Pieces
Princess Celestia stifled a yawn in between the last few guests she was meant to greet. She thought she had been discreet, but she quickly heard the soft sound of her sister giggling next to her.
“It is past your bedtime, sister,” Luna whispered as the latest couple of ponies walked away from paying their respects. “A mare as old as you needs her rest, after all.”
“Not a…” Celestia couldn’t help the yawn that escaped her mouth a second time. “Not a chance. Somepony has to stay up to make sure her baby sister doesn’t ruin the castle with her overly enthusiastic celebrating again.”
Luna made an adorable face that Celestia was certain only she had ever seen. “It was one time, sister.”
“And we are still finding confetti years later,” Celestia countered.
It was all in good fun, of course. Luna knew that her older sister was usually out like a light by this time, since she had to be up to raise the sun in the morning. And Celestia had utter faith in Luna’s ability to host the party without her, but it was a rare chance for the two of them to be together this way, and rarer still when they we given a moment’s time to behave like siblings.
Sadly, the moment passed far too quickly as another pony slowly walked up the steps to greet the Princesses. Celestia couldn’t help but smile when she saw that there were no more citizens behind this one, which meant that the gates were closed and she and Luna could finally go take their seats and relax.
“Ah, we know you…” Luna said, her voice trailing off as she spoke. “You are a friend of our sister’s, yes?”
Celestia blinked when she heard Luna’s words, snapping herself back to reality. She knew many ponies, but she truly only counted a small number of them as actual friends. And with Twilight and her friends spending the New Year in Ponyville, that drastically reduced the number.
“Um, yes, Your Highness.”
“Sea Swirl?” Celestia bent down and gave the Unicorn a hug, half out of pure reflex, and half to cover her shock. Why was she so late? She had found it odd that she hadn’t seen the Unicorn yet this evening, but she had chalked it up to Sea Swirl being smitten with Symphony and thus following her around.
“Hello, Your Highness,” Sea Swirl whispered, barely returning the hug. Her voice was also quieter than normal, to the point where Celestia had to wonder if Sea Swirl had actually spoken.
“It is good to see you,” Celestia replied as she pulled away, curious as to her friend’s strange attitude. She took a quick glance at her and became even more confused.
Sea Swirl was never one for overly extravagant outfits, at least not to the level that her wealth allowed. She often chose to wear nothing at all, and when events demanded formal attire, she wore a simple dark purple skirt with a white top and an overly large hat—something Celestia had found rather out of character for her, until Sea Swirl had explained that she did it just because she liked watching ponies try to dodge the brim while still being “stuck up about it”.
But now she looked disheveled. Her deep emerald green dress was spilling around her body, but the way she was carrying herself made it look like it was hanging off of her instead of flattering her figure. Her mane was on the verge of being a tousled mess, its two-tone purple shades tangling all around her head and horn. Her tail was somehow worse, with tuffs of hair jutting out in random angles as it hung limply behind her. Her ears were practically against her head as they drooped, and the bags under her eyes made Celestia think that the mare hadn’t slept in days. Her light lilac coat, usually so pristine from time spent in mineral-rich waters, was dull and scuffed, especially around her cheeks and down her neck. Her entire face looked drawn back and faded, only serving to make the blemished coat even more noticeable.
But the most worrying things to Celestia were Sea Swirl’s eyes. Usually the two raspberry colored orbs were bright and full of excitement, adding to a smile that spoke of a gentle and ambitious soul. Now though, her eyes were faded, almost dark, and they remained half hidden as the Unicorn refused to look up at Celestia, instead preferring to stare at her hooves.
“Sea Swirl, is something the matter?” Celestia asked, although she had a fairly good idea what the trouble was. She had been alive for centuries, and she was more than familiar with the downtrodden and outcast appearance before her.
Sea Swirl’s ears twitched and her head shot up. “No. No, of course not,” she replied in an overly cheerful voice. “Just a little…tired is all. I mean, it’s pretty late.”
Celestia smiled at her friend’s attempt at bravery. “Oh, I know how you feel. I am so glad my sister is back to take over the nights once more.”
“You are welcome,” Luna said, and to her credit, she said nothing more, although she, too, could clearly tell something was amiss.
“I assume you have been busy these past few days as well,” Celestia continued. She was positive she knew what had happened and it broke her heart, but she had to be certain that this wasn’t really just Sea Swirl being exhausted. “What with helping Symphony prepare for tonight?”
Sea Swirl’s face went even paler than Celestia thought possible, and for a moment the Alicorn almost reached out to steady the mare, but she resisted and simply watched.
Sea Swirl stood motionless for a good five seconds before she blinked several times and forced a smile to her face.
“Uh…y-y-yeah,” she said, her voice threatening to break with each letter. “Busy. Really…b-busy…” She quickly rubbed her eyes with her foreleg, but she was not fast enough to hide the tears that had begun to twinkle. “Say, um…Celestia?”
“Yes?”
“Would it be, um…” Sea Swirl stopped again, and Celestia saw her throat contract several times as the Unicorn struggled to keep herself together. She closed her eyes as hard as she could, but traces of water still slipped out of their edges, and when they opened again, it was more than just her irises that were red. “Would it be…okay if I sat with you and Luna? I…um, Symphony…that is, I don’t want to make her nervous, so I said I’d be out of sight while she…while she played.”
