Twilight Sparkle loves Princess Celestia. Princess Celestia loves Twilight Sparkle. It's a simple premise and one that's spawned a ridiculously large collab story. These are my contributions to said story, broken out and posted for my own edification (I couldn't find one of them when I needed to refer back to it) and amusement.
Prompts marked with (Flash) are written for the Twilestia Skype chat's flash prompts, found here. We get an hour for those, as opposed to the.... unlimited for regular prompts.
I shall post my prompts here after they appear in the main collabs.
It was the hat that threw her off. Walking into the expansive bathing room, Twilight could not have possibly anticipated that hat. Yet there it was, perched on top of the head of her princess. An elaborate tricorner hat, braided with gold, studded with gems and with a large shiny golden medallion on the front of it. From the door, Twilight could see that the medallion helpfully had “Admiral” printed on it.
"Um, Tia? May I ask what is going on in here?” She quietly asked.
Celestia looked up from the depths of the bathing…. pond. “Lieutenant-Commander Sparkle, I am pleased that you have chosen to arrive at this key strategy meeting. Please join me upon the fields of battle as we prepare the plans for the conquest of the oceans.”
Blinking, the smaller alicorn tried to take in what she was seeing. “Are you, playing with toy boats?”
Celestia’s eyebrows shot up, “Miss Sparkle, I am amazed at you, I am most assuredly not playing with toy boats. Why this one right here is a highly detailed 1/12 scale model of the Arneigh Burke class destroyer ESS Roseate Tart. To even imply that such a thing is a toy is to insinuate that the sun is a mere ball of gas. Really, how would I even begin to plan to project Equestrian power without such tools?"
Twilight sputtered at the sight, “But why are you… why would you… That hat… Arrgh, You know what? Frigate. CANNONBALL!”
Twilight Sparkle had grown used to the unimpeded access she had gained. True, her access had always been high, being the personal student of the Goddess of the Sun tended to be that way. However there had been a marked increase in that access once she’d upgraded from student to lover. Thus, as she brusquely walked into Celestia’s private rooms, the guards posted didn’t even attempt to slow her down. Walking into the room Twilight suddenly stopped as she saw Celestia. “What are you wearing on your head?”
Celestia looked up from her desk, a desk with pieces of a small model strewn about. “These? These are goggles that magnify small details, perfect for working on the tiny parts of the Naval Simulacrums, have to get it right or the simulations wouldn’t work out. Pony’s LIVES depend on accuracy, Twilight.”
Twilight stopped and stared blankly at her marefriend for a moment, “Ok… Anyways, moving on. I’ve come to tell you that I may have to miss our dinner tonight. It seems that Applejack’s pet Winona broke into her garden.”
“Oh?” Asked Celestia, a calm smile on her face.
“Yes, it seems that she ruined the entire crop of cantaloupe. Applejack asked me if I knew any spells that could help establish pet boundaries and I have spent the morning researching pet training techniques. You don’t mind do you?” Twilight had that look in her eye, Tia noticed. That look that said, “I LEARNED SOMETHING AND I MUST APPLY IT.” Well, it ‘said’ it mostly in the royal canterlot voice.
Celestia snickered, “You mean…”
“Don’t say it,” Twilight instantly responded.
“Oh but I must.”
“Please no, I’m begging.”
“It’s my price for you ditching out on our date”
Twilight sighed, defeated. “Fine, get it over with.”
Celestia grinned, “Twilight, you must help your friend with her melon collie.”
~~~~
Celestia held her calm smile until Twilight had left; dropping it only once she was certain her marefriend was truly gone. Then she slowly reached up and removed her goggles. “Oh no, I don’t mind at all, I hadn’t planned on anything special,” she murmured quietly, picking up a small jewelry box she had hidden behind her model. “Maybe I’ll have the courage for it tomorrow…” She sighed, staring at the box, the minutes stretching on as she contemplated both the box, and it’s meaning. “Then again, maybe not…”
Twilight Sparkle, having just awoken, stumbled into a private lounge in Canterlot castle. “Coffee, black,” she muttered to the attending maid then looked across the table to her marefriend. Celestia was calmly sipping some tea and reading over a report. She was wearing a bright yellow construction helmet and an even brighter yellow vest with a black stripe down the middle of it.
“Tia, with that hat and the vest, you look rather like a bee.”
“I was afraid of that. It can’t really be helped, it is safety equipment after all, but still, hearing you say that stings, just a little bit,” Celestia replied.
Twilight’s right eye twitched. Of all the quirks she had discovered during her courtship of SHE WHO RAISES THE SUN, this was the one that was most likely to cause a Want It Need It episode in the smaller alicorn. “Ignoring that, what are you doing that requires safety precautions?”
“Oh, it is time for me to inspect the Royal Navy’s progress on ship construction this year. I believe my simulacrums are correct, and we should be synched up between me and the navy, but Admiral Yamaremoto has some new ideas on how to integrate the navy and the Pegasus core. Something about specialized ships to carry them at sea and assist in projecting air power, it’s quite interesting, really.” Celestia rambled a bit; Twilight noted she tended to do that where her military was concerned.
“Well then, I guess I’ll see you tonight, I love you, don’t play too many pranks on the good Admiral,” Twilight said.
“I do promise to beehive on this trip. It shouldn’t take me too long, we’ve planned a brief inspection of the current fleet construction, then we shall wing the rest of the day, my Lords of the Navy do tend to drone on, but if they keep flitting about, I shall just have to tell them about my missing love and how I nectar. If I wax on about matters of love and lust, they tend to start bumbling about irrecoverably.” Celestia said, eliciting another eye twitch and a pained look from her love.
“It is entirely too early for such shenanigans. Please, just let it bee,” Twilight said with all the dignity she could muster.
“Good one Twilight!” Tia giggled.
Twilight stared in disbelief at her yellow clad paramour, “I am too sober for this conversation. I need a drink. Preferably with enough kick to put a minotaur down.”
“Dear, do be sure to not get too buzzed; Please?” was Celestia’s mild reply.
Twilight Sparkle, Princess the Fourth of Equestria, Archmage of Friendship, Steward of Harmony, Newly minted Triach of the Heavens, and winner of the forty-seventh annual Ponyville chili cook-off scowled in frustration at the stack of paper in front of her. Muttering choice words that Spike would have gotten his mouth washed out with soapstone for even thinking about uttering, her pen scribbled messily on scrap paper as her hoof went down the official looking documents line by line.
A knock came at the door to her study, a quick rhythmic five raps followed by a sing-song voice coming through the door. “Twi, do you want to build a snowman?”
“No,” Twilight snapped, “It’s June and you know I haven’t seen that movie yet. If you’re coming in, come in; don’t waste my time with show tunes.”
Celestia Morningstar, Princess the First of Equestria, All Other Titles Refused, walked into the study. Twilight glanced at her, and then quickly did a double take, her stare fixing on the hoofball helmet worn by Celestia, with two bottles of cider secured to the side of it with tubing running down towards her mouth.
“I was going to suggest we go to the hoofball game, the Trottingham Terrapins are going up against Los Pegasus Arsenal, but now I’m more curious as to what has you in such a state,” Celestia asked.
“It’s the Budget Proposal, I keep going through it and finding line items snuck in there by the nobility and it’s driving me… Well, it’s driving me very Want It, Need It, to be frank.” Twilight huffed.
Celestia looked at her curiously, “The budget? Has that cleared through the exchequer already?”
“No, this is the first draft, I asked to look at it before the exchequer did, to try and streamline it so it would pass quickly and efficiently. I, um, may have bitten off more than I can chew though.” Twilight looked hopelessly at the stack of paper making up the budget.
Celestia took off her hat and placed it to the side. “Twilight, why on earth would you ask for that? There is a reason we send it through the exchequer. I've had them trained for generations to eliminate most of fat from the budget. We have PONIES. We use them, it’s what they are for. I love you. I want you to be comfortable as a princess, but this is one thing you are very much going to have to learn. We aren't Goddesses. We cannot do everything ourselves. There are limits to our attention, our time, and yes, though you would deny it of me, our knowledge. We must rely on our little ponies to help us in the running of the kingdom, lest we stunt their growth and smother them. So please, put the budget aside. You and I are going to go down to the cinema room and watch that movie. We are going to snuggle and coo at the sappy love story. Then I would request your presence next week at a special dinner I have planned…”
She trailed off as she noticed that Twilight had stopped paying much attention to her. Twilight’s face had relaxed, releasing the self-inflicted stress of budgetary restrictions as she processed Celestia’s words.
“I guess you are right, I don’t need to go over the budget line by line, do I? We pay ponies to do this for us, beyond that, we have ponies whose cutie marks indicate they’re better at this then I. I guess I just get caught up in things. I promise I will start delegating more.” Twilight spoke slowly.
Celestia nodded sagely at her love, “After all, Twilight, it just makes cents.”
It was June 4 in Canterlot. Not that the date really mattered, it just happened to be a Wednesday in a month with no holidays. Celestia liked that, she was contemplating declaring June 4 a national holiday, depending on how the evening went. She was sitting at a table in the gardens, waiting for her date to arrive.
Along the path, Twilight walked up. She stopped when she caught sight of Celestia. “You're... not wearing anything?”
Celestia giggled, “Why do you sound so surprised Dear?”
Twilight smiled back at her, “Well, it's just, I've become accustomed to you wearing things, either your regalia, or the various things on your head... no matter, you look very nice.”
“As do you, now please, join me for dinner?”
“I would be delighted to.” Twilight replied as she sat down to the candle lit table.
Dinner proceeded as expected. Delicious courses devoured as conversation flowed around the mundane; Spike's grades at school; and the arcane; that new spell that did very interesting things as it flowed through the local leylines. Finally after a desert course that included no cakes, Twilight sought to wrap up their date.
“Thank you for the lovely dinner,” Twilight said, standing up, “If you don't need me, I wanted to catch Luna before I went to bed and ask her about a certain constellation she's made that seems to be in the shape of a lightning bolt coming out of a cloud.”
As she started to walk away, Celestia raised a hoof, her mouth open to call Twilight back... she paused, started to lower her hoof then got a determined look on her face.
“Wait... not again. I have to say this while I still can.” Twilight paused on hearing the serious tone coming from behind her. She looked back to see Celestia with a very serious look on her face. The elder princess beckoned back the younger, gesturing at the seat across from her. She came back to the table and sat down.
“It is a trite thing to say, almost a pun coming from me, but Twilight, you are my light. You have a way about you that makes every thing seem fresh and new. Even the old familiar routines in which we find ourselves are tinged with excitement for me. Before you came along, I was a hopeless mare. I had banished my sister to the moon, the student I relied on to save her and bring back my Lulu betrayed me and fled through the mirror. There was nothing to look forward to but an eternity alone, being consumed by the hollow feeling inside. Then you came along and changed everything.”
Celestia took a deep breath and forged onward, “Over the years you've grown. What you haven't seen is that I've grown too. I've grown to depend on your company; to rely on your advice. I seek you out for advice on problems that I used to just ignore. You are the partner I've wanted, the partner I need. I love you with all my being. It took the combined intervention of both Luna and Cadance and a whole lot of Applejack... the drink, not your friend, to even get me to admit that I wanted you to be more then my student. I have never in my entire existence made a decision so wise as to come to you with my feelings. I love you Twilight. Make no mistake, I am old, very old. I have had many loves through the ages. Twilight, you are not my first lover, but you shall be the last.” Celestia paused, gathering her courage. She brought forth a box and opened it, a necklace sat in it, Twilight's cutie mark centered in the middle overlayed on top of a familiar sun emblem.
