Chapter 39: The Problem Of The Root And The Root Of The Problem
“Twi? Where ya at, sugarcube?” Applejack called out into the dark. They’d been fruitlessly searching for Wither Root for hours now, and Twilight had finally decided that splitting up was the only hope they had of finding any of it. But it was getting dark, and as much as Applejack wanted to help her marefriend, they were gonna have to call it a night sooner or later.
Besides, she’d searched every tree in the infected grove by now, and had come up empty. The chances of finding any of the root, much less a fully grown stalk with the leaves intact, was slim at best. She didn’t know whether she should give the boys a bonus for a job well done, or chew ‘em out for doin’ too good of a job.
“Applejaaack?!” Twilight called to her from the distance.
“Over here, Twi!”
One brilliant flash of light later and Twilight was there next to her. Or rather, Applejack guessed she had to be. The flash of Twilight’s spell had ruined her night vision, and made her see afterimages of Twi’s outline. She blinked, trying to dispel it.
“I combed the whole western orchard!” Twilight announced, sounding annoyed.
“The entire west orchard? Twi, I told you it was in the north-eastern part!” Applejack groaned. “Well, don’t matter none, I already checked where we found it. How the heck did you check out every dang tree, though?”
“I made some modifications to Rarity’s gem-scrying. It shows me every type of flora in the area... and I never knew just how many trees you had... or how much grass,” Twilight admitted. “There wasn’t any Wither Root, although there’s a weed problem in your vegetable garden you might want to tend to.”
“I’ll bug Mac and ‘Bloom about it,” Applejack muttered, frustration written clearly on her features.
“I guess I could search the eastern fields, now,” Twilight offered, grinning sheepishly.
“Don’t bother. I’ve checked every danged tree around where we first found it and for two hundred yards around besides. If it’s there, it’s buried deep, and that don’t help none since we need the leaves.” She threw her hat to the ground, stomping on the earth for good measure. “Never thought I’d see the day where I needed to find a danged weed and couldn’t find one!”
Twilight scanned the area with her spell, lighting on something in a barrel. “Um... I thought you said you burned them all?”
“We did,” Applejack replied, picking up her hat in one forehoof and dusting it off with the other.
“Um... well, I admit I’ve never seen the species in question, but there’s something in that barrel that doesn’t match known flora types.” Twilight ran over to the barrel in question, sifting through the ashes with her magic. “Aha!” she said at last, pulling something charred and blackened out of the barrel. “I told you I saw something!”
Applejack eyed it critically, shaking her head in disappointment. “That don’t help none, Twi. It’s just a seed pod. We need the leaves, remember?”
“But...” Twilight's began, struggling to not let her lip quiver in disappointment. “But they’re seeds. I mean, we could plant them—”
“You can’t just plant Wither Root, sugar.” Applejack pointed at the seed pod in evident disgust. “That thing could reinfect the whole danged Acres!”
“But… I… How would it—”
“Look, sugar… that there seed pod, it’s no good by itself. Wither Root… it’s a special kinda plant. See… This plant is one o’ them sneaky-like ones. ’Cause the plant spreads like mad, ponies usually use fire to burn stuff like this away. My family tried the same thing back when we first found it.”
“So?”
“So this darned thing’s like popcorn. Spews seeds everywhere when it’s heated up hot enough.” Applejack waved her hoof around for emphasis. “Grannie used to tell about the first time we got hit with it; we lost just about every tree in the north part of the orchard! We had to let that ground go fallow till the dang things died on their own. My folks got hit a couple more times, but they kept the pods in barrels with a tight lid and a screen. Then they set it on the fire instead of just burning the plants right in it.” She gave the seed pod a sour look. “Kinda surprised this one didn’t pop, truth be told.”
“So then all I would have to do is heat this up, right?” Twilight asked, the sparkle around her horn intensifying.
Applejack leaped at the pod in Twilight’s magic, shielding it with her own body. She looked down and found she was hanging in midair, her midsection buoyed by the seed pod. “You nuts? Didn’cha hear what I jus’ said? We dang near lost the whole acres like that!”
“I did hear you,” Twilight said, somewhat defensively. “But Zecora’s making you a weed killer potion right now! All we’d have to do is get one of these plants to produce some leaves, and then you can spray the rest down to kill them off!” She set the pod, and her friend, back down on the ground.
“Still... don’t go scaring a pony like that. T’aint right.” Applejack took a moment or two to calm down, breathing through her nose and letting her heartbeat settle. She let out a deep sigh and smiled wryly. “That’s… that’s actually an idea, though. An’ it’s a good one. Only trouble would be waitin’ for the roots to grow, but it’s a darn sight better than making Dash wait out being sick as a dog for weeks.” She looked down cautiously at the seed pod in her hooves. “But, I think maybe we should wait until I got the spray in hoof before we go letting this thing spread its seeds every which way.”
Twilight frowned at the presumption Applejack seemed to be making. “Applejack… I wasn’t planning to let it be an uncontrolled explosion of seeds. I had the pod in a forceshield. I was just going to pop it and let the seeds come out inside. Then we could just plant them wherever we needed to.”
“Oh!” Applejack considered that, eventually shaking her head. “Well, it ain’t a bad plan, ’cept these things would start spouting roots real quick. They’re kinda… sleepin’ like this, but when the pod pops, they get real lively so they can grow as soon as they hit the dirt. So… I guess we can still do what you said. Just wait till we’re ready.”
“Sorry…” Twilight said, scuffing a hoof sheepishly. “I guess I should have told you. I… don’t seem to be thinking things all the way through lately.”
“Now don’t go getting down on yerself. Yer heart was in the right place. You just gotta listen to yer head a little more. Or… maybe try ta keep one from trampling over the other.” Applejack hesitated, the conversation bring up something that had been bothering her, and wondering if it would be a bad idea to bring up fresh wounds. Trouble was, she wasn’t sure there was ever a good time for this sort of thing. Sure, Pinkie had looked happy, but that was because Twilight was back. It didn’t mean things were okay. Eventually, concern for her friends won over trying not to offend Twilight. “Twi, I don’t mean to pry, but that whole… thinking things through… thing. What happened? I mean, that seems like some Grade A ‘not thinkin’ at all’! Why’d you skip town?”
Twilight flinched, looking away from her friend. “I’d rather not talk about it. I feel bad enough as it is.”
“Sorry, it’s just… Pinkie was in a bad way while you were gone, and I worry about you two. I mean, I just barely found out you had a thing and then you’re running off.” Applejack cleared her throat. “Well, I guess it don’t matter none, s’long as you patched things up.”
“Pinkie was… in a bad way?” Twilight asked, hesitantly.