“Of course,” Celestia said. She stepped forward and put one of her wings around her crumbling friend. Whatever had happened between Sea Swirl and Symphony, it was clear that it was not something Sea Swirl had been expecting. “You remember where our private box is, yes?”
“Y-Yeah…” Sea Swirl whispered as she leaned against Celestia’s foreleg.
“Just tell the guards the phrase, ‘Sun and Moon allow trespass’ and they will let you right in.”
“You’re…” Sea Swirl swallowed again, loud enough that Celestia could hear it. “You’re not coming?”
“I’ll be along shortly,” Celestia said. “My sister and I are still needed here for the moment.”
“Okay…”
“And do not worry, Sea Swirl. There will be no pony else there but you, my sister, and myself once the show begins.”
“Thanks.” With that, the Unicorn trudged past the two Alicorns without so much as a goodbye and started ascending the stairs off to the left that would take her to the sisters’ private box. Not once did she raise her head as she climbed.
“Even I can tell something is amiss with your friend,” Luna whispered once Sea Swirl was up the stairs and out of sight. “Surely you noticed as well?”
“I did, Luna,” Celestia said. She was fighting the urge to rush up the stairs after her friend and comfort her. While she had seen many ponies in her lifetime act this way, she had only seen it happen to Sea Swirl once before; and it had taken the Unicorn weeks to recover. This time appeared even worse.
“Do you plan to do nothing then?” Luna asked, snapping Celestia out of her worry.
“It depends on the exact situation, dear sister,” the older Alicorn replied. “Which is why I will need your help to discover this. May I count on you?”
“Of course,” Luna replied, puffing her chest out with a smirk. “What do you require of me, sister? Some lost treasure to help your friend’s mood? Or shall I go undercover, in a secret mission to find the ponies who have wrong your friend and teach them the errors of their ways?”
“Nothing that exciting, I’m afraid,” Celestia answered. She chuckled when she saw her sister instantly deflate. Luna was always up for some grand quest or adventure, especially if it meant getting out of what she called drab and tiresome royal duties. “But, I suppose that second remark is…possibly close to my idea.”
Luna’s ears perked up. “Truly?”
“Yes,” Celestia said, and she explained what she wanted her sister to do, stressing that it was all she wanted Luna to do. She smiled slightly when she saw her sister’s disappointment at the assignment, but it was still something exciting for her to do, even if it wasn’t going on some epic quest.
“Very well,” Luna said after she heard Celestia’s plan. “I shall do as you ask. I take it you will still be in our private viewing area with your friend? Is that where I shall make my report?”
“Yes, although I ask that you do not make it so direct in front of Sea Swirl.” Celestia looked up the stairs as she said her friend’s name. “A simple, ‘It is as you say’ will be enough.”
* * *
Princess Luna took a deep breath to steady her nerves. It was rather silly of her, but even after so long being back in Equestria, she still became nervous when she interacted with her regular citizens. Royal meetings, special events, or the rare occasions when she was simply having fun with her sister, she could handle. After all, the first two required her to project an air of confidence and power, and the third one she had her sister with her.
Tis no different than Twilight and her friends, the Alicorn thought as she took another deep breath. Just…act friendly. Encourage random ponies. Make small talk. Celestia does it all the time. I can do it to.
The Princess was back-stage, standing in the shadows so no pony would see her. Thankfully, her silky slip dress was even darker than her actual coat, so it served to hide her even more as her teal eyes scanned the scene before her.
Many ponies were darting about, trying to get in last minute checks for this or that before the celebration of the New Year began. Ponies were being shuffled to specific spots by stage ponies, while stagehoof ponies were doing final checks on lights, pulleys, and other things. She spied a few ponies that seemed to be nearly as lost as she was and decided that they would be where she would start mingling, but just before she was about to step out of the shadows, a Unicorn with a clipboard darted over to them and shooed them to the far side of the stage and out of sight.
Calm down, Luna. You can do this.
Celestia had asked her to handle this situation with grace and subtly, and she was going to do it…as soon as her nerves stopped trying to chew through her teeth.
Luna was not even sure what she was supposed to do, exactly. All her sister had told her was find a certain pony and, without being blunt, find out her mood. Luna was not sure exactly how she was supposed to do it, but when Celestia had told her that it should be as easy as detecting Sea Swirl’s mood, the Princess of the Night had felt a small swell of confidence.
After all, even a filly could tell that Sea Swirl was bothered by something.
“Still, I do not see this pony I am supposed to find,” the Alicorn whispered. She cast her gaze over the crowd once again, but she still could not find a pony that fit the description Celestia had given her. Perhaps she was going to have to simply go out and start talking to ponies after all.
“Hold a moment…” Luna said as she spied a familiar hat. She stared at it for another moment to be certain, and then her butterflies vanished and she stepped from the shadows, startling a nearby pony as she did.
“P-Princess!” the stagehoof said, nearly dropping the prop he was carrying as he jumped back. “I didn’t see you there.”
“It is fine,” Luna replied with a relaxed smile. “We are simply here to check on a few details before we begin. Proceed as you were.”
Without waiting for a reply, she strode confidently to the middle of the stage and stood behind two ponies who were sticking their heads through the curtain. One of them was wearing a beautiful dark royal violet dress that Luna admitted flattered her figure around the hips and flank. It was bareback, allowing full view of her brushed coat beneath, and much to Luna’s surprise, the fabric itself seemed to flow and shimmer, much like Luna’s own mane.