“Please, marry me. Be mine through this life and the next.”
Twilight looked at her with wide, panicked eyes. “I... You... We...” with a sudden flash of purple light, Twilight vanished from the table in a teleport.
The sun came up on June 6th, but it did not bring the warmth expected. The sun shone with the cold warmth of the depths of winter, not the bright heat of midsummer. This was the second day of unseasonable cold. The first day the sun had been sluggish to rise at all.
Seeking answers, Applejack, the friend, not the drink, softly knocked on the door to Twilight's apartment within the Castle of Friendship. Receiving no answer, she slowly opened the door and peeked in.
Twilight was pacing back and forth, muttering to herself, her hair in complete disarray and her right eye twitching. She looked as if the only thing keeping her going was coffee and neurosis.
“What if I say no, why would she ask me. If I say no she'll be crushed. The sun will go down and never come up. Luna will come and find me and banish me to the moon, then jail me, then force me into magical kindergarten in a jail on the moon. Cadance! Cadance will be so angry, especially if she pushed her into asking me out. Why would she do this? What if I say no...” Twilight's rant trailed off into more mutters.
“Uh, Sugarcube? You alright there?,” Applejack asked cautiously.
“She asked me to marry her. ME! TWILIGHT SPARKLE! The most beautiful mare in the world asked me. If I say no... Why would she even ask? Doesn't she know that I'm... I just... I... I can't do it! I'm not perfect and she needs perfect, she deserves perfect... she deserves better then me, I'll just drag her down.” Twilight wailed.
Applejack pulled her friend into a hug. Twilight burst into tears, sobbing into the orange mare's coat. Applejack held her softly, making quiet comforting sounds. They remained like that as Twilight slowly calmed down.
“Twilight, sugarcube,” Applejack said softly, caressing the alicorn's mane in a comforting gesture, “What if you say yes?”
Celestia stared at the spot across the table which had formerly been occupied by her love.
“You could have just said no, Twilight,” she whispered.
Slowly she stood up. Cautiously she started walking back to her rooms.
“Keep it together Tia, mustn't panic the guard. Calmly, calmly, maintain your composure. Remember the reputation of the royalty, calm under every circumstance.” Reciting this as a mantra, Celestia paced through the halls.
“Celestia!” she heard a call from down the hall, “How did it go?” Celestia looked up and saw her sister approaching.
Celestia Morningstar then did something she hadn't done in public in almost a thousand years; She broke down and wept.
Twilight woke up with the sun. It was still much colder then it should have been, but at least it rose on time. As she stirred, she cast her mind back to the conversation she'd had with Applejack the night before.
“What if you say yes?” Applejack had asked. The question had stunned Twilight into silence. “It seems to me, Sugarcube that you're working yourself into a tizzy for little reason. Rightly reminds me of Opalescence.”
“Op... Opalescence?” Twilight had asked timidly.
“Exactly. Y'all remember that one time during a pet picnic that little critter had a hairball? That cat was a coughing and a wheezin' and just carrying on like she was about to die. She even had Rarity a mite concerned about her. But in the end, she just horked up a hairball and moved on with her life.”
Twilight had chuckled weakly, “Horked? Really? I don't think the situations are really all that comparable Applejack.”
Applejack had smiled, “No, not really, but I got you to laugh. Just remember Twilight, your friends love you today, and we will love you tomorrow. No matter the size of the hairball you hork up.”
Back in the present Twilight swung her legs out of bed and stood up. “All right, lets get to horking.” Twilight walked down the stairs, lighting up her horn and sending out a tentative ping on a leyline that connected a small dragon's fire breath with an alicorn's horn. She trotted through Ponyville and entered the Whitetail Woods, heading for a clearing in a grove that she knew would be empty and private.
She had been waiting for about in hour in the grove. The peacefulness of her surroundings the only thing that kept her from panicking. Finally she received a reply ping. Instantly sending out another response ping, this time tinged with her location, Twilight settled back to wait. She didn't have to wait long, within ten minutes a bright white flash indicated the teleported arrival of Celestia.
Celestia took only a moment to gain her bearings. Standing there, she looked at Twilight sorrowfully. “I came, Twilight. I'm sorry that things turned out this way, but I could not miss this chance,” She choked up a little, “this chance to say goodbye.”
Twilight stared at her, her purple eyes intense.
“Celestia, I.. I didn't, well you know, I, um, didn't say no.” Twilight stuttered. “I guess what I mean is, umm, yes.”
"What was that, Twilight?” Celestia asked, a look of hope dawning on her face.
“I, um, Yes.” Twilight blushed, looking up at Celestia. “I want to marry you and be your wife, in this life and the...” She was interrupted abruptly by the soft, warm feel of lips on hers.
As their lips met, a pillar of light broke through the leafy canopy above and shone on them. As their kiss deepened, the light brightened until they finally had to part for breath, whereupon, the light vanished, a single sheet of paper fluttering down from above.
The paper, in purest white with golden letters read simply, “RSVP, Father and Mother of the Bride (Celestia Morningstar).”
Twilight stared blankly at the paper, “You have parents?”
Celestia arched her eyebrow at her fiance, “Honestly Twilight, didn't you ever wonder why we're only princesses?”
Twilight Sparkle was bored. Being Twilight Sparkle she was also attempting to rectify this state, going through the newspaper and searching for suitable diversion. “Trixie is putting on a show in lower Canterlot, despite all of her boasting and noise, she does know her stuff.”
Celestia giggled, “But that flosculation of hers, I mean really, who refers to themselves in the third person?”
Twilight stopped, staring at Celestia. “Flosculation?”
Celestia blushed, “Oh dear, is that another phrase that has fallen out of use? I'm not always entirely certain...”
“I'm just amazed that there is another pony on the planet who knows what that means,” Twilight said. “And to be honest... I really like it.”
Celestia smiled slyly, “Well, I don't mean to be a skybosh, but I have been around a very long time. I didn't spend all that time alone. I had to learn how to speak to the people of every age. I will however, let you know that I have worked hard to keep my vocabulary modern. Occasionally obsolete words will creep in though. I can't help it. It make me feel so roinish though.”
This time Twilight blushed. “THAT, that right there! That part where you talk normally except for a smattering of words. It is so cute, it just makes me want to grab you, pull you down to my level and kiss you into logorrheaic submission.
Celestia nuzzled her fiance and whispered into her ear, “I know... Would you care to join me in the boudoir to partake in some nidulation, dearest Twilight?”
“I don't actually know what that means,” Twilight said. Then she smirked and lit up her horn, “But I know what it's going to mean.”
A flash of purple light and all that remained of the two was lingering laughter.
It was raining in Canterlot. Not a storm, but a steady, pouring rain intended to fill the reservoirs for the rest of the year. Evening was falling over the darkened city, everyone who could be was tucked into warm and dry places, out of the rain. Twilight Sparkle was one of the few remaining ponies not at rest, though if she had her way, not for long.
“Vreeeee,” the sound echoed through the hallway as Twilight moved towards the apartments shared by her and her fiance. “Is that... a violin?” she thought. As she opened the outer door to the suite, she could here some peppy, bouncy music coming from inside the study.. She grinned as she moved towards the door, preparing to fling the door open and pounce on her fiance.
She paused though, as the music changed tempo and cadence, becoming more somber and melancholic. No longer a peppy upbeat song, this one was slower, calling to Twilight to listen, to stop and ponder why the music was as it was. It had an almost hypnotic droning quality, often repeating its themes for a few minutes. It built to a climax, the song seeming to say that it didn't matter that it was down. It's melancholy actually had a temporary feel to it, as if the music were aware that every downside was temporary and could be overcome.
Twilight nudged the door open and stepped in. Celestia looked up at her and smiled, gesturing with her head to a spot on the cushions next to her. Twilight quietly moved over and settled down next to Tia.
The music changed once more, this song was beautiful. The violin speaking out to the sky. The tones sang of loneliness, want, need and sorrow. It was haunting. Twilight could feel the emotion of the musician, calling out to one loved and lost. Twilight found herself thinking of her brother and how he was far to the north, of how often she saw her parents, even to how Spike no longer lived with her. She could feel Tia's pain, long held, over her sister's loss. The song teased her heart, plucking at her heartstrings as though to add an internal resonance to the song. As the music built to a climax, she allowed it to flow over and through her; surfacing pains long ignored or thought long forgotten and soothing them with an overarching message that even with all that could go wrong in a life, there would always be time for those who brought warmth to a heart and a life. That though the time may be temporary, it was not wasted. The song trailed off into the sound of the pouring rain.
As Tia finished, she quietly set her violin to the side and snuggled in tightly with her fiance.
Twilight looked at her in awe, “That was amazing. I didn't know you could play an instrument, why would you hide that from me. I... needed this.” a tear trickled down her cheek.
Tia smiled gently, wiping the tear from Twilight's face, “Oh, I don't really play. I just fiddle around.”
“.... And that's when Shining Armor sat on the cake!” Twilight Sparkle snickered as she finished her story.
Celestia was giggling madly when her nose suddenly reversed the direction of the air flowing through it. In short, she snorted.
Twilight froze. “Did you... did you just snort?” she asked.
Tia blushed so hard, it looked as if someone had spilled wine over her face.
“Oh that is too adorable. That is going on the list.” Twilight's horn ignited and a scroll popped into existence before her.
“What list?” Celestia asked.
“I'm making a list of things that I love about you.” Twilight didn't even glance up as she continued scribbling on her scroll.
“Just how long is that list?” curiosity drove Tia to ask.
This makes two hundred, but I only started keeping the list last week.” Twilight looked up at her fiance. “If I'd started sooner, I could have already had enough to start off filling a book instead of just this scroll.”
Tia grinned, “Twilight, my list begins and ends with, 'You are you.' I love you Twilight.”
Twilight leaned in, “I love you too Tia. Forever and always.”
“I'm not too sure of this Tia,” Twilight Sparkle said. “My research told me that jet streams can be unpredictable and a little dangerous.”
“Nonsense Twilight, we're adults. Jet streams are dangerous only for the young and weak fliers. For those of us with fully developed wings, they are perfectly safe. Plus, they are incredibly fun.” Celestia was standing by Twilight on a cloud high above Equestria.
Twilight looked over the edge of the cloud then cautiously took flight, Tia following shortly behind. As they dropped into the jetstream, Celestia started lecturing.
“You see Twilight, all you have to do is feel with your wing as you allow the jet stream to push you. Much like a wave in the....” Celestia suddenly cut off as a vicious downwind slapped her out of the jet stream. She screamed as her flight path became wildly erratic, spiraling, looping madly out of control. With a ridiculously loud **FWOOOMP** Celestia face planted into a cloud. She lay there, unmoving.
Twilight gasped and dived after her, “Don't be dead, don't be dead, OH PLEASE don't be dead.” She landed with her own **pomf** next to her lover and found Celestia shaking. She reached out gingerly only to jump in shock as Tia burst into laughter.
“BWAHAHAHAHA! That's the funnest part!” Celestia cackled, “You've got to let it smack you around too, losing all control, it's exhilarating!”
“Celestia! You scared the fluffy nougat out of me!” Twilight sniffled a little before punching Tia in the shoulder. “Don't do that.”
“I'm sorry, but you have got to try it! When you turn the jet stream into the jet scream, by Celestia's Beard it's fun.” Tia waggled her eyebrows at Twilight until the smaller mare cracked up as well. Tia leaned in towards her, pursing her lips for a kiss, moments before their lips met, she paused and whispered, “Tag, you're it!” Then she pecked Twilight softly and took off for the jet stream.
“Get back here!” Twilight shouted and took off in hot pursuit. The two played a laughing game of tag falling in and out of control around the jet stream.