“Well, yeah! She was crying up a storm! It would take a blind pony to miss how much she cares about you.” At Twilight’s pained expression, Applejack was quick to add: “Sugar, we all mess up sometimes. You made up, that’s what’s important. Heck, me an’ Dashie had a big old tiff earlier today, but we got past it.”
“I bet you didn’t leave her crying while you ran off to another city.” Twilight angrily rubbed a hoof across her eyes.
“Well, no,” Applejack allowed. “But I did yank one of her feathers out for pullin’ up one of my trees’ roots along with the weeds she was supposed to be pullin’.” At Twilight’s incredulous reaction, she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “Oh, and I got to feel like a real heel when I found out she only did it because she couldn’t see straight. So… I think I might know how you feel, yeah.”
“Ouch!” Twilight actually smiled slightly, feeling a little less horrible. “Okay, that is pretty bad too.” She shook her head. “I guess what’s important isn’t messing up, but making up… I just worry because I didn’t really do anything. She came to get me, and told me everything was okay!” She sniffled a little. “I don’t understand, but if she’s happy, I don’t want to make her sad by questioning it. I just...” She paused, trying to find the right words. “I don’t think I deserve her. But I want to, Applejack, I want to.”
“You’re trying, Twi, that’s all you can really do.” Applejack placed the seed pod under her hat. “I think we should head back for now. I’ll go see Zecora in the morning, then you can do yer thing to pop this pod so we can grow us a cure. Sound good?”
“Yeah, let’s go back.”
The following day passed relatively quickly, Applejack had gone to Zecora, explaining the situation with the leaves. She’d acquired the potion to kill the root, intending to use it once they’d gotten the leaves they needed. In the evening, Twilight and Pinkie had come back, Pinkie having come to watch over Dash while Applejack was busy with Twilight.
Applejack lead them to the oldest, healthiest tree on the acres, and Twilight popped the seed pod directly at the base of it, shielding the pod so that the spray was directed only at that one tree.
“So, what now?” Twilight asked, burning the remnants of the pod in her magic.
Applejack looked down at the base of the tree, unsure how to feel. She’d just deliberately planted a parasitic vine at the base of a tree that had been planted by her great granny. Still, it wasn’t going to be for long. “Now we wait. Ol’ Alexander here is a stout’un. He’s been through floods, fires, and parasprites. Still blooms every season. I almost feel sorry for the Wither Root.” Applejack chuckled.
“Hmmm, so it’s going to take a while?”
“Yeah, a couple of days. This stuff spreads fast, but even it doesn’t grow overnight. Dash’s gonna have’ta tough it out until then at least.” Applejack held up a hoof to the trunk. “I’m real sorry, Alex. I need you to be strong. We’ll get that root killed in no time.”
Twilight watched in bemusement; she knew Applejack loved her trees, but… “I’m going to go and research plant growth. I want to see if I can come up with something to cut that time down. Can you tell Pinkie I went back to the library?”
“Sure thing, Sug. Thankee for yer help.”
Coming to a critical juncture in the castle, Midnight Oil hesitated. To the left was the infirmary, where he would be able to obtain painkillers to fend off his princess-induced migraine. He could then retreat to a dark room and sleep during normal pony hours for the first time in ages. To the right was the hallway that lead to Princess Celestia’s quarters, who would likely want to know that her sister had flouted her responsibilities for the evening without prior warning… again.
His life had certainly not turned out the way he had expected it to. Having a talent for administration and relatives in the castle, he had anticipated a quiet but fulfilling life of servitude to his beloved Princess Celestia.
Then she had come back. The other princess. At first, Midnight had been honored to be entrusted with the task of being the personal assistant to her. Perhaps he’d always dreamed of serving Celestia, but Luna was her sister, and he was serving Celestia in a way by serving Luna.
For a time, he had enjoyed his position. The little princess had few demands of him during her first year or so back. In front of his eyes, she had steadily acclimated to a society that had advanced centuries beyond what she was used to. He was even proud of himself for what little he had done to aid her.
And then… on that fateful night... she had gone to Ponyville.
It was supposed to have been a simple visit, something to help her further adapt to this time. She came back more relaxed, and confident in herself. And with that confidence came something he had not previously seen in her: arrogance.
Perhaps that was a harsh overreaction. Luna was… petulant. For all that she was supposed to be a grown mare millennia his senior, in some respects she was still a child. Or rather... a teenager. Albeit an incredibly powerful teenager who had previously displayed a mental instability and a willingness to use said power to further her own selfish ends.
And so his demure little princess had become a mare fully grown. A mare who threw tantrums when things did not go her way, who shirked her duties in favor of undisclosed activities when she thought she could get away with it, and who generally made his night to night life miserable.
Fortunately, she was not the only princess. The first time this had happened, he had gone to her sister and asked what he was meant to do. Celestia had lead night court herself, sacrificing sleep to keep order, which was perhaps the most galling of Luna’s transgressions. He really disliked the idea of troubling her once more with such trivial matters, especially since he’d been noticing a certain... broodiness in her in the last few days. He hadn’t wanted to inquire, but he suspected it had something to do with a recent influx of visits from the element bearers, her personal protege in particular.
Still, it wasn’t up to him to decide what was important enough to trouble her with. He’d been ordered to tell the princess if this happened again, and his concerns for Princess Celestia had to take a back seat to following her orders. She was certainly capable of deciding for herself if she was fit to cover for her sister again, or if court should truly be cancelled. He did not look forward to the scandal that would produce, however.
Oh, my little princess, where did I go wrong? He chuckled at his own hubris. A childless stallion late in life, asked to be the aide of a nigh-immortal goddess, it had been difficult to avoid at least some emotional attachment to her. Of course, the fact that she’d so resembled a filly when she’d first come to Canterlot hadn’t helped. She had seemed... so innocent and adorable at the time.
Luna had been unsure of herself to the point of fearing reaction from her people, and had been little more than a recluse when she’d first returned. He’d done what he could to help her, providing her with access to a private library where she could catch up the centuries of advancements since her... incident. And as she did so, he’d watched her grow into the stunningly beautiful mare that she was now, a dark mirror to her sister.
He suspected her change had begun when she had taken to reading volumes that she refused to show him. It had started after her visit to Ponyville, and shortly after that she’d gone off without a guard, coming back the following morning looking immensely pleased with herself. He had his suspicions, but regardless of how he felt, he was not her father. He had no right to make judgements about how she spent her evenings, or with whom.
He did, however, have an obligation to his government, as did she. And since she was disregarding hers, he had little recourse but to seek aid now. He turned to the right, marching down the hallway with purpose.
