Chapter 5 - Cathexis
Composure
by Varanus
A MLP:FiM fanfiction.
~{C}~
Chapter 5- Cathexis
~{C}~
Content as she was, having breakfast in bed with her protégé and her assistant, it wasn’t long before Celestia had a disconcerting realisation.
“Twilight...” The princess’ eyes narrowed, suspicious. “How many of these flowers are sunflowers?”
"Um...” The unicorn did a quick scan of the room. “About a quarter of them? Maybe a little less?”
Celestia’s ears drooped unenthusiastically. "Oh, that's... sweet of them...”
Twilight chuckled. “You don’t like sunflowers? That’s...”
“Ironic?” Celestia finished for her. “Not really. I don’t dislike them per se, it’s just that being gifted with them got a bit old several centuries ago. It’s a bit thoughtless if it’s from anypony other than a foal.” She twiddled the offending flower between her hooves. “They are beautiful, but such a trial to eat. The petals are a touch too slim to be satisfying, and you can't simply bite into the head or else the seeds will stick to your tongue and parch it.” She gave the offending yellow flower a disapproving glare. “Fussy little things.”
“Is that why the Summer Sun Festival stopped using sunflowers as main flower of the day?” Twilight asked, curious.
Celestia shook her head. “Oh, no, that was because a blight ruined the sunflower crops for two consecutive years. After that, wildflowers became popular, and the sunflower simply faded into the background. I don’t control trends like that nearly as much as some ponies imagine. After all, I’m not the one who is in charge of decorations on festivals.” She gave Twilight a sideways smile. “I make sure ponies who are far more qualified than me handle those things.”
Amusement, with a dash skepticism, lit up in Twilight’s eyes. “Right, and now and again, secretly being an Element of Harmony is part of the criteria, hmm?”
“Well,” Celestia said with a chuckle, ducking low to give the unicorn a mock-sly glance. “That depends on which ancient prophecy is being fulfilled that particular week...”
Twilight chuckled, but Celestia could tell the joke had fallen flat. “So... um, sunflowers, huh?” the unicorn offered, flailing to maintain their chat’s tempo.
“Hmm, yes...” Celestia shifted her jaw in its socket, considering what to say.
However, a knock at the door drew their attention away from conversation. Celestia bid them enter, and her once-quiet chambers became a sudden whirlwind of activity.
First came the nurses, who formed a semi-circle around her bed and began another check up. Celestia took the thermometer in her mouth and waited while they shone lights in her eyes, tugged at her wings, and brushed at her burn. They asked her to rise from her bed and walk for them. She did so with only the slightest of disorientation, although the nurses still jotted ominously on their clipboards.
Then the servants entered, asking if she was still hungry, if she wanted her memos to be held back for the day, and if she wanted her sheets changed. Celestia said no to all counts, and they stood to the side, fidgeting anxiously and finding busywork like straightening her bookshelf and tidying her bouquets and bedside tables.
A guard walked in and stood by the door, clearly keeping an eye on matters. Several maids walked through the doors leading to the private bathroom, and the sound of running water emerged from inside. Releasing a breath, Celestia returned to the bed, the frantic sea of activity parting around her. She saw Twilight give her a concerned glance, and did her best to smile reassuringly.
Celestia could already tell that such smiles were going to quickly strain her today.
So much hustle and bustle, so much fuss. Ponies darted around her room, oh so excited and anxious, and yet there was something strange about the scene, a dissonance that agitated the princess. After several more moments of observing her subjects from the corner of her eye, she realised what it was.
Nopony was looking at her, pointedly so. It wasn’t vanity that drove Celestia’s concern over this, it was the nature of the lack of attention.
Nopony stared. Nopony looked. When they spoke to her, it was quick and to the point, such that they could return to their busywork as soon as possible. They didn’t want to see her... broken.
Celestia felt a wave of guilt. They shouldn’t have had to see her like this, this tarnished vision, this questioning of permanence. Everypony here was so concerned for her, so adoring of her, but it pained them to bear witness to their wounded idol.
As the realisation sunk in, she began to feel annoyed. Her servants, her nurses, and even her guards were all turning a blind eye to what was before them, ignoring her wounds in the fear that their vision of a perfect princess could not withstand a glimpse at a scuffed and sooty reality.
Was it really for her sake at this point? Or were they simply trying to reassure themselves that the status quo remained unbroken? This was the concussion speaking for her, she knew, prodding her into irritability. Releasing a breath, she let slide the fact that nopony wanted to look too closely at her, to admit their princess could bleed...
Except for Twilight, who silently pressed her hoof on top of Celestia’s. Startled by the touch, she looked down at her questioningly, and the unicorn simply smiled reassuringly.
Celestia closed her eyes, letting the irritation slide away. She returned to her peaceful meditation, only now a new focus danced in her mind – the tingling warmth spreading through her arm from Twilight’s touch, a sparking sensation of reassurance and affection. She thought back, back to that dream, back to the realisations it brought about, and...
For a moment, at least...
Almost guiltily...
Relished the touch.
She felt her muscles relax, only then realising just how tense she had become. Basking in the warmth of her unicorn’s attention, she took stock of herself. Worried about the downward spiral of her thoughts, she took a quick moment to acknowledge what she had just felt – it wouldn’t do to unknowingly slip into a bad habit due to the circumstances and repeat it.
She was fine before. She had been comfortable and in the company of loved ones.
Her guard had been down, and she hadn’t expected so many visitors to check up on her, here in her personal, private quarters. ‘So,’ Celestia noted with some relief, ‘a simple matter of a perceived invasion of sanctuary.’ Such a simple little thing, and easy to address.
Her eyes opened. “If you could all lend me your ears a moment...” she spoke, and the room was still. She smiled at her ponies, reassuring them that nothing was amiss. “I trust you are well?”
A pause, and one of the maids, an orange earth pony named Clementine, spoke up. “Quite well, Your Majesty.” The rest of the staff followed her with murmurs of assent.
“Wonderful,” Celestia said genuinely. “I am sorry for the worries all of you must have faced yesterday, and appreciate your concern and dedication this morning. That said...” Her gaze wandered the room, brushing across each of the half-dozen or so ponies in turn as her smile turned wry. “I think my chambers have become a bit crowded in your enthusiasm.”
“No kidding,” she heard Spike whisper, deadpan. By the looks on the staff’s faces, they heard too, so Celestia moved to intercept their pending apologies.
She focused her gaze on two maids, both unicorns. “I think we can leave tidying my suite until it is less crowded. Could you see to it that the bath is prepared?”
The maid bowed. “Absolutely, Your Majesty. Shall we go with your pre-organised schedule for the day? All the specialists are on hoof, as it happens.”
“Indeed? Wonderful!” Celestia gave a slight glance over at Twilight. “Yes, please go ahead with that. After all the stress yesterday it will do us good.”
Twilight frowned in confusion at her use of the word ‘us’ – Celestia had to fight to keep her smile neutral. As the maids bowed and left to arrange her bath, she moved her gaze to the medical staff. “Tell me, is Doctor Ramheart going to attend to me?”
“Yes, we’re just writing your chart...” one of the doctors said.
Celestia nodded. “Best fetch him when you’re done, then. I doubt my case demands so many attendants, though I appreciate your care.”
The medical staff bowed their heads and, taking the hint, exited the room. ‘There, air to breathe,’ Celestia thought, suppressing a sigh. Warmth slipped away from her hock, and she looked to see Twilight shifting in the bed.