Whoever this pony was, she was clearly somepony with a fair amount of wealth if she could afford such a pleasing outfit.
The same could not be said of the pony standing next to her. She wore a very familiar cloak, and although it showed signs of wear and tear, Luna could tell that it was well taken care of despite its age. In fact, she was fairly certain that it had even been deep cleaned and pressed because the yellow and blue stars seemed brighter than normal in the purple fabric. Even the matching hat, styled after so many wizards, seemed to have an extra sheen to it.
The whole outfit stuck out like a sore hoof in Canterlot, but Luna knew full well that the pony in it did not care. It made her memorable to her crowds, and she had in insisted that that was an important matter.
Luna was about to reach out and tap her apprentice on the shoulder, but before she could, Trixie pulled her head back from the curtain and turned to the pony she was standing next to.
“Trixie understands how you feel,” she said, her eyes closed and here chin raised ever so slightly. “But trust Trixie. Stage fright is nothing that cannot be bested. Even in a crowd such as—ah!” Trixie’s eyes went wide when she finally caught sight of Luna standing behind her.
“Hello, Trixie,” Luna said, smiling as the Unicorn locked up for a moment. Even the blue gem she used to clasp her cloak around her neck had been polished to a mirror shine. She truly was going to put her best hoof forward for this. “I just wanted to check on you before the show started. Are you well?”
“Um…yes, Princess!” The magician bowed her head too low and too quickly, nearly causing her hat to fall. “I-I was just speaking with this pony.” She gestured toward the pony who still had her back to Luna.
“I see,” Luna said with a smile. Trixie usually had trouble walking up and talking with ponies. Her bravado made her standoffish to most, but Luna knew that under it, Trixie still held an extreme amount of guilt over her past actions in Ponyville, to the point where she didn’t feel like she deserved to talk with others. Seeing her stretch out of that shell was both comforting and inspiring to the Princess.
“I was, um…just trying to give her some…some pointers!” Trixie stammered. “Nicely, of course,” she quickly added.
“Pointers?” Luna asked, although she already knew what the Unicorn meant.
“Yes.” Trixie cleared her throat and straightened her hat once again, and the confident—and many would say arrogant—pony began to appear before Luna’s eyes. “Trixie remembers being in her horseshoes, back when she first started; the stage, all those eyes staring up at you, waiting to judge you on your every move. And those quiet whispers as ponies blow every little mistake you make out of proportion until you feel like you cannot budge from your spot because your hooves have been glued to the floor beneath them.”
“Very kind of your, Trixie,” Luna said, genuinely impressed with her secret apprentice’s show of empathy. She couldn’t help but notice that the pony they were speaking of had yet to turn around though. Her head was still poking through the curtains. Was she truly that frightened?
“Thank you, Princess,” Trixie replied with a smile and a short nod. “But Trixie isn’t sure her heartfelt words are getting through to her. All she has done is stare out at the audience, and Trixie fears that she maybe freeze up and hurt Trixie’s performance, since she goes before Trixie and will be setting the mood.”
There was the mare that most ponies believed Trixie to be. Luna raised an eyebrow at her.
“And, um…ruin her own chance to shine in front of so many important ponies, of course!” Trixie quickly added, shrinking back just a bit with a weak laugh.
“Of course, Trixie,” Luna said with a knowing look. Trixie was making progress, to be sure, but she still had a little ways to go. “Perhaps you should go double check your preparations one last time. I will see if I can assist this pony.”
“Right away, Princess!” Trixie said. She spun around, her star-patterned cloak swirling around her body in a grand display—Luna would bet good bits that Trixie had practice that so often that she didn’t even realize she did it anymore—and sped off into the shadows behind the stage.
With her apprentice gone, Luna turned her gaze back to the back half of the mare before her. She reached out to tap her on the flank to gain her attention, but stopped as a much better idea sprang into her mind.
Giggling to herself as she imagined the mare’s reaction, Luna carefully walked up behind her and stuck her head through the curtains as well, knowing full well that her head would be just above the mare’s.
“Greetings,” Luna said. “May we ask what thou art doing?”
“Ah!”
The mare jumped, her backside bumping into Luna’s stomach. That caused her to twitch even more, yanking her head back behind the curtains and twisting to the side in an attempt to escape, only to crash into Luna’s foreleg instead. She let out another yelp and then froze.
“Are thou returning?” Luna asked as she tilted her head down to where her companion had been moments before. She had to struggle to keep the mirth from her voice and the grin from her face. “It is rather…lonesome out here by oneself.”
After a few long moments, a head full of deep violet hair slowly poked its way back out from behind the curtain. Luna imagined the sight would be quite comical, if the lights were not dimmed and ponies in the audience could see the two of them.
“Um…” the mare said. She quickly tilted her head for a glance up and Luna caught a single stunning teal eye, perhaps a shade brighter than her own, beneath the beautiful wavy mane before it disappeared again. “G-G-Greetings, Princess Luna.”
“And we greet you, Miss…?”
“Symphony, Your Majesty.”
Luna’s eyes went wide for a moment. What a fortuitous outcome. The very pony her sister had asked her to find, and she had stumbled upon her without any trouble.
Okay, Luna, you can handle this. Tia just wanted you to test the waters, nothing more. Now…how do I do that without being direct about it?