Far below the madly giggling mares, a rainbow topped head looked up from the cloud she was napping on. “Amateurs,” she scoffed.
A dark blue wing reached over and pulled her in tight against the larger pony sharing the cloud with her. “Hush thou, lest we disrupt their fun.”
Twilight Sparkle, unicorn, stared in disbelief at her teacher. “You said what now?”
“I said that you are dismissed. As my student. From this day forward you are no longer my student.” Celestia was looking down coldly on Twilight Sparkle from her throne on high. “You fail. I will not keep such a pony as you in my service. In fact, I would prefer you to leave Canterlot entirely. If you are still within the city by the end of the day, I will declare you guilty of treason. Sunset is in twenty minutes, I suggest you run.”
Twilight ran. She sprinted through the palace and into the streets of Canterlot. The sun started sinking towards the horizon and she felt panic rising in her chest. She ran for the gates of the city. As she ran, however, the gates receded into the distance. No matter how hard she pushed herself, she made no progress to leaving the city.
The sun dropped below the horizon. Twilight collapsed to the ground and look up at the palace. Celestia was standing on a balcony staring down at her. “TWILIGHT SPARKLE,” Celestia spoke in the Royal Canterlot Voice, “YOU ARE A TRAITOR. I HEREBY DECLARE YOUR PUNISHMENT TO BE BANISHMENT. TO THE MOON. THERE TO BE IMPRISONED IN A CELL. ON THE MOON. WHERE I BANISH YOU.” Her horn glowed, forming a ball of light which started moving downwards.
Twilight cowered on the ground, covering her head, waiting for her punishment, feeling the heat from the enraged Sun beating down on her when... she woke up with a gasp and a scream.
“Mmmph, widja whatsit?” A groggy voice from beside her asked. “What's going on?”
Twilight Sparkle, alicorn, sat up in her bed, eyes wide in panic and panting shallowly, stared at the white alicorn to her side.
Celestia sat up as well, grogginess quickly being replaced by concern on her features. “Nightmare?” she asked.
Twilight nodded, still panting, she gasped, “Variant 14.”
“I will say it again, love. I would NEVER have dismissed you.” Tia pulled Twilight into a hug. “The best choice I've made in my entire life was taking you on as a student. The second best was asking you out. I love you now more then ever.” Tia worked on calming her love. Seeing that panicked look on Twilight's face not calming she decided on drastic measures.
She moved her face in close to Twilight's. “Trust me.” She moved down Twilight's neck towards the base of her wings. Then she leaned in close and aiming for a sensitive spot at the base of the wing...
“Plpppptttthhphthhh.” She blew a raspberry. Previous exploration of Twilight had lead to the discovery that she was very ticklish here. Twilight burst into laughter. Tia kept it up until she was sure that she had broken the panic. Then she sat back and waited for Twilight to catch her breath.
“Better?” Twilight nodded, “Then go back to sleep. I'm here and I'm not leaving.” Tia started softly humming a lullaby she'd sung often over the years. Twilight succumbed to her exhaustion, slowly falling into a, thankfully, dreamless sleep.
Tia did not sleep for a long while. “Twilight Sparkle, soon to be Twilight Sparkle Morningstar, I swear, upon my honor, my love and my power, though you may be troubled now, the Nightmare shall not have you. This is my sacred oath, may Heaven be my witness.” High above Canterlot a star flashed golden red.
Twilight Sparkle stalked into the room with a glower on her face. Facing her audience she began in a low, intense voice, “I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you want a ransom I can tell you I don't have access to the treasury. What I do have is a particular set of spells. Spells I have acquired over the course of a very long career. Spells that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you give it back now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you. I will not pursue you, I will not cast a certain spell I've been dying to test out. If you do not give it back, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will pie you in the face so hard your grandmother tastes rhubarb.”
Twilight stalked out of the room, leaving behind five stunned mares and a baby dragon.
Rainbow Dash gulped, “Pinkie, where did you hide her Princess Celestia plushie?”
Pinkie looked back with wide eyes, “I think it's at Sugarcube Corner.”
Princess Celestia knocked softly on the door. “Twilight, are you in there?”
She stood listening at the the door, straining, she could just hear sniffles and a quiet little whimper.
“Little One, I am coming in.” She softly opened the door and stepped in.
The room was cluttered, writing utensils and paper covering most of the open spaces. Here and there were blank spots in roughly the size and shape of books. Celestia quickly looked around the room and found the missing books; piled on the bed in the shape of a haphazard wall of books. Taped to the outside was a sign. Curious, Celestia moved over and read, “Fort Knowledge; Boys Go AWAY!”
She smiled and lit off her horn. The book wall was enveloped in a soft golden glow. As she lifted away Fort Knowledge, she revealed the huddled form of a lavender unicorn filly. Twilight looked up with eyes grown red from crying.
“Twilight? What's wrong, my little pony?” Celestia sat down next to Twilight and extended a wing over her small form.
“Princess? Would you really send me away? I promise I'll be better, I'll be the best, I just don't want to leave.” Twilight's lower lip trembled as she gazed up at her princess.
“What? Why would I ever do that? Is there something that I am unaware of?” Celestia looked confused.
“I... I overheard something your nephew said. He said that I was your current charity project and just some dumb dirty commoner. He said there ought to be a law against you teaching the lower class. I... got curious so I went and found a book of laws. He's right! There's a law right there that says you can't teach me.” Twilight pointed her hoof at a book at the foot of the bed with tears dripping from her eyes.
Celestia silently lifted the book in question up to eye level. “Twilight, you are a very smart filly. However, in this case I think you still have something to learn. Did you read the title of this book, Rebrobated Laws Over the Ages?" Twilight nodded slowly.
“And do you know what 'Reprobated' means?” Celestia asked.
Twilight slowly shook her head no.
“It mean, my Dear, that I rejected these laws. Strongly. In fact, I remember the law in question. When it was suggested, I took the lunkhead who suggested it and maybe, just maybe dropped him into a sculpture of liquid rainbow I had at the time.” She sighed, “A shame really, I did rather like that sculpture.”
Twilight looked up at her, a light igniting in her eyes. “So you're not going to send me away?”
It was Celestia's turn to shake her head no.
“But Blueblood said...” At this, Celestia interrupted Twilight.
“Twilight, I want to tell you something about my nephew.” She leaned in close to the filly, as if to impart a great secret. “My nephew is a big, dumb, spoiled, meaniepants.”
Twilight giggled at that. Celestia smiled back at her and pulled her in tighter to her flank with her wing. They sat like this for several minutes. Twilight started yawning, as her head nodded and she tumbled off to sleep at the side of her teacher, she mumbled, “Love you, Princess Tia”
Tia smiled back at her sleeping student, “And I you, Little One.”
Twilight climbed the hill in a public park in the northern city of Seaddle. By her side, Celestia was watching people come and go. As they reached the top, they turned around and faced out, towards the Sound and sat down under a tree.
“Are you sure we have time for this? Aren't we on official business? What will people say. Are those reporters following us?” Twilight looked around nervously.
“Reporters? They're so busy writing about the snobs of 'High Society' that what I do goes almost without comment.” Tia scoffed.
“Oh and it has nothing to do with a law you passed roughly 763 years ago, when newspapers first came about? Coincidentally, is that also why that one sculpture in the garden is titled 'Pony Who Slanders?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.
Tia winked. Then she seized her fiance and pulled her in to her side. Burying her face in the joint between wing and shoulder, where she knew she would draw a reaction.
Twilight squeaked. “Tia, really, maybe while we're in public we should try to maintain some decorum. You know I'm not entirely comfortable with public displays of affection...” She was squirming in the rather tight embrace she found herself in.
“Is that why your hoof has crept down to my cutie mark?” Tia smirked.
Twilight jerked her hoof back as if the stylized sun had suddenly become real. Slowly, gingerly, she returned her hoof to Tia's waist, there to let it rest comfortably.
After they had been resting for a while, Tia turned to Twilight, “Twenty bits for your thoughts?”
“Twenty? Wow, the price has gone up,” Twi stuck her tongue out. “I was just thinking about something my mother told me when I was younger. I didn't understand it then, but I do now. She told me the the greatest thing she did in her life was to marry her best friend.”
Tia smiled at her and nodded. Together, they lay back on top of the hill of a public park and let the world flow around them. A white mare, her best friend. A purple mare, her best friend. Taking time simply to be together.
“Twilight, remind me again why I'm helping you?” Rainbow Dash panted as she and her purple friend sprinted down a hallway. The clanking and jingling close behind them indicated that the animated suits of archaic samarai armor had not fallen behind. Ahead of them they could see a light at the end of the hall, slowly narrowing as the gate kept closing.
“I told you, the Icon of Tsukuyomi was a very important talisman to the ancient Neighponese. I'm not sure what it actually is, but I can feel heavy enchantments and Tia mentioned it as being something of Luna's that was incredibly useful.” Twilight was panting as well, but newfound earth pony endurance enabled her to lecture as she ran, something that Dash wasn't entirely certain was a good thing.
“Less talking, more running.” Suiting action to words, the blue pony pushed herself. At the last second, she grabbed her friend and put on a burst of speed, squeaking past the closing portcullis mere moments before it slammed shut.
The two tumbled to the ground outside and lay on the grass gasping for breath. As they calmed down, Dash looked over to her friend. “Again, why am I helping you?”
Twilight smiled back, “It's Tia's and my fifth anniversary. We said we'd get each other gifts that meant something when we were younger. I found this in my research and thought that it'd be perfect. I came here to retrieve it. I brought you for backup. You are here because I helped you get a gift for Luna. Do you remember? That signed copy of Daring Do and the Fetish of Gungadoon?”
“Please, it was no where near as difficult to get as this was.” Dash said.
“It was a Comic-con exclusive. A Manehatten Comic-con exclusive.” Twilight growled. “I had to wait in a line for 6 hours. Do you know why people stereotype con goers? 6 hours in line with people who have worse social skills then me! 6 HOURS!” Twilight's voice dropped to a mutter, “Never again, next time I abuse Royal Privilege, no matter what Tia says.”
Far away, on a land named for the fruit of its soil, two sisters huddled over a box in a cramped space. The minstrels could have sung songs of their epic journey, but it would have been shorter then a commercial jingle.
“This? This is your mystical talisman? Sister, correct me if I'm wrong, but that is a small homemade doll.” Luna stared into the box with a puzzled look.
“Excuse me Luna, but this is a very important part of Twilight's foalhood! In fact, this is actually the first gift I gave to her. Her first night in the castle as my student, when she couldn't sleep, I magicked up a friend for her.” Celestia smiled in wistful rememberance.
“Maybe afterward, you should have magicked up a lesson in doll making for yourself.” Luna said dryly, eyeing the small rag donkey with button eyes, well, one button eye and one dangling button eyelike object.
Celestia swatted her on the shoulder and they both started laughing. Giggling they presented quite the sight, front halves tucked under a bed, rear ends shaking with mirth in the sky. Behind them came a snort of annoyance.
Celestia was enjoying her tea. It was a calm afternoon. There had been little pressing business for her to attend to on this day and she was basking in the rarity (the noun not the pony) of the event. Perhaps she'd have time to get to that new book she'd been wanting to read. It had been terribly difficult to avoid hearing spoilers from her sister, who gushed glowingly about it. Or was it the pony she was reading it with she gushed about? Hmm, either way, there was a lot of gushing to tune out.
Her bedroom door opened and she looked up. Entering her room was the only pony in all of Equestria who had a pass through her locks and wards. Twilight Sparkle came in and settled across from her and assumed an expectant look.