“Could I borrow some parchment?” she asked, beckoning over to the small, finely crafted writing desk by the bookshelf. “I need to send a few memos to the rest of the team.”
“By all means, take whatever you need,” Celestia replied. “Going to help survey the laboratory?”
Twilight nodded, levitating over a few sheets of parchment and a quill as she spoke. “I figured I’d just organise efforts today, and leave actual salvage work to the rest of the team. I’ll be back with the data we managed to snatch as we were evacuating; it’s our best shot at figuring what went wrong out. I can just compile it here in the castle though, so I won’t be gone for long.”
“That’s good,” Celestia said, relieved. She gave Twilight a cheerful look of encouragement. “We’ll solve this mystery quickly, and afterwards still have plenty of time to spend together. Sound like a plan?”
Twilight’s even expression caved into a bashful smile. “Yes, that sounds... just perfect.”
Celestia was taken by a sudden urge to draw her former student into a hug, something she knew was probably just an echo of her earlier feelings of vulnerability. Though, perhaps it was more than just that. The prospect of spending some proper time with her former student filled her with a giddy sort of excitement, a strange thrill at the promise of things returning to normal in spite of the previous day’s worries.
‘Not entirely normal...’ her heart reminded her. Celestia bit the inside of her cheek and regarded Twilight as the mare in question wrote carefully on the borrowed parchment.
Celestia’s eyes traced Twilight’s jawline, down to the curve of her neck. Her posture was relaxed yet alert, radiating unconscious confidence, something Celestia could tell would bleed into her work. Though it was a mere memo, Twilight treated it with as much care and focus as a sensitive missive, picking her words to be as precise and efficient as possible.
Still, before she could so much as twitch a wing, a nurse approached, asking the princess to move closer to the edge of the bed.
Twilight followed, scooting over to see as the medical unicorn carefully undid the bandage around Celestia’s head. Not once did the nurse’s eyes meet Celestia’s, but this no longer concerned her. A pale blue haze of magic dropped over the princess’ vision, who waited patiently as the gauze unravelled, her eyes wandering over to Twilight, perched before her. Her faithful protégé smiled reassuringly back at her – but that smile was wiped away just as the nurse hissed sharply at what was revealed when the bandage fell away.
Unprepared, Celestia’s head was pushed backwards slightly as the nurse pressed the bandage firmly back onto her forehead. “You,” she ordered Twilight quickly. “Keep pressure applied, I’ll get fresh bandages and tape.”
Twilight nodded, and the blue haze before Celestia’s eyes became deep rose. “Has my cut re-opened?” she asked. Twilight nodded, deep in concentration, so Celestia took the opportunity to study her unicorn’s features carefully. Under her gaze, Twilight chewed on the corner of her mouth, her horn’s glowing pulsed just a touch more erratically than usual, and her gaze was focused with iron resolve on a spot just below the alicorn’s horn. It was clear she was anxious and hiding upset – how terrible could this wound be to warrant such a reaction?
Remembering the old love poems, Celestia tried to examine her reflection in Twilight’s eyes. They shone, bright and sparkling, but that was more likely due to the light of the magical auras from their foreheads than anything poetic. Celestia decided to count it as yet another mark against the so-called ‘masters’, and smiled at the silly thought.
Twilight’s eyes darted down, noticing the smile, and for an instant their eyes met. The unicorn’s focus quickly darted back to the bandages, pressing down just a bit harder as she redoubled her attention to the wound. However, that sent a jolt of pain through Celestia’s forehead, which she tried to hide with a slow intake of breath. Twilight, of course, noticed and brought her eyes back down, and then their gazes were joined once more, this time locked together.
A sly, guilty part of her heart savoured that tiny moment. ‘The masters are redeemed.’
“Is it bad?” Celestia whispered, or at least, intended to whisper. It sounded far too breathy to her ears for comfort.
“It’s okay...” Twilight replied, her voice similarly hushed. Celestia had to strain over the noise of the hustle and bustle in the room to catch it.
“Are you alright?”
“You don’t need to keep asking me that,” Twilight said with an exasperated smile.
“I know. Still, are you alright?”
The moment was broken by the fiend, Doctor Ramheart. Twilight pulled away, startled, as he leaned in and fixed Celestia with a fierce glare, which left the princess entirely unaffected. “You’ve been using magic, haven’t you,” he asked without questioning.
“Much to my regret,” she replied. “It seems habits built over the course of millennia are difficult to buck.”
The old doctor scoffed and stepped abruptly between her and Twilight and reared up on his hind legs. With several deft movements of his hooves, he snatched levitating strips of gauze and medical tape from the air and re-bandaged Celestia’s forehead, with speed and grace more often associated more with the conductor of an orchestra than anypony from the medical profession.
“Be careful with that cut,” he said, stepping back with an uninterested expression as if bandaging the immortal princess of Equestria was a routine task. “Don’t think that by being an alicorn you don’t need time to heal. It’s held together by surgical tape and faithless prayer, and since it’s so close to your horn, magic will most likely aggravate it. We tried to give you a few stitches, but...” He glanced over at the nurse, who held up several badly-bent surgical needles, a helpless look on her face.
"I'll be good," Celestia promised sweetly.
Ramheart grumbled in response, turning his eye over to Twilight. “Princess Luna tells me you’re supposed to be monitoring her?”
“Um, yes,” Twilight replied with a nod, somewhat startled to be addressed so suddenly. “I mean, I’ll have to step out for a few hours to take care of some—”
“Yes, yes.” The old stallion waved away her response, uninterested. “That’s fine as long as she promises to rest during that time. Plenty of bed rest and fluids for the concussion. Ointment for the burn - it’s on the table over there - and make sure she doesn’t even use a spark of magic or she might open the laceration on her forehead. Am I going to have to write this down?”
“I’ll be fine, Ramheart,” Celestia interjected with a light laugh. “Don’t worry. I’m in capable hooves.”
The doctor nodded slowly. “Alright then. Call a nurse if anything comes up.” With that as his sole farewell, he turned and trotted out of Celestia’s chambers, leaving his harried staff to scramble for their equipment and follow.
The doors shut soundly, and they were alone again. “Now then,” Celestia said brightly, “You mentioned laboratory work?”
Twilight nodded. “Could I borrow some more parchment?”
Celestia gave a single nod in understanding. “Of course. My writing desk is yours to plunder.”
Twilight gave her a small grin and hopped off the bed, trotting over to the desk. Celestia kept her eye on the bookish unicorn as her purple horn lit up and carefully pulled a leaf of parchment from its nook, placing it gently on the surface of the table.
It was only when the scratching of the quill on parchment began in earnest that Celestia realised she was staring.
She turned away, chastising herself. ‘These building… feelings, honestly. What are they making me? It’s one thing to quietly treasure her, but it’s entirely different to act so…’ Words trailed in her mind. Foalish. Needy. Young. In the end she discarded the line of thought and rose from the bed, carefully making her way over to her mirror on still unsteady hooves. ‘Heavens, my bones ache… this bath cannot come soon enough…’ Every inch of her felt weary all of a sudden as her body protested its rough treatment the day before. She carefully flexed the wing over her burnt side, rotating it in its socket and sighing contentedly at the relief the action brought.
When she turned her attention back to the mirror before her, she caught Twilight’s head jerkily turning back to her parchment.
The princess smiled at her unicorn’s concern, and a new idea began to tease at her mind. “Twilight, what time are you meeting the team today?”
