Unimpressive Scraps

by An Unimpressive

Interference (Sad Celestia draft)

A/N: This was the original draft of the story "Interference"

Interference

Time for a break.

I let the quill drop with a sigh and leaned into the pillows I was resting on. With a quick flash of my horn, the letter I'd just written was off through the aether, soon to be in Spike's claws. I glanced out my spartan office's large window at the full moon bathing my beloved Canterlot with soft, gentle light. Seeing my sister's tranquil night was strangely soothing, but I couldn't stop my mind from reviewing the day's events.

I had held court, as usual, and ponies had come from far and wide to shower adoration upon me, as well as to seek my counsel. While I did love my little ponies, it was all too easy to see that they loved the idea of me, rather than the pony I was. It was plain in their eyes that they loved their all-powerful princess who could, with a few comforting words and a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering, fix any little thing in Equestria, but it was the crown, not the mare, who received the thanks. I couldn't blame them; if I had some all-powerful figure to turn to to solve all my problems, I'm sure I would bother her with every last concern I had, too.

There was Luna, I suppose, but even after a year, she was still trying to adjust to helping govern Equestria, though some of my advisers claimed I was holding her hoof too much. Luna, of course, didn't seem to mind; she was just grateful that fewer ponies were openly referring to her as Nightmare Moon.

With a thought, I summoned a cup of tea, sipping some and savoring the flavor. Nothing like a little peppermint chai to calm my nerves. However, the tea was a temporary solution for a symptom rather than a cause, and I realized that. All the same, it wasn't as though I could simply make everypony deal with their problems on their own and stop coming to me. I wasn't Discord; I wasn't about to mess with the minds of ponies.

I shook my head. My own discomfort paled before the needs of Equestria. There was always more to be done. Always. After finishing the cup of tea, I slowly rose and walked to my door. Cracking it open, I poked my head out. The two gossiping guards quickly snapped to attention. The more senior member addressed me. “Yes, Your Highness? Is there anything you need?”

I smiled, hoping to set him at ease. Guards had always been a bit stuffy for my taste, but it was nice to have them around to play the bad cop to my good cop. “Yes, Captain Glass. Please inform my sister that I'll be dropping by court briefly. Nothing official or pressing; I'd just like to have a few words with her.”

He nodded. “Of course, Your Highness. Right away.” He trotted off, stretching his wings as he walked. Empty Glass was a nice pony, but he had a bad habit of assuming the worst about situations. It made him a very good Royal Guard, but I worried about his personal life sometimes.

Glass's fellow looked at me, sweating somewhat. “A-and me, Y-Your Highness?” he stuttered, trying to keep a calm face but failing utterly.

I chuckled. “Just keep up the fine work.”

He beamed, taking in the complement like a dying pony would drink water. “T-thank you, Princess! I will!”

I withdrew into my office, making a mental note to find out his name at the earliest convenience. I liked to know all my guards by name, as often even the hardiest veterans were uneasy when assigned to my personal detail. I tried not to let it bother me. Again, they feared the idea of who I was rather than who I actually was, or so I liked to tell myself. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. More than anypony else, I could trust my sister to treat me as a pony and not a symbol. She knew well the weight of the crown. Even though her Lunar Court saw far fewer petitioners than mine, she was still busy enough that we spent less time together than I liked. It would be nice to change that, if only for a few minutes.

Within a few minutes, somepony knocked on the door. “Come in,” I called.

Empty Glass stuck his grim muzzle in. “Your Highness, Princess Luna stands appraised of your intent. She awaits you in the throne room. Will there be anything else?”

I grinned. “No, that will be all. I'll be heading there directly... you two can take a break.”

Concern spread over his face. “Your Highness, are you sure that—“

“I'm quite certain I'll be fine. If I'm not mistaken, you've been on duty most of the day, correct?” His suddenly blank expression told me all I needed to know. “I insist. Please take a few minutes until I return. Get some coffee.”

“Very well.” He withdrew, and I heard his hoofsteps echo as he moved down the hall. My ears perked as I listened for a second quartet, but none came. With a sigh, I flung open the doors to my office, stopping them just short of smacking the other guard on the nose.