Celestia read the response from Spike once again. She’d sent a small note, just to warn Twilight that she was coming to visit, only to find from a return note that Spike himself was in Canterlot on personal business. It surprised her greatly, as he usually came to her to visit when he had plans in town. It made her curious, but there was little she could do to follow up on it now.
There was no help for it, then. She’d have to go there unannounced, and if she wanted to avoid the attention of her nobles, she would need to do so without escort.
A quiet knock on her door was preceded by one of her guards opening it to address her. “Your Majesty?”
She turned towards him, clearing her expression of all emotion, outwardly showing nothing but serenity. “Yes, Ward?”
“Midnight Oil to see you, Your Majesty. He says it’s urgent.”
Urgent. She sighed quietly. Lu... not again. “Send him in, Ward. And then you and Brook may go for the evening.
“Your Majesty?”
“You heard me, Ward. You’re dismissed for the night. Do me a favor and have a drink for me, have two. Tell Mead I want it on the palace tab.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.” He snapped a quick salute before ushering Midnight into the room.
When she was sure there were no more prying eyes or listening ears, she cast a quick sound bubble on the walls, motioning for Midnight to sit down.
“Hello, Midnight. You look... well, forgive me for saying so, but you look terrible.” Celestia sat down herself, nodding when he looked questioningly at a small decanter of scotch she kept on the table.
Midnight poured himself a shot, knocking it back quickly. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“It’s the least I can do, Midnight. I know Luna can be trying at times.” Celestia shook her head when he offered to pour her a shot as well, motioning for him to have another if he needed one. “So, you said it was urgent. What has she done this time?”
Midnight did not respond at first, instead pouring out another shot glass and drinking it to dull the throbbing behind his eyes. “She went off without escort, and told me to cancel night court. She didn’t even have that full a schedule today. I’d managed to get the astrologers and the astronomers scheduled for the same time and you know they tend to fight like cats and dogs. All they needed was an updated star chart to show them the additions she’s made since her return, but apparently she had other plans she never saw fit to tell me about.”
Celestia nodded, thinking rapidly. She knew why Midnight was here, but she had her own plans which couldn’t wait. Having a little chat with her student and Pinkie to help them set their relationship aright was important, both for them and her own sanity. “Was that the only petition she had this evening?”
“Well… the only one of real importance,” Midnight allowed. “There is a minor issue posed by the Farmers’ Union, something about wanting to change when the sun rises and sets during the summertime—”
“Fine. You are hereby granted leave to oversee night court for the evening,” Celestia said, relieved. This, at least, was something she could delegate.
“M-me?!” Midnight stammered, uncertain he’d heard correctly. “But I have no authority—”
“I hereby grant you the position of regent for the evening. The country is in your capable hooves for the next twelve hours or so.” She put her hoof on his shoulder, flashing him a gentle encouraging smile. Even so, she could feel his nervousness under her hoof. “I know you can do it, Midnight.”
“But I... why couldn’t you do it?” he asked in a rush, regretting it as soon as he said it. “I mean... I don’t want to question your judgement—”
“I’m afraid I have problems of my own.” At his panicked look, she was quick to add: “ I should be back in plenty of time for day court. But I have a personal matter to attend to.”
“Erm... very well... what should I do?”
“Officiate, naturally. Tell the farmers that their request is something that will need to be decided by Luna and myself, and is tabled until we are both available. As for the rest... a star chart is not unreasonable. Just let them know we will get them one as soon as possible.” Celestia looked around the room, finding the medallion she sought. She levitated it over to him, clasping the chain around his neck. “This is my symbol of regency. It marks you as my voice, with all the authority entailed therein. I trust you understand that such a thing is not granted lightly?”
Midnight nodded, quaking even more. This was doing wonders for his migraine. “I… I understand, Your Majesty. Shall I call for your guards?”
“No need,” she said simply.
“Errr, your chariot, then?”
“I’ve had two perfectly serviceable wings since birth, Midnight. I shall be fine. Go get ready for court. And thank you.”
As bewildered as he was at the turn of events, Midnight was cognisant of when he was being dismissed. “Very well. I will do my best, Your Majesty.”
After Midnight had left, Celestia reconsidered her plans. Was it right to just leave to go take care of matters in Ponyville without telling anypony? It had been some time since she’d last appointed a regent. Too long, actually. Truth be told, she had been growing weary of the day-to-day drudgery of endless petitions. Which was not to say she minded making decisions, but she was questioning the wisdom of having to personally officiate over every petty dispute brought to court. Perhaps it was time to institute lower courts for less important matters.
Restructuring concerns were for another day, however. She opened the door to her balcony, taking in the cool night air. Far to the south lay Ponyville, and Twilight. She spread her wings, diving off of the balcony before catching a thermal and rising with it into the night.
How long had it been since she’d flown any great distance? She couldn’t recall. Too many centuries spent traveling in that silly golden chariot. All to serve the image of royalty. Perhaps it was faster than flying around herself, but she was capable of so much more. The problem was that allowing her physical form to diffuse into sunlight was not exactly a subtle way to travel in the middle of the night. Although, come to think of it, she supposed an errant beam of light would not be noticed in the middle of a thunder storm…
Are you really considering creating a thunderstorm just to save yourself an hour’s flight?
Right, right. That would be insane. Teleporting, while also quicker, was out. The last time she’d teleported to Ponyville in the evening, she had received a sternly worded letter from Fluttershy about how much she’d thrown off the poor animals in town, most notably the chickens. Well, sternly worded for Fluttershy, anyway. It had been as full of apologies as admonishments. She couldn’t blame her for it either. Going from evening to the light of the noonday sun was disconcerting for any being. So, no teleporting. Besides, a little night-flying would give her time to think.
Ah yes, thinking. Because it’s served you so well thus far. You’re not thinking, Celestia. You’re doing everything in your power to avoid thinking.
She beat her wings, sending herself upwards with a powerful blast of air. Details of her destination were beginning to take shape, small buildings in a tiny populus. One of the larger structures was the Golden Oaks library. She noted with satisfaction that the majority of the homes were dark, save for a few night owls here and there. She knew Twilight would likewise be up for several hours yet, though she wasn’t certain about Pinkie. Catching Twilight alone was not a bad thing, however, she found herself hoping for it, thinking it might make the discussion easier.
Yes, that’s exactly why you want to talk to her alone. No ulterior motives at all.
She ignored that thought for what it was; a pointless worry. Instead, she began planning what she would say to Twilight and Pinkie. First and foremost, of course, would be the answers to why she had come in person. Shortly after, Twilight would panic, apologizing profusely for questioning her mentor. Pinkie, if she were there, would likely giggle and do something sensible, like offer her cake.
