. . . I get the distinct impression that you like machinery, Inova."

"Just a bit." Between the gears painted around the room, the ceiling light, most of the models I'd chosen to build, and the books I had, it was impossible to deny. I even kept the books from Apple Bloom on a shelf of their own.

"It is a nice atmosphere," Aunt Celestia said as she sat on the rug. "How have you been? I heard you've got a good circle of friends now."

I welcomed the new topic. "They're cool. We play Humans and Hostiles every Tuesday after school. Dad’s been playing with us too. It's lots of fun."

"It's fun because you're playing it with your friends, right?"

"Yeah.”

Aunt Luna sat down next to Aunt Celestia. "I see you have your stack of unbuilt Golem sets."

Her observation made me shrink away a bit. "Yeah. I haven't had time for all of them."

"And you've got some very tastefully placed around the room."

"Thanks."

"Have you built anything of your own yet?"

"No," I timidly answered as I tried to hide behind my chair back. "I like how they look and I don't want to take them apart. And I don't have time."

She nodded. "I understand. Maybe I'll start sending you some duplicates so you have spare pieces to use." Her calm and understanding tone made me relax and realize I was worried over nothing. I was being a silly filly.

"Luna, Inova already has a stack of unbuilt sets taller than she is," Aunt Celestia pointed out. "And if you do get her duplicate sets, she'll need somewhere to store the pieces."

"Then I can personally fund further expansions to her room," Aunt Luna casually responded. "Or a whole new room dedicated to the blocks!"

"No!" Mom called out from wherever she was in the house.

"Oh darn. Well, back to the old drawing board."

Aunt Celestia seemed to have a distant gaze for a few seconds. "Inova, when's the last time you opened your curtains? They're very dusty."

I glanced up and saw the layer of dust she was talking about. "Uhm. . . I like keeping my curtains closed. And my desk is in front of them, so it's hard to get to them."

"Telekinesis?"

I turned to the build in progress, concentrated, and picked up the mostly assembled warrior. I managed to pick it up and move it around horizontally for most of a foot of distance before it fell back to the desk, thankfully without losing any pieces. “It’s a skill issue.”

"That's concerning," Aunt Luna said. "Most unicorns your age can easily move more than one object at a time, but-"

"Yeah, I know," I firmly stated. "I hear it all the time. I don't know why it's so difficult for me. Same with flight and hoof coordination. I'm setting new records every day on how long it takes to master those." I immediately wished I hadn't used as much of a snarky tone as I did.

"Sarcasm is unbecoming of a Princess," Aunt Celestia said, seeming mostly unbothered by my little rant. “Especially with the recent progress you’ve made.”

"Sorry."

"Perhaps we need a new topic," Aunt Luna suggested. "Tell us about your Humans and Hostiles campaign. What's your character like?"

I began happily talking about Queen Nova, including her debut against the pumpkin monsters and mad gardener, who had returned to cause trouble. Brooke had given me the Boost Buckle a few times, and every time it flew off, it hit her character on the way out. Such was the will of the dice.

As Luna listened to Inova, Celestia quietly and gracefully left to find Cadence. "Cadence," she said when she found Cadence in the living room.

"Celestia," Cadence said to Celestia.

"I find Inova's attitude about her magic and such. . . Disconcerting. It worries me."

Cadence gave Celestia the Motherly Look of Irritation (patent pending). "She's been working very hard on all of it. She knows her shortcomings in those areas better than anypony else. I have never seen anypony work like she has to succeed at something so basic with so little progress for so long, and she's been working on three of those things. She is fully aware of how far behind she is on magic, flight, and hoof coordination, but that's not stopping her."

"I suppose it isn't. Is she still forgetting about her wings and horn?"

Cadence's mood lightened a bit at the change of direction. "Only a couple times per month at most, and never during school. That problem is practically over. That said, she's still not using them as much as a normal pony, especially her wings."

"She still flops?"

"Every time. That, or she gets slack wings if they’re not closed. If she manages any lift, she gets scared. There's no middle ground on any of that yet."

"As soon as that middle ground exists, she'll start making progress, I'm certain. How's her hoofwork?"

"She still stumbles and trips above a light trot sometimes. A full gallop is still out of her range, but she’s getting there. Would you like some tea?”

“I would be delighted.” As Cadence started on a quick magic assisted tea brewing, Celestia continued the conversation. “What about Skyla? How’s she doing?”

“Her appetite is much more controlled now than before, and she has lots of friends. I don’t know how she keeps track of all of them, but if friendship numbers alone bolstered her magic level, she’d be unstoppable by now.”

Celestia took a sip of the very good tea Cadence provided. “To an extent, the number of friends does bolster magic. If she remains on her current course managing all those friends, Skyla will be quite the Princess. Even more so if she forms deeper bonds.”

“I’m sure both fillies will be amazing Princesses.” Cadence paused mid-sip as something clicked in her head. She set the tea down. “Celestia, has Luna told you about Twilight’s theories on Inova's troubles?”

“We both heard her most recent theory, being that her first week of taking in no milk adversely affected part of her brain structure. We doubt that one to be true, but she’s taking the path of throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks.”

“I’m sure she’ll come up with something.”

“-And while Solaria did heal the mime’s legs after making him talk, she failed some important bits of the healing, and he’ll never be able to walk again,” I said.

“That’s. . . Quite the turn of events,” Aunt Luna warily replied from her spot on the corner sofa. “Why was the mime being interrogated again?”

“He was the most recent attempt at getting Jester to pay taxes. I don’t know why Quick Quip decided to make a vendetta against tax collectors his character’s motivation, though.”

“Perhaps he was merely being silly. He does seem rather silly from what you’ve told me.”

“I swear he has a silly response, pun, or joke for everything. I just. . . I don’t know how he does it.”

“Some ponies just have a natural talent for it.” Aunt Luna looked around the room for a bit. “Have you done anything with your friends aside from your game?”

“We only play H&H on Tuesdays. Oh, we went to a playground at a park a few weeks ago. Girder sat at the top of a really long slide and pushed us down so we went really fast. We all gathered up top and he pushed us down all at once, and we ended up in a pony pile at the bottom. He slid down after us and landed on top.”

“He’s the big colt in your group, right?”

“Yep. Quick Quip groaned about his lap being hurt. Diamond started trying to help him, but when Sunflower started laughing at her, Diamond realized he’d gotten her again.”

Aunt Luna smiled. “I did the same thing to Celestia a few years ago. She got back at me with a whoopee cushion on the throne. It triggered blasts of confetti around the throne room as well. One of the Bluebloods petitioned that night, and I set it off again as I refused his petition. I doubt he’ll try that one again.”

I snickered at the scene in my head. “So. . . What was his petition?”

“Well, this one goes back a few years to when he wanted to use crown funds to build an accordion factory. . .”

Shining Armor and Skyla walked up to the front door, both worn out from the afternoon’s activities. He had volunteered to watch Skyla and most of her pegasus friends as they had fun flying around over the crystal fields. Predictably, watching and tracking a bunch of ten year olds that could fly was exhausting, along with creating obstacles out of shields to make things more interesting. The drain was mental and magical, but he still felt it in his body. Despite that, he felt great.

Skyla’s wings were loosely folded up at her sides. Flying around and doing her best to avoid hitting anypony or anything had been tricky, and like nearly everypony else, she’d taken more than one hit, and just like the rest, she dusted herself off and got back in the air. The fun she’d had was well worth the exhaustion and mild pain.

The two didn’t need to talk on the way home. They didn’t even stop for ice cream along the way. All they had on their minds was rest.

Skyla practically forgot about her pain and tiredness when she saw who was visiting. “Aunt Celery!”

Celestia gave an amused snort. “Skyla, when will you get it right?”

Luna bumped Celestia’s shoulder. “She already did, Celery.” She turned to Shining. “And how are you, Prince Armor?”

“Pretty good,” Shining said as he and Luna stepped outdoors and away from Skyla excitedly telling Princess Celery about the fun she had flying around. “What about you?”

“I’m quite happy to be here. It’s good to see your family doing so well.”

“Thank you. Not to brag, but Inova and Skyla are amazing fillies.”

Luna scoffed. “Now you’re just spouting off facts. What would Twilight say if she heard you say that?” She and Shining suddenly got distant looks of worry at the question. “You know what, don’t answer that.”

“Lecture mode,” Shining flatly stated in agreement. “So many charts.”

“I can see the lines. . .”

The duo snapped out of it. “Luna, I’m curious. Is it even possible for you or Celestia to have foals?”

“Ah, foals.” Luna wistfully looked up to the Empire’s barrier. “We’ve tried many times with many stallions, but to no avail. The best theory we’ve heard is that you and Cadence could have foals because you sincerely love each other. Without that emotional connection, it may well be impossible to sire foals with alicorns.”

Shining considered the theory. “That does make sense. By the way, did you try that idea I suggested?”

“Putting a toll booth in the middle of a ballroom with all the snooty nobles and the Pants family?” A short bark of laughter escaped her. “Shining, it was hilarious! Everypony treated it like the only place to cross an imaginary line dividing the whole room. The nobles even enforced that line on each other without directions. And the best part: Discord was never there!”

Shining couldn’t help but laugh at the story. He had to take a few breaths after calming down to recover. “That. . . That’s so stupid. Maybe you should set up more of them.”

“As much as I’d like to put one in front of each of their estates, it would kill the novelty of the joke.” Luna glanced through a window, seeing Inova and Cadence talking about something. “Even if the snooty nobles are themselves a joke.”

I walked with mom through the market as we picked up extra groceries for supper. Aunt Luna and Aunt Celestia’s visit was unplanned, so we weren’t prepared. “Inova, what do you think of lasagna for dinner?” Mom asked as she set some smaller groceries in my saddlebags. Her bags had some larger groceries in them.

I didn’t have to think about it for long. “That sounds good. Can we have extra cheesey layers?”

She sighed. “I suppose, but only because we have guests.”

“Yes!” Extra cheese made lots of things better.

“Inova!” A familiar voice called out as we approached the cheese stand.

“Soapy!” I called back. Like me, she had some saddlebags on her with groceries in them.

“Princess Cadence,” Mr. Slice cordially said.

“Mr. Slice,” mom answered in kind. “How’s the pizzeria?”

“Business is good. I just need to get some more cheese. Pizza just isn’t the same without it.”

“Ha! That’s what we’re here for too. I’m making lasagna tonight.”

The stallion behind the cheese stand looked between our groups with a smile. “Good thing I’ve got lots of it available. I don’t want another fight over what I’ve got.”

“I remember that fight,” Mr. Slice said. “I made 50 bits on it.”

“Why would ponies fight over cheese?” Soprano asked. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“Soprano, some ponies can fight and argue over the pettiest things,” mom tiredly said. “To say they act like foals is actually insulting to the vast majority of foals. I’ve seen you and the rest of Inova’s friends settle disagreements in very mature ways.”

“Even when we have to bonk Quick Quip,” I added. “In fact, he’s actually better than some of the ponies that petition us. He can at least make things funny.”

The conversation died off as mom and Mr. Slice made their cheese purchases, then we went our separate ways.

Author's Note

Just a filler chapter and some progress with Inova.

Marked Changes

Mr. Lens had a bunch of pictures at the front of the classroom on the first day of fifth grade, and even after a few seconds of thought, I couldn’t figure out what the common thread was between flowers, candy, some odd emblems, and gears could possibly be.

“Today and through the year, we will be learning about cutie marks, their history, and what they mean,” Mr. Lens said as he gestured to the pictures with a wing. “These images appear on a pony’s flank when they discover their special talent and accept it. Some ponies take longer to discover and accept their talent than others. Some ponies’ marks may not appear until adulthood, and in very few instances, not at all.

“The same or similar images do not always mean the same thing. Gears, for example, could represent a talent for machinery, teamwork, or understanding how a system works. A rose could be a talent for growing roses, having a romantic charm, or making things with roses.”

Sunflower raised a hoof and was called on. “What if we get our marks during the year?”

“Then you can share your cutie mark story. You won’t get any extra credit for it, though. There’s no way to predict when a cutie mark will appear, or what it will be.”

One day, during a crazy game of H&H, it happened. Quick Quip was making his usual quips and having Jester do his usual crazy physics defying stuff while we were fighting a wild dragon, when there was a flash of light from his flanks. “Le gasp! Une marque de cutie!” Quick Quip exclaimed when it happened.

Brooke glanced down at his flank to look at the mark. “A speech bubble with speed lines. That looks about right for him. Congratulations, Quick Quip.” She started applauding, and the rest of us followed her lead.

“Thank you, thank you everypony,” Quick Quip said while bowing. “But really, it was all of you that made this possible. I would especially like to thank Soapy for all the gestures of guidance-” Soapy promptly bonked the back of his head as she’d done many times before with her wing. “-Brooke for the books-” Brooke bonked his forehead with one of her books. “-and everypony else’s incredible support and encouragement.” We all promptly started booing him and telling him to get new jokes, as we’d done so often in good spirit before.

“What kind of cute ceañera party will it be?” Diamond eagerly asked.

“I don’t know, but there will be laughter! There will be silliness! There will be. . . Improv!”

I immediately remembered my two weeks with Pinkie and the scriptless shows we put on. “What kind of audience will you have?”

“That. . . Is something I haven’t thought of yet.” He went from serious to dramatic in a flash. “Princess, oh Princess Inova, will you hear my petition?”

“I make no promises,” I flatly said.

“Could you set an empty stage in the middle of the market for our improv show one week from today?”

“Our show?” Sunflower asked. “Whose show?”

“All eight of us, of course,” Quick Quip said. “And I have no idea what we’ll be doing either.”

Instead of H&H the next Tuesday, we went to the spot I'd claimed in the market for Quick Quip and started the show. After hearing the story of my time with Pinkie Pie, he had chosen to make and set up some spinners. One had our names on it, the other had different themes and things on it, and both were set up for any present audience members to spin. Above the stage was a banner explaining that this cute caeñera was open to audience involvement with the spinners.

We had no props, backdrops, or costume pieces, so to play the role of a guard, I had to really act the part. “Halt, citizen!” I firmly said as Brooke approached. “What brings you to these dangerous woods?”

“Ohoho!” Brooke laughed, playing a snooty noble. “I am merely on my way to survey my newly purchased lands. Isn’t that right, my trusty attendant?”

“Yes,” Girder said in a very deadpan voice. “We are here to ask the lands some questions.”

We stopped as somepony spun the spinners. “Quick Quip as a ninja!”

The star of the show landed behind me. “Behold, my incredible sneaking skills!” He loudly proclaimed before stomping across the stage. “I will now-”

“Too loud. . .” Sunflower, playing a tired pony and laying on the stage, grabbed Quick Quip and kept him in place. Her name hadn’t come up on the spinners for a while, and it looked more and more like she was about to actually fall asleep.

“No! Ensnared by my own trap! Not again!”

The day was certainly interesting, to say the least.

I collapsed onto the couch when I got home. The many roles I’d played and switched between kept bouncing around in my head, and thinking had become difficult.

“So, how was Quick Quip’s cute ceañera?” Mom asked from the kitchen as she made dinner. The sizzling sounds sounded very appropriate for my fried brain.

“Too wild,” I answered after getting the brainpower together that I needed. “It reminded me of my time with Pinkie Pie.”

“I can imagine that. Oh, Skyla won’t be home tonight. She’s out celebrating Comet Kicker’s cute ceañera and it’s going to be a sleepover.”

I raised my head at the information. “Didn’t she just go to a cute ceañera last week?”

“And the week before. At this rate, she’ll be attending a cute ceañera every week, and she has enough friends for it too.”

I let the two rocks fall from my telekinetic grip. “Hey, dad?”

“Yes, Inova?” dad asked.

“What do you think my cutie mark will be?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea. When I was a blank flank colt, I wanted to try my hoof at making armor, since that’s kind of my name.”

I dramatically gasped. “No! Really?”

“Oh, yes! Anyways, it turned out that I didn’t really have the fortitude to handle the heat of a forge, so I had to give that up after nearly a month of effort. Later on, while I was playing with my friends, I heard a flare spell go wrong and I saw it land on the other side of a stone wall by the playground. Before I knew it, I was right in front of the wall and had a shield up. The flare exploded, along with the wall, right onto my barrier.”

“Did you die?”

“Yes, but I got better!” We took a moment to chuckle at the banter. “When the dust cleared, I had my cutie mark, along with dust and debris in my coat, and a pretty bad headache. Nopony else was affected by the blast, and I was glad about that.”

“Cool! Wait, how did you know it was a flare spell gone wrong?”

“I saw it on a field trip once. It made a very loud whistling sound and had a dark red glow. Twilight was with me, and she immediately tried to tell the recruit what he did wrong. She was only four years old at the time. Anyways, let’s get back to your levitation practice.”

I found Brooke during lunch outdoors one Monday and sat with her. Not only because she was a friend of mine, but also because her presence provided me with some protection from Nightshade. “What’s up?” I asked.

“I’m working on tomorrow’s plot,” she said. “So no peeking.”

“Can I read one of the H&H volumes then?”

“I’ve only got this one with me right now.” She floated volume 15 onto the table and opened it for me.

“Thanks.” I ate my salad at a leisurely pace while I read her story of the events. While I did remember them clearly from the games we played, reading about them from the way she wrote it was a very different experience. As I got more absorbed in the story, I started forgetting about my lunch.

As I reached the conclusion of the encounter, a magic sound caught my attention. “Inova!”

I looked at Brooke, and she was very excited. “Yes?”

“My cutie mark appeared!” She got out of her chair and turned so I could see the mark, which looked like an open book and a quill over a flowing stream.

“Congratulations!” I was very happy for Brooke getting her cutie mark, but I also felt a bit of dread. She was probably going to have a cute ceañera, and I didn’t feel entirely ready to celebrate another one.

One thing I was really happy about was that everypony around us didn’t join in on the celebration. Brooke and I had more than enough positive energy between us.

“Let’s see. . .” Brooke went back to writing, and I wasn’t about to stop her. I also wasn’t about to mention that I caught a glimpse of a new name she wrote: Wrhai. As much as I wanted to know more, I knew it would be better to wait.

On Saturday, we all met up at a place that had opened recently in the Empire: the Tsunami Water Park. “Thanks for showing up, everypony,” Brooke said at the entrance. “I ordered VIP day passes for us. All we have to do is get them and we’ll have access to expedited lines, the spa, and free snacks.”

I looked around, then let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Good thing Skyla didn’t hear you say that.” My comment got some laughter from everypony, including me.

We went to the ticket booth and Brooke talked to the mare behind the counter. Once she confirmed the list (and looked surprised when she noticed I was there), she levitated out some thin blue bands and put one around the base of each of our necks, except for Girder. His band went closer to the middle of his neck, and the mare took care to make sure it wasn’t uncomfortable with his short mane under it.

“So, where first?” Sunflower asked. “That big slide looks fun!”

“That was my first idea,” Brooke said. “Follow me, everypony.”

As we followed Brooke, I couldn’t quite shake the weird feeling that I was underdressed for the water park. Nopony except the park staff was wearing anything, as was normal, but the confusion I felt kept hovering over me like a strange cloud.

I quickly became glad that we had the VIP passes, since the normal lines were pretty long. We still had to climb the spiral stairs and wait since the mare up top was alternating between the normal and VIP lines, sending two ponies at a time.

As we waited, I suddenly realized I had never taken any swimming lessons and a knot of nervousness made its home in my chest. Knowing I was immortal helped a little bit, along with the mare sending two at a time from a line on a double inner tube thing.

I had the mixed fortune of being with Quick Quip for my ride down. He seemed comfortable with everything, which calmed me down a bit, but I had no idea what the goofball would do. “Our turn!” He happily said when it was our turn. “Inova, how about you take the front end?”

“Why?” I asked.

“If you point your horn forward, we’ll be more aerodynamic and go faster!”

The mare watching the slide had a hoof over her muzzle as she struggled to hold back a chuckle. “Whenever you’re ready, go.”

Not wanting to hold up the lines, I got on the front part of the dual tube. Once Quick Quip was on, we were sent down. The slide had twists, turns, and crests where our speed nearly launched us off, with water falling from above occasionally soaking us. Towards the end, there was a sign telling us to not get off the tube. Shortly after the slide ended and we floated along, the reason became clear when a lift came up from below, picking us up and moving us along until getting dumped out and into a shallow pool where other ponies on dual tubes were getting off and out.

Brooke, Diamond, Girder, and Sunflower were waiting for us. Soprano and Hearthstone weren’t far behind, and all of us were soaked. “Where next, oh fearless leader?” Quick Quip dramatically asked.

Brooke looked around, then made her decision. “Let’s go to the rapids next!”

After a multitude of fast and slow things that soaked us repeatedly and left us feeling chilly in the Empire’s cool air, we went to the VIP exclusive spa to wind down and warm up in a hot tub.

While everypony was chatting about the fun we had, I found myself nodding off. The pleasantly scented air, the warm water, being surrounded by my friends, and the thrill of the rides wearing off made it difficult to stay awake. I chose not to fight it too much.

The next thing I knew, I wasn’t in the water. There was a towel over my back and I was moving on something. “What happened?”

“You used Soapy as a pillow in the hot tub,” Sunflower said. I looked down at her, then realized I was looking down. “We moved you to Girder’s back and called it a day.”

“Huh?” I worked through the warm and fuzzy haze of sleep and figured out what happened. “Wait, did we leave because of me? I’m sorry!”

“It was just a coincidence, Inova,” Brooke calmly said. “The spa was our last stop at the park anyways. Just stay up there and we’ll take you home.”

I glanced around and saw that Diamond, Hearthstone, Quick Quip, and Soprano weren’t with us. “Where’s everypony else?”

“They went home,” Girder said. “Different routes, you know?”

“Oh.”

By the time we got to my place, I was already feeling sleepy again. After I was gently dropped off, I made my way inside.

“Hey sis!” Skyla happily greeted me as I closed the door. “Was the water park any fun?”

“Yeah, it. . .” A big yawn escaped me. “It was fun.”

“That’s a nice towel you got. It looks good.”

“Huh?”

“The towel on your back.”

I looked back and saw the towel draped across my back. The ends had a blue wave pattern while the middle was white. “Oh. I guess it’s mine now? I’m going to bed.”

“But mom hasn’t even started supper yet.”

“I’m tired. Good night, sis.” I went to my room, climbed into bed, and fell asleep without my blankets on me. The towel was good enough.

A random question struck me during a break in Princess practice. “Mom, are there any special laws around cutie marks?”

“Can you be more specific?” Mom asked.

“Well, like, do you need a cutie mark before you can be a parent?”

I caught a glimpse of an exasperated look before mom answered with a smile. “No, you don’t, although there used to be laws around that centuries ago in Equestria. Unfortunately, some ponies actually think such laws are current.”

“There were?”

“Yes. Celestia got rid of those because it turns out that some ponies’ special talent is being a very good mother or father. Those marks tend to appear much later than others, for obvious reasons.”

I nodded in understanding. “That makes sense.”

“Before that, there were also laws that dictated what jobs a pony could have based on their cutie mark. That led to the Artists Rebellion in. . . Around 340 A.N.M., I believe. The ponies involved stormed Canterlot Castle, defaced much of the interior, and actually killed a number of guards and staff, stopping only when Celestia caught them all in a telekinetic bubble.”

“What happened next?”

“Celestia picked out the leader and talked to him first, after getting him to calm down. That was the first she’d heard of that law, and she spent the next week looking for its documentation. In one session, she struck the law down and punished those who had raided the castle. Their punishments involved repairing and replacing what they’d damaged, under armed guard watch, and she personally painted the phrase ‘was it worth it?’ in gold on one wall of each of their cells. Seeing the question every day eventually made them break down in tears, one by one, and she was there to help them come to terms with the results of their methods.”

“Would things have turned out differently if they petitioned normally?”

“At the time, they couldn’t. Things were very different back then. However, I think that if they could have petitioned, they would have gotten the positive change without any bloodshed or punishments.” Mom’s attention was caught by the announcer clearing his throat. “Back to Princess lessons, Inova.”

One day, during a slightly less crazy than usual, but still pretty crazy game of H&H, it happened again. Soprano was singing a beautiful song she’d come up with for Aurora, and just as she finished, there was a flash of light from her flanks.

Quick Quip did not hesitate. “Le gasp! Une marque de cutie!”

“He said the same thing when he got his mark,” I told dad.

“Really?” Dad asked. “Come on, Soprano. Let’s see your mark.”

Soprano got out of her chair and let us see her cutie mark. It was a simple music note, except for the straight parts having a slight curve to them, like it was in motion. It looked and felt very appropriate for her.

“Any cute ceañera ideas?” Brooke asked.

Only a few seconds of thought went into her request. “Prince Armor, can we have a karaoke party in the castle auditorium?”

“With or without an audience?” Dad asked as he got a spare piece of paper and a pencil from Brooke.

“Can it be just us and our families? I don’t want too much of an audience.”

“I can look into it and have Inova give you the answer tomorrow.”

“Thank you!” Soprano sat back down and turned to Brooke. “So, did the song of peace appease him?”

Brooke made the call after a few seconds and no dice rolls. “Despite being a literal god of war and the embodiment of rage, Wrhai is moved by your song, and decides to leave you and the party alone for now, leaving everyone free to explore the fiery bloodscape that his attacks created.” She checked her notes. “And due to unforeseen circumstances, today’s session must be cut short.” We all gave our customary halfhearted groans of disappointment that accompanied the end of a session.

“Is everything alright, Inova?” dad asked as we went to the castle. “You look a bit tense.”

“It’s alright,” I said. “I’m happy for Soprano getting her cutie mark.”

“Is it because the game was cut short?”

“No. It’s. . .” My voice trailed off as I failed to find the words I wanted. “I don’t know what it is.”

It turned out that most of my friends had siblings, which surprised me. Nopony mentioned any of them before, so the herd in the auditorium made me only a little bit nervous. The only friend without any siblings was Diamond.

“Thanks for coming, everypony,” Soprano, surrounded by her family, said from the stage. “I know karaoke is a rather silly thing for a cute ceañera, but I believe we can and will have fun with it!”

Soprano and her family went first. Her voice was very nice, her parents’ voices were good, and her two little brothers were way off. While it was a bit rough to listen to, it was still fun to watch.

Hearthstone, along with his big brother, little sister, and parents, did their best to match Soprano and her family. All of them sounded off key, and any attempts to remain serious faltered with the silly song the machine had randomly picked for them.

Quick Quip apparently inherited his silliness from both of his parents, and so too did his two older sisters and little brother. All of them managed to get comedic jabs in at each other between verses, and turned a serious song into something entertaining.

Diamond and her parents got a sappy romance song that left her face with a deep red blush and her parents happily leaning against each other.

Sunflower was the middle of three sisters, and as they sang in front of and with their parents, each one tried to take the middle position. It almost turned into a fight, which I found rather amusing.

Girder and his dad were both heavily muscled while his mom and older sister were slim and elegant, kind of like mom. The fact that Girder was the second biggest pony in the group, behind his dad, was surprising.

Brooke and her dad sang together onstage. Her mom stayed in the seats with a three week old colt in her forelegs. To my relief, Brooke’s little brother, the main source of my nervousness, was happy with the karaoke party and wasn’t raising a fuss.

Finally, it was time for me and my family to go onstage. Our song was, appropriately, a song of royalty. It was one I’d heard a few times before, so I knew most of the words. At the end, there were a multitude of surprised faces, including my own. As the praise for my singing voice died down, I admitted that I had no idea I could sing as well as I did.

As the cute ceañera went on, we went up in different groups to sing, with the exception of Brooke’s mom and brother. All in all, it was pretty fun.

“You’re very easy to please, Inova,” Aunt Celestia said one evening during the regular Hearth’s Warming trip to Canterlot.

“I like the quiet,” I said from under Aunt Celestia’s wing. The lit fireplace we were laying in front of was one of my favorite parts of the Canterlot trips since there wasn’t one at home, and it was away from everything else that was going on.

“As do I. Would you like to hear one of my lesser known skills?”

“Sure.” My intrigue turned to confusion when I heard and felt a soft rumbling sound coming from her. “Are you. . .”

“Yes, I can purr like a cat. It took lots of practice, but I can do it.”

“Why?”

“I’ve been around a long time, so I’ve had time to pick up odd skills. Luna freaked out shortly after her return when I did that, then told me she never said to stop.”

I smiled at the scene I was imagining. “Did she call you Catlestia?”

Aunt Celestia lightly laughed. “She did. I still have the litter box she got me as a prank gift. It may be a common mundane item for dirty stuff, but it holds a special place in my heart since it was the first thing she gave me as a gift after her return.”

I was just leaving history class when Diamond almost crashed into me. “Inova! Guess what?” Before I could guess, she turned, and on her flank was what looked like a heart shape carved out of a diamond. “I got my cutie mark!”

“When?” I asked. Her flanks were blank earlier in the day, and I obviously hadn’t seen the event.

“You know when I was holding Cherry back so you could get to class on time earlier today?”

Cherry, one of Nightshade’s herd, liked to block me in the halls from time to time. Despite her unassuming name and stature, she was a very strong earth pony. Her blockade game was one that I usually played by standing still and doing nothing.

“What happened?” I started walking to my next class as Diamond told the tale.

“It was after you’d left. Nightshade and the rest of her herd showed up and tried to tell me how pitiful I was for taking pity on you, and then offered to let me join her herd.”

“Which you didn’t.”

“Of course I wouldn’t. You’re my friend. I think my mark means that I’m good at being. . . Uhm. . . What’s the word for not backing down?”

I gave it some thought. “Does ‘resolute’ sound right?”

“Yes! I’m good at standing resolute for those I care about. Unbreakable, even!”

I smiled at Diamond’s story, even as what I could only describe as preemptive fatigue seemed to settle in the back of my head. I had no idea what the cute ceañera would be like. I knew I’d go and have fun, but I also wanted it to just be over.

I stopped at the familiar door to Diamond’s home and knocked. I was feeling both tense and tired at the same time, but I did my best to push those aside and keep a smile on my face. I was not about to be the party pooper.

Nick opened the door. “Inova, come on in.”

“Thanks.” I went in and saw that the house was decorated with banners, paper chains, and other shiny things. Various party games were set up around the house, and I noticed that I wasn’t the last one to arrive. “Where’s Quick Quip?”

“He’s probably running late,” Diamond said. “Who wants to play pin the tail on the pony?”

Hearthstone volunteered to go first, quickly got blindfolded, spun around, given the tail, and sent in the general direction of the pony on the wall. The fact that the picture was Pinkie Pie was both surprising and made sense.

While we encouraged and tried to guide Hearthstone, I heard Ruby quietly singing to herself as she took a cake out of the oven. The promise of fresh cake lifted my mood quite a bit.

Hearthstone got the tail on the mane, and we laughed at how far off he was. Girder went next, and he missed the picture entirely. The rest of us missed as well, though Diamond got close.

Quick Quip arrived right after my failed attempt. “Sorry about the delay, everypony. I got held up helping at my sister’s coffee stand.”

“Coffee stand?” Sunflower asked.

“You could say I’m latte to the party now.” A look of realization crossed his face. “She set me up! Again!”

“Who wants to play Twister for my amusement?” Diamond asked in as haughty of a voice as she could.

“Twenty bits on Girder!” Nick called out from elsewhere in the house.

“Twenty on Soprano!” Ruby responded.

“It is on!” Girder went to the Twister mat, followed by the rest of us.

Diamond spun the spinner. “Right forehoof on yellow!”

I was the first to fall, and I sat by Diamond as the game continued. Soprano and Quick Quip had the extra challenge of keeping their wings out of everypony’s way. Ruby was waving a fan over the cooling cake and cupcakes, all fresh from the oven, and it was having an effect. Everypony’s attention was split between the game and the dessert. Seeing my friends get tormented like that was actually pretty fun.

“Oh, I still need to make the icing,” Ruby said in what had to be a deliberate taunt. “And the second layer. Keep having fun, everypony!”

The Twister game continued, and eventually, Girder emerged as the winner.

There were more games to play and things to do, and Diamond’s parents got in on the fun with their own commentary.

Finally, it was time for the cake. It was red velvet cake with a hint of citrus that made it incredibly delicious, and it was the perfect way to wrap up the party. The cupcakes were given out as parting gifts in varying amounts. I got four, which was enough for me to share with my family.

“Are you okay, Inova?” Mom asked over dinner. “You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine,” I said as I poked at my meal. I felt fine, but I also felt drained.

“Did something happen at Diamond’s party?”

“No, it was good. I had fun.”

“Maybe Diamond’s party wasn’t exciting enough?” Dad suggested.

I repeated myself. “No, it was good. I had fun.”

“Was it too much party?” Skyla asked.

“Pinkie wasn’t there, so no.”

Mom made a decision. “Inova, how about you go to bed early? We’ll save your cupcake.”

“Okay.” I left my dinner and slowly walked to my room. Going to bed sounded good.

Seven foals sat in a circle. The group of eight was missing its one alicorn, as she was taking her Princess lessons and couldn’t make it. “So, what’s up, Diamond?” Sunflower asked in her usual upbeat voice. “It’s gotta be something important, right?”

“Well. . .” Diamond awkwardly started before briefly glancing at the spot where Inova normally would be in the circle. “It’s something I’ve noticed about Inova.”

Naturally, Quick Quip made a smart remark with a dramatic gasp. “Don’t tell me she’s an alicorn in disguise!”

“She’s an alicorn not in disguise,” Soprano dryly said.

“Whew! That was a close one.”

Diamond spoke up before things got more out of hoof. “Did any of you notice how drained she looked at my cute ceañera?”

Brooke telekinetically held Quick Quip’s muzzle shut before he could say anything. “She did look a bit tired from the start when she arrived.”

“She did have some difficulty playing Twister,” Girder said.

“I thought that was just her normal hoof issues,” Hearthstone said.

“It may have been that,” Sunflower concurred. “But even before that, she wasn’t quite as. . . Lively as usual.”

“What do you think, Diamond?” Soprano asked. “You’re her closest friend, so you might know something.”

Diamond gave it some thought as Brooke tentatively let go of Quick Quip’s muzzle. “I think she just doesn’t have the energy for all our cute ceañeras,” Diamond concluded.

“How can that be?” Brooke incredulously asked. “There was over a month between each cutie mark we got, and you’re saying it takes her longer than that to get the energy to celebrate another one?”

“Or maybe one party just sticks with her longer,” Quick Quip suggested. “I heard Skyla’s been to a cute ceañera every week for her friends this school year.”

“Every week?” It was Girder’s turn to be surprised. “How does she have the time and energy for that?”

“It’s obviously the lure of cake,” Soprano said. “She’s there to celebrate and make sure there are no leftovers. As a Princess, she is doing the work of cleaning up after her subjects.”

“Quick Quip’s been a terrible influence on you, Soapy,” Brooke pointed out.

Quick Quip stood a bit taller and puffed out his chest at the praise. “Why thank you.”

Diamond got things back on track. “The point is that Inova may want to skip the next cute ceañera, so we need to tell her that she can.”

“But she’ll probably do the tough girl thing and show up anyways,” Sunflower said.

“I never said she would take the offer. I’ll see if I can tell her later.”

Hearthstone was waiting for us at the entrance to Pristine Pearl one Sunday. He’d sent letters out to us the day before with Soapy’s help asking us to meet up there in the morning. I had a funny feeling about what he had to say.

He got right to the point. “Everypony, as you may have known or suspected, I’ve gotten my cutie mark.” He turned and revealed the mark he’d gotten: a stone block fireplace with a fire inside it.

“Audible gasp!” Quick Quip exclaimed.

“I would also like to announce my cute ceañera party.” At those words a groan escaped me. I’d be there, but I simply was not made for parties every few months. “We’re going to build an outdoor arrangement at my place.”

I perked up a bit. “That’s it?”

“Well, not all of it. We also need to pick up the materials. Thankfully, my parents already have that paid for, and we even have a wagon we can use.” He pointed to a wagon that was next to us.

“How did I not notice that?” Sunflower asked. “And why are there three harnesses on it?”

“Stone is heavy.” Girder said as he went to the middle harness, which was also the biggest. “Diamond, Sunflower, you’re helping me.”

Brooke looked between the harnesses and our group. “Why isn’t there a fourth harness for Inova? She’s got earth pony strength too. I think.”

“If something goes wrong, I need ponies with better hoofwork and control than she does,” Hearthstone pointed out.

“He’s right, you know,” I added. While I was glad to not be pulling, part of me really wanted to help with that part of it.

After a few rocky starts, Girder, Sunflower, and Diamond were pulling as a decently coordinated team. Along the way, Hearthstone revealed how he got his cutie mark: he was at home drawing layout after layout for his backyard after his parents started talking about building something there. He presented his ideas to them, and when they chose one of his instead of a professionally designed one, he realized his talent for designing and planning. By his own admission, his budgeting skills still needed some work.

The materials we picked up consisted of stone blocks, stone slabs, a few metal frames and pieces with no immediately clear purpose, a crate of miscellaneous stuff, and some outdoor furniture. The distinction between indoor and outdoor furniture was almost meaningless in the Crystal Empire, but it was still there.

Girder, Diamond, and Sunflower had a hard time moving the fully loaded wagon, so Hearthstone and Brooke, flanking the wagon, used their levitation to make the load a little easier to move. Quick Quip flew ahead and announced the incoming block party while Soprano kept an eye on the cargo from the air. With my limited levitation abilities, I occasionally gave the wagon a telekinetic push from behind. It wasn’t much, but there was definitely a small burst of speed when I helped, and that actually made me smile.

Once the wagon was parked and the earth ponies detached, we all collapsed into a pony pile to rest and catch our breath. “Maybe we should have gotten it delivered,” Diamond got out between breaths.

“My parents couldn’t afford that,” Hearthstone replied. “Not after my miscalculations.”

After a few minutes of rest, I was the first one off of the pile. There were markers planted in the ground already, with a circle in the middle and two identical curved sections a distance from it. “So, what’s the plan?” I asked.

“Fire pit, tables, decorations,” Hearthstone said. “I’ll get the plans for the stone stuff in a bit.”

Once everypony had recovered, it was time to unload the wagon. Brooke and Hearthstone levitated groups of things off while Soprano and Quick Quip took individual items off. Girder got the crate open, then Sunflower, Diamond, and I took things out and organized them for later use. The box of tiki torches was pretty odd to me, but I trusted that Hearthstone had a plan for them.

“We’ll start with the fire pit,” Hearthstone decided. “It’s sixteen wedges to a circle, and we’ll start with two circles of red blocks. We’ll also need the stone glue.”

We moved and got the materials over to the fire pit area. “Do we need glue on the sides of the blocks?” Brooke asked.

“Nope, just the top.” Once Hearthstone put the first block down, the rest of us went to work. He made sure the blocks were perfectly placed before we put down the glue and the next layer of blocks, offset by half a block.

The next layer was red wedges and hollow black metal pieces. After that, Hearthstone started being more specific with the block colors, mixing in tan, then dark gray. The stones that capped it off were all dark gray, and once it was done, we stepped back to look at our work. “Is there some sort of design in there?” Soprano asked. “I’m not seeing it.”

“Think of a campfire,” Hearthstone explained.

The design became clear to me with those words. I could see the red flames, yellow glow, and gray smoke in the design. “That’s so cool! But what about the hollow parts?”

“That is to let heat out to warm more of your body at once. It also lets the fire burn better. Just make sure to watch your tail.”

By the time we finished one table, we were all thoroughly exhausted and sore. “Hey, Hearthstone?” Diamond asked from atop the pony pile we were in.

“Yes, Diamond?” Hearthstone answered.

“Can we stay here tonight? I’m too tired to walk home.” Her statement got a chorus of agreement from the rest of us.

“I dunno. Mom!”

His mom, a soft pink unicorn, showed up. “What is it, Hearthstone?”

“Can my friends sleepover tonight? We’re all really tired.”

She looked between the pile of us and somewhere inside the house. “I’ll prepare for it while your dad informs your families.”

“Thank you,” I and a few others said from the pile.

It took most of an hour before Hearthstone’s dad came back, his saddlebags close to breaking and three flat boxes on his back. “I got pizza.” Those three words made us cheer, and Hearthstone levitated the boxes to the dining table.

As we had supper, I couldn’t help but overhear Hearthstone’s parents talking. Being closest to them and turning my ears towards them made it easier. “What were you thinking, getting pizza?” She quietly chided. “How much did it cost?”

“Mr. Slice gave them to me,” he explained. “I told him what was going on, he had some leftover pies, and he let me have them for free. I also got the foals’ saddlebags from everypony since they have school tomorrow.”

“You didn’t have to. Pristine Pearl allows absences for cute ceañeras.”

“I will not. Hearthstone may have decided to have the most subdued and productive cute ceañera of all time, but celebration or not, these are also the final weeks of the school year. None of them can afford to miss a day.”

I turned my ears forwards and my attention towards the pizza. As I ate, I realized that Hearthstone’s party really didn’t feel like a party. We were all working as a team to make something, and that felt much more satisfying to me than a normal party. I decided that my cute ceañera, whenever it happened, would be similarly productive.

Sunflower, Brooke, Diamond, Soprano, and I slept in a pony pile on the floor in Hearthstone’s sister’s room. She was incredibly excited that I was there, and if it weren’t for Diamond talking her down, none of us would have gotten any sleep.

After school on Monday, we all went back to Hearthstone’s place to finish construction. The second table went up with little issue, followed by putting together and placing the furniture.

Each of us planted a tiki torch at the corner of each table to finish it off. “I declare this cute ceañera complete!” Hearthstone stated once we were done. “Thanks for sticking through the whole thing, everypony. I was worried some of you would leave before it was done.”

“What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t stick through it?” Brooke teased. “Besides, I needed a break from writing, and I got some ideas out of it too.”

“Not gonna lie, I’m actually feeling really good after all that work,” Sunflower added. “I feel very satisfied with it.”

The smile on my face felt more honest to me than in previous cute ceañeras, and I was much happier than when we were at the water park.

I decided to voice something that had been on my mind for a while after another perfectly executed flop during wing practice. “Mom, why haven’t I met your parents?”

She tensed up immediately at the question. “Ah, that.” She looked around while I got back to my hooves. “Well, you know I was born a pegasus, right?”

“Yeah.”

“After getting my cutie mark and becoming an alicorn, my parents. . . They kind of went a bit mad with pride. They even came up with the name Mi Amore Cadenza to make me sound even more important. I put up with being trotted around like a trophy child and using that name for a while when I wasn’t in Canterlot and taking magic or Princess lessons from Celestia.”

“Oh.” I was starting to understand why I’d never seen mom’s parents based on the glimpse I’d been given.

She continued, and I understood more. “Celestia did reasonable things to try and get them to back off a bit. Foalsitting Twilight was one of those things, but they spun it into yet another thing to brag about. From what I’ve heard, they’ve only gotten worse since you and your sister were born.”

“Is that why you don’t want to go to Vanhoover?”

“Yes. My parents are so bad about bragging, the rest of the city decided to simply give them a lot of land for free just to put a whole extra mile between them and the town. It was unanimous from the city council and the citizens, and that was before you were born. If you ask the ponies there, they all get this particular look on their face. It’s hard to describe, but it’s very understandable. Coincidentally, my parents are the only ponies in the world not allowed to travel to the Crystal Empire.”

I didn’t know what mom’s parents looked like, but I could imagine the chaos that would be caused by them going around bragging about their relation to us and demanding special treatment just for being mom’s parents. It was not a pleasant picture. The only silver lining I could see was that it would be something Nightshade and I could be friends over, but that wasn’t worth torturing the Empire.

Author's Note

The entire population of Vanhoover has mastered what we call the "I Met Excalibur" look.

This chapter took a lot of little bits of work to put together. Sometimes, I only got one sentence down in a day. Other times, less than that.

Sixth Grade Stuff

It was the first day of sixth grade, and I was no longer a student at Pristine Pearl. I stood in the middle of the wide street and looked at the building where I’d made my friends and let out a sad sigh. For so long, it was where I spent most of my time, especially after getting dragged into my circle of friends. The idea of going on without them made me feel sad.

“So long, Pristine Pearl.” I solemnly turned around and faced my next school, Dazzling Diamond, which was right across the street. Well, I would have faced it, but there were seven ponies standing in front of me. “Hey, everypony!”

