The Fall and Rise of Prince Blueblood.

by KittyrinnAiko

Chapter 2 Morning at Flight Camp.

The next morning Sunshine and Nova arrived at camp sans horns thanks to Mrs Summers personally delivering a couple of horn rings. Or at least that’s what it looked like when they weren’t activated.

“Miss Nova Mustang?” One of the instructors said while looking at her accusingly.

“It’s still there, you just can’t see it.” Nova offered.

“I know things have been difficult, but it’ll be worse if ponies get it into their heads…” he attempted to pass a hoof over her head and found the offending appendage. “If ponies think you’ve been using a stick on to get attention, it’ll only be the worse for you.”

“Oh, alright,” Nova replied reluctantly. She reached up, touched a hoof to the base of her horn, followed by her horn reappearing. A small gold ring fitted with jewels sat at the base of the horn.

“Much better, and don’t worry, we’ll see to it there isn't another repeat of the harassing you got that forced you to go home yesterday.”

“Thank you, sir,” Nova offered, she and Sunshine gave each other a look, and then dashed off to find their group.

“What was that all about?” Sunshine asked as they hurried along.

“You’re talking about what he said regarding why we left camp yesterday, aren’t you? Maybe they don’t know what was really going on?”

“Nova!” Dash called as she, Fluttershy and Gilda raced over to meet them. “I heard some bullies chased you out of here yesterday.”

“Tell us who they are,” Gilda offered, slapping a taloned fist to her palm.

“It’s OK, they aren’t here anymore,” Sunshine reassured them. “Now on the other hoof, Nova got her cutie mark.”

“Really? Me too!” dash exclaimed, turned, and showed off her flank. And there it was, the rainbow lightning bolt coming down from a cloud. “I made a rain-boom yesterday, did you see it! It was awesome!”

“Me three.” Fluttershy offered. “_{That is I got my cutie mark. It happened right after the rain-boom. Soon as I’m old enough, I’m going to take care of animals.}”

“Butterflies,” Nova said excitedly. Nova’s cutie mark was a deep purple crescent overhanging a small violet star with a larger star about halfway down right below the tip of the overhang.

“Kind of an unusual cutie mark for a pegasus,” Dash offered. “But then you are a night pony with a horn so what do I know? I’m assuming Fluttershy's cutie mark refers to how gentle she is.”

“How come the stars are inside the arch of the moon?” Gilda asked.

“I don’t think it’s a moon,” Nova offered. “More like a gateway. And more then likely magic oriented. The stars make me think of a progression too.”

“OK, I can see that,” Gilda replied, “but what’s it for?”

“Let's see…” Nova said as she lit up her horn.

“Nova, maybe you…” Sunshine began.

Pap!

Pap!

“..shouldn't do that,” Sunshine cautioned, her ears now gone flat. Nova had teleported a few wing lengths away and was now upside down with her head stuck in the clouds. “On the other hoof learning where you can’t actually get hurt has its advantages.”

“I think she’s stuck,” Fluttershy observed as Nova frantically kicked her legs in the air and flailed her wings.

“She got us both stuck in a wall yesterday.” Sunshine recounted.

“_{Should we maybe help her?}” Fluttershy asked meekly.

“All right, what’s going on over here?” Spitfire asked as she trotted over. “Did you do that to her?”

“No Mam, she did that to herself.” Gilda offered.

“Care to explain?”

“Repeat of the wall incident,” Sunshine offered followed by Nova teleporting to several wing lengths above them. Nova, righted herself, spread her wings and glided back down to the cloud.

“Stop that,” Spitfire said giving Nova a dirty look.

“Yes, mam,” Nova replied sheepishly.

“Was that a teleport?” Aria Rain asked as she glided over and landed. Several other foals gathered round as well. Nova nodded her head with an enthusiastic smile on her face.

“Do it again,” Indigo requested.

“No,” Spitfire countered. “Alright, if I call your name you are in my group today. Indigo Sky, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Sunshine, Bright Star … make that Nova, Gilda, Silver Lining, and Aria Rain. The rest of you stand by, they are switching up the groups a bit.”

“Aww, I wanted to be in the same group as Miss Nova,” Several of the fillies protested. Spitfire couldn't help but smile.