Maybe she did know Pinkie a bit. And anypony who reacted to a tense situation with offers of cake was a pony she could get along with.
Was that… humor? Did you seriously just think of the pony you’ve considered a rival and smile about it?
“So what if I did?”
There may be hope for you yet, Celestia.
She arrived at the library in due order, landing on the outside balcony and opening the window. It was dark inside, something she hadn’t expected. Either Twilight was asleep, or she was elsewhere.
Staying with Pinkie Pie, no doubt. It must be lonely in the library with Spike gone.
Well, having come all this way is proving to be rather fruitful wouldn’t you say?
Perhaps she’d get lucky and Twilight would just be asleep. She opened the window to the balcony, allowing herself inside.
The darkness fled from her as she walked inside. It was due to a very simple ability: when she wished to, she glowed with an inner light. It was very convenient for late night reading or for when a light bulb blew out. Also useful for getting the attention of an entire town of ponies fighting over a doll.
She looked first to Twilight’s bed, noting to her disappointment that it was unoccupied. The bed was made, which told her that it hadn’t been slept in for some time. Her student was often forgetful of the mundane tasks, relying on Spike to help her with such things. If she’d used it recently, the bed would be rumpled and unmade. The fact that it was made told her that it had not been slept in since Spike had gone back to Canterlot.
So, definitely staying with Pinkie, then. Well, good for them.
She quelled the unwanted feelings the revelation brought. She had, after all, been given a detailed presentation of Twilight and Pinkie’s entire sex life with charts and diagrams. It should not bother her to have it confirmed that yes, in fact, Twilight was sharing a bed with Pinkie. And not just for recreational reasons, but to snuggle with at night!
And yet it does, doesn’t it? It burns knowing she has what you could have had, if only you’d known how to read your student better.
Celestia pointedly ignored the voice, choosing instead to search in the main floor of the library. Perhaps Twilight had fallen asleep over a textbook. It would hardly be the first time.
Ah yes, you used to enjoy taking her to bed when that happened. Closing the book, lifting her up in your magic, tucking her in. Except now, perhaps you’d rather join her in bed? Do you wonder now, just how chaste your intent was even then? When she needed comfort, or just a little nuzzle to show encouragement?
“I would never—”
No, of course you wouldn’t. Never take advantage, never encourage them. Foalish feelings seldom last, and it would be quite a betrayal of the student-teacher relationship. So many justifications for never accepting love when it is offered. Even now, you’re upset that an unmade bed is showing you that it’s real. You’re upset with Pinkie, who has done you no harm, simply for having the love of Twilight. And worse, you refuse to accept that you could so easily have two for the price of one! What a fool you are.
Celestia went back to ignoring the voice. It wasn’t helpful to argue with it and she worried that if she listened to it for much longer she might agree.
Yes, ignore your own self doubts and worries. That’s the sane thing to do.
“As if talking to myself is any better.”
Ignore yourself or talk to yourself, either way is madness. But then, it’s not yourself you need to speak to. I wonder if you’ll decide it’s Twilight instead? It won’t help, you know? If you talk to her alone you will only feel horrible for a very simple mistake, and conflicted over how you feel around her.
“What was the point in coming here if not to talk to her?”
How quickly you forget her! The other one, remember? Pink, likes to smile, enjoys cake so much she’d snatch it right off a princess’ plate without batting an eye? One of ‘Twilight’s friends’.
At that moment, Celestia contemplated how feasible it might be to magically destroy part of her own brain.
Oh my, testy, aren’t you? So very strange. You crave love.You thirst for it, and part of you keeps urging you on, trying to lead you to the water. And you, stubborn mule that you are, dig your heels in! Perhaps you are simply happier being miserable.
“Or maybe I consider others to be more important than myself!” Celestia snapped back.
She waited for a response, wondering why it wasn’t forthcoming. After so many centuries of life, had she finally lost her mind after all? Perhaps it would be wise to talk to Luna again. Not about Twilight or Pinkie, but about her fears that she was going completely mad. If nothing else, it would be simple courtesy to tell her sister what was happening before she was the one that had to fight and banish a crazed sister.
She breathed a sigh of relief at the continued silence, internal and external. Perhaps a vacation would be enough. A long one. She could entrust the sun to Luna, and go to a secluded island for a year or so. It would be good for her, and everypony she loved. Twilight’s problems were too... close to her heart for her to maintain the proper level of impartiality .
Making her way down to the bottom floor, she looked around, but could find no trace of her student. She did note a couple of unusual things, however; a scorch mark in the center of the room, and a chalkboard.
The chalkboard was a mess of observations, patterns of behavior of ‘Pinkius Pieicus’. She went over the various notes and equations attempting to correlate the distance from Twilight with the behaviors. Twilight had apparently been struggling with this for what looked like hours. Somehow, in all of it, she had come upon the idea that her proximity was related to Pinkie’s mood, but had not determined why that was.
Her solution had been to distance herself, rather than to investigate further.
Like teacher, like student. She’s certainly learned well, didn’t she?
“Shut up.”
Her very first brush with love, met with mocking laughter. Yes, she would have to have learned how to mask her sadness and avoid it. And she couldn’t have had a better pony to teach her about masks, could she? Maybe that’s why she always makes love in costumes, the real Twilight Sparkle is a failure, so the masks get to have all the fun...
“I said shut up!” Celestia stomped a hoof down, cracking the floorboards beneath her.
Take a lesson from your student, Celestia. Look what avoidance got her. Do you think it will go any better for you? How long until you crack? How long until she wonders why your letters are stilted, and your visits nonexistent? A few months? A year? How much more of her life do you plan to waste?
“As long as it takes for me to get over it!” she screamed out, uncaring that it was only herself she was screaming at.
She stood there, how long she could not say. Shivering with rage, eyes wet with tears she refused to shed. She would not allow this. She would help Twilight, and she would go back to Canterlot. After that, she would have a long talk with her sister about her mental health, and look into temporarily delegating her duties until she felt fit once more.
The voice was silent again, blessedly silent. Slowly, she put herself back together. Her shoulders were thrown back in a casual air, her face a perfect mask of dignity.
“Princess?”
Everything within her stilled. From the corner of her eye, she could see a light from an open door spilled into the room, joining the gentle light from her own form. She turned, firmly fixing a warm smile on her face. “Hello, Twilight.”
“Pinkie... not so rough...” Dash’s voice whined from Applejack’s bedroom.
Applejack’s ears perked up, and she stared at the door, unsure if she wanted to go in. They couldn’t be...
Nah. That can’t be it. Pull yerself together, you ninny.
She opened the door, and found Pinkie on top of Dash, massaging her shoulders.