Luna’s mind raced for a few agonizing seconds as she tried to come up with a plan. Her sister was always the more diplomatic of them. Luna preferred the direct approach—“Why have you caused such grief to my sister’s friend?”—but she had the belief that such a question would not be the proper action.
“We saw thee conversing with Trixie a moment ago,” Luna said, trying to buy her mind a bit more time to think of something. She noticed Symphony’s ear twitch for brief second, but that was all. “She claimed thou may be experiencing some stage fright. Is this true?”
Symphony did not answer the Princess’ question, only continued to stare out into the audience. Luna made a face as she looked down at the mare’s head. She was not used to ponies ignoring her so directly. Fearing her, avoiding her, or stammering in her presence as they tried to find any excuse to leave, yes. But simply pretending not to hear her?
Luna raised her head and glanced out at the audience. The showroom was completely filled and she could just make out the outlines of countless ponies sitting in their seats. Their eyes all seemed to sparkle and glow in the dim light, and Luna suddenly felt like she had a deeper understanding of what Trixie had meant about feeling glued to the floor.
“An impressive house, to be sure,” she said as her eyes continued to scan the crowd. “We do not blame thee for feeling nervous.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Symphony said without looking up at her. Luna thought she heard the mare’s voice crack, but she could not be certain over the dull rumble of hushed conversation from the audience, so she looked down at Symphony once again.
Her mane was tied up in an elegant bun on her head, with a braided strand running along its middle. She had allowed her bangs to hang in front of her forehead, showing off the lovely waves that seemed to come naturally to her mane. The hairstyle matched her dress perfectly, giving her the look and air of a stunning beauty that would no doubt be the eye of many a pony tonight. Her posture was perfect, her neck straight with her back and shoulders as she stared out at the audience. Not a single part of her so much as moved, save for the subtle flow of her dress as she drew breath.
Hold a moment…Luna thought as she stared at Symphony. The yellow Earth pony in the violet dress was not quivering like a mare terrified before an audience. Her head was not turning like a mare frantically gazing out at the countless eyes before her. Her jaw was not working itself as if she were trying to stop herself from screaming and running away.
She was still like a cat preparing to pounce. It was as if she did not see any of eyes staring back at her, and instead was focused on a single spot to the exclusion of all others.
Curious, Luna attempted to follow the mare’s gaze. When she did, she spied a rare sight indeed: a single seat, in the front row, dead center of the stage, was empty. Either side of it was filled with ponies, all of them no doubt having paid a premium to acquire such a location, but the most prized seat in the entire chamber remained empty.
Luna’s mind suddenly returned to her sister’s friend.
“A seat remains unfilled,” Luna said carefully. “Art thou perhaps waiting for somepony?”
That got a reaction.
Symphony stiffened instantly and then quickly yanked her head behind the curtain. Before Luna could do the same, she nearly lost her balance as Symphony almost shoved her way out from under the Princess.
“No,” Symphony said quietly as Luna steadied herself while she pulled her head back. “No, of course not.”
Luna turned and looked at the mare. She was standing by a violin case, her eyes glued to it. Slowly, she reached down and undid the locks, revealing a beautiful hoof-made instrument.
“Lovely,” Luna said. “We take it thou art the one whom shall be regaling us with music on this night?”
“Uh huh,” Symphony said. She gracefully picked up the violin’s bow and stared at it. For a moment, Luna believed what she was doing was simply a task that all musicians did, but then she noticed other signs: a quiver in Symphony’s lips, a gleam from a tear in her eye, a tremble in the hoof that held the bow.
Luna’s heart began to shake. Sea Swirl’s agony from earlier had been obvious, and while Luna did not know the Unicorn on a familiar level, Tia did. And thus, Luna had been fully prepared to do whatever she needed to right the wrong that had been visited upon her friend.
But now she was not so certain that this would be as easy as she had believed.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Luna walked over to Symphony as casually as she could. As she drew closer, her eyes jumped to the strings on the bow. While she could not be certain in the dim light backstage, she thought the strings were the same colors as Sea Swirl’s tail. If that was indeed the case, then Luna was certain she had just pieced this entire mystery together, and it did not make her feel well.
“Thy bow looks impressively well maintained,” she said, trying to see if she could confirm her belief. “Or did thou perhaps purchase a new one for this most grand night?”
Symphony’s eyes went wide for just a moment, then she shook her head as if to shake away clouded thoughts. “No, it is mine. It was just…recently restrung is all.”
“A dazzling assortment of purple hues,” Luna said. She was positive she already knew the answer to her next question, but she wanted this mare to confirm it for her. “Did thou happen to utilize thine own hair for such a task? We have heard that musicians favor such things. In fact, our sister and we once did such a thing for mare long ago.”
“No, it’s not my…” Symphony closed her eyes and held them shut. Her nostrils flared as her teeth clamped down on her lower lip. Luna saw the muscles in her throat flex several times, but otherwise Symphony’s body remained as still as stone.
That was all the proof the Princess of the Night needed. She would need to report this to her sister.
“I apologize for my…distracted state, Your Majesty,” Symphony said as her eyes slowly opened. “But…this is a matter I would rather keep to myself.”
“Of course, dear Symphony,” Luna answered. “We did not mean to pry.” Part of her wanted to wrap the mare in a hug, while another part wanted to drag her back to Tia and force her to confront Sea Swirl. But her sister had told her that all she must do was confirm the mood of the mare, and Luna was certain she had accomplished the task.