“As soon as possible,” the mare replied, chuckling ominously lightly, portending panic in the near future should her timetable be thrown off even further. “We’ve got simply too much to do, look!” Her parchment floated up in the air, and it was no surprise to see it packed densely with notes and itemised, indexed tables.
“Weren’t you writing a letter?” Spike asked from his spot on the bed.
Twilight nodded. “Yes, I was, until I started considering the workload we have today. It’s all well and good to say ‘salvage the experiment’, but we’ll probably have to hire a building crew to help shift the wreckage, then we’ll have to test the analytical machines, see if they saved any data and if they did, I need to crunch it and that’s going to take days…” The quill began scratching the parchment again in vicious earnest.
Celestia tapped her hoof to her chin. “When were you originally going to meet the team today?”
The unicorn’s frantic scribbles ceased. “Noon. We had arranged that, because…
“Because I wanted some time with you before Day Court. I remember that, of course,” Celestia finished for her. The timetable had been planned a month in advance by none other than Twilight herself, of course. Was it any wonder she was becoming high strung again? “I wonder if the timetable really needs to change. I remember it – noon: study the results of the experiment. Well, you got clear results, you can’t deny that.”
“The result was everything exploded,” Twilight said, a note of bitterness creeping into her voice.
“Nevertheless, a result,” Celestia replied. “If you think about it that way, nothing has actually changed.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow, spotting the princess’ strategy but unsure of its form. “Are you trying to get me to put off my work?”
“Perish the thought you take a break, especially after yesterday’s excitement,” Celestia said with an amused snort. She tilted her head and smiled sweetly, edging on imploring. “Come now, the schedule needn’t change. They’ll thank you to wait until noon, if only for the extra time they’ll have to get things together.”
Twilight slowly set the parchment down. “Well… okay. That does sound reasonable. What did you have in mind?”
Celestia pushed the doors of her chambers open, smiling slyly. “That, my dear, is a surprise.”
~{C}~
Trotting side by side, Twilight and Celestia made their way through the twisting hallway of the private tower. They paused only to flag down a butler so Twilight could pass a letter on to her team containing instructions to meet at the laboratory at noon, no change in schedule. Then the two mares were on their way again, their steps lighter than before.
Twilight found herself stealing glances at the princess beside her, both to check how steady her stride was as well as… Twilight suppressed a sigh and tried not to chide herself. The buzzing sensation in her gut and the quickened pace of her heart were sign enough that the cold bath from earlier had done little to defeat the return of her crush. She knew it was a silly thing to be moved past as soon as possible, but identifying the problem didn’t make it any less of a problem, especially when that problem was constantly being compounded on by the object of her aggravating affections.
Celestia had a surprise planned. For them. Privately. Together.
The thought alone made Twilight nervous – between them, a surprise was a surprise in of itself. Generally their get-togethers were jointly organised well in advance, be it one of their research meetings, a newly opening concert or such, or simply a social gathering of the Canterlot elite where Celestia wanted an intelligent conversation for a change. Whenever Celestia asked simply for ‘some time’, they’d share tea and chat, or tour the gardens. As much as Celestia liked to tease, she’d rarely try to outright surprise the meticulous unicorn.
This was new. Unusually casual. Close.
‘Still, no reason I can’t enjoy it, right?’ Twilight’s hopeful heart reasoned.
‘As a friend,’ her rational mind insisted wearily, having heard the argument before.
Twilight stole another glance at her mentor, and her heart fluttered for the right reasons. ‘Friends…’ she thought with a faint smile. Not for the first time, she began to wonder what she had done to deserve the privilege. She knew that her achievements were only ever possible because she was standing on a giant’s shoulders – perhaps that was why she had the giant’s ear? Whatever the reason, she wasn’t going to lose her rare footing because of something as silly and transient as a crush.
Her mind made up, she stood a little straighter and gave Celestia a sideways smile. “So, do I get a hint about this surprise?”
Celestia grinned. “You would have, had you asked sooner. Now you’ll have to wait, because we’re almost…” She looked ahead, to where the corridor ended at an oak doorway. “…here.”
Twilight pushed the doors open and was hit by light and air all around her. They emerged out into the pale morning sunlight on a broad bridge of rough but well-carved stone. Just ahead loomed the elegant form of Canterlot Keep proper, its marble walls and golden domes seeming to glow in the light, but as lovely as that sight was, it paled in comparison to what stretched out below to the south. All of Equestria lay before Twilight, framed by the glowing castle structures like a landscape painting, a peaceful and sleepy scene sparkling in the morning dew.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Celestia asked softly, admiring the view beside the awestruck unicorn. Her wings were slightly extended to catch the cool wind whistling through the cranny the bridge formed between castle and tower. “I like this spot especially. My chambers have a far better view of the whole of Equestria, but here… the sound, the softness of the light bouncing off the marble, the cool breeze funnelled through the space, the suddenness of going from a luxurious tower to hovering above Equestria… you cross this bridge in a mere moment, but oh, what a moment it is. One of my few regrets is not getting to know the architects better – they understood, a little, I think.”
“Understood what?” Twilight asked, still gazing out at the world.
“Think on it a little,” Celestia said teasingly, before flapping her wings and alighting onto the bridge’s low wall.
Twilight pulled her eyes from the landscape to eye Celestia nervously. “Careful, you might –”
“Fall?” Celestia smiled. “Tragic indeed is the pegasus who can’t so much as glide when they lose a few loose feathers.”
Her face was… not sad, but strained, and Twilight’s worries surged in step with her sympathy for her mentor. Back in the bedroom, when the servants were bustling about, Twilight had seen Celestia grow more and more… upset. It was happening again here, and Twilight didn’t know what to say, what to do. A gentle hoof was enough to bring her out of it before, but…
Apparently, this time Twilight’s mere expression was enough to draw the princess from her mood. “Am I worrying you? Forgive me.”
“Don’t…” Twilight began, before pausing. “You are, a little,” she admitted, her quiet voice barely carrying over the whistling breeze. “Princess, what’s wrong?”
The princess let out a sigh and took a tottering step along the bridge’s balustrade. “Trivial things, Twilight. My servants seemed like strangers this morning. Most of them were only reassuring themselves that I was alright.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Twilight asked. “Everypony cares about you.”
Celestia responded with a noncommittal hum, standing stock still on her narrow perch. “And yet they seem like strangers. The problem is with me, though, I wasn’t ready.”
“Meaning…?”
“My wings and my coat. I look a state, don’t I?” She looked somewhat sheepishly at Twilight, as if for confirmation, but found no consensus – Celestia was as achingly beautiful as ever to the unicorn. Twilight felt a thrill of panic and excitement in her chest as Celestia favoured her with a knowing smile.
“You’re very sweet,” she chuckled, her voice carrying clear relief. “It’s in my mind, I know. I look a state and I feel a state… and I could moan about it, bore you with my tiny, temporary little frustrations…” Her wings spread, and she turned her face to the open air. “Or I could fly.”
Alarm bells blared in the faithful unicorn’s mind. “What, here?”
“It’s a good spot,” Celestia mused aloud. “Nice updraft, perfect for coasting…”
“I don’t want you throwing yourself off this bridge,” Twilight said in a wobbly voice.
Celestia returned her attention to Twilight, her face guilty, longing and startlingly open. Her wings twitched a little wider, and behind her Equestria seemed to sing. “I’m fine. Besides, even if I couldn’t glide, you’d catch me, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course I would.” Twilight felt a blush begin to rise. “That doesn’t mean I want you to!” she added sternly, though to her ears it sounded pitifully close to a whine.