“Hey Applejack!” Pinkie said, waving with one hoof while pressing the other into Dash’s shoulder blade which made her groan. “Where’s Twi?”
Applejack frowned, trying not to get upset. Pinkie didn’t mean any harm, she knew that, but there were some things you shouldn’t be doing when you were dating another pony. And Pinkie had been doing way too many of them for Applejack’s comfort. “She’s headed to the library, sug. You mind getting off my marefriend for a sec?”
“Oh, sure!” Pinkie said, mildly confused but compliant. “Dashie wasn’t feeling good and this usually helps Twi perk right up!”
“Yeah, I ‘spect it does. Remind me to ask you fer a couple lessons.” Applejack sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. “But I can’t have you doin’ that fer Dashie, even if it does make her feel better, all right?”
“Well...” Pinkie hesitated, on the one hoof, she wanted to make Dashie feel better, but she didn’t want Applejack upset with her. “Okie-dokie... lokie?”
“I appreciate it, sugar. And don’t get me wrong, I thank ya for doin’ what you can to make Dash feel a little better.” Applejack peered at her marefriend. “How’s she doin’?”
“Not so good,” Pinkie admitted. “She keeps needing to use the bucket. But nothing comes out. I tried giving her some water but she couldn’t hold that in.”
“More dry heaves.” Applejack reached a hoof over to Dash, brushing her forelock from her face. Dash her face clammy and flushed. “Not long now, Dashie. Stay strong.”
Rainbow squinted up at Applejack’s face. “H-hey.”
“Hey yerself, sug. I’d ask how you’re feelin’, but I think I already know.” Applejack flashed her a smile, hoping it looked real to Rainbow.
“Yeah... feeling... pretty bad. Sorry.” Rainbow’s face contorted as she reached for the bucket near the bed, her stomach trying to turn itself inside out.
“What do you have to be sorry for, sug? I’m the one who roped you into pullin’ weeds an’ got you sick.” Applejack stroked Dash’s mane, trying not to show how frightened she was. She had to keep reminding herself, as sick as Dash was, she’d pull through. Zecora had told her as much, and she trusted the zebra. But even the possibility of losing Dash was too much to think about.
“I’m... just sorry for being so dumb. If—” She retched up air into the bucket, her head spinning for a few seconds afterwards. “If I’d been pulling from the base like you showed me, I wouldn’t be sick...”
“That’s enough, Dash,” Applejack replied, shaking her head ruefully. “No point in beatin’ yerself up for it. I got some good news; we just planted some of the root, and Twi’s gonna see if she can find a spell to make it grow faster. So we’re gonna have you right as rain in no time.”
Rainbow smiled at that, settling down on the bed. “That’s... good.” She let out a huge yawn. “I wanna try and get some sleep if that’s okay.”
Pinkie settled down next to her, holding her close. She looked up at Applejack with a concerned expression. “How much longer?”
“Depends on what Twi finds out.” Applejack scooted closer to Pinkie, gently lifting her hoof off of Dash, prompting a hurt look from Pinkie. “Listen... I know you’re tryin’ to make Dash feel better, but I think maybe you might need to not cuddle up so much. Twi seemed pretty upset when you were playin’ around with Dash the other day.”
“Did... did I do something wrong?” Pinkie asked, her hair losing some of its bounce.
“Well, not that I can blame you for, sug... Dashie kissed you, then I kissed you. So If anything, it’s on me ‘n Dash.” Applejack replied quickly, trying to reassure her. “You kinda threw me for a loop when y’all kissed, and I had to get my head straight... make it okay again, you know?”
Pinkie shook her head. “No?”
“Look... when she kissed you, it made me plum jealous. An’ I couldn’t get that outta my head! So I had to... kiss you too, balance the scales.” At Pinkie’s continued confusion, she grunted in frustration. “Well, like... how would you feel if Twi kissed somepony else?”
“I dunno!” Pinkie responded, putting a hoof up to her chin. “Twi’s kissed a lot of ponies. The peasant girl, the knight... the french maid... the court jester...”
“Well, yeah, but they were all you in a costume. I mean like... say she kissed somepony else, an’ she wanted to keep kissin’ em all the time.”
“That sounds like fun! I could kiss them with her!” Pinkie’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“No I mean.... she wanted to kiss ’em, and not you anymore.”
“Oh!” Pinkie thought about that for a long moment, her expression growing sadder with every second. “Would... would she still be happy?”
“Sug, I ain’t saying that’s happenin’, just... how would you feel?”
“I don’t think I’d like that very much,” Pinkie admitted. “But it would be okay if she was still happy.”
“Well, that’s how I felt when Dash kissed you, sug.”
Pinkie’s mane went flat. She scrambled up on the bed, tackling Applejack in a hug, her eyes wide and fearful. “Applejack, I’m soooo sorry! I never meant to make you upset!”
Applejack threw her own forelegs around Pinkie, reaching one hoof up to stroke her mane. “Pinkie, I got over it. That’s why I needed to kiss you myself, though. If I didn’t... I would have worried from then on that maybe Dash liked how you kiss more than me, and maybe be thinkin’ ’bout you... But we shouldn’t have done that, it wasn’t doin’ right by Twi or you... That’s why I need you to be... less snuggly around Dashie. And... we’re gonna have to tell Twi what happened at some point real soon.”
Pinkie nodded into Applejack’s shoulder. “I’m sorry we made you feel bad,” she whispered, hiccuping as she sniffled.
“Wasn’t yer fault, sug. Not Dash’s either, really. She just wanted you to cheer up a little. I can’t fault her for that.” Applejack gently pushed Pinkie away, looking her in the eyes. “We’re good, you hear? Nopony was tryin’ to hurt nopony, so it’s all okay.”
“Okay,” Pinkie whispered, still looking far too sad for AJ’s liking. She could see how it happened for Dash, now. It just felt... wrong to see Pinkie this down.
“None of that, sug. I promise, Celestia as my witness, I ain’t sad no more, and you don’t need to be either.” Applejack touched Pinkie’s cheek, flashing her a grin.
Pinkie’s hair perked up instantly, and she wrapped her forelegs around Applejack for another soul-crushing hug. “Okie-dokie!”
“Princess!” Twilight repeated, bowing low. If Celestia was here, that meant that she was either needed for some world-shattering disaster, or she had screwed up again… and with the way things had been going lately, she was almost sure it was the latter. A million questions ran circles in her head, but none of them came out.
“Please rise, Twilight,” came the gentle voice of her mentor. “I am sorry to come to you unannounced, and so late, but at any other time of day, I would cause a panic leaving as I did.”