“We must take our leave now,” she added. “The show will begin in but a moment or two, and we would not wish to miss any performances.”
Symphony’s head turned back toward the curtain, her eyes seeming to burn through it to look at the empty seat in the front row. “Of…course not, Your Majesty.”
“Thou must remember, if thou art still feeling uneasy upon the stage tonight, simply turn thy gaze toward our sister and we. We shall be watching thou from above, in our royal balcony.” Luna turned, hoping that her suggestion might cause the mare to at least notice that Sea Swirl was with her and her sister up above. “We wish thee luck, dear Symphony.”
“Thank you,” the Earth pony said, but her tone and gaze implied that she had barely heard the Princess’ words.
Conflicted, the Princess of the Night silently slipped through the ponies rushing about backstage and began to make her way back to her sister and the young Unicorn with her.
* * *
“Surely you can stay for a while longer?” Celestia asked as she tilted her head.
“I’m…I’m really tired, Celestia,” the young Unicorn said. She let out a forced laugh as raised her head. “After all, it’s almost midnight. Not used to staying up this late.”
“That is the point,” Celestia replied. She knew what Sea Swirl was trying to do. She knew that her young friend was trying to escape the party now that the floorshows were over, and truthfully, Celestia couldn’t hold it against her.
Luna had returned and confirmed that Symphony seemed to be troubled as well, though not nearly as bad as Sea Swirl. With that out of the way, the three mares had sat and enjoyed all the performances. Sea Swirl eyes had been glued to Symphony the entire time, tears twinkling as she stared like a statue, but the moment the Earth pony had finished, Sea Swirl had slouched and lost all interest. The moment the lights had come on and ponies had begun to move toward the main hall, Sea Swirl had nearly bolted toward the exit.
Even now, her head was on a swivel, darting around the hallway as her eyes raced across the walls. Every time she spied a pony, terror crossed her face and her breathing froze. She reminded Celestia of a stray kitten caught in a storm.
“I-I really should get going though,” Sea Swirl said. “I have to…um, pack.”
Celestia blinked in surprise. Pack? This was worse than she thought.
“You are leaving?” she asked.
“Yeah. I’m going to head back home for a bit.”
“But you have always stayed here until the end of the first month at least.”
Sea Swirl scratched the back of her neck with her hoof. “Heh, yeah. Thought I’d, um…change things up this time.”
“Why?” Celestia, of course, knew the answer, but she did not want to pry it out of Sea Swirl. She wanted her friend to talk to her willingly, and she was giving her every opportunity to do so as they walked down the hall and away from the party.
“Oh, you know…” Sea Swirl’s gaze drifted behind Celestia and her eyes seemed to glaze over, as if she was looking past the hallway and into the main hall, searching for a certain pony. “I spent a lot more time here than I normally do. Missing my home more because of it.”
With that, the Unicorn spun on her back hooves and started quickly walking down the hall once more, her steps echoing across the walls. By now, most ponies had surely filtered into the main hall. The music would be starting up, the mingling would be growing, and the chefs would have the first wave of courses out for all of the guests. No doubt Luna was struggling to maintain a calm, regal air at this point as dozens of ponies flocked to her in an attempt to curry favor since Celestia was not present. Celestia could see her sister’s strained face in her mind, and it made part of her smile.
But the sight before her kept the happiness from spreading. The sight of a young Unicorn, her two-hue tail dragging across the floor, with her head hung low and her legs struggling to move fast without running, heading in the opposite direction of all the mirth and out into the cold night. Her trembling shoulders and the small hiccups were all the proof Celestia needed to know that she was needed her more than back with Luna.
With a smooth flap of her wings, Celestia closed the gap between her and Sea Swirl. She settled next to the Unicorn and put her wing around her. Sea Swirl went stiff and tried to stop, but the Princess gently pushed her forward with her wing, as if she were guiding a young filly.
“Then I will at least see you to the door.”
“Thanks.”
The two mares walked in silence for a few moments. Sea Swirl’s pace had slowed considerably—almost to the point where it seemed as if she didn’t want to leave—but she was still making her way to the exit, and Celestia made no effort to stop her. She kept her wing around her and hummed softly to herself, but that was all.
“Sorry about that,” came a voice from around the corner. “I know these shindigs are important to you.”
Shindig? Celestia thought to herself. That was a word she was not used to hearing in Canterlot, and especially not in her castle. Not unless Applejack was around, but Celestia was certain that she was back in Ponyville with her friends.
“I told you it’s fine,” came another voice, one that sounded much more at home in Equestria’s capital. “It’s just a little wine.”
“But…your dress. Aren’t ponies all uppity ‘bout—”
Two mares came around the corner ahead and instantly stopped when their eyes fell on Celestia. Without thinking, they both bowed, one of them taking the white cowboy hat off her head as she did.
“Greetings, Your Highness,” said the sky blue one. Her bow was smooth, practiced, and told of her upbringing, but there was also a hint of roughness about it, as if she was out of practice a little.
“Er, um…howdy, Princess,” said the yellow one. Her bow was rough, too low and too deep, causing her lovely blue mane to touch the floor and her to forelegs tremble a little as too much weight was put on them. The rare honest sight warmed Celestia’s heart.
“Good evening, ladies,” Celestia said in turn, nodding slightly to them both. She couldn’t help but notice that Sea Swirl had gone stiff again and seemed to be trying to bury herself in Celestia’s wing. “May I ask why you two are out here, rather than in the main hall?”