“Hey, Inova!” All my friends cheered.

“Are you ready for more H&H?” Brooke dramatically asked.

“H&H is good, but the real question is if everypony’s ready for Quick Quip,” I said.

Hearthstone glanced at the grinning green goofball of the group. “We’re used to him.”

“I don’t think she meant us,” Soapy stated. “Right, Inova?”

“Right,” I confirmed. “He will be a menace this school has rarely known! And we’ll be there too!”

As we walked up the steps to our new school, I found myself wishing we all had matching sunglasses to help make our entrance more dramatic. Some appropriate music and lighting would have helped as well.

On our second Tuesday in Dazzling Diamond, we met up after our last class in a room Brooke had chosen for our H&H games. “Welcome, everypony,” she ominously greeted. “Your doom awaits.”

“Again?” Sunflower tiredly asked. “I had doom last week. Don’t you have anything different?”

“It was just an entrance exam,” I said. “It won’t affect your grade.”

“Says the only one that aced it.”

I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m just good at math.” I took my usual seat by Brooke, and before long, we were gathered around.

Brooke began narrating. “We’ll pick up where we-”

“Sorry I’m late,” dad said as he joined us. “I started going to Pristine Pearl before remembering to come here. Who decided to put these schools across from each other anyways?”

Quick Quip began whistling and looking to the side, like he was trying to play innocent.

“Future time travel issues aside, let’s pick up where we left off a few months ago.” Brooke opened her book and we began our first game at Dazzling Diamond.

The band of nine cleared out some demonic foot soldiers before turning to their target: the orange alicorn stallion that was actually the king of the demons, Flame Sparkle. “You’re pretty good, I’ll give you that,” the demon that didn’t really look like a demon said. “But discretion is the better part of valor, and with that, I once again leave!” He casually teleported away and released an explosion that knocked everyone down.

Solaria was the first one back to her feet. “Everyone good?” Her question was met with a chorus of pained groans. “I guess not.” She planted her staff in the ground and produced a star spinner. Queen Nova, in her personal quest to keep the goodwill of her team after a terrible incident she’d led them into, had offered to upgrade everyone’s gear. Solaria put the star in the middle of the sun on the end of her staff and gave it a good spin. “Healing technique!” The star called out as Solaria began making the rounds to heal everyone, starting with Aurora.

“Thank you,” Aurora gratefully said as she got up and to her feet. She started playing her guitar and singing a soothing song to help with the healing.

The pained groans turned into ones of exhaustion. Yet again, Flame Sparkle had escaped the party’s wrath.

Rita sat up and crossed something out on a map. “That’s three known locations of his. We have one more place to check, and he won’t get away this time.”

“You’re sure?” Joakim asked.

“It’s a pattern of his, according to what’s known about him. Once we’re out of here, we’ll mount up, resupply, and go get him.”

Sunflower pulled me aside one day after our math class ended. “Hey Inova, can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” I said.

“Do you feel. . . Awkward without a cutie mark here? I do.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why would I feel that way?”

“Nearly everypony else here does, and I don’t. Don’t you?”

“Not really, no.”

“But how?”

I gave it some serious thought. “Well. . . I guess I just don’t care about having blank flanks like a lot of ponies do.”

“Really? That’s it?”

“Yeah. I’ll get my mark when I get it, and that’s how it is. Anything else?”

A bit of hysteria entered her voice. “My little sister got her cutie mark before me! How does that work?”

I moved on instinct and pulled her into a hug. “I still can’t use my wings right, you know. Brooke and Hearthstone outclass me in magic. You’re better than me with your hooves. It’s just how it is.”

Sunflower returned the hug and seemed to have calmed down a bit. “That’s not very helpful, you know.”

“That's what I’ve got.”

Queen Nova held her signature weapon’s barrel up between the nearly defeated demon king’s eyes. “I’ll allow you some last words,” she said.

Flame Sparkle, beaten, bruised, battered, and lightly fried, started chuckling. “You may kill me, but I’ll have the last laugh.”

With one blast, the demon king was dead, his body catching fire and burning to ash. “At least I’m still alive.”

Just as the party turned to leave, an ominous red orb of light came up out of the ashes, flew straight at Queen Nova, knocked her over, and went into her body. Solaria noticed and began checking her over. “She’s cursed now.”

“With what?” Joakim asked.

We looked at the 15 on the die. Brooke looked like she wanted to hide somewhere far away from the Empire. “Uhm. . . Prince Armor? Please don’t get mad at me for this?”

“You made a list of curses and let the die decide, so go ahead and tell us what it is,” dad calmly said. “It can’t be that bad, right?”

The d20 was rolled again. “18 on severity. Inova, I’m sorry about this.”

A harem of tantalizingly dressed women appeared out of nowhere, pushed past everyone, and began fawning over Queen Nova, trying to get her to wake up.

“Woah woah woah!” Joakim easily pulled two of the women off of Queen Nova.

“Fear not!” Rex activated his Gorilla data artifact, opened it, and slid it into the belt Queen Nova had made for him. With the strength boost, he was able to push some of the women aside.

Ferria chose to skip out on being gentle and swung her hammer, dealing critical damage and causing two of the women to vanish in a puff of magic.

The respite would be very brief, as two new women appeared moments later and ran straight to Queen Nova.

“How bad is 18 severity?” I warily asked.

“You can’t get rid of them and they will follow you everywhere. You’re stuck with a magical harem surrounding you at all times.”

“Everywhere everywhere?”

“Everywhere everywhere. Unless you’d like to try to reduce the severity with a determination check.”

I rolled the d20. “What does a 12 get me?”

Queen Nova shot to her feet, and even with most of her face hidden, it was clear that she was not happy. “Get in line!” She nearly yelled at the harem, and they obeyed the force of her words. “You can follow me around, but when I want some privacy, you will let me have it. Am I clear?”

“Yes, my queen,” the harem, numbering ten strong, said in unison. “But only for fifteen minutes,” one of the middle ones teased.

The cursed woman let out a rough sigh of resignation. “You know what, that’s good enough. I’ll take that.”

Rita looked over the new group. “So, how will you manage this?”

“I don’t know. I’ll figure something out. Let’s go.”

The adventurers and the queen’s harem had to fight Flame Sparkle’s remaining devoted followers on the way out, during which, some things were learned about the harem curse.

Their devotion to her was practically absolute, to the point where they would use their bodies to shield her. The death of one did not affect the morale of the others, even when it was by Queen Nova’s own hand. It did not take long for a new one to appear when one died, and the new one was just as devoted as the one that she was replacing. They also had a tendency to get in the way of the other adventurers in battle, causing more chaos on the battlefield. The only one who wasn’t negatively affected was Jester, as he was able to roll with one spawning right under him and catching a ride on her shoulders.

Finally, the team made it back to the tavern and the man who had given them their mission. “The demon king is dead? I will spread the news and the people shall rejoice. But. . . Um. . . What happened?”

“I can’t get rid of them.” Queen Nova demonstrated by casually shooting one of her harem in the head, causing her to disappear and get replaced, with none of the others caring or worried. “It was a parting curse. I need to find some way to get rid of it.”

“There are many men who would call that a gift, but I digress. For your success, I will see that all of you are paid and rank up appropriately.”

Wallace pushed through the harem and pat the queen’s shoulder. “That gold star rank is yours now.”

“Thanks,” Queen Nova dryly said.

“Let’s get some dinner,” Solaria suggested. “Maybe we should eat outside.”

“I don’t like this,” Queen Nova stated.

“I did my best,” Wallace said as he reclaimed his shields. He’d tried using them to give Queen Nova some space while she ate, but the harem had pushed past them with relative ease. The shields just weren’t made to handle forces like the harem, who simply went around the barriers.

“Would you like some rice, my queen?” One of the harem offered.

“Or maybe some chicken, my queen?” Another offered from the opposite side.

Quick Quip got in on the act. “One comes from over her shoulder. ‘Maybe you’d like some dessert now, my queen?’”

Diamond was next. “And from the other shoulder, ‘you look thirsty, my queen. Water?”

“Stop it,” I weakly protested.

“No no no, she offers a cup of tea,” Sunflower said.

Soprano added to it. “No, that’s another one, from above, with a whole tea set. Enough for everyone, my queen.”

“Is there room for more?” Girder asked.

Brooke gave it some thought. “Queen Nova and her harem have a big table to themselves, and the harem may or may not decide to sit on the table as well, to admire and pamper their queen.”

“Then let’s have one sitting on the table in front of Queen Nova with her meal on her lap.”

“And two of them are serving as a cushion for her,” Hearthstone added.

I sighed in defeat. “And the last two?”

“I have nothing,” dad said, though I suspected that wasn’t true.

“They’re laying on the table and praising you,” Brooke said. “They’re praising you for your good looks, your combat abilities, your intelligence, and your cunning.”

Queen Nova, surrounded by her harem and praise, was doing her best to remain civil. She was incredibly annoyed, and as much as she wanted to start blasting, it would not only look bad, but it wouldn’t work for long before they came back. “I don’t need your help just to eat,” she growled out.

“Oh, but you look so tired,” one of the two laying on the table said. The concern and worry in her voice was thick enough to cut with a knife. “Let us take care of you.”

Queen Nova eventually relented. She did not enjoy her meal. She may have been pampered and taken care of quite well in the Novarian Imperium, but not to the extent that the harem was taking it.

I was laying by myself in front of the lit fireplace in Aunt Celestia’s room. She was busy giving Skyla some princess lessons with the Canterlot nobles, and it was clear that my sister had much more patience for them than I did.

“Here is our bill to provide crown funds to a multitude of orphanages across Equestria,” Sweet Heart said as she levitated the bill and set it down in front of me. “Will you approve it, Princess Inova?”

I looked at the side of the bill before picking up and reading the first page of the two inch thick piece of legislation. The second page was on the back of the first, and a quick inspection revealed that all but the last page were double sided. “Just give me some time to read it first.”

It wasn’t even a full minute before she started pressuring me. “Come on, aren’t you worried about the orphans?”

I glanced up at her. “I am going to read this before signing off on it, and you will wait for me.”

“But the orphans can’t wait!”

I went back to reading the bill. At fifteen pages in, after a word salad of appeasement to the bill’s cause, I finally saw the first actual monetary numbers.

It wasn’t long after that when the nobles started talking again. “Princess, we don’t really have the time to wait on this.”

“You had the time to write this monster, you have the time to let me read it.”

“But the orphans-”

“Interrupt my reading one more time, and I will toss this out.” I kept reading, and I started seeing things that were somehow only mildly surprising, such as funds going to places that weren’t orphanages, rules and regulations that had nothing to do with orphanages, and naval things that were, quite literally, nowhere near any orphanages.

Sweet Heart interrupted me. “Princess Inova?”

I grabbed the two inch thick pile with both forehooves and tossed it up with all my might and frustration, letting the pages rain down from above. “Not only did you interrupt me, but you presented a bill with a misleading cause! I don’t know what these other organizations are, but I have a feeling some of them are linked to you somehow. The new regulations on shop layouts are ridiculous! And a shipyard in the Grand Horseshoe Bay? What does ANY of that have to do with orphanages?”

“But. . . The orphans-”

“If you care so much about the orphans, then you should go pony up your own bits and help them yourself. I am not going to approve of that mess with a nice title just to look good.”

“Don’t you care?”

“I can be concerned about orphans without a money laundering scheme to build yachts at one of the nicest shorelines in Equestria.”

Aunt Celestia stepped in. “Inova, that is a ridiculous conclusion to leap to.”

“She’s actually correct, Princess Celestia,” Fancy Pants, the one good noble present, said. He produced a folder and levitated it over to her.

Aunt Celestia looked over the contents and sighed. “Fancy, please take Inova on a tour of your estate or something similar. I have a lecture to give. Again.”

“Of course.”

As the fire was dying down and the winter chill started seeping in, the door opened. “Hello, Inova,” Aunt Celestia said. She had a bunch of firewood in her telekinesis. “Skyla was taking her time with the nobles.”

“Did they try some other scheme again?” I asked.

“Yes, and she took the slow route with them.” She lay down and draped a wing over me as she stacked the firewood and filled the fireplace. It wasn’t long before the fire was alive and giving out heat again. “She asked about every little detail that seemed off to her. She made them try to link medical research, airship dockyards, and various regulations that were in the bill. Some of them cracked under what she called a slow cooker technique. Could you try that?”

“I hate being lied to.” I nestled against Aunt Celestia’s side. “And they didn’t seem to learn anything either.”

“They rarely do. How are your friends and your game?”

“Everypony’s good. I’ve been trying to figure out how Queen Nova can use her magical harem to her advantage.”

“Ah, that. Luna told me a bit about it. I’ve got some ideas.”

I perked up at that. “Really?”

She gave me a smug sideways look. “But I’d rather see what you come up with. You’re smart, you’re creative, I’m sure you can come up with something.”

The nine adventurers and Queen Nova’s harem were hunkered down in a trench behind the outer perimeter of the rear of the castle Queen Nova had once called home. The harem had proven useful at taking incoming fire for the team and helping dig. “Please tell me you have some way past your automated defenses,” Rita asked. “There’s gotta be some weakness.”

“The defenses shoot at any human deemed hostile, and right now, that’s us,” Queen Nova said. “We’re all human, so if we so much as peek over the edge, we’ll come under fire again.”

“There aren’t any animals around that I can get help from,” Rex added. “I’m open to ideas.”

“I guess we’ll just keep digging,” Joakim said before starting on his task.

A hoof waved in front of my face. “Inova, are you there?” Brooke asked. “Everyone’s trying to dig more in the trench. Will Queen Nova help?”

I slowly lowered her hoof. “The defenses only attack humans, right?”

“Yeah. So?”

Queen Nova snapped out of her trance and looked over her harem. “Rita, do you have any of Machina’s explosives?”

“I’ve got some of her landmines,” Rita said. “Why?”

The Queen turned to two of her harem. “You love me with all your heart, right?”

“Yes, my queen!” The two exclaimed.

“And you’ll do anything for me, right?”

“Anything to help!”

“Take one of Machina’s mines and walk it over to the defenses. When you’re there, activate it, and slam the top of it against the machinery. I’d love to see the explosion.”

“Yes, my queen!” The two, with lots of enthusiasm, got the mine, set it on the edge of the trench, got out, and started their mission.

Solaria noticed something off. “Why aren’t they firing?”

“My harem isn’t human,” Queen Nova explained. “The defenses only target humans, therefore, they can run the mission for us.” There was a big explosion and two new harem ladies appeared in the trench. “Go up and see what the defenses look like.”

The harem looked over the edge of the trench. “They’re gone.”

Ferria chanced a glance over the edge. Where once there was a wall laced with turrets now stood a sparking pile of smoldering rubble. “That’s a lot of damage.”

“I was not expecting that kind of move,” Brooke said. “And here I thought you would keep using the harem as shields and labor.”

“Oh, I will do that,” I assured. “But now. . . I’m starting to get some ideas.”

“Did we just skip an underground section?” Diamond asked. “It sounded like you had plans for an underground section.”

“I did, but Inova just bypassed it,” Brooke explained. “Let’s see how far that creativity can go.”

Queen Nova sent her harem ahead after passing the broken automated defenses. “Oh boys~,” the harem called out to a quartet of guards that had been sent to investigate.

The guards decided that the harem warranted a closer inspection and approached. As they, ah, ‘interrogated’ the ladies, they failed to notice that they were being pickpocketed and relieved of their communication gear and lunch money. The harem, clearly in control of the situation, started leading the guards away and into a trap.

The ambush went flawlessly, and the guards, even if they could call for help, were knocked out before they could.

“Go, go.” At Rita’s urging, the nine adventurers moved forward through the open area.

Ahead of the group was a wall. Ferria switched from her hammer to her spear, with her armor changing form appropriately. Wallace tossed his shields forward. Joakim took his place beside Ferria on point, along with Rex. Solaria and Rita cast a general buff on the team. Aurora sat on Jester’s shoulders and played a fast tune on her guitar. Queen Nova stayed in the back to make sure the harem did not get in front of anyone else.

With some extra spells, a spinning spiral stream formed over the team, the point focused on the tip of the spear, and the wall soon had a big hole in it. The team’s momentum carried them through more walls, carving a path of destruction that ended in an armory. “Take what you want,” Queen Nova said as she took the harem around, picking out armor and armaments for them.

“And we’ll end it there for today.” Brooke’s decree got the usual groans from us. “You skipped a whole lot, I have a fight to plan, and I need to get home so I can watch my little brother.”

“I understand,” dad said. “I had to do the same when Twilight was little.”

“Really?”

“I’ll save the stories for another time since you need to get going.”

Skyla and I had nothing to do one day, so we were laying on the couch looking at the ceiling. “So, is there anything you want to do in seventh grade?” She asked.

“Artificing looks fun,” I said. “I want to build cool stuff. I just need to get a good enough grade in magic so I can get in. You?”

“Alchemy for me. It’s the closest thing to a cooking class that mom and dad will let me take.”

“I wish I could take a cooking class. My levitation still sucks. If I could just manage that, I’d be happy.”

She changed the topic. “Aunt Celery told me you got mad at the nobles during our last trip to Canterlot.”

“I hate being lied to. Why is it so difficult for those Canterlot nobles to just be honest?”

“I dunno. What do they even do when they’re not doing politics?”

“I dunno.”

Author's Note

Yes, it is mostly H&H, but I have some excuses.
1: I couldn't think of much else.
2: I had to use the ideas I got a while ago somehow. I thought it was three ideas, but it was actually just two. Flame Sparkle is Spy986089's submitted OC, but he was not suggested to be the demon king. Slaying the demon king, becoming a gold star adventurer, and getting a harem was hmaf43's idea.

The Best Class

After the slog of Math, Magic, and Equish classes on the first day of seventh grade, it was time for the class I’d been waiting for: Artificing. Ever since I heard about it and what it was about towards the end of sixth grade, I couldn’t help but feel excited about it. I even went to the library to do my own reading and research during the summer months. The prospect of creating the many things I’d dreamed of and imagined kept me awake at night more times than I cared to admit.

The only obstacle that I had to overcome to get in was my magic proficiency. With all the difficulties I’d grown accustomed to, and despite the progress I’d made, it wasn’t easy to make the grade requirement for artificing. I managed to make it in with one point over the minimum score required for magic, and most of that score came from my understanding and comprehension of it.

Since magic was a required class for artificing, only those with horns could make it in. As a result, and without Skyla present (she easily made it into alchemy), I was the only pony in the class with wings.

“Hello class, I’m Mr. Forger,” the teacher said. “Who can tell me what artificing is?” I eagerly raised a forehoof. “Inova.”

“Artificing is the creation of enchanted items, whether it’s jewelry, clothes, or machines, in whole or in part,” I recited from my spot front and center. “It is not to be confused with normal crafting or building, and is not meant to be used directly on anything that gets consumed.”

“Very good. Artificing is how we have as many nice things as we do, and there are ponies here in the Crystal Empire that specialize in it. Some of the best cold storage components in the world are created here, and it’s thanks to artificing that they work at all. The humble flashlight is also a result of artificing.” He levitated a flashlight off his desk and clicked it on and off a few times. “If you are here for notoriety and fame, you will likely end up disappointed.” A few groans filled the classroom at that. I was not among them. I just wanted to make my own imagined items real. “The first building task of an artificing student in my class is to make a flashlight out of a gem. At least, the light part. The housing will come later. But before that, we will go over some simple enchantment diagrams.”

It didn’t take long for me to be the one that everypony turned to for help understanding the material. Just as with the academic sides of magic and flight, I understood it very well. And just as in magic and flight, I was far behind everypony else on the application and practice side.

Before the second week was over, I realized that I was basically becoming the class notepad. Everypony looked to me for the answers to the questions. Being relied on for guidance felt alright, but it just wasn’t the same as helping my friends.

The fact that I was in a position to affect my classmates’ grades did not escape me, nor did the idea of making their grades worse so mine would look better. I didn’t have to think about it for long before realizing how quickly sabotaging everypony would circle around and bite my flanks. After all, I hated liars, and I had no intention of becoming one.

“Inova? It’s your turn,” Brooke said. “What’s Queen Nova’s next move?”

I looked up and around. I was so focused on my schematics, I had no idea what had happened. “Uh. . . Tactical harem shielding for everyone!”

“We’re working on a puzzle,” Diamond said. “No fights here.”

“Oh. Uhm. . . What’s the puzzle again?”

“I’d like to make a narrative declaration,” Girder offered as he raised a forehoof. “Queen Nova’s harem trips a trap that teleports her out.”

Panic barged into my mind. “What?! No! I-”

“Inova, you’re distracted,” Soprano calmly explained. “You’re still our friend, but. . . If Hearthstone was distracted and slowing things down, wouldn’t you let him leave so the game could go on?”

“Well-”

“I’ll tell you what happened tomorrow,” Diamond offered. “Brooke’s written all of our characters out at some point, so it’s alright.”

“Wallace is the one I write in and out the most, and the literal Prince of the Crystal Empire plays him,” Brooke explained. “You know where to find us if you want to share your artificing designs.”

“Okay. . .” I gathered up my stuff and left. I didn’t like leaving the game early.

“You’re home earlier than usual,” mom noted before she actually looked at me. “Did something happen during your game?”

“I got kicked from the game because I was working on my artificing designs,” I glumly said. “They’re just jealous I was having more fun than they were.”

“Inova, that is not how you talk about your friends!” Mom chided, her tone firmly catching my attention. “Tell me, were you focused on the game or your artificing work?”

“Well. . . My artificing work. . . But I wanted to be with my friends too.”

“Do you really think they would want you gone just because you miss a few games to work on your own things? Didn’t Diamond skip a whole month of games just to become your friend in the first place?”

“Yeah, she did. So?”

“When you’re ready, they’ll welcome you back to the game. I think Twilight once compared it to putting a big rock in a river. It splits the water, but the water comes back together after it. You have good friends, Inova. Don’t let this rock get in the way.”

“Yes, mom. . .”

“That’s good. Now, why don’t you tell me about your schematics?” She levitated a pencil and my clearly labeled artificing folder out. “Use your levitation to point at things for me, okay?”

I saw the thinly disguised magic practice for what it was and rolled with it. “Well, I couldn’t really come up with anything really original, so I went with something I knew. . .” All I had was the final look I wanted and how I wanted it to work.

“How’s alchemy, sis?” I asked Skyla as we walked home.

“I was hoping there wouldn’t be so much math,” she complained. “I get that it’s needed to make sure things come out right, but. . . Can’t it be done with less?”

“Cooking has lots of that. You need the right amount of stuff, the right temperature, and the right timing or it won’t come out right. Same with alchemy. Both have recipes to make sure things regularly come out right.”

“Yeah, but that’s cooking. You can make mistakes and have it come out okay. Except for dad. One wrong thing in alchemy, and kablooey!”

“You’ve actually got easier math there than I do. Artificing requires way more precise calculations to make sure things fit right. Otherwise, things can fall apart or just not fit in the first place.”

“You’ve got templates you can work with, though.”

“Not for new stuff. I’ve got to create a connection system that locks in and has some way to easily disengage as well. There’s no template available for it, so I’ve got to design that too. It’s harder than I thought it would be.” I sighed as a regular aspect of class came to mind. “I just wish everypony else could understand the material better so I could make more progress on my project.”

At Mr. Forger’s request, I stayed behind once class ended one day. “Yes, Mr. Forger?”

“I looked over your plans, and it’s incredibly ambitious for any artificer, let alone a beginner,” he said as he put my schematics and notes on his desk. “But I must suggest that you try your hoof at something simpler first.”

“Why?” I’d been lazy and just used the equipment I came up with for Queen Nova for my project. My notes were thorough, and my illustrations were a bit rough. Having to put the mechanisms on a yoke ruined the design and called for a redesign of some of the moving parts, but for an equine user, it had to be done that way. It felt off to me somehow, which I chalked up to imagining it on a human as often as I had.

“Because materiogenesis and biomanipulation are extremely advanced on their own, far beyond anything in this class, and you’re just beginning. Not to mention all of the. . . Expected issues you have.”

I groaned. It had taken me a full month just to get the flashlight gem done, and I was pretty sure part of that was done by accident. “I’ve been working on those.” The steady growth of my skills with magic felt like it had plateaued some time shortly after the start of sixth grade, and I still couldn’t quite use telekinesis casually. “It just feels like I’m banging my head against a wall with my practice going nowhere. Again!”

“Then figure out how you’re going to get to the end product. What steps do you need to take to get there? Nopony walks a mile without taking those individual steps, and you might notice unexpected things along the way as well. For now, come up with something else. You can make a different version of this your final project of the year, if you’d like.”

“Alright, Mr. Forger.” I accepted my schematics and went on towards my next class. As I walked, I wracked my brain for some kind of design or idea.

It was during a hoof coordination exercise after school with dad that an idea struck me for what I could do. “That’s it!” I happily exclaimed.

“What is it?” Dad asked.

“My new artificing project. I’ll make a sword with parts that symbolize each type of pony! An alicorn sword!”

“Is it going to be anything like Queen Nova’s gear?”

“Hmm. . . No. It’ll be something different. No external parts that get attached.”

“Well, keep thinking about it while you do your side hops.”

As I continued my exercises, different layouts and designs for the sword parts, how they would work, and what they would do played through my mind.

I looked at the diagram I’d painstakingly drawn out, then realized I was once again in over my skill level for what I wanted. In order for the sword to do what I wanted it to do, I would not only need an enchanted gem for each effect, but also a fourth one to provide the extra energy they needed.

The spell diagram for a basic energy gem enchantment was one I’d memorized, but I referred to the one in my textbook anyways. It was designed to work with gems of a common size and shape.

“Inova, here’s dinner,” dad set the full plate on my desk.

I started breaking down the diagram to try and figure out how I could get the energy enchantment into a narrower design so I could get that gem inside the handle. I kept the possibility of using multiple energy gems in mind, in case one wouldn’t provide the output I needed.

As the devastating potential of the sword dawned on me, and not wanting to break Dazzling Diamond with a single earth pony effect swing, I started a second enchantment schematic that would be more likely to be accepted.

“A sword with gimmicks,” Mr. Forger said as he looked over my new schematics after class. “Not the first time I’ve seen that idea, but this is a new design.”

“Swords are cool,” I said.

“Yes. This looks more suitable for a toy sword if you remove the combat effects. You do know why normal swords don’t have all these features, right?”

“Moving parts can jam, activated enchantments will wear down over time and with use, and energy sources can explode.” Behind my calm exterior, I was kicking myself for turning in the combat enchantment schematics instead of the simple light and sound ones.

“Exactly. It’s much more feasible than your other design, at least. You may start building it tomorrow after you replace the combat effects with nothing more potent than illusions.”

“Thank you.” I left artificing with a smile on my muzzle and visions of slashing through bad guys from the H&H games going through my head. An idea for a new character to wield a similar sword in the game started bubbling up as well.

With a goal and a vision in front of me, along with the motivation to achieve it, it felt like nothing could break my stride, and nothing was gonna slow me down.

Author's Note

No Hearth's Warming break stuff this chapter. That'll happen in the next one.

Splitting The Party

"Inova, Skyla, for one of your Hearth's Warming presents from us, you will learn a spell that is exclusive to alicorns," Aunt Celestia said. Skyla and I were at Canterlot Castle for the holiday, as usual, while mom and dad were back home. It was our first trip leaving the Empire without them, and Skyla had been nervous until we arrived and had our guard escorts. The week after our arrival had been pretty fun, and even a bit productive with some princess lessons.

I raised a forehoof. "Aunt Celestia, why are there so many pillows around here?" The room we were in was filled with them.

"It's for a pillow fight after you learn and use the spell."

Aunt Luna took over. "As you know, alicorns have the magic of all three types of ponies. This spell will split you into those components, giving you multiple bodies and allowing you to be in multiple places at once."

Aunt Twilight lit her horn up. "Each part of you will have her own mind, but only one of them will have the main personality associated with you. With time, practice, experience, and introspection, you will be able to synchronize yourselves. Having a common goal for all three to focus on will help." She released the spell and glowed a bright white. When the light died down, a unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony with her colors stood where she had been, all of them just a little bigger than normal ponies and smaller than she had been.

I was simply amazed. "That's so cool! What happens when you combine? And how do you do that?"

Unicorn Twilight answered. "The same spell unites all three parts. The first time I did that, it took some time for me to catch up and sort things out. It took most of a day of doing nothing. After some more experience and practice, it became a matter of seconds for me to sort out. Celestia will teach Skyla and Luna will teach Inova."

“We’ll just sit back and watch for now,” Earth Twilight said. She sounded very laid back and unconcerned.

Pegasus Twilight happily used her wings to pull her fellow unicorn and earth pony parts into a hug. She didn’t say anything, and seemed content just being there.

Aunt Celestia took Skyla to one pillowy corner of the room while Aunt Luna took me to the opposite pillowy corner. "Start by looking inward to your magic. You can do that, right?"

"I'm not a total flop in magic class." I closed my eyes and found my magic core easily enough. "Just a serious flop."

"Now work on splitting it."

As I worked on splitting my core, a vision of a giant explosion, a fiery mushroom cloud, and some kind of alarm sound briefly flashed through my mind and broke my focus.

"Try again, Inova. You can do it."

Before I started my second attempt, there was a flash of light from across the room. Skyla had managed to split herself. The three of her looked at each other, smirked, and then ran out of the room.

"Skyla, get back here!" Celestia split herself and ran after my sister(s).

"I'm not leaving you unsupervised!" All three of Twilight ran after them, with Unicorn Twilight telekinetically closing the doors behind her.

"She's probably going for the kitchen," Luna and I said at the same time before laughing. "Sisters, right?" Some more laughter was shared between us.

Luna caught her breath shortly after I did. "Alright, back to the splitting spell. Try again."

I closed my eyes and began working my magic on the spell while keeping the explosion imagery out of focus. Unlike literally every other spell I tried before, the casting was going remarkably well. It soon felt like I was getting pulled four ways. "Unicorn, pegasus, earth, and probably some kind of shared link," I concluded as I pushed the spell to completion with surprising ease.

Luna was no stranger to feeling proud of somepony. There were many times that she had given encouragement and guidance in dreams that led to success in the waking world, and she was proud of every single one, even if she couldn't remember or name them all.

She was no stranger to confusion either. Associating with Pinkie Pie, Discord, and most of the modern nobility would teach somepony how to take it in stride and ask questions later. Sometimes, very pointed questions.

Feeling proud and confused at the same time was incredibly rare. On one hoof, Inova successfully performed the spell and cast it with greater ease than anything else she'd tried, and even picked it up faster than basic levitation. On the other hoof, there was a pale skinned female human in the middle of the three expected ponies. Her eyes were just as blue as the others, her black hair had the same light blue streaks in it, and the equine parts were looking at her in confusion.

"Inova, I need you to stay calm," Luna calmly said to the quartet. "I don't know if this is some kind of trick or curse, but I promise we can figure it out together."

None of Inova's parts responded to Luna's assurances or noticed her casting some scanning spells, as they were too busy watching Human Inova flexing and moving her hands.

The door to the room suddenly burst open, a brawl of alicorn parts coming through and causing a ruckus.

This got a response from Unicorn Inova. "YOU WILL STOP!" Her horn lit up and she easily captured the nine fighters in a single telekinetic bubble, catching all of them off guard and drawing their attention to her.

Unicorn Celestia's first attempt to unite herself fizzled out in the bubble, then she put more power into the spell and pulled herself together before easily breaking the confining magic. "What happened?" Her voice held only inquisitiveness as she approached Inova's parts.

"She cast the spell perfectly on the second try," Luna explained. "There was no chaos magic, no dark sorcery, and no interference that I could detect, though I admittedly wasn't looking for any of that while she was casting. That being said. . ."

Unicorn Inova cast the splitting spell to reunite into an alicorn, Human Inova getting pulled in just like Pegasus and Earth Inova. The reformed and hyperventilating alicorn nervously looked with wide eyes between all of the ponies in the room before running out in a panic and going down the hall.

Twilight reformed herself. "So, I think the pillow fight's been cancelled."

"Yeah." Skyla pulled herself together and stumbled a bit. "Whoo, dizzy."

"After a fight like that during your first split, that sounds about right," Celestia said. "Take your time to recover. Twilight, I believe you are the most qualified to try and help Inova right now."

"I'll do my best," Twilight confidently said before leaving at a relaxed pace. Even without the aid of a location spell, she knew where Inova most likely went.

There was a knock on the door. "Inova, can I come in?" Aunt Twilight asked. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm a freak, Aunt Twilight!" I shouted from my curled up spot on the bed. "There's a human inside me and I don't know why she's there!"

"Inova, I know what it's like to be a human."

"NO YOU DON'T! I have a human in me and I don't know what it's like!"

"We just found out about that a few minutes ago, so nopony is expecting you to know that. In fact, I'm coming in." I looked away from her and covered myself with the blankets as she entered the room. "I get that you have no idea why you have a human part in you, and the truth is that none of us know either. But now that you do know, well, we're here for you. We'll help you figure out how to go forward with it."

"And how are you going to do that?" I growled out. "I make up the entire human population for the planet, and I'm a pony. There's nopony and nobody that can understand."

"I can."

"YOU ONLY SPLIT INTO THREE PONIES! YOU HAVE NO HUMAN IN YOU!"

"No, but I have been one."

I scoffed at the notion. "That's impossible. There's nothing that can change your species like that."

Twilight audibly took a calming breath. "Then that means your human part is just as much a part of you as your pony parts, and always has been. It's just not visible while you're an alicorn."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it doesn't."

"It's just the truth. At least I believe it is." Some shifting of the bed let me know that Twilight was sitting on it with me. “When you get back home, gather your friends and let them help you figure it out.”

“Okay. . .” I grumpily said.

That night, four alicorns met in the dream realm. “Just tell me what’s going on,” Cadence stated, quickly figuring out that something was going on.

“We taught the girls the splitting spell as you asked us to,” Luna said.

“Did Skyla cause any trouble?”

“She-” Celestia started.

“I had to chase down Celestia and Skyla’s parts before they could raid the kitchen,” Twilight quickly interrupted. “It turned into a nine mare brawl pretty quickly.”

“None of them won,” Luna added. “The real urgent matter at hoof is Inova. She performed the spell after only a couple tries.”

“That quickly?” Cadence asked in surprise. “I thought she would have taken longer to perform it.”

“There is an issue though, and it’s why we have you here.” Luna conjured her memory of the split, showing Cadence the Inova quartet.

“What the. . .” Cadence walked up to the floating image to get a better look. “How is that possible?”

“And when they reunited, Human Inova went in with the rest.” She played the memory of Inova reforming and running away in fear.

“She’s in a tough place right now,” Twilight said. “We’re going to keep this quiet, and that includes Skyla. It didn’t take much to get her to agree. On the other hoof, the presence of a human in Inova probably explains a lot of her difficulties and oddities. I’ll throw some theories together and see if I can figure out how that might have happened.”

“We will comfort and support her as much as we can,” Celestia offered. “In the worst case scenario, we can house her at the castle or teleport her back home.”

“Is she asleep?” Cadence asked.

“Yes,” Luna answered. “However-”

“Take me to her.”

“Cadence, her mind is a mess right now, and her dreamscape is even worse. Being stuck in a rowboat in the middle of a maelstrom at sea would be safer than going there. Relatively speaking. Not even Discord would like it.”

“Take me to her,” Cadence firmly repeated. “My filly is hurting, and I need to be there for her.”

Luna sighed. “If you insist. Just remember that you were warned. Twilight, Celestia, I will see you later.”

Cadence went with Luna through the dreamscape, each pony’s dream a miniature world of its own. Something Cadence had wondered about came to mind, and she asked. “Luna, is it possible for you to see the dreams of other sapient species?”

“Alas, I cannot. Just as minotaurs and griffons cannot breed together, so too am I unable to view the dreams of those that are not equine. It would make the dirty business of spying so much easier.”

“And the issues within Equestria?”

“Cadence, I am but one mare. An alicorn of great power, yes, but still just one and with only so much time I can use. It’s better for me to help individuals where I can so they can help others.” A few seconds later, a particularly turbulent dream appeared before the princesses. Shifting spires of stone amid swirling sand, thunderclouds that were more lightning than clouds, bubbling magma, blizzards, and more, all shifting around with no regard for how things worked in reality, were visible from outside. “This is Inova’s dream. Are you still certain you wish to go inside?”

Cadence took a calming breath and steeled herself. “Yes.”

Luna opened the dream and watched from the outside as Cadence went in. The response from the dream was immediate, and she was bombarded with all the elements she’d seen and more. Determined to help her daughter, she powered through it all. After the churning magma, crackling ice, and booming lightning, she flew over the shifting terrain, watching for any signs of something amid the swirling sands.

Finally, she found it. A swirling sphere that seemed to both absorb and radiate the sand around it. From above, she could see Inova inside, curled up and oddly shaped, but it was her. “Inova!”

“Go away.” The irritated statement was punctuated by a stone fist violently erupting from the ground to punch Cadence out of the sky before defensively coiling around Inova.

Luna pulled Cadence out of the dream. The princess of love appeared physically unhurt, but all the signs of feeling betrayed were there on the pink pony’s face. “Don’t worry, Cadence. She did the same thing to me and worse the five times I tried to reach her here.”

“Luna, what can I do?” Cadence asked, desperate to help and shaken by the outlash from Inova.

“Keep being the good mother you are in the waking world. Be there for her, as you always have been. I have a feeling that this is something that must be settled only when Inova is ready.”

I decided to leave Canterlot early, and I insisted on not having any guards escorting me. After telling Skyla, Twilight, Celestia, and Luna of my plan to head home, all they had me do was promise not to use the splitting spell or reveal my human part on the way. As grim and dark as I felt, it wouldn’t be a problem. I didn’t want the extra attention.

My one stop before the train station was a houseware store. “Hello, Princess Inova,” the unicorn mare at the desk said. “How can I. . . Did something bad happen?”

“I just want a thick warm blanket,” I dryly said. “Something I can easily wrap myself in.”

“Of course.” She went through some of the nearby options and got one that was black with two golden eagles back to back on it. “Would this-”

“How much is it?”

“Forty bits, but-”

“I’m buying it.” I set my saddlebag down to get the bits while the mare folded the blanket and tied it up with a ribbon. Once she had her bits and my bags were back on, she set the blanket on my back. “Thank you.” I didn’t even wait for a response before leaving.

I went through the motions like a machine at the train station. I bought my ticket, waited patiently for the train to the Crystal Empire, and got onboard when it arrived. Unlike previous trips, I didn’t take a seat in the passenger car I got on. Instead, I went through to the caboose, sat down on the rear platform, and waited for departure.

Once Canterlot was far enough away, I wrapped myself up in my new blanket and watched everything go away in the distance as the raging storm in my brain continued. Adding to the internal storm was the golden double eagle design, and how weird it was that I somehow linked it to humans.

The door opened and the conductor stepped out. “Princess Inova, what are you-”

“My ticket’s in the caboose with the rest of my stuff,” I said without turning to face him. “Just let me know when we’re fifteen minutes from the Empire.”

“But you’ll freeze out here!”

“I’ll be fine.” I had my blanket and my immortality. Mere cold would not keep me from my misery.

I got off the train with the blanket roughly folded up on my back. Despite being all wet and feeling chilled to the bone from the melting snow and ice in my fur and wings, I couldn’t have been bothered to shiver.

My trek home followed the usual route. The only attention I paid to the ponies around me was as obstacles to avoid. I didn’t have to think too hard about that since most of them got out of my way on their own.

As soon as I stepped into my home, mom was on me with a hug from her forelegs and wings. “It’s okay, Inova. No matter what, you’ll always be my daughter.”

“I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.” I walked out of the hug and went on with my plan. I wasn’t in a mood to talk.

Author's Note

And so begins the part I've been looking forward to the most.

Also, to note: thanks to a reader asking me a question about something, I can tell you that 1 year in this story is about 1.15 years IRL. Inova and Skyla are 12.6 years as of this chapter, or about 14.49 years IRL.

Fractured Psyche

“Hi Inova!” Sunflower said with all her usual cheer when I got back to school.

“Hey,” I flatly responded.

Her normal smile dropped. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing you can help with.” I brushed past her and continued trudging on through the halls to my first class.

Right after I left math, Sunflower was waiting for me in the hallway, and she had Girder with her. “Girder, give her a hug!”

I looked at the big muscular colt and waited. He didn’t move. “Well?” I impatiently asked.

“I’ve seen that dead look before,” Girder said. “A hug won’t help here.” He left to go to his next class, and I did the same.

“Well well well, looks like Inova’s become the Princess of Depression,” Nightshade taunted as I walked past her and her herd. “What’s the matter? Did you get kicked out of your little club?”

I stopped and leveled a glare at her. “I’m not in the mood to deal with you, Nightshade. Don’t give me a reason to test my magic.”

“Well then. Cherry? I’ll let you have some fun with Inova.”

Cherry, the strongest earth filly in Nightshade’s little herd, stepped in front of me. “Come on, all you have to do is walk around me.”

I was familiar with the game she was playing, and I had no patience for it. I walked up to her so we were face to face and eye to eye. “If you don’t move, I will walk over you.”

“What kind of threat is that? You don’t have the height or the flight for that.”

“It’s a statement.” With the telekinesis I could use, I grabbed her muzzle and rapidly pulled down and sideways, throwing her off balance enough for me to land a light hoof strike to her elbow and make her flop like me using my wings. With her down and on the ground, I stepped on and over her, just as I’d stated. “Take this, Nightshade.” I put a rear hoof on the side of her body and kicked backwards, sending her sliding back to Nightshade and her herd. “I’m done.” I walked off to my next class.

While I was in the lunch line, one of the teachers found me. “Inova, the Principal wants you in his office. You can get your lunch first.”

“I’ll go see him.” I left the line and made my way to Principal Gilded Hall’s office. My mind was in such a chaotic state that I felt none of the usual trepidation somepony else would feel from being summoned there, and I barely even noticed that I was hungry.

The pegasus stallion was waiting for me. “Inova, you’ve been acting very odd today. You’ve-”

“Are you going to put me in detention or send me home?” I interrupted, asking like I was offering the choice instead of him.

He recovered quickly from my sudden question. “Well. . . That, or ask you to go to the counselors. Something’s gnawing at you, and if it continues, things will only get worse for you, and I’m not talking about your grades.”

“So which is it? Counselors, detention, or home?”

He took a moment to collect his thoughts. “If it’s something that’s official Princess business not meant for the public, then going home to talk with your parents about it would be the best choice.”

“Then I’ll go home. I don’t know when I’ll be back.” I turned around and left to go home. I didn’t even care that I was skipping lunch.

My bed soon became my home inside of home. Ever since I first cast the splitting spell and found the human in me, I couldn't put my mind to rest. Despite being surrounded by my family and my visiting friends, I felt incredibly alone, and it scared me. As much as I wanted to talk it out with my friends, and despite their offers, I didn’t feel like they could help, so I didn’t bother trying. Aunt Twilight said she knew what it was like to be human, but I didn't believe her. Even with things like magic, Pinkie Pie, and Discord, I had trouble believing that.

"I need to talk it out, but there's nopony that can understand. Nopony but me. . . Maybe I can do that." I cast the splitting spell.

Unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth Inovas all appeared standing on the floor while Human Inova remained in bed, quick to move to a sitting position and wrap herself up in the double eagle blanket. "So, let's talk things out and figure out what's going on,” Human Inova said. “What’s first?”

Unicorn Inova answered first, and she was aggressive. "I'll tell you what's going on: you've been holding back my spellcasting abilities. You can't guide magic the right way, so you've kept me from advancing to the more complex spells."

Human Inova recoiled at the words. "But. . . We were able to cast the splitting spell just fine."

"Because I wanted to split off once it started. So did Pegasus and Earth, Human. It’s magic, so I’m not going to explain any further. You wouldn’t understand."

Pegasus Inova began hovering in place with ease. "Ah, to be free of the ground. I always wondered what was holding me down, and now I'm free at last! No more flopping forward!"

Earth Inova was bouncing around on her hooves. "And I can really move around now! This is awesome!"

Human Inova's lips began to tremble. "But. . . Can't we work this out, me? I want to help."

"After being klutzy for so long? Nope! I'm going to go run around and do some parkour!" Earth Inova opened the door and left to go do that.