Twilight dared to raise her head, and saw the princess looking down at her, but she didn’t seem upset, or disappointed. Twilight allowed herself to relax. Celestia was here, but apparently not for anything relating to a disaster. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t welcome at any time, Princess.”
“Thank you, Twilight. I hope to not take up too much of your time.”
Twilight flinched, worried anew that she had unknowingly insulted the princess. “Oh! I never meant—You can take up any of my time that you want! I just wish I’d known...” she said, looking around at the library and realizing this was the first time she’d been back here in days. “I would have cleaned up.”
Her mentor seemed... distracted for a moment. Celestia’s eyes were staring right through her. “No, it’s fine. Everything is fine. I just needed to talk to you about your visit. You... and Pinkie... worried me, and still worry me.”
The eyes refocused, seeing Twilight once more. “Sorry,” she said, softly. “I’m a little tired.” She turned away, pacing one way, then the other. “You see… I… I wanted to talk to you…”
Twilight waited for several moments before she dared interrupt her mentor’s train of thought. “Yes?” she asked, hesitantly.
“I… I was going to send a letter, but it was all wrong, and Spike was in Canterlot anyway. I really need to teach you how to receive dragon fire at some point…” she trailed off, briefly looking stricken, then shook her head. “Twilight, could you possibly make us some tea? I feel in dire need of something to perk me up a little.”
Twilight quickly nodded, scrambling into the kitchen to find a teapot. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She didn’t know what it was, but given the timing, she could only assume that it had to do with her rather… unexpected visit to Canterlot. But Celestia had been fine when they’d left, hadn’t she?
No... no, she wasn’t. She was distracted, and... disturbed. And it’s only gotten worse.
So Celestia was not fine. And it was because of Twilight and Pinkie.
Not because of Pinkie, because of you! You did this to her! You and your stupid problems and foalhood crushes!
Twilight hung her head, wondering what she could possibly do to make up for what she’d done. She briefly considered trying to find some way of traveling back in time and telling herself to get over her problems instead of involving her mentor.
Oh, there’s a thought. How about you suggest going to Mom instead? Oh, that’s right, you never thought of that until now, because on top of being a bad marefriend, and a bad student, you’re also a bad daughter!
She could feel the panic rising, and did what she could to calm down. She had to somehow convince her mentor that everything was okay, then Celestia would forgive her and go back to her own life again, free of worries induced by her prodigal student and her disturbing sexual habits.
Yes, habits you told her about in excruciating detail. With diagrams and charts no less. You broke Celestia, you pervert!
She was hyperventilating. She had to calm down, somehow. Celestia was… Celestia. She was the eternal sun, there was no way that the sun could be broken by a simple pony like her, no matter how disgusting.
It was getting worse; her breath was coming in quick gasps. She sat down on the floor, focusing on her breathing. If she didn’t stop soon, she would pass out. Then on top of everything else, Celestia would have to take her to the hospital.
Deep breaths. In and out. She did not think, she did not panic. Celestia needed her to be okay, so Twilight had to be okay. She would not fail.
It took far longer than she would have liked, but she finally managed to calm down. Then a loud noise startled her, almost setting off a fresh panic attack.
It’s the tea. Just the tea, she thought, relieved. She got up on four shaking hooves, fetching the teapot and cups from her cupboard. Everything will be okay. You just have to keep calm and schedule a little freakout time after the princess has gone back to Canterlot.
Returning to the reading room, Twilight found Celestia sitting down on her haunches at a table, looking very lost in thought. “Princess? I brought the tea.”
Celestia looked startled to hear her, and quickly straightened up. “Oh, right, the tea. Thank you, Twilight.”
Tea seemed to have a calming effect on Celestia, and they both sat in companionable silence for a time, the only sounds being the stirring of spoons.
“So, how are things with Pinkie?” Celestia asked, finally. “Have you had a chance to talk since you came home?”
“We... I tried,” Twilight replied, unsure how to respond. “I still don’t know what to do, but she says everything is fine…”
Celestia nodded, pouring another cup and adding sugar and cream to it. “That’s part of what worries me,” she said, taking a sip.
Twilight’s lip trembled ever so slightly. “I’m sorry we worried you, Princess. I’m trying to figure her out but... she’s Pinkie. It’s part of her to be... Pinkie.”
“‘Pinkie’ in this case being a synonym for ‘inscrutable and confounding’ I take it.”
“Also ‘mystifying and nigh-indecipherable’,” Twilight said, giggling a little. “I love her, but… understanding her? Sometimes I think I’d have an easier time moving the sun by hoof.”
That got a chuckle out of Celestia, and the tension in the room eased slightly. “Well, I think I might be able to help. I understand you fairly well, and Pinkie can hardly be worse than some of the ponies I deal with on a regular basis.” Celestia trailed off, thinking, then amended: “She’s nicer, at least. Where is she now?”
“She’s at Sweet Apple Acres, helping Applejack take care of Rainbow Dash.”
That got a surprised look out of her mentor. “Rainbow Dash? Is something wrong?”
Twilight nodded sadly. “She swallowed part of a parasitic vine, and it’s making her sick. I actually came back to the library to find a spell to accelerate plant growth so we can grow more for a potion that will help her get better.”
“I see…” Celestia seemed less distracted now, more focused on the immediate problem which relieved Twilight to no end. “Well, I think that takes priority for the moment, then. Did you want to research potions while I look over spellbooks?”
There are times in a mare’s life where it’s nearly impossible not to jump for joy, and Twilight was experiencing one such time. She restrained herself, barely, but her mentor offering to help her made her very happy. Researching felt normal, and that was precisely what she needed right now. “Yes, please. Thank you, Princess.”
They set to work, going through dozens of tomes in a matter of minutes, discarding the unhelpful books in a pile on one of the reading tables. The library became a floating mass of paper swirling around them, shelves quickly denuded of their contents when Celestia or Twilight so much as glanced at them.
It would have given Spike a heart attack. As it was, Owlowiscious fled to Twilight’s bedroom with an angry ‘hoot’ trying to avoid being hit by low flying literature.
Celestia let the simple task of scanning each page consume her, reading and discarding books at a breakneck speed. Age acceleration... No, we want growth, not prematurely aged seeds. Hair growth... No... Love potions? Why is that even in here?
She flipped the book closed, making note of the title. Love potions were strictly controlled, and rarely, if ever, used. Knowing that the instructions to make one was available in a public library was worrisome. She turned her head to Twilight, noting the intense look of concentration on the other mare’s face. “Any luck?”
“Nothing yet.” Twilight added a couple more books to her own teetering pile. “Anything over there?”
“I found a book on love potions that you might want to add to your adults only section,” Celestia replied, scanning through the pages of another dusty spellbook.