“So, you know how you don't sing very often? You've sung to me maybe eight times my whole life. I noticed that these songs, which are beautiful, seem to only come out of you when something important is about to happen.” Twilight said with a very serious look on her face.
Celestia raised an eyebrow, fairly certain she knew where this was going, but wanting confirmation.
“Would you say that you go for an Aria of Effect?” Twilight grinned broadly at her pun.
Celestia stared at her blankly. Twilight's smile slowly faded. Under the steady gaze of her fiance, Twilight grew more and more nervous. Flustered, she pulled a wing around and started fiddling with the feathers.
When Twilight's discomfiture had hit the peak of cuteness and just before it actually crossed over into complete despair, Celestia spoke, “It was a good attempt, but alas, you're trying too hard. Twilight, my dearest, you are not very well versed in puns, so maybe you should refrain. The key to success for all punners of note is their ability to stay composed while performing. As for the singing... I'm shy.”
Twilight's head was bowed with her ears pinned back, “Ouch, harsh, Tia. Maybe I can't pun to save my life, but at least I have the most beautiful teacher, she's easy on the eyes, but hard on the pupils.”
“KRAKOOM!” thunder cracked outside the window. Lightning flashed and the storm raged on. A storm had rolled in beyond the control of the pegasi. It had started over the Everfree, so the only thing to do was wait it out.
Celestia heard her coming before she saw her. She nudged her wife in their bed, “Twilight, we have company.”
Twilight groggily raised her head just as she heard a soft, timid knock at their door. “Yes, come in.”
The door opened a little and a tiny head poked in. The small alicorn filly looked up at her mothers with huge eyes, “Mommies? I'm... I'm scared of the lightning, can I sleep with you?”
“Of course, Stardust. Lets get you all snuggly in this bed so you can get some rest. We'll keep you safe from every thing,” Twilight patted a place on the bed in between them. The tiny filly sprinted over to the bed, dragging a small stuffed purple dragon behind her and dove in between her mothers.
As she snuggled into her spot she asked, “Mommy Tia, can you sing me a song?”
“Yeah Mommy Tia, can you sing her a song?” Twilight's eyes glinted with mischief.
Celestia rolled her eyes, “Only for you two.”
“Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur,” Celestia crooned. “Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr, purr, purr.'
Stardust sighed, her eyes closed and a faint smile on her face, “Mommy?”
“Yes, Dear?”
“Too short, longer song please.” at this, Stardust opened her eyes as wide as she could and gave a doleful, pleading look.
Celestia chuckled, “As you wish.” She cast her thoughts through her mind, trying to find a good song to sing to her daughter, then she smiled and started...
As Celestia finished the song she looked down upon her sleeping daughter with love brimming in her eyes. Twilight looked on both of them with her heart full as well.
Unseen in the corner of the room was a dark shape. Luna frowned at the scene before her. “I'm glad I found this dream,” she muttered, “I'll have to tell Tia to tell her about foals before they get married.” With a slight shimmer, Luna exited the dream and went looking for her sister.
“Tia, could you come over here for a moment?” Twilight called out from her lab.
Tia walked into the lab glancing about at the various magitech machines. Twilight was standing in front of a machine that glowed with an ominous green light along two wires, one of which led to a cone placed over Twilight's horn. As Tia drew near with a puzzled look on her face, Twilight picked up a second cone, connected to a glowing green wire, and popped it onto Tia's horn. Before she could react to the sudden hat, Twilight slapped a switch and the machine whirred to life.
“Twi... what is this and why am I hooked up to it?” Tia asked.
“I'm measuring our love. This machine is designed to quantify and report just how much love I have for you.” Twilight spoke without looking up from the gauge she had been staring at.
The glowing green light intensified, the machine starting to shimmer and then it gave up and shut down with a whine and a sound suspiciously similar to a kitchen timer. The gauge that Twilight was studying lit up with bright red letters. Looking at the results, Twilight scowled, “I don't understand. Why does this gauge say, 'In existence?' I had set it to output along a numerical scale from 1 to 10.”
“Twilight, you can't quantify love. You either love someone or you don't.”
“Yeah well, I'd have also said that you can't EAT love, yet we have the changelings.” Twilight muttered petulantly.
Tia smiled, “Look at it this way, love. I love you. I also love Luna. When I fell in love with you, did my love for Luna diminish?”
“No...”
“That's because love is limitless and immeasurable. It is the one thing on this planet that is infinite. You can't measure love.” Tia waggled her eyebrows, “You can demonstrate it though. Get over here, my sexy mare.”
~~~
Later that night at Carousel Boutique a knock came at the door. “Coming, coming,” Rarity Belle called, “Now who could it be at this time of night.”
When she opened the door, she found a small dragon on her doorstep. “Oh Spikey-Wikey, what are you doing... wait... sock on the door?”
Spike gave her a disgusted look, “Sock on the door.”
It had been a cold month. The sun rose every day, but it never seemed to hold the same warmth as it had. Twilight Sparkle had taken to the clouds this day, fleeing from the expressions of support and comfort. She was sick of it, day in, day out, the constant refrain of, “It'll pass, it'll get better.” Well, it wasn't, and it wouldn't.
She sat on the cloud, reveling in the cold. It felt right, to be cold, she remembered a lesson long past. She pulled up a chunk of cloud, and started condensing it. As she pressed it in, it turned to liquid, pure and clear. She pressed harder, but she couldn't get it to solidify. There wasn't a core for the ice crystals to form around. Nucleation, it had been patiently explained to her when she was studying weather magic. A solid core providing the base for ice to form in the atmosphere. A support around which the fluid water could crystallize. Turning from a fluid into a beautiful thing...
She was just so tired. She couldn't be strong, she couldn't be solid. Her core had been ripped away from her. Without that solid base... she was weak and soft, like rain... and like rain, tears fell down her face. As the day ended and the sun set, Twilight whispered, “Why couldn't it have been me?”
t was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed across the sky as rain pelted down upon the rooftop of an ancient castle. Within the castle, various machines stood, beeping and flashing as electrical currents flowed over and through them.
A cry of triumph echoed through the castle. “It's alive! Alive!” A white mare pushed her goggles up onto her forehead as she cackled with joy.
“Um, no it's not. That's an oven. You were baking something. If it is alive, we're most likely going to have to summon the elements and blast it with harmony.” Sitting at a table across the room, a purple mare was watching the show with an bemused look on her face.
“Sorry, that just felt like the thing to say,” Celestia blushed, “Anyways I believe I have created the perfect food! Behold! A small yellow cake with crème filling.”
“What is so special about that?” Twilight inquired.
“It is ageless. It shall be as good in fifty years as it is now! Time does not touch it, so it is perfect."
Twilight took a bite. Making a face, she replied. “Eww, um, have you tried eating one?”
Celestia also took a bite. “Oh dear. That is an unfortunate combination. I had hoped the twin keys of crème with the cake would taste good. I took a preservative approach though. That is quite nasty. Oh well, can't win them all. Now come over here and kiss me.”
Outside the castle in Canterlot, the streets were awash with excitement. It wasn't everyday that a new princess was coronated, after all. Work had been canceled for the day, school likewise. All throughout the city game booths had sprung up for the holiday. Food vendors had set up shop along the streets, hawking their wares and contributing to the festival atmosphere of the evening. The whole event had taken on the feel of a giant, city-wide party.
Inside the castle, the party continued, but in a more regal, sedate way. The great hall had been filled with a feast fit for a king, or at least four princesses. Tables groaned under the weight of food, goblets splashed with wine overflowing. The mood was more subdued, but no less joyful then that on the streets. Music called to the party goers, drawing them into the ballroom. As people gathered, the chamber orchestra appeared prepared to play far into the night, providing all with a grand ball. People gathered in groups, waiting for the guest of honor to take her rightful place as the first dance of the night.
The newly crowned princess, dressed in a lavender gown custom designed for the event, was currently sheltered in a small group of similarly dressed young women. Each had a look of love and pride on their faces, they were there to support their princess. Almost as one, they placed their hands on the shoulders of the princess, nodded towards the dance floor and smiled encouragingly. The princess made a gesture towards her crown, perhaps checking to make sure it was still secure. She swallowed visibly, brought her arm up to her heart while taking a deep breath, then pushed her fist outward while exhaling.
Having composed herself, the princess moved off in a determined stride. As she passed her family, murmurs started to arise from the onlookers. Traditionally, the first dance of a young unwed royal went to her father. Said father looked on with pride, but not surprise at the breach. The crowd looked on with curiosity as she walked towards another small grouping of women in gowns. This group with crowns firmly in place on their heads.
She walked up to the tallest of the group, bowed, and extended her arm in invitation. The elder princess, dressed in a brilliant white gown, looked down at her, eyes widened in shock. Her lips parted slightly and her head tilted quizzically. Seconds stretched out, the young princess growing visibly more nervous. Her arm started shaking, and her eyes dropped down, dimming as they left the face they had been staring intently into. Shaking her head sharply, as if to dismiss the shock or perhaps lecherous thoughts, the taller princess smiled with all the warmth of the sun, reached out a graceful hand, gently cupping Twilight's chin, Celestia raised her face to hers, whispered a few words, accepted her arm and swept her out onto the dance floor, perfectly in sync as the music swept up into a waltz.
Through the snow, Twilight Sparkle approached a cabin, firewood wrapped in a magenta glow floating behind her. The homey little vacation cabin was situated on the shores of an alpine lake in the hills north of Vanhoover and was billed as the ultimate in winter getaways. It was definitely a getaway. It had taken Twilight and Tia almost two full days of flight to get there. When they had arrived the cabin had been fully stocked with all the essentials of a wonderful winter vacation, namely, plenty of chopped wood for the fire and an almost infinite amount of hot chocolate.
“Brrr, it's cold outside.” Twilight Sparkle trotted into the cabin, shaking snow off of her fur. “It's not even funny how hard it's coming down out there.” As she entered, she was hit with a comfortable warmth. She smiled at the fire crackling in the hearth, glad that Tia had stayed behind to settle in. She smiled even wider when she saw the white pony settled on top of the cushions in front of the fire. Celestia was staring into the flames, a slight smile on her face and a far off look in her eyes. Walking over Twi nudged her fiance. “Hey, whatcha doin there?”
Tia looked up with a start. “What? Oh, you're back. Welcome back Twilight.” She indicated a spot next to her. “Would you care to join me?”
“I would love to.” Twilight settled in next to Celestia. “Now, why don't you tell me where you've gone.”
Celestia glanced at her, then went back to contemplating the flickering flames. “What makes you think I've gone somewhere?”
“Two things. One, I came in and gave you the perfect setup for a pun. You didn't even notice I'd come in. Two, I know you and your eyes are telling me that you've gone on a journey. Please, take me along with you.” Twilight smiled gently.
“I'm Ok, I promise. I was just remembering a time long, long ago,” Celestia sighed, “Winter just brings back memories of both a happier and sadder time. People long gone and forgotten by everyone but me.”
Twilight leaned into her. “You know, when I was younger I used to wonder why we even bothered with winter. I mean, it's such a hassle to run and even more of a hassle to clean up after it.”
Celestia wrapped a wing around Twi. “Winter is the most important season of all Twilight. Coming at the end of the year, the trees and plants go into a slumber. It's almost like they die. We the living suffer through these cold, empty months with nothing but each other and the hope that spring will come again.”
Twilight nodded. “I like that, but I can't help but notice a slightly morbid tone to that statement. Are you missing someone in particular?”
Celestia nodded. “Her name was Aurora Morningstar.”
“Morningstar? Another sister?” Twilight asked.