“Oh!” The yellow mare’s head shot up and she placed her hat back on her head without a thought. “That was my fault. I sort of slipped and spilled some…” The mare’s sentence drifted off as she looked at the pony hiding next to Celestia.
The sky blue mare started to speak. “Fiddlesticks is not used to these kinds of—”
“Shindigs?” Celestia offered with a smile, and both mares blushed.
“Yes, Your Highness,” the other mare continued. “She bumped me and I spilled some wine on my dress.” The blue mare looked down at her white and blue dress, indicating a stain on her sleeve. “We were trying to wash it out.”
“I see,” Celestia said. With a smile, she channeled her magic into her horn and focused on the stain. A moment later, the mare’s dress glowed and the stain, along with the dampness from the washing, vanished from the dress.
“Thank you,” the mare said as she stared at her renewed outfit.
“But of course,” Celestia said as she stared closer at the mare. “Would you like me to remove the one around you collar as well?”
The blue mare’s face went purple and she instantly tried to scrunch her neck in while pulling her dress’ collar up further. Apparently washing hadn’t been the only thing these two mares had been doing in the washroom.
“Sea Swirl!” the yellow mare—Fiddlesticks, if Celestia understood correctly—said loudly. “Did you see her? Wasn’t she great? I knew she was good, but wow! I wish I could play that well.”
Celestia felt Sea Swirl wince with every word.
“You play beautifully, Fiddlesticks,” the other mare said, a hint of annoyance seeping into her voice. “Your music is just different. That mare wishes she could play as fast as you.”
“Don’t be silly, B.B.,” Fiddlesticks said as she waved away the comment. “That was some great, deep feeling stuff out there. So powerful, so emotional.” Fiddlesticks sighed and leaned against B.B. without a care in the world. “I’m so glad we got you to return her violin.”
“I…won’t deny that she has talent,” B.B. said, looking at the floor while her cheeks changed color for a moment. “She could stand to be less of a—”
“B.B., be nice.”
“Hmph. You know it’s—woah!”
Without a word, Sea Swirl broke from Celestia’s side and dashed down the hallway, nearly knocking over the two mares. Her stomping hooves echoed all around, nearly downing out the soft sniffles that barely reached Celestia’s ears.
“Sea Swirl?” Fiddlesticks called as she raised her hoof after her, then she rounded on the other mare. “Beauty Brass!”
“I didn’t actually say anything…” the mare responded, avoiding the glaring blue eyes of Fiddlesticks.
“You know they’re friends though!”
Beauty Brass sighed and hung her head. “I know. I’m sorry. I just…I just get so mad when I think about how she treated you.”
“And how many times do I hav’ to tell ya that I—”
“I am afraid Miss Sea Swirl has had a rough couple of days,” Celestia said, stepping into the conversation before it grew too heated. She was already witness to one heartbreak tonight. She did not wish to see another one play out before her eyes.
“Oh no,” Fiddlesticks said, all the anger vanishing from her voice. “What happened?”
“I am unsure,” Celestia lied. “But I must excuse myself to go after her.”
“We’ll come with you!” Fiddlesticks said, reaching out and pulling Beauty Brass with her.
“No,” Celestia said instantly. It wasn’t that she doubted Fiddlesticks’ sincerity, but rather her tactfulness. She believed that the mare might end up being too direct, doing more harm than good. “You two should hurry back to the party. It is nearly midnight, and I would hate for you to miss the Midnight Kiss.”
“But—”
“It appears you have both been practicing already,” the Princess said with a wink, causing both mares to blush and turn their heads. Using their embarrassment as cover, she gave a quick nodded and bolted after the Unicorn.
Sea Swirl was already gone from sight, vanishing around the far corner in the hallway. Celestia knew she could catch up to her in a moment. She could go into a full sprint, easily closing the distance with her long legs. Or she could open her wings and take off, sailing through the air and catching Sea Swirl before she even made it out of the castle. Or she could simply use her magic and teleport right in front of the Unicorn, likely causing her to skid into the Princess as she struggled to stop.
But Celestia felt that simply running after her friend was the right thing to do. Sea Swirl needed a friend right now, not an all-powerful ruler.
The Alicorn turned the corner in the hallway, her hooves skidding slightly on the plush red rug that ran the entire length, and just managed to see the hint of a violet tail disappearing out the exit as two of Luna’s guards stared in confusion. One of them was about to follow, but then they both saw Celestia galloping toward them and snapped to attention.
“Should we stop her, ma’am?” one of them asked.
“Not necessary,” the Princess replied as she ran up. She used her magic to open the door and the two ponies remained at attention as she dashed past them and into the cold night air.
She had expected to have to keep running. She had believed that she would end up following Sea Swirl all the way back to her Canterlot house, where she would no doubt have to ask to be let in from the cold as the Unicorn sat alone in the dark. She had been fully prepared for the jog through the city, even if the night air was already biting into her body.
So the Princess of the Sun was surprised when she found Sea Swirl just a few steps away, looking utterly defeated. Her head was hung low and her ears drooped even lower than before. Her tail lay flat on the ground, not even swishing as it hung from her body. Her body was shaking as she gasped for breath, and every few seconds she raised her foreleg to rub her face before letting it fall back to the ground. Her shoulders shook as little whimpers and sobs escaped her mouth between gasps.