“Then thank you,” Celestia said gratefully. “And I apologise. Sometimes, Twilight, we just have to let ourselves…”
Twilight shifted uncomfortably as her princess drifted off into silence. “Celestia, can we just–”
Before she could even finish, Celestia teetered forward and fell. Twilight yelped in panic as the princess disappeared from view and quickly searched her surroundings for a ledge or some sort of vantage point. Spotting one of the cantilevering pools hanging a few floors down, her horn flared and she teleported there in a snap of magic.
Her hooves wading in the cool water, she looked back up and scanned the skies for the plummeting alicorn, and her heart soared in relief to see her floating softly through the air on billowing wings. Celestia met her relieved expression with a lazy, apologetic look of her own and tilted her wings to glide, smooth and steady, towards the pool.
Twilight flinched as Celestia swept over her and turned to see the princess drift over the pond, leaving a trail of ripples where her hooves touched the surface of the water. It would have been an entrancing sight had Twilight’s heart not been beating a mile a minute. Without even a shadow of the princess’ grace, Twilight splashed her way over to Celestia, her eyes still wide with shock.
“See? I can glide at least,” Celestia said, her voice light as she waved one of the feathery appendages in question.
“I don’t care,” Twilight managed to wheeze out in a desperate breath. “Y-you just…”
Silence rose like great mountains between them. Twilight stared down into the rippling water of the pool, refusing to look up and confirm the distance between them. She didn’t cry, but the water splashed onto her face did its utmost to act in place of tears, falling in little drips between them.
Out of reflex, she began to blame herself. She should have known, she had to have known. So why did she feel betrayed, almost?
Was it the crush? Was it simply the cherished friendship? Was it both, making her presume things of her mentor? ‘Alicorn’ was simply a catch-all term for the synergy of earth, unicorn and pegasus pony. Could it be that all Twilight knew was the unicorn, deep and mysterious and wise, always there, always stable? Of course, of course Celestia was a pegasus, but all they ever spoke of between them was magic. Twilight took it for granted, forgetting those wings at her side, strong enough to carry the world, swift enough to…
Withering heat on her coat, smothering smoke in her lungs, and there she was, in a pool of her own blood.
…To hop off her ivory pedestal and leave the selfish little unicorn behind.
“I’m sorry,” Celestia said, her voice edged with soft remorse.
Twilight struggled against the need to instantly forgive her, winding her fears together into a lifebuoy. “You should be,” she said firmly, finding refuge in the reassuring familiarity of a stern lecturing. She kept her head down, however, to avoid seeing the lecture’s recipient and having the whole illusion fall apart. Her composure was threatening to crumple regardless. “That was irresponsible. You’ve only just begun your recovery, what if you couldn’t fly?”
The reply was swift and gentle, without forethought. “You’d have caught me.”
“What if I couldn’t? What if I couldn’t have followed you, d-down here?” Twilight asked, hastily adding the last part a moment later than natural.
“Then I wouldn’t have jumped at all.” The princess’ voice was lighter now, her familiar confidence restored. Twilight bit her lip self-consciously – damn it all, she understood already.
“Twilight, look at me please?” Celestia asked, softly bringing a white hoof to the upset unicorn’s cheek. Water dripped down Twilight’s chin as she glanced, frustrated, off to the side for an instant before reluctantly complying. Her reward was Celestia’s grateful smile and a soft reassurance. “I’m not going to fly anywhere you can’t accompany me. Alright?”
It wasn’t fair. Everything in her told her to nod, to smile and agree with her beloved princess. Her confused heart spun in joy at the attention, but… Twilight wasn’t willing to give up her frustrations without a fight. She wasn’t a foal anymore to be humoured and indulged. “It’s not alright.”
Celestia stilled – a shallow breath drawn into a rising chest, and then she was a statue.
“I just…” Twilight brought a hoof to her face, rubbing cool, clean water into her brow. “I just don’t think it’s fair of you to test me like this, especially now.”
“Twilight, tests never end.” Celestia paused and shook her head. “That’s not to say I was testing you, though. I was testing myself.”
Twilight felt a wave of shame for not considering this as the princess went on. “Truth be told, I’m agitated,” Celestia confessed. “I can’t cast magic at the moment. I can’t raise or set the sun. I didn’t realise how much I defined myself on those tasks, and for those to be closed off… I needed to know that if I couldn’t dip into the tides of magic as a unicorn, I could still feel the breeze through my feathers. It’s calming, for a pegasus.”
“And if you couldn’t fly?” Twilight frowned.
Celestia’s jaw shifted, clearly unenthusiastic about that scenario. “Then I’d go to the gardens and kick off my shoes. Feel the dirt beneath my hooves as anypony might and take in the scent of flowers and earth. Perhaps take a nap, or have a snack or two.” Her expression grew lighter at the thought. “I may still do that, as a matter of fact. But for now, I needed to know my boundaries.” She cocked her head and regarded Twilight with a sad smile. “Can you forgive me, this once?”
Twilight laughed tiredly, letting her protective fears simply drop from her shoulders. For now, she was satisfied. “Alright, just…” She lifted a hoof from the water and lightly poked Celestia’s chest with it. “Just, you know, heed those boundaries, if you’re going to scare me like that testing them.”
“You have my word,” Celestia said with a smile, bringing her hoof over her heart. “Now come on, that wasn’t the surprise.”
“I think it was surprise enough!” Twilight laughed, following Celestia as she waded through the pool. It seemed to get deeper the closer to the centre one got, so the two walked along the outer, shallowest curve as they made their way back to the castle. Twilight spared one last glance at the green landscape of Equestria before she passed under the tall, slender arches of castle and found herself in an unfamiliar, airy chamber tiled with warm brown stone. A cascading waterfall dominated the chamber, which fed into a large pool that in turn fed the stream of water that led into the large, cantilevering pool the two mares had landed in.
A beautiful mosaic decorated the domed ceiling, depicting ponies of all three tribes dancing and eating fruit in the midst of some sort of celebration. In the centre of it all were the horned and winged figures of the ancient alicorns, their colouring decidedly not that of Celestia and Luna. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in this part of the palace before…” Twilight said under her breath, looking around the room in amazement.
Celestia giggled beside her. “I should think not. This is my bathroom, after all. Highly private.”
Twilight whirled her head around to stare at Celestia. “This is your bathroom?”
“Oh, my, yes.” Celestia nodded, pleased at her protégé’s reaction. “It’s a later addition to the palace, as it happens. Gifted to me by a guild of pony, gryphon and minotaur artisans in thanks for resolving a trade embargo with the gryphons… hmm, four centuries past?” She smiled and nodded towards two low stone altars beside the waterfall pool, both the perfect size for an alicorn to lounge on. “They were very confused as to why I wanted double of everything, as well as a neutral colour scheme, but the look on Luna’s face when I showed her this chamber was worth it.” Her smile became a little wistful, as it was wont to when the subject of her sister’s banishment loomed over the conversation, but she shrugged it effortlessly away. “Anyway,” she continued, trotting up the steps out of the pool. “This is the surprise.”
“You’re giving me a tour of your bathroom?” Twilight asked, following her mentor with a wry smile across her face.
Celestia gave her an amused look. “Something like that. It’s… well, this chamber serves well as a personal spa from time to time, so…”
Twilight’s brows shot up once more in surprise. “You’ve got a spa?”