Celestia shook her head, tears starting to fall from her eyes, “My daughter,” she whispered.
A noble stood up in the throne room of Canterlot castle. Court was in session and with the princesses in residence, it was moving along at a good clip. “I would like to call for a vote on Resolution 8746, a motion to require verification that clowns are indeed ponies under the makeup...”
“Rejected.” Came a voice from the left throne, a banner above emblazoned with a sun.
“The budget proposal for Miss Goodflank's Orphanage...
“Approved.” This one came from the right throne, it's banner marked with stars.
Prince Blueblood stood before the podium and cleared his throat
“Denied.” Right.
Blueblood spluttered. “But I haven't said anything yet.”
“Denied and blacklisted. No law, come back in three months.” Left.
“Ladies and Gentleponies of the Court, I come before you today not to praise Celestia but ...”
“Time's up, your motion is tabled until a later court.” Left.
“My bill would redirect educational funding from magic to science.”
“Umm... No.” Right.
“My bill would redirect educational funding from science to magic.”
“See above.” Left.
“Hayfries are unpatriotic! The commissary should call them Freedom Fries!”
“Really? No.” In unison.
“Through intensive study of ancient law, I've found an interesting proviso about the marriage status of a Princess...”
“Refused... wait what?” Celestia finally looked up from the book in front of her on the throne. The noble before her cowered before the intensity of her gaze. “What did you find?”
“Umm... well...” The noble stuttered, then plunged onward. “Thelawsaysyoumustmarrywithinathousandandfiveyearsofyoursistersbanishmentorthethronedevolves.”
Twilight made a calming gesture. “Once more please, with articulation and breathing.”
The noble drew a deep breath. “I found a law. It says, rather simply, 'If Princess Celestia doesn't find a spouse in one thousand and twenty years, she will give up the throne to the unicorn royalty.' This was followed by a barely legible signature of both princesses and was dated fifteen years before Luna's banishment.”
Twilight sat there with a look of puzzled shock. “That... is oddly specific,” Turning to her fiance she cocked her head, “Do you know anything about this? Tia? Are you ok?”
Celestia was looking puzzled. “I think... I think I remember nothing of the sort. Perhaps...” Her eyes suddenly widened. “I remember now! Luna was teasing me about my dating habits. I got angry and yelled at her that I could get anyone I wanted. She said something like, 'Wanna bet?' So we made a bet. She set the terms. We must have been in earshot of a herald. They used to take anything we said and put it into law.”
Twilight sighed. “You do realize what this means right?”
Celestia looked over at her quizzically.
“We have three weeks to get married. Write a letter to Spike. We need Rarity and the girls here. We're expediting the wedding.”
Celestia smiled gratefully. “I'm more then ok with this.”
It was late at night in Canterlot. Strike that, late at night was about three hours ago. This night in Canterlot had gone right beyond late and was bordering on just being early early morning. In a room in the palace, eight mares were having a traditional gathering. A sleepover. Games had been played, drinks had been drunk, and much giggling was had. Talk had turned, as it inevitably does in the presence of the Princess of the Crystal Empire, to the topic of love.
“I'm still gonna get sloppy makeouts before you do Tia. Remember the bet? I am so going to get that National Holiday before you do.” Luna was grinning maniacally. “I think I shall call it, 'The Moon Rules, the Sun Drools' day.”
Pinkie Pie giggled.
“Now hold on there pardner,” Applejack said, “You bet a national holiday on who would get a make out session first?”
“Never mind that, darling. I think we should be focused on the fact that you made a bet on your love lives?” Rarity asked. “Isn't that a might... unrefined?”
“Doesn't matter, because Tia's gonna looo-oose, Tia's gonna looo-ooose.” Luna chanted in a sing-song.
Celestia narrowed her eyes at her sister.“Ok, fine,” She turned to her side, “Twilight Sparkle. I hereby, as your ruler and as controller of the sun, order you to make kissy faces with me. If we do not commence with kissy kissy, I fear the sun may not come up tomorrow.”
Twilight blushed, then grinned. “If I must, oh great and wise ruler. I shall make this sacrifice for the good of all ponykind. Let us away to your budoir. To make with the kissy facing.”
“But.. but... THAT'S CHEATING!” Luna wailed.
“Just because you didn't think of it first.” Celestia stuck her tongue out at her sister.
Twilight and Celestia vanished in a flash of light, leaving the rest of the group in a somewhat stunned silence.
“Lousy bunch of cheaters,” Luna grumbled to herself. She looked around at the remaining group. “Fine, anyone here want to go make out?”
Blushing, the girls glanced around nervously. Then from the back came a small voice, “I do, umm, that is, if you don't mind?”
“Works for me!” Luna said, and vanished in another flash of light, taking Fluttershy with her.
The remaining five mares looked at each other in confusion. “Welp,” Applejack drawled, “That was certainly a thing that happened."
One of the great benefits of having a marefriend taller then you was that she could reach books on higher shelves without a ladder, Twilight Sparkle decided. Watching Celestia stretch her body out as she retrieved a book, Twilight became focused on perfection. Unfortunately, she wasn't very subtle about it.
“Geez Twilight, if you like her butt so much, why don't you take a picture. It'll last longer and spare the rest of us the disgust of your drooling.” Spike snarked.
Spike!” Twilight blushed, “Two things. One, I have a photographic memory.”
“Oh? Mine never developed,” Spike interrupted with a smile.
Twilight raised her eyebrow at him. “Ahem, and two; How could you not drool at her butt? Have you seen it? It's so firm, so tight, so supple with all of the lift and bounce! The things I want to do to it...”
Spike's face turned green. “Eww. That is most definitely my cue to leave. If you need me, I'll be at Sweet Apple Acres. Maybe cider can remove my memory of this evening.” Spike scrambled out of the door, grumbling about love sick mares and how disgusting they could be.
Twilight looked over at Celestia with pure innocence in her eyes. “Well, now that he's out of the picture, where were we?”
Celestia looked back at her. “You were about to put on the socks and I was about to melt into the chair purring in delight. Then I believe you were going to pose a bit while I took some snapshots for the private collection.”
“Oh yes, well. Shall we?”
Celestia narrowed her eyes with a lusty smirk on her lips. “Oh YES. We shall.”
Laughter echoed throughout the dining hall. Four mares had gathered for the evening, to enjoy good food and good company. Celestia and Luna had joined their marefriends Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash for dinner.
“So then I said, 'You never know if that potato on your plate has flown first class or coach!'” Rainbow finished her story, cracking up the others.
As their chuckles wound down and they turned their attention back to their meals, a cough came from the end of the table. Looking up, Spike stood in front of them, dressed up in the small tuxedo he'd worn to the Grand Galloping Gala. “Ladies, if I could have a bit of your time. I have a small presentation I'd like to make.”
“Spike? What are you doing?” Twilight asked.
“I have been observing various couples around the town and I've decided that some of them need an award.” Spike said.
“Oh really?” Twilight was looking at him with open curiousity. “And what award is this?”
“Well, I was going to do a bunch of build up and explanation of this award, but it doesn't really matter. Lemme just grab the trophy.” Spike hustled over to the side of the room where a small brass statuette had gone unnoticed on a side table. Grabbing it and a small envelope, he moved back to the main table.
“Ok, now I have it. And... The award goes to...” Spike looked around. “Drumroll please?”
Luna and Rainbow Dash started stomping their forehooves in a quick staccato, happily playing along with Spike.
“Thank you. As I was saying, the award for Nauseating Displays of Public Affection goes to...” Spike ripped open his envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. “Twilight and Celestia!”
Twilight looked on in stunned bemusement at Spike hefted the small trophy. Celestia, however, grinned openly, stood up and moved over to where Spike was standing. Her horn glowed golden as she took the statuette from him.
Celestia stood before her audience of four and cleared her throat. “Ladies and Gentle..drake, I suppose. I stand here before you not only as a princess, but as living proof that sometimes ponies make poor decisions. On that note, I'd like to thank Twilight for her poor decision in choosing me. Pause for laughter.” Her audience groaned, she winked at them. “Spike, you've always been tolerant of us and for that... I'd like to warn you. We shall be staging a repeat performance of our award winning make-out in roughly an hour.” Spike looked sad. “I do live here you know, what am I supposed to do?”
Luna spoke up then, “I have little desire myself to witness my sister making out. Shall we go forth to find some Creamed Ice?”
Rainbow poked her side. “It's 'ice cream' and that sounds awesome. You in Spike?”
Spike grinned. “The award for best ponies goes to... you two!”
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE WE WOULDST SPEAK WITH THEE.” The voice reverberated through the castle.
Twilight Sparkle looked up from the book she'd been reading. “Oh good, Luna's here.”
Luna walked into the library, stalking over to the reading nook, she stood in front of Twilight and came right to the point. “Thou thinkest thyself worthy of mine sister?”
Twilight grimaced. “Worthy? Not really, but I've determined that my feelings for her are far too strong to ignore.”
“Then I demand that thou dost prove thy worth through trial by dodgeball.” Luna challenged.
Twilight looked confused. “Trial by dodgeball? That's not a thing, tell me that's not a thing. Is that really a thing?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I'd prefer that you beat my champion at combat, but I am informed that trial by combat is no longer,” Luna made air quotes, ”'An appropriate action for ponies to take.' So it was suggested that I use dodgeball to judge thy worth.”
“So you're telling me that if I defeat your champion at a game of dodgeball, you'll give me your blessing to pursue a relationship with Celestia?”
“That is the basic gist of it, yes.”
Twilight sighed. “Fine. Though I want it noted that I did not seek this out. Who is your champion?”
“I have chosen thy friend Rainbow Dash.”
“You chose Rainbow Dash?”
Luna nodded. “Well, not so much chose as much as she insisted once she learned why I was in town. I do not know why, but she really wants to throw balls at your head. She giggles most attra... anyways. Rainbow Dash is my champion. She awaits us upon the field of battle.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And where, pray tell, is that?”
“A field just outside Ponyville, Rainbow said you 'd know the place.”
“Let's go then.” Twilight lit up her horn and with a flash of violet, the two mares vanished from the library. Reappearing at the edge of the field that Rainbow Dash frequently used for practice, Twilight surveyed the area.
Rainbow stood next to a large basket filled with bright red dodgeballs. She had a smirk on her face that screamed confidence. “Hey Egghead, Luna tell you what's up?”
Twilight ignored her. She walked over to face off against her friend. Lighting her horn, the glow of Twilight's magic engulfed the basket of balls. She lifted approximately thirty balls in her magic, stared straight into Rainbow Dash's eyes and growled. “Go.”
All color drained from Rainbow Dash's face as she realized what exactly she'd agreed to do. Ball after ball was flung at her, pushing her to the outer limits of her agility and speed as she ducked, dodged, dipped, dove and... dodged. After a solid five minutes of dodging ball after ball and maybe a wrench, a break finally came. Rainbow stood there panting, eyes wide and and almost panicked at the onslaught she'd just survived. Wildly she looked around her only to find herself surrounded. Lightly glowing balls surrounded her on all sides, the glow now blue instead of violet.
“Enough Twilight.” Luna spoke hurriedly. “I surrender the point. You win, now cease before you injure thy friend.”
Twilight's stance relaxed and she extinguished her horn. “I would never have hurt her, well, seriously hurt her. Am I understanding you correctly? Are you giving me the blessing you promised me?”
Luna sighed. “Aye, you have my blessing. Go forth and court my sister, I shan't inhibit you in any way.”
Twilight grinned. “Perfect.”
As Twilight vanished in a flash of violet power, Rainbow Dash finally recovered enough to look over to Luna. “What just happened here? Is this heaven? Am I dead?”