"I'm going to go for a long flight," Pegasus Inova said before flying through the open doorway.

"And I'm going to go test out some spells," Unicorn Inova said before leaving and forcefully slamming the door behind her with extreme prejudice, excessive force, and extra speed.

Human Inova reached out towards the door and its very cracked frame. "But. . . I just wanted to talk. . . And figure out what to do. . ." Her arm flopped back down onto the bed and she pulled her blanket cocoon tighter around her. The cold treatment and cool air left her shivering where she sat.

Cadence quietly watched from the living room as three young mares with Inova's colors zipped out of her house, either not noticing or not caring that she was there. After the front door was slammed shut, silence reigned for what felt like some very long minutes. Then, there was the sound of crying. It was inequine, but her motherly instincts demanded she investigate.

She found the door the crying was coming from, the frame cracked and fractured from the force of the first slam she'd heard. A single gentle knock was all it took to make the door, the frame, and some of the wall collapse into the room and make the crying stop with a gasp. On the bed was a curled up blanket, and at the head of the bed was some black hair with light blue lines in it framing a pale face. Cadence walked closer until she could see the terrified blue eyes looking up at her. She softly said, "It's okay, Inova. Mom's here."

Human Inova's voice was shaky. "I. . . I just wanted to talk it out with myself. . . Why were my pony parts so mean?"

Cadence had no answer for that and just pulled Human Inova, blanket cocoon and all, into a hug with her forelegs and wings. "We can find out when they come back. Your dad's going to rally the crystal guard to keep an eye on them and, if needed, subdue and capture them."

"But. . . I'm the reason they couldn't do all the normal pony stuff as an alicorn. They hate me." Human Inova couldn't fully hold back the emotions and some sobs escaped her as tears started welling up in her eyes again.

"It's okay. Just give me a hug and cry it out."

Human Inova was quiet for a bit. "Can you keep the blanket around my body? I don't want it gone."

"Of course." Cadence, with some gentle telekinesis, adjusted the blanket to let Human Inova's arms out before making it snug again. "Go ahead."

Human Inova wrapped her arms around Cadence as best she could, then all her years of pent up sorrow, fear, frustration, and pain, both physical and emotional, came out in a flood. She cried into the soft pink fur of her mother's neck, staining her with a torrent of tears. She cried like she'd never cried before, and Cadence hummed a gentle tune all the while.

A few hours later, Unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth Inova were brought back to the house. Unicorn had a magic inhibition ring on her horn, though it didn't seem like it was needed with how worn out she was. Pegasus's wings were clamped down on her sides and she looked like she'd had more than a few crashes with numerous stands, buildings, and trees. Earth, meanwhile, was struggling against the enchanted block of crystal her legs were stuck in. All of them were chained together by iron collars on their necks.

Off to the side sat Skyla, Diamond Heart, and Lucky Spotter. Skyla and Diamond had helped in the capture efforts, while Lucky was there to write down what happened, per Shining's request after a lucky encounter. After all the chaos, the Empire’s subjects deserved to know what happened and what was being done about it.

A tired Shining Armor glared at the collared captives. "I don't think I need to explain how disappointed I am with all three of you."

"Let me out of this thing!" Earth Inova shouted.

Shining made the crystal block grow up her legs one inch further. "No. You've been running all over the Empire, leaving deep cracks in paths, walls, and roofs. You broke through multiple shields of mine and ran through a formation of guards, injuring three in the process before we managed to catch you." He turned to Pegasus Inova. "You've been flying all over the Empire at high speeds, disrupting air and hoof traffic. You also crashed into walls with enough force to leave shallow cracks, you broke multiple tree branches, and you demolished a number of carts and stalls. You still have bits of cabbage on you."

"Flying was fun," Pegasus Inova answered, seeming overly content and unconcerned.

He turned to Unicorn Inova. "You may have caused the least damage, but your spelling spree scared most of the Empire. The evil laughter echoing across the crystal fields did not help either."

"I just wanted to weave baskets in the fields!" Unicorn Inova objected.

"You don't need purple lightning arcing between the crystals to weave baskets," Skyla retorted, her mane, tail, and wings still a bit messy and lightly scorched from a run in with some of it. "And the laughing black flames were just overkill."

"Well. . . I guess you're right." Unicorn Inova looked down in defeat.

"And don't get me started on how all three of you treated Human Inova!” Shining exclaimed, catching the attention of all three Inova parts before they looked away in shame. “She's just as much a part of your alicorn form as you are, and she just wanted to figure out how to work better with you. If anything, she seems to be the smart one out of the four of you."

Lucky raised a forehoof. "Where is this Human Inova, anyways? This is a big story."

Shining aggressively sighed at the reminder. "She's currently asleep and clinging to Cadence. According to her, Human Inova is scared, confused, and feels incredibly lost. If you want to try and talk with either of them, you can ask after this."

"Of course. Carry on."

Shining went back to the troublemakers. "You three are going to be punished with public service and reparations for the damage you did and the panic you caused. No, you will not be allowed to reunite for that, since you'll only prolong the punishments and our subjects don't have the time for that. In addition, that would also cause Human Inova, and thus the alicorn whole, even more anguish.”

Pegasus Inova raised a foreleg. "Does that mean we're going to be out of school?"

"You're going to wish you were there instead of what you're going to be doing." His words came across as a statement of fact instead of a threat. "You're all going to apologize directly to those you've scared and hurt, you're going to let them humiliate you, and you're going to fix everything that you can fix."

Diamond raised a forehoof. "Objection, Your Highness!"

Shining turned to her. "Go ahead."

"Please don't put them through humiliation. When they reunite, that will come down on the one hurting the most, and it'll be impossible for Inova to do anything. The public service and reparations are humiliating enough."

"Hmm. . . Objection sustained. You make a good point. Thank you, Diamond." Shining laid down his verdict. "You three will spend the night in the castle dungeon while the damages are assessed, and you will start working on them first thing in the morning. You will continue wearing restraints and spending the nights in the dungeon until the punishments are done, then you will talk things out with each other and Human, then reunite. Understood?"

"Yes, dad," all three meekly said.

"Good." Shining's horn briefly flashed as he sent a message to his guards to come and get the troublemakers before walking up to Lucky. "Do you have any further questions?"

"Not on these three," Lucky said. "I'd like to see Human Inova, though."

"I'll see if she'll open up to me," Diamond said before leading Lucky further into the house.

Cadence saw Diamond and Lucky arrive through the broken doorway. "Thank goodness you're here. Diamond, can you take Human Inova for a moment? I really need to use the bathroom."

"Uh, okay?" Diamond slid into Cadence's place and the alicorn dashed out into the hallway and to the bathroom there, apparently forgetting about the one connected to Inova’s room.

Human Inova opened her eyes a moment later. "Diamond?"

"Inova?"

"Hey. So. . . Why are you here?" Despite the amount of time Human Inova had been asleep, she still sounded exhausted and tired.

"I had to help pin down your pegasus part. It wasn't that difficult, all things considered."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She kept crashing into things and going right back up, so her wings kept getting dirty and that made each flight of hers slower and clumsier. I got her after she clipped a wall and spun out onto the ground."

Human Inova let out a short laugh. "Heh. She couldn't fly for long."

"Nope. By the way, Lucky's here, and he'd like to talk with you."

"He is?" Human Inova looked at the collapsed doorway. "Oh. Uh. . ."

"I'm not going to ask how an alicorn has a human in her," Lucky assured. "But I do want to know if I'm right with my guess that nopony knows the answer."

"Aunt Luna and Aunt Twilight are working on some theories."

"Noted." He jotted that bit down. "What was it that you wanted when you split up?"

"I just wanted to talk things out with them. I'm the reason we. . . I. . . Alicorn Inova was a klutz who forgot her wings and horn for so long, and couldn’t use them properly. Without me holding them back, they all moved and cast spells so easily."

"I see." Lucky took a breath in preparation for what he was about to say. "Inova, it won't take long for the news of a human being part of a Princess to catch fire, spread around the world, and bring a lot of attention to you."

"Oh no. . ." Human Inova cowered at the prospect after a few seconds of thought. "I don't want to be the reason for conflict."

"Conflict? As in war?"

"Those that want me gone will attack those that want me around, and those that want me around will fight back, and then it'll escalate until there's no neutrality left and causes every nation to fracture."

"Ah, so you're the part that reaches those kinds of crazy conclusions," Diamond flatly said. "But honestly, I think you might be right for once. Maybe. Ponies are a lot more tolerant than you seem to give them credit for, but this is pushing it. Maybe."

"And how are you so calm about my presence?"

Diamond’s answer came out easily. "You're my friend. Unexpected, but still a friend."

Cadence returned to the sight of the cocooned Human Inova hugging Diamond and crying tears of relief and happiness. Whatever words were exchanged, they had a positive impact, and that was good. "Lucky."

"Your Highness."

"You will be putting this in your inevitable article, right?"

"Of course. As a journalist, I have to report all of it."

"As you have been. Applejack would be proud of how straightforward and honest you are with it."

"Even the few bad articles about you and your family?"

"Especially those. I don't like them, but the truth is the truth, and sometimes, an outside perspective is needed to straighten things out. Thank you."

"Of course. Do you have anything you'd like to tell me before I write the story?"

Cadence went into detail on Inova's first use of the splitting spell, or what she was told of it, then what happened with Human Inova after her second use of it.

Crystal Kingdom Chaos

The Crystal Empire has seen major trouble for the first time in decades, but the sources were contained within hours of their instigation. The ultimate source was none other than Princess Inova, or rather, her equine parts.

For those who do not know, all alicorns can use a spell that lets them split into their magic parts, being a unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony. This spell is not a secret, and can be found in the Canterlot Castle or Crystal Empire libraries with ease. A unicorn casting it will get no results, and this is likely the reason it's largely unknown to the public.

After Princess Inova cast this splitting spell at home to try and talk out some inner turmoil with herself, all three equine parts ran out and used skills and abilities that Princess Inova had never shown herself capable of before.

Her unicorn part went mad with power in the crystal fields, releasing arcs of dark electricity between the crystals as she created laughing black and purple flames, all while she was weaving baskets. Princess Skyla managed to subdue her, though not without sustaining a serious shock.

Her pegasus portion displayed high speed as she flew around, but Princess Inova's lack of flight experience and aerial coordination proved to be her downfall, as she kept crashing into things. Princess Inova's friend, Diamond Heart, managed to catch and subdue her.

Finally, her earth pony piece caused the most damage. Her running and parkour leaving deep cracks, broken storefronts, and smashed carts in her wake. She was captured in a crystal block that kept her legs from moving after breaking through Prince Shining Armor's shields and injuring three Crystal Guards in her zeal.

All three of the troublemakers were brought home in chains and restrictors. Prince Shining Armor laid out their punishment: repairing the damage they had done and personally apologizing for what they did to anypony that approaches them. They were spared public humiliation by Diamond Heart's objection.

This behavior is completely out of character for Princess Inova, and is explained by an earthshaking revelation: Princess Inova, unlike the other five Princesses, has a fourth part in her: a human. Yes, the mythical magicless creature that has an odd popularity within some niche groups. Princess Inova was completely unaware of that part of herself until she learned and cast the splitting spell in Canterlot. Her second casting of it, in an attempt to talk things out with herself, resulted in chaos in the Crystal Empire.

Inova's human part was incredibly emotional and distraught over her pony parts leaving her to run amok after she tried to talk things out with them. The human part believes she was the reason Alicorn Inova had as much trouble as she did with magic, flight, and running. While emotional, scared, and not willing to talk much, she seemed to act closer to the Princess Inova known to the general public than the equine parts did.

Princess Cadence will be staying home with Human Inova to support, comfort, and help her until the equine parts, under Prince Shining Armor’s supervision, have done their punishments and she reunites herself. As such, all petitions in the Crystal Empire will be put on hold until further notice. She has requested peace and space around her home during this time, and this includes mailing anything to her and her family out of sympathy.

Division of Labor

Cadence opened the door and saw her expected guests. "Twilight, Rarity, thanks for arriving on such short notice."

"It was a tough teleport, Cadence," Twilight said with a tired breath. "I'm worn out from it."

"Shouldn't a two pony teleport from Ponyville be easy for you?" Twilight pointed a wing across Rarity's back. Cadence looked where she was pointing and saw what looked like Rarity's whole workshop there, neatly packed and arranged. "Oh. For your theory?"

"I'm going to make her the best and most comfortable clothes ever!" Rarity declared. "Could you help me move everything in?"

Over the course of most of an hour, the three mares set to work moving furniture around and setting up Rarity's workspace, with Cadence breaking off occasionally to check on Human Inova. There were a lot of magazines among the stuff as well, and once things were mostly set up, Twilight took some of them through the rough hole that used to hold the door to Inova's room, the human part still in there and in her cocoon in bed. "Inova?"

"Aunt Twilight?" Human Inova glumly and tiredly responded.

"Do you remember what I said about knowing a bit about being human?"

"I still don't believe you."

"We'll see about that." Twilight tossed the magazines on Human Inova's lap like it was incriminating evidence.

Human Inova got her arms out of her cocoon, readjusted it, and started going through the magazines. The humans in them looked different from her, sporting hair and skin tones that covered all the same colors as the ponies, and their proportions were different as well, though she couldn’t mistake them for anything else. "I think you made these up."

"Within two weeks?" Twilight put more magazines on Inova's lap. "Titles, pictures, articles, bar codes, designs, names, and all that? Not even magic can let me create all that out of nothing. I don't know enough about fashion to come up with most of these designs or the names for them. What I do know, what I think to be the truth, is that you're hiding in your cocoon because you don't have any clothes to wear, leaving you exposed. Does that sound accurate?"

Human Inova gave it some thought as she browsed the magazines. "Yeah. That, and it's chilly in here. I want my fur and feathers back."

"I'll get Rarity in here to talk and draw with you." Twilight left and Rarity entered a minute later.

"We'll start off with some basic undergarments for decency and comfort purposes," Rarity stated. "Twilight's told me that they're very important. Once those are done, I'll make something to keep you warm and modest, then we can move on to more creative designs."

Out in the Empire, under the watchful eyes of Shining Armor and Skyla, the Unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth Inovas were at work, free of their previous bindings. Unicorn did what she could to repair the cracks in nearly everything, Earth was moving large chunks of debris, and Pegasus was using her wings to sweep up the smaller stuff.

One new thing they were each sporting was an iron collar with a glowing red core instead of the chained ones. With a single spell from Shining Armor, he could pull them back to him at a moment's notice. Pegasus had provided a good demonstration of that feature after she tried to fly away.

The three, with a shared goal, moved with a high degree of coordination, slowed down only by an upset subject coming up and chewing them out on occasion. Shining was prepared for violence, after being told of Lucky's talk with Human Inova and reading the article he released, but thankfully, nothing more than harsh words and upset voices came to the young orange mares.

The one hurting the most though, was Shining Armor himself. He had to fight his instincts to leap to the defense of the Inova parts when they were accosted, he had to hold himself back from helping with the cleanup and repairs, and he struggled to keep the stern look on at all times. It was one of the hardest single tasks he'd ever taken on, right ahead of that time he had to stop a twenty minotaur bar brawl by himself. Skyla wasn’t faring much better than he was.

Shining came home that evening an hour after Skyla, with a defeated look on his face and a weary heaviness in each step, more so than she had. The fact that Carousel Boutique seemed to have moved into the house barely registered and fazed him even less. "Honey?"

Cadence showed up at his tired call for her and promptly pulled him into a hug. "Don't say anything. I understand."

He returned the hug. "I'm talking anyways. Carrying out the punishment for the equine Inovas is tough. The last time she was punished was for getting Skyla some midnight snacks."

"And she simply accepted that one."

"Her getting in trouble like this is surreal."

"Human Inova has her share of difficulties too." Cadence nuzzled along her husband's neck for a moment. "She's been trying to figure out how to walk on two legs, and she's had. . . Let's just say I've had to magic away a few messes today. She's emotional and scared right now, and she doesn't want to leave the house."

"That's probably for the best." Shining broke the hug. "She doesn't need that kind of attention right now."

"No, she doesn't. Maybe what she needs is some attention from you while I finish making dinner."

"I can do that." The two shared a quick kiss before going their separate ways. He knocked on the wall next to where the door used to be. "Inova?"

"Hi dad," came the tired and defeated voice of Human Inova from the darkened room. She was wearing a fuzzy robe and slippers, all orange with black trim, and she was sitting at her desk, her back to the entryway.

"Is everything okay?"

". . . No. I don't know what to do. I'm scared. I want to go home, but I'm already here. What do I do?"

Shining turned on the light and looked around the room. The neat and tall stack of unopened boxes in the corner caught his attention. Luna, almost habitually, kept sending her Golem Brick sets, practically as they came out, and a number of completed sets were on display around the room. He picked one box out, a white and red vehicle called Mach Machine, and tossed it onto the desk. "Let's build something."

Human Inova looked at the box for a few seconds, then picked it up and inspected it and her hands. She carefully pulled the box open and let the bags of pieces spill out. Shining floated the instruction book to the back of the desk and set it against the wall, letting her have more space to work.

It didn't take long for Human Inova's frown to start tilting upwards as she and Shining started building together. "This is much easier now. Ow!" She quickly learned that pressing on the corners hurt, and concluded that stepping on the pieces barefoot would be worse than with hooves. Somehow, she could vividly imagine it, and her toes curled at the vision.

"And once you master levitation, it'll be even easier."

"Yeah." Human Inova stopped building and took a moment to inspect and flex her hand. "It's strange, but it feels. . . Natural. Is that weird?"

Shining shrugged. "Probably, but that's not important right now. Come on, let's keep building. Maybe this will help with the visualization part of levitation."

Human Inova went back to building. She and Shining only stopped when Cadence called them for dinner. It was a simple cheese and veggie casserole with baked potatoes on the side, lacking in hay and flowers since Human Inova, according to Twilight, couldn't eat those things.

Dinner, while delicious, was a bit awkward, to say the least. None of the six at the table knew what to talk about, if anything. Even Skyla ate slowly, the awkward aura of the whole situation weighing down on her just as much as everyone else.

Nopony objected to Human Inova leaving the table and retreating to her room without a word when she was done. With her departure, the tension lifted enough to allow some discussion. "So, Twily, why are you and Rarity here?" Shining asked.

"Human Inova needs clothes, and Rarity has the skills to make them," Twilight explained. "Humans don't have fur, so clothes provide protection from the elements. Here in the Crystal Empire, she really needs them."

"I made some sets of basic undergarments, the robe, and slippers today," Rarity explained. "After working out some sketches with Inova, I decided I needed to practice a bit for her build."

"Human Inova was more willing to get up and move around after getting dressed," Cadence added.

Skyla finished her meal while everypony else was talking, and was able to leave just as easily as Human Inova did, even going to the same place. "Are you okay, Inova?"

Human Inova, back at her desk, looked up from the Golem Bricks and the unfinished build on it to turn to look at Skyla through the doorless doorway. "No, not really. Nothing I can do about it though."

Skyla sat next to Human Inova. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Human Inova turned some pieces around in her hand for a few seconds before responding. "I'm sorry, Skyla."

"Excuse me?"

"I haven't been a good sister to you. You've always come to my defense, helped me, supported me, but I haven't done any of that for you."

Skyla frowned, very unimpressed with what Human Inova was saying. "Really?"

"I haven't even helped you that much with your schoolwork, and you did everything you could to help me with my magic, flight, and hoofwork. The basics!" She dropped the pieces and watched them bounce a bit on the desk before they stopped. "I haven't helped you, I've just been. . . There. Present. Not really doing much."

A purple glow briefly enveloped Human Inova before she was pulled out of her chair and into Skyla's embrace. "You're my sister, you’ve helped me a lot, and I don't blame you for any of that. It's just how you are."

"But-"

"It's fine. We've got each other, and I can't imagine a better sister to be stuck with."

"Yes you can," Human Inova snarked as she returned the hug.

Skyla's response was swift and free from hesitation. "A sister made of mom's pancakes wouldn't last long."

There was sputtering laughter at the unexpected remark. "R-really?"

"I'd let you have her wings."

"That's all you'd let me have! You'd eat the rest of her before I finished one wing!"

"With butter and warm syrup." Human and alicorn sisters shared a good laugh at the banter, and for a moment, Inova's troubles were forgotten.

The next morning, Cadence walked into Inova’s room and set a mug of hot chocolate on the desk by the bed. “Inova, wake up,” she softly said as she gently rocked Human Inova awake.

“Mmm. . . Hm?” Human Inova, just as much a light sleeper as her Alicorn form, was quick to wake up. “Morning,” she tiredly said before the scent of the hot chocolate registered and she sat up.

“Good morning to you too. Would you like to help me make breakfast?”

Human Inova took a sip of the drink and savored its warmth for a bit before answering. “Sure.” She set the drink back on the desk and got her fuzzy slippers on before standing up.

“You slept with your robe on?” Cadence asked, only mildly confused.

“It’s warm, and it’s cold here.” She took a few moments to straighten the robe out.

Cadence shrugged before sniffing the air. “Seems I have nothing to clean up here. Let’s make some muffins.”

Human Inova slumped over the counter and multiple very broken eggs, the shells and yolks splattered and dripping off the edge. “I can’t even crack an egg right,” she groaned. The fact that there were bits of egg on her slippers didn’t even register.

“It’s okay, Inova,” Cadence assured her as she cleaned the egg off the floor and slippers with a single spell. “It took lots of tries for me to figure out how to crack an egg without it going everywhere too. Twice. You can try again.”

Human Inova looked between the eggs, the edge of the counter where she’d broken the eggs, and the bowl she was trying to get the eggs into. Instead of trying to crack the eggs on the counter again, she tried it on the edge of the bowl. The different approach worked better, giving her a crack in the shell without spilling the contents. Very carefully, she pried the shell apart and was rewarded with the egg’s contents falling into the bowl. “That’s better.” She reached for another egg.

“Much better, but there’s some shell in the yolk.” Cadence picked out the fragments with her telekinesis and set them aside. “Go ahead and keep at it. We’ll need two more eggs for the muffins.”

Human Inova set the plate of fifteen muffins on the table while Cadence levitated bowls of fruit and a plate of cheesy eggs around it. Twilight, Rarity, and Skyla were at the table, while Shining had taken one muffin to eat on the way to the castle. He had some troublemakers to see to, after all.

“Did you make these, Inova?” Twilight asked as she put two muffins on everyone’s plates.

“Mom helped,” Human Inova said as she sat down at the table.

“She had some difficulty at first, but once she started figuring things out, she started having fun,” Cadence said. “Oh, Inova, we’re all going to be busy today.”

Human Inova slumped a bit at the answer. “Really?”

“That includes you, dear,” Rarity said.

Human Inova perked up at the added explanation. “Really?”

“Oh yes. I’ll be working with you so I can make more clothes. A robe and slippers just aren’t enough for you. We’ll start after breakfast.”

“And that’s not all,” Twilight said as she produced a checklist. “I’ll help you find your physical and, if present, magical capabilities.”

“And you’ll be helping me make every meal,” Cadence added. “Cooking will help you with your. . . What was it again, Twilight?”

“Fine motor skills, tool use, getting used to using your hands, and just moving around in general.”

“Have fun, sis,” Skyla said. “I got excused from school so I can help dad. He’s calling it a lesson for me.”

“And it is,” Cadence said. “Sometimes, you have to do these things, and it’s not easy.”

In the hours after breakfast, and after multiple rounds of trial and error, Rarity had created a whole outfit for Human Inova. “So, how is it?” Rarity tiredly asked.

Human Inova looked herself over in the mirror. Only a sliver of the light blue shirt, going from her neck to part way down her chest, was visible. The rest was covered up by a nice orange sweater that was at once casual, yet acceptable for semi-formal occasions. The bottom hem of the jacket was well concealed by a black knee length pleated skirt with a thin light blue waistband on top. Helping her stay warm in a way the robe couldn’t was a pair of fleece lined leggings, and on her feet were a pair of black socks and simple orange shoes with a single light blue stripe on the side, going from ankle to toe. “I like it a lot. Thanks, Rarity.”

“Wonderful! I knew you’d love your own colors. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to rest.” Rarity went over to the couch and promptly lay down on it. “I am burnt out.”

“But it isn’t even lunchtime yet.”

Rarity’s rebuttal was swift. “Inova, you’re the first and only human I’ve made anything for. Twilight’s reference materials are not fully accurate to your body, so I’ve had to figure out what to modify as we worked. The fact that we got a whole outfit that looks this nice this fast is a miracle in itself. The only reason the robe was so quick was because of its simplicity. I need time to let my mind settle down so I can think more clearly next time, and maybe inspiration will strike while I’m resting. It has happened before.”

“Oh.” Human Inova thought it over for a bit before going to her room and coming back with the double eagle blanket. As gently as she could, she put the blanket over Rarity. “There you go.”

“Thank you, Inova,” Rarity said as she looked at the design and got comfortable. “Hmm. . .” The comfort from the blanket soon put the fashionista to sleep.

“We’ll start with a simple strength test,” Twilight said as she enchanted two small sticks in the backyard. “Pick them up.”

Human Inova obliged, the sticks proving easy to pick up. “Now what?”

“Just hold them until you can’t.” Twilight started slowly increasing the weight of each stick. Human Inova did her best to hold on and keep the sticks in her grasp before letting go. “Hmm. . .”

“How much was that?”

“Twenty pounds each.” Twilight looked through one of her thick notebooks and found the chart she was looking for. “Which isn’t bad, but it’s also below physical unicorn strength.”

Human Inova slumped. “Aww. . .”

“It’s okay, Inova. Keep in mind that humans and ponies are very differently shaped, so comparisons done that way aren’t quite fair. Given everything, I’d actually say it’s rather impressive. Let’s test your range of motion and balance next.”

Human Inova, under Cadence’s watchful gaze, made a simple spaghetti and veggie lunch. It went smoothly, with the only issue coming when Human Inova accidentally cut her hand on the knife. Cadence had been quick to clean and heal the wound, leaving no trace of it except the memory.

Rarity yawned as she came to the table. “What a productive nap. I have some new ideas.”

“Really?” Human Inova excitedly asked as she put some of the food on Rarity’s plate. “Can I see?”

“After I draw them.”

“Inova, I’d like to take a look at your teeth while we’re here,” Twilight said. Her notepad was next to her, and she was prepared to begin the examination.

“Twilight, this isn’t the time to do that,” Cadence stated. “You can inspect my daughter’s teeth after lunch.”

“But-”

“After.” Cadence’s firm tone held no room for argument. Once Twilight relented, lunch went smoothly.

“Hmm. . . Yes. . . I see. . .” Twilight said as she inspected Human Inova’s teeth after lunch. “Strong and healthy. And not at all an equine set of teeth either.”

“Huh?” Human Inova asked without closing her mouth.

“These are the teeth of an omnivore, designed for plants and meat. You should be able to eat meat safely.”

“But I already could as an alicorn.”

“Oh yeah, you could before. . . I have another test to run now, but it’ll have to be before you eat or drink anything in the morning, and I’ll need Cadence’s permission. It won’t be pleasant for either of us, but it’ll be easier than throwing up.”

Human Inova was suddenly concerned. “What kind of test?”

“Stomach acid composition. We’ll do it another day.”

“So, what do you think?” Rarity asked as Human Inova looked over the newly made dress.

“Hmm. . .” Human Inova examined her reflection. The black dress had a short skirt that only went down to the middle of her thighs, still clad in the warm leggings. The long sleeves, like the rest of the piece, hugged her form very well. Below the neck and across the shoulders was an elegantly curved golden design based on the double eagle blanket. “It’s very warm.”

“I figured you’d like something warm to sleep in that won’t twist and tangle as easily as the robe. You could even wear it under another dress or ensemble if you’d like.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Cadence entered the workspace. “Inova, I think you’ve forgotten about something.”

Human Inova was promptly confused. “I have?”

“You need to take a shower, young lady. You haven’t taken one since your second split.”

Human Inova promptly started to blush at the reminder. “Oh. Uh. . . How do I ask this?”

“Just say it, Inova,” Rarity assured.

The nervous human worked up the courage to ask what she needed to ask. “Can you wash my clothes while I’m in the shower? Or at least use a thorough cleansing spell?”

“Of course we can.”

“Thank you.” Human Inova went to her room to prepare for her shower.

Human Inova took longer than Alicorn Inova did to take her shower, and came out of her room with her robe on. “I’m done for today,” she tiredly stated.

“Did you slip and fall in there?” Cadence asked, promptly starting to check Human Inova for injuries.

“Only twice, but I’m fine.”

“What happened to your hands?” Cadence levitated Human Inova’s hands up. “Your fingertips look like raisins or something.”

“That’s normal,” Twilight helpfully chimed in as she brought the bundle that was nearly all of Human Inova’s clothes over, freshly cleaned and refreshed with the help of magic. “It happens with prolonged water exposure and smooths out on its own over time. I believe it’s a method of heat retention.”

As soon as Human Inova’s hands were free, she accepted the clothes. “I’m going to bed.” And so she did.

As the days wore on, Human Inova grew more confident in herself and her abilities. Twilight’s tests and cooking with Cadence contributed greatly, as did working on clothing designs with Rarity. By the end of the third day of Twilight and Rarity’s visit, she was matching the energy and positive outlooks of her family and Rarity.

Shining and Skyla kept on coming home looking and feeling incredibly tired, and Human Inova took it upon herself to greet both of them with a big hug.

After coming home from helping handle the punishments, Skyla managed to keep Human Inova out of her room with board games and arts and crafts. Human Inova even combined the two to make a new game, which she called Battlefleet. Five ships, two grids, a bunch of white and red dots, and educated guesses on each side. Cadence made a note to talk to the girls later about selling the game with royalties.

Author's Note

It's safe to say that Twilight's excited about having a human to examine without having to go through the portal.

Consolidation of Resources

Human Inova sat alone at the dining room table after breakfast. It wasn’t her decision, and she’d wanted to spend the morning doing other things, but Cadence had insisted on it, so she followed the directions.

Thankfully, she wouldn’t have to wait for too long. Shining came home with Lucky and three young orange mares behind him. He cut straight to the point with the mares. “You three will sit at the table with Human Inova and start talking things out.”

“But I wanted to go running,” Earth Inova complained.

“And make me fix all those cracks again?” Unicorn Inova countered. “No thank you. I can probably cast that repair spell in my sleep now.”

“Let’s just get it over with,” Pegasus Inova tiredly said as she took the initiative and sat down at the table, soon followed by Earth and Unicorn Inovas.

Shining watched and waited for the reunited quartet to do something. Despite Pegasus Inova’s initial initiative, she was reluctant to do anything else. Unicorn Inova was the first to make eye contact with Human Inova. “I’m sorry,” she reluctantly said. “I shouldn’t have said you wouldn’t understand magic the way I do, and I. . .” Her eyes started to water up as she forced herself to continue her apology. “I shouldn’t have slammed the door to our room like I did, and when we reunite, we’ll see it from both sides, and that’s even worse.”

Pegasus Inova went next. “I’m sorry, too. I was so excited to go flying properly for the first time, I didn’t think about anything else. I didn’t think about you, the ponies around me, or the things I crashed into.”

Earth Inova didn’t pick up the trend immediately, only caving after Unicorn and Pegasus began intensely glaring at her. “Alright, alright. I’m sorry. There, done.”

“Sorry for what?” Unicorn Inova asked, some anger slipping into her voice.

A frustrated sigh escaped Earth Inova as she gave the same apology she’d given time and again. “I’m sorry that I did not watch my strength, consider my surroundings, or consider the damage I did. Physically and emotionally.”

“That’s better,” Pegasus Inova said before turning to Human Inova. “As for you. . . I had time to think about it, and I couldn’t come up with anything you need to apologize for.”

“Klutzy hooves,” Earth said, only to get a telekinetic smack to the back of her head from Unicorn Inova. “I rescind my truthful statement.”

“But I was holding all of us back,” Human pointed out. “How can you not want an apology for keeping us from our full potential?”

“Because, as Aunt Twilight said, nopony, including you, knew you were here until that first split,” Unicorn explained. “And as dad said, you were the one that tried to handle things like a Princess should: words first.”

“Says the part that gets angry at the Nobles first,” Pegasus taunted.

“Hey, those snooty Canterlot Nobles deserve her anger,” Human pointed out. “Except for Fancy and Fleur. They’re cool. I don’t know about you three, well, I kinda do, but I’d rather have fewer official things to keep track of so we can work on our own projects.”

“Like what?” Earth asked.

Human shrugged. “I dunno, maybe building fun things in Artificing or just doing normal stuff. I didn’t think that far ahead, okay?”

“We can start by getting back at Nightshade,” Unicorn suggested. “Peacefully. Somehow.”

“What if we fly low over her?” Pegasus asked.

“Nah, that’s too simple,” Earth suggested. “What we should do is run through her and her herd.”

“Too violent,” Human said. “I’m sure we’ll think of something when the chance presents itself.”

Off to the side, Cadence leaned over to Shining. “Do you think it’s time?”

“They’ve talked it out and are now focused on one thing,” Shining said. “We’ll let them finish scheming first.”

All four of Inova's parts sat on the couch after lunch, with one of Pegasus's wings wrapped around Human's shoulders, both of them in the middle. Unicorn sat on one end while Earth sat on the other.

Cadence, Shining Armor, and Skyla stood across from their split family member. "Inova, it's been over a week since you split up, and since all of you have talked things out, it's time to pull yourself back together," Shining said. "I know you'll have a lot of memory sorting to do, but we'll be here for you."

"Especially those punishments." Cadence's added statement made the equine parts look down in shame. "I hope the three of you learned your limits from this."

"Yes, mom," the equine parts said in unison.

"Human, I hope you can use your memories and experiences to improve your alicorn form. You have a lot to catch up on, after all."

"Yes, mom," Human Inova said. "Unicorn. . . Bring us together."

Unicorn Inova's horn lit up, and the four parts came together in a flash of light.

I took a breath and took stock of myself. I had my wings, I had my horn, I had my hooves, and I had four sets of memories and emotions crashing down on me all at once. As I tried to process all of it, I did my best to suppress the tears, despite my eyes watering up.

Skyla pulled me into a hug with her forelegs and wings. "It's okay, sis. You can cry it out some more."

Her words broke the dam in me, and I returned the hug in kind as I cried on her neck. "I'm sorry. . . I'm so sorry."

"You're fine, Inova," dad calmly said. "Your punishments are done, those that were hurt have accepted that, and they're willing to forgive you. When you're ready, we can have Lucky do an interview if you want."

"None of us knew you had a human in you," mom added, stating the obvious. "Would you like some time off from school to sort yourself out?"

"That sounds good," I got out after some crying. "Maybe I'll just rest for now." My hug loosened and I fell asleep on my sister.

Luna found the dreamscape she was waiting for and entered it. Unlike before, the dream was stable, quiet, and calm. Inside was a black void, filled only with a small boxing ring. Each corner had a chair in it, and in each chair sat one of Inova's four parts. She landed at the base and listened in.

Human Inova had a clipboard in her hands. "Hello, everypony. Did you have fun out in the Empire?"

"It felt great casting spells properly," Unicorn said. "I felt so powerful! Then I found out Skyla got electrocuted by my magic and I felt bad, but I was having too much fun to be worried."

"Noted." Human scribbled something. "Pegasus?"

"The air under my wings was great!" Pegasus happily said. "Being free from the ground was so liberating! But then there were all those crashes. Those hurt a lot."

"I know. I've already felt some of those memories." Human winced at the recalled pain.

"And it's because you were weighing me down with your cowardice in flight class that I crashed that much!"

"Once again, none of us knew I existed in here until that first split, and while you probably are right, we cannot and will not use that as an excuse going forward. Earth?"

"You have no idea how much power is in our legs!" Earth nearly shouted. "Sure, it's no match for Pegasus's speed, and she can make tighter turns, but she can't backpedal or leap like I can, nor can she crack the ground like me!"

"Proud and vain. Noted." Human scribbled some more. "As Pegasus said, I have been unknowingly holding you three back, along with myself. Now that we know I'm here, along with the world knowing it, there's no denying it. What I wanted to do before was figure out how to harmonize with each of you so we can take the steps to stop tripping over our hooves, get closer to actually flying, and start casting spells more smoothly."

"So why do you think you were holding us back?" Unicorn asked, her tone hard and serious.

Human spread her arms out. "Have you seen me? Two legs, two arms, vertical torso, no horn, no wings, no tail, and probably no magic, if the human speculation is right. I didn't notice any, at least. Aunt Twilight didn’t tell me anything either. I was trying to move an equine system with human directions, instincts or something. Guidelines, let's call it that. It would explain why I made us flop when we tried to fly." Human waved her arms like she was trying to fly. "I was switching between foreleg and wing control with my arms, or something like that."

"So why not just adapt?" Pegasus casually asked.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to adapt to something when you have no idea what you're adapting from? Again, none of us, including me, knew I was here until recently." Human sighed and looked at her notes. "It's going to take some time to adapt and adjust, but we will do it. Together. There's a lot to do, though."

Luna burst through the middle of the ring’s floor, making her presence known. "May I make a suggestion, Inova?"

"Aunt Luna!" All four parts happily cheered.

"Try adapting one aspect at a time. You'll be able to better focus on that than trying for everything at once."

"Hmm. . ." Human gave it some thought. "Unicorn, I choose you! We can start by smoothing out our telekinesis to better build those Golem Brick sets, then-"

"OBJECTION!" Unicorn shouted. "Go with Earth first."

"Why me?" Earth asked with fake indignation.

"You specialize in what the three of us have in common: legs. If we can clear up that awkwardness first, then landing will be easier, along with casting on the move."

Pegasus gave it some thought. "She's right, you know. After that, we can work on wing control and flight."

"But. . . The bricks. . ." Human quietly pleaded.

"We can save them for later," Unicorn assured. "First thing to focus on is the legs. Maybe we can have Diamond help out as our coach."

"That sounds good," Earth added.

"Then the plan is set," Pegasus said. "Right, Human?"

"I guess so," Human reluctantly agreed. "I still want to play with the Golem Bricks, though."

"We will," Unicorn assured her. "Mobility first."

Luna smiled as she left the dream. For all the chaos that Inova had been through, she was doing well finding her own harmony.

I slowly opened my eyes. My throat was dry and there was a dull ache in my stomach. A groan escaped me as I got up and rolled out of bed, every joint in my body popping as I moved. "When am I?"

The door to my room opened. It had clearly been fixed while I was out of it. "You up, sis?" Skyla asked. "There's some food waiting for you in the fridge."

"You mean there was?"

"No, there is. Aunt Celestia heard about everything and sent a burnt end mac and cheese dish like what you made in Griffonstone. It's been in the fridge for a couple days now."

"A couple days. . . How long was I out this time?"

"A whole week, sleeping beauty. It's Wednesday now. I've also got a full pitcher of water waiting for you."

"Thanks. Feels like Saturday, though." I started moving slowly towards the kitchen. A solid week of doing nothing did no favors for my body, and my joints were very stiff. "Where are mom and dad?"

"They've been out facing the media in Canterlot for a couple days, so we’re on our own for now. Everypony has questions. There's even been accusations of them sealing an alien in you after you were born."

A dry scoff escaped me. "That sounds stupid. How would they even get an alien in the first place?" I got to the fridge and was about to use a hoof to open it as usual, but decided to try my telekinesis instead, with the addition of arms and hands in my visualization of the spell. The glow was faint and the magic was weak, but it was much easier than before, and I even levitated the sizable dish to the table on my own. "Yes! I did it!" In my victory, I flopped over onto the table. "And now I'm exhausted."

"Then I'll motivate you to eat." Skyla lifted the cover off, revealing the chilled cheesy and beefy goodness underneath. She cast a spell on it, warming it up and filling the house with its fragrance.

"That'll do it." I got up and promptly planted my muzzle in the lightly steaming dish. It was moist and delicious, and I couldn't find it in me to pause for even a moment except to breathe and swallow.

The sound of a loaded plate gently landing on the table caught my attention mid-bite, my muzzle buried in the savory food. It was stacked with at least ten peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. "These are from Ruby. She said they're for you."

I pulled my face out and swallowed what I had in order to give my thoughts. "Put two of them aside for me. You can have the rest."

"Really? Thanks!" She floated the top two sandwiches aside before starting on the next one. "Mmmm! These are so good!"

"It's that grape and blueberry mix, isn't it?"

"Yep!" She wolfed down the rest of the sandwich. "Don't hate me for this, but while I was assuring her you were okay and she was making the sandwiches, I looked through her pantry and fridge-"

"Of course you did." I went back to my food.

"-and I never saw or smelled anything blueberry flavored. The grape jelly tasted normal when I made a sandwich, but when she makes it, it gets that blueberry flavor."

"Hm." I had no explanation, but I was very curious. Not enough to leave and investigate, but I made a mental note of it.

On Saturday, I went over to Diamond's house and knocked on the door. Ruby answered it. "Inova! Are you okay? Did you get the sandwiches I made?"

"They were good as always." I remembered Skyla's observation, but I had other things to do. "Is Diamond here?"

Ruby turned around. "Diamond! Inova's here!"

Diamond came at me like a missile with her forelegs outstretched. "I was so worried about you!"

I caught her and was sent sliding back on my rear hooves about ten feet. "Easy, easy. I'm still recovering from a week of sleep."

"I wish I could sleep for a week sometimes."

"Waking up that thirsty and hungry is not worth it. And the stiffness. And I was busy."

"Doing what?"

"Settling my mind and coming up with plans. Oh, Diamond, I need you to be my coach this weekend."

She broke the hug and stepped back a bit. "A coach?"

"I'm going to work on my hoof and leg coordination, and I need a friend to help motivate me."

A smile graced her face. "I know just the place. Galloping Park has all kinds of things for that. There's even a long path to run on."

"Let's start with that." I was no stranger to the park, having done many exercises there before, but it felt like it would be a whole new adventure.

The trek to Galloping Park was done at a fast trot, which was almost the fastest I'd gone on hoof without tripping, aside from the panicked moments after the first time I used the splitting spell. By the time we got there, I was feeling great and had a big smile on my face. I was breathing a bit harder than usual, which I chalked up to the week of sleep, the thrill of moving without tripping, and not being used to that level of successful exercise to begin with.

"We'll run three laps around the park and take a breather after that," Diamond decided as we got to the path that went around the park. "Ready, go!"

At her direction, I picked up the pace. The feeling of the wind in my face and mane was great, and it kept me pushing onwards, despite the increasing exhaustion.

Diamond managed to keep pace with me. While my slightly longer legs and newfound coordination gave me the advantage on straighter areas, she had the advantage on the sharper turns, and there were enough of those to keep us even. I made a note to get her to teach me how she drifted the way she did.

After the third lap, I tried slowing down, but wound up stumbling and falling forward with my flanks in the air. "Ow."

Diamond barely looked winded as she got down to my level. "You okay?"

"Yeah. . . Ow. . . I think three laps was too much. Should have stopped at one."

She booped my snoot. "You should have said something, then."

"My Earth pony part was running around for a few hours and still had energy to spare when she was caught. I thought I could do the same for less than one hour. Ow."

"Guess not. Oh, I talked with our friends while you were gone."

"What did you tell them?"

"Barely anything. Everypony was worried about you and kept asking me how you were doing."

"Did they want to see my human part?" Since Lucky had written the articles, the fact that I had a human in me was basically public knowledge.

"Yeah, but that was a distant second place thing. They're more worried about you."

The news of their concern brought a smile to my face. "Well, that's nice."

"Yeah." Diamond poked the middle of my back and my body dropped to the ground. "Catch your breath then we'll move onto the side hops and leap bars."

Monday came, and I was back in school. It looked the same as before, but it felt like a whole new place. I had a new pep in my step, and it was only my incredible self control that kept me from outright prancing. I still imagined it, and it brought a smile to my face.

Principal Hall stepped out of his office. "Welcome back, Inova. Is everything alright now?"

"I feel more alive than ever!" I happily answered. "It feels like I can do anything!"

"That's good to hear. I've got all the classwork and homework you missed right here." He brought out a thick stack of papers for me. "Now, if you'd like-"

"Oh, thanks." I picked the stack from his back with my telekinesis and started going through the papers, glancing at them to determine their topic before shuffling them into the right category, and then sorting them by date with the oldest at the front of each section. "Alright, that's all sorted out. Is there anything else, Principal?"