“Potions in the spellbooks? I need to reorganize again...” Looking around at the mess they’d made, Twilight sighed heavily. “I miss Spike.”
“I think I might have something here,” Celestia said, pointing to a particular entry. “Strictly speaking it’s a spell to promote hair growth, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to make it work on plants.” After a moment’s consideration, she added: “Well, that, or we’ll end up with very hairy seeds.”
Twilight dropped the rest of the books into another stack, trotting over to examine the entry. “Yes, that could work! I mean, we’d have to tweak the target, but I was just playing around with a scrying spell earlier. I was able to get it to pinpoint flora instead of gems, so making this one encourage plant growth instead of hair growth should be possible.” She stopped, blushing. “I mean... you know that, sorry. You were the one who taught me how to adapt spells and... I’ll shut up now.”
Celestia shook her head fondly. “Maybe I gave you the tools, but you’re the one with the talent for invention and adaptation, Twilight.” She extended a wing. “Here. Come close, and we’ll teleport there immediately to perform the spell. After that, we’ll fetch Pinkie and we can all sit down and talk for a bit.”
Twilight had actually been smiling until Pinkie was mentioned. She closed the distance between them, looking up at her mentor apologetically. “Princess... I’m so sorry about coming to you and freaking out like I did. You don’t have to worry, we’ll work things out—”
“I know you will, Twilight,” Celestia responded, cutting off whatever Twilight had been about to say. “But I… I care about you, and I want you to be happy. So I want to…”
Drag her to bed and make furious love to her for days on end? The insidious voice suggested less than helpfully.
“Help you the two of you,” Celestia finished, doing her best to mask her annoyance. “Let’s go.”
In a flash of light the two were gone, leaving a very annoyed-looking owl to begin the arduous process of moving dozens of books back to their respective shelves.
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Celestia making furious love to Twilight? Yes please!
I agree with the furious loving between Celly and Twilight. =3
The passion in all of these internal conflicts is both amusing and miraculously well devised. It helps me to understand the more "mortal" reality of celestia's being instead of her usual god-like appeal she always seems to hold onto.
I mean it only makes sense that being alive for that long with that much stress and responsibility that eventually her physical and mental states would have to have some kind of impact to her overall well being.
Excellent new chapters as usual.
Stay awesome Steel Resolve
/)
Wow, Celestia and Twilight share the same quality of beating themselves up for how they feel about each other. Much like how Rarity and Fluttershy did now that I think about it...
Great interlude. Can't wait for more!
Pinkie does not understand jealousy
And Celestia and Twilight are retarded for each-other.
4938055
Can you say no to that face?
Why does it have to be *furious* lovemaking though? Couldn't it be happy lovemaking? With Pinkie thrown in the mix too?
Oh, I was hoping this would be about the CMC
. Oh well, good chapter none-the-less
why do i still think its discord speaking in celestias head? (because he loves her so much he wanted to see her happy too ?? xD)
anyway, great chapter !!
I feel rather bad for Midnight, he's obviously very paternal about Luna and she probably doesn't give him a second thought most of the time.
I sort of miss my Rarity/shy, I wonder if some of this might be better as a spin off rather than the same story.
Celestia...you aren't just cracking, you're breaking in half.
I really hope she gets the stick out, sits down and confesses. Like a mature pony, which she most certainly is.
Am I the only one who finds it odd when you read your own name?
4939360 Ah yes, but being mature doesn't always mean acting mature. What a lot of arbitrary pain we put ourselves through trying to be "rational".
4939360
Many mature people have issues with their feelings. And that's just regular people, and the majority of them, at that. We're not talking about immortal guardians of the world who are responsible for an entire nation, and by extension the rest of the planet for time we mortals can't even comprehend a tenth of without blowing out our brains from trying too hard. With her position, and her image of this pure and virginal goddess-queen, how often has she had to be a pony, or a mare for that matter, in the last couple of thousand years? How many times has she had to destroy her feelings of affection and love for the sake of others?
In a short twenty or thirty years, humans already fall into a mental/emotional routine that lasts until we die for the most part. How about a thousand? Two thousand? More? To last that long her routine has to be more solid than any mountain.
Confessions are not easy. Feelings are not easy. Dealing with the repercussions and potential fallout is hard, even before the confession. It's not just about saying the words, it's also about defeating everything inside of you that's opposed to the idea of actually doing it, putting yourself and your visions of the future into the hands of someone you care about in a way that you've never done prior. So no, that's not a stick in her plot. She's more normal than anything you've suggested. But time, and responsibility, logic and reason, even her own emotional homeostasis, tells her that what she wants is wrong. Too much can happen, too much can go badly. And if it brings her down, what does that mean for Equestria? For the world? What would happen if she got her heart broken?
What would happen if she just stopped caring?
There's so much for her to deal with right now than Twilight or Pinkie or even Luna can understand. The burden of leadership is not just that one makes decisions for others and accepts the consequences. Any knave can do that with a stubborn streak. It's the sacrifice... giving up everything that makes you who you are and replacing it with duty. Never allowing yourself to crack, because you are needed. Never allowing yourself to become lost or confused or to be set in turmoil, because then you are not doing everything you can for others who rely on you. The Sun is strong because she put herself aside for the greater good.
Getting past all of that? Too difficult for us to envision or embrace appropriately. We can't judge her for how hard this is, because not one of us is capable of having gone through the enormity of what she has without losing our minds and jumping off a cliff.
4938593
Furious does not imply hate (though that is the most common definition, it's not the only one_. Trust me, lovemaking can be perfectly loving and furious at the same time.
4938779 Next chapter, have no fear. I use the interludes to touch base on ponies not currently interacting with Shy and Rarity.
I had a feeling we would be having an Interlude Chapter. We were due for one. What I found most interesting was this Midnight Oil's sort of parental relationship he has with Luna, and the idea that Luna is most like a petulant teenager.
That's an interesting characterization. It's clear though that this Pinkie-Twilight-Celestia love triangle has moved ahead as the source of this story's drama now that Rarity's whole thing with Fluttershy's Dad has been resolved. 
I like some drama, and I appreciate the closer look at this particular storyline, but I would like to get back to seeing what happened to Rarity after Luna tried to heal her so they could go to a party. Petulant teenager is spot on. Anyway, I look forward to more Rarishy! That's what this whole story is all about. 
Keep up the good work. 
AJ, you're going to break poor Pinkie with your jealousy and nonsensical "logic". Pinkie's not trying to steal anypony. You gotta share, you gotta care!
4940131
Yes, but the issue here is that she thinks that she has to fulfill an appearance that, by all accounts, she likely doesn't much appreciate. A pure, virginal Goddess? That sounds like a very lonely life to me, especially for an immortal.