Luna smiled, “Nay, but you did what I asked of you. That deserves a reward. Shall we talk about it over dinner?”
Rainbow shakily walked over to her. “So long as you promise we eat nothing round.”
The Badlands of Equestria weren't actually all that bad. In fact, for the past decade and a half, they could almost have been called the 'Half-decent-if-rather-spartan lands.' The difference was that nowadays, ponies had a reasonable expectation of coming into the... lets call them the Not-quite-good Lands, and coming back out again without their life essence being drained along with love to feed a voracious horde of changelings. In fact, meeting up with a changeling was now considered good luck as the drones were pleasant and prone to putting on impromptu comedy shows filled with impersonations of famous ponies.
In the hive, the Queen of said changelings was lounging on her dais. The years had been incredibly kind to her. Once she had been starving and struggling to find a sufficient source of love to feed her children, that had changed the day a purple pony showed up on her doorstep offering a compromise. Fifteen days later, Chrysalis had stopped ignoring her and let her into the hive to begin negotiations. The end result of those negotiations now stood in the great hall of the hive. Delivered mere days after signing a treaty, a golden statue of a corpulent pony holding an oversized donut above her head stood sentry. The drones had taken to calling the statue, 'Fatty Pony.'
Chrysalis herself was looking rather plump herself. Over time, the starvation holes had closed and she had started to look quite... pleasantly plump. Granted, she'd never quite managed the perfect curviness of Celestia... Curse that mare, no one should have such perfection for a flank, how could it have been possible for that shape to exist in nature? Chrysalis shook herself, wiped the drool from her chin and continued her thoughts. Granted, she hadn't the curviness of Miss Mathematically Perfect, but her flank was at least in the top ten of Equestria. It had filled out into a deliciously shapely bubble and she could attribute it all to clean eating and good living. Chrysalis started examining her hoof. However... was that a dimple? “Drone, is my hoof looking a little thinned out to you?”
Nameless Drone #214 snapped to attention. “My Queen, you are looking as ample and zaftig as is properly befitting your position.... though it I may say so, your horn may be a little skinny towards the end of it.”
Chrysalis chuckled. “That's called the tip. Also, as a tip, it's supposed to be sharp. Thank you though, I was getting concerned, as our Fatty Pony is down to five percent. I was hoping to expand the hive a little, but I guess I'll hold off on that.”
A new drone, differentiated by heaven knows what, trotted into the throne room. Carrying an envelope under his wing he trotted before his queen and snapped to attention.
“My Queen,” Named Drone Steve said, “A pony delivered this letter to the entrance of the hive.”
Chrysalis looked him over. “And where is it from?”
“Canterlot.”
“Oooh! I hope that's what I've been waiting for, bring it here.” Chrysalis commanded. The drone quickly brought the letter to its queen.
The paper was quite nice actually, with fine calligraphy engraved on the front that said, “Queen Chrysalis.” Inside the calligraphy continued, “You are hereby invited to the annual celebration of our love, this year we are celebrating fifteen blissful years. Yours, Celestia Morningstar and Twilight Sparkle.”
It was a dreary, blustery day in Canterlot. The wind was blowing out of the north, bringing with it the bite of winter. The grey clouds above threatened snow and before the night was through, were scheduled to cover the city in a cold, white blanket.
“Brrr... it's cold out here.” Celestia was walking down the street with Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight looked over at her. “Really Celestia, I appreciate you coming with me to the train station to meet Spike, but you could have stayed in the palace, you know, where it's warm? I am a grown up now, I even pay taxes. I'm sure I can meet my s...assistant at the train by myself.”
Celestia smiled. “I know you can, but I can also walk with you. It gets me out of the palace and into the fresh air. It's a nice change of pace from the hot air blown up my tail in the palace.”
Twilight giggled. “And Luna saying she wanted to learn how to cook and appropriating the kitchens had nothing to do with it.”
“Well, maybe a little, but did you smell what was coming out of there? We'll have to air the kitchens for days after this adventure of hers. Is it wrong of me to prefer fresh air and good company?”
“No, and I'm glad you're here.”
They made their way towards the train station, not in a rush, but not going slowly either. A commotion attracted their attention from a side street. Standing on a box on a corner of the street, a pony called out to all of the city to stop and listen to him. He was from some religious group and had a message to deliver.
He yelled to the crowd. “In the BEGINNING there was darkness and the Creator looked out upon this and was dissatisfied. Wishing to give us a beautiful world to live in, He created all that is before us in seven days...”
Twilight glanced at him before looking to her side. “Is that how it happened?”
Celestia shot her a look. “Just how old do you think I am?”
They continued walking, only paying vague attention to the preacher. His volume, however, guaranteed that his voice carried after them.
“REPENT ye sinners. Repent of your sins or be condemned to everlasting HELL! “For in the beginning the Creator made stallion and mare. The TIME of atonement is upon us! Those of you who have fallen into the SIN of homosexuality shall burn! Your sinful lusts shall condemn you to the very pits of hell....” His rant trailed off into the distance.
Continuing to walk, the two mares left the preacher behind. Physically at least. Twilight kept glancing back in his direction, nibbling her lower lip and looking rather consternated. Finally she stopped. Celestia stopped with her, looking at her with concern.
“Tia, is any of that true? Are we going to hell for our love?” Twilight shivered as a particularly cold gust of wind buffeted her.
Celestia reached a wing around her Twilight, pulling her in for warmth. “If we are, at least we'll be toasty.”
Celestia was perusing the evening paper, sipping a cup of tea before retiring for the night. Displaying a remarkably good mood, even for one known for good moods, she was humming a bright tune under her breath. Entering the room, on the other hand, Luna had a determined, serious look on her face.
As Luna came to a halt in front of Celestia she spoke up. “Sister, we must talk. About Twilight. I have heard things concerning the two of you and I am concerned.You canst be serious about dating her. She is completely wrong for you.”
Celestia looked at her sister with confusion in her eyes. “What? Is this about her being my student? She graduated years ago.”
“That isn't a problem in the slightest.”
“Then it's the age difference, isn't it?” Celestia asked.
Luna scoffed. “Of course not, we both know that our age ceased to matter once we stopped aging.”
Celestia gave her a puzzled look. “Well, since her ascension, she's not a commoner. Her hygiene is good. She hasn't blown up Ponyville in weeks. She's smart. She's funny. Her flank is just as juicy and squeezable as the ripest peach...I can't think of a single serious reason for you to object to us dating. What is the problem? I like her, she likes me. We share interests, we have history. She's almost perfect.”
It was Hearth's Warming Eve in Canterlot. The snow was softly drifting down, blanketing the city in white. The palace was quiet, everyone having been sent home for the holiday. In the private chambers of the Princess of the Sun, two mares were lying comfortably in front of the crackling fire. They'd had a quiet night in and were now settled for the evening.
“Celestia,” Twilight Sparkle began nervously, “I know it's not Hearth's Warming Day, but I have a gift I'd like for you to open.”
“Oh?” Celestia asked. “My gift to you is under the tree downstairs with the rest of the gifts. Do you want me to fetch it for you?
“No,” Twilight replied, “It's just... it's just that this gift is very personal and I was hoping you'd open it in private. I... I don't think I could bear you opening it in public if you didn't like it.”
“Of course Twilight.” Celestia nuzzled Twilight lovingly. “That it is from you is enough already. I'm sure it'll be wonderful.”
Twilight lit up her horn and with a soft pop and a flash of violet light, a small red box wrapped with a green bow appeared before her. As the purple glow faded from the box, a warm golden glow took over. Pulling the bow apart, the glow opened the lid and pulled out a small green crystal resting on a white cushion.
“What is it?” Celestia asked curiously, “I sense time magic at work and something else...”
“It's keyed to your magic and a name.” Twilight said softly. “Once you give it the name, the temporal magic will go to work, opening a window into the past to see the named pony. The window will shift with time, showing the pony throughout their life.”
“Twilight...” Celestia's eyes widened as she held the crystal. “That is incredibly complex magic. Is this why you've been burying yourself in the archives for the last three weeks?”
Twilight nodded. “I've been working on this since our trip to the cabin, actually. It finally came together last week with Luna's help.”
Celestia's horn lit up as she directed her magic in the base, “Aurora, Aurora Morningstar.” she whispered.
The crystal lit up, projecting the smiling image of a white pegasus, her mane a soft golden color with pink and purple highlights, done up in an ancient style. Her eyes glowed with a mischievous light. She gave the impression that she had just pulled a grand prank and was struggling to hold in her laughter.
Celestia let out a gasp at the image. “That's her. That's my girl. That was the day that she... Oh Twilight, she lived so long ago. I have nothing remaining of her, and now this? I can't even begin to tell you what this gift means to me.” She reached over with her wing and pulled Twilight in tightly. Hugging her as tears started to fall from her eyes. Twilight burrowed into the embrace, wrapping her own wings around Celestia and holding her as tears fell on the floor.
When her emotions had steadied out, a small voice came from beside her. “C-Can you tell me... about her?” Twilight asked shyly.
“I would love to,” Celesita's voice wavered. “Sh-She... had this smirk she would get when she knew she was doing something clever...”
As Celestia started speaking, her voice grew stronger and more steady. Into the night, the two snuggled together, sharing stories of a pony long gone, yet never forgotten. The crystal shone, and through it, Aurora smiled once more at her mother, her gaze full of love and life.
Four ponies stood on a field. Littered about were bright red dodgeballs. It had been a week since the last challenge and the parties involved had gathered again. Twilight Sparkle stood next to Celestia Morningstar. Across from them, Rainbow Dash confidently stood next to Luna Morningstar.
“So we are agreed?” Celestia asked. “A rematch, magic disallowed, Twilight wins, the dates go on. Rainbow wins, the dates stop.... Remind me again why I'm going along with this?”
Luna grinned, “Because you looo-oove me and want to huu-mor me and my ec-cen-tri-ci-ties.”
Celestia sighed, rubbing her face with her hoof. “Ok, why are you going along with this?”
Luna's grin soured. “Rainbow whined. A lot.”
“I did not whine!” Rainbow whined, “It was just totally unfair of the egghead to use magic against me! She's like, a bajillion times better then me with magic. She's an Alicorn! Take away the glowy wooshy stuff though and there's just no way she can keep up with The Dash.”
Celestia just smiled faintly. “Fine. Let us see how this turns out.” She turned to Twilight. “Are you ready?”
Twilight nodded silently.
“And you, Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow grinned. “Born ready.”
Celestia lit her horn and with a flash, teleported herself and her sister to the far side of the clearing. “Go!” She called.
Rainbow exploded into motion. She spun into a barrel roll, a wing curling about a dodgeball, guiding it into her hooves. She flapped hard twice, gaining some quick altitude. “Bombs away!” She crowed, angling towards the ground and Twilight. She dove, releasing the ball as she reached top speed, pulling up and skidding to a stop on the ground, she watched the ball fly towards her friend.
As the ball streaked at Twilight, her eyes wide as she jumped to the left. The ball whistled past, rustling Twilight's tail as it passed within inches of the purple mare.
So the battle went, Dash using her speed to snatch balls before Twilight could get to them, only to rise into the air and dive bomb the scholar. Twilight kept up as best she could, dodging at the last moment several times, using her wings to give herself microbursts of speed, dipping at direct shots and rolling away from indirect ones. She never took the offensive away from Dash, seemingly using her entire focus on the monumental task of not getting hit by the balls kept in motion by her prismatic foe.