“Sorry, but there are more instructors today,” Spitfire explained. “And that means we can split you up into smaller groups. And keep a better eye on trouble makers.”

Sure enough, even as Spitfire was saying this, more adults were arriving and gathering up foals to themselves.

Spitfire lead her group a short distance away and started them in on stretching exercises.

“Aria,” Nova whispered to the other little fox filly.

“Yes?” Aria asked snapping around to look at Nova who was glaring at her. Aria had been casting glances at Sunshine’s forehead. “Was that even there yesterday?” She whispered.

“Not one word,” Nova hissed softly.

“But?”

Nova stepped over to her and whispered, “We don’t want the Canterlot Nobles to find out.”

“Oh,” Aria replied. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright. We just want to stay under the radar of the nobles for as long as we can.” Nova offered softly and went back to her place to finish doing her wing stretches. From there they went on to a static flying lesson where the foals were given wing positions to hold along with an explanation of what the wing position was for. Spitfire would go around checking each foal and making corrections.

“OK, Nova, you, Sunshine, and Guilda are going to need specialized training as well if you want to get the best out of your wings.” Spitfire offered coming over and correcting Nova’s wing position. And then in a whisper, she asked, “What were you saying to Aria?”

“Fox ponies can sense auras. Magical auras are especially easy to detect. It’s like having an outline of all living things via a sixth sense. We can also use it to determine magnetic north.” Nova explained softly, and then whispered, “The rings only block sight.”

“And here I thought she had a crush and you were being territorial.” Spitfire teased and moved over to Aria.

“Aria, it’s important you keep Sunshine's secret,” Spitfire whispered to Aria as she adjusted her wing position.

“Yes mam,” Aria replied.

“If the nobles of Canterlot find out they’ll do to her what they did to Sunset Shimmer. Sunset was our sister. I want you to keep that in mind.”

Spitfire moved on before Aria could react, and was so startled by what she’d just been told she’d let her wings drop, and had to readjust.

“Alright, the most important position you need is the wing flair,” Spitfire stated loud enough for everyone to hear while demonstrating what it looked like. “You will need the wing flair to slow down, and it is primarily for landing. Also as I mentioned yesterday, I don’t want anyone overdoing it. Let me know when you feel like you’ve had enough.”

“Hey, I can go the distance.” Dash Protested.

“And it hasn’t been that long since Nova had her misadventure where she injured her muscles,” Spitfire explained. “No one needs to feel like they need to push themselves and for those of you who have built up a lot of stamina that just means you’ll get more of my undivided attention.”

“It’s alright, I’m not really sore anymore.” Nova offered. True she’d been experiencing reoccurring bouts of pain from her injured tendons but after her experience in the ascension zone, all discomfort had vanished.

The remainder of the morning was spent doing drills after which every pony got to have lunch in the Wonderbolts dining hall. Of course, Cadance was surrounded by teenage colts when Nova and Sunshine caught up with her.

“Cadance,” Nova called.

“That’s Princess Cadance.” A colt emphasized, and then got really confused. “Who?”

“They are my host’s daughters,” Cadance called. “For harmony’s sake, let them through.”

“Your entourage seems rather protective.” Sunshine offered as she and Nova made their way through with their trays laden with goodies. Cadance, Nova, and Sunshine had all piled on the goodies.

“Well, it’s positive attention.” Cadance offered as Dash shoved her way through to join them.

“Dash, any chance you remembered Fluttershy?” Sunshine asked.

“What? She’s right behind me. She was right behind me?” Dash offered.

“Gentle colts, if there is a timid yellow filly with a long pink mane, could you perhaps let her through?” Nova asked.

“So, are you supposed to be some kind of princess?” asked a pale cornflower blue colt with a dark blue mane. “Names Soarin.”

“She’s a fox pony.” Cadance offered. “Sometimes fox types get both wings and a horn. Besides, she turned Princess Celestia down.”

“Shush you.” Nova scolded playfully.

“Nova, was I betrothed to your brother at one time?” Cadance asked. Nova stopped eating and just gave her an odd look.

“Seriously?” Dash asked. “Nova, you had a brother? And your family knew Cadance’s real family?”

“Cadance, Dash, she doesn’t talk about her brother.” Sunshine cautioned. Up to that moment, Sunshine was the only one in the family outside of Princess Celestia who’d known, and only because she’d unwittingly put Nova on the spot.