"You've. . . Drastically improved with your magic."

"Thanks. You could say I found my harmony." I looked back to my saddlebags and began putting the backlogs in their appropriate folders. "I'd better get going, then."

"Go ahead."

As I walked through the hall, I heard Nightshade's voice and stopped. "It's been boring without Inova. She's probably out somewhere walking by herself, trying to get three rocks past a foot off the ground, flopping before flapping, or just tripping over herself and crying over her issues."

"Oh, I have just the spell for this." Over the weekend, dad had taught me the spell he'd perfected before I could talk, back when I had crying feedback loops. I cast it on myself, the shields appeared in my ears, and the world went almost silent. "It's prancing time." With a spring in my step, wings up, and my head held high, I pranced right by Nightshade and her herd.

I couldn't make out what Nightshade was saying, but she was following me. Just outside my classroom, I pretended to hear something and turned around, revealing the shields before dispelling them and closing my wings without flopping forward. "Oh, Nightshade. I didn't hear you. Everything good?"

Her face was red with anger and her breathing was heavy. By the looks of it, and based on what little I could hear of her on the way, she had been shouting at me the whole way. Her voice was a little hoarse. "You. . . You can't. . . Ignore me. . . Like that. . ."

I felt the snark. "You know what, you're right. I'm sorry for ignoring you like that. How would you like me to ignore you in the future?"

It should be noted that, while unicorns generally have the weakest muscles out of the three pony types, an uncoordinated hoof to the side of the jaw from one still hurts. Hooves are hard, no matter what. Thankfully, there was no bad damage done to me, I’d experienced worse when I flopped before, and I was in too good of a mood to worry about it.

Tuesday after school, I made my return appearance in the Human Club. "Hey, everypony!"

"Inova!" Everypony swarmed me and it became hard to tell their questions apart, though their concern was clear.

"Alright, alright, calm down." My words didn't have much of an effect on my excited friends, so I chose some different words. "If you want to see Human Inova and get a hug from her, calm down and form an orderly line." Within a minute, my words had everyone in order. "Here she is!" I cast the splitting spell.

The equine Inovas moved to the side as Human Inova smiled at the club. "As promised." She looked at her arms and body, clad in the first set of proper clothes Rarity had made for her. "Oh, so that's where these clothes went. Good to know."

The club/circle of friends didn’t play H&H, as the presence of a real human was too big of a deal to pass up. The equine Inovas even got in on it, joining their friends, crowding around Human Inova, and playing the part of adoring fans.

"Let's do some flight practice, Inova," mom stated when I got home on Friday.

"Can do!" I gave a salute with one of my wings and was about to take off when I realized one little issue: we were still indoors. "Out back?"

"Out back." I followed mom out back and took my saddlebags off with my levitation on the way. The novelty of finally mastering that skill was wearing down, but I was still happy about it all the same. "Let's do some hovering first, alright? See how long you can do it."

"Okay." I opened my wings, leapt up and started hovering. As I did, a big smile crossed my face and a giggle escaped me, then I let myself fall to the ground. "How long was that?"

"Less than thirty seconds. Do you still get butterflies in your stomach when you fly?"

"Yeah, but it's getting better." I leapt up and started hovering again. "But. . . It's. . ." The giggles escaped me again. "Kinda ticklish!"

"You're probably the only pony to describe it that way. Maybe you’re just excited about it."

I landed again and took a moment to catch my breath. "I'm going up to the roof." Without waiting for mom's answer, I took off and easily made my way up top, landing over the bay window on Skyla's room. "That. . . Wasn't as ticklish. Huh. Maybe it’s only when I’m hovering."

Mom landed next to me shortly after I had. "Since we're up here, let's see how well you can glide." She looked out in front of the house. "Leap off the roof and go as far down the road as you can. No flapping, just glide and land."

I eagerly followed her directions, getting a running start and leaping before opening my wings to catch the air and getting my legs into the right position. Just as the ground approached, I got my legs out and made a walking landing. “How was that?”

“It was good! Come back up here and we’ll make an exercise of it!”

I happily flew back up to the roof and started the gliding exercises. Being able to fly felt great.

I focused on the gem in my levitation. It was blue, which meant it was going to be one of the illusion gems for my alicorn sword. In order to keep track of which one went where, I had used the incredibly advanced labeling technique of masking tape and marker. The technique was apparently quite common among professional artificers.

“A conical spiral for the horn, obviously,” I said to myself as I put the illusion effect into the gem. Once that was done, I put it down and picked out a red one, which would be the combat enchantment. “And a similar visual effect here as well. That could be. . . Ah, a piercing or grinding effect along the illusion’s area!”

“Inova, if you don’t come get dinner, Skyla’s going to eat your portion,” dad said.

I was too focused on my project to care. “And now I need to align the effect projection along the illusion area. And make sure the charge levels on both stay aligned. . . This could be tricky.”

Author's Note

And thus ends the splitting spell arc. Will this spell see more use in the future? Most certainly. Not every chapter of course.

Gilda's Visit

I frowned as I inspected the core of my sword’s blade in the artificing workshop at school. The measurements were correct, the blade around it was accurately built, and all the illusion enchantments worked as I wanted them to on their own, but something was keeping the effects from appearing with everything together. “Why isn’t this working?” I asked in frustration.

“Are the conduits correctly placed?” Mr. Forger asked.

I telekinetically disassembled the sword to show that everything was correctly placed. Being able to wield magic properly was amazing, but it wouldn’t simply give me the answer I needed. “I don’t know what’s going on. Or isn’t.”

He looked over the laid out parts. “Ah, it looks like you may need something that we covered in class while you were gone.”

“What’s that?”

“Logic command enchantments.”

I put my sword back together and thought over the artificing work I’d gone over. When I couldn’t think of it, I got my notes and textbook out. “Logic command. . . Multiple inputs that result in different outputs depending on the inputs. Usually found in some devices that have forward and reverse functions, or changing colors. Gems with a rectangular shape often retain the logic command enchantment best.” I set the book down. “How do I make one?”

“We only went over what they do, not how to make one. That’s more advanced. Logic command enchantments are used in things like drills and lights with two or more switches. More complex logic command structures are possible, but they are tricky to make.”

My mind was soon made up. “I’m going to make and use one for my sword.” I levitated a small rectangular emerald over and started figuring out how to rearrange the internal parts to accommodate it.

A week after learning about, finding, and trying out the formulas for the logic command enchantment, I realized just how tricky they were to make. Most things that used them never went further than on/off and forward/back, and the more complex machines that used logic commands in their design just used more of the simple pattern.

With my sword having a total of four inputs, a simple logic command enchantment wouldn’t be enough. Three of the inputs were for building up different effects while the last one was for activating them. Nothing in my textbook covered anything about building up power, just using what was available.

As my irritation at trying to figure out how to make my alicorn sword built up, I began to realize that I was once again getting in over my head, and in need of something even simpler.

Without any inspiration immediately striking, I turned back to the H&H gear my friends and I had created. One set of weapons met my criteria and caught my interest, so I focused on it, starting with the few moving parts it had.

The alicorn sword got set to the side for another time. The new idea took precedent, and as I began working on the design, I came up with a name for it: Valor System.

“How’s artificing, sis?” Skyla asked as we walked to town for a snack on the way home after school. “It’s probably gotten a lot easier since your, uh, split decision.”

“Magic is a lot easier, but Mr. Forger said I have a recurring case of overconfidence,” I said. “Since this is the second time I’ve had to restart and redesign my big project due to ambition, I think he’s right.”

“What’s the new one? Is it the Valor System thing you were drawing?”

“Yeah. Diamond’s H&H character has a shield that also serves as a sheath for her hammer and other weapons, so I’m going with that. I came up with the idea to change armor forms based on the weapon, but I’m not working on that yet. The hammer head also has a spot for a gem to go in for elemental effects, giving some variety to what can be done.”

“Like gold?”

I lightly shoved Skyla with my wing. “No, not that kind of elemental effect. Fire, air, water, land, that kind of stuff.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

“I just need to come up with a way to keep the illusion and combat gems from getting mixed up. Got any ideas?”

Skyla gave it some thought. “Well, you could. . . Start by getting our snack.” There was a dessert stand in her sights, and ice cream definitely sounded good.

“You’re just asking because you spent all your lunch bits as usual, right?”

“And you only spent half of yours, as usual.”

“I’ve actually been spending eight bits on lunch recently. I’ve had more of an appetite since the split. It’s probably because I’ve been using my magic and wings more.”

“That makes sense.” Skyla looked at the menu. “But we can’t really get anything here with only two bits.”

“I think I can help you two out,” a familiar voice said from behind us.

I quickly turned around. “Gilda? What are you doing here?”

“Checking in on you.” She curled up her talons and booped my snoot. “After we heard about what happened, Ironwing had me bring the burnt end dish you came up with to Canterlot. Princess Celestia offered to send it to you while I took care of some personal matters.” She approached the mare at the dessert stand. “I’d like a triple deluxe sundae. It looks good. Skyla, Inova, what do you want?”

“Same!” We both said at the same time.

“Twelve bits, please,” the mare said. Once Gilda paid, she went to work, and the desserts were ready in short order.

I took the initiative and picked the sweets up with my telekinesis as we found a nice table to sit at. I chose to get what felt like the heaviest topic out of the way first. “So, you know about the human in me.”

“Everyone in the castle knows about it,” Gilda said as she started on her sundae. “Since you helped me back when you visited, Ironwing turned to me to figure out what to make of it.”

“How did that go?”

Gilda was learning how to ~~play Battlemace 4000~~ wargame with High Lord Ironwing when a messenger flew in and held a paper in front of the ruler’s face, per protocol of urgent news.

Ironwing was only briefly surprised before he accepted the Equestrian newspaper. “What am I looking for?” He asked.

“Front page headline,” the messenger reported. “You can’t miss it.” He noticed Gilda at the table. “She needs to read it too. I only have one paper, though.”

Gilda walked over so she could see the paper. She wasn’t too interested until she saw Inova’s name in the article. At some point, she broke protocol and took the newspaper from the High Lord so she could read it better.

“Your wings are twitching,” Ironwing pointed out.

“Well excuse me for feeling incredibly concerned for Princess Inova!” Gilda snapped before remembering just who she was talking to. “I’m sorry, my Lord.”

“I won’t fault you for that.” Ironwing gently reclaimed the newspaper and reread the article. “In fact, I have something for you to prepare for.”

“My Lord?”

“As much as I’m sure we both wish to respect Princess Cadence’s wishes to not send anything out of sympathy or concern, you and I both know we can’t just do nothing. In one week, you’ll take some of the burnt end macaroni and cheese to the Crystal Empire as a sign of care.”

Gilda was silent as she processed the task and thought it through. “My lord, if I may make a request?”

“Go ahead.”

“It may be better to take it to Canterlot and have Princess Celestia send it from there. It would probably be recieved better since they see her more like family, and. . . I have some overdue business I need to take care of in Ponyville.”

Ironwing considered the idea. “Hmm, yes. That may be the better course of action. In that case, we’ll have Borke prepare two servings of it so Celestia and Luna can try some.”

“I’ll see to it, my Lord.” Gilda walked back to her side of the table. “Now, I believe my forces are about to make a valiant last stand against yours.”

I felt mixed emotions over the story. Most of them were good, but there was one bit that annoyed me. “Skyla, the meal from Aunt Celestia said it was just from her, right?”

“I think so,” Skyla said. “I didn’t see any other names.”

A very frustrated sigh escaped me. “Gilda, I appreciate what you and Ironwing put together for me, but next time, please don’t do anything tricky like that.”

“She really hates being lied to. I don’t think anypony reacts like she does to lies.”

“Oh.” Gilda’s expression dropped a bit. “I’m sorry about that, Inova. We chose to do it that way after reading the article about what happened.”

I took a moment to collect myself. “No harm, no foul, I’ll forgive it.”

“If you really want to see her get mad, you should watch her handle bills from the nobles in Canterlot,” Skyla added before putting on an angry face. “The title is misleading! There are unrelated personal projects in here! This looks like money laundering! We do not need a new government office! Let me read all of it!” Her imitation of me was pretty accurate. “And then she’ll just toss the bill into the air when she’s interrupted one time too many.”

“I can count on one hand the number of nobles there that are alright, and it’s entirely the Pants family.” I couldn’t help but snicker a bit at the name.

“That sounds a lot like what happens in Griffonstone,” Gilda said. “Hey, do you mind if I spend the night at your place? My supply of Bits is getting a bit tight.”

“That’ll be up to mom.”

“Of course Gilda can spend the night,” mom happily said. “In fact, I wouldn’t mind her being here for the rest of the week.”

“Awesome!” I cheered. “So, Gilda, I’ve been working on-”

“But you’ll be helping make dinner while she’s here, Inova.”

I lost a little bit of the wind from under my wings. “Okay. I can do that.”

“So, your project?” Gilda asked.

I turned back with a smile. “I’m taking artificing in school, and I’ve been working on a shield and hammer set. . .”

After dinner, I went out back with Gilda and cast the splitting spell.

“Wow,” Gilda said. “So this is what a human looks like? I was expecting something a bit. . . Taller.”

“Aunt Twilight says I might grow a bit more,” Human Inova said. “I’m currently 5’3”, but being part of an alicorn, who can say?” Her expression turned ominous. “However, there’s something more important we need to do first.”

“And what could that be?”

Human Inova snapped and pointed at Gilda. “Get her.”

The Equine Inovas, in accordance with a plan concocted by Alicorn Inova less than five minutes prior, leapt at Gilda, and soon had her immobilized. “What are you doing?”

“This.” Human Inova moved in and gave Gilda a big hug.

It was then that Gilda realized Inova had played a little trick and began laughing. “Well, you leave me no choice but to retaliate!” She got her forelegs and wings free so she could give a retaliatory hug to three of the quartet. She couldn’t reach Pegasus Inova, who was on her back.

“Pile on!” Skyla shouted before she split herself and did just that.

Gilda had a hard time holding up under the strain of all the alicorn parts, and while Human Inova tried to support her, she wasn’t strong enough to hold up a griffon and multiple ponies. The two unicorn parts, seeing what was about to happen, used their levitation to control the collapse. Human Inova still ended up on the bottom, but nobody got hurt.

Over by the doorway, Shining and Cadence chuckled at the scene. It was ridiculous to say the least, but everyone was smiling and laughing.

“Well, if it isn’t Princess Ino. . .” Nightshade’s overly cocky greeting trailed off.

“Yes, that’s me,” I happily said. “Do you need any help, Nightshade?”

“Uh. . . What’s that griffon doing here?”

I looked back to Gilda. We shrugged. “Clearly, she’s enjoying a protein smoothie. I’ve been meaning to try one. I should have gotten one.”

“Sup?” Gilda casually asked before returning to her drink.

“No, why is she here?” Nightshade clarified.

“Ohh, why didn’t you say so? Well, I got permission from Principal Hall for her to tag along with me for the day. Gilda’s a good friend of mine. Anyways, I’ve got to get to math class. See ya!”

Shortly after Gilda and I rounded the corner, we started losing our composure and began laughing. “The look on her face!”

“She still tries to bully me, but ever since my split, I’ve taken to trolling her on occasion.”

“Trolling? What’s that?”

I told her about how I flaunted myself on the first day back, and the resulting punch from Nightshade. It had hurt, but getting one over on her for the first time felt great.

“So, this is your project?” Gilda asked when we got to artificing.

I levitated the hammer and shield apart in front of me. “Yep. This is the Valor System. How does it feel to you?”

She took the weapons and hefted them. “The weight’s good, and they feel sturdy enough.” She sheathed the hammer. “The top’s heavy like this, though. That could be a problem.”

“How?”

“Here.” She put the shield in my physical grasp before grabbing a length of narrow pipe. “If I hit low on the shield-” she landed a thrusting strike and the shield tipped forward. Before it had finished moving, and before I could recover, the end of the pipe was next to my muzzle. “-that opens you up to get hit.”

The rest of the class and Mr. Forger looked at our little scene for a moment before he cleared his throat. “Inova, while the demonstration was a good reminder about the importance of proper weight distribution, I must ask that you and your guest refrain from similar displays.”

“Sorry, Mr. Forger,” I said before turning back to Gilda. “Where did you learn that?”

“I’ve sparred with the guards before.” Gilda put the pipe back and looked over my project again. “If you switch to an ax, the whole thing will be more balanced.”

“I am planning on making more weapons to go in the shield, but for now, hammer.”

“So, Gilda, I hear you went to Ponyville before you came here,” mom said over dinner. “How was it?”

“The town was still in one piece,” Gilda said. “Given everything Rainbow said had happened since my last visit, I was surprised. Pinkie still makes no sense, so that at least hasn’t changed.”

“She’ll never make sense,” dad concurred. “What did everypony else say?”

“Rarity didn’t have much to say at first, until I brought up Inova, then she wouldn’t stop talking. Twilight was busy with Princess stuff, science, or something. Applejack sold me some good apples, and Fluttershy was leading some ducklings to a pond. I was expecting her to be scared as she walked by, but she was just so. . . Casual. She said Hi and went on with the ducklings. I waited, she came back, we talked, and. . . I don’t know how she could be so casual with me. What happened to her being so shy?”

“Discord lives with her, so she’s used to the strange and powerful.” Mom’s explanation didn’t really explain much. “And here you are now having dinner with half of the world’s alicorns.”

“Is it weird that I wanted to add bacon to the salad?” I asked. “Because that sounds really good.”

“We have hay bacon,” Skyla said before realization crossed her face. “Wait, you don’t mean hay bacon, do you?”

“Yeah, that just doesn’t sound like the kind I want. Meat sounds good. Gilda, do you-”

“Don’t have any,” Gilda interrupted. “And no, I’m not about to go hunting for any meat either. And before you ask, it’s not because there isn’t anything I can hunt here.”

“Aww. . .” My disappointment was measurable and my mood in the moment ruined.

A few days later, it was time for Gilda to leave. “Well, it’s been fun, but I’d better get back to Griffonstone. Everyone wants to know how Inova’s doing.”

“Before you leave, I have something for you,” dad said before levitating a scroll to her.

Gilda opened it and two slips of paper fell out. She picked them up. “What are these for?”

“A first class ticket for the train to Canterlot and the same for an airship to the Griffon Empire. I imagine you’d rather not have to fly back on your own wings.”

“She flew all the way here on her own wingpower?” I asked in surprise. “How?”

“With her wings,” Skyla unhelpfully explained. “Duh.”

Gilda read the scroll next. She was quiet for a while. “You’re sure about this?”

“Absolutely,” mom said. “If Ironwing will allow it, of course.”

Gilda took a slow breath. “I’ll have to think about it. Being an ambassador is a lot of work, so I hear.”

Dad shrugged. “Well, I’d say you did a good job of it over the past few days, so there’s that.”

“Just remember that it’s an option,” mom assured. “You’re free to turn it down. Just take your time to think about it.”

“I. . . Thank you,” Gilda said. “I’ll be sure to send a letter.”

Before Gilda could fully turn to leave, I dashed up and gave her a hug with my wings. “Can you bring some bacon next time? That stuff’s good.”

Gilda returned the hug. “Can do, but only if you let me go first.”

I held the hug a few seconds longer before letting go. Gilda took off with an impressive vertical launch before turning towards town and gliding towards the train station. The idea of taking off like that was pretty cool, and I started figuring out what spells I could use to make my own launch even better.

Author's Note

There's nothing like seeing a friend you haven't seen in a while.

Destructive Developments

There was a blast, and Brooke made a note on her clipboard. “That’s another failed attempt.”

“Aghh,” I growled as I cleared the soot and debris from my coat and feathers again. “That’s, what, ten failures to launch?”

“Twelve. And we’ve been here for nearly three hours.”

“Gahh!”

“Maybe we need a break. Let’s take a break.”

I relented under her extremely well crafted and persuasive argument. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

“Plus, we can go over the notes together. Maybe we’ll figure something out from each test.”

“Yeah. See what went wrong and what little worked. I really thought the gravity altering one would have been the way to go.” I gathered up the books and notes for the experiment and we made our way to Mr. Slice’s Pizzeria.

“What happened to you two?” Soprano asked as she set our pizza on the table. “You both look like you’ve been to one of Machina’s ranges.”

“Inova talked me into helping her with an experiment,” Brooke explained. “The Alicorn Takeoff Launch And Soar Project.”

“Or just the ATLAS Project,” I said. “I want to figure out how to get up high as fast as possible. I figured that having all three types of pony magic would let me do something, but I haven’t figured it out yet.”

“We spent half an hour on the first method: kicking off upwards with her rear legs and wings alone.”

“All I got was tired and not as much height as I wanted.”

“So she made a small low gravity zone next. Somehow, it made her flip around as soon as she left it. How did you even find that spell?”

I looked side to side. “I may have gotten some advanced spell books from Aunt Twilight. When I was in second grade. It was her attempt to get me more motivated to learn magic. It didn’t quite work. Well, it is now. On a side note, Brooke knows that spell now, and we had the same results when she was the one casting it, so it’s not a matter of who’s casting it.”

Soprano gave an amused smile. “Well, good luck with that.” She zipped off to go take a pizza to another table.

We ate our first slices in relative quiet. “So, am I going to be your lab assistant from now on?” Brooke eventually asked.

“Probably,” I answered.

A week later, I ended up on Girder’s back after more failed launch experiments. “Ow. . .”

“I told you to stop with the reflex enhancement spells,” Brooke chided.

“I thought I could use them to enhance my launches. And now I know that it doesn’t help anything, so there’s that. Ow.” Nearly every muscle in my body was hurting, and it was not pleasant. The only part of me that wasn’t hurting was my face.

“Why are you doing this anyways?” Girder asked.

“I saw Gilda take off that way, but I’ve never seen a pegasus take off like that. I want to do that, and since I have three kinds of magic, I thought I could copy her method.”

“It’s probably something griffons can do that pegasi can’t,” Brooke suggested. “That’s the simplest explanation I’ve got.”

“That might be it. Well, at least we tried, right?”

While we were waiting in the waiting room at the hospital, I saw some ponies come out that I wasn’t expecting to see. “Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?” They both looked fine, but mom’s body was showing a very slight hint of roundness.

They were just as surprised to see me. “Never mind that, what are you doing here?” Dad asked.

“Overuse of a reflex enhancement spell,” Brooke explained.

“She warned me,” I added. “Ow.”

Mom indirectly explained why she and dad were there. “Inova, you and Skyla are going to have a little sister later this year.”

“Okay, cool.” The implication suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks, and I prioritized what I needed to know. “Does that mean I’ll have to move my bricks somewhere else?”

“It wouldn’t hurt,” dad said.

“Princess Inova, it’s your turn with the doctor,” a nurse called out.

“I’ll see you later,” I said as Girder and Brooke took me to see the doctor.

The doctor ordered me to soak in a hot tub for my muscles, limit my physical activities, and take a little bit of pain medicine. It was a common medicine that was in a medicine cabinet at home, so that wasn’t too big of a deal.

The next day, I invited all my friends and Skyla to join me in the hot tub at the water park after school. To my delight, everypony was able to make it. “This is good,” I said as we sat in the tub. I could feel the lingering aches in my muscles lessen as the heat did its work.

“It is,” Soprano said. “But why not an actual spa?”

“It’s not about the Bits,” Skyla said. “She’s got lots of those.”

“The spas have special deals going on, so there’s more ponies going there,” I explained. “Nopony thinks to come to the water park for a spa treatment, which means we get in faster and we can relax longer without worrying about anypony behind us.”

“Does that make you nopony?” Quick Quip asked.

“Only sometimes. I’m Inova the rest of the time.” Truly, Quick Quip was a terrible influence on me.

School very quickly became something for me to dread, and all in the span of less than a single day. My classwork in all areas was just as easy as usual, and it was nice when I could focus on it, but the times I could focus on it diminished rapidly. News had gotten out about mom’s pregnancy, and everypony had questions.

“Are you excited for your new sister?”

“When do you think your mom will deliver the filly?”

“Is it one foal or two?”

“What color do you think her coat will be?”

“Will she be an alicorn?”

“Would you like some shredded cheese on your salad?”

“Do you think she’ll also have a human in her?”

“Why is everypony so caught up in the news about your new sister?”

I did my best to keep a level head under all the questions. The fact that my schoolmates were just curious instead of whatever most of the Canterlot nobles were helped a bit, but like a chisel, every question chipped away at my patience, and there were a lot of questions.

“Hey, sis?” Skyla asked over lunch. She sounded drained, and I suspected the reason was much the same as mine.

“Yeah?” I couldn’t hide the drained feeling from my voice.

“How about we just go home after our last class?”

“That sounds good. Running sounds good. Let’s do some running.”

The end of the day came, we met up at the usual exit we took, and immediately ran towards home as fast as we could. Our more persistent schoolmates were hot on our trail, which helped motivate us to run at full speed.

Unfortunately, we both forgot to factor in the fact that some of our schoolmates had wings, and the open road became our enemy. I looked around for something, anything that could let us hide for a minute to let the herd go past us. Skyla did the same, and she found a spot before I did. I followed her, and we leapt over a wall that blocked off an alleyway. She stopped right after the leap and I crashed into her. She wasn’t fazed and leapt back, pushing me against the wall while she cast some illusion spells. “Shh.”

I waited with bated breath as our schoolmates leapt over us and ran down the alley. “Are we safe?” I quietly asked, doing my best to not let the stench in the alley get to me.

Skyla carefully looked around, including upward. “We’re safe. Let’s go.”

We leapt out the way we came and took off to fly the rest of the way home. “Where did you come up with that maneuver?” Tactical thinking wasn’t exactly Skyla’s forte, as evidenced by our Battlefleet games.

“I read about it in a book once. I think the character’s name was Queen Nova or something like that.” She smirked my way. “No idea who came up with her, but she must be pretty smart.”

A grin crossed my face. “Yeah, she probably is. And she’s probably going to take a shower after being in a smelly and gross alleyway.”

“How about a bath instead? You wash my wings, I wash yours?”

“I like that idea.”

Being the one to wash and clean Skyla’s wings was quite a change of perspective for me. It also revealed, through multiple pointers and corrections from her, that my wing care skills still needed work.

Where once I felt pitiful for needing Skyla’s help to clean up, the spontaneous event had was much less of a source of stress for me, and was actually enjoyable. The fact that we both lightly stank of the alleyway gave us something to laugh about as well.

Mom noticed both of us coming out of the bathroom once we were clean and dried off. “Inova, did you forget about your wings again?” She teased.

“We had to run from a third of our schoolmates,” I explained. “Maybe. I wasn’t counting.”

“We hid in an alleyway to lose everypony, and then we stank because it’s a stinky alleyway,” Skyla added. “So we cleaned each other.”

“Can’t do homework smelling like that.”

“You never have homework.”

“I’m still catching up on what I missed, so for now, I do. And you’re right: homework sucks.”

“It’s a lot like being a Princess,” mom said. “Lots of paperwork is needed to make sure things get done. Speaking of which, I put your saddlebags by the dining table. Go ahead and start on your homework.”

“Yes, mom,” we both said before trudging over to the table to start on it. As we worked on our own stuff and helped each other, I decided that, once I was officially a Princess, I would do everything possible to minimize the paperwork aspect.

“Girls, it’s time to teach you how to handle the paparazzi,” dad said after supper. “They will ask you a lot of the same questions-”

“Check,” I said.

“-chase you down to ask questions-”

“Check,” Skyla said.

“-and the smart ones will predict where you’re going to be so they’ll have less competition.”

“No check,” Skyla and I said at the same time.

“Hm?”

“Everypony was asking us questions about the new filly,” Skyla explained. “I don’t think I learned anything in Equish class today.”

“I should have used the earplug shields,” I said. “Skyla, remind me to teach you that one.”

“Dad already did.”

“I rescind my statement.”

Dad cleared his throat to get our attention. “There are a few ways to deal with the paparazzi. You can answer their questions, but the more you feed them, the more they’ll come after you. You can ignore them and try to go on with your day, which might end well or bad. However, you must not be the first to get mad, and if you do, you must make sure not to explode like Inova does with the nobles.”

“What if they ask really stupid questions?” Skyla asked.

“Have you heard any stupid questions about your new sister?”

“Lots of them. Somepony even asked me if Sombra was the father. He’s dead, so that’s not possible.”

“How did you answer it?”

“Well. . . It was so stupid, I couldn’t answer.”

“And by not answering, that can let rumors grow and spread. That one should die off on its own after a while.”

As the lesson on dealing with the paparazzi, crowds, and inevitable fans wore on, the idea of taking a more subdued and less visible role as a Princess sounded better and better.

After a couple weeks, the excitement over the news of mom’s pregnancy and the stream of questions died down, so things were mostly back to normal for us. I was happy to be back with my friends on another H&H adventure after school.

Skyla’s evasion trick coming from a move I made with Queen Nova lingered in my mind, and I started thinking about other things I could use or make from the game. My focus remained on completing the Valor System, and aside from the weight distribution issue that Gilda pointed out, it went pretty well.

By the time the Artificing final came around, I’d managed to build a few other things. Most were simple, a couple remained unfinished, and one had great potential.

Mr. Forger got a notebook in his magic and faced us. “Alright everypony, it’s time to start showing off what we’ve built and completed throughout the year. Flashlights first.” He turned off the lights and began calling out names in alphabetical order. One by one, we showed that our flashlights did work. Mine was just as basic and functional as everypony else’s, though I’d wanted to put a rotating cube in mine for some reason that had nothing to do with brightness. That plan was set aside for another time.

He turned the lights back on. “Bracelets next.” Once again, we went through the class and presented what we built. Most of them had simple illusion enchantments, others were even less creative and were just wearable flashlights. A couple of them had proximity charms for detecting specific things. Mine was bigger and had a levitation enchantment that let me pick up my desk without touching it or using my own levitation. I called it the gravity gauntlet, and I had plans to make a pair that would fit my human arms and hands as well.

Over multiple days, the rest of what we’d designed and built was shown off. Many of the things that my classmates and I built were little trinkets and jewelry with enchantments in them. I could see practical applications for most of the items as well, if not entertainment value. I did manage to build Queen Nova’s belt, though I didn’t get any illusion or light enchantments in to go with the sounds, which was mostly just my voice.

Some of the items were bigger, and were demonstrated outdoors. One was a modified bicycle that didn’t require pedaling to move, though it could only go forward and be steered. There were also some modified wagons that could do something similar, though they either broke down or wouldn’t move with as little as five ponies on them. I made an offer to buy copies of the schematics. To my delight, I only had to spend ten bits per plan, and forty bits for the plans was a great bargain. I made sure to get names on the plans in case I needed to get some help or, more importantly, credit the original designers.

I was the only one that made anything resembling weapons. My alicorn sword was little more than a sword with moving parts and illusion enchantments, and swinging it around to show off the effects was enough to make one of the more faint of heart fillies in my class faint.

The Valor System demonstration went perfectly, except for one little detail. When I swung the hammer and hit the crystalline ground, it made a three foot deep crater, dropped me and some of my classmates into it, and broke some windows in the school. “Uh, whoops.” The silence that followed was eerie.

Mr. Forger wasn’t happy. “Inova, I thought I told you not to use the combat enchantments.”

I took the yellow gem out of the hammer and inspected the carvings on it. It was just what I suspected. “I got the two mixed up.”

“How could you mix up the enchantments? The casting processes are wildly different.”

“I didn’t get the enchantments mixed up! I mixed up the enchanted gems. Big difference.” I looked at the rim of the crater about fifteen feet away from me in all directions. “This is a bit bigger than the cracks I had to fix.” I wanted to know just how much property damage I’d done in Bits, but I was also afraid it would be more than what I had.

“That’s awesome!” A colt exclaimed from the rim of the crater. “Can you make one of those for me, Inova?”

“No, I won’t.” I sheathed the hammer to punctuate my statement. “And that decision is not up for appeal.”

Principal Hall appeared overhead and looked very disappointed. “I presume Inova did this?”

“Yes,” Mr. Forger said. “She’s already admitted to her mistake.”

“I should have inspected my engravings more closely,” I added.

“Mr. Forger, please lock up Inova’s artificing projects and I’ll take care of the disciplinary action,” Principal Hall said. “Do you have any recommendations?”

“She might be able to fix the windows,” Mr. Forger said. “That’s all I have to add.”

I gently set the Valor System and the enchanted gem on the ground in front of Mr. Forger as I got out of the crater. Whatever punishment was ahead, I would take it.

“In here.” I followed Principal Hall into an empty room, the walls all faded white. “You will spend the rest of the day here. Lunch and any finals you have will be brought here. You may step out during breaks, but you have to be back here before the break ends. Additionally, that crater is impossible to simply fix, so you will also come up with something to do with it. After school is out, you will go around to fix all the windows that you can and clean out the crater.”

“Yes, Principal,” I meekly said as I sat at one of the desks. The idea of splitting up to take the finals faster crossed my mind, but that would just result in way more boredom.

“I will be back.” He left the room and closed the door.

I turned to go through my saddlebags, only to become incredibly disappointed when I saw that they weren’t there. There was nothing for me to do to pass the time. No books, no paper, no pencils, nothing.

Fifteen minutes in, Principal Hall came back with a piece of paper and a pen, which he put on my desk. “I need you to read and sign this.”

I read the written letter. It was addressed to mom and dad, it detailed what I did, what my punishment was, and how I had behaved. I found everything to be accurate, and with the intent of maintaining the silver lining of good behavior noted on it, I signed it. I did not want any more trouble than needed.

“Thank you. I’ll be back again.” He took the letter and left me alone again.

I started thinking about the gravity gauntlet design and what else I could do with it for the human model. Lifting things was good and all, but I wanted it to do more. I just had to figure out how.

Time crawled by. Principal Hall brought me my saddlebags, the paper finals I had, and a mediocre lunch. The finals were easy enough, the lunch was okay, and then I was confronted with lots of boredom, even as I tried to figure out what to do with the crater.

I was given respite by the breaks between classes. I was on my way to the fillies’ room during one break when Soprano’s path crossed with mine. “Inova, did you feel the school shake earlier? Everypony’s blaming you for it.”

“That’s because I caused it,” I explained. “There’s a crater out there now and a bunch of broken windows. I’m going to be fixing what I can later.”

“Oof. Well, I’d better get to music class. See you.” She left to go to her class and I took care of what I had to.

I was grateful for the end of the boredom I was suffering through when the end of the day came and Principal Hall started taking me around to fix the windows. The time my unicorn part had spent fixing what my earth and pegasus parts damaged was now of use, as the repair spell came easily to me, and each window took less than thirty seconds to fix, according to the clocks in the classrooms. There were a lot of them though, and I didn’t feel quite confident enough to cast while flying.

Finally, we came to the crater. “What do you think we should do here?” Principal Hall asked.

“Clean it up first.” I went about doing just that. The repair spell, to my dismay, did not bring the crater up to where it was. It only smoothed it out and filled in the cracks. The rubble and debris went into a pile nearby. “The best idea I came up with is a fountain.”

“A fountain?”

“Yep. I even have a name for it: Inova’s Regret. Around the edges would be plaques that say what happened. ‘Princess Inova, in her excitement one day, forgot to double check that the enchanted gem in her hammer was the right one, resulting in a terrible mistake. On this spot, her hammer struck the ground, making a crater, shaking the school, and breaking windows. She took the rightful blame for what happened without objection and cleaned up the mess herself.’ Does that sound good?”

Principal Hall thought it over. “It does sound good, and very accurate, but I’ll have to give it some more consideration. Perhaps a shorter version or multiple plaques. Anyways, you’re free to go home now, and you’ll be able to retrieve your projects during your next artificing class.”

“Thank you.” I got my saddlebags on and took off to fly home, though I had a stop to make on the way.

Mom and dad both looked disappointed when I got home. “Inova, explain what happened,” dad said.

“I got the illusion and combat gems mixed up for my artificing project,” I explained. “The illusion was supposed to be a huge plume of dust going up from the ground.”

“Why would you even make something like that?”

“Because I. . .” I tried to come up with a good explanation to hide behind, but turned back towards the truth. “I wanted to build what I’ve imagined from the H&H games.”

“You will be skipping dinner tonight, Inova,” mom stated. “Dessert too.”

“Yes, mom.” I went to my room and set my saddlebags down. I’d considered the possibility of being punished that way, and I was hungry after leaving school, so I came home prepared. As soon as dinner was underway for everypony else, I got the paper bag with a hayburger and fries from my saddlebag and had dinner alone at my desk. As I ate, I wondered what the summer would bring.

Author's Note

Not everything can go smoothly.

Departure

Immediately after the school year ended, practically on the minute Skyla and I got home, before I could even start putting my artificing projects in my room, mom and dad roped Skyla and me into helping prepare the house for our new sister. Without much else to do over the summer, I went along with it.

“Do you think we should use a bold or pastel pink paint? Oh, can we add glitter too?”

“Do you think a heart shaped or rounded top crib would be best?”

“What kind of carpet should we have?”

“So many toys to choose from! Do you think she’ll like the stuffed bear or dog more?”

“Inova, go pick out a cute ceiling light. Skyla, find some curly shelf brackets.”

“How does Crystal Garden sound for lunch?”

“Is it a bit self-centered to want the alicorn decals?”

“We need a new carrier. Maybe one that matches my mane?”

After only a couple weeks of it, I finally got fed up. “Mom, can you please stop for a bit?”

She looked surprised. “Stop what?”

“I know you’re excited about the new filly. I am too, but. . . Can’t you slow down a bit? Maybe take a couple days off from turning a guest room into a foal’s room? Just sit down with some tea and a book for a day or something.”

“Inova, this room needs to be perfect,” she insisted.

“You’ve got five rolls of carpet in there and you’re comparing all of them to the perfectly fine existing carpet!”

Mom thought about my words for a moment. “Well, there’s nothing saying we can’t put carpet on the walls and ceiling. Do you think the ceiling should have a dark or light carpet?”

“GAHH!” At that moment, in my frustration, I made up my mind. “I’m going to Canterlot for the summer.”

That caught her attention. “No, Inova! You’re going to-”

I held her muzzle shut with my telekinesis. “Mom, I love you a lot, but I’m getting tired of the excitement. I’ll be back before summer ends. I promise.” I let go as I turned towards my room.

“Inova, your dad and I built this house with you and Skyla in mind,” she sternly reminded me as I began packing up. “We did everything in our power to make sure you two grew up in a cozy home instead of a cavernous castle. We even expanded it just for you two, and gave you generous renovation budgets. We’re all working together to do the same for the new filly.”

“And I’m doing my part by removing the dead weight: me.” I packed some of my human clothes just in case I needed them for something. “I’ve just been dragging myself along the past few days, and I’m tired of it.” My artificing projects and plans got packed up as well.

“But I love having you with us. It really makes a family outing feel complete.”

“And what have I contributed to any of it? Nothing. I may as well have not been there and you’d have reached the same results.” I levitated my stuff along, pushed past her and stopped at the front door. “I’ll be back well before she’s born.”

There were tears welling up in mom’s eyes. “You promise?” She suddenly sounded very sad.

“Of course. I have no intention of lying.”

“At least a month before?”

“Easily. I’ve got to be back in time for eighth grade, after all.” Not wanting to delay any further, I seized the moment and left. I had a train to catch, and I didn’t feel like flying to the station.

Along the way, I saw Diamond, Ruby, and Nick enjoying an outdoor lunch at a cafe. Despite having her back turned to me, Ruby somehow noticed my approach and picked up on my mood very quickly. “Is everything okay, Inova?”

“Yeah.” I decided better than to brush it off. “Not really. I’m going to Canterlot to get some space for a bit. Mom’s gotten a bit obsessive and hyper over preparing for the new foal.”

She nodded. “I understand. Some mares can get like that while they’re pregnant.”

“Mom, can I go to Canterlot with Inova?” Diamond eagerly asked. “I’ve always wanted to go, and if I’m with her, I’ll be safe.”

“Sweetie, you know what we’ve told you, right?” Nick asked her. “There are powerful unicorns there who would ruin your life just for being an earth pony, and then us for being your parents.”

“They wouldn’t do that to the friend of a Princess, though.”

“Some of them actually are that stupid,” I said. “I don’t know how, but they are. I’ll make sure you stay safe.”

Ruby gave me a serious look. “You promise you won’t let anything bad happen to my filly?”

“She’s my friend, so of course I’ll keep her safe.”

She relented. “Diamond, you can go with Inova, but I want you to write a full page about your trip for each week you’re gone.”

Diamond slumped at the condition. “Really?”

“You need to focus on your writing skills. Your Equish final score was very close to disappointing. I’m sure Inova would be willing to help you, right?”

“I can do that,” I said. “In fact. . .”

“Inova, please don’t give mom any ideas,” Diamond pleaded.

“I can think of a few things that’ll give her enough material for a few full pages. Would you like me to mail them to you when they’re done?”

“We’d love that,” Nick said. “Now go have fun, and don’t forget to bring back some souvenirs.”

I relaxed a bit once Diamond and I passed the Empire’s bubble. “Are you okay, Inova?” Diamond asked.

I looked out at the swirling snow as I answered. “Yes? No? I’m not really sure. I’m glad to be away from mom and able to breathe again, but. . .”

“You miss her already?”

“We didn’t part on entirely good words. I’ll be back, but. . . I wish I could have been more graceful about it.”

Diamond had nothing to say, but she pulled me into a hug. It made me feel a bit better for the ride.

“Guards!” Diamond yelped when we arrived. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Nope,” I said as I got to my hooves. “They’re just following orders. It happens every time my family comes here.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be treated like a normal pony?” she asked as she followed me.

“That only applies in the Crystal Empire. You’re with me, so you’ll be guarded as well.” We stepped out and the guards formed the normal ring around us. “To the castle, gentlecolts. We can go at a leisurely pace today. No urgency. Also. . .” I whispered something to Captain Glaive.

“As you command, Princess Inova,” he said.

“It’s so much warmer here than at home,” Diamond commented as she looked around. “It feels really good.”

“It is,” I said. “Unless it’s winter, then it’s colder.”

Our guards took us to and parted away at the exact spot I’d requested, and Diamond’s reaction was immediate. “Princess Celestia!” She immediately went into groveling mode, practically burying her face in the plush carpet leading to the throne.

“Hi, Aunt Celestia,” I casually said.

“Hello to you too, Inova,” Aunt Celestia said. “This must be Diamond Heart.”

“Yes, that’s me!” Diamond’s admission was heavily muffled by the carpet.

I leaned down next to Diamond’s ear and whispered, “Skyla still calls her Aunt Celery.”

Diamond collapsed in laughter for a few seconds before collecting herself and mostly getting back to her hooves. “I’m sorry about that, Princess Celer - Celestia!”

“Hmm.” Aunt Celestia contemplated the apology, though I had a feeling I already knew the answer. “I forgive you. In fact, how about you and Inova come take a walk with me?”

“Of course, Princess.” Diamond got to her hooves and we followed Aunt Celestia out of the throne room.

“She’s very eager to please, isn’t she?” Aunt Celestia asked me as we wandered the halls.

“Her parents did the same thing when I stepped hoof in their home,” I said. “Diamond, you can cut the groveling.”

“Sorry,” Diamond said. “It’s just. . . I knew you were close to Princess Celestia, but I don’t think I really got it until now. And she’s way taller than I thought she would be.”

“Is there anything going on right now, Aunt Celestia?” I asked.

“We have some time before the nobility starts talking legislation,” Aunt Celestia said. “I’ll have to be there for it.”

“Can I watch Inova handle it?” Diamond asked, almost sounding eager.

“Not today. They all decided to make today a ‘bring your foals to work’ day, and I’d rather not expose the foals to Inova’s temper.” She looked ahead. “Speaking of the nobility and foals, here’s some of them now.”

Diamond hid behind me as the two approached, along with a pegasus filly and an earth colt, both younger than me. “Well, if it isn’t Princess Inova,” Fancy Pants warmly greeted. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“Family drama,” I said, giving the very short explanation. “Oh, and I have a friend with me.” I levitated Diamond around in front of me. “Diamond, these are the best nobles in all of Canterlot. Fancy, Fleur, and. . . What are your names?”

“Finesse,” the pegasus filly said, gracefully fanning her wings.