She never had to fulfill any role society placed upon her. She could've said 'yeah no, it's wonderful that you see me like that, but I have needs too' and have been done with it. But that's not even the real issue here.
How much do you think her lifestyle of serving as Equestria's ruler and protector has lulled her mindset into just...falling in line? 'This is what I am now.' Thoughts end there. She's used to stopping there. After living for such a long time, it's easier to stop right there instead of constantly wrestling, thinking and torturing yourself over something you both do and don't want to think about. In this case, it's something she really doesn't want to think about, but she can't help it.
Everyone has a breaking point for every little thing. Celestia's rapidly approaching hers, if her inability to properly control her feelings is any indication. The choice she has before her now, is to either break and crumble to pieces, or give in before something deep within her shatters and she becomes something she probably really doesn't want to be, given enough time. The pain doesn't begin and end with the moment of heartbreak...it can linger for years. It will wear you down and consume you from the inside out, and if she doesn't at least confess? It'll be that much worse.
The thing I like most, is the fact than while is a Rarishy's story (and a very good one) everybody is more concern with Celestia, Pinkie and Twilight! If the comments say something! XD
At least AJ knows more about how Dash was feeling, finally express herself to Pinkie and Celestia made a desicion, I don't know yet what she decide or when she is gonna break! I will keep reading! XD
PD. Is it just me or this "love potion" will be important in the near future?
4940222
<foghorn>That was a joke son! I keep pitchin' 'em, an' you keep missin' 'em!</leghorn>
4941748
Well, sure, at the moment. Waaaaaaay back when, we were more worried for Rarity and Flutters, but now they seem to have everything under control! They've learned their dynamic! Rarity tries to be strong and defensive, then Fluttershy punches the problem in the face!
Pinkie, Twi, and Celestia are still trying to work out their dynamic. At least beyond costumes and barely concealed pain.
And then we find out that Tia's inner voice is actually Discord in disguise.
Great chapter though, loving it all
All the ponies in this tow-... no that's not right... All the ponies in Equestria are CARAZY! seriously though, friendship is mentally breaking down at the drop of a hat when anything more than friendship is considered. Man, that'd be a lousy title for a show. ~<3
That was a good chapter
I can't wait to see what happens with Luna, Fluttershy, and Rarity 
Looking forward to the next chapter 
I WANT MOAR SOON 
If that is alright with you 
4942108 I was actually thinking it was Luna at first.
I'm just waiting to hear Pinkie tell Twilight what she told AJ & RD about wanting to make love to Twilight and not whoever she's role playing as at the moment
4962823 Glad you're enjoying it so much.
Oooh cliffhanger!! I hope Dashie's gonna be ok. And I hope for RariShy in the next chapter!
4976106 I think Pinkie would make a great Batmare. I mean, who would ever believe the super hero who dressed in pink and threw rubber chickens and giggled as she fought okay wait maybe a secret identity wouldn't work that well for Pinkie. Huh. I guess if she let Rarity do the costumes it would work.
4966398 Of course. I just had to reintroduce our subplot, since they factor heavily into the next arc.
4980706
Commence read.
Voices in the minds and masks beginning to chip away.
Pinkie should have some interesting moments when it comes to the actual sit down with Twilight and Celestia.
Hmm. I wonder where luna could be?
4950397 you, me and everyone else!!
5054852 It's post Canterlot wedding, pre-season three.
5054862
Awesome, thank you for clearing that up
.
I can't wait to see LunaXRariShy, and some TwilestiaPie. Oh! Are we going to see [in the sidelines / interludes] more CMC shipping and Spike with Moon Dancer?
Was that the mental voice, or the internet talking there?
5474741 Well, this is Celestia's id.
So basically we have the manifestation of Celestia's wants and desires talking to her directly. Your desired mate has a partner already? Be with both of them. You don't wish to deal with the other? Strike the other down. The id is very selfish.
lol, Celly's voice in her head is kinda funny
Nice.
Good job on this chapter boy~
needs end " marks.
____________
populous
_________________
5474769
I was thinking it was Celestia's Shadow.
Of course that's probably due to the tons of Persona games I play. That and Jungian Psychology is interesting ^_^.
By Twilights horn, she's going already you insufferable ass, what the fuck more do you want from her?!
You know, for a voice that purports to be smarter than the brain it's coming from you're really not helping. At all. You're just trying to make her hate herself at this point. What's next? "Kill Pinkie and jump off a cliff"? Fucking disembodied voices.
Oh Twilight. You know this is going to end with an infestation on par with the Season 4 premiere, right? Come on, show a little genre-savviness and realize this is a bad idea. Also, Applejack's hackles should be rising since Twilight actually said this out loud.
This is awkwardly phrased. Just end the sentence with "of being her personal assistant."
Hm, so you're going with "Celestia and Luna were alicorns from birth" rather than them being ascended alicorns. Personally I prefer the headcanon that they too ascended long ago in the distant past and that alicorns generally come into being in that way only. That still leaves Princess McFlurry to explain away, but if even the diarchs of Equestria have no idea how that is possible, how can anypony else be expected to know?
Anyway, I feel alicorns that are born and that perhaps used to be an actual pony tribe throws this whole "three pony races" thing out of balance. Each of the normal races has their strengths and weaknesses. Alicorns being just another race, but one that is somehow superior to the other three? No thank you. I much prefer alicornhood to be something that has to be earned through personal accomplishment.
I think Luna and Celestia probably ascended together. Pony magic does strange things when it affects multiple ponies at the same time, and it would work nicely with that day & night duality they've got going on - just look at the CMC getting their marks for a similar example. Maybe Luna and Celestia even got their cutie marks and their alicornhood at the same time, though that would be pretty crazy. Crazy and epic - a fitting legend for the birth of Equestria. We've only seen the Hearth's Warming tale, but how the princesses fit into the whole thing is still a giant mystery.
Doesn't she need sunlight to be present to travel that way? I would expect her to be able to instantly translocate herself only to places her sun can currently reach. I guess she could reflect herself off the moon, as that is what sunlight usually does, but I imagine that would be noticeable to Luna...
7842999 Correct. Celestia and Luna predated Equestria itself, and thus seeing the live birth of an alicorn in Equestria is a little baffling to them.
7843032
I just had a thought. Technically Luna is far younger than Celestia is, as she spent the last thousand years in lunar stasis.
Missing end " mark.
_________________
populace
Yes, last time I said populous, but that is the proper spelling of the word you used. Populus is a misspelling of populous. But populace is the individuals who live in a place.
_____________
The start of Celestia's madness. It's truly a fun thing to behold.