Her brows furrowed in concentration, Rainbow Dash worked her opponent towards the edge of the clearing, where the trees were more numerous and dodging was harder. “Almost, almost...” She muttered, “Now!” Rainbow flashed downward with what she hoped was her finishing shot. She released the ball at just barely below rainboom speeds and watched as the ball flashed out towards Twilight.
Twilight whirled around and kicked out with all the strength she had in her legs. The ball that had been flying so fast towards her reversed direction in a heartbeat. Rainbow casually moved her head to the right, letting the ball zip past her, rustling her mane.
“You missed, Egghead.” Rainbow taunted.
“Did I?” Twilight spoke for the first time all day. Her eyes flickered to something behind Rainbow.
Rainbow whipped her head around just in time to see the dodgeball ricochet off of the tree behind her at rocket speed, flying directly at her face. Rainbow's world exploded in a flash of brilliant light and pain. As everything faded to black, the last thing she heard was a grim voice. “Don't EVER try to stand between me and My Celestia.”
Celestia was having a lazy day. Mid winter, she had awoken long enough to raise the sun, look out her windows at the snow covered city and issue a declaration. The guards were still not entirely certain what to do with the short, “Nope. Not today.” Luckily Luna knew exactly what was in order and shortly an impromptu holiday had been declared in the palace.
Now halfway through the day, Celestia was still cocooned in her blankets, warm and content as she read a book she’d been denying herself for far too long. She looked up as a knocking came from her door. “Come in.” She called. The door opened and Twilight Sparkle walked in.
“I was just going to come and visit Canterlot this weekend. Imagine my shock when I found the palace shut down, including the library.” Twilight said, fidgeting on her hooves as she stood before her Princess. Her nervousness was adorable, Celestia decided.
Oh wait, Twilight was still speaking. “... Pie made me promise the next time the library was closed I’d tell you. I thought she was oddly specific on that.” Celestia’s ears perked up and she focused all of her attention on Twilight. Sweeping from her eyes down to her… cutie mark. NO back to the eyes, much safer.
“I wasn’t ready.” Twilight continued. “ It seems though, that I ran out of time. how could I have known that the library would be closed today?”
“I’m still not ready.” Twilight was conspicuously looking anywhere but at Celestia. She stopped, took in a deep breath and exhaled, focusing her eyes on Celestia’s.
“I’m not sure I will ever be ready. “ She said. Celestia found herself falling into those eyes, so bright, so focused. She could watch those eyes for hours, she thought.
“But for you, I’m willing to try.” Twilight said. “For you, I think I can say it.”
Celestia was confused, where was Twilight going with this?
“When I’m with you, I feel like I can do it. Like I can say it. When I’m with you, I can do anything. I love you Celestia. Not as a student for a teacher, or a child for their mother. I love you as a mare loves another mare. I want to be with you. I… I don’t know how you feel about me, but I have to tell you how I feel about you.” Twilight stopped.
Celestia’s eyes were wide with shock. “Of all the things you could have said, I wasn’t prepared for this.”
Twilight’s ears drooped. Then she squeaked in surprise as a golden glow surrounded her. Celestia lifted her up and swung her across the room. Lifting her blankets, she slid Twilight in beside her. “Let’s talk about this. You’ve taken me by surprise… but I can’t say I’m uninterested in you.”
Twilight broke into a huge grin, one that Celestia realized she loved. Her own face mirrored Twilight’s as they snuggled together in the bed.
**AAAAAH-CHOOO** The sneeze went off in the quiet library like a bomb. Twilight Sparkle, unicorn, was sick. She'd spent the last day and a half running about the Everfree Forest in the dead of winter looking for... well, she wouldn't tell anyone what she was looking for, only that it was of the utmost importance and she had to find it soon. She'd achieved her goal, but in the process caught a cold that doomed her to bed rest and plenty of liquids.
She groaned in her bed, wrapped head to hooves in her blankets. “Spike? Spike?” She called, “Where are you? I need more tissues.”
A racking cough started deep in her chest. The hoarse barks as she coughed covered the sound of her door opening and closing.
“Here you go Twilight.” A melodious voice came.
Fuzzily Twilight looked up, trying to focus bloodshot eyes. “You're not Spike.”
Celestia laughed. “I'm glad you noticed. Spike sent me a letter telling me you were sick. I came as fast as I could. I, um, I brought soup?”
Twilight perked up a little. Soup sounded good. Nice warm soup. She gratefully accepted the bowl from Celestia and carefully managed to spoon up some of the broth.
“This is delicious,” She sniffled. “So good, and warming... did you bring this from Canterlot?”
Celestia smiled. “I made it Twilight. It's a special recipe. My mother used to make it for me when I was sick. Now I make it for my loved ones when they are sick”
Twilight choked on her soup. Coughing she sputtered a little. Celestia patted her on the back and rubbed her hoof in a small circle.
“Now can you tell me why you were out in the snow for so long?”
Twilight pointed towards her dresser. There on top, in a small pot was a flower. It had a thick stem, but the flower bud was delicate. A sparkling white, it had a bright yellow core that shone like the sun. It gave off a warmth that brightened the room. The flower was the only source of heat, but it had the room feeling cozy and wonderful.
“Helleborus Thaumaturgis. It only grows in the Everfree and only blooms in the middle of the winter. I... I really wanted you to have it.”
“It's beautiful Twilight. But you didn't have to catch a cold just to get me a pretty flower.”
“I just wanted you to have something to make you happy. Something to tell you how much I...” Twilight broke out into another long series of coughs.
“I have you, that's more then enough.” Celestia moved in close to Twilight.
“Don't come close! I'm contagious.”
“I don't care, now come here,” Celestia drew Twilight in close to her and planted a kiss on her lips. “I love you too, Twilight.” She then settled into the bed beside Twilight and wrapped her in a warm wing. The two settled back, relaxed and warm. Twilight drifting off into sleep while Celestia hummed a song.
Three days later Twilight was feeling miles better. She checked the temperature of the soup on the stove. Using her magic to ladle it into a bowl, she carefully carried it up to her bedroom. Pushing the door open, she looked inside, “Celestia? Are you feeling better? I brought you soup.”
“It’s done Twilight.” Celestia walked into the room she shared with her affianced lover.
Twilight was standing by the window, looking out from the tallest tower of Canterlot out over Equestria. She turned to Tia. “Luna and Cadance are in charge now, then?”
“The governing of the nation of Equestria is officially in the hooves of Luna Morningstar and Mi Amore Cadanza. Everything of import is to go through the Court of the Night. Everything of lesser import is to go through the Crystal Empire. The Sun Court is officially closed for two years.”
Twilight smiled at her. “What a honeymoon. Two years to just discover the world. I know I’m the youngest of the alicorns and that you’ve already seen most everything…”
Celestia interrupted her. “I actually haven’t. While I’ve seen quite a bit, just because I’m an old dinosaur…”
Twilight protested. “ You’re barely 1150 years old! From what I’ve learned of Alicorns, that’s still extremely young! Besides, if you’re a dinosaur… you’re MY dinosaur. Hot-Flank-o-Saurus.”
Celestia chuckled then continued. “Regardless, I’ve had a busy life. Youth devoted to learning how-to and then defeating Discord. Then cleaning up Equestria from Discord. Then… well, when we finally started to get things in order, Luna had her episode.”
“Episode?” Twilight deadpanned, “Is that what we’re calling it?”
“Yes. Episode, it’s mild enough to distract from her goals there.” Celestia replied. “Then I had a full thousand years running a country with a government designed to be run by TWO monarchs. ALONE.”
Twilight kissed her. Celestia smiled, happy to have found someone who as smart and loving and beautiful and purple as Twilight to brighten her days. “Long story made slightly less long, I’m dying to see the world for myself without the trappings of royalty. That I’m going with you only makes it better.”
Twilight turned and looked out the window. “It really snowed last night, didn’t it? Everything looks brand new. Buried under the snow, it becomes a blank canvas. Everything familiar has disappeared.”
Celestia smiled. “The world looks brand new, full of possibilities. Nothing is impossible, everything is possible.”
Twilight looked to her side. Celestia had moved into the gap in a movement that felt natural. It felt right. She smiled up at the larger princess.
Celestia spread her wing over Twilight’s back, pulling her into a tight embrace. Gazing down into purple eyes, she whispered. “It’s a magical world, Twilight, my love. Let’s go exploring.”
“A crush? Why are you worried about that?” Twilight asked. The purple unicorn had been reading on the balcony of her library late in the afternoon when her number one assistant had come up with an interesting question.
“Well, I went over to Sugarcube Corner, to see if I could maybe get a present for Rarity. Pinkie Pie was there and she laughed at me and told me that I was so cute with my 'Itty bitty widdle crush.'” Spike looked mildly annoyed. “I don't know what she meant, so Twilight, what exactly is a crush?”
Twilight beckoned Spike over to her cushion, patting the space next to her. He moved over and settled into a comfortable cuddle with her. “Well Spike, the first thing to know is that a crush is not love. It can lead to love and is often called puppy love. It's an attraction or infatuation with someone that often does not reciprocate the attraction.”
“It often starts with physical attraction. One day you'll see her and realize that she is gorgeous. Maybe you didn't notice before, maybe you were too young to care, but you'll see her and it will hit you. That mare is beautiful. This type of crush is light and superficial, it will often pass with distance and time.” Twilight looked over at Spike, “But sometimes... it deepens.”
“You may begin to look beyond her exterior. To see her talent, shining as she demonstrates her craft. See her mind, constantly working out problems and solutions. Feel her presence, the calm warmth of her smile and bask in her approval,” Twilight smiled as she looked out over the forest; the sun was beginning to set.
“You find yourself making excuses to talk to her, just to be around her. Going out of your way to enjoy what she does for you. Taking time you normally wouldn't to savor her work. Find appreciation for things you used to just let pass. You'll watch her, and forget what you were talking about because you'll just lose yourself in her eyes. When you find yourself caring less about what you want, and more about her, when all you want is to do make her smile that knowing smile. When her happiness matters more to you then yours....you are crushing hard.” Twilight hadn't taken her eyes off of the sunset as she talked.
“And Spike, the worst part is, and this is why they call it a crush, when you just know that putting your heart in their hands will only end in them crushing it. You'll hear those words, 'Twilight I just don't think of you that way,' things may become overly awkward and you may lose your best friend.” Twilight sighed wistfully, “So you take your crush and you hide it in a safe spot to protect your heart. Because when they are so wonderful, and you are so plain, it's for the best if you can just let it go.”
Spike looked at her, “What happens then? What happens if you let it go?”
Twilight leaned back and closed her eyes, “I don't know. I wish I did.”
Applejack (the friend, not the drink) had spent most of her day circling the fields on the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres staring at the weeds. Accompanying her, recently returned, paroled and remanded to Harmonic custody, Sunset Shimmer was bored.
“Are we done yet?” She whined.
Applejack looked up. “Almost Sugercube, we've only got to finish up with the northern fields. Thanks for all yer help with this, by the way. Takin' out knapweed is much easier with a unicorn along to help.”
Sunset sighed. “I guess, I just don't understand why you see one weed and suddenly you're all, 'Burn it, burn it with fire, make the heavens rain with all the heat of the sun and bring down the blistering inferno of hell!’ isn't that a bit much for just a weed?”
With a grin, Applejack started to explain. “We're burnin' it 'cause it's noxious. Fire’s the only way to guarantee we got it all. Ya see, it don't belong here, but somehow, we got some. We're not gonna get rid of all of it, but we'll keep it from spreadin' with our crops when we harvest 'em. Trust me, you don't want to see what happens when a weed gets outta control. Ask Twilight sometime about South Marelina and Kudzu.”
“Speaking of Twilight...”
“Were we?”