The remaining pegasus skittered to the side with a squeak. Suppressing my giggles at his shocked reaction, I assumed my best serene face—more than a thousand years of practice had made me a fine actress—and remarked, “Oh, I had thought Glass would have let you go on break as well.”

“N-No, Your Highness. H-he said that—“

“Please, take a break.”

The poor thing looked about ready to die of fright: sweat was rolling down his face, his shrinking pupils darted to and fro, and his legs were shaking as though he was standing on a localized earthquake.

“Relax.” I smiled, trying to set him at ease. I might have overestimated his mettle. What in Equestria was so frightening about me?

“N-name's Hair T-Trigger, Your Highness!”

Although I was puzzled why he volunteered his name, I nodded and left, leaving the shaken pony to collect himself. As I walked the familiar, featureless halls of the palace's inner sanctum, my mind began to wander once more. More than once, I'd wanted to take a few days off, just to take some time for me. I grimaced. Equestria, whether I liked it or not, needed me more than my very, very comfortable bed needed me.

Before long, I arrived at the large double doors marking the entrance to our shared throne room. The two guards on duty, Sour Limeade and Keen Eye, saluted as I passed. I offered them both a warm smile, but strode on. My dear sister awaited. With a weak burst of magic, I opened the doors and looked out at the throne room. Curiously, I noted that there was no line of petitioners. Even stranger, all of her usual retinue of guards had cleared the hall.

Luna sat very stiffly upon the throne, gazing disinterestedly at the empty hall. Noticing me, she brightened and said, “Ah, fair sister! It does Our heart good to see thee.” In spite of this, she looked somewhat nervous. Her eyes were darting to and fro, reminding of me of several times in our youth when she'd wanted to stop me from learning about a stolen cookie.

“And you as well, Luna. No petitioners tonight?” I cocked my head curiously and glanced around the throne room, scanning to see if I'd just missed one of her Lunar Guard lurking in a shadow. Luna was rather fond of her personal guards. Seeing her without any present was a rare thing indeed.

“In sooth, there were none. We... er, I... thought it opportune that you would pick such a time to call upon Us.” Luna was sweating slightly, although some of that might have been just from the effort to curtail her speech. “What did you wish to speak of?”

I trotted up to the throne. “I just wanted to chat a bit. We don't seem to see much of each other since you started holding court regularly. I just needed to see you, Luna.”

This seemed to make her even more tense. “Oh... really...” She shifted uncomfortably. An awkward silence pervaded the room as I considered how to alleviate whatever strange worries Luna had.

“Luna.” My voice was flat. Not accusatory, but also unamused.

“Y-yes?”

“Did you... send all your petitioners and guards away just because I was coming here?”

“Well... that is... you see, fair sister, I—“

One of Luna's guards burst into the room. “Your Highness! We have successfully moved the waiting ponies to...” He trailed off when he noticed me and bowed, terrified. “Oh! Princess Celestia, my apologies. I hadn't seen you there.” The awkward silence stretched out as I stared, unimpressed, at Luna, Luna stared at her guard with a mixture of irritation and horror, and the the guard stared at the floor with a rising blush in his cheeks. After a few minutes, the guard finally coughed and said, “I... I'll, um... yes.” He slowly backed out the door and shut it behind him.

Luna shied away from my gaze. “Luna... I said it wasn't anything urgent!” She said nothing. I sighed. “I thought you of all ponies would understand...”

“Sorry,” she whispered. It was clear to me; even my own sister viewed me as more of a figure and less of a pony. I stormed off, an uncharacteristic scowl crossing my features for a moment. Was there truly nopony out there who saw me as anything more than my office? Even my own sister plainly thought of me as such.

The halls seemed particularly empty as I walked back to my bedchambers. No matter how upset I might be, it was no reason to take it out on poor ponies. Why was I thinking such petty thoughts? I exhaled heavily. I had a duty. Regardless of my feelings, Equestria needed me, now more than ever. Some ponies were still wary of Luna, and without my presence, some might panic and assume the worst. Even so, my mind still screamed at me for a break from my royal duties.