“Fromage,” the earth colt said with a bow. “At your service, Princess Inova.”

“They won’t hurt you,” I assured Diamond.

Clearly, Diamond’s parents had managed to instill a lot of wariness about the Canterlot nobility into her. She was tense and shaking as the Pants family (a phrase that would never not be funny) approached her. “Uhh. . . Hi?”

Finesse bowed before her. “It’s an honor to meet one of Princess Inova’s friends.”

Fromage also bowed. “And her first friend at that. The honor is ours, Diamond.”

I did my best to suppress my laughter at seeing Diamond get flustered and try to figure out how to respond. It made me wish I had a camera or some kind of photography spell.

“We’ll be staying here for our trip,” I said as I opened the door to the room Skyla and I usually got during our Hearth’s Warming vacations.

“This is a guest room here?” Diamond asked in awe as she entered.

“Well, yes, but actually no. It’s a royal suite, reserved for royalty, diplomats, and other high ranking officials.” I went towards the bed I usually took and set my stuff down on it. “Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna’s rooms are the only ones that are nicer.”

“What do you do with all this space?”

“Not much. I’m usually out doing other things.” I looked past my stuff and to the sheets under them. It was the same bed I hid in after my first split, and I could vividly remember the fear I felt at the time. “Anyways, I’m going to keep working on my artificing while we’re here. I. . . Don’t actually know what you can do while I’m doing that.”

“Oh.” Diamond sounded a little disappointed. “Well. . . What do you normally do?”

I gave it some thought. “At least one trip to Pony Joe’s, go see some plays, and a little bit of shopping. I don’t know what’s going on right now, though.”

“Then we’ll go to town and see what’s going on after breakfast tomorrow!” She sounded very excited. “It’ll be an adventure for both of us!”

“You know what? That sounds good. We’ll go out tomorrow after breakfast.”

“Diamond, I have an idea for your letters.” I levitated a pencil and paper onto the table we were having breakfast at.

“Are you going to write them for me?”

“Ha ha ha, no.” I moved the materials over to her. “We’ll just write a whole bunch at once, and we can take care of one like this. Aunt Celestia?”

“Yes, Inova?” Aunt Celestia responded from the other side of the table.

“I haven’t heard very much about the minotaurs in history class. Do you know what they’re like?”

“Minotaurs are often more aggressive than the other sapient races. Since most of the sapient races, ponies included, tend to keep to themselves and mind their own business, this unique aggression often leads to the minotaurs being the instigators of wars, sometimes over the slightest of things.”

“How often does that happen?”

“There’s usually a century or so between these wars. The last one was about sixty years ago, so we still have time before we have to prepare.”

Diamond tapped my shoulder. “Inova, where’s the fun part?”

“History can be fun,” I said. “How about you ask her a question next?”

“Really?” Diamond looked uncertain for a bit as she thought about what to ask. “Anything?”

“Anything,” Aunt Celestia answered.

“What’s your favorite kind of cake?”

“Cheesecake with drizzled fruit sauce, honey, and a bit of lemongrass. It’s quite delicious, and if my dietician would allow me, I’d have some every week. Alas, I’m only allowed to have some on the 25th of each month. Thankfully, it lines up nicely with Hearth’s Warming.”

“That sounds good. Oh, can you take us to see a play? I think I saw a poster about a Divine Goblet performance yesterday.”

I put a wing on Diamond’s back. “Diamond, Aunt Celes-”

“I’d love to take you two to see it,” Aunt Celestia said, not only interrupting me, but also invalidating what I was about to say. “We could leave now if you’d like?”

“Yes, please!” Diamond had forgotten about the letter entirely.

The idea also sounded better to me than just sitting around and talking. For some reason, I also started thinking about coconuts of all things. “Why not? Oh, where’s Aunt Luna? I didn’t see her last night.”

“She decided to spend her summer on a trek across Equestria to see the small towns,” Aunt Celestia said. “She said she wants to go talk to our subjects herself and see what things are like outside Canterlot and the big cities. For now, let’s go on our own trip.”

I was briefly freaked out during The Divine Goblet when coconuts were involved early on in it, but the humor of the performance dealt with that very quickly. The absurdity of it, unlike Pinkie, actually made some degree of sense.

Diamond was the biggest source of audible laughter from the three of us, but nopony paid her any mind as the rest of the audience was also busy laughing. Even the musical bits were great. The one about the Knights of the Round Table had a weirdly familiar feel to it, as did the Prench being amusingly annoying. I made sure to remember the ‘quarter-witted son of a cabbage hunter’ line.

The actors even had the gall and intestinal fortitude to poke fun at the Canterlot Nobility, some of which were in the audience. The Bluebloods, in a balcony of their own across from ours, did not take it well. I couldn’t read their minds, but it was clear that they wanted to exact revenge on the actors. The fact that Aunt Celestia was having a good time was probably the only thing that would keep them from actually doing anything.

Whether it was good timing on our part or the actors had decided to take shots at the Bluebloods with the protection of Aunt Celestia’s laughter, I would never know.

To my delight, Canterlot Castle had a team of artificers, and they were delighted to help me with my projects.

After the introductions were done, I demonstrated the gravity gauntlet, showing the schematics and demonstrating by easily picking up a small crate of iron ingots with it.

Head Artificer Gearbox gave his opinion. “That’s an impressive build, but it probably wouldn’t see much use among the public.”

“Why not?” I set the crate down and took the gauntlet off.

“Anything it can pick up, a unicorn can too, with greater range and freedom.” He levitated the same crate around with ease. “For an earth pony, it would leave only three hooves on the ground. Pegasus drawn wagons and trailers already have weight reduction and levitation enchantments in place to transport things more easily as well.”

“Oh.” My disappointment was brief. “Well, I wasn’t thinking about that anyways. I wanted to make one for my human part so she’s not entirely defenseless. I also have a sword I want to finish up.” The alicorn sword went on the table next.

One of the other artificers inspected the sword. “It looks good to me. Very well made.”

Instead of explaining what I wanted it to do, I used an illusion spell to show my human part using it against a similarly sized minotaur. After some fighting, the illusory human spun the horn, pulled the wing, and pressed the horseshoe, each one building up effects and power before delivering a powered slash. “I think I need logic command enchantments for that.”

The looks I got were ones of worry and a bit of dread. “This. . . This is a very tall order,” Gearbox said. “Two inputs is one thing, but this. . . We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

“I’ll get started on the diagrams,” one mare said as she got the diagrams I’d brought and started drawing things out.

“I’ll get a pile of gems,” a stallion decided. “Does the color matter, Princess Inova?”

“Red and blue ones for the effect gems. Red for combat, blue for harmless illusions, the others can be anything else,” I said. “And I’d like somepony to make a model of my hands for reference.”

“Are you okay, Inova?” Diamond asked from her bed when I got back to the suite one evening. “You look worn out. Again.”

“I’m good.” I turned towards the bathroom. The shower was calling my name. “How’s your trip been?”

“Fleur is one of the best ponies I’ve ever met! She gave me a whole bunch of cute clothes for free! She really is a good Noble. I wrote about her in this week’s letter home.”

“That’s good. She’s good.”

“How’s your artificing project going?”

“I’m trying to figure out something for my human gravity gauntlets and the artificers are working hard on some way to make my alicorn sword work. We’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” I went into the bathroom to take a refreshing shower and get the grime out of my fur and feathers.

Fancy took us to one part of Canterlot I’d never been to for lunch. “Ladies, I present to you one of my best restaurants: The Switchyard Diner.”

The casual diner was built like a wide bridge over a switchyard for the trains. The middle had a bar going around the kitchen, and numerous booths were set up along the windows that stretched end to end. Waitresses rushed around to bring out and take orders all around the place. Many ponies, some clean, others dirty, were enjoying their meals, watching the trains below, or both.

“Mr. Fancy!” A waitress greeted in surprise. “Princess Inova!” She turned to Diamond. “And a guest!”

“One window booth, please,” Fancy said.

The waitress lost some of her energy. “Uhm, they’re all taken right now, sir.”

“Then we can wait. The diner’s not going anywhere. Carry on.”

It took about fifteen minutes for a window booth to be ready for us, and I got a spot next to the glass. “Fancy, why did you make this diner?” I asked.

“The professional answer is that I saw a business opportunity and took it,” Fancy explained. “The real answer is that I wanted to bring to life a dream from when I was a colt, and I had enough Bits to risk on the venture. It turned out to be another big success of mine.”

“How did you get enough Bits for this?” Diamond asked.

“Lots of hard work, learning from failure, and a bit of luck. One of the most important things I’ve learned throughout all of what I’ve done is that the way you treat your fellow pony often matters more than the Bits.”

As if on cue for a demonstration, a different waitress with a beaming smile came over and dropped off some menus. “Good afternoon, Mr. Pants, Princess Inova, and company.” I did my best to hold back my laughter. “What would you and your guests like to drink?”

“I’ll have a lemonade,” Fancy answered. “Inova, Diamond, what about you?”

“Lemonade sounds good,” Diamond said.

“You know what, you’re right,” I said. “Lemonade for me too.”

“Three lemonades coming up.” She took off to get the drinks.

I turned back to Fancy. “Anything you recommend?”

“If you don’t mind a hint of grease and salt, the hayburgers are quite good,” he said. “The trainyard workers certainly like them. The fried alfalfa bundles are also a popular order.”

“What about the salads?” Diamond looked over the salad section of the menu.

“If you’re feeling indulgent, you could get a salad stuffed in a bread bowl. The most popular way to eat it is to just pick it up and bite into it.”

The waitress dropped off our drinks. “Any idea what you’d like?”

“Ladies?” Fancy offered.

“Princess?” Diamond offered.

I sighed. “If I must.” I glanced at the hayburger section. “I’d like a double hayburger with no mustard or pickles, fries on the side. . . What’s the stuffed option?”

“That’s where part of the patties are cut out and the toppings and condiments go inside,” the waitress explained. “The cut out section of the patties are put with your side.”

“That sounds fun. Let’s do that. Diamond?”

“The railway salad in a bread bowl sounds good,” Diamond said. “Can I get extra cheese and tomato bits in it?”

“That can be arranged.” The waitress wrote down Diamond’s order.

“A grilled daisy sandwich, please,” Fancy said.

“And I just made five Bits. I’ll get those orders in for you.” She left to do that.

“What was that about making five Bits?” Diamond asked once the waitress was gone.

“I usually get the same thing when I come here, but I change it up from time to time,” Fancy explained. “If silly little bets like that keep morale up, there’s no reason to get on the employees about it.”

I tuned out the conversation as I turned my attention out and down to the tracks below. The passenger cars and engines were familiar enough, but the freight cars were ones I hadn’t personally seen before. Seeing the cars in motion and being rearranged was oddly relaxing.

Our orders arrived, and I enjoyed my stuffed burger while I kept watching the yard below. It was a very good burger. The grease and saltiness accentuated the flavor of everything else really well.

While I was working on my fries, I saw a few trains go through the yard. One moment, a passenger train passed through. Less than a minute later, on a different track that met up with the one the passenger train had been on, a freight train went by. Something started clicking in my mind and I focused on the tracks.

Different tracks for different trains and cars.

An array of switches controlled what went where.

The tracks all met up at one area before going out.

A choice of inputs that led to an output that depended on which single input was chosen.

“Inova?” Diamond poked me between my wings. “We’re done with dessert. Did you want any?”

I was snapped out of my schematic visualization. “Huh?”

“You zoned out on us, Princess,” Fancy said. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah.” I tore my gaze away from the window. “Diamond, Fancy, I need to get back to the castle. I just got an idea. Do you mind if I leave now?”

“Is it an artificing thing?” Diamond asked.

“It’s the gravity gauntlet. I think I know how to make it better.”

“You’ll have to tell me about it later,” Fancy said. “Go while you have the idea.”

“Thank you.” I left and went out the door we came in. The guards that had accompanied us were still there. “Gentlecolts, we’re flying.” I took to the sky and went straight to the castle.

“I’VE GOT IT!” I shouted as I barged into the artificing workshop. Diagrams were spread across the walls, each one an attempt at either the alicorn sword or gravity gauntlet logic command enchantments.

“What is it?” Gearbox asked.

“For the gauntlet! I know how to change what it can do without logic commands!”

With that, I had everypony’s attention. “The chalkboard’s yours, Princess. Sapphire, you’re on note taking duty.”

I went over and started drawing out a diagram. “I’m calling this the Switchyard System. Start with a number of enchanted gems. Lift, push, give me some more.”

“Fire!”

“Shockwave!”

“Pulling!”

“Illusions!”

I wrote the ideas down, and added Safety to the list. “Alright, that’s good. Now, we’ll put an activation input here.” I drew a button and lines going to the enchantments, then from there to the output section, except for Safety. “Now, this by itself would just activate everything at once. We have to break the conduits.” I did that on the input side with the eraser. “Then, we put some conduits on a bolt, and when the bolt is locked in, it completes the circuit. In one device, you can have all of these capabilities at your disposal.” I stepped back and looked at it. “In fact, you could even have multiple inputs to activate it. Or multiple output areas. Or both.”

There was silence from my audience. All of Canterlot Castle’s best artificers were looking at my diagram with slack jawed expressions. “Is everypony okay?” I warily asked.

“Okay?” Gearbox asked. “Okay?! Princess Inova, you just barged in here and drew out a whole new system for artificing! You’ll have to give us some time with this before we work on the gravity gauntlet. There is research to be done!”

“Then you’re not doing the research without me!”

“So, what was so important, you had to leave the diner at Wonderbolt speeds?” Diamond asked when I finally got back to the room after the sun had gone down.

I casually waved off the question. “Oh nothing much.” I switched to serious mode. “I apparently just created a whole new artificing construct method! I just spent the last five hours with the artificers doing experiments and writing things that I’ll probably see in a textbook and get tested on.”

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.” I imagined Mr. Forger teaching from the textbook before I stepped up and took over the lecture. “I should get a notebook for this.”

Author's Note

Yeah, it's more of an artificing chapter than family drama, but that's just how it came out.

The original idea didn't include Diamond going to Canterlot. That kind of just happened as I was writing it.

Wandering Around

Human Inova took some breaths to calm herself. The new gravity gauntlet with the switchyard system in it was over her right arm, a boulder was in front of her, and her Equine parts were sitting with the artificers and Diamond behind a three unicorn strong shield.

“Gravity gauntlet switchyard system test number one: lift,” Pegasus Inova said.

Human Inova moved the bolt from the Safety setting to Lift and held the end of the gauntlet a few inches from the boulder. She hit the thumb button and the end lit up. Very carefully, she flexed her arm and the boulder moved up with the gauntlet. “I’m feeling a little resistance,” Human Inova said as she walked around with the boulder. “Nothing I can’t handle, though.” She gently set it down and let go. “And now for pushing it.” The push test went smoothly, aside from the boulder scraping out three feet of grass.

Earth Inova made her opinion known. “Fire next! Fire next!”

Human Inova obliged, set it to Fire, and aimed skyward. The gout of flames went up into the air and cut out when the button was let go. “25 feet upwards,” Gearbox reported. “Not bad, not bad. Go to the pool and do the shockwave next.”

Human Inova went over to the cheap kiddie pool filled to the brim with water, kneeled down, and set the gauntlet to Shockwave just over the surface. She and her equine parts were all nervous. Human Inova’s thumb was shaking over the button.

“BANG!” Diamond suddenly shouted.

Human Inova yelped in surprise, her thumb hit the trigger, and the pool exploded, sending the water all around, tearing the pool apart, and sending her flat on her back. Some of the water had gone upwards, and when it landed, it left Human Inova soaking wet. The gauntlet, to everyone's relief, didn’t do anything when it got wet.

Unicorn Inova dropped her part of the shield, along with the other two unicorns helping her. “Diamond, go get Human’s clothes and a towel.”

Diamond looked a bit hurt from the stern order. “What?”

“We got a good result from what you did, but because you were the one that startled her, you will get those things from the suite for her.”

“You know where they are, so you’ll be fine,” Pegasus added.

Diamond sighed. “Okay, I’ll be back.” She took off towards the castle entrance to get the things.

Human Inova switched the gauntlet to Safety mode, slid it off, and tossed it aside. “That’s enough for today. Unicorn? Can you go ahead and pull us back together?”

Unicorn Inova shook her head. “Not right now. I don’t want to find out if wet clothes translate to a full bladder. That would be embarrassing.”

“Or wet fur and an instant chill back home,” Pegasus added. “Remember when we got off the train?”

“Good points,” Human Inova conceded. “Maybe a trip to Ponyville is in order.” She went back to skygazing, watching the clouds drift by as Celestia’s sun shone down and gently warmed her. “This is pretty nice.”

We got on the train to Ponyville after breakfast the next day. “Are you still upset at me?” Diamond warily asked.

“Just a little,” I said as I set my partially loaded saddlebags down. “Good result, bad method.”

“I’m sorry. I acted on impulse.”

An idea crossed my mind, and just as Diamond had, I decided to act on impulse too. “As the last part of your punishment, you’ll work with Rarity and me to design some new clothes for me.”

She sighed, but couldn’t fully hide a smile. “If I must.”

Diamond was fanning herself with a forehoof after we got off the train. “It’s even warmer here than in Canterlot.”

“At least your mane and tail won’t get hot like mine do.” I remembered the heat from when I first arrived in Ponyville, and how Skyla was the one to flop over from the heat instead of me. “Let’s see if I remember how to get to Carousel Boutique.”

We hadn’t made it five steps out of the station before a familiar colt rushed up to me. “Inova, how have you been?”

“Not bad, but I’m sure you know what happened with me earlier in the year. That was an ordeal. Are your mom and dad still being weird?”

“Yeah. And Discord randomly decided to join them for their shows. I’ve just been walking around Ponyville most of the time to avoid the chaos recently.”

“Well, we’re on our way to Carousel Boutique. Want to come along?”

Lil’ Cheese shrugged. “Sure.”

The three of us walked through town. Things looked a bit more built up than before, and there were even a couple construction sites around as well.

Carousel Boutique looked about the same as before, inside and out. The mare I was looking for wasn’t in sight. “Rarity?”

“Just a moment!” A few seconds later, I faintly heard a flushing sound, and not long after, Rarity showed up. “Sorry for the delay, Inova. How have you been?”

I was distracted from the question. Rarity, like my mom, was looking a bit round. “Are you. . .” I pointed towards her body.

She looked back at her body. “Oh. I’ve got a little colt growing in there.”

Diamond was excited. “You do? Who’s the dad? Where is he?”

“Subtle Hoof is at his dojo. We got married a couple years ago and I got pregnant in. . . Oh, late November. Inova and Skyla actually helped us get there when they were here a few years ago.” I didn’t know whether she’d simply made a statement or was praising me. “But enough gossip. What can I do for you?”

I levitated my slightly damp clothes out of the saddlebag they were in. After I’d gotten them off in Canterlot, I’d found a few cuts in the clothes and on my human body from the pool blowing up. The ones on my human body were very shallow, while the clothes had it worse. “I’d like these cleaned and mended, please.”

“Is that all?” She inspected the cuts.

“And some new clothes as well.” I levitated a heavy bag out of the other saddlebag. “Aunt Celestia only gave me 200 Bits to work with.”

Rarity opened the bag and inspected the Bits. “I’ll accept this job if you do something for me.”

“Name it.”

“There’s a new Neighponese place in town called Path of Blossoms. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, so I’d like you to bring me something from there.” She levitated about 20 Bits out of the bag and in front of me. “And get yourself something too. I should have everything cleaned and fixed up in about thirty minutes, then I’ll get the templates out.”

I took the money in my magic. “Sounds good to me. Lil’ Cheese, do you know where it is?”

“It’s not far from the train station,” Lil’ Cheese said. “Follow me.”

We got back a bit later than Rarity had said to. Path of Blossoms was very busy, and we’d chosen to get the ramen bowls to go. The orange slice designs around the dark blue place felt oddly appropriate to me.

I brought the four covered bowls to the dining table and set them down. “Lil’ Cheese?”

“Yes, Inova?” Lil’ Cheese asked.

“We’re going to be talking clothes and fashion in a bit. Feel free to leave at any time if you want.”

“I’ll stay. It’s better than just roaming around town.”

“Alright, if you say so.”

“Oh, you’re back,” Rarity happily said as she came down from upstairs. “Turns out I left the templates upstairs instead of in the workshop. Oops.” She set the folder down on the table and joined us. “But first, lunch.”

As we enjoyed our lunch, a few things were brought to my attention. Twilight had picked up more magazines from wherever she’d gotten the other ones, and while I believed I was no expert, some of the swimwear looked like it was just one errant current away from getting pulled off. I definitely didn’t want anything like that.

Rarity had been productive after she left the Empire. She had a stack of design ideas for me to go through and had gone to the trouble of acquiring some more expensive and exotic materials to work with just for me. I had to toss out some of the designs due to being too small and revealing for my liking.

Lil’ Cheese, after finishing his meal, decided it really would be better if he went back to walking around outside. We wished him well as he left.

As I looked through the designs I liked, an important question came to mind. “So, am I going to have to split up to make sure this all fits? Because I’d rather not have my equine parts sitting around with nothing to do.”

“Ah, that,” Rarity said, an upbeat tone suggesting a good answer. “Twilight’s been-”

“Rarity?” Aunt Twilight’s voice called out.

“One moment, please!” Rarity turned back to Diamond and me. “Come with me.” She went out to the shop, and we followed. “Sorry about that, Twilight. I’ve got some guests.”

Aunt Twilight smiled when she saw that I was there. She was levitating a very long box behind her. “Oh, this is perfect. I just finished building a mannequin for Inova’s human part.” She opened the box to reveal the wooden mannequin and base inside. “Since she may still grow some more, and since I was working off of memory, I made this so its proportions can be adjusted to Inova’s as needed.”

“Ooh, nice!” I took one of the mannequin’s hands in my magic and began manipulating it. “This is fun.”

“Let’s put this in my private studio,” Rarity suggested.

I took the whole mannequin out and walked it to the studio. Aunt Twilight put the base down and then the box was empty. “Just put it over the base.”

I levitated it over the base and waited for something to happen. “So, is there an arm, or a stand, or something that’s supposed to come out?”

“Let go of it.”

I slowly released the mannequin and it stayed in place, the feet floating three inches above the base. “Oh, nice!”

Rarity took the mannequin in her magic and began looking around it. “How do I adjust it?”

“Unfortunately, it can’t be adjusted without Human Inova present,” Twilight explained. “Inova, if you could split for less than a minute, the mannequin can make any minute adjustments it needs to to match your shape.”

I decided to oblige, and a minute later, reunited myself. The mannequin had turned out to be a bit taller and more generously proportioned than my human part, so the adjustments were needed. “Alright, now we have something solid to work with. Let’s get to work.”

A few busy days later, Diamond and I returned to the boutique. “Uh, Rarity?”

“Yes, Inova?”

“While I do appreciate the clothes, well, don’t take this the wrong way, but. . .” I looked between each of the five very large boxes by the doorway, each one packed close to bursting and secured with copious amounts of packing tape. “Isn’t that more than 200 Bits worth of material alone?”

“It definitely is. But I had fun with you and Diamond, and that more than makes up for the rest.”

“How are we going to get this home?” Diamond asked. “That’s going to be expensive to mail, right?”

“Not at all,” Rarity assured. “The Ponyville post office has spectacularly low shipping rates, even to the Crystal Empire. Shipping all this shouldn’t be more than fifteen Bits.”

Rarity mentioning the Crystal Empire made me feel a sudden pang of homesickness and concern. I decided that, if the post office had the material available, I would write a letter home and ship it with the boxes.

Dear family,

I really should have been sending you letters like Diamond has been to her parents. Over a month and nothing from me. Making things more ironic is that I’ve been the one pushing Diamond on her letters home. I don’t know if that makes me a hypocrite, negligent, or something else, but it does make me feel bad.

However, this trip of mine hasn’t been just stage shows, talking to good nobles, and enjoying fine cuisine, though there was some of that. I’ve been productive too. If you didn’t see anything about it in the newspaper, here’s the big thing: I created a whole new artificing trick. The short version is one device, multiple functions, and a way to select a function without a logic command enchantment.

After blowing up a pool with a gravity gauntlet experiment, Diamond and I went to Ponyville to see Rarity so she could mend the clothes that got damaged in the blast. She made a bunch of human and equine clothes for me, which are in the boxes that this letter came with. Aunt Twilight made a mannequin just for making clothes for my human part as well, and Rarity seems to enjoy designing clothes for my human part. She says it’s like a foal getting a new toy.

While Rarity was at work and having her fun for a few days, Diamond and I went around Ponyville.

Applejack got creative and has a new side business on her farm, and it boils down to ponies willingly paying her so they can do farmwork under her guidance just for exercise and fitness. It’s so dumb, it’s actually brilliant. Diamond and I tried it for ourselves, though we didn’t have to pay. Applejack worked us a bit less than the other ponies there. From what I could pick up, most of those paying her were from bigger cities and had decided to move to Ponyville. After a few Tuesdays, they realized that they had to get fit to survive the craziness or leave.

Diamond decided to see some of Pinkie’s shows. While she was doing that, I flew up to Cloudsdale and surprised Rainbow Dash just by showing up. I still have quite a way to go before I feel ready to try some of the more basic tricks, like loops and rolls, but she wasn’t worried about that. She was more worried about building up my wing strength and stamina. Apparently, twelve years of not using my wings very much has left them weaker than average. Flying a bit around the Crystal Empire or Canterlot is one thing, and not too bad, but going up to Cloudsdale from ground level is another.

Fluttershy and Discord are still as kind and wacky as ever. We got to watch as Diamond struggled to get away from a big bear that was cuddling her like a teddy bear. I’m not sure if she was acting or just forgot that she had earth pony strength and hooves when she tried to get free.

We’re heading back to Canterlot, and I’m hoping I can complete my alicorn sword before coming home. It’s proving to be difficult, but with the help of Canterlot’s best artificers, I’m sure it can be done. I’ll be sure to tell you more when I get home.

Sincerely, Princess Inova

“That’s a long letter,” Diamond noted.

“Well I didn’t have time to write a short one, and we’ve been busy,” I said as I folded the letter up. “Besides, you’ve got a train to catch really soon.”

“What about you?”

I let my head drop in preemptive defeat. “I let Rainbow talk me into flying from Ponyville to Canterlot Castle. It’s not going to be pleasant for me.” I took the letter to the mailmare, signed to send off the packages, paid, and I hadn’t even made it five steps outside when Rainbow landed in front of me. “Is it that time already?”

“You bet it is, cadet!” Rainbow stated. “Now do your stretches and we’ll start flying to Canterlot.”

“I guess I’ll see you at the suite?” Diamond asked.

“Yeah,” I answered. “And if you get there before me. . . Please have a pitcher of water waiting there for me?”

“Of course, Princess.” Diamond began trotting off towards the train station, and I tried to prepare myself for the wing pain I was about to endure.

Limit Tests

I plodded into the suite with heavy hooves and droopy wings. There was no sign of Diamond or a pitcher of water, meaning I had arrived before her. With no better ideas in mind, I decided to simply flop onto my bed.

Diamond showed up less than five minutes after I did. “Oh, you beat me.”

“Yeah, doesn’t feel like it,” I lazily responded. “Rainbow makes it look easy. It isn’t. Imagine holding your forelegs up for a few hours.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Diamond sit on the floor and do just that. She managed it for a little while before her forehooves went back to the ground. “Okay, not easy.”

“Now multiply that by, like, at least a hundred on your sides.”

“Ouch.” She looked around for a bit. “Do you want me to have dinner brought up here?”

I gave it some thought. “You know what, that sounds good. Just get me a good salad. I want extra pepper pieces for some reason. And that pitcher of water.”

After lunch the next day, I went back to the artificers. “Any progress on the alicorn sword?”

“We’ve got a possible schematic that shows promise,” Gearbox reported as he pointed to a diagram, one among many. “A power source and a logic command each for the horn, wing, and horseshoe. Activation transfers power and effects from the gems to the core of the blade, and pressing the trigger on the handle adds another burst of power before discharging it as an aura around the blade with a brief duration, probably no more than five seconds.”

“All theoretical, of course.” I looked over the design some more. “Do we have a prototype layout?”

“Just finishing it up!” Sapphire reported.

I went with Gearbox over to the layout. It was just conduits, gems, and buttons, but it lined up with the diagram perfectly. “May I?”

“You may, Princess,” Gearbox obliged. “These gems only have low level light enchantments in them, as this is just a proof of concept experiment.”

I pressed the button labeled ‘horn’ first, and saw the blade gem light up a bit. The one labeled ‘wing’ did the same and added more light. The horseshoe button did the same thing. Pressing the trigger made the blade gem give off a brighter glow around it for a few seconds before it dimmed. “Well, that’s promising. I wonder. . .” I rapidly hit the buttons and built up more light in the gem before discharging it. Holding down a button also added more power than just pressing it. “Okay, that all works. Can we transfer other effects?”

“I’ve got some sound gems,” one stallion said as he came up with three gems in his magic. I allowed him to swap out the gems and repeated the experiment.

The gems had the sounds of a spell blast, a wing flap, and a hard impact. The more the effects were stacked, the louder the sound was when discharged. “Alright, I’m liking this. This is good. Now we just need to get this setup in the sword and replace the effects with different combat ones.”

“We’ll have to reforge the hilt to make room for all of the new parts, but it can be done,” Gearbox assured.

“I’ll help.” With a goal in mind, I joined the artificers as we got to work.

“So, what do you have me out here for?” Diamond asked as we walked through a light forest just northeast of Canterlot Mountain. It was sometimes used as a training area for the royal guards, so getting access and permission was as easy as asking Aunt Celestia.

“Some tests,” I said before turning to the artificers behind us. “Gearbox, my sword, please.”

“Coming up!” Gearbox opened a case and levitated the alicorn sword over to me. It had been reworked with the new setup and given a shining finish. Through some spellcraft that was incredibly advanced, the gems had some of my own magic in them to further enhance the combat spells.

I took the gleaming blade and walked over to a tree. A few casual swings sliced through some of the thinner branches with ease. A spin of the horn, a pull of the wing, and a press of the horseshoe had the core of the blade glowing. The cutting and slashing power of the blade did not change. Pressing the trigger in the handle sent the glow to the edge of the blade, and for about five seconds, I was cutting thicker branches with ease.

With the initial success, I decided that the tree had not only become part of the Blueblood family, but had also insulted my mom, slapped my dad, tossed Skyla’s dinner on the floor, and kicked three puppies whose only crime was excessive cuteness, with the promise of going after the kitten accomplices next. For its imagined offenses, I double charged the sword and activated it. The glow around the blade was wider and longer, letting me slice the trunk with one slash.

In my fervor, I forgot about a little thing called gravity. The angle of the cut made the top part of the tree slowly start falling my way, and I was quick to run away with the sword. I felt the crash behind me, the top of the tree landing only inches from my tail. “Okay, that’s enough experimenting with the sword,” I decided as I caught my breath. “Gearbox, get the next thing out.”

Gearbox brought the gravity gauntlet, version 2E, over to me before taking the alicorn sword back. The second draft of the equine model consisted of two pieces. The right foreleg piece had the controls and all the fun stuff, with an extra secure locking mechanism on the bolt. The left foreleg piece was a fairly boring hunk of metal, but had the important roles of unlocking the bolt for mode changes and balancing out the inch of elevation that came with the gravity gauntlet.

Putting the new gravity gauntlets on was pretty easy, and getting used to walking with them on was slightly less easy, but still pretty easy. “I’ll test the pull function first,” I announced as I moved to the side of the felled tree, staying a distance away from it for the test. Adjusting the bolt was a bit awkward by hoof, but it did the job. I held out my right forehoof, activated the gauntlet, and the tree flew right at me.

It was then that I learned that the pull function had no limiter to stop incoming objects, and the tree smashed into me, sending me flying onto my back. “Pull needs fine user control or some way to stop things,” I said. “Addendum: Ow.”

“Noted, Princess,” Gearbox reported. “Do you require healing?”

“Maybe later.” I got back to my hooves and changed the gauntlet’s function to Lift. “I’m going to try lifting it and flying.”

“I’m moving back!” Diamond called out before scurrying backwards, followed by all the artificers, who quickly put up a shield as well. “Go for it, Inova!”

I made sure to shake my left forehoof at everypony as I shouted “Cowards!” at them. They laughed and I chuckled as well.

When I approached the tree, I chose to insult it out loud. “Your mother was a gerbil and your father was raised by skunks!” I pointed my right forehoof at the tree and activated the gauntlet, picking it up with ease. While it was off the ground, I opened my wings and awkwardly took off backwards. The tree came with me, but as soon as my hooves left the ground, there was more force pulling on my right foreleg. It was enough to notice, feel, and throw me off enough to make me land. “Take two!” Knowing what to expect, I made another attempt and got into the air with the tree weighing me down by its size more than its weight. I started hovering, and after checking that the artificers and Diamond were watching, began slowly moving the tree around. It went smoothly, and I sped up my swings.

One swing had too much force in it, and I soon found myself screaming and spinning with the tree through the air for a few long seconds. The tree and my spinning came to a sudden halt, soon followed by my screaming. I was hanging from the tree by the gravity gauntlet. “Note to self: more flight lessons,” I woozily said as I tried to get undizzy.

“Are you okay, Princess?” One of the artificers called out. Every unicorn’s horn was lit up, the shield was gone, and the multicolor glow around the tree told me everything I needed to know.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I looked down and saw the ground below me. “Did I spin upwards?”

“Yes! Probably because of your pegasus magic!”

While the explanation made almost no sense, it was the easiest one immediately available, so I simply accepted it. The fact that I spun upwards made even less sense.

Part of me wanted to cling to the tree for dear life, and it was difficult to fight it, but after a few seconds of internal conflict, I let go and spread my wings to glide down to everypony else. Once I was there, the tree was released. The crunching sound it made on impact with the ground was quite satisfactory.

“Can I try the bike?” Diamond eagerly asked.

Gearbox deferred to me. “Princess?”

I glanced at the modified bicycle that we’d brought along. We’d used bits and pieces from multiple schematics my classmates had let me have to make the prototype vehicle. “Give her a rundown on it.” As that was happening, I went over to the pulverized tree and set the gravity gauntlet to shockwave mode. Opting for the safe approach, I put up a shield between me and the tree. An upward test of the shockwave confirmed what I suspected: holding the activation mechanism did not release a constant or multiple shockwaves. One activation, one shockwave.

Before I could punch the tree, I heard the bike start up. I promptly leapt upwards and left the tree in place so I could keep an eye on Diamond. She started zipping around the area and I heard her laughing as she went around.

I landed back among the artificers. “You said it’s a three speed bike?”

“Low, medium, and high speed,” Gearbox reported. “She’s on low speed right now.”

“And it’s that fast? That’s faster than she can run already.”

“We never tested how fast it could actually go. We don’t have a way to measure that in the lab.”

I immediately started thinking of some way to do that. It would take a lot of math to figure out the gear ratios needed, but it could theoretically be done.

A yelp and a splash drew me out of my scheming. In the direction it came from, I saw the bike against a log, but no Diamond. I rushed over and saw Diamond, wet and muddy on one side, stepping out of a shallow creek. “You okay?”

“Fine, fine, I’m okay,” Diamond said. “I think I’m done testing things for the day.”

“That sounds good. Gearbox!”

“Yes, Princess Inova?” Gearbox asked.

“Please take the bike back with everypony else. I’ll take the sword and gauntlet and head back to the suite. And in case we don’t do anything else, it’s been fun working with you and your team.”

“Thank you, Princess. The pleasure was ours.” He levitated the sword in its case to me, and once I took it in my magic, he turned to his team to get to work on the bike.

While the artificers were doing their thing, I began the walk back with Diamond.

To our misfortune, we encountered one of the much less savory Canterlot nobles. “What is that filthy earth pony doing here in Canterlot Castle?”

I did my best, per Aunt Celestia’s request, to stay calm since there were two unicorn colts with her. “Diamond is a friend of mine, Priscilla. Any slights you level against her will also be a slight against me. Choose your words wisely.”

That got her to be quiet for a moment. “Well at least she could have cleaned up a bit better. I can see dirt in her coat, and she’s all wet. How in Celestia’s name could she have been allowed in like that?”

“I rinsed her off before we came in.”

Priscilla looked shocked, as did her colts. “A Princess washing a filthy earth pony? Truly, times must be terrible if you’ve fallen to such an act.”

I really wanted to tell her where she could shove her opinion for directly slighting both Diamond and me. I wanted to build something new just so she could be the one to test it out. The idea of paying Applejack to work her extra hard crossed my mind. Instead, I took a calming breath and reminded myself of just who outranked who. “Kindness is nothing to be ashamed of. Now, if you’ll pardon us, we have somewhere to be.”

Priscilla looked away and held her snout up in disgust as she walked away. Her colts did the same.

“Inova, why did it feel like she wanted me dead?” Diamond asked as we watched the trio turn a corner and go out of sight.

“Priscilla Blueblood, or just Prissy, is a raging unicorn supremacist, a lot like the rest of the Bluebloods,” I explained as we resumed our walk to the suite. “The rest of the nobility, aside from the few good ones, also tend to lean that way, but are much better about hiding it.”

“Why?”

“I wish I knew, Diamond.”

Author's Note

Abrupt end is abrupt, but there was nothing else I could think of.

Returning Home

“Are you nervous, Inova?” Diamond asked as the Empire’s bubble came into view.

“A bit, yeah.” I took a breath to try and calm myself. It helped a little. “I don’t know how my family will react. I didn’t even say anything to dad or Skyla when I left.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. You’re a good pony from a good family, and a good family will welcome you back.”

“I know, but. . . I don’t like this pit of dread I’m feeling.”

“It’ll go away when everypony hugs you and you’ll see you’re being a silly filly.”

“I hope so.”

I levitated all the stuff Diamond and I got from Canterlot as we left the station. Almost as soon as we were outside, I saw ponies look at me and I could hear some of them voicing surprise that I had returned.

One pony was brave enough to casually approach and talk to me. “Hi, Inova,” Hearthstone said. “Is everything okay?”

“Mostly,” I answered. “Did anything happen that I need to know about?”

“Nothing too bad, but I have heard some rumors about you.”

“Like what?” I set all the stuff I was levitating on the ground so I could listen better.

“The worst one was that you were never going to come back and that you would stay in Canterlot forever.”

I had to let the scale of that rumor sink in a bit. “That’s stupid. Why would anypony think I’d stay away forever?”

“Even though your family said you would return. There was also one about how Sombra foalnapped and possessed you in order to become a living vessel for his return. That one died pretty quickly.”

“How’s Cadence?” Diamond asked.

Hearthstone paused at that. “Well, some ponies are describing her as having a super pregnancy. I’m willing to believe that one.”

“Elaborate,” I firmly stated.

“It’s nothing bad, as far as I know. It’s just that she’s been growing at a faster rate than normal ponies, and even her first pregnancy. I’ve heard she might deliver in September, two months early.”

I ran the numbers in my head. “Eleven months for a normal pregnancy. If two months early is September, then she must have gotten pregnant in January. But when could she have gotten pregnant in January?”

“We’re still back over a month before she’s due,” Diamond helpfully said.

“This is the first I’m hearing of it,” I said. “Anything else interesting?”

“Not really. I was just on my way home to come up with a backyard design for one of my mom’s friends.”

“Let me know when you start it. I’d be happy to help build it.”

“Thanks.” He turned to leave, then remembered something. “Oh, Sunflower and Girder had their cute ceañeras while you were gone.”

“Aww. . .” Diamond groaned.

While I was happy for my friends, I was also glad to have not been at the parties. Even a tea party wasn’t my cup of tea. “That’s good. Can you tell us more?”

“It would be better if they told you personally. I’ll see you later.” He began trotting off to go do stuff.

“I’d better get home too,” Diamond said. “Especially while I have my Princess luggage carrier.”

“Oh yes, your highness,” I snarked as I picked all of our stuff back up. “Your royal luggage carrier shall follow you to your home and even neatly stack your luggage for you, free of charge.”

“Onwards, Inova!”

While I could swear Diamond’s relaxed pace was just to have some fun at my expense, I found a silver lining in it: prolonged levitation practice.

My comedic revenge came when we got to her house: I neatly stacked her luggage on her front porch instead of inside her house. Once I had my fun and got the evil laughter out, I took my luggage and began the walk home.

“Sis!” Skyla shot out of the house like a cannonball when she opened the front door and launched into a hug. “I missed you so much!”

I returned the hug and set my stuff down. “I missed you too, Skyla. I’m sorry I left without telling you.”

“It just wasn’t the same without you!” She began bawling into my neck.

“Inova’s back!” Dad shouted before joining Skyla in hugging me and crying into my neck.

I did the first thing I thought of to try and get out. “Mom, help me!”

Mom showed up in the doorway and had a smirk on her face. “Hmm. . . Nah.” She was much rounder than when I left. “By the way, you’ll be making dinner tonight. Appetizer, main course, sides, and dessert.”

“Mom!”

“And that will be the extent of your punishment for what you did.” The smirk turned into a warm smile. “Welcome home, Inova.” She walked up and joined the hug.

Diamond was right. I felt like a silly filly for being so worried about how my family would react.

As I was going around the kitchen making everything for dinner, mom watched me work. “You know, it’s amazing how far you’ve come with. . . Everything, really. A year ago, we were still doing basic practice, and here you are now, using magic like anypony else.”

I finished slicing the apple I was working on before I answered. “It’s been an experience.”

“Yes it has. And I don’t think it would have been the same without your friends. I don’t think you’d trade them for the world.”

I considered that for a moment. “Hmm, maybe.”

Mom was surprised. “Maybe? What do you mean by that?”

“If the world includes my friends, then trading them for the world means I still have my friends, along with the world.” I set the slices aside and started on another apple.

“That’s. . . A different way of looking at it. How did you come up with that?”

“Diamond got to see my temper when a bill came up that did something similar in a very roundabout way. It was a chain of trades and accumulation that, within a week, would circle back to the Nobles and give them more property and power. It ultimately amounted to ponies paying them to take what they wanted. Naturally, Fancy and Fleur weren’t involved with it.” I went to the freezer and got some ice cream out. The dessert would be made, then wait in there until it was time.

Mom sighed. “That sounds normal. Sadly.”

“On the bright side, nothing got approved during that meeting. I made sure of that.”

“Not even something from Fancy?”

“He didn’t have anything to present. He rarely does. I think he spends more time working on his businesses than working on legislation. Oh, he took Diamond and me to a unique diner of his. . .”

Everypony looked satisfied after dinner and dessert. “So, how was it?”

“It was really good,” Skyla said. “Did you take some lessons from the chefs in Canterlot Castle?”

“I did. Cooking is fun.”

“I’ll take care of the dishes.” Dad picked up all the dishes and took them to the kitchen to start cleaning them.

“Did I miss anything aside from the rumors about me?”

Mom gave it some thought. “There was a fire in the market, but that got put out and the carts have already been replaced. There were more petitioners while you were gone, and we had to say no to a lot of stupid ideas.”

“I had to turn down the petition to set up an apple orchard,” Skyla explained, looking a little hurt as she told the story. “The ground here just isn’t good for that.”

I raised an eyebrow at Skyla. “Since when did you know so much about agriculture?”

“That was. . . After we got home from Ponyville. I’ve also learned a bit in alchemy.”

“You were just researching what it takes to grow food, weren’t you?”

She looked like I’d just uncovered a big secret of hers. “Yeah, that’s why. There’s a lot that goes into it.”

Mom went back to what she was telling me. “There were also some petitioners that thought we could just dig up and ship off big sections of crystalline ground because the ground would regrow. I had to explain at least three times that, while the crystalline ground does grow, it’s really slow and highly dependent on the crystal heart.”

I sighed in sympathy. “Some ponies just don’t get it, do they?”

“No, they don’t. Oh, I have some pictures of your new sister. They’re. . . Very unique.”

I paused at the description. “I don’t like the sound of that. Is she going to be born with a full set of regalia on her or something?”

“I’ll go get them.” Mom left the table. While she was gone, I looked at Skyla. She seemed a little bit bothered. Before I could ask, mom came back with a folder. “Here you go.”