“Sea Swirl…” Celestia whispered as she walked up behind her young friend.
“I shouldn’t be surprised,” the mare said without turning around. Instead, she flopped down on her flank and just stared straight ahead. “I knew it wasn’t going to work. Of course it wasn’t going to work.”
Celestia said nothing as she walked forward and sat down next to her friend. She didn’t turn to look at her, nor did she put her wing around her. She simply stared straight ahead and waited.
“We’re nothing alike,” the Unicorn continued after several heavy breaths and sobs. “I don’t know the first thing about music. I can’t dance, I don’t fit in to Canterlot’s crowd, I’m not…She’s all about grace, elegance, and upstanding lifestyles. I just like to goof off in water and dig in the mud…”
Celestia turned her head to see tears freely flowing down Sea Swirl’s face. She wasn’t even trying to rub them away anymore. Carefully, she reached out and wrapped her wing around her, pulling her closer.
“Did you know I didn’t even ask her what her last name was?” she continued, her cheek now pressed against Celestia’s foreleg. “Who does that? I knew nothing about her. Didn’t know her name, didn’t know her who her parents were. I don’t know her favorite food, or what she likes to do besides playing music. I don’t even know her favorite color! I mean, I think it’s purple, because she’s always choosing things like that, but for all I know it’s because it matches her mane! I don’t know anything about her, and I never even tried! No wonder she wants nothing to do with me…”
“Sea Swirl, that is—”
“I was just…” She sobbed again, her breaths coming in choked rasps as her throat contracted, “just so happy to finally have somepony with me. I was so tired of being alone, of having no pony notice me…”
Celestia held the Unicorn closer as her own heart started to break. She knew this troubled Sea Swirl constantly. The mare was a free spirit through and through, constantly traveling across Equestria. It gave her many great experiences, but at the same time, she had told Celestia on many occasions that it made for many lonely days and nights. She wanted to help her, wanted to tell her that she was there for her, but she knew that wouldn’t help.
Sea Swirl was talking about a void that Celestia, with all her royal duties and an entire kingdom to watch over, could never hope to truly fill. Yes, she cared about Sea Swirl and considered her one of her true friends, but she knew she could never truly be there for her, and that made a tear roll down her cheek.
“She…she said…” Sea Swirl stammered. She reached out and wrapped her forelegs around Celestia and buried her face in her dress. “She said I used her! And she’s right!”
Celestia’s purple eyes blinked at the shocking statement. “That is not true.” She knew Sea Swirl too well. The mare was kind to a fault, to the point where there were always whispers of how she must be the daughter of a wealthy family or somepony’s plaything, because there was no way she should be as well off as she was with how generous she ran her business.
“But it is!” Sea Swirl shouted back, her face pulling away so she could look up in all her agony at Celestia. “I didn’t really care about her. I just cared about having a pony with me! I never asked questions, I didn’t show any interest in her as a pony, I didn’t try to get to know her! All I did…all I wanted…all I wanted was somepony to…to…to” she swallowed, her eyes quivering as she looked up, “to buck…”
The dam broke then. More tears sprang from the pair of red eyes gazing up at Celestia. Mucus began to leak from her nose and her mouth opened as heartbreaking sounds came from deep inside the young mare. She buried her face once again in Celestia’s dress, clinging to her like a filly to her mother, her body shaking as every muscle in her tensed, shook, and relaxed over and over.
The ruler of Equestria sat in silence, her heart breaking for her friend as she kept her wing around her and stroked her mane and neck. She wanted to say something, wanted to tell Sea Swirl that the things she had said were not true, and that any pony would be lucky to have her, but she knew none of those words would comfort her friend now. All she could do was be a support for her, and that was what she planned to do as they sat in the night together. She had learned that sometimes, the only way to help was to sit in silence and let the pain bleed itself out.
After a while, Sea Swirl’s wails slowly faded to low whimpers, and her hold on Celestia’s body loosened. Celestia did not move, still cradling and soothing the Unicorn, until the mare pulled her head away and rubbed her eyes with her hoof.
“I’m…going to go home,” Sea Swirl whispered finally. She refused to look up at Celestia, but that did not stop the Princess from looking down at her.
“Are you certain?” she asked. “I would feel better if you slept here tonight, to at least calm down.”
“Thanks,” Sea Swirl whispered. She stood up and gently, but firmly, pushed her way out of Celestia’s embrace and started to slowly walk away. “But…I’ll be fine. Would you take care of things here?”
“Of course,” Celestia answered, knowing what the Unicorn meant by the request. “But you must promise me that you will be safe.”
“Sure,” came the small voice as the Unicorn continued to walk away, her head hung low and never once looking back. Her steps were slow and unsure as she began to fade into the darkness. “You…better get back in there. It’s almost midnight.”
Celestia knew her friend was right. No doubt ponies were starting to wonder where she was, and Luna was most likely chewing her mane out at this point. As a leader of Equestria, her presence was required for the stroke of midnight, to help usher in the New Year. It simply would not do for her to be absent for the crowning moment of tonight’s celebration.
How many times have my duties called me away from important matters?
Celestia sighed as she watched her friend disappear into the Canterlot night. She waited another few minutes, still looking in the direction of the Unicorn, before she raised her hoof to her mouth.
“Luna says to put my lips here and…” She took a deep breath and blew, but instead of the barely audible whistle she wanted, a raspberry escaped her mouth and her hoof was covered in spit. She spat and pulled her hoof away, shaking it to clean it off and licking her lips, before she tried again, with the same results.