I walked the rest of the way to my chambers, trying to smile and greet every servant pony I met. All of them seemed on edge; unsurprising, given how quickly rumors spread among those ponies. Perhaps even now, some of them were whispering exaggerated half-truths to tabloid reporters. Those... creative publications... often loved to run unsavory rumors about me. Most ponies ignored it for the rubbish it was, but those ponies constantly looked to find any kind of vindication for their work.

I returned to my private chambers, noting that both my guards were still on the break I’d sent them on. Politics could wait. I could feel myself relax as my hooves seemed to positively glide over the plush velvet carpeting. I threw myself unceremoniously atop my giant bed, not even bothering to remove my regalia or crown. Curiously, not even the soft cloud mattress and griffon feather-filled pillows seemed to completely remove my lingering sense of unease. I let my gaze wander around the room and its various trappings.

My expression brightened as my gaze came to rest upon my wall of portraits. Taking up a good three-quarters of my innermost room's wall, I had placed a portrait of everyone I'd known throughout the years. It was a veritable Who's Who of Equestrian history, although sadly, time had forgotten a few of them. Still, I cherished them all.

I supposed the trouble with being immortal was that eventually, everypony else had to die. Yet, I lived on. Just Luna, a horde of constantly changing mortal ponies, and I until the end of everything. I looked just of few of the various ponies whose pictures were assembled on my wall: Star Swirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, Quill, Moondust, and of course, my most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight Sparkle, the young mare who always seemed to legitimately mean it when she looked at me with adoration. True, she often was uncomfortable due to who I was, but I had the impression that even were I not a princess, she still would have idolized me... Idolized me? I cocked my head and pondered. That didn’t seem quite right, somehow. I dismissed the thought.

I hadn't seen anypony with her kind of magical potential in hundreds of years, and I'd quickly grown surprised at how much I enjoyed having a personal student. Her sparkling eyes, her eager smile, and her boundless enthusiasm called to mind memories of my own youth millenia ago. Though tutoring her had been something of a spur-of-the-moment decision, everything had turned out better than expected as she grew older, wiser, and began to mature in her own right.

I chuckled. What was I, her mother? I still received friendship reports from her when her friends weren't writing them instead, and I knew I couldn't keep holding on to her forever. Still, I did miss seeing her once in a while... Why did her development have to separate us?

Suddenly, I had a cunning plan. Grinning, I floated over some parchment and a quill and wrote a quick letter to Twilight, asking her to come to Canterlot when she could. I hadn't heard from her in a few weeks, nor seen her in person for longer still. A convenient excuse.

This was a good solution.

---

This was bad.

I paced around the library, trying to rationalize what I'd just read. Why would the princess want to see me alone? I stole a panicked glance around the library's bookshelves, seeing if I had a reference guide that might help me on the subject. None presented themselves.

“Aw, come on, Twilight, I don't see what's so bad,” Spike said. “Princess Celestia just wants to see you! Sure, she didn't say why, but you haven't been back to Canterlot in a while, right?”

“Not bad? Are you kidding me, Spike?! This can only be bad. What if...” My brain scrambled to come up with a possible explanation. “What if she's disappointed because I've been having my friends write all the friendship reports? What if she thinks I haven't been making enough friends? What if she...”

Spike interrupted, “Twilight. I think you'll be fine. Just relax; remember when you thought she was going to send you back to Magic Kindergarten?”

I shivered. The horrors I'd suffered in Magic Kindergarten were things I never wanted to repeat, even if logic dictated that my aversion was likely due to foalish exaggeration of events. I'd never forget how Moon Dancer humiliated me when she had set a whoopee cushion on my desk's seat. Nopony had believed me when I'd said it wasn't me, not even that nice colt Emerald Sky...

“Twilight!”

“Hm? What, Spike?”

“Still with me? You were spacing out there.”

“Oh. Sorry, Spike.” I grabbed the letter with my magic and read it again, trying to determine what horrible fate awaited me.