I levitated the pictures up and it didn’t take a genius to see that something wasn’t quite right with the filly. I held the pictures up against mom and tried to wrap my head around what I was seeing. “So. . . How?” The wings and horn in the picture were a few years bigger than a normal foal’s wings or horn, and it was dated a month ago.

“You two came out normal, aside from being alicorns. This one. . . She’s going to need a different delivery method called a c-section.”

“C-section?”

“The doctors said that, if I were to give birth the normal way, her wings would shatter my hips, my hips might break her wings, or both. In short, not good. They’re going to have to cut me open to safely get her out.”

Skyla suddenly looked grossed out. “Nothing about that sounds good.”

I wasn’t as grossed out, but it still didn’t sound pleasant. “I hope that’s the worst of it.”

Birthing Pains

I sat with Skyla and dad as we allowed the doctors to do their work nearby. Skyla and I had been preemptively allowed to skip school for the occasion, but only for the one day.

“Inova?” Skyla asked, her voice thick with concern.

“Yes, Skyla?” I answered.

“Is mom going to be okay? The c-section sounds. . . Bad. The other way sounds worse, but. . . She’s also two months early.”

I gently pat her shoulders with a forehoof. “Mom will recover, and while she does, we’ll have to pick up the slack in court for her.” I knew I was probably ready with all the training mom and dad had given me, and the availability had been changed to weekends only so we wouldn’t miss school, but the idea of actually ruling, even for only a month with Skyla, had me feeling like I wasn’t ready.

“Three, two, one,” a doctor counted down before he levitated our sister out of mom. That was all the warning I had, and I managed to cast my earplug spell before the expected crying started.

It felt like a wall of pure sonic and magical force slammed into me. Everything was loud for a brief moment, then it felt like something exploded in my head before things began sounding muted. The doctors, somehow, managed to stay standing and focused as they cleaned things up, wrapped our sister up, and got her into mom’s forelegs, where she began quieting down, or so it looked.

I saw the doctors stagger around as they worked their magic to clean and heal mom. My earplug spell was off, but what little I could hear sounded like it was far away and underwater, which made no sense. Adding to my confusion was lines of red coming from the ears of the doctors and nurses. One of them came up to me, and it looked like she was saying something, but I couldn’t quite hear her. It was only when she pointed between her ears and mine that I put a hoof on my head. It came back with a red line on it. She waved for me to follow her and the rest of the medical staff with bleeding ears.

Sklya was not injured like I had been, and to my surprise, neither were mom or dad. She nodded to me and I left to go get treated. Along the way, I decided that it would behoove me to study and focus on healing spells for a bit.

When we found the unicorn doctor the other doctors and nurses were looking for, a silent argument began. The doctors and nurses insisted I go first, while I insisted on going last. Whether it was my royal status or the fact that I levitated one of them right in front of the doctor, I won the argument and waited for my turn.

Each treatment took around two minutes. After about ten minutes, it was my turn. Based on the doctor’s worried looks and the time he was taking on just one of my ears after cleaning out the blood, I started getting concerned. I saw a notepad and pencil sitting on a counter and levitated them over to write out my question. “How bad is it? No sugarcoating.”

He wrote out his response with a nervous expression on his face. “Your eardrums are almost completely blown out, more than the doctors’ were. I can heal and restore them, but you’ll have to avoid extremely loud sounds for a couple weeks so they can properly recover. Why do you think you have worse damage than the doctors?”

I thought back on the delivery and wrote out my best guess. “Earplug shield spell probably got overpowered and exploded. Skyla looked fine, so it may have been that. I’ll figure out somewhere to go to avoid the loudness.”

The doctor seemed satisfied with my written response and kept up the healing. It took about five minutes total to heal one ear, and the same for the other. “And we’re done,” he said once both ears were finished. “I’ll send a letter to Princess Cadence and Prince Armor to let them know what happened to you. If your new sister caused this, I highly advise keeping your distance for a while.”

“Thank you.” I was torn between feeling sad that I wouldn’t be able to see my sister and glad that I wouldn’t be near her. “Anything else?”

“Hmm, don’t attempt any extra healing on your eardrums, and avoid using the earplug shields or actual earplugs for a while.”

“Of course. Thanks, doctor.” I left his office and was about to make my way back to the maternity ward when I remembered what he said. At the same time, I saw something unusual outside the hospital: snow.

Snow in itself wasn’t unusual. The Empire was surrounded for many miles in all directions by the stuff. I’d been through it by train many times, and had even gone outside the shield on occasion. The swirling snow and wind was supposed to be outside the Empire, but it had somehow gotten inside.

I bolted through the hospital, got outside, and found out that what I saw wasn’t an illusion or trick. The howling wind, thick snow, and biting cold were very much real. Through the snowstorm, I was able to make out ponies running around in a panic to try and find shelter. Up above, what little I could see of the bubble that substituted for the sky was showing numerous widening cracks and large gaps. The urgency of the situation hit me hard, and I promptly started running towards the castle, channeling all my earth pony magic to run towards it as fast as I could.

I found the crystal heart in its rightful place. Just as I’d suspected, it was damaged. Just as I’d feared, the damage was extensive, having broken into numerous fragments. “Okay, stay calm, it’s just a puzzle,” I told myself. “A difficult puzzle with everypony’s lives in the balance, but still just a puzzle. No instructions, just memory.”

The first thing I did was sort the shards by whether or not they were cleanly faceted, which meant that part would be on the outside. The chunks that didn’t have a facet went into their own pile. As with any puzzle, I started with the outside.

The pieces that went together fused together, but the cracks remained visible on the surface, like scars that hadn’t healed over. I didn’t time myself, and in my focus, I lost track anyways. After a while, I successfully got it all together. The heart released a magenta burst of light and began floating in place again. It was still cracked and wobbled a bit over the pedestal, but it looked stable.

Dad showed up shortly after my success, and he was out of breath. “Inova, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I took some slow breaths to try and relax a bit. “Just had to fix the bubble and save the Empire. Did I succeed?”

Dad inspected the heart. “It looks like you did, but we’ll have to see how it looks outside.” He turned to me. “I saw the note from the doctor. If you need to stay at the castle, there’s a room set aside just for you.”

“I was going to talk to Diamond and see about staying with her. The castle just seems too. . . Big. Does that make sense?”

Dad laughed a bit. “That’s exactly what your mom and I were thinking before we moved out to our home. It was just too much space for us.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Anyways, your mom’s going to be stuck in the hospital for a couple days to recover. I’ll let her know about your plan.”

“Thanks. I’d better go get my stuff.”

We walked outside and looked skyward. The bubble was still mostly full of gaps and cracks that let the outside weather in, and it was still really cold, but it was marginally better than when I left the hospital.

I knocked on Diamond’s front door.
Diamond answered, and she was shivering. “Inova! Is everything okay? What happened?”

“Details later. Can I come in?” I saw a clock on the back wall and realized it had been a bit over two hours since my little sister had destroyed my ears.

“Yes, please do.”

I entered and set my stuff down. “Where are your parents?”

“The cold knocked them out, so I put them in bed together.”

I brought out the double eagle blanket from the things I’d brought. “Then let’s join them so we can all warm up. For once, this is a Princess’s order.”

“Yes, Princess.”

I found the master bedroom easily enough, and as Diamond had said, Nick and Ruby were bundled up in bed. With some telekinesis, I manipulated their blanket and mine, let Diamond in, then joined and wrapped all four of us up. All three of them felt a bit chilly and were slightly shivering. I was sure I felt chilly to them as well. The thick blanket coverage and our shared body heat began warming things up, and I closed my eyes to rest a bit.

“Psst, Inova,” Ruby quietly said before nudging my muzzle with hers.

“Hm?” I slowly opened my eyes. “Oh, hey. Are you okay?”

“I will be. What happened?”

“My new sister was born, and that’s when things went wrong.” I adjusted myself a bit. Nick and Diamond weren’t disturbed by my motion. “She cried when she was pulled out, and that destroyed multiple eardrums, including and especially mine. It also destroyed the crystal heart. All are fixed, but will take time to heal.”

“Oh. Why are you here?”

“The doctor said to avoid loud sounds for a while, so I thought I’d see if I could stay here until things quiet down. Literally.”

“Well, how could we say no? We’d love you to stay as long as you need to.”

“Thanks.”

When I got back to school the next day, before the snow had been cleared away from the roads, Skyla ran up to me, despite looking incredibly tired and cold herself. “Are you okay, Inova?”

“I’ll be fine.” There had been a few magical shockwaves I’d felt while I was at Diamond’s place, and it left me a little shaky. Diamond and her parents felt it too, as did everypony I asked. “What about you?”

“Flurry Heart loves me, and I love her too, but. . . Her wings and horn are freaky huge. Her eyes too. And her crying. . . It’s something you hear and feel. Between the three of us, I think I’m the only normal one.”

I couldn’t find the will to argue the point, and it wasn’t just from the blast of snow that fell on me from a crack somewhere in the bubble. “You’re probably right. I’m staying with Diamond until things calm down a bit and my ears heal up.”

“Dad told me that. Well, good luck with your classes.”

“You too.” I shook the snow off and went inside.

In Canterlot, Celestia and Luna met for dinner. “Good evening, Luna,” Celestia said as she set a cup of coffee on the table.

Luna yawned, looked at the cup, and giggled. “They make coffee cups this size?”

“I’m cutting you down to one cup of coffee per night.” The gallon sized coffee cup, by design and the matching phrase printed on it in big bold letters, easily undercut anything serious Celestia may have meant. “More importantly, there’s been more chaos in the Crystal Empire.” Celestia levitated a newspaper over to Luna.

Crystal Kingdom Chaos 2!

The much anticipated event of Princess Cadence bearing another foal has come to pass, and as Prince Shining Armor described it, this royal filly did not come into the world quietly. No foal does, but this one takes the cake and the bakery.

The filly, named Flurry Heart, had to be delivered two months early by c-section. The early delivery was known and released in advance, though common speculation was simply that Cadence and the filly were growing fast due to their nature as alicorns. That reason was wrong. Flurry Heart has very abnormal proportions for a foal, and a normal birth would have broken some bones.

Flurry Heart, however, did leave other injuries upon her delivery. The five doctors tending to Princess Cadence and Flurry, being right there, had damaged eardrums and bleeding ears due to her crying. Princess Inova’s eardrums, however, were almost completely destroyed, due to an earplug spell of hers getting overwhelmed and exploding from the magical force that came with Flurry’s crying. Thankfully, the doctors and Princess Inova were all promptly healed. Princess Inova, under doctor’s orders, has to keep her distance from Flurry Heart for a while, and has chosen to stay at a friend’s house.

Unfortunately, blown eardrums were not the full extent of the damage from Flurry Heart’s birth. Her crying came with both incredible volume and a powerful magic wave felt throughout the Crystal Empire. This wave broke the crystal heart, causing the bubble to crack and fracture, letting in the cold and snow. Shortly after her ears were healed, Princess Inova ran to the castle and set to work putting the crystal heart back together. She succeeded, and the Empire’s bubble was stabilized. As of the writing of this article, the bubble is still full of gaps and cracks, but is slowly repairing itself. The snow is being pushed from the paths and roads, with the Crystal Guard taking charge of coordination and leading the efforts.

No deaths have been reported from the cold blast, but multiple ponies, largely from the areas near the edge of the bubble, have been hospitalized due to hypothermic shock. The most common action taken for those who were chilled was to bundle them together with blankets and put them in a central room. As of the time of this article’s writing, none have fully healed, but all have shown vast improvement and new friendships are being formed.

Estimates for the Empire’s recovery time from the bubble’s fractures range from six to ten days. Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor have said that outside help for cleanup efforts isn’t necessary, but the freeze did render a large amount of food inedible, damage houses, and destroy other belongings. They ask that any donations of food or material goods be given to the citizens first, along with any efforts to repair what was destroyed or replace what was lost.

Luna set the newspaper down. “Sister, might you be thinking what I am thinking?”

“Let Fancy Pants take some time off from legislation so he can bring a crew and supplies up there and be the good noble that he is?” Celestia asked without hesitation.

“Did you talk to him about it already?”

“He somehow heard about it before I did, and he already has the ponies and goods in motion. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already on the way there.”

On the train to the Crystal Empire, Fancy, Fleur, Finesse, and Fromage were sitting in a regular passenger seat. In the fully packed seats around them were the determined volunteers that Fancy and Fleur had gathered to help the Crystal Empire and its ponies. There were no other passengers on the train. All the other cars were loaded up with food, construction materials, and other goods, ready to be given to those in need.

For the noble family onboard, it wasn’t about looking good, though it certainly did. It wasn’t about showing up the other nobles, even if it would. It wasn’t even about giving the youth a lesson in generosity, gratitude, and hard work, but they would get it anyway. No, it was first and foremost about helping those in need and making sure the help got where it was needed most.

Some distance into the ride, Fancy walked up to the front of the car and pinned a large map of the Crystal Empire onto the wall. “Everypony, your attention please.” He immediately had everypony’s attention. “We don’t know where help is most needed, aside from the perimeter.” He produced a pointer and pointed to the train station, located a few miles in from the bubble’s edge. “The first thing we need to do is survey where the damage is. The pegasi among us will do that with flyovers and asking the ponies there. You will do that as soon as we disembark.” The pegasi, including Finesse, nodded in understanding. “Everypony else will work to unload the train. Fleur will talk to those living near the station to see if we can use their kitchens. If we can’t, we have backup options onboard. Either way, we will set our meal and grocery section up around the station.” The small crew of six cooks and Fromage nodded in agreement at the plan. “Once we have the reports from the pegasi, the builders will go out and do what they do best. I will make invoices for any extra materials we need shipped in. I will leave prioritization to you, but until the citizens are taken care of, not a single nail is to go towards any damage done to Princess Cadence’s home. She wants help to go to the citizens first, and that’s what we’ll do.” The builders, over half of those onboard, nodded in agreement. “The care teams will be distributing blankets, scarves, and hugs to those in need. Once again, I leave it to you to prioritize who gets help.” The care team nodded in agreement. “Finally, if the locals want to help us help them, let them. You may ask, but don’t be too disappointed if they don’t want to or can’t help.”

Unseen and unnoticed by all, a living shadow caught the underside of the inbound train and got past the fractured barrier. Through its senses, it saw the magic of all in the Empire. Four stood out and blazed like beacons in the night. A fifth bright one was also noted, far from the others, but compared to the four, and even its own magical power, it wasn’t nearly as bright.

The shadow would wait for the right time to strike. Acting too soon would do it no good, after all.

Author's Note

This was written before I did any research on Sunburst and his role with canon Flurry Heart. Heck, it was planned out before I even knew about Sunburst. The fact that he and Inova are both orange ponies with a history of difficulty casting spells is entirely coincidence.

Also, as of the posting of this chapter, the story's like count is over 200! Whoo!

Recovery Efforts

Diamond and I were both miserable when we left school. The two days since Flurry’s birth had been miserable for everypony. Quick Quip had apparently been among those that got hit near the edge of the empire, and my friend group just wasn’t the same without the green goofball.

A pegasus filly that looked vaguely familiar landed before us. She had a blue band around her upper left foreleg. “Princess Inova, Lady Diamond, would you be willing to help me?”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “Maybe. Remind me of your name again? I’m really tired.”

“Finesse, daughter of-”

I put a forehoof on her muzzle. “Say no more, I remember.”

Diamond was looking upwards with a smile. “Lady Diamond. I like the sound of that.”

I lowered my forehoof. “What are you doing here?”

Finesse gestured in the general direction of the train station with a wing. “My family brought a bunch of ponies and goods to help the Empire. If you could help us, it would mean a lot to everypony.”

The news of help arriving so quickly made me smile. “You know what, I’d love to help. I just need to get two things taken care of first. Diamond?”

“Your highness?” Diamond asked in what was probably her snootiest voice.

“Find our friends, see if they want to help. Finesse?”

“Your highness?” Finesse asked with grace and poise.

“Did you ask Skyla?”

“She couldn’t help since she had to go help take care of Princess Cadence and Flurry Heart.”

“Makes sense. That’s all I needed to know.”

“I’m off!” Diamond ran to go find our friends, something that normally wouldn’t take too long, though the snow was a big obstacle.

I spread my wings. “Lead the way, Finesse.”

The area around the train station had become a hub of activity. Ponies with blue bands like Finesse’s, along with a bunch of ponies sporting green bands, were serving meals to those that came up to them, coming in from elsewhere, or leaving with carts and wagons of things. I even spotted Fromage among the ponies running the food lines.

I landed next to Fancy as he levitated some lumber onto a wagon. It had taken me a moment to recognize him without his usual attire and his mane and tail messed up. I gave him a sharp salute. “Princess Inova reporting for duty, Mr. Pants!” I couldn’t fully resist the chuckles, despite the seriousness of the situation.

“What a pleasant surprise,” Fancy happily said. “Our food team is a bit short staffed right now, so if you could help there, that would help a lot. Fromage will give you a green band and some directions.”

“Yes, sir!” I quickly found the colt I was looking for. “Are you really in charge of the food?”

“I am, Princess Inova,” Fromage said. “Are you here to help?”

“Get me a green band and some directions.”

I was given a front row task of serving warm food to those that came up. The flow of food and ponies was nearly constant, with barely a moment to breathe, but it was all going smoothly. The fact that I was working with other ponies definitely helped, along with all the gratitude coming my way.

Diamond showed up by my side after a bit, with Sunflower, Brooke, and Hearthstone behind her. “I got who I could. Soprano and Girder didn’t want to come with us for some reason.”

“That’s okay,” I said. “Find Fancy or Fleur for directions.”

Diamond got put on the cooking team and occasionally brought things out from one of the nearby houses to be served. According to her, Brooke and Sunflower were assigned to the care team and Hearthstone was on the build team. It sounded very appropriate.

Lucky Spotter flew down and landed next to me. “Princess Inova, how have things been here?”

“Busy,” I said as I served up two meals to two ponies. “But I’m liking it. I really feel like I’m helping. It’s a lot better than just sitting on the throne.”

“It certainly looks like it. Excuse me.” He left and started talking to Fancy.

I didn’t think too much about Lucky’s presence until I saw him and some of the build team, including Hearthstone, start building a long table past the end of the food line. “What’s happening over there?” I asked.

“Fancy said something about a surprise,” Hearthstone said. “Nothing else.”

I went back to my task and let the construction go on.

The surprise would come later. Girder, Soprano, and Mr. Slice showed up with a covered wagon loaded with pizza boxes.

A mare tapped my shoulder. “Go help them. I’ll take your spot here.”

I smiled at her. “Thanks.” I made my way over to the freshly built table. “Is this what you were up to?”

“I couldn’t let papa pull the wagon himself after we spent so much time making all of this,” Soprano said.

“I was lucky that so little of my goods were lost to the freeze,” Mr. Slice said. “I was planning on helping out like this anyways, so this is perfecto!”

I grinned at the good fortune. “Then what are we waiting for? Get that wagon back here and let’s get to it!”

Girder went off to help with clearing the snow while I helped Soprano and Mr. Slice serve the pizza. Thanks to some special magic burners, just like others in the line, the chilled pizzas could be warmed up and served almost as fresh as if they came out of the oven. I made a note to try and get the artificing schematics for one later on.

Despite the terrible situation the Empire was in, things were going great.

The next day, Diamond and I made the unusual decision to skip school. We went right back to the train station and switched out with some ponies on the food line that clearly needed some sleep after working through the night.

As the day wore on, it became clear that Diamond and I were not the only ones who thought to do what we did. Other classmates of ours showed up to help as well, including our friends. Quick Quip showed up after the hospital released him, and he got put on the care team. I pretended to feel bad for anyone that he would try to help.

It was much better than going to school, and I even got to see the breaks in the bubble slowly close up. The shield, the Empire, and my ears were on the mend.

Author's Note

Short chapter is short, but I couldn't think of anything else to add that wouldn't become repetitive.

Reactions

High Lord Ironwing set the newspaper down with a grimace. Once again, something big had happened in the Crystal Empire. “Get Gilda,” he ordered.

“At once,” an attendant said before he took off to find the hen.

Gilda showed up a few minutes later. “You wanted to see me, my lord?”

Ironwing handed the newspaper to her. “Read this.”

Gilda started reading the article. She was expecting it to be bad, based on Ironwing’s expression. Indeed, she felt her heart drop when she started reading it. However, she soon found it to be an uplifting story. She felt proud of Inova for stepping up and personally helping her subjects in their time of need. It made her feel good.

Then she got to the last few paragraphs, where the nobles had arrived and Inova greeted them. She struggled to contain her laughter and glanced up. The High Lord seemed to be struggling to keep the serious look on his face. “Keep reading,” he said as he tried to not break down.

Gilda kept reading, and some laughs started escaping her. The snootiest ponies in the world being coerced into dishwashing duty in order to save face was too funny, and she finally broke down in uproarious laughter. She had to lean against a nearby guard, and then she did the unthinkable. “R-read this,” she told the guard.

The guard, a proud and noble lion, trained in the art of maintaining vigilance, staying calm, keeping a level head, and showing no emotions, did as she said. He too broke down in laughter and lost his composure.

The article was copied word for word, sent out across the Griffon Empire, and distributed in the local papers. Productivity across the board went down because everyone was so busy laughing at the events and mocking the Canterlot nobles. The only ones with an increase in productivity were the jesters, jokers, and entertainers.

Notably, Fancy Pants and his family were spared the mockery. Where once they were lumped in with the rest of the Canterlot nobility in the minds of the griffons, they now stood out as ponies of great integrity.

News of Sombra’s defeat would come some time later, along with Inova’s account of how it happened. The Hussars, remembering her eagerness to meet them years before, went to the High Lord with a plea. It took fifteen minutes to reach an agreement, twelve of which was Ironwing trying to settle down and quiet the excited lions.

Princess Inova, already highly thought of for how she helped Gilda (and, less notably, her quick taking to meat), was elevated even further. A Princess on the front lines of a problem wasn’t unheard of, since Twilight Sparkle did that regularly. A Princess personally working in the food line to help feed her subjects in a time of crisis, however, was new. Inova’s feat of fixing the crystal heart by herself was largely overshadowed by everything else, but it was noted that if she hadn’t done that, then the help wouldn’t have been able to arrive and be as effective as it was.

Twilight Sparkle set her newspaper down. “Hey Spike?”

“Yes, Twilight?” Spike asked as he set part of breakfast on the table.

“It looks like you’ve got some competition for the title of Hero of the Crystal Empire.”

Spike took the paper and found the article. He read it. “Hmm. . . I hate to say it, but you’re probably wrong.”

“I am?”

“Why would I want to compete for that title? I can share it. Heck, Inova lives there and she did way more than I did, so she probably deserves it more than I do.”

Twilight thought about it for a bit. “That’s quite the humble stance on it.” She started sipping some of her coffee.

“Hey, it’s just the truth. If I couldn’t handle the truth, I’d probably be qualified for snooty nobility instead.”

Twilight spat out the coffee as she started laughing, soon followed by coughing. “Spike! That-” She started laughing even harder. “You’ll have to tell that one to Pinkie. Can you imagine what she could do with that?”

He continued to be entertaining. “And further distinguishing me from the snooty nobles is my willingness to wash dishes, get my claws dirty, and even handle tasks personally. Why, I even know how to talk to and relate with the common pony on many levels.”

Twilight got in on the act. “Audible gasp! Someone of great influence who can speak commoner? This could have devastating implications for so many things! What would happen if Celestia and Luna found out about this?”

“Funny you should mention them. Celestia sent this a few hours ago.” Spike produced a scroll with the words “LOW URGENCY” stamped on it in big green letters.

Twilight casually read the letter, then intensely reread it before going to her calendar.

Celestia and Luna each had a newspaper at dinner. They read the same story about Inova’s actions and the Canterlot nobility washing dishes. “Tia?” Luna asked.

“They’ve already tried to get legislation past me that would make it illegal for them to be coerced into washing dishes,” Celestia said before taking a bite of pancake. Breakfast for dinner was quite enjoyable. “And now I know why they tried to do it.”

“Did they try anything else?”

“No, but I have a feeling that they’re going to try and get some kind of revenge on Inova.”

Luna nodded in agreement. To say most of the nobility was acting like foals would be quite insulting to foals everywhere. “One can only wonder. Perhaps they will merely turn the tables and make Inova clean a day’s worth of dishes by herself.” She nabbed a bit of Celestia’s pancakes. “But perhaps I’m being optimistic.”

“Most likely.”

I frowned at the pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen before getting to work cleaning them. It looked like every pot, pan, dish, and utensil in the house had been used. There were things in the pile that I didn’t even know we had.

Skyla had invited some of her friends who were good at cooking and gave them free reign to do whatever they wanted, and they cooked up a lot of good food for lunch. I’d managed to sample all of it, and it was delicious.

It was when mom and I were about to start making dinner that we discovered the dirty dishes and lack of food. The dishes had been put away, just as Skyla’s friends had said. None of them had bothered to clean them, though. After everything that had happened with the Canterlot nobles, it was surprising.

“Noba?” Flurry asked from her spot on my back.

I started with the pots and pans. “I’d like to play with you Flurry, but I have to clean this up.” It was just the two of us in the house. Mom had taken all of Skyla’s bits so she could go buy groceries and dinner. Skyla, under dad’s supervision, had to go find her friends and lecture them about restraint and cleaning up while cooking. Making the whole thing more disappointing was that I recognized some of them from the recovery efforts. “It isn’t fair or fun, but there’s nopony else who can do it right now.”

Despite the scale of the task ahead of me, I went at it with a smile. Compared to the threat of Sombra and helping fix the Empire, it really wasn’t that bad of a task.

Deep in the Crystal Empire castle sat a glass jar of inert red dust. Mixed in with the dust was no fewer than a dozen magic inhibitor rings. The lid had not only been glued and magically fused shut, but it also had multiple clamps on it. Around that was a reinforced wire mesh cage lined with the same spell inhibitors as the rings. All of this was inside a thick iron safe, which itself was anchored inside the strongest vault in the Empire.

The red dust just sat there. Like all other normal dust, it held no sentience, thoughts, opinions, or magic. It was simply there.

Author's Note

The story still lives!

A Flurry of Changes

I walked into school and took a moment to appreciate it. After all the chaos that had happened, the familiar halls brought me a feeling of order and normalcy. It was something I’d missed.

Some students were standing around with their friends. A number of them gave me a friendly nod or wave, which I returned. I recognized them from when they helped in the recovery efforts, and like me, they had worked hard. I still didn’t know most of their names, though. There were also a few of Skyla’s friends that couldn’t quite make eye contact with me.

A herd started forming around me as I walked around. It was hard to tell who was saying what, but I could tell it was all thankful voices for what I’d done to help during the disaster. The gratitude felt great, but it was a bit much. While I wanted to ask everypony to go back to their own business, I couldn’t find it in me to do that.

A familiar taunting voice silenced my adoring fans. “Well, look who’s back from skipping school.”

The herd around me silently glared at the offender. “I’ve been busy, Nightshade,” I politely informed her. “Besides, I really don’t have time for you. I’ve got to get to class and see what I missed.”

“You’re going to make time for me right now.”

“Oh go clean some dishes. You can’t stop me anymore. Maybe briefly inconvenience me, but not stop me.” I addressed the herd. “It’s been an honor everypony, but I must go now.”

Nightshade’s indignant ranting was drowned out by the herd telling her to clean the dishes. As I went into my History classroom, I couldn’t help but wonder if Principal Hall could actually make her do such a thing.

Mr. Forger had an announcement in Artificing. “There’s been some developments in the artificing field recently. In light of this, I’m asking everypony in my classes to meet here after school today. You won’t lose anything if you don’t attend, but you won’t learn about this development as quickly. I’m also turning today’s class into a study hour. You can study, go to the library, do some artificing work, or go to the commons. Just don’t cause a commotion.”

Most of the class went to work on their artificing projects. Some left the room to do other stuff. I went to Mr. Forger and quietly asked, “Switchyard System?” He nodded once. “Can I help?” He nodded again. “Can do.”

With the switchyard system on my mind, I went back to my desk and started working on some variations of it. The selection bolt was effective, but other selection methods would be good to have as well.

I was getting a grilled cheese and salad for lunch when something caught my attention in the kitchen. That something was a miserable Nightshade washing dirty dishes alone. As I paid for and took my lunch to eat with my friends, my feelings on the sight were conflicted.

“Are you okay, Inova?” Sunflower asked. “It looks like something’s bugging you.”

I considered my words for a bit. “Well. . . Did you see Nightshade washing dishes?”

“I did, and it’s hilarious! She’s earned that one.”

“There’s a bit more, isn’t there?” Brooke asked.

“I sent the nobles to wash dishes because they arrived with too little too late and thought too highly of themselves and their actions. That was related to something that affected everypony. Nightshade. . . I don’t think she really deserves it.”

“She’s just as dumb as those nobles,” Girder said.

“I’m not denying that. It just. . . Doesn’t feel entirely right.” I did my best to try and change the line my train of thought was on. “So, Sunflower, Girder, tell me about your cutie marks.” Both of their marks resembled their names.

“Mine is all about how I can keep smiling and cheer everypony up, even in the worst of times,” Sunflower happily said. “I got it after that fire in the market. It took some work and a lot of hugs to cheer up the ponies who lost so much, but we all got through it.”

“Strength,” Girder said.

I waited for the tale. “That’s it?”

“Yes. I am very good at being very strong. I got my cutie mark when I pulled a fully loaded wagon to somepony’s home for Hearthstone by myself.”

“How fully loaded are we talking?”

“At least twice as much stuff as what we had for Hearthstone’s cute ceañera, and Hearthstone was on top to keep everything steady with his magic. Multiple tons of cargo, no weight reduction, no help pulling.”

I took a moment to try and imagine myself doing the same thing, and that alone made me start to feel tired. “Okay. . . Why were you pulling alone?”

Girder shrugged. “Everypony else was busy.”

“I’ve got a new H&H idea,” Brooke said, drawing my undivided attention. “A band of villains are out to conquer the world. It’s up to the heroes of the land to stop them. The twist: we play the villains, and everyone’s doing their best to sabotage each other’s plans without getting caught. Your character is out if they’re killed or your plan gets revealed by someone else in-character. I’m still ironing out some details, so we’ll see what happens. I’ll let you know if I change the rules before we begin.”

“Ooh, that sounds like fun,” Sunflower said. “Quick Quip’s already won before it’s begun, hasn’t he?”

“Hey, I’m here too,” I pointed out. “I think I can put up a good bit of sabotage.” Already, a new character was starting to form in my head. A trickster, a schemer, a laughing blue mass of vaguely humanoid psychic tentacles.

I had no idea where that visual came from.

After my last class, I went to the artificing classroom. I saw all my classmates there, along with other students who had to be from other artificing classes.

Mr. Forger looked over all of us after a few minutes. “Good, everypony’s here. I’ll get right to it. The new development in the field of artificing is called the Switchyard System.” I had to keep myself from getting too excited about it. “It’s a way to incorporate multiple functions into one item without using a logic command enchantment. For the new artificing students, that allows multiple inputs to affect the output, usually with no more than two inputs, as more inputs make the enchantment more difficult to apply.” Some of the students began thinking about what could be done with that. “To help explain the Switchyard System, on very short notice and at great expense, we have its original designer with us today: Princess Inova.”

Everypony applauded me as I walked up to the chalkboard. I wasn’t feeling quite as nervous as I had expected to. “Thank you, thank you. I’ll get right to it.” Once the applause died down, I got started. “The Switchyard System works by the breaking and completing of conduits.” I began drawing out the original diagram I’d made back in Canterlot. “The selection bolt has a small section of conduit built in, and it’s placed between the activation mechanism and the functions. When triggered, it only activates whatever’s on the complete circuit.”

“What’s the bottom one that leads nowhere?” A colt asked from near the back.

“That is the safety setting. It’s deliberately devoid by design as an approach to averting accidents. Imagine if you had a fire setting on a device and it fell to the ground. It could start spewing fire and burn something down.” My explanation got lots of understanding nods from my classmates. “I don’t have anything with me to demonstrate this, but I can-” There was a sudden flash of light. “-bring my. . .” I was suddenly looking at the familiar space of the living room.

“Flurry, no!” Mom chided. “You can’t just teleport Inova home because you want to be with her!”

“Noba!” Flurry objected.

Mom sighed. “I’m sorry, Inova. I’ve been trying to slow her down, but she’s just. . . I thought her magic would take longer to recover from what Sombra did.”

“I get it,” I said. “I’ll just have to explain why I disappeared tomorrow.” I got down to Flurry’s level to play with her a bit. If she could teleport me to her so easily, there wasn’t much I could do to escape.

As the week went on, Artificing class focused on the Switchyard System, and with the gravity gauntlet, I sort of became a second teacher for it. As much as I wanted to help demonstrate it in the other classes, I had my own classes to attend and catch up on.

I strongly suspected that Flurry learned to tell time faster than anypony else in the history of telling time, because shortly after school was done, almost like clockwork, Skyla and I would end up getting teleported to her. It made the trip home much faster, but it kept me from my friends and the new H&H campaign.

On Friday night, there was a knock on the door. “I’ll get it!” I answered it, and there was an orange unicorn stallion wearing a dark blue cape with stars on it. “Can I help you?”

He gave a light bow. “Princess Inova. My name is Sunburst, and I am here by request of Princess Cadence. May I come in?”

I shouted into the house, “Mom, did you summon a stallion named Sunburst?”

“Bring him to the living room!” Mom called back.

I shrugged. “Well, come on in. Would you like some tea?”

He smiled. “Yes, I’d like some.”

As I went about making the tea, I listened in on the conversation. “Thanks for showing up, Sunburst,” mom said. “I’m glad I could talk Luna into sending you out here from Canterlot.”

“The honor is mine, Princess Cadence.”

“I’m off the throne right now, so Cadence is fine. The same for my family.”

“Of course. I heard you’re in need of my knowledge, but Princess Luna didn’t tell me very much.”

“I’ve tried to come up with some way to safely restrain Flurry’s magic, but so far, nothing’s worked.”

“She’s been teleporting me and Skyla home after school,” I added.

“Where’s Flurry right now?” Sunburst asked.

“She’s taking a nap,” mom said. “She’s a deep sleeper too.”

I finished the tea, poured three cups, and joined mom and Sunburst. “So, what’s going on? What’s the plan?”

Sunburst sipped his cup for a few seconds. “I know of multiple spells that, individually, could safely restrain Flurry’s magic, but based on what I’ve heard, she could simply overpower any of them, should she notice them. I also know of some that could inflict mild pain if she tries to cast certain spells, but I doubt you’d like those.”

“Those will be a last resort,” mom decided.

He thought about it for a bit. “I believe I do have a few spells that should work well together without hurting her. However, Flurry will need to be awake for it to work, and one of you, Skyla, or Shining will need to be the one to cast them.”

“Not me,” I said. “But why not you?”

Sunburst’s posture fell a bit. “Because I can’t cast anything more advanced than basic single item levitation. Not for lack of trying, but it just doesn’t seem to work for me. And aside from that, there’s a linked limiter spell in the mix, and whoever casts that will have control over how much magic she can use at a time. That is something I would rather be left in the hooves of a family member.”

I suddenly felt sympathetic for Sunburst. I found his difficulties very relatable to my own.

“There’s no need to be ashamed of your skills, Sunburst,” mom assured. “Do you have copies of these spells?”

“Not with me, but the books are on the way to the castle right now.”

Mom stood up. “Inova, I’ve got an errand to run. Flurry’s formula is on the top shelf of the fridge if she needs some.”

“Okay, mom,” I said. As mom and Sunburst left, I cleaned up the tea set. There was some leftover, and I didn’t feel like finishing it myself. “Skyla, I’ve got some tea I’m going to send down the drain~”

“Wait a minute!” Skyla showed up a moment later and claimed the beverage. “You will not waste good tea like that, sis.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.” I booped her snoot. “Thanks.”

The next day, I had a very important job: playing with Flurry. Skyla was handling court and dad had his own work to take care of, so the task fell to me.

Flurry was a menace to her toys. She did not hesitate to crash them into each other, nor crush them underhoof. I was no thaumaturge, but it didn’t take a genius to tell that her earth pony magic was incredibly potent.

There was one toy, however, that she did treat gently. Of all the plush toys she had, of the myriad of soft animals, the only one to still be intact and have all the stuffing in it was a snail the size of her head. It was the one thing she treated well, and she called it Whammy.

While I was spending time with Flurry and keeping her busy, mom sneakily put the magic limitation spells on her. The effect wasn’t immediate. The plan was to slowly decrease how much she could use so she would be less likely to notice it.

As much as I’d have preferred a less sneaky approach, I went with it. Having experienced and cleaned up the damage she caused, along with her not being able to negotiate, there weren’t any other options short of leaving the Empire.

At the first chance I was given, I left to go run an errand of my own. It was nice to get a breath of fresh air, so I took my time as I wandered around.

“Hi Inova!” Sunflower happily called out.

“Sunflower!” I was happy to see her, even though I’d seen her just the day before. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to the medical school to see if they have any courses on counseling. I think I’ll be able to use my talent that way.”

“That is how you earned your cutie mark. I’m going to the toy store to get some new toys for Flurry.”

“Aww, that’s so nice of you. What are you getting her?”

“I’m planning on a couple of plush animals. I’ll tell you how it went on Monday.” After a parting hug, I resumed my mission.

I came back home with a bag in my magic. "Oh Flurry~" I sang out as I found her with Whammy and Skyla in the living room. "I brought some friends for Whammy."

Flurry looked up at me. "Frens?"

"Friends." I opened the bag and brought out the two plush snails I’d picked up and even named on the way home. All three, while similar, were different enough to easily tell apart. "These are Karstodes and Custodisi."

"Frens!" She took Karstodes and Custodisi and put both of them with Whammy. She didn’t immediately destroy the new ones, which was a good sign.

Skyla got up and walked over to me. “What’s with those names?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. It was just one of those things that kind of felt right, you know?”

I raised an eyebrow as Skyla came home with a big box in her magic the next day, shortly after I’d gotten home from running court. “What’s that?”

“You may have gotten Flurry two more snails, but I got her a big one!” Skyla walked past me, then I followed her to Flurry’s room. “Oh Flurry, I got another friend for Whammy and. . .”

“Karstodes and Custodisi,” I supplied.

“Yes.” She opened the box, got the huge stuffed snail out, and set it in front of Flurry. The thing towered over her. “This one’s name is-”

“SANTODES!” I bellowed out.

“What? No, it’s-”

“Satodees!” Flurry leapt at the giant plush snail and hugged it with all her might.

I grinned at Skyla. “I win.”

Skyla gently slugged my shoulder with a wing. “Seriously, where did you get those names?”

I shrugged. “Dunno.”

As the week wore on, mom slowly decreased the amount of magic Flurry could use. There were some hiccups along the way, such as the tantrums she threw once she was unable to teleport Skyla or me home.

Sunburst and his wife, Starlight Glimmer, became the official Flurry Heart Foalsitters™ once mom started going back to the throne more regularly. By that point, Flurry seemed to accept the limits that had slowly come down on her, though she didn’t like it.

Author's Note

This took as long as it did because I was busy writing things that'll happen later on. Once again, I find myself having to fill in space between the currently numbered chapters and future chapters.

H&H: Sinister Start

Brooke gave our character sheets back to us after looking over them for a bit. “Everything looks good. Now that Inova’s not being teleported away, we can finally begin the new campaign.”

“You would not believe the tantrums Flurry threw,” I said. “I wasn’t there, but mom was putting chunks of ceiling back in place when I got home last Thursday.”

“Yeesh. So, to refresh everypony, you’re playing as the villains, and your goal is to accomplish your diabolical evil plans. You can’t directly kill or attack each other, but you can sabotage, trick, and inconvenience each other. You don’t have to keep your plans secret, but it may help. I will play the heroes that are out to stop you.”

Seven shady looking characters left a tavern. They’d formed an agreement over drinks and one of them, a man known simply as Joker, had managed to convince a wealthy and snooty lady to pay the group’s tab. With the way she had been berating the staff, throwing things around, and just being a nuisance, there was no disagreement from his new acquaintances. The fact that all the other open tabs and bills had gotten foisted onto her as well made it all the better, and would likely destroy or badly damage her fortune, which would put all those employed by her fortune out of work. It was villainy and karma at its finest.

“I say we go west,” a heavily muscled man in heavily built dark armor suggested. What Gargant lacked in eloquence, he more than made up for in raw strength.

Calamity, a multi-elemental woman, pointed a different way. “How about south? I heard there’s a good size town there.”

“That means lots of people,” the necromancer Kurana said as she leaned on her staff. Despite her lively tone, she was actually quite dead on the outside.

“But there’s some nobility to the west,” Echo, mistress of sound, pointed out.

“And that means fortunes to destroy,” Joker pointed out with a sinister tone.

Lupus, master of wolves, gave the options some thought. The potential in both areas was quite tempting. “What do you think, Tzentacles?”

Tzentacles, a psychic woman who always floated around and had tentacles hidden under her flowing robes, was busy. She took the 8 out of the tavern’s nicely made address numbers, turned it over, and put it back in upside down. “And that’s step 1 of my plan done.”

Echo made up her mind. “You know what, south sounds good. It’s probably an easier target anyways.”

“We ride.” Lupus summoned some giant spectral wolves, and soon, the seven were riding out to cause chaos. The wolf master made sure that, while his wolf gave him a smooth and comfortable ride, the rest would be a bit rougher on their passengers. For five of them, the rough ride would deal some minor emotional damage. Gargant was unaffected, as his sheer bulk made the wolf unable to give him a rough ride.

The seven came to the town, and were promptly greeted by the town guards. “Halt, citizens!” The leader called out as he took point. “What brings you to our town?”

“Why do you ask?” Kurana innocently asked.

“There’s been more visitors than usual recently, and not all of them had the best of intentions.”

Gargant got off his wolf and walked up to the town guards. While none of the guards were weak, he towered over them all. He made his eyes glow red, the light shining menacingly through his helmet’s visor. “Let us through.”

The leader and his guards stepped back a bit, but found some courage. “We. . . Tell us what your business is here, and we might let you through.”

Joker provided an explanation. “We’re passing through to pick up some supplies and then we’ll be on our way.” He shook a big bag of money he’d managed to swipe from a snooty woman a while ago, with her not noticing anything. “Surely you’d allow us that, right?”

The guards relaxed a little bit. “Well. . . If that’s all, I guess it’s okay.” The leader guided his fellow guards to the side to allow the seven into town.

Just as the group was about to pass by, one of the sinister seven said something. “Wait a moment!” Tzentacles got off her wolf, set a stick against a tree, and got back on. “Okay, we’re good!”

Everyone, guards and villains alike, looked at Tzentacles in confusion, wondering whether she was up to something or just being weird.

Two hours later, the seven, carrying many ill-gotten goods on their freshly saddled wolves, fled the town that they’d attacked with an undead army and set ablaze. It was chaos, mayhem, disorder, and all the things villains liked to cause.

The entirety of the town guard, more than they’d first encountered, met them at the gate. “I should have known you were lying!” The leader exclaimed.

“Ah, but I wasn’t lying,” Joker said. “We’ve picked up our supplies, now we’ll be on our way.” The bag of money from before came out, now full and close to bursting open.

“It’s not our fault you thought we were going to simply buy things,” Kurana pointed out.

“Can we just beat them and be on our way?” Calamity asked, eager flames dancing at her fingertips.

Gargant seized on that idea. He got off his wolf, walked up to the guard, and threw a single punch. The sheer amount of power from the punch sent a shockwave rippling behind the leader of the guards, stunning or knocking over those behind him.

Lupus sent Gargant’s wolf to attack some guards that weren’t stunned. The guards fought back, and the wolf made sure that the saddle and Gargant’s loaded goods were what took their attacks first.

Echo, with a bit of sound trickery, danced through the battle. Her attempts to make the guards fight each other didn’t work, since they were too focused on fighting the sinister seven to be bothered with overheard rumors. However, she was able to scatter the guards by making them hear calls about one of her fellow villains getting ready to do something.

Tzentacles managed to take three guards out of the fight by using her psychic powers to make them take out their knives and start carving a novel into the ground together. From what she saw, it was clear that spelling and grammar were not strong points for the guards, though it still looked like an interesting story.