She tried three more times before the frustration began to set in. “How does she do that?” she wondered out loud as she stared at her hoof, her white coat around her ankle starting to matt from her failed attempts.
It was then that a faint noise caught her ear. Curious, she cocked her head and turned her ear upward. After a moment, she sighed and closed her eyes in exhaustion.
“She sent you to find me, didn’t she?” the Princess asked. The muffled giggling instantly stopped. “How long have you been there?”
“Not long at all, Your Highness,” came a voice from somewhere in the shadows on the roof above her. Celestia turned around and rose to her full height, staring up to where she thought the voice originated from. Sure enough, after a moment she saw what looked like a living shadow dance across the palace’s building.
A moment later, a Bat pony was silently landing in front of her. Her yellow eyes seemed to glow in the dark, and the moonlight reflected off of her fangs in a way that no doubt unnerved other ponies, but Celestia knew the mare before her was not a threat. She was, after all, a member of the Royal Guard, and judging by her uniform, she was also one of the Threstrals assigned to Luna’s own private Royal Guard.
“Good even—”
“We certainly did not sit on the roof and watch you try to do your sister’s special whistle for us for a minute or two.”
Celestia jumped and let out a small yelp as another voice came from behind her. She whipped around on reflex to find the exact same pony staring back at her, a wide grin on her face as her eyes rolled up to look at the night sky.
Celestia took a moment to compose herself. Any other pony—save maybe Luna and other Threstrals—might think they were seeing double, or that this mare was playing a trick, but Celestia knew full well whom she was dealing with now.
“Ice Tail,” she said, trying to get her voice back under control.
“Actually, I’m Comet,” the mare replied, her grin widening.
“And I’m Ice,” the first mare said.
Celestia knew these two mares. They were indeed amongst the few ponies that were part of Luna’s special group, and they took after Luna when it came to mischief. Luna called them the Twins, for that was what they were, and they took great joy in confusing and playing pranks on others. Luna could somehow tell them apart, but Celestia had never been able to.
“I’m afraid I must ask you two for a favor,” the Princess said as Ice Tail walked around to stand next to her twin sister. They both cocked their heads to the side ever so slightly, their dark manes falling identically to block their left eyes. “I apologize for taking you away from the party.”
“It is our duty,” they both said at the same time, offering the same smile and a quick salute.
“You want us to follow that Unicorn?” Ice Tail—at least Celestia believed it was Ice Tail—asked as her ears twitched.
“How long were you…?” Celestia started to ask, but the two ponies closed their eyes and grinned up at her, offering nothing but innocent smiles. She shook her head and blinked away her surprise. “One of you, yes. Simply make sure that she remains safe until she leaves. I do not think she will do anything, but…”
“A broken heart leads to some bad decisions sometimes,” Comet Tail said.
“Don’t worry, sis. You have me!” Ice Tail turned her head and gave her sister a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Don’t I know it,” Comet Tail replied with an eye roll and a return cheek kiss. Her wings then flew open, and with a silent takeoff and a small gust, the mare shot into the night sky and quickly vanished from Celestia’s sight.
“Miss Ice Ta—”
“I’m actually Comet, Your Majesty,” the mare said with an innocent but knowing smile.
Celestia growled, but couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. “Miss Tail.”
“Oh, that’s good,” the mare said with a wink.
“I have another task for you. If your sister comes back, she may join you.”
“What are my orders?”
“I need you to watch over another pony tonight.”
“It will be done, Princess.”
“And again, I must apologize to you and your sister for putting you on duty tonight.”
Ice Tail—Celestia was certain it was indeed her, despite what she had claimed—opened her mouth to say something, but then she froze. A smirk came to her face a moment later, and Celestia suddenly saw the vision of her younger sister in the mare’s attitude.
“If you really want to make it up to us, I can think of something. And it fits perfectly with tonight’s celebration.”
Celestia swallowed, but she knew that these two mares knew where to draw the line. Whatever they had planned, it would not be something unreasonable. Knowing that, she nodded once. “Of course.”
“Great!” Ice Tails wings fluttered and she hovered off the ground for a moment before landing silently again, a skill that not even Celestia had managed to master. “Let’s get back inside then and you can point out this mark you want me to keep an eye on."
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Yay, the next chapter. Thanks for getting this out, even though it may have taken a bit longer than expected. I'll just pretend it's a late birthday present and accept it.
Poor Sea Swirl, hope she'll be alright. At least Trixie was there, Trixie makes everything better. Until next time,
-Sphinx
Is this story dead?
11247161
Wow...I didn't think anypony would still be reading it. I guess I did kind of stop writing at the worst possible spot, huh? Tell you what. I'll post the next chapter by mid June, 2022. Hope you come back then. :-)
11248210
Sure, i love this story and i want to know more
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𝓟𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮…
Zeck, I absolutely GOTTA know what happens, pls help a brother out
11885461
Both stories, huh?
Okay, I got this. I've been thinking about how annoyed and disappointed I always became when artists would stop their cartoons in the middle of a story and never come back, and here I have done the same thing.
End of May, 2024 AT THE LATEST, I will have at least one of these updated.
11886358
Thanks so much for that
I, like so many others, have had such a great time reading your work. Now there’s gonna soon be more to look forward to? Absolutely awesome