To my faithful student,

I realize that I already sent a reply to Fluttershy's latest report on the magic of friendship, but I wanted to write to you specifically. Would you mind coming to Canterlot some time soon? I need to speak to you.

Your teacher,
Princess Celestia

“Oooh, this can't be good.”

“Yeah, clearly all manner of horrors await from a letter that direly worded,” Spike deadpanned as he started to pick up a few scattered books on the library floor. I glared at him, but he just waved a claw dismissively and kept working.

I sat at a desk, wondering what could have happened in Canterlot. What did the princess have to tell me that she couldn't write in a letter? Was it urgent? Should I take my friends, too? What if some emergency came up? No, wait, she'd said “some time soon”. But did that mean “soon” or “soon soon”?

“Twilight?”

“Huh? Um... yes, Spike?” I replied, turning my head to see a very worried dragon staring at me.

“Were you... talking to yourself?”

I blinked. “No! No, of course not.” I turned away. “Had I been talking to myself? I wouldn't talk to myself. I'm just worried about whatever I did to concern Princess Celestia, that's all. I mean, it's not like a word from her could ruin my future forever! Heh heh... hehe...”

“Twilight. You just did it again. It's late, okay? Get some sleep.”

“But I can't sleep now, Spike!” I cried, scampering up the stairs and holding onto one of the railings for dear life. “Even if I tried, I'd just ask myself, 'What did I do, Princess?' over and over and over until the morning!”

Spike smacked a claw into his face in frustration. “This is going to be Smartypants all over again, isn't it?”

“N-no,” I replied, hurt. Even though I was glad the princess hadn't inflicted some harsh punishment on me then, I couldn't help but worry that I had failed her somehow. I had deliberately acted against my role as an Element of Harmony and against just my nature as a pony to incite chaos amongst others. Was the princess only making the others write to her because she thought I couldn't do it alone any more? Was she just calling me to Canterlot to say that she was taking somepony else as her student? Was I worrying too much? I'm worrying too much. I had to be worrying too much. Was I worrying too much about worrying too much?

Suddenly, Spike's unamused face filled my field of vision.

“Gahhh!” I shrieked, quickly backing up into the bedroom.

“Twilight, I'm worried about you. You just zoned out again. You've been staying up way too late lately, and this letter thing isn't helping! Just get some sleep, okay? Your two best assistants will handle this mess!” He struck a heroic pose as my favorite owl landed on the railing next to him.

I smiled. “Okay, Spike. Don't go getting tired yourself, now. That goes for you, too,” I added with a look at Owloysius. With a yawn that I hadn't realized I'd been suppressing, I snuggled into bed.

I'd take care of everything tomorrow.

---

I had the strangest dream.

Spike was shaking me and yelling, “Twilight! Twilight! You gotta get up!” A panicked look was on his face as I got out bed.

The room seemed to swim around me as I staggered to my hooves. “Spike...? What time is it? What's going on?”

“A chariot's here for you to take you to the castle! You gotta go!” He started pushing me towards the stairs as though every second counted.

“Oh, uh... okay,” I mumbled, then stumbled down the stairs, not even bothering to smooth out my mane or tail. For a moment, I thought I saw three sparkling sets of eyes peering out from behind the door to the library's basement, but after I blinked, I saw nothing. Oh well. This was a dream, after all, even though I'd never had such a vivid dream before. My eyelids drooped, my stomach rumbled with hunger, and all the details of the library seemed so concrete, so real. Even the dusty shelves Spike kept putting off cleaning were as they should be. I supposed I had my excellent memory to thank.

Spike ushered me out the door into the bright morning sun, where two of the princess' guards were hitched to a chariot, awaiting my arrival. “No baggage, Miss Sparkle?” one inquired.

“Nope, just me,” I murmured. I climbed into the chariot, settling down into a comfortable corner, and yawned. “Go ahead, sirs. I'll just be... relaxing here.”

The guards chuckled. One mentioned to the other, “Isn't it ironic that Princess Celestia's personal student isn't much of a morning pony?”

As they lifted off, his comrade replied, “Yeah, I'll say.”