Celestia chuckled. “There are some benefits to being the princess, I’ll have you know. Go ahead and take a seat on the slab to the left there, please.”
Twilight obediently hopped onto the smooth stone bed, resting atop a gold cushion. “So… spa day. Morning. Alright.” She often took time out to relax at the spa with her friends in Ponyville, why not Celestia? Especially when the princess looked at her with a hint of unhidden glee at the prospect.
“Indeed,” Celestia went on. “I arranged this little treat as, hmm, a way for us to relax after the experiment.”
Twilight spotted the slip. Clearly, this surprise was meant to have been a celebration of a job well done, but considering the circumstances… “You sure?”
Celestia seemed to pick up on the faithful unicorn’s doubt. “Even though things didn’t go to plan, I see no reason to change schedule,” she reasoned, before smiling reassuringly. “Besides, I think we’re both in dire need of a bit of pampering. Now!” She perked up before Twilight could find another way to be morose and began trotting towards the chamber doors. “The most important thing, at this moment, is to try to look innocent when I open the door.”
Twilight’s ears perked up. “Hmm? Wait, are you pulling a prank on someone who isn’t me for once?”
Celestia chuckled lightly as she trotted over to the doors. “Don’t worry, my dear, you remain my favourite. Now…” she hooked her hoof around the handle of the door and peered around the corner, her face effected with a look of innocent surprise. “My! I was wondering where you all were! How long have you been waiting there for me?”
Gasp of shock and apology clamoured out from the hallway, and Twilight had to bite her lip to contain her laughter as Celestia stepped aside to allow a line of half a dozen abashed and confused servants into the chamber. Celestia smiled reverently through it all, waving away their apologies with understanding nods and a constant insistence of ‘no, no, I’m to blame, really’. It was the strangest thing for Twilight to observe, like watching a play from backstage.
One attendant, a pegasus who wasn’t clad in a maid’s uniform, peered suspiciously at her monarch. “I see your wings are working, then?” she asked, sounding familiar with the trick.
Celestia’s smile grew even more innocent. “Well enough, Summer Shower, but Twilight’s are still giving her trouble.” Twilight waved to the pegasus for emphasis, sharing a silent giggle with Celestia as a confused look painted the attendant’s features.
Another uniform-less attendant perked up at the mention of Twilight’s name. “Oh? So this is your infamous student?”
“The very same.” Celestia nodded gravely, before shooting Twilight a teasing look.
Twilight chuckled nervously. “My reputation precedes me,” she joked, managing to parry her mentor’s comment.
Celestia grinned, pleased, and made her way past the maids to sit on the altar beside Twilight’s. She was quickly surrounded by a hooffull of pegasi maids, seeking instruction. Twilight caught the tail end of a few quiet words which sent them flying up to the mouth of the chamber’s waterfall. With practiced movements, they manipulated some unseen mechanism, causing the flow of water to lessen from a deluge to a more gentle flow, which was accompanied by a rising haze of steam after a few more moments.
“That’s quite extravagant,” Twilight complemented Celestia, watching as the pegasi began slotting wicker baskets packed with herbs in the path of the water.
“Like a giant teapot, isn’t it?”
“Um, yes, uh…” Twilight floundered as she realised she had no idea of the attendant’s name.
“Steamy,” the unicorn provided. “It was a bit more fitting before I went grey,” she admitted with a grin, before looking back at the bath. “It certainly is a marvellous piece of craftsmanship. A bit unwieldy, though, I couldn’t imagine running a business with one of these. It’s a very old way of doing things, but the princess loves her traditions.”
“What is tradition for you is habit for an old nag like me,” Celestia said lightly, speaking over the heads of the maids around her.
The old unicorn’s ears dropped as she smiled apologetically. “Of course, Your Majesty. I was only musing aloud how a few tweaks could make the whole set-up far more flexible.”
Celestia’s grin became wry as she gave Twilight a look of exaggerated weariness. “Mrs Steamy takes every opportunity to criticise my little haven here. Don’t you mind her.”
“I suppose, since this is a private spa…” Steamy grumbled, her argument trailing off into nothing. Her faintly amused smile hinted that this was only the latest in a history of defeats.
Twilight saw an earth pony, similarly dressed as Steamy, approach Celestia. “Princess, the water is ready.”
“Thank you, Buttergold.” Celestia rose and stepped off the altar, the maids to either side of her moving to give her room. Twilight took the opportunity and basked in the sight of her princess’ simple elegance, eager for another small token of familiarity.
Only… something didn’t sync up, and it took a second for Twilight to realise what it was. Her head was held high and her gait was easy, but her wings were clamped hard against her sides, like Fluttershy’s would lock into when the timid girl was frightened or anxious. Beneath the shroud of feathers, Twilight could almost see the edge of that angry burn lurking on Celestia’s side, which flexed like a cat’s claw over her skin as she made her way to the steaming herbal bath.
Twilight bit her lip, worried. There were so many attendants here, more than one pony needed, and Celestia had said that they were making her self-conscious… was it even possible for her to relax here, after all that had –
Twilight’s rambling worries were silenced by a moan from their locus. “Oh, the water is perfect, thank you,” Celestia sighed as she sunk gratefully into the bath. The attendants bowed respectfully, and Twilight’s lip found itself being ground into mush between her teeth.
‘Oh dear…’ Twilight looked anywhere but at the princess as she lowered herself fully into the pool, the hair of her mane and tail spilling out around her like clouds in the evening sky. Twilight was sure her blush was a sight to see, but fortunately she could blame it on the ever-increasing temperature of the room and not the drawn-out, delighted sighs of her princess as she arched her body, letting the warm water soak into her radiant coat –
‘Ahem. Well,’ Twilight wrangled her thoughts back to sanity. ‘Good to see Celestia isn’t letting her injury get to her…’ The thought made her pause. ‘Injury? Oh!’ She jolted out of her musings and hopped off the bed, quickly trotting over to the pool.
Celestia spotted her and floated in her direction, beaming up at her with a relaxed smile. “Something the matter?” she asked, arching her head to better see her faithful unicorn.
“Yes, um...” Twilight pointed a hoof to Celestia’s forehead. “Your forehead – you don’t want that bandage to get wet.”
Celestia’s eyes widened. “Oh, my, you’re right. I had completely forgotten about it.” Her expression shifted into a slight pout. “Should I get out?”
“No, just let me…” Twilight scrunched her face up in concentration as her horn glowed, weaving a spell. She crouched down and carefully brushed the bandage with her horn as she released the magic, letting it all flow into the gauze.
Opening her eyes, Celestia filled her vision. “Did it work?” she inquired, her voice hushed as if a secret were being shared between them.
“I think so.” Twilight scooped up a small sphere of water with her magic and, carefully, pressed it into the side of the princess’ face, over an inconspicuous portion of the bandage, away from her wound. Celestia reflexively shut her eyes, unresisting, as the water magically roamed over the white cloth. The glow of Twilight’s horn faded, and the water fell back into the bath with a splash, followed by several hasty droplets of water from the side of the princess’ face.
“Okay, I’m pretty sure it’s water-repellent now, so don’t worry about water getting in under it.” She paused. “Oh, and sorry about the water, that was –”
“Surprisingly refreshing,” Celestia cut in with a grin. “I’ll have to remember that.”