Many flashy, high power attacks were launched at the guards. Tzentacles helped her three entranced ones survive by having them parry and deflect the incoming attacks, assisted by a psychic barrier. She would later claim that the fact that the deflected attacks hit some of her fellow villains was merely coincidence, as she had no control over where the deflections went.

Before long, the only guards left alive were Tzentacles’ three, and they were still busy carving their novel. Kurana sent some freshly revived guards to pile on the living ones and kill them.

Tzentacles looked over the mess, took a knife, and carved out one last line. “Alright, that part’s done.” She decided to take all three knives for herself.

“This seems like a good stopping point,” Brooke said as the encounter wrapped up. “So, how does everypony feel about playing the villains?”

“I thought I’d have a harder time playing a villain, but it was pretty easy,” Diamond said, a hint of caution in her voice. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Remember Solaria?” Sunflower asked.

“A healer and interrogator,” Hearthstone supplied. “And now Sunflower’s playing a cheerful necromancer. Am I the only one that finds her characters a bit ironic?”

“We all do,” Quick Quip said.

“Same time next week?” Brooke asked as I helped her pack up.

“Of course,” Girder answered for all of us.

The sinister seven stopped when they saw a woman standing in the middle of the road they were on. Some of the wolves stopped so quickly, their passengers were thrown off. Calamity, Tzentacles, and Joker landed face first on the dirt road. Echo was also thrown from her wolf, but she gracefully landed on her feet. “Do you have anything for us?” Echo asked the woman.

“You ruined everything I had,” the woman angrily said. “My wealth, my reputation, the property that had been in my family for generations, all ruined.”

Joker got to his feet. “You’ll need to narrow that down a bit.”

“You took all my money!”

Tzentacles got up and was soon levitating as usual. “You’ll need to narrow that down a bit.”

“At the tavern!”

Kurana echoed the sentiment. “That really doesn’t help.”

“We do that all the time,” Lupus explained.

“You made me pay everyone’s tabs!” The woman exclaimed.

“Ah, I remember now,” Gargant said before getting off his wolf. “You were quite annoying.”

“Ah, that one,” Kurana chimed in.

The once wealthy woman drew a sword. “I’ve had to become a mercenary just to get enough to eat, and if I have to take all of you on myself, I will.”

“I don’t think you’ll succeed.” Echo used her sound magic to create the sound of something big and hungry behind the woman.

The woman stopped and was shaking in fear. She’d seen some of the big nasty predatory creatures in her short time as a mercenary. She tried to hold firm, but her resolve wasn’t quite good enough.

Tzentacles, recognizing the sounds, used her powers to make an illusion of the monster behind the woman.

Joker made a suggestion. “Gargant, could you get her out of our way?”

“Yes.” Gargant stepped up to the woman, and she swung her sword, scratching him. In retaliation, the metal-clad mountain of muscle took the sword and tossed it aside before picking her up by the waist and flinging her far away.

Kurana tried to pick up the sword, but immediately got burned. “What the heck?”

Lupus picked up the sword with no problems. “Hmm. I think it’s enchanted against the undead.”

Joker started thinking. On one hand, a sword with such an enchantment could sell for a lot. On the other hand, it could be useful as a ward against the necromancer. Options, options, options.

As those who weren’t on a wolf got back on, Tzentacles saw a bench on the side of the path. She produced a knife, went behind it, and carved out a single triangle. “Perfect!” As she got back on her wolf, some nervous glances came her way.

One of Lupus’s wolves reported a small battalion en route to fight the sinister seven. A meeting was held, and it was decided that it would be best to deal with the attackers before they could catch the villains off guard.

The military encampment was on high alert. Their scouts and lookouts had reported that the sinister seven were on their way, and those on patrol were in groups of three. Wards and security checkpoints were set up all around to alert those inside of an intrusion.

Echo and Tzentacles were waiting just outside the patrol perimeter, hidden by Echo’s sound manipulation and Tzentacles’ illusions. Inside the bubble, Tzentacles was using one knife to carve something into the blade of another knife. The sound didn’t reach the patrol, but it was grating on Echo’s ears.

An alarm went off on the other end of the encampment, and the nearby patrols rushed off to take care of it. Echo and Tzentacles moved to find the command tent.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the camp, Gargant was swinging one soldier around like a flail by his ankles. Calamity and Kurana combined their powers to summon elemental zombies to fight the soldiers. Joker was weaving between enemy soldiers, distracting and disarming them between redirecting attacks. Lupus’s spectral wolves went further into the soldiers’ ranks, dealing small bits of damage before getting beaten.

The sneaky duo made their way to the command tent, where the field commander was watching the fight through a crystal ball. Between his focus and the concealment spells the two had going, he did not notice them. “Squad 3, flank the left side,” he ordered. “Get rid of that wolf summoner!”

Tzentacles grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from a desk and started doodling something.

Echo, with her target in front of her, moved swiftly, clapping her hands over the field commander’s ears and releasing a sonic blast that quickly turned his brain to mush.

It would have been perfectly clean, if not for Tzentacles picking up a fresh knife and using it to pin a rolled up piece of paper to his back. Echo, long used to the random acts that Tzentacles did, paid it no mind.

The two left the tent and Echo put out the signal, making the sinister seven all run from the encampment, regroup, and ride off.

A few days later, the seven would be ambushed, and before any of them could attack, heavy amounts of holy magic were used on them. Kurana was the only one affected, and soon turned to dust. The rest of the villains made short work of the mages, but the friendly necromancer was no more.

“Alright, which one of you did that?” Sunflower asked. “I highly doubt the guards could have figured out how to kill a necromancer so easily.”

“Or gotten our location,” I added.

“Yeah, how did they know where to find us?” Diamond added. “Brooke?”

“I’m not saying,” Brooke said. “But now things will get more difficult for the rest of you. Sunflower will play a hero starting next time.” She started packing things up. “I’d also like to finish this campaign before Hearth’s Warming so we can put the villainy behind us. Any objections?”

“Nope,” I said, soon chorused by the rest of my friends.

“Excellent.”

Author's Note

After two months, IT LIVES! All I needed was to wait for the natural drive to work on this story again.

Discord Discourse

I looked around and double checked the note I'd gotten from Discord. "Meet me in the biggest janitor's closet in the Crystal Castle. I'll show up just as you're about to leave." The closet in question was actually very spacious and full of things that the janitors used to keep the castle clean. From what I’d heard, it was originally a guest room, but had been repurposed because there wasn’t enough space for janitorial supplies before, and that particular room was rarely used by guests before it got renovated anyways.

I gave the letter some extra thought, then decided to take it at face value. "Well, I guess Discord's not here. I'm going home."

The door to the closet opened behind me. "Sorry I'm late," Discord said. "Traffic was. . . You're looking away from me."

A smirk crossed my face and I turned to the chaos spirit. "I thought you'd show up if I said I was going to leave. So if anything, you're early!"

He dramatically gasped before checking his watch. The watch's arms shrugged before it leapt onto the wall and crawled through the doorway, vanishing like a ghost. "Well played, Inova. Well played. You made a fool out of me."

"Thank you, thank you." I swept a wing in front of me and bowed at the praise. “But really, you made it too easy.”

A suction cup arrow came out of nowhere and landed on Discord’s chest. “Oh, you wound me with such language!” He dramatically fell over on the floor.

The overly dramatic motions got a brief chuckle out of me. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

Discord slid into the room and closed the door behind him. “Your dear Aunt Woona told me that your dreams have been a bit chaotic recently, and not the usual kind of dream chaos, or my kind either. She’s probably worried about nothing, but in her infinite wisdom, out of everyone she could have picked, including herself, she sent me here to check on you.” He snapped and he was suddenly sitting in a plush chair while I ended up with my plot in a mop bucket. Thankfully, it was dry and empty. “So, tell Doctor Discord what kind of madness is manifesting in your mind.”

I adjusted myself a bit to get as comfortable as I could. “It’s a new H&H campaign. We’re playing the villains and our objective is to cause chaos. I’ve come up with a plan that can’t be stopped, no matter how many bad rolls I might get.” A whole session of bad rolls that Tzentacles somehow survived, yet still managed to cause chaos, had proven that theory.

Discord was very interested. “And what, pray tell, would this unstoppable plan of yours be?”

I gave him a smug grin. “Now why would I tell you that? I’ll just leave you guessing.”

“Is it because I did some bad things a couple times? I’ll have you know I’ve been reformed for longer than you’ve been alive.”

“True, but this is my little project. I’d like to see how far I can take it. It’s already making my friends confused when I do or say anything. I’ve even mastered the sinister grin.” The sinister grin crossed my muzzle as I mentioned it.

He was quiet for a bit before he started laughing. “Hahahahaha! This is rich! A Princess causing chaos! I love it!”

“Does that include what I did to the Canterlot nobles?”

He laughed so hard, the sides fell off his chair. “Oh, you have no idea how much of an impact that’s had around the world. In fact, I could even show you what’s happening in, say, Griffonstone right now.”

He got my interest. “Oh?”

He reached across the room and wheeled me over next to his chair, snapped, and the closet darkened. “Here we go!” There was a click and the sound of a projector starting up came from behind us. On a screen that wasn’t there before was Chef Borke, and there were some griffons washing dishes and kitchen utensils nearby.

“So, who are they?” I asked.

“Griffon nobility. In the wake of what you did, they clamored to do the dishes in the castle. It was so bad, Gilda actually had to find tasks other than dishwashing for them.” He summoned a small black device and pressed a button, changing the scenes. “Some of them got sent to maintain the castle grounds, a few are cleaning things in the castle, there’s a newfound respect among most of them for the castle staff, and we’ve gotten off topic.”

“Can I get out of this bucket now?”

“Under one condition.” He pushed me back to where he’d pulled me from before the closet was lit up as normal. “When your campaign is over, tell me about this unstoppable chaotic plan of yours.”

It was an easy offer. “Deal.”

He snapped and I was back on my hooves, free from the mop bucket. “Just say my name and that it’s done, and I shall appear. It had better be good.”

The smirk returned to my face. “Oh, it will be.” I started to leave the closet, but stopped when I had a forehoof on the door. “By the way, this entire conversation went exactly as I planned it.”

He scoffed. “Oh please. As the spirit of chaos, I am the embodiment of things only sometimes going according to plan. Your little schemes hold no sway over me.”

“That’s exactly what I’m counting on.” I left the room so Discord couldn’t see my smirk turn back into a full sinister grin. As I walked down the hall, a few laughs escaped me. It felt like I’d gotten one over on Discord by words alone, and it felt great.

Discord started thinking dangerously hard in the janitor’s closet. “She says she planned the whole thing, but that’s impossible since I never told her what we were going to talk about. Then again, she did trick me at the beginning. . .”

The janitor walked in. “Excuse me, I need something behind you.”

“Oh, sorry.” Discord stepped aside to let the stallion get what he needed. “And she said she was counting on her plans holding no sway over me, which would then mean I’d act exactly as she thinks I will. . .” A light bulb came on over Discord’s head before going up and replacing a burnt out one in the ceiling by itself. “You sly mare! Oh, you are going to be so much more fun once you have real authority.”

Author's Note

The original version of this chapter involved a surprise trip to Griffonstone, the presence of bacon, and Inova correcting her history teacher after an historic event.

And now, a question: when you imagine Discord thinking dangerously hard, what do you see in your mind? I imagine an electric guitar and blasts of fire.

H&H: Conniving Conclusion

As the chaos causing crusade continued, the villainous group steadily got smaller.

Gargant fell to a ninja’s poisoned blades.

Calamity’s elemental powers got sealed in multiple jars before a paladin’s hammer crushed her.

Echo never heard the supersonic arrow approach before it went through her head.

Lupus fell into a spike trap his spectral wolves could not detect or trip.

The last two villains, Tzentacles and Joker, stared each other down across a table in a tavern. It was the same one they’d started their adventure in, and only one was going to make it out alive. “Why don’t I end your scheming right here, Tzentacles?” Joker asked. “Surely you’d like to put that active mind of yours to rest for a while?”

Tzentacles considered it. “Hmm, maybe. But if you do that, all you’ll do is complete my plan. If you kill me, there will be chaos the likes of which you can’t even imagine!”

Joker raised an eyebrow. “What kind of chaos?”

“It’s unimaginable, so I can’t even tell you! And it’s all because everything is going exactly as I planned all along.”

“Even that time you got half your face blown off?”

“Yes.”

Joker narrowed his eyes. “How does that work?”

“Great achievements often require personal sacrifice. I’ve put everything into this scheme, and honestly, no matter what happens, I won the moment I flipped that number over outside this tavern three months ago.”

The tavern owner heard that. “You what?” He rushed out to inspect the address numbers. It wouldn’t be long before he came back looking all around at everything.

“I was wondering about that,” Joker said before he realized what happened. “Was that your plan all along? To make us wonder what you were doing?”

Tzentacles grinned. “It worked. Especially once everyone stopped questioning me. I’m sure you dropped hints to get rid of our allies, right?”

“And a few bribes along the way. Those ninjas were overpriced, but worth it.”

Girder gasped. “You set that up?”

Quick Quip shrugged. “Guilty as charged.”

“Who else did you get?”

“Lupus as he walked out of his tent. I had to get the right stuff to make sure his wolves couldn't trip it, which was difficult.”

Hearthstone narrowed his eyes at Quick Quip. “I should have known it was you after all those dice rolls.”

Joker continued. “Enough about that, though. The real question is which of us is going to leave here alive.”

Tzentacles spread her arms. “Then let it be you who lives, so my plan may be complete. You want to pull more pranks, right?”

Joker’s eye twitched in irritation. “You are making things really difficult. But if I complete your plan the way you want it, you won’t scheme anymore.” He got up, drew his sword, and rammed it into the tentacled woman’s gut, pinning her in place.

Tzentacles’ cry of pain was brief before turning into shallow laughter. “This. . . Is all according to plan. The ritual. . . Is done. Chaos shall reign, and order will fall.” Moments later, Tzentacles was dead.

Joker looked around. Things seemed alright, but knowing Tzentacles as he did, he couldn’t help but wonder where the chaos was.

“Sounds like I win,” I confidently said.

“But Tzentacles just died,” Sunflower pointed out. “How does dying let you win?”

“I think I just figured it out,” Diamond groaned. “There was no actual ritual or plan. All those little things Tzentacles did in the campaign will be investigated, and when nothing is found, the people will just keep looking and start losing their minds. That’s the chaos she intended to bring, right?”

“You got it,” I happily said. “The plan everyone was reacting to was all an allusion, which was all according to the real plan.”

“How many of our actions did you predict?” Soprano asked.

“Absolutely none of them!” I proudly stated. “But once your reactions to me started getting predictable, I might have done something like leave a note about holy magic techniques on a commander’s back without anyone questioning me.”

“So that’s why the guards had such powerful holy magic,” Sunflower said. “But why did they target everyone instead of just Kurana?”

“Simple: have the mages be prepared for an easy win by saying it would take down her allies and minions as well.”

“So the Princess that hates lies the most was the best liar of all of us?” Diamond asked. “How did you do it?”

“I learned from the best: the snooty nobles.”

Girder nodded in understanding. “That makes sense.”

“And we’re done just in time for Hearth’s Warming,” Brooke said. “Inova?”

“Yes?” I responded.

“Do you think we could go with you to Canterlot for Hearth’s Warming sometime?” With that question, all eyes were on me.

I gave the first answer that came to mind. “Maybe next year. It’s a bit late for joining in. It’s also a family trip, so. . . I’m not too sure. I’d like to talk more, but I have to go talk to Discord. I promised that I would.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow, Inova.”

I flew up to the castle’s landing platform and took a brief breather before going into the hallway leading to the spiral staircase. “Alright Discord, the campaign is over.”

On cue, Discord happily showed up. “I’ve been waiting to hear that! So, how did you cause chaos in your little game?”

“Well, I did random things that affected nothing or just seemed pointless and said everything was going according to plan.”

“And what was this plan that needed pointless things?”

I smirked as I explained the plan. “The plan is that there was no plan. The real chaos came from the reactions to what I said and did.”

Discord started scratching his chin in thought and I heard the gears in his mind at work. I found the sound oddly relaxing. After a bit, he started laughing. “That is hilarious! Why didn’t I ever think of that?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. Have you done anything fun recently?”

He sat down on nothing. “Well, I had some fun pranking a few of the snooty nobles for Fluttershy recently.”

There was a big smile on my face immediately. “And like that, you have my attention. What happened?”

“They tried to set up a program called the Inward Animal Care Operation Networks, or IACON. An oddly appropriate name, right?”

“I don’t get it.”

“Anyway, part of it would have made any animal care illegal within two miles of the edge of a forest, and you know where Fluttershy lives, so she let me prank them for her vengeance. I got Celly in on it too.”

“So what did you do?”

“We made them sound like animals when they talked. Of course, they heard themselves talking just fine. Everypony started trying to figure out what was going on, and then Celestia said, ‘Yes, I agree that an animal themed costume party would be fun, but Nightmare Night was over a month ago,’ and they all lost it! Some guards heard the scared animal noises, looked around, and left.”

I let the scene play out in my mind and started laughing. It was hilarious and sounded very appropriate. “I wish I could have seen that.”

“As long as there’s snooty nobles, you’ll always have another chance to see it, and we have all the time in the world. I’d like to stay and talk a bit more, but Fluttershy’s making a refreshing herbal tea, and I’m not about to miss out on that.”

“Sounds good. See you at Hearth’s Warming?”

“I might be able to give you a definite probable maybe. There’s a chance of it. Toodles!” With a snap, he left.

Since I had no further business in the castle, I went back to the landing platform and took off, gliding home and letting my mind settle a bit. The chaos had been fun, but it was time to set it aside for relative peace. Flurry was still a hoofful to deal with, even with her suppressed magic.

Author's Note

And thus concludes another H&H arc.

Coming up whenever I get around to publishing it: another Hearth's Warming break arc, with a good amount of "how have you been?" throughout it.

Time With Luna

“Inova, could you come with me for a bit?” Aunt Luna asked shortly after I entered Canterlot Castle.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I broke off from my family and Aunt Celestia.

“Nothing bad,” she assured as we started down the castle halls. “It’s been nearly a year since we all discovered the human in you. I’ve heard about what happened in the Empire since then with most of your parts going wild, your action when the barrier broke, your departure, and then Sombra’s brief return.”

“Ah. All of that.” The way Aunt Luna described it really made the year feel very chaotic and crazy.

“I simply wish to hear, straight from your mouth, how you’ve been handling it.” We went into an office and sat across from each other at the desk in it. It made me feel like a patient. “Start with the split. Are there any important moments you’d like to share with me?”

“Well. . .” I remembered the anger and vitriol my pony parts spat at my human part, and the fear my human part felt at it. Remembering it from all sides was surreal. “There was the part where mom held me as I cried. I felt really tired after that, but it also made me feel better. I had no idea what was going on and was really scared, but she was there, and I felt safe when she held me. My pony parts were having lots of fun running, flying, and casting spells at the same time, and it was exhilarating. It was like a bunch of weights were taken off of me, but they were all just so careless.”

“An apt analogy.”

“Yeah. After that mess and a long nap, I showed off my human part to my friends a bit, but then the novelty kind of. . . Wore off. That, and I was really busy catching up on the basics of my pony magic.”

“How would you say you’ve progressed since then?”

I gave the question some thought. “I’m a lot better all around. No more tripping, I can fly, and I can cast spells as well. I still feel like I’m behind everypony else though.” Something I’d thought about before came to mind at that moment. “Aunt Luna, how do I apply for Wonderbolt Flight Camp?”

“I can take you to their headquarters during your trip here.” She looked at a calendar on the wall for a few seconds. “That’ll have to be in a few days when the weather’s scheduled to clear up.”

I looked at the calendar and tried to make sense of the many markings and numbers on it. “How do you read all of that at a glance?”

Aunt Luna gave me a confused look for a moment. “Ah, I forgot. You don’t have weather calendars in the Crystal Empire. Let me teach you how to read one.”

A few hours later, Luna met Celestia in their private dining area. Cadence and her family were out in the main dining hall where Flurry was the main discussion and being adored by the castle staff. “Is Inova alright?” Celestia asked.

“Quite fine, sister,” Luna answered as she sat down. “She’s adjusted to her human part quite well, and I had the pleasure of seeing what she calls her battle form for a short time.”

“Only a short time?”

“She said her clothes were a bit thin for the cold and wanted her fur coat back. More importantly, she wants to focus on self-improvement, and to that end, she wants to try out for Wonderbolt Flight Camp.”

If Celestia had been drinking anything, she would have spat some out in surprise. “Did you tell her how easily she could do that?”

“She is well aware that she could just use her royal status to get in. She vehemently insisted on getting in like anypony else: by merit. I will take her to the Wonderbolts office in a few days and make sure that’s clear.”

A smile that was both amused and satisfied crossed Celestia’s face. “That does sound like the way Inova would want it. Just don’t put too much pressure on the evaluator, okay?”

“Of course not.”

A few days later, Aunt Luna and Skyla flew with me to the Wonderbolt office in town. I was feeling nervous about it, but I did my best to stay calm. Getting the guards to stay behind had been a monumental task, but it was much easier to go around the city without them.

There was a line going out the door of the building, and as soon as we were noticed, the ponies by the door parted for us. “Thank you, but we will wait in line just as you have been,” Aunt Luna said. “Do not let us get in your way.” The ponies in line warily got back in their places as we went down the line.

After almost a full block, we found the end and took our place. Moments later, a Wonderbolt flew up to us. “Your highnesses,” he said with a bow. “If you’d like, we can-”

“We will not skip the line,” Aunt Luna firmly and politely stated. “Inova wishes to not use her royal status for her venture here, so we will wait.”

The stallion looked baffled. “Uhm. . . Well, that’s. . .”

“I want to earn a spot like anypony else would have to,” I explained. “Don’t go easy on me because I’m a Princess.”

“I will make sure everypony knows that, then. Is there anything else?”

“Nah, we’re good,” Skyla said. “Don’t rush things just for us, okay?”

“Of course.” With another bow, he left to fly back to the office.

Aunt Luna looked around like she had no idea what to do. “So, Skyla, how have you been this past year?”

“Well. . .” Skyla briefly glanced at me before she answered. “I’ve been having fun with my friends. Mom covered the tickets for all of us to go to the water park one day while Inova was gone.”

“How many friends did you have with you?”

“All 120 of them.”

Aunt Luna’s eyebrows threatened to go to the tip of her horn in surprise. “You’ve got that many friends?”

“Yep. If there’s something I don’t know, I know somepony that does know it.”

“Surely this isn’t all one-sided, right?”

“Nope. I help my friends too. One time, Comet Kicker needed me to help her with hoofball practice, so I decided to split myself so she could train against three different opponents. . .”

Skyla had enough stories of things she’d done for and with her friends to make waiting in line much more tolerable. It also made me realize how little I knew about what she did. If Auntie Sparkle didn’t already have the title, I’d have called Skyla the Princess of Friendship.

Finally, it was my turn for evaluation. Fortunately the stallion was the same one that met us in line earlier. “Princess Inova, if you’ll come this way.”

I looked back at Skyla and Aunt Luna. “Do you want us to wait for you?” Aunt Luna asked.

I gave it some thought. “If you want to. If I don’t see you here, I’ll head back to the castle.”

The stallion led me downstairs into a well lit and very spacious area. “Prin. . . Inova, why do you want to go to Wonderbolt Flight Camp?”

I kept walking behind him as I answered. “I want to make myself stronger. When I was saving Flurry, I had to stop to catch my breath and rest my wings partway through the castle.”

“Really? I’ve never heard that detail.”

“That’s my motivation for being here. I can’t really help anypony if I get worn out so easily.”

“Suppose you get accepted into our flight camp. How do you think you’d compare to the other campers?”

“I’d probably be towards the tail end of the rankings. I have some pegasus friends that are better fliers than me and their cutie marks have nothing to do with flight.” I noticed that our path was going around a long area in the middle of the cavernous space.

“Why not just practice flying at home on your own?”

I wasn’t expecting a question that pushed me, but it felt like I had a good answer for it after a few seconds of thought. “If I go to camp, I’ll be more motivated and focused on improving my flight skills than by practicing at home where all my distractions are.”

He nodded at my answer, and I hoped he thought it was a good one. “It would take place over two months in summer. Can you be away from home for that long and wait that long as well?”

“Yes and yes.”

We walked a bit further and stopped between two lines against a wall. The lines went from one end of the space to the other. “The first thing we’ll do is a wingpower test.” He hit a button on the wall and I felt a soft breeze from the far end. “Fly into the wind as far as you can, then come back here.”

I took off and flew as directed. It was pretty easy at first, but as I flew further along, the wind got stronger. Eventually, I hit a point, not even a third of the way across the huge room, where my efforts and the wind balanced out. The feeling of flying without moving anywhere was strange.

I caught the wind under my wings and flew backwards to the evaluator. “What’s my wingpower?”

He hit the button again and the wind died down. “2.5. Slightly below average. We have one more test. Follow me.”

As I followed him, I thought about my wingpower score. I wasn’t surprised that it was below average, yet hearing it had hurt a bit.

We stopped in a corner of the cavernous chamber. “As I’m sure you're aware, we can’t simply accept anypony into flight camp because they have wings.” He pulled a lever coming out of the floor and lots of glowing red orbs appeared in the room, along with a single green one. “Hit the green orb, it will disappear, and a red one will turn green. Hit a red orb, it will disappear and two more red ones will show up. Try to clear all the orbs as fast as you can.”

I did a few stretches and limbered up before flying to the green orb in the center of the room. As soon as my forehooves hit it, it vanished, and a red one in my sight turned green.

The task had sounded simple, but it wasn’t. The orb that turned green wasn’t always within immediate sight, they all started moving around after the third green orb, and I hit some red orbs while I was going around. It was more intense than the simple glides and flights I made in the Empire, and I had to land after a while to rest my wings and catch my breath. “How did I do?” The number of orbs was down, but there were still plenty floating around.

“Not bad.” He wrote some things down on a clipboard. “You hit thirty green orbs and seven red ones in just under fifteen minutes, which is a decent score.”

“Is there anything else I need to do?”

He reset the lever and the orbs disappeared. “I’ll need your address so we can send you your letter of acceptance or denial. After that, we’ll head back up, I’ll answer any questions you may have, and you’ll be free to go.”

I gave the stallion my address and followed him back upstairs. Skyla and Aunt Luna were waiting for me, so I went to them. “How’d you do?” Skyla eagerly asked.

“I think I did okay, but I don’t know,” I said. “I’ll find out later.”

“Sometimes, that’s all that can be done,” Aunt Luna said. “Would you two care to have lunch in town with me?”

“I’d love to!” Skyla happily said, not surprising me at all.

One place immediately came to mind. “Have you heard of the Switchyard Diner, Aunt Luna?”

“This is where you came up with the Switchyard System?” Aunt Luna asked as we got a booth overlooking the tracks and the trains below.

“This exact spot.” Memories of that moment came back, and it made me feel a bit of excitement as I looked down through the window.

“Welcome, your Highnesses,” a waitress said as she came by with menus. “What would you like to drink?”

Skyla and I opted for hot chocolates while Aunt Luna got coffee. After our drinks arrived, it was time to order. Aunt Luna ordered a big bowl of chili, which I was not expecting. Skyla was confused about what a bread bowl was, so she got a railway salad in one. I decided to have a railway salad of my own, though served normally.

“I must say, this place has a certain charm to it,” Aunt Luna said. “It feels. . .” She started waving a forehoof as she tried to figure out what she was trying to say.

“Cozy?” Skyla suggested.

“Yes, but that’s not quite it. The smell, the decor, the way the very table and seat feel. It feels. . .”

A new voice made a suggestion. “Authentic, Princess?”

“Yes! Authentic! Thank you, Fancy.” She turned to the good noble. “Pray tell, when did you get here?”

“I’ve been here all day, Princess. It’s employee evaluation day, and things are looking good. Please let me know what you think of my diner once you finish.”

“I shall do that.”

After a few minutes of idle chatter, our food arrived, and I watched Skyla. “So. . . This is a bread bowl?” She levitated it and inspected it. “I wasn’t expecting it to look like this.”

“What were you expecting?” I asked.

“I don’t know. . . Maybe a bowl lined with bread slices or something.” She angled it towards her and took a bite from the open edge of the top. She chewed slowly before swallowing the bite. “Inova?”

“Yes?”

“Next time we have soup for supper, can you and mom make bread bowls for it?”

I smiled as I smacked her shoulder with a wing. “I make no promises.” I started on my salad and it was really good. It was filling, satisfying, and hearty all at the same time.

It was amusing watching Skyla try to keep her salad in the bread bowl as she worked on it. Her idea of serving soup in one sounded better and better as I thought about it more, especially since it would mean fewer dishes to wash and she could just eat the leftover bowls.

Due to Skyla’s challenge with the bread bowl, she was the last of us to finish, which was unusual. The waitress came by shortly after. “Can I interest anypony in dessert?”

“I’m good,” I said.

“Thank you, but I will decline,” Aunt Luna said.

“I really want some dessert,” Skyla said. “But we have to be back at the castle soon, right?”

“We can always come back later.”

“Here’s your check.” The waitress put it on the table. Aunt Luna picked it up with her magic, glanced over it, then teleported a stack of Bits on the table. “Thank you for coming in, your Highnesses.”

As we approached the door, Fancy came over. “How was your experience, Princess Luna?”

“It was quite nice, Fancy,” Aunt Luna responded. “You’ll have to tell me more about this place later.”

“I’d be honored.”

We stepped outside and took off towards the castle.

“So, how was the camp exam?” Dad asked me after our return.

“I hope I did okay,” I answered as Luna and Skyla went elsewhere. “There was a wingpower test and an obstacle course thing with red and green orbs.”

“How did you do?”

“2.5 wingpower and alright on the course.”

“2.5 wingpower?” Dad asked in surprise. “I’m amazed you have that much.”

It was my turn to be surprised. “Huh?”

“Think about it.” He started walking down the hall and I followed. “Twelve years of no wing use or flight experience and little in the way of effective practice after that? For all that you couldn’t do after all this time, it’s actually impressive.”

I gave it some thought, and realized he was right. There was only one question I had. “What’s the average wingpower for a filly my age?”

“3, or so one of Skyla’s friends said. You know, you could get some practice in with your pegasus friends on days you don’t play H&H.”

“Well, I could, but Soprano has to help Mr. Slice with the pizzeria and Quick Quip. . . I’m not actually sure what he does.”

“Would you help them if they needed your help?”

“Of course I would!”

“Then ask and see if they'll help you. There’s nothing wrong about asking your friends for help.”

I suddenly felt stupid for not thinking of that obvious option before. “I’ll try that when we get home.”

“That’s the spirit!” Dad happily said.

Author's Note

The reasons/excuses for the delay are as follows:
-Other writing projects
-Model kits (Lego and Minipla)
-Laziness
-Maybe thinking too much about a future chapter

Hearth's Warming Trip, Part 1

Skyla trudged through the sparkling sand. For days, weeks, or even longer, she'd been lost in the middle of the desert. She'd gotten used to her dry throat and empty belly, but there was nothing she could do about her exhaustion.

"I can't. . ." Without even a gasp, she flopped over onto her back, the clear sky taking up her vision. "I give up."

Suddenly, a familiar orange face appeared before her. "Skyla."

"Inova!" Skyla suddenly had a burst of energy and leapt up to hug her sister. "It's been forever since I saw you!"

"Skyla, math started five minutes ago. Get out of the sandbox."

Mom and dad laughed at my story of what happened after recess on Friday. We were waiting for a train and had to pass the time somehow.

"That's not what happened!" Skyla retorted.

Dad managed to catch his breath first. "We know, sweetie. Inova was just telling a dramatic version of it."

A moment later, there was a loud whistle, and the train arrived in front of us. Mom had to use her magic to keep Skyla from running up to it while I sat still and adjusted my red scarf. Skyla had a purple one, dad's was blue, mom's was pink, and all of them had gold trim. They were gifts from Aunt Celestia, who we were going to meet. For some reason, my red scarf made me feel a bit heroic.

Once the ponies on the train got off, we got on, and I couldn't help but feel nervous. The Crystal Empire and its barrier were familiar, and it was where home was. Mom and dad said we would be back in two weeks, with plenty of time for New Year's. I was also feeling excited about seeing somewhere new, despite being nervous.

The conductor checked the tickets, the train whistle blew, and we began moving. Skyla clung to dad in surprise, but I wasn't bothered by it.

"We're almost at the barrier, girls," mom said shortly after the train began moving. "Once we cross it, the air will get colder in here."

I watched the barrier get closer and closer, and I couldn't help but tense up and close my eyes as we approached it. It looked like we were going straight at a wall, and I did not want to go splat against it.

I opened my eyes when I felt a sharp chill go through my raised wings. "Kkkkkk. . ."

Mom was quick to pull me against her side with one of her wings. "Are you okay, Inova?"

I stopped chattering after a few seconds of her warmth. "Cold wings. . ."

"Just stay right here with me until you feel better."

I looked across the car and saw dad relaxing while Skyla was watching the snow go by outside. She didn't seem bothered by the cold, but her wings were folded against her body. When I looked out the window on my side, I saw snow going by as well. Between mom's warmth, the rhythm of the train, and recovering from the surprise of the sudden chill, I couldn't resist closing my eyes and falling asleep.

"Inova, wake up," mom gently said. "We're almost at Canterlot."

"Hm?" I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. The train hadn't changed a bit. "We are?"

"You slept through nearly the whole ride." She lifted her wing from me and I felt the chilly air against my fur and feathers, but it wasn't as bad as when we left the Empire. "I'll be right back. I need to use the little filly's room."

As she went towards one end of the car, I looked at dad and Skyla. As far as I could tell, they were in the same positions as before. I looked out my window and saw snow covered trees going past us. They were pretty.

When mom came out of the restroom at the end of the car, I felt the need to do the same. Thankfully, nopony else was waiting, so I was in very quickly. I was out less quickly, but I made it back to mom before the train started slowing down.

"Dad, are those guard ponies?" Skyla asked as we approached the station. I looked out the window and saw a bunch of white stallions in gold armor up ahead.

"Yes, and they're waiting for us," dad said.

"Did we do something wrong?"

"Nope. We're royalty, and this is what they do when royalty arrives here. They will escort and guard us on our way to the castle. I used to be the captain of the guard here, you know."

"Really?"

"Yes. I actually have some business with these stallions."

"You do?" Mom asked.

"Very important business."

We finally arrived and got off the train. I counted thirteen guards, and dad went to the one with armor that was more decorated than the others. "Captain Glaive."

The unicorn stallion saluted. "Present, Prince Armor."

"Did you get my message?"

"Yes sir. All the preparations are done and we are ready to mobilize on your command."

Dad's order had a feel of authority to it. "Move out!"

We followed him and the captain while the other twelve guards walked around us. Being guarded like that while walking through town felt weird, since that never happened at home. It was also weird for me to see dad acting so serious. Mom, on the other hoof, seemed incredibly relaxed about it, if a little confused.

If there was one thing I didn't like, it was not being able to see where we were going.

Finally, there was a change. The twelve identical guards took up positions against a building while dad and Captain Glaive went inside, followed by mom, Skyla, and me.

"Girls, this is one of the most important places in Canterlot outside of the castle itself," dad said. "Welcome to Pony Joe's."

"It smells so good!" Skyla happily said. The air smelled sweet, and I started to have some suspicions that dad wasn't really being serious.

"So this is the family?" A tan earth pony stallion asked from behind a counter in the middle of the diner. "The pictures don't do them justice."

"Thanks, Joe," dad proudly said.

"You, on the other hoof. . ." Dad and Joe shared a laugh at the words, and it felt like I was missing something about the conversation. "So, what'll the fillies have for their first time here?"

"A lesson in patience. Captain, give him the order."

Glaive floated a bag of bits and a scroll onto the counter. Joe opened and read the scroll, then checked the bag of bits. "Coming right up."

"Mommy, what's going on?" Skyla asked as Joe went to work.

"Girls, there will be times where you can't get what you want immediately, even as royalty," mom explained. "Hold still and let him finish what he's doing. Once he's done with the order he's working on, it will be our turn."

"Can I look around?" I asked.

Mom considered it for a moment. "I suppose I can let you two wander around a bit, as long as you don't leave, don't bother the Captain or Joe, and don't go behind the counter."

While Skyla ran around to quickly look at the random decorations on the walls, I walked more slowly. There was one picture that caught my interest. It showed eight mares and a small dragon. Six of the mares had very nice dresses on that had been through something rough while the other two each had a horn and wings, all of them had big smiles on, and there was a pile of pastries in the middle of them. The dragon looked happy being with them, like they were all friends. I wanted to ask Joe about it, but mom said not to bother him while he was working.

"And there's the last of it," Joe said as he put the order on the counter. "Twenty-six donuts and thirteen hot drinks for the noble guards. Shining, what'll it be for the family?"

"A raspberry jelly filled eclair for Cadence, a zebra striped donut for me, and for each of the fillies, a plain donut with pink icing."

Joe looked at dad with a serious look. "Pink icing? You're really starting them with pink icing?"

"Extra sprinkles too!"

Joe made an audible gasp. "You madlad! Starting them off with pink icing AND extra sprinkles? If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were crazier than Pinkie Pie."

Dad put some bits on the counter. "And hot chocolates for each of us as well."

Joe shook his head and sighed. "Your funeral, pal." He and dad shared another laugh before going to work on the order.

"Mommy, what just happened?" Skyla asked.

I listened in for the answer. "Your dad and Joe were being overly dramatic about ordering donuts and hot chocolate. I don't know when that started being a thing, but it is. To be honest, I find it amusing to watch."

"Can I try?"

"No, not yet."

I raised a hoof. "Can I try?"

"No, Inova, you can't try either."

"But why?" Skyla and I asked at the same time.

"Because you just met him for the first time. That, and he would just leave you confused."

I accepted the answer and sat with mom and Skyla as we waited. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait for long before the pastries and steaming drinks were ready. Dad levitated all of it to a table and we joined him.

The donut was warm in my hooves and the icing was sticky, like it was freshly made. I took a bite of it and it tasted really good. By the time I was halfway done with my donut, Skyla's was gone and I saw her looking at mine. To keep her from getting it, I scarfed it down like she would have.

Dad was quick to clean off my hooves with a levitated napkin, followed by Skyla's. "We don't want to leave with sticky hooves, right?"

"Yes, dad," Skyla and I said. I was glad he did that. Last time I had something gooey and tasty on my hooves, it was icing from mine and Skyla's birthday cake and she almost ate my hooves. At least it felt that way.

Mom cast a spell on our hot chocolates and levitated them over to us. "I made them a bit cooler for you to drink."

I went after mine almost immediately. The kind at home was delicious and so was Pony Joe's. It was impossible to decide which was better, but both were good. The colder air of Canterlot made it more enjoyable than normal for some reason.

Once Skyla and I finished our drinks, it was time to move out again. The guards flanked us and we started the walk to the castle.

I had to sit down on the floor just to look upwards enough to see the face of the mare mom called Aunt Celestia. She was taller than mom, and her mane was constantly moving. "Hello, Inova," she said with a very warm and comforting voice. "You look adorable with that scarf."

"Thanks." I adjusted the very comfortable item with a hoof and then realized something. "I saw you at Pony Joe's."

"Hm?" Her confusion was brief before she realized what I meant and fondly smiled. "Oh, that picture. That was after a Grand Galloping Gala quite some years ago. Almost everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. Spike missed nearly all of it, we caught up to him at Joe's, and we laughed about everything."

"What happened?"

"I don't think you're quite ready for that story yet. Maybe when you reach the age Twilight was when she was there. While your parents chase down your sister, let's go to the entertainment room. You'll get to see everyone else from that picture there."

She started walking, and I had to go at a trot to try and keep up with her long strides. I also had to be careful. If I went too fast, my legs would get tangled up and I'd fall to the floor. That was never fun, and it was why I never raced anypony at school.

After a few minutes of walking (and Celestia stopping a couple times to let me catch up), we arrived at the entertainment room. Everyone else from the picture was there, and my family had somehow beaten Celestia and me. Four of the mares from the picture, the white, yellow, pink, and lavender ones, were sitting around Skyla. The orange and light blue ones came over towards us, the latter hovering with her wings.

"Cadence was right," the orange mare noted when she saw me. "Inova really is smaller than Skyla."

"Eh, not by much," the blue one said before landing and going into introductions. "So, I'm Rainbow Dash, and this is Applejack."

"Uh, hi?" I warily said as Celestia left.

"As the head overseer of the Wonderbolts, I'd be happy to teach you everything you need to know about flying and keeping you in shape for flight."

Applejack bonked Rainbow's head. "Yer goin' too fast for her, sugarcube. She hasn't even had a proper flight class in school yet."

"Alright, I'm sorry. Can't blame a mare for getting excited about her passion."

"Flight class?" I asked. "Why?"

My question got confused looks from the mares. "You have wings, Inova," Applejack bluntly said.

I looked back past my scarf and saw the wings on my back, which made me remember the chill I felt in them on the train. "Oh, right." I turned back to them.

Rainbow had a question. "Have you made any friends in school?"

"No."

There was a purple flash and the lavender mare was suddenly there. "No friends? Inova, you need friends. I know it sounds sappy and cheesy-"

"Cheesy?" Skyla eagerly shouted from the middle of the other group.

"-but you can't just stay with your studies and books. There will be things you can't do alone, and having friends will make things easier."

I decided to walk away from the conversation and sit in front of the fire in the fireplace. Nopony in my classes seemed like they would be a good friend for me, but I was alright with that.

As the evening wore on, I kept to myself and read books from around the entertainment room. Of all the ponies, I liked Fluttershy the most since she was willing to just sit in silence with me. Everypony else wanted to talk and ask questions, which I wasn't really in the mood to answer.

Shortly after a very nice dinner, dad took me to a small office. Aunt Luna was there. "Hello, Inova. How are you tonight?"

"Tired," I answered. After everything that had happened that day, I just wanted to go to bed and sleep, but I had no idea where my bed was in the castle, so I couldn't go to sleep.

"I understand, so we'll make this fast. Shining, if you would."

Dad levitated a small box off of the desk and put the contents on the floor between him and me. There was a quill, a bit, and a toy wagon. "Pick one to keep."

I gave them some thought. "The quill. . . There's plenty of those. Bits are alright. I already have lots of toys. . . I'm tired." I walked over the options, closed my eyes, and leaned against dad.

He tried to push me back. "Inova, just pick one."

"I choose sleep." I pushed back with all the power I could muster. When that didn't work, I wrapped my forelegs around his and pulled, which didn't work either. I decided to climb instead. He didn't move much, letting me easily lay down on his back and close my eyes.

"Maybe this was a bad time for the test," Aunt Luna said in a softened voice.

"Skyla had the energy for it," dad said, his voice lowered as well. "She chose everything, though."

"It could also be that this test is overrated. There is more to life and ponies than intelligence, money, and fun, after all. There's nothing in it about health, compassion, or experiences. I shall write an article about these results."

"Sounds good. I'd better get a blanket and some pillows so I can be Inova's bed."

"Don't you mean to put her in bed?"

"If I try to levitate her off, she'll just clamp down on me. Cadence tried it once." I remembered the moment. I did not like being levitated.

"I see. Good night, Shining, Inova."

"Good night, Luna."

"G'night," I tiredly said from my spot on dad's back.

Summer Vacation 2: Griffonian Boogaloo

"What are we doing again?" Skyla asked as the airship we were in passed over the shoreline and into Griffon territory. Visiting a foreign nation was our summer activity, and unlike Ponyville, mom and dad would be with us for the whole trip.

"We're introducing both of you to High Lord Ironwing,” dad explained. “He has the same rank in the Griffon Empire as your aunts in Equestria and us in the Crystal Empire. The griffons are friendly with us, so introductions must be done.”

“Is this a super important thing?”

“We won’t be talking about policy or politics,” mom assured. “It’s a simple meet and greet, along with a short trip around the capitol, Griffonstone. That said, there will be something both of you will have to do. Your dad and I had to go through it as well, and it isn’t pleasant, but it is important, and it gets easier over time.”

Visions of a difficult obstacle course in some kind of water park danced through my head, which I found amusing. I knew I wouldn’t make it through anything like that, but it was still fun to imagine.