As much as I'd normally have been a little annoyed about two ponies talking about me like I wasn't there, I was too tired to take umbrage with their lack of tact. I relaxed, feeling the wind rush around me as I settled back down to ease my fatigue.

What felt like moments later, a hoof shook me awake. “Miss Sparkle? Miss Sparkle!”

My eyes shot open to see a concerned Royal Guard shaking me. He smiled. “Whenever you're ready, the Princess awaits.”

I blinked and picked myself off the chariot floor. “Wait, the... where am I?” I looked around and found myself in a small garden located in the palace's courtyard. As beautiful as it was, it also served a practical purpose, as many pegasi-driven chariots often needed some space to take off and land. My eyes shrank in horror as I looked around at the familiar scene. This was no dream. Why was I in Canterlot?

“Miss Sparkle, are you feeling alright?”

“I'm... I'm in the palace. I'm in Canterlot.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Yes, ma'am.”

I felt anger build within me. I had been hauled out of my warm, comfortable bed at some incredibly early hour, and Spike had just let me go without bringing anything? Without grooming myself? Without even eating breakfast?

“Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike!”

---

I was going to be in trouble.

Luckily, Twilight had been too groggy to resist much as I hurried her to the door. She lurched outside, looking around as though still mostly asleep, which I guess she was. I closed the door quietly and looked around fearfully, fully expecting Twilight to teleport in at any moment, having seen through my little act. A few minutes passed, however, and I heard the two guards take off. I sighed in relief.

Meanwhile, three shining pairs of eyes peered out of the basement door. “Can we come out yet, Spike?” an accented voice asked.

“Sure,” I replied.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom rushed out, looking around the library eagerly. “Alright! Thanks so much, Spike!” Sweetie Belle said.

“Just... don't mess anything up too much, okay?” I replied.

“Sure! And here's what you wanted.” The little unicorn rifled around in her saddlebags for a moment and brought out a bulging sack of jewels. My eyes widened—top quality jewels, straight from Rarity!

I grabbed the sack eagerly and opened it, relishing the sight of the treasures within. Behind me, I heard Scootaloo slowly trot out from the basement. “Aww, are we really going to try something boring like this to find our cutie marks?”

Sweetie Belle replied, “Well, you said we needed something 'different'... and this is 'different'!”

“Not a good kind of different.” I could hear the sulkiness dripping from Scootaloo's words.

“Aww, come on. This'll be fun!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.

“Fine...” Scootaloo said, resigned.

With a volume that continued to surprise me, the three fillies yelled, “Cutie Mark Crusader interior decorators, YAAAAY!”

“Forgive me, Twilight,” I mumbled as I focused on my reward and not the already-growing mess I’d have to clean up later.

---

Twilight was funny when she was flustered.

Clearly not prepared for her visit, Twilight walked into my chambers with a low-hanging head. A few of her mane and tail hairs seemed to be out of place, and her coat seemed matted, as though she had groomed herself in a hurry that morning. How curious. I lounged on my bed, the picture of casual, and watched her approach.

She yawned. “Good... good morning, Princess.”

I smiled. “Why, Twilight. I would have thought after how eager you sounded in your letter, you'd be more pleased to see me.”

A brief, horrified look came over Twilight's face, but she quickly covered it with her fatigue. Interesting. That's not the reaction I'd expected. I decided to probe further. “I'm so pleased you arrived so quickly, my faithful student. We have much to discuss.”

She flinched again. “I-I see, Princess. Really, I...”

“Really, I'm surprised, Twilight. You just had to see me so quickly that I had to rouse those poor guards to come fetch you this early? You must have something you need to tell me as well.”

The look on Twilight's face practically screamed “It wasn't me!” After awkwardly pawing the ground, she said, “Might I... might I be able to, um... review... that letter I sent you?”

Puzzled, I said, “Certainly...” and floated the scroll in question over to her.