Bashful, Twilight glanced around, surprised to see most of the maids had left – only the unicorn, Steamy, the pegasus named Summer Shower and that earth pony by the name of Buttergold remained. They bowed slightly. “Just give us a call when you’re ready, Your Majesty,” Steamy said, before they filed out of the room.
Twilight gave the princess an inquisitive look, to which the alicorn smiled in reply. “Those three are specialists who run a rather high-end spa down in Canterlot town. The rest were just maids helping set things up,” Celestia explained in that hidden, hushed voice of hers.
“Oh, okay, that’s good.” Twilight nodded and looked down at Celestia knowingly. “I’m guessing you don’t want everypony to hang around right now either?”
“Everypony appreciates a bit of privacy now and then. Are you coming in?”
Twilight froze. “Pardon?”
“Twilight, it’s a spa,” Celestia said in a half-laugh, her voice an amused mix between fond and exasperated.
The gears in Twilight’s mind tried valiantly to resume turning, but kept getting jarred on the words Celestia, bath, together, BAD IDEA. “Oh, this is – um, wow, this is lovely, but I really shouldn’t…” ‘For too many reasons,’ her mind groaned.
“Oh please do,” Celestia insisted. “Normally it’s only Luna who I spend time with here.”
“I… I already took a bath this morning, I’m afraid! I know this isn’t the exact same thing, but…”
“Twilight,” the princess sighed. “Please. You’ve been under enough stress with the experiment. Now, with the accident and your concern over my own well being, not to mention how erratic I’ve been with you…” She trailed off, rolling her jaw in her mouth in contemplation. “This will do you a world of good, trust me.”
‘Trust me’. Celestia was playing dirty now, and Twilight knew the princess was aware of that. But –
She was over-thinking things, as usual. ‘I wouldn’t even be worrying about this if it weren’t for the accident,’ Twilight reasoned. ‘If everything was normal, I’d be happy to. Because we’re… friends, and I cherish that privilege. I’ve never had a problem going to the spa with Rarity, or Rainbow, or anypony else – this is something friends do.’
“Alright,” Twilight said with a nod and an apologetic grin, stepping forward. Celestia swam back a few paces to make room for the hesitant unicorn, her smile strong once again. Trying not to focus on the goddess floating, inviting, before her, Twilight took that last step forward into the pool.
Her hoof lingered over the surface of the rippling water a moment before dipping in. To her pleasant surprise, the water was a perfect temperature, the type of temperature other temperatures would sing songs and write odes of in reverence. Twilight let out an involuntary sigh, before blushing as she caught Celestia’s smug look. Steeling herself, she began to walk down the Rubicon steps, the steam dampening her coat with its hot, fragrant touch.
‘Bad idea,’ her mind warned her forlornly. ‘This is a bad idea. The worst. A terrible idea, a terribly bad, bad idea, bad idea bad idea bad –‘
The warmth of the bath enveloped her legs, soothing her joints and almost instantly reducing them to jelly. Limbs weak, she sunk into the bath fully – and moaned as her mind registered only the pleasure of the water. ‘Oh sweet heavens, incredibly good idea! The best idea!’
“Oh Celestia this is incredible…” Twilight managed to groan, half to the princess in question, half as a reverent oath.
“Isn’t it?”
“This can’t be natural. It can’t.”
“And yet, it is.
Twilight sunk deep, submerging her entire form to the point that all that remained of her was her snout, poking above the surface of the water. “I never want to leeeeave…”
Celestia giggled. “There isn’t another bath like this in all of Equestria,” she boasted. “Fed by underground hot springs that bubble through the gem strati below the city. Even without the herbs the waters are incredibly revitalising. Luna swears that the waters are magical, but I think she was just being poetic.”
Struck by that thought, Twilight pulled her head out of the blissfully warm water. “Well, if it runs through gems, it might be a bit magical…” she mused. Her chin was bobbing barely an inch above the water, so she opened her mouth to take a sip. “Hmm… tastes like twigs…” she appraised, slightly disappointed.
“Not exactly balanced for flavour,” Celestia chuckled. “It’s like honey for dragons, though. Before Canterlot was even built, I stumbled across a dragon who made her lair in the caves below for that express reason.”
“A dragon in the mines?” Twilight slumped against the wall of the pool, watching with curiosity as Celestia cast her mind back to ancient times.
“Hmm, in the gem strata, at least,” the princess nodded, scouring her memory as Twilight would scour an encyclopaedia. “The mines are a more recent invasion… oh, I believe it’s been eighty years or so since I shut them down and closed them off?” She shook her head in exasperation, a dark scowl painting her face. “I was not pleased to find them. Can you imagine? They were literally undermining the integrity and foundations upon which Canterlot was built.”
“Never a dull moment in the life of Canterot royalty, huh?” Twilight smiled sympathetically and shifted her body into a more comfortable position.
“No shortage of exasperating ones.” Celestia let out a sigh and sank into the warm waters. Twilight felt her blush rise as the princess’ eyes fluttered open and turned to her. “As for the dragon, I suspect she could have been some relation to Spike, but I could never confirm it.”
“Migrated?”
“Passed,” Celestia said sadly. “Still, like all friends it was a boon to know her – not in the least because it was the first evidence that dragons were more than beasts, and that diplomacy was possible.” Her mouth twisted into a wry grin, and she gave Twilight a playful look. “Would you like a tip?”
“Bribe them with gems?” Twilight chuckled, thinking of her own draconic friend.
Celestia laughed. “Bribe them with gems.” She nodded in agreement. “Of course you know that. I daresay you’re among Equestria’s leading dragon experts at this stage.”
They laughed lightly together, before letting it subside into comfortable silence. After a moment, Celestia turned her head and stared off out the archways, looking over at the horizon. Twilight followed her gaze for a moment, looking at the distant green and greys of Equestria, before returning to regard her princess. “I’m sure she was… very happy to have known you,” Twilight murmured. Her princess’ ear flicked, signalling silently that she heard the words even if she didn’t react.
Twilight found herself floating, gliding smoothly towards Celestia, coming to rest mere inches away. It was all her courage would allow her, but even that short distance filled Twilight with electricity. “I know that I…”
Celestia’s form shifted, and suddenly the heat of the water became lukewarm in comparison to the delirious warmth spreading through Twilight’s body as she felt her princess’ coat press against hers. A wave of water surged around the unicorn’s neck as one of Celestia’s great white wings embraced her. “I know, Twilight.”
Twilight, lost in a sea of warmth and joy, nodded in understanding. Of course Celestia knew. Her eyes shut, closing her off from the world and leaving her in the mercy of her beloved’s embrace.
“I think of all those that I’ve loved, all the lives I’ve tried to fill with joy… and they all leave.” Celestia’s voice carried sadness, but hope as well, her words sending spider-web cracks through Twilight’s fluttering heart. “Some have asked me, how can I still love, when I am fated to outlast the bonds I create? But Twilight, I simply ask in return, how can I not?”
Twilight nodded, mind overcome with the sensation of the princess’ hooves moving to hold her own, of her belly against hers, of her wings holding her tight. Her eyes opened reluctantly, looking up at the radiant mare embracing her in the pool, her eyes so full of love that Twilight had done nothing to deserve.
“But Princess…. It’s shameful, isn’t it?” Twilight pleaded desperately, knowing that Celestia was making a mistake. “It’s wrong of me to want this. Being your friend is more than I could ever have dreamed of… more than I should have dreamed of…”
“What shame is there in a dream?” Celestia whispered, her sweet breath hot against Twilight’s muzzle. “What shame is there… in this?”