Mom looked out over the balcony with me. “You’re not scared of falling off?”

“Nope,” I confidently answered.

“Or the height we’re at?”

“We’re on an airship, so it’s alright.” The solid planks under my hooves were a far cry from the softness of clouds, but they wouldn't dissipate, which I found greater comfort in.

“You know you’ve got to learn how to fly at some point, right?”

I glanced back at my wings and wished I could use them properly instead of flopping. “The airship is a solid enough surface for me to not worry about that. Also, tossing me off to teach me how to fly would look bad, so you won’t do that. I’m safe.”

"Yes, yes. We'll still work on your wings when we get home."

“Yes, mom.”

"From the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence, Prince Shining Armor, Princess Skyla, and Princess Inova," a griffon announced as we approached High Lord Ironwing's throne room.

The doors opened for us and things were a bit different than I expected. The throne was elevated higher than the one in the Crystal Empire, but it was empty. Instead, there was a table in the middle of the room with a fancy brown and white tablecloth on it. There were four chairs on the side we were on, and on the other side sat a griffon wearing light armor that looked more decorative than functional. "Welcome, Royals of the Crystal Empire," he cordially said. "It's an honor to see you all in person."

"Thank you," mom warmly replied. "How have things been in the. . . Has it really been fifteen years since my last visit?"

"To the day," Ironwing said. "I had my archivist confirm it. Come, have a seat, and I'll have lunch brought out." Skyla was in the chair at the right end of the table almost immediately. Mom and dad took the middle chairs, and I took the last one. "Skyla is fast," he noted.

"She heard 'lunch' and that was it," dad said. "She loves food."

“We’ve yet to find something she doesn't like," mom added.

"We'll see about that." Ironwing clapped twice and some griffons came in with covered plates. They were set down in front of us and the domes were lifted, revealing a decent looking salad with slightly steaming strips of something brown with red in the middle on the side. There was a fork and knife with the meal as well, meaning I couldn’t just plant my muzzle in the meal. I also noticed a pair of griffons, each a distance from the ends of the table, standing there with empty buckets. "I won't keep the fillies waiting, so let's begin."

Mom, dad, and Skyla used their levitation to use their utensils while I picked mine up with my forehooves. This got a raised eyebrow from Ironwing as he ate his meal, but he didn't say anything about it. I was just starting to lift two objects at once with my practice at home, so using the utensils was out of my magical grasp.

After I had some of the salad, I went for one of the brown and red strips. Out of the corner of my vision, I saw the bucket griffon tense up. The strip smelled good, so I took a bite. It was unlike anything I'd had before, and chewing it was a little tough, but it tasted great.

Shortly after Skyla finished wolfing down her meal, she started groaning. "I don't feel too good. . ." She began wavering in her seat and started looking a little green. The bucket griffon at her end of the table rushed into action, putting the bucket on the floor and grabbing her head. I kept my ears and gaze pointed away from my sister losing her lunch, lest I lost mine.

"Show her where she can clean up," Ironwing ordered. The bucket griffon flew off while another griffon came in and showed my shaking and dazed sister out of the throne room.

After everything calmed down, I went back to my meal. My bucket griffon was now next to the table. "Can I help you?"

"I'm just waiting," the bucket griffon calmly said.

I looked between the bucket on the floor and him. "I feel fine."

"You're sure?"

"I know what it feels like when that's about to happen, and I'm not feeling it." My experience with Tanuki made sure of that.

Ironwing chuckled. "Back off a bit, but be ready," he ordered. "You're really not feeling anything, Princess Inova?"

I shrugged. "I'm feeling less hungry. I don't know what caused Skyla to-"

"Inova, you've been eating meat," dad bluntly interrupted. "The first time we tried it, we reacted the same way Skyla did."

I raised an eyebrow at the explanation. "Meat?"

"Animal flesh," Ironbeak explained. "Medium rare steak, from cattle."

I remembered some of the books of animals I'd read before, and one note I'd wondered about suddenly made sense. "Griffonian cattle, right?"

"Correct. You can't have a conversation with these animals."

I gave a sigh of relief. "That's good." As I finished my meal, an idea began forming in my head. I wanted to explore and learn a bit. "May I go talk with the chef?"

Mom and dad gave a nod, then Ironwing nodded to the bucket griffon. "He will show you the way, and he'll keep the bucket just in case you have a delayed reaction to the meat."

I nodded. "That sounds good."

The chef, an old gray griffon, looked down at me. Since he was taller, this was natural. "Yes, Princess Inova?"

"That was a good salad and. . . Steak, I think it was?"

"Thank you. But. . ." He glanced at the bucket griffon. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded. "Yes, Mr. . ."

"Chef Borke."

"Mr. Borke." Something about his name and position sounded strangely appropriate. "Can I see how things are done in here?"

"I can give you a tour, but I won't start cooking just to show off." His tone offered no room for argument.

"That's fine."

Chef Borke showed me around, from the cold storage to the pantries and various cooking stations. It was all very well organized, and some of it looked like it had crystal components that might have come from the Empire. The bucket griffon followed for a bit as well, but left when it became clear I was fine.

Not having Skyla with me for the tour made it very low stress, though I was still worried about her.

Right at the end of the tour, an order for some brisket came in, and I got to watch Chef Borke do his work. Towards the end of it, he sliced off some of it and served up the main bulk of the cut, leaving a number of bits behind. "What are those?" I asked.

"Oh, those? That's waste. We throw those out."

A new idea began churning in my head as I looked at the pieces. "Can you save those? I think they would go well with pasta and cheese."

"Princess, I clearly said I wouldn't start cooking to show off," he firmly stated.

"But this is. . . An experiment. Please? I would try to make it myself, Mr. Borke, but I can't levitate enough yet."

He gave my idea some thought. "I'll check with the High Lord. While I'm doing that, pick out a pasta in case he approves."

As he left, I went over to the pantry where the pasta was. "If I'd given a good word on this stuff when it was made, I'd be wildly rich." The different pastas all looked good, and they all sounded good. Cheesifying any of them would work, so the choice was difficult.

Chef Borke returned. "The High Lord is allowing it, as long as he and your parents get to sample the result."

The good news made my good mood even better. "Nice! Which pasta is his favorite?"

"The large elbows." He picked out a package of them and set them on the counter before getting the water he needed. "So you think these scraps would go well on cheese covered pasta?"

"I don't know why it sounds good, but it does. Why do you throw those pieces away?"

"The previous High Lord ordered it, and it's just been that way since then. I was also trained that way, so this is a bit odd for me. What kind of cheese are we using?"

"Something creamy, and I also think mixing in a little bit of milk and butter after straining it would help too."

"You are speaking in combinations I've never dreamed of. At least we won't get in trouble since the High Lord permitted it, and he is very understanding."

I patiently waited as Chef Borke brought my idea to realization. As he did, I thought about a name for it.

Finally, the time came to show off his work and my vision. He put it onto two plates, put them under a dome on a cart and brought it out. "My Lord, I present Princess Inova's experimental cuisine."

It was fancy name time. "I call it burnt ends over pasta au gratin."

Chef Borke lifted the lid and placed one of the plates and a clean fork in front of the High Lord. Ironwing took in the smell first, then picked up the fork, skewered a burnt end and some of the cheesy pasta, then took a bite.

It felt like time slowed down as mom, dad, Chef Borke, and I waited for his opinion, every second a minute long. Finally, the High Lord set his fork down to deliver his verdict. "Princess."

"Yes?" Mom asked.

"Inova, actually."

"Yes?" I asked.

"You came up with this within the last hour?"

"Yes. I don't really know where the idea came from, though."

"It's a very good idea. Borke, if I remember right, these are the deckle cuts you've mentioned, right?"

"They are, my Lord," Chef Borke answered. "We've been tossing them out since the previous High Lord ordered it."

"I like calling them burnt ends. Start saving them back and see what you can do with them."

"You could top a salad with them," I suggested. "So, do you like it, High Lord?"

"Princess, that is not a strong enough word for it. This has brightened my day more than Celestia's sun. I must reward you somehow. Let's talk about that later." He turned to the chef. "For now, find an attendant to escort and guide young Inova through the castle."

"At once, my Lord," Chef Borke said with a bow before leaving with me at his side. On the way, I saw mom and dad accept the second plate to try my creation. The chef seemed to stand a bit taller as we went through the halls. "You've given me some new things to consider, Princess Inova."

"I really don't know where that idea came from," I admitted. "And I was just lucky with that brisket order coming in."

"Sometimes a bit of luck is all it takes." He found a wandering attendant and waved her down. "This is where we must part ways for now. Have an excellent day, Princess."

I responded to his bow with one of my own. "You too, Chef Borke." I went to the griffon attendant. "What's your name?"

"I'm just an attendant, so it doesn't matter," she said, sounding like she'd been defeated and brought to heel some time ago.

"But how can I talk with you if I don't know your name? Please don't make me order you to tell me your name."

She sighed in resignation. "My name is Gilda."

"So, Gilda. . ." I looked around the hallway and realized I had no idea where I was. "What does an attendant do?"

"Almost anything. What do you want to do?"

I gave the question some consideration. "Can you teach me some griffon history?"

"I'll take you to the library."

Skyla, for the first time I could remember, looked very uncertain about the meal in front of her. Specifically, the roasted chicken slices. They were off to the side on her plate and looked very different from the steak, but were clearly meat. There was a bucket griffon near her, ready to move if needed.

There was a bucket griffon near me too, but he must have heard about how well I handled the steak since he looked relaxed and almost bored.

"Skyla, you have to eat the chicken," dad stated.

"Can Inova have mine?" Skyla asked. That question coming from her was surreal. "I'll eat everything else."

"No. You have to eat it so you can get used to it." Dad ate some of a roasted chicken slice from his plate to demonstrate. "It wasn't easy for your mom or me to get used to it either, but we did it because we had to."

"It's part of being a Princess," mom explained as she had some of her chicken.

"But. . ." Skyla nervously looked at her bucket griffon buddy.

"It's pretty good," I said after having some of mine. "Very nicely seasoned."

"Can't I just. . . Skip this?" It looked like something Skyla struggled to ask.

"You do know that could be an insult to the chef, right?" Dad firmly asked.

My sister turned to me. "How are you doing okay with it?"

I shrugged and answered honestly. "I don't know." I went back to my meal. Chef Borke was quite talented at what he did.

After yet another meal of Skyla resisting meat, I went out to the hall, wondering just how Skyla could turn down bacon. That stuff was delicious.

A familiar hen was out in the hallway. "Hey, Gilda," I warmly greeted.

"Princess Inova," she answered with a bow before dutifully falling in step with me. "What would you like to do today?"

"Can I see a blacksmith? I heard mom and dad say something about good horseshoes coming from the Griffon Empire once.” I didn’t want any since they had to be nailed onto my hooves, but quality was quality.

"Are you sure? It's a long walk to the nearest smith."

"Oh." Clearly, she had been informed of my inability to fly, and I briefly cursed my inability to fly. "Is there an armory here?"

"As long as you don't move or touch anything, we can go there."

"Thank you." I followed her as we walked through the castle. "So. . . Have you ever been to Equestria?"

"Not for a while." She sounded sort of sad. "I had a friend there. We fell out after I. . . Kind of bullied her friends. They're all very important ponies. My punishment for that was to become a castle attendant, and here I am over twenty years later."

I stopped, and so did Gilda. The armory suddenly held almost no appeal. "Have you apologized for it?"

"After what happened? If I face her, she'll probably try and beat me up, and I know she can do it too. She's too fast in the air for me, and I haven't gotten any faster since then."

There were a few notable fast pegasus mares I'd learned about in my classes and the newspaper, and I wanted to figure out more. I chose the direct method. "What’s her name?"

"Rainbow Dash." The weight of what she said she'd done suddenly hit me. She had very likely bullied the Element Bearers, the same ponies Skyla and I had spent our last summer with.

I voiced the first idea that came to mind. "What if you wrote her a letter?"

"A letter? She'll just throw it away when she sees my name."

"I've got a pen pal in Ponyville. He mostly just complains to me about what's going on there, and I do the same thing. What if you include some of that?"

She raised an eyebrow at my pen pal explanation. "What does he complain about? If I may ask."

"His mom's Pinkie Pie."

She winced at the short and succinct explanation. "Okay, I can understand that." She thought about it for a moment. "How about we go to the armory so I can think it over?"

"Okay." I began following her again. Her steps seemed a bit heavier, but she also seemed a bit more relaxed as well.

"Come on, you've got this!" Gilda barked at me. We were outside in one of the training grounds, and at mom's request, she was giving me my wing practice. "You're not a flop, so stop flopping!"

"You think I haven't tried?" I closed my wings and got back to my hooves. "I don't know why it happens. I wish I did."

Gilda grumbled. "Maybe we need a more direct approach. Sit down." She gently grabbed my wings, stretched them out, and started moving them up and down. "Now close your eyes and focus on your wings."

I followed her directions and concentrated on the feeling of my wings being moved while I sat still. "Now keep moving your wings," she said as she slowly released her grip, only for my wings to flop to the ground when she let go. "Are you even trying, Princess?"

"I am!" I objected as I opened my eyes and turned to face her. "I was trying to keep my wings moving without flopping. It didn't work. It did not work. It does not work."

She let out a sigh heavy with frustration. "You are being very difficult."

"I'd love to not be difficult with this! I'd love to take to the skies and look down from high above, like any other pegasus or griffon. I'd love to not need help just cleaning my own wings. I know my own challenges, and I've been working on them for a long time."

"You're ten years old and you're still trying to get the flight basics started?"

"I KNOW!" I shouted out of frustration and anger. "NOBODY'S AS UPSET WITH ME AS ME, GILDA! I WANT TO DO ALL THE NORMAL STUFF LIKE ANYPONY ELSE, BUT I CAN'T, AND I KNOW IT! I KEEP TRYING, BUT I JUST! CAN’T! DO IT!" With my short tirade over, I took a moment to slow down and catch my breath.

"Hey, uh. . ." She quietly started, startled by my outburst.

"I'm sorry, but. . ." I laid down on the ground long enough to fold my wings up, then stood back up. "It's just how it is with me. I really wish I knew why so I could get over it. Let’s just go for a walk around the grounds.”

“As you command, Princess.” Gilda quietly fell in step with me. The silence was tense and uncomfortable for both of us.

We hadn’t even finished one lap when a griffon guard came down. “Gilda, you’re wanted for assaulting Equestrian royalty.”

Gilda and I shared confused looks. “What?” She flatly asked.

“When?” I asked.

“About fifteen minutes ago, in the training grounds,” he reported. “An attendant saw Gilda standing over Princess Inova while she was down in the dirt.”

“You mean like this?” I opened my wings and promptly fell forward onto the ground. “It happens all the time, sir. You can ask the rest of my family.”

“I still need to take her in.”

“Then you’re taking me with her!” As fast as I could, I closed my wings, got to my hooves, and got on Gilda’s back. “It was wing practice as normal for me, and nothing else.”

The guard sighed. “The High Lord won’t be happy about this development.”

After the hearing and speedy trial, my family and I gathered in the very nice suite we’d been staying in. “I’m proud of how you stood up for Gilda, Inova,” mom said. “Though perhaps you were a bit too bold in your approach.”

“Demanding a medical check on the spot for signs of the alleged attack was a bit much,” dad added in agreement.

“I didn’t know you could get that loud, sis,” Skyla said.

“Gilda didn’t do anything to me, so I had to get the truth out,” I stated. “I expected the misconception from the other attendant, but the grudge he held against her was really stupid. Put them together, and you get a bogus attack. She’s become a friend in my book, and I just had to stand up for her.”

Skyla looked in horror at the sampler plate in front of her, and her empty stomach churned. Steak, chicken, pork chops, burnt ends, bacon, ham, and sausage. The only thing that wasn’t meat was the bed of rice and lettuce underneath, soaking up all the juices from the meat. “Can I get something else?”

“Not until you finish this,” Shining Armor stated. “You’re already getting better about it, so all you need to do is keep working at it like Inova with her magic and wings.”

The little Princess groaned at the answer. “Where is she anyways?”

“Ironwing promised to let her meet the Hussars,” Cadence explained. “She was incredibly excited about it.”

“Do you think she knows they’re not from the siege of Neighenna?” Shining asked. “That was a few hundred years ago.”

“She probably knows.”

I kept up an excited facade when the Hussars, the most elite and best soldiers of the Griffon Empire, arrived at the castle. Their armor looked great, but it just didn’t match the image I’d come up with in my head. The yellow fabric, solid plate armor, and angular designs, the same as the ones in the Siege of Neighenna, just didn’t feel right to me. I also had this feeling that something was missing, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.

They were all very polite, and I made sure to not only be polite in return, but do my best to hide my disappointment. They were meeting a Princess that admired their history, and I wasn’t about to ruin their day over that. Any tears of mine could wait.

I looked up from my book on the past rulers of the Griffon Empire. “Gilda?”

“Yes, Inova?” Gilda asked.

“Why does every ruler’s name consist of a metal and a body part? Steelclaw, Bronzewing, Ironbeak, Tintail, and more.”

“When a griffon becomes the High Lord, he changes his name to a name like those. He picks a metal and a body part, puts them together, and there you go. He changes his name after the coronation and before any other rulings can be made.”

“Huh.” I went back to reading.

High Lord Ironwing and Princess Cadence sat on a balcony overseeing the land and a distant thunderstorm. “Your fillies being here has made this an interesting visit, Princess Cadence.”

“I am sorry for Skyla’s stubbornness,” Cadence said. “We’ve never had any problems getting either of them to eat their food, so it’s a new struggle.”

“I’ve seen her improvement. She only suffers from mild discomfort now, but her reluctance remains.”

“It’s the first time we’ve seen her do this. She’s shared and given on occasion, but never refused food. But Inova. . . I’m concerned.”

“Is it because of how quickly she took to it with no problems?” Ironwing began scratching the stone railing. “I’m just as confused. Even Celestia and Luna have told me of their initial reactions to meat, and it was just like yours. It seems to be a pony thing.”

“Except for her. I told Luna, Luna told Twilight, and Twilight’s on a research binge into the occult now. I hope there’s nothing relevant to Inova down that cursed path.”

“On the topic of Inova, she’s really attached herself to Gilda, and I’ve seen Gilda actually look a bit happier recently.”

“The same Gilda that caused problems in Ponyville?” Cadence didn’t react to the crack of thunder coming from the distance. “Ironwing, she had better not be a bad influence on my filly.”

Ironwing was not wavered by the implied threat. “Respectfully, Princess, it’s the other way around. I’ve heard of a letter from here going out to Ponyville some weeks ago. Should there be a response, I will let you read it after I acquire it.”

After dinner one night, Gilda waved me down. “Princess Inova!”

“Hi, Gilda,” I answered. “What’s in your wing?”

“I decided to try writing something to Rainbow, and. . . I actually got a response. I wasn’t expecting it. Do you want to read it with me?”

I felt happy for her, so I followed her to the small room that served as her quarters. It was smaller than my room at home and was dominated by a big nest, but it seemed to work for her.

She rolled out the letter and we read it.

Dear Gilda,

I wasn’t expecting a letter from you. After the incident in Ponyville, you fled town and we never heard anything from you again. I’m glad you managed to stay out of trouble, even if it was by being made a castle attendant. I can’t imagine being stuck doing that for as long as you have.

Your apology is over two decades late, but if you’re really sincere about it, I’ll accept it. You could even come and visit the Captain of the Wonderbolts! That’s me, by the way. Lots of stuff has happened since you were here. The spirit of chaos lives with Fluttershy now, and I’m not talking about Pinkie Pie.

However, you will have to forgive me for doubting that Princess Inova of all ponies managed to talk you into sending that letter. Last time I saw her, she didn’t want much to do with anypony unless she had to or it was Apple Bloom, and seemed adamant about not wanting any friends. Then again, it’s been a year, and a lot can happen in that time. I’m willing to be proven wrong.

I’d like to give you a tour of Ponyville sometime if you come visit. I can be bribed with bacon to use a fancy voice for it.

Sincerely, Rainbow Dash

The implication that Rainbow had a tolerance for meat was a fleeting thought while I started thinking about a response. It had to be something more irrefutable and believable than a letter alone. A phrase that succinctly summed up the solution suddenly sprung to mind. “Pics or it didn’t happen. We need a picture of us being friendly for Rainbow to believe you.”

“Did I hear someone say she needed a picture?” A hen excitedly asked as she poked her head in through the door.

Gilda gestured to the hen. “Inova, this is Flo. She’s the only one in the castle that’s actually good at taking pictures. She’s also my roommate.”

“I’ll be right back!” Flo zoomed off, presumably to get the camera.

A few seconds later, I made a suggestion. “I think both of us reading the reply letter would be good enough for the picture.”

“Get over here.” Gilda guided me with a wing so I was laying down shoulder to shoulder with her. She left her wing draped over me and picked up the letter with her free talon so we could both look at it.

The door almost fell off when Flo returned with a vengeance. “Alright, if you could just. . . Well, you’re already in a good position. Just hold it. . .” The camera flashed once. “And we’re done.”

I looked at Flo in confusion. “That’s it? Just one picture?”

“Photography equipment and material is expensive here, Princess. I can’t afford to take lots of pictures for just one thing. Anyways, I’ll go develop that picture for you now.”

It was a few seconds before Gilda broke the silence. “You know, this is actually pretty nice.”

“Yeah.” I nestled a bit more against Gilda and decided to close my eyes for just a little bit before heading back to the suite.

Five minutes later, Ironwing entered the room. “Gilda,” he quietly said.

“My lord.” Gilda looked between him and the orange filly that was deep asleep and using her foreleg as a pillow. “I can’t bow right now.”

“That’s alright. I need to borrow that letter for a few minutes. I promise to return it.”

“Of course, my lord.” Gilda willingly gave him the letter.

Cadence and Shining both looked at the letter. “I am confused and impressed,” Shining said. “I’m glad that amends are being made, but I don’t know how Inova talked her into it.”

“This is a huge step for her,” Cadence added. “She couldn’t have known Gilda for two weeks when the first letter was sent.”

“That’s about the timeframe, if I recall correctly,” Ironwing said. “Inova’s been busy during her time here.”

“Skyla’s been staying in the suite as much as she can. It hasn’t been a pleasant trip for her, but she has to learn how to deal with such things in order to be a good Princess.”

“The sooner, the better, as with most things.”

“Where is Inova anyways?” Shining asked.

“She’s asleep in Gilda’s quarters. Given the late hour, she’ll probably spend the night there instead of the suite. I have full faith that Gilda will make sure she’s with you for breakfast tomorrow.”

“Unharmed,” Cadence sternly added.

“Gilda won’t hurt Inova, Princess. She’s too much of a friend of hers to do that.”

When Ironwing returned to Gilda, the hen had fallen asleep with her head next to Inova’s. As quietly and as gently as he could, he wedged the letter he had borrowed into the edge of the nest and left. Unlike some previous High Lords, he gave all due respect to his attendants, especially when they performed their tasks well as she had.

In his eyes, Gilda had finally atoned for her crime, not through service, but the fact that she had reached out to apologize and seek forgiveness. It may have taken a ten year old filly to get her to do it, but she had done it. As he’d expected, the ponies she’d once offended were willing to give her a second chance. As for Ironwing, he had an offer to plan out.

Before breakfast, High Lord Ironwing made an announcement. “Everyone, I have a decree. Gilda, this involves you.” I was suddenly nervous for her, and hoped nothing bad was about to happen.

Gilda nervously stepped up to him. “Yes, my Lord?”

“Based on the correspondence I’ve seen and inferred between you and Rainbow Dash, I am willing to declare your offense against the Element Bearers forgiven.”

Gilda’s jaw went slack for a bit before she found her words. “You. . . You really mean it?”

“Yes. You are no longer an indentured attendant of the castle. Your service and time, however, cannot be overlooked. With that in mind, I would like to promote you to overseer. You’ve been here long enough that you know what’s what, and I believe you can handle the responsibilities.”

I waited in silence for Gilda’s answer. The High Lord was being very generous with his offer, and nobody had expected it. Her silence was very understandable.

Finally, she answered. “My Lord, if it’s acceptable, I would like to keep being an attendant until our guests leave. I can’t let my new responsibilities and duties get in the way of Princess Inova enjoying her time here.”

More tense silence filled the air for a second, then Ironwing loudly laughed out loud. “Gilda, that is acceptable! I’d like you to continue what you’ve been doing and be a friend to the fillies. To that end, your first task for the day is to have breakfast with us.”

“I will, my Lord.” She sat next to me at the table and had a big smile on her face.

I kept an eye on Skyla as we had lunch a few days after Gilda’s promotion announcement. “You okay, sis?”

“I’m fine.” She cut up and ate part of a slice of ham very mechanically. “How are you okay with meat?”

I shrugged as I cut into and ate some of my ham. “I dunno. Gilda?”

The sole griffon and sole adult at the table also shrugged. For some reason, she was much happier than before. “I have less of a clue than you.”

“And I have no clue.”

Gilda turned to Skyla. “You’re not getting sick from the meat anymore, I see.”

“I don’t like meat.” Skyla resumed mechanically eating the ham she had. “It’s gross.”

“More for me if we get some at home!” I cheered. I knew it wouldn’t happen, but if it did, I would be happy.

On the airship ride back, after spending nearly the whole summer in the Griffon Empire, I revealed what I'd gotten as a reward for my burnt end mac and cheese creation. "You really only took a thousand bits as a reward?" Dad asked. "I know that may seem like a lot to you, but-"

"I also had Chef Borke get a thousand bits," I interjected. "He did the work, he deserves some reward too."

"A thousand bits really isn't that much in government."

"I also got an official document of my contribution, along with pictures of me shaking hooves. . . Talons. . . Whatever, with both Ironwing and Borke. I'll get them framed. That's the real payout."

I heard him mutter, "Sweet Celestia, she's already thinking politically."

“Inova, it’s not a good idea to lord something over an ally,” mom chided. “Especially the griffons.”

I scoffed at the suggestion. “What? Pft, no, I’m not going to do that. I’ll put all that in a filing cabinet and save it in case the griffons turn hostile. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go read the book that Ironwing let me have.” I went to our very nice cabin and got my Griffonian book on equine biology out. The section I was interested in was the digestive system and how it adapts to meat. My unusual lack of reaction had made me very curious. Sadly, most of it was speculative, but it still gave me something to think about for the flight home.

Author's Note

Yes, the silly chapter name is silly.

Returns and Falls

I was heading back home with a smile on my face. Working with Fancy and everypony else to help the citizens had felt great, the bubble was down to a few minor cracks here and there, and the doctor had decided my ears were fully healed. The cherry on top of the whole event had come at the end, and I remembered it fondly.

For eight days, I had helped serve those in need. Fromage, despite being younger than me, had done a really good job coordinating everything and running the food line. The trains kept bringing in supplies to work with, and things had gone quite well. Recovery hadn’t been easy, yet it had gone quite smoothly.

It was during the cleanup that another train arrived. The first class car opened up and the rest of the Canterlot Nobility appeared, each carrying a number of small boxes in their levitation.

One snooty mare that I didn’t know the name of stepped out in front. “Citizens of the Crystal Empire, we have come from Canterlot to bring you the finest cuisine in your hour of need. No need to thank us, we bring this to you out of the kindness of our own hearts.”

I stepped forward to meet them. Fancy and his family were helping tidy things up elsewhere, and I would see to it that they were not bothered. “Nobles of Canterlot, on behalf of the Crystal Empire, I say this: you’re late.”

The mare briefly flinched. “Better late than never, right?”

“We’re wrapping the party up right now. You missed your chance. It’s done. Over. Finished.” I glanced over the boxes. “You didn’t even bring ten minutes worth of food. A slow ten minutes at that, if I’m being generous. I bet you didn’t even make it yourself, did you?”

“Our chefs did their very best to make this, and you dismiss it so easily?” A stallion accused. “Have you no sympathy?”

I turned to the crowd behind me and put on a grin. “Can you believe this guy?” The crowd started laughing at him.

“Silence!” He only made the laughter louder.

I waited for the crowd to quiet down a bit. “You know what, I do apologize for how I’ve been talking to you. I am so sorry about that. Maybe there’s something you can help with anyways, to show how much you care. After coming all this way, it would be a shame to see you leave so soon.”

“There’s still lots of dishes to clean!” Brooke called out.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” a stallion in the crowd said.

“Make them do it, Inova!” A mare called out.

I turned to the crowd and held up a hoof. “I won’t make them clean the dishes just because three ponies said so. It’ll take a lot more to get me to make them clean the dishes. If you really want them to clean the dishes, you need to speak up and speak together.”

The response was faster than I’d expected. Within less than half a minute, the whole crowd was chanting, “CLEAN THE DISHES! CLEAN THE DISHES! CLEAN THE DISHES!” It almost sounded like a battle chant or warcry.

I turned back to the nobles once I got the crowd to quiet down. “You heard them. I’d be happy to take you all to where the dishes are. We have multiple locations, all packed with plenty of dishes to clean.”

The lead mare recoiled. “You. . . You would make us do the work of the kitchen staff? By ourselves?”

I scoffed at her accusation. “Oh please. I wouldn’t make you do it alone. I’d team you up and put you with somepony that knows how to clean the dishes. You wouldn’t want to disappoint the crowd, the Empire, and Equestria, would you?” I gave a sideways glance to Lucky as he wrote down what was happening with an infectious grin. That stallion really had a knack for being at the right place at the right time.

I chuckled as I recalled the frustration the snooty nobles felt the whole time. They did nothing to hide it. Even with the benefits of teamwork and telekinesis, it wasn’t pleasant for them at all. I expressly told every citizen helping them that, as long as there was progress, they had full permission to get snarky with the nobles. There was barely a moment without snark. It was a thing of beauty and amazingly entertaining.

The idea of creating a one pony department for dismissing complaints crossed my mind, and I was having fun imagining some nobles getting their complaints dismissed by Quick Quip when what looked like a living shadow with a splotch of color in it sped across the street ahead of me.

“Mama!” Flurry cried out as she was carried away by the shadow.

“Flurry!” Mom called out as she ran to try and catch her, only to stumble and fall in the road. “No. . .”

I ran up to mom. “What happened?”

“I thought he was dead. . .”

“Who?” I suddenly noticed some dark gray crystals on mom’s horn. “Mom, what happened?”

“I’ll tell you what happened,” dad said as he and Skyla came out of the house, both with crystals on their horns as well. “Sombra’s back again. He put these crystals on our horns to nullify our magic, then took Flurry for some reason.”

I looked down the road that Sombra had sped down. I’d heard stories of how he’d been defeated shortly after mom and dad arrived to become the Empire’s rulers, and I had thought he was dead as well. “Where’s he going?”

“I think I heard him say something about the highest platform in the castle,” Skyla said.

I looked to the castle just in time to see a dark gray bubble appear around it. The crystals on my family’s horns started glowing and caused them to start screaming in pain.

Inside, I felt a cold fury quickly building up. My family was hurting, my little sister had been taken, and Sombra was clearly threatening the Crystal Empire.

As I walked into my room, I reflected a bit. My one memory of Flurry was when she destroyed my ears, which was the least of what she destroyed. I’d spent the better part of two weeks helping clean up the mess she’d made when she broke the crystal heart. Part of me really, really, really, just wanted her gone. At the same time, it was impossible for me to stop myself from preparing to get her back.

I left with the Valor System and alicorn sword in my telekinetic hold and the gravity gauntlet equipped. I was just about to pass my family when mom held a wing up in front of me. “You’re not going alone.” Her breathing was rough, her voice was a little hoarse, and her limbs were shaking.

I gave an irritated sigh. “Fine, but I’m not going to wait for you.” I spread my wings and took off towards the castle, plans forming in my head the whole time.

Atop the castle’s largest and highest landing platform, Flurry looked up at the malicious green eyes and wickedly curved horn floating in the congealing living shadows surrounding her atop the Crystal Empire’s castle. She didn’t know what it was, but she didn’t like it. It was something worse than bedtime or an empty bottle.

“You are powerful,” Sombra said, each word revealing his maw of sharp teeth. “I will make you my new living vessel and reclaim the Empire as mine!”

“Ga?” Flurry responded, not sure what the shady stallion was talking about.

The gray bubble had provided all the resistance of fog to me as I flew in low, then through an open doorway. I didn’t think about the bubble as I got my bearings, then flew through the castle. Like my hooves, the gravity gauntlet was not suited for sneaking around on a crystalline floor, and I made a mental note to add a rubber layer to the bottom of the gauntlet later.

The Crystal Guard was already on alert in the castle, and started following me. After I made it to the spiral stairwell that led to the hall leading to the landing platform, I felt something brush my tail and slam behind me. I turned and saw a crystal wall blocking the entrance. While the guards started figuring out how to get through, I carried on and flew upwards.

The hall had a soft rug running along its length, giving me an opportunity to gently land, rest my wings for a moment, and catch my breath. The idea of spending a summer in Wonderbolt boot camp to improve my flying skills was noted and set aside.

The hall wasn’t a straight run to the platform, as it made a short turn at the end before opening up to it. I was able to look ahead using the reflections in the corner once I got close enough. Sombra was sitting in front of Flurry, and it looked like he was using some kind of illusion spell to show Flurry something. He had raised dark crystal walls around the platform, keeping anyone outside from looking in so easily.

My fury went from cold to inferno in a flash and I drew the hammer as I ran out. “SOMBRA!” I threw my hammer at him with all the force I had.

Even though he had been distracted, he managed to dodge the hammer, letting it embed itself in the crystal barrier. He spared it a surprised glance before turning back to me. “Another alicorn?”

“Let her go,” I ordered. Flurry saw me and tried to reach out to me.

He looked between Flurry and me a couple times. “I’ve made some progress with her already, but I will oblige.” He suddenly leapt at me and started turning into a living shadow.

At that moment, I tossed my sword and shield up and split myself.

Pegasus Inova flew over Sombra, while Earth Inova went to his right and Unicorn Inova to his left. The sudden split briefly confused Sombra, making him lose focus and reform. Human Inova, with the preset gravity gauntlet on her right arm, threw a right hook at his muzzle. The punch itself didn’t carry much power, but the shockwave released by the gauntlet on impact did.

Sombra was sent flying towards Earth Inova, who tensed up and bucked with all her might, sending him upwards.

Unicorn Inova caught the sword and shield with her magic and moved the shield over Sombra. Pegasus Inova rocketed downwards, her forehooves hitting the shield, then Sombra, slamming him into the platform and cracking it.

Pegasus Inova leapt off and took the shield with her, giving Unicorn Inova a clear opening to fire a volley of magic bolts at Sombra. The volley would only hit the ground, as he took to his shadow form to escape and reform behind Flurry.

“What are you?” Sombra demanded. He was glancing between all four of Inova’s parts, but his attention hovered on the unusual Human Inova the most.

“Furious,” Human Inova said, speaking for all four parts. She folded the grip on her gauntlet back to free her hand so Unicorn Inova could guide the sword to her. Blade in hand, she pointed it at Sombra. “You will release that little pain in my ears or die.” The Equine Inovas gathered around Human Inova. “And we’re really hoping you pick the easy option.”

Sombra snorted at the threat. “With a ceremonial blade like that? Have such things really fallen to decadence and vanity?” He levitated Flurry in front of him and pointed her horn at the Inovas, making them tense up. “I will not let you impede me any further.”

Unicorn Inova put up a barrier in front as Sombra’s shadowy tendrils found the base of Flurry’s horn. He manipulated her magic and released a huge beam at the quartet.

Down below, Cadence, Shining, and Skyla tried to get through the bubble around the castle. Inova had gotten through with ease, the guards had gotten in and out with ease, but it was like a reinforced brick wall to the royals.

Part of the crystal barrier around the landing platform shattered from twin magic beams. At the same time, the bubble evaporated, letting the family pass. “The way up is blocked by a crystal barrier,” Captain Shard informed them. “We’ve been making progress breaking it, but-”

A hammer that the family recognized crashed into the ground between them and the guard, its lopsided landing making a small crater in the ground. “We can use that,” Shining said.

Captain Shard picked it up with his magic. “This way.” He led the three through the castle.

Human Inova held the blade up and braced it with her forearm. The barrier was on the blade and was being constantly reinforced by Unicorn Inova. The Equine Inovas were behind Human Inova, all four of them doing their best to push back. The Equine Inovas were making full use of their magic, strength, and gravity gauntlets to help.

“Keep pushing!” Unicorn Inova shouted. “He’s the weak one!”

Human Inova reached up with her left hand and spun the sword’s horn, making Unicorn Inova glow. The glow went unnoticed by all.

“We will stop at nothing to get Flurry back!” Pegasus Inova declared.

Human Inova pulled the wing, and Pegasus Inova began glowing.

“Just because we’re the weakest alicorn doesn’t mean he can underestimate us!” Earth Inova added.

Human Inova hit the horseshoe, making Earth Inova glow.

“You’re just a bug compared to this one!” Sombra decried. “And bugs! Get! Squashed!” He increased the power of the beam coming from Flurry’s horn, causing her to scream in pain.

The increase in power and sudden cry stunned the Inovas, causing them to falter and slide back. What little of the barrier was left behind them fell away, leaving only a long fall behind the quartet.

Despite the howling beam, piercing cry, and the approaching edge of the platform, Unicorn Inova suddenly had an idea. She thought through the spell diagram, and realized that she could rearrange it to better control it. With nothing to lose, she tried it.

Pegasus Inova was providing the least help against the beam, so she got absorbed into Human Inova. Human Inova suddenly had pony ears on her head, a pony tail, and she sprouted orange feathered wings from her back, tearing through her clothes. An aura formed around the wings and shot backwards, giving Human Inova more forward power, but only enough to stand against the beam.

Human Inova did not flinch, waver, or pause when the change happened. Earth Inova noticed what happened, looked at her unicorn counterpart, and nodded once before getting absorbed. Human Inova gained a lean layer of muscle all over and a huge strength increase, letting her press forward.

Unicorn Inova kept the barrier up until Sombra’s green eyes were visible. She reinforced the barrier one more time before tossing herself into Human Inova.

I pressed forward against the beam and kept the shield up. The only thing between me and Sombra was Flurry and the beam, and he was slowly backing away. With a bit of telekinesis, I set the gravity gauntlet to Fire mode. I put all the earth pony magic I could into my legs, and with a burst of pegasus magic from my wings, leapt forward out of the beam. When I was directly over Sombra, I pulled the trigger on the supercharged sword and activated the gauntlet, coating the sword in fire.

I brought the activated blade down on his horn as he tried to take his shadow form and escape, slicing down through him. The sword still had power, and I slashed across his body, sending him flying back. The glow around the blade faded and I cut the flames off.

Sombra couldn’t disperse or reform himself. The slashes I’d delivered were still glowing, and getting brighter. He let out a final scream of agony before being consumed by a fiery explosion.

I cut the magic coming off my body, stood up straight, and dropped my sword. Flurry’s beam and crying had stopped, the explosion had been oddly satisfying, and it made me feel a bit calmer.

I turned to Flurry. She looked tired when she turned to me. “Mama?”

I manually set the gauntlet to Safety mode. “Let’s go find her.” I bent down to pick Flurry up, only for my leg to give out and make me fall over. “Or, you know, we can wait here a bit.” I reached over and pulled her against my body. Just as Aunt Celestia had done for me so often, I draped a wing over Flurry. “I’m your other sister. My name’s Inova. Can you say Inova?”

“Noba?” Flurry said.

“Close enough.” I held her tightly as exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks and I passed out.

The crystals on Shining, Cadence, and Skyla’s horns suddenly shattered, the pain they caused quickly fading away. The guards had broken through the barrier with Inova’s hammer, and were just getting onto the stairwell when it happened.

“Go!” Shining’s order sent Cadence and Skyla, along with the pegasus guards, into the air while the unicorns used gravity inversion to let themselves and the earth ponies slide up the underside of the stairs. It was a move reserved for emergencies and dreadfully slow shifts.

Shining was the first up to the hallway, and he canceled the inversion spell at the perfect time. With cat-like reflexes honed over some dreadfully slow nights, he landed on his hooves, ran to the exit, and surveyed the platform. The damage to it was extensive, and in the middle of it was Inova. He recognized her immediately, even though she had more features than her human part normally did.

Cadence arrived next to him. “Where’s Flurry?” She ran up to the downed Inova and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Flurry sleeping under Inova’s arm and wing.

Skyla noticed a pile of red dust behind her sleeping sisters and the alicorn sword. “What’s that?”

Shining’s attention locked onto it. “Get that dust pile into a jar and put it under lock and key,” he ordered. “Put every magic nullifier you can on it too.” Some of the unicorn guards followed the order while he inspected the alicorn sword. The weapon was completely drained of its enchantments, the blade was dulled and warped from intense heat, and when he moved it, there was a rattling sound in the hilt. Not too far away was a bent shield. It would have to be carried separate from the hammer.

Cadence and Skyla worked together to lift Inova and Flurry and make a barrier under them. “Let’s go home,” Cadence said. “Guards, thank you for your vigilance and haste.”

Skyla looked at the bubble around the Empire and smiled. “I don’t see any cracks in the sky.”

I woke up in my bed, and that was the first thing I noticed. The second thing I noticed was I was alone, and that jolted me awake. “Flurry!” I got to my feet and ran out of my room. “Flurry!”

“Over here,” Skyla said from the living room.

I looked that way and all my anxiety was replaced with relief. “Thank goodness.” Skyla was watching Flurry play with some toys. “I was so scared.”

“I can tell. Oh, take a look at this.” Skyla made a reflective barrier appear in front of me. “By the way, it looks like Sombra’s gone for real this time, Hero.”

I looked at my reflection in confusion. I had my pony ears, horn, wings, and tail on my slightly more muscled up human body. “Ooookay then.” I turned around and saw that my wings had torn through my clothes, giving me an excuse to go back to Ponyville at some point. “Let me think a bit. . . Ah.” I cast the splitting spell.

All four Inova parts looked at each other and smiled. Flurry was safe, the bad guy was dead, and things were alright. Unicorn Inova cast the normal splitting spell.

I checked myself over after reforming. My body was equine again, everything seemed to be working normally, and I let out a sigh of relief as I took the gravity gauntlet off. “That’s better.” I walked to the living room as Skyla dropped the barrier. “Hi, Flurry,” I softly said as I lay down next to her. “Inova’s back.”

“Noba!” Flurry leapt at me with a big hug. Her legs, the only normal sized part of her, weren’t quite big enough for the hug, so she used her wings for most of it.

“Yes, I’m safe too.” I returned the hug with a foreleg and turned to Skyla. “So. . . How long was I out this time?”

“We got both of you from the castle two days ago,” Skyla said. “Mom and dad are getting some pizza. They should be back-”

The front door opened. “We’re home,” mom said, a short stack of pizza boxes on her back. “Skyla, how’s Flurry. . . Inova, it’s good to see you’re awake already.”

“And here I thought she would make week-long naps a regular thing,” dad remarked.

“Yeah, I’m trying to break that habit.” I got to my hooves and hugged mom and dad. “I’m happy to be back.”

“We’re glad you’re back,” mom said as she and dad hugged back.

“We knew you’d be back,” dad assured.

“Help me!” Skyla called out in feigned despair, catching our attention. Flurry was sitting on her back.

We laughed at her for a bit.

“You’ve made quite a name for yourself, Inova,” dad said over supper. “Our subjects are calling you the Hero of the Empire. Fixing the crystal heart, feeding those in need, mocking the nobles, saving Flurry, and ending Sombra once and for all, all within two weeks.”

I felt exhausted just being reminded of what I’d been doing. A bite of pizza helped a bit. “I don’t want to do any of that heroic stuff for a while.”

“You’d mock the nobles again in a heartbeat,” Skyla pointed out as she pointed the crust from her slice at me shortly before eating it.

“Oh I will,” I assured her. “They’ve earned that.”

Mom sighed. “I wish more of them were at least tolerable.”

“Why not reasonable?” Dad asked.

“That’s asking too much.”

Author's Note

Part of this chapter was inspired by a spectacularly well done scene from a show of mine. If you find the scene, you'll find where the idea for the alicorn sword came from.

And on a side note. . .

HELP HELP! I'M ALMOST OUT OF BACKLOG! I NEED IDEAS! If you wouldn't mind. You don't have to.