She grabbed it with her own magic, unfurled it, and began to read. Her face twitched as she read the scroll, making me wonder what was really going on. Short-term memory loss? Disorientation? Simple forgetfulness? She muttered, “Spike...” a few times in a low growl. I remained silent, letting her take her time. Just from the few minutes it took her to read the letter she'd supposedly written, I surmised that she had not, in fact, been the one to send me this letter. Interesting indeed. A few minutes later, she set the letter down with a thoughtful look.

“So... Spike wrote that, not you?” I asked.

Shocked, she glanced up. “H-How did you know?”

I shrugged. “A few things. Your reactions just now spoke much, and to be honest, the letter's grammar was a little... iffy. Poor Spike was trying a little too hard to sound like you.”

She smiled, relieved. “Honestly, I probably would have come soon anyway, but...” She glanced away from me, embarrassed. “I'm afraid I must look awful, Princess. I'm sorry.”

I rose from my bed and nuzzled her, which she gladly leaned into. “Relax, Twilight. I realized you probably wouldn't be fully ready, and honestly, this isn't about anything official anyway.”

Twilight looked up, confused. “It's not?”

“Well... no,” I replied, feeling a bit embarrassed myself.

Twilight asked the obvious question. “If you suspected it wasn't me who sent the letter, why did you comply with it?”

A slight smile grew on my face. I leaned in close to her ear, even though we were very much alone, just to get that extra “just between you and me” feeling. “Well, the truth is, I've missed you, Twilight.”

She blushed. “M-me? W-why Princess, I still write to you all the time!”

I felt confusion and hurt play over my face for a moment before I composed myself. Why did she blush? Did she really think I was to be feared that much? “It's just not quite the same, Twilight.” She said nothing, but simply stared at me with those innocent eyes of hers that reflected my weary face. “You see... I'm tired.”

“Tired, Princess?” She seemed puzzled. Confused, even. She watched my pacing closely. “You don't... seem tired. Do you need some rest?”

I smiled again. “That's what today is about. I've actually taken a day off from all my responsibilities just to spend time with you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“M-me?” she stammered, backing up rapidly as she started to hyperventilate. The poor pony was panicking, when all I wanted to do was spend a day with her!

What had I said?

---

What did she just say?

The entire reason she took the day off was to spend it with me? I started to hyperventilate as I backed away from my teacher. True, I'd heard rumors about Princess Celestia's... tastes... when I was still studying in the castle, but I never believed they were true! I had to escape. I had to get out.

“Twilight?” Princess Celestia took a few tentative steps towards me, concern etched on her features. “Is something wrong?”

“N-no, nothing's wrong. Nothing's wrong.” My eyes darted to and fro, searching for some escape. Windows looked secure... guards were right outside the main exit... my gaze finally landed upon a small door of some kind. A closet, maybe, or a secret passage?

“Twilight... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you come here so early. Shall I get us some food? Tea, maybe?” My mentor had an almost pained expression on her face.

“No, that's... that's alright. What, um... what did you want to do, then?” I had to keep her talking. Talking was good. Talking was safe. I could deal with talking. Talking meant her mouth was occupied.

“Well... I had just thought we could spend the day in, you and I.” I'm not sure if she saw the horrified look on my face. “Or would you prefer we go out? It doesn't matter to me; I just want to spend some time with you, Twilight.” The sound of my name came out like a desperate plea as her eyes shone with emotion. Her pained expression hurt me, but giving her what she wanted was too much of a price to pay to see her satisfied.

“Oh... well, the entire day with me! How about that...” I laughed nervously and continued backing away.

“Twilight, please.” Her lip was quivering. I'd never seen her so... vulnerable, before. I considered her mane, which seemed to almost beckon to me. She almost looked on the verge of tears... Celestia, on the verge of tears? This didn't make any sense. She must be desperate. Come on, Twilight, get a hold of yourself! If she really has been doing this for more than a thousand years, then I'm sure she knew all sorts of tricks to make me let my guard down!

I made my move. With a cry, I burst through the nearby door. My heart sank; it was just a closet. It was dark within, smelled somewhat musty, and contained only a few... scraps of paper? I blinked. My hopes of finding some secret escape route were dashed. My natural curiosity manged to overpower my sense of caution; forgetting about the predator behind me despite my mind’s screams to run away, I levitated one of the scraps of paper close to my face to try to read it, using the illumination from my horn as a reading light. If I was doomed anyway, I might as well have something to distract myself with.