Twilight gasped as the princess’ lips, light and passionate, pressed into hers…
And the daydream promptly shattered as Twilight inhaled a lungful of bathwater.
She spluttered and choked, disorientated as she scrambled for breath. For a second she fell below the suddenly unwelcoming water, but a strong pair of hooves wrapped around her torso and pulled her head above the water. Instinctively, Twilight knew it was Celestia and curled into her, coughing out the water from her lungs over both herself and the princess. ‘Just another dollop of embarrassment on top of another big serving of humiliation,’ a part of her groaned as she was rested against the side of the bath. She ignored the voice, instead wildly hurling her hooves forward to grip the edge, pulling her head back onto dry land where she wheezed for the elusive gift of air.
Twilight felt hooves massaging her back as she spluttered out the last of the water and tried to breathe past the soreness in her windpipe. “P-princess…”
“Shh…” Celestia whispered soothingly, her hooves gently kneading Twilight’s coat. “Are you okay?”
“Mmm, I’m fine now, I just…” Twilight buried her face between her hooves. “I was daydreaming. I’m sorry.”
“There’s no reason to apologise for a little daydream,” Celestia said softly. Her hooves continued to move, their focus shifting from encouraging steady breathing to a more soothing motion. Her words did little to subdue the steady trickle of guilt in Twilight’s heart – they were too close to the words of the Celestia in her dumb little fantasy. She wondered if Celestia’s opinion would change if she knew the content of the dream.
White hooves worked against these fears, tenderly untangling knots of stress and worry built up in her lavender frame.
She wondered how close the dream came to her princess in reality.
The unicorn closed her eyes calmly. ‘Dangerous thoughts, Twilight.’ “I think I’m… done with the bath.”
“Okay,” Celestia replied in hushed understanding. The wonderful pressure slowly pulled from Twilight’s back, and a clack of hooves sung clearly through the chamber. From the doorway of the room, the three specialists re-emerged.
“Are we ready, Your Majesty?”
“I believe so.” Celestia rose from the water, pulling herself over the side and splashing Twilight slightly. One wing trailed low, grazing Twilight’s side and ushering her forward. She quickly followed cue, clambering from the pool without even a fraction of the princess’ grace and trotted alongside her as they returned to the stone altars that served as the spa’s beds.
“What’ll it be?” Shower asked, already eyeing Celestia’s folded wing.
“I think a deep preen and full coat treatment is in order,” replied Celestia. “Perhaps a little trim and a hooficure? Twilight?”
“Me?” Twilight snapped to attention, halfway through seating. Seeing the attendants smile encouragingly, she nodded. “Oh, nothing too fancy, I think. I’ve got a lot of work to do in the lab today, and it’s probably…” Smoke and flames rose before her mind’s eye. “Messy…” she finished.
“Might I recommend a deep massage, hooficure and a hornicure?” Buttergold asked.
Twilight nodded. “Okay, that sounds good.”
“I agree,” Celestia piped in. “Could I get the same as well?”
The trio nodded, beckoning them to their seats. Twilight carefully sat down on her altar a moment after Celestia herself rested down. The princess, naturally, had the attendants’ full attention for the moment, though the steady expression on her face betrayed a knot of anxiety that Twilight was beginning to learn to spot. She flashed her mentor a sympathetic smile as the white wing shrouding the burn on her side was lifted, causing the three spa mares to suppress gasps.
“If you would…” Celestia practically mumbled, and the attendants snapped out of their daze. After a few murmurs between them, they resumed their work.
“You majesty,” Shower said as she inspected Celestia’s outstretched wing. “If you don’t mind me saying, this morning when I heard you had been in an accident I expected you to be a bit more ruffled. Your wings are looking rather well.”
“I’m a tough old bird,” Celestia said with a weak smile. “Also, this morning, I, well, preened a touch, just to get things presentable.”
Showers murmured in understanding. “You’re right to. I remember, back when I was in school…”
Twilight was drawn away from the idle gossip by another voice. “Miss Sparkle?” Twilight turned her head to see Buttergold, who was smiling politely. “If you’d just like to lie down?”
“Oh, right.” Twilight rested down on the bed, wriggling slightly as she felt the earth pony’s hooves press into her back and begin their work. A fragrant scent wafted into her nose, no doubt oils the attendant was working into her back. With a sigh of contentment, Twilight found herself relaxing once more, sinking gratefully into the seat.
The sound of water pouring and splashing caught her attention, and she glanced over to the source. The grey-maned unicorn had begun pouring a bucket of water evenly over Celestia’s form, drenching every inch of her white coat.
Twilight’s eyes promptly snapped forward. ‘Oh come on!’ a part of her complained, though at this point she had no idea what part. Logical, emotional, or otherwise, it seemed they were all sick of her whining. ‘You’ll never get over her if you can’t even look her in the eye!’
Twilight found her eyes returning regardless, so after a moment of tracing Celestia’s jawline, she actively turned her attention to something else. The bucket hovered over Celestia’s head, and Twilight held in a snicker to see the princess’ face scrunch up slightly before the water washed directly above her. Her drenched mane was weighed down as a result, but instead of being pasted to the side of her face like Twilight’s was, it billowed languidly as if underwater.
‘Wow.’ Twilight’s eyes widened at the spectacle. Celestia, for her part, tentatively opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to dispel the drops blurring her vision, and caught her protégé’s gaze.
A strange, silent conversation ensued.
Celestia smiled, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. ‘Something the matter?’
Twilight shrugged her shoulder, letting her mane bob slightly, then nodded towards the princess’ hair. ‘Your mane.’
Celestia glanced at it, then silently giggled and gave Twilight a somewhat sheepish look. She ran a hoof through her wet mane. ‘Is it a good look?’
Twilight smirked and nodded. ‘Yes, I like it.’
Celestia’s chin rose fractionally, pleased. ‘Is that so?’
Then the attendants moved, blocking the princess’s gaze from sight.
‘Okay, that was almost normal,’ Twilight mentally snarked, but without barbs. Relaxing into the massage, she quietly considered how natural this was becoming, despite the initial awkwardness on her part. ‘It’s certainly a big departure from the research sessions and occasional lunches we’ve been having this past while…’ Twilight mused. No, this was nice, like the times she spent at the little spa in Ponyville. With her friends.
‘You said that before you got into the bath, remember,’ groused her cynical side.
‘So? Still valid. I can’t help it if…’ The memory of mere minutes ago surged, of Celestia drifting in the steamy pool, her eyes lidded and inviting… Twilight coughed. ‘If I keep doing that. If I keep getting flip-flops in my stomach.’
‘I mean, is it really weird for me to be like this for her? Celestia is…’ Her eye cracked open to steal another look at her princess, who was quietly enjoying her treatment as the unicorn and pegasus both worked to clean and soothe her battered body with frothy soaps and shampoos.
Celestia was smiling peacefully, and Twilight’s heart rose in tandem. ‘She’s my idol.’ Twilight had already known this, but at that moment she found herself discovering a deeper facet to its shape. ‘She’s my idol, she’s always been. I wanted to study magic because of her, she led directly to me discovering my true passion, then she guided me so that I could live it as fully as possible.
‘Not to mention, Celestia actually likes spending time with me. I’m her friend. She’s smart, and wise, and funny and thoughtful and caring and…’
Another gurgle of water sounded beside her, and another glance was stolen. Celestia rested, wings high and radiant, coat bright and fresh and glistening in the light of the morning sun. The suds from the soaps pooled and swirled in the slowly draining puddles around the altar, making her appear as a goddess risen from the surf.