Nova sat her sandwich down. “Afraid that was made null when you vanished.” Nova offered. “I thought you didn’t remember anything?”

“I’m kind of remembering a few things,” Cadance admitted. “It’s difficult to put any of the bits and pieces into perspective though.”

“So you all grew up in the same community?” Diamond Rose asked as Fluttershy managed to weave her way in and join them at the table.

“Separate communities. Our families were close.” Cadance offered. “Just when Nova and I were a lot younger.”

“So what was it like where you were born?” Dash asked.

“Afraid I don’t remember a whole lot. I just sort of wandered into Podunk one day without a clue where I’d come from.” Cadance admitted. “About the only thing I remember outside of Nova and her brother was that I lived somewhere in the north and I remember running for my life from armored ponies, and no it wasn’t Equestrian armor.”

“I suppose that’s one of the drawbacks of living in isolation.” Soarin mused. “Not being able to call for help should some lord’s private army discover where you live and decide to evict ponies from land that isn’t even his.”

“I lived in a fortified community deep in a forest.” Nova offered and picked up her sandwich. It was wildflowers and greens with a fish patty. Fish was big on the pegasus diet.

“So what’s with those wings, they are all fuzzy?” Asked a light brown colt with a silver-blue mane. “Hi, I’m Eight Bit.”

“Who me?” Nova asked.

“Seems to be a fox pony thing.” Sunshine offered while pondering Eight Bit’s Space Invader cutie mark. “Aria Rain has fuzzy wings too. Only Nova has the long wings like Cadance and I. Watching Nova and Aria fly sends shivers up my spine too because they don’t make a sound either.”

“Someone talking about me?” Aria asked as she dropped into a seat, her tray in a blue aura of magic. She’d flown over the crowd, but a pony would have sworn she had just materialized out of thin air.

“_{How are you doing that?}” Fluttershy asked.

“Fox ponies don’t need a horn to do magic.” Aria offered. “We are able to simulate all three primary types of magic. Having wings is extra nice though. I can’t imagine what it must be like not to be able to fly? Or worse yet, find myself on a cloud that’s dissipating and I’ve no way to get to safety?”

“I can.” Nova offered. “Well, except I was out cold up until my bed suddenly dropped out from under me.”

“I’m to understand she was up really high, and too far out to make it to safety.” Sunshine offered.

“It was Fast Clip who caught me when I passed out. I’d faltered, and was in so much pain from overexertion and repeated attempts to regain control.” Nova explained.

“The Wonderbolt?” Dash asked.

“Yes, Fast Clip and Whiplash were doing a patrol.” Nova provided. “If they hadn’t have been there I’d been a pavement pelt at the bottom of my very own crater.”

“I’m glad we got the chance to meet.” Soarin offered. “Are you sure you’re not a princess?”

“In Neighpon she’d be a princess.” Aria offered. She had decided to answer for Nova as she’d a hunch Nova did not want to give a straight answer to that question. “You see, in having both wings and a horn it makes it possible for her to fly and cast spells at the same time. That makes her special. Whereas I have to concentrate my magic more. Sure I can fly and use telekinesis, but I can’t fly and cast spells. And like she said, she turned down Princess Celestia.”

“I, um, worry about becoming a political pawn for the Canterlot elites.” Nova offered softly. “Besides, my manna levels are nowhere near Princess Celestia’s. They are barely average for my age right now.”

“Mine is only slightly above average. Princess Celestia says my manna pool will increase as I mature.” Cadance offered. “And I know all too well what it’s like to be in the middle of a political firestorm.”

“I’m definitely putting in for Canterlot High so you’ll have some pony to watch your back.” Rose offered.

“You know what, I think I will too,” Soarin added.

“And I as well.” Eight Bit said to throw in his hat as well.

“Thank you every pony. You have no idea what that means to me.” Cadance replied.

“Say, what happened to Gilda?” Nova asked after a bit.

“Too many colts.” Dash offered with a wink and a smirk.

“As in she couldn't get past them?” Sunshine asked.

“As in too many colts,” Dash repeated with a smirk.

“Who’s Gilda?” Eight Bit asked.

“She’s a cute little catbird.” Cadance offered in a teasing way.

“Catbird,” Rainbow said her smirk growing.