The piece of paper in question was an ancient letter; I was amazed that my breath didn't make the yellowed parchment crumble. It was written in an older Equestrian script, but I managed to make it out.

Dear Princess Celestia,

My name is Sunbeam. Thank you so much for helping me today. I was really confused about all the stuff that my teacher was saying when we took the tour of the castle, but you were so nice and explained when Miss Flowerpot wouldn't! Thanks for being such a nice Princess!

Somehow, reading the simple, childish letter made me calm down. What had I been thinking? She's Princess Celestia, my mentor. She'd never do anything so... weird... to her little ponies. My quivering body began to calm, even as I heard the princess' breath not far behind me.

“A nice letter, isn't it?” As I turned to face her, I could see her eyes seemed to be staring past me, whether to the small stacks of letters or something beyond.

Gesturing to the small stacks of letters, I asked, “Princess... what is this?”

“It's a small collection of letters that are very dear to me. You see, most ponies, when they look at me, see only a princess, not a pony. These letters are... are the letters from ponies that seemed to appreciate who, rather than what, I was.”

With sympathy, I looked up at my teacher. “Oh, Princess...”

“That's why I wanted you here, Twilight. You're my faithful student.” She gave me a nuzzle, which I didn't return, but I didn't pull away either. I was frozen from nervousness, and from the weight of what she was confessing. “You see more of me than most do. I thought... it would be nice for us to spend a day, not as student and teacher, but just as... friends.”

“For someone who teaches ponies about the magic of friendship, you don't seem to have many friends yourself,” I remarked, instantly regretting my words.

To my surprise, she only smiled. “It is rather ironic, isn't it? Now come, let's move someplace a bit more comfortable than this lonely old closet.” We both walked out of her underutilized closet to the bedroom beyond.

“Uh, I was thinking, Princess...”

“Yes?”

“I'd be honored if some of my friendship reports someday made it into that pile.”

She smiled as we sat on a pair of cushions, her gratitude for my remark clear in her increasingly radiant face. My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn't eaten a proper breakfast. I chuckled nervously, offering a weak smile to Princess Celestia. “Maybe... some of that food you mentioned would be nice. Spike's a good cook, but I miss the castle's food sometimes.”

She called, “Oh, Captain Glass!”

One of the guard ponies from outside her room stuck his head in. “Yes, Your Highness?”

“Have the kitchen staff send up two meals, will you?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” He gave us a stiff nod and exited.

I smiled, imagining the world-class food I was about to eat. Although I knew the Princess didn't like to be picky about her food, she did have her preferences, and the rare occasion to dine with her always left my belly full and satisfied.

“Well, while we wait... why were you so concerned earlier, my faithful student?”

“Er...” I couldn't very well tell her the real reason, but it didn't feel right to lie to her after she'd been so honest with me.

Her grin widened knowingly. “Ahh, been reading a few too many tabloids during your free time? Been taking a few... unsavory rumors to heart?”

I yelped. “N-no, of c-course not, Princess!” I knew my flushed face gave it away; I may not have been the Element of Honesty, but I was a poor liar.

To my surprise, not only did the twinkle in Celestia's eyes tell me she'd seen through me, but also that it amused her. Drawing closer, she asked in a low tone, “Part of you thought that?”

I closed my eyes and nodded.

“Maybe even... wanted that?” Her tone was downright unsettling. I felt her hot breath on my muzzle. I shivered, awaiting my fate with a degree of dignity... only to feel the ruler of Equestria blow into my ear.

Yelping, I jumped, my eyes widening in surprise. “P-Princess?”

She grinned, clearly holding back gales of laughter at how I’d mistook her intentions.

“What did you expect?”

Comments

[Mossflower]

"I had to keep her talking. Talking was good. Talking was safe. I could deal with talking. Talking meant her mouth was occupied."
i love that sentence! especially the underlined part