‘And she’s so beautiful…’ Twilight sighed deeply in surrender, unable to deny it. ‘She’s just… radiant, a perfect paragon of feminine beauty, and… why is she looking right at me did I-? Oh heavens, everyone heard me moan, didn’t they?’
“Buttergold’s quite talented, isn’t she?” Celestia asked after a too-long pause, chuckling. Behind her, the two attendants shared a glance between each other. Buttergold’s hooves on Twilight’s back had slowed, seemingly apprehensive.
Twilight stared, wide eyed, before nodding rigidly. “Yes. That she is.”
Steamy cleared her throat, and magically levitated a hoof-file. “Princess, if you’ll just lend me your hooves for a moment?”
“Ah, of course.” The princess rested herself on her good side, her wing extended protectively over her burn. The old unicorn gave the princess’ hooves an appraising look before beginning her work.
Twilight caught, murmured under Celestia’s breath, a slight hum of pleasure. ‘She’s doing this on purpose, isn’t she?’ Twilight suppressed a groan and burrowed her head between her forelegs. Shutting her eyes did little to mute the happy sighs of Celestia floating into her ears. Twilight flopped down, the earth pony’s hooves doing little to banish her woes. ‘This is going to be a long morning…’ she bemoaned.
Then the expert hooves pressed hard on a kink in her back, and Twilight melted.
‘Oh well…’ she reasoned, seeing the pegasus attendant approach with a hoof-file of her own. ‘I might as well enjoy it while it lasts, right?’
~{C}~
Composure, Chapter 5, end
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So long awaited update,
sweet celestia you updated now life i know is getting better!
Best. Day. EVER!
what is this update? madness!
omg such an eternal rip off
Holy cow, it actually updated!
... Y U A DAYDREAM?
That was beautiful though-the way you... knead words. It's amazing.
655892
scranton.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw10_1297712732690.jpg
WOW, 10000 words in a single chapter... Where do you get this free time!? images4.wikia.nocookie.net/callofduty4s/images/6/6b/Soarin%27_Vector.png
the tingling warmth spreading through her arm from Twilight’s touch,
hoof? O_O
anyway, amazing chapter.
Dat fake out!
I was gnashing my teeth in delighted rage afterward!
Wait, wait, wait! Composure's finally updated?! I'm not sure body is ready for such awesomeness!
I want to say I'm really enjoying this and you are such a goddamn tease.
New chapter.
Of Composure.
New chapter of Composure.
Those ten thousand words flew by so quickly...
2.bp.blogspot.com/-VDR90B6hf7o/TzVeanuvxoI/AAAAAAAAAKY/PtIZwPy6YS0/s1600/please-sir.jpg
wow i kind of forgot this existed...
oh well worth the wait, even if Celestia is just being a tease at this point
What?
What!?
WHAT!?!?!?!!
Composure?!?!!
WHAT THE FU
I laughed so hard at the daydream. Well done!
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Twilight_Sparkle.png MORE!
Happiness is a warm Composure update.
656014
Hoof is the bit that's at the end of the limb. The right term would probably be 'leg'. Taking a peek at my handy 'bits of a horse' chart I see that you could use 'cannon' or even 'forearm', depending on the exact place of the touch.
need more
composure updated.
WHAT SORCERY IS THIS???
Composure... the fic that got me into this ship has finally updated after so many months... *twitch* *twitch* SQUEE!!!!
Hot damn, great chapter as always and one of the best. Poor Twilight still doesn't want to admit it yet, and Celestia... you dastardly mare, but understandable. She may be injured but By Epona she isn't going to let that head injury hold her back. She's right, she's a tough old bird. Thank you for updating.
In the Name of Her Serene Majesty Celestia Everfree, Princess of the Sun and First Diarch of the Equestria Federation
Celestia's Paladin: For Honor and Duty, For the Sun, Moon, Earth, and Sky
Insane Speculation: The explosion wasn't an accident it was an assassination attempt via sabotage. But, Celestia wasn't the target. Twilight Sparkle was. The perpetrators aren't bold enough to go after her while she spends every moment at the Princess's side. But, now that she's about to leave her to investigate the lab...
We need a shifty-eyed paranoia emoticon.
This... must be a dream. Yes, I am dreaming. Next you will tell me The Ballad of Twilight Sparkle updated... Wait no, I am awake... Hmmm, Okay then.
Oh my sweet celestia it updated I cant belive it.
So... Spa?
I can't deny that this is a great chapter and that I really enjoy the slow pace and the introspection... but darn it! I wanted to use the "You have a spa?" line in my next chapter!
And if I do that now, it will always pale to the awesomeness of this!
...even though I ahd to reread this thing to remember what the story was the update made up for it. this was literally the first Twilestia I've ever read. now that there is an update you absolutely MUST update more than once a year my friend.
Yay! I very much enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for the update Varanus.
something is terribly wrong.
I have a story with nearly the same amount of views as this one
this is a problem
why? because I will not accept that my story is anywhere near the amazingness of my first Twilestia- which got me into reading and writing fimfics and the twilestia pairing single handedly- fic. you people need to tell every single brony you know to read this and love it.
the likes are appropriate though. but if you ask me, all 23.5k views need to like
Holy shit Composure updated.
>Daydream
OH OHOHOHOHOHOHO
An update for Composure? HERESY!
That fake out.
N-new chapter?
U-update?!
I... that... * Hyperventilating* I-Impossiburro! *passes out from lack of oxygen*
All I can say is... SQUEEEEE
Also... fake out! *Shakes hoof*
Composure: the proof that twilestia is bestia!
Holy shit, this story lives on. Awesome
YUSSSS! UPDATE!
Read this, I shall, after a long slumber
... actually, fuck sleep.
Perfect timing... I have a statistical math final in 2 hours so I have to put off reading the new chapter for 5 hours.... Argh! Unless I repace "cram some last-minute knowledge" with "poni poni poni".
Quite frankly one of the best stories I've read, and I can't help but silently (or, rather, not so silently) beg for more.
When i saw this update my mind literally exploded.
That might have been the fastest 10k words I have ever read. I love this story so much.
What? NOOOooooo! What do you mean "Composure, chapter 5. end"!?
I was just getting into the zone! Do you have any idea how long it takes me to get into the zone!? A long time! ... Dammit...
Personal woes aside: Celestia you tease.
EDIT: Almost forgot. Do you know just how torturous work becomes when I clock in, check my email and BAM: Composure has updated? Longest. 7 hours. Ever. Ever.
Oh my, so many comments on just the fact that Composure updated.
Fine chapter. Great handling of both personalities as always. Great job Varanus!
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You sir, nearly gave me a heart attack.
I missunderstood, and had to go check on the fiction's resume to see if it was tagged 'complete'.
All to say, reassured it's still marked as 'incomplete'
656550
It's okay, I think we all did.
That was wonderful, just amazingly wonderful.
Allow me to reenact what I did upon seeing this update. Ahem.
Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Oh my god, I'm sooo happy!
So much love for you right now!!!!! Ahem. That is all. Great chapter by the way, the manner in which Celestia's damaged composure is showing is pitch perfect. And I always love spa scenes.
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That'll be the day.
Also, "And the daydream promptly shattered as Twilight inhaled a lungful of bathwater." I have never been so disappointed in my life, that was just mean. But I still love you and this fic.
I love this story. It makes me smile