Sunset scowled, “Well, we are now. Where has she gone? I was under the assumption that I would be under her parole, yet here I am working as a glorified flamethrower.”
Applejack put up a hoof in surrender, “Ok, ok... She and Celestia have headed up to that cabin they bought in the mountains. They told me they were due some alone time and the only reason I was bein’ told where they were goin’ is that someone in Ponyville needed to know just in case we needed them. When she was talkin’ about this trip, she had a big ole grin on her face. I’m under the impression that she or Celestia has somethin' special planned for the weekend.”
“Oh? I guess they'll be studying something incredibly fascinating,” Sunset looked a little jealous, “I wish I could be there.”
Applejack guffawed. “Sugar, I didn't know you were into that type of thing.”
“Huh?” Sunset asked eloquently.
“Don't cha know? Twi and Tia are an 'item.'”
“They're what?” Sunset blushed.
“Yep, they got together about a year ago. I don't rightly know what happened, but one night Celestia came to town three sheets into the wind, locked herself up with Twi, and next thing I know, they're datin’ and Twi's referrin' to me as 'The friend, not the drink.'”
As Sunset tried to process this new information, a voice called out through the field. “Applejack, oh Applejack, do you have a moment Darling?”
“What's up Rarity?” Applejack asked as Rarity and Fluttershy walked over to them.
“Darling, have you seen Twilight anywhere? She's not at home and I simply must speak with her.”
“Didja ask Spike?”
“Apparently my Spikey-Wikey has gone to the Crystal Empire for the week. He told Sweetie that Twilight was leaving and he was going to have a,” Rarity made air-quotes with her hooves. “‘Bro-Week’ with Shining Armor.”
“What did you need her for? Mebbe I can help instead?”
“Oh I wanted to discuss with her the upcoming ball season in Canterlot. She simply must let me design her wardrobe for it. I know she doesn’t think much on her look, but she is a princess and must look absolutely ravishing. So is she around anywhere?” Rarity looked hopeful.
Applejack tapped her chin. “I'm sorry Rares, but I have no idea where Twi went. As far as I knew, she was in town, doin' some learnin' or some such.”
Rarity sighed. “I see, well thank you anyways. May I ask what you are doing out here with Sunset?”
Applejack grinned. “She's my help for the day. I've got a weed problem and she's helpin' me out with it. She’s amazing with fire spells.”
“Are you sure that is all, dear?” Rarity asked, with a subtle smile. “You wouldn't have any untoward intentions to our newest friend, would you? You are out here all alone on such a beautiful day.”
“Just what are you implyin' Rares?” Applejack asked flatly.
Rarity chuckled. “Oh nothing, I would never insinuate that it is a perfect day for a picnic with someone you might... shall we say, 'fancy?'”
Applejack's face scrunched up and her eyes darted right and left. “I don't know what you're talking about. I don't fancy Sunset Shimmer. I would never want to take her out alone on a lovely little picnic and get to know her better.”
Rarity raised her eyebrow. “Well well, I see how it is. I shan't disturb you any longer Dear. Have fun!”
Rarity turned and left with Fluttershy, the butter yellow mare having said nothing the entire conversation.
Sunset Shimmer stared. “Applejack, you lied to them. You know perfectly well where the princesses are, but you looked your friends in the face and lied to them.”
“Well, Twi told me before they left that this was a critical time in their relationship, that she thought Celestia might ask her somethin' important and that if anyone interrupted them for anything less then a Discord level event then, and I quote, 'So help me Starswirl, I will place your next batch of cider in a state of thaumaturgical superposition such that it will remain untasted by all and none.' Now, I have no idea what that means, but her eyes...” Applejack shuddered.
“Oh I get that, I've been on the wrong end of the friendship laser. That mare is scary. No, what I mean is that You, Applejack, lied. You can do that?”
“Heh, yep. I don't rightly know where it came from, but ponies just seem to be under the mistaken idea that the Element of Honesty can't lie.” Applejack winked. “Down right useful when I want them thinkin' somethin' is just so. Mebbe now Twi and Tia can have that privacy they wanted.”
Sunset's face openly displayed her shock. “You're not a terrible liar? But what was that bit with the shifty eyes? That was the face of a liar if ever I saw one.”
Applejack smirked at her. “That, Sugarcube, was what I call droppin' hints.”
“Wait, is that a lie? Is that truth? I just don’t know anymore… What is truth? What is a lie? How can we see mirrors when our eyes aren’t even re...mmmmpphhhh.” Sunset’s mouth was suddenly filled with the taste of apples.
Applejack drew back, “Are my intentions clear now?”
“Crystal.” And Sunset Shimmer went back for seconds.
Sleep is a glorious thing, Twilight decided. Definitely in the top three of all things glorious and grand. The only possible competition had to be Celestia and Books… and she wouldn’t bet on the books. After days of travel, she and her lover had made it to the continent across the eastern sea. After all, she was told, a once in a millenium diplomatic conference of countries was the perfect place to introduce the newest princess of Equestria. The land was Saddle Arabia, and delegates from all the major countries had gathered.
Twilight had found their rooms absolutely charming. In order to keep up the exotic appeal of her room, the hosts had even provided a small, trained monkey to fetch things for her. She had been delighted and played with the small chap until the strain of her travels had crashed her face first into her pillow.
“Doctor Princess Sparkle, Princess Doctor Sparkle, wake up! No time for sleep, we gotta go!”
Twilight didn’t even open her eyes before she responded. “Really Tia, must you?”
The voice was giggling this time. “I really think I must Twilight. I love your new titles.”
Twilight grumbled. “You should, you gave them to me.”
She rolled over in her bed and opened her eyes to gaze upon her monarch. Celestia Morningstar was radiant. Literally. Her hair lightly glowed with the colors of a sunrise. Even at this time, Twilight could do little but gape.
Celestia dipped her head demurely. “Close your mouth, Beloved, the flies will get in.”
“Is there anything I should know about this conference.” Twilight called as she walked over to the breakfast table. The room felt quieter than it should. Looking over the array of fruits and vegetables she grinned. She was famished after all and some of these things she had only heard of in books before.
“Oooh, what’s that?” She asked as she spotted a small wrinkled fruit towards the end of the table. She grabbed it with her magic and floated it towards her mouth. Before she could take a bite, a stronger golden magic slapped the fruit from her grasp and sent it rolling across the floor. It rolled to a stop next to another of the same fruit, with a bite taken out of it that lay next to a small form.
Twilight looked down on the crumpled, sad little body of the dead monkey. “What happened to him?”
Celestia looked at her with deadly seriousness. “Bad date.”
A woman was running along a trail in the Everfree forest. Her long multicolored hair flowed out from under a simple golden helm. She was armored, golden highlights the only indication of the value of her armor. She carried a shield and a lightly glowing sword. As she ran, her eyes kept scanning the trail, following the signs of previous usage. She’d been pursuing for hours, yet showed no signs of tiring. It wasn’t her lungs that were burning, but her heart.
As she passed a particularly large tree, she caught a flash out of the corner of her eyes, throwing up her shield, she barely caught the blade of an axe as it flashed towards her heart. With a loud clang, she was sent her rolling along the ground, coming to a rest in the middle of a glade. She rose to see a massive man in stepping out from the forest. He was easily three times her size and wore a hulking black armor with red highlights. He carried a massive axe with the ease of prodigious muscle and long practice. His uncovered hair was blond and his eyes were green, but there was a darkness at the corners that didn’t look natural.
“You’re here to stop me?”
“Eee-Yup”
“I see the shadow of the Nightmare in your eyes. There won’t be a peaceful resolution to this, will there?”
“Eh, Nope”
She sighed. “Fine then, I don’t have time for this.”
He swung his axe at her, a slow, lumbering movement that she easily sidestepped. Her return swipe was blocked by the axes haft. They circled each other, carefully probing with measured strikes, attempting to get a feel for the others’ fighting style or find a weakness in their defense.
She took a quick step towards him, thrusting her shield out in front in an attempt to punch him with the inches of steel. He blocked it with the head of his axe, then swung the haft up underneath the shield in a quick attempt to get a hit in.
She danced backwards, skipping out of his reach. As she did so, he took his axe by one hand and swung it towards her shield again. Odd, she thought, but then realized his intent as he managed to get the head of the axe hooked over the top edge of her shield. He then grabbed the haft by both hands and heaved. In one swift movement her shield was ripped from her arm and sent spinning across the clearing, it clanged off a rock and skidded towards the edge of the clearing.
She took her sword in hand, sliding her right hand further up the hilt so her left could join it in a two-handed grip. She took a chance and charged at him, swinging with a broad overhanded stroke. The massive axe was slow to intercept, but it made it. For a time the clearing echoed with the clanging and grunts of exertion.
After a time, she felt she was getting the upper hand, her strokes continued to have the same speed and frequency, but his were slowing down, coming more infrequently as he focused on blocking. At the last minute though she realized her mistake. Just because he wasn’t hitting as frequently, didn’t mean he couldn’t.
With a sudden flurry he moved onto the offensive. Swinging his axe around as if it weighed less than her sword he pounded her defenses. He found his opening and instantly pounced on it, dropping his axe and punching her in the face with his mailed hands. She staggered back, her vision blurring as he picked his axe up once more.
Her guard was still open as he raised the axe in a massive overhead blow, putting his full weight behind it. She barely got her sword up in time to intercept it, angling it off to the side. Had she taken the hit, it would have split her in two. As it was, the blade of her sword snapped as it hit the ground still carrying the force of the axe on it.
He stood over her, hefting the axe, as he raised it for the final blow, she gripped the shattered sword with her hand. “I’ve got one last trick in me.” She growled, tracing the magic runes inscribed on the hilt. As they activated, she could feel the power gathering, when it hit its peak, she thrust the hilt towards the man and yelled. “Aurora surgit!” A light, pure and hot, blasted out of the sword, slammed into the man and sent him flying backwards. He slammed into a tree on the far side of the clearing and was held there by the channeled sunlight. When it finally faded, he slumped to the ground. Smoke rose from his armor as he lay crumpled in a heap, unconscious.
Tossing the now melted hilt to the side, Celestia limped over to her shield. When she picked it up, she traced three runes on the backside. They lit up and formed a glow in her hand, as she pulled it back from her shield, a new sword formed in her hand, identical to the destroyed one she had discarded. She As She walked from the grove, flames licking up the trees behind her, she muttered. “I’m coming Twilight, hold on for me. With Sol as my witness, they shall not keep you.”
The office was quiet, the only sound the ticking of a clock on the bookshelves lining the wall. Twilight Sparkle was bent over her desk, intent on the documents before her. She could be heard quietly muttering arcane formulas and half remembered thaumaturgic theorems.
Behind her and unseen, the door slowly opened. On the far side a pair of magenta eyes twinkled mischievously as they met with a smaller pair of emerald eyes. “Go get her.” Celestia whispered.
The peace and quiet of the office was shattered with a mighty roar. “RAWR IMA DINASAWR.” With that mighty pronouncement a flashing green and blue blur flashed across the room. Twilight spun on her cushion with a shriek just in time to fall to the floor with a grinning bundle on her chest.
“OM NOM NOM, IMA EAT YOU UP MAMA!” Suiting action to those words, the small mouth started chewing on Twilights ear.
Twilight started giggling uncontrollably. “Dawn, Dawn! Not my ear, I’m ticklish, hahaha, please no more, hehehe, I surrender!”
A golden glow surrounded the small blue pegasus filly and lifted her off of her mother. As she floated through the air, Twilight recovered enough to reassess the situation. Her two favorite ponies in the world were standing in her office… wearing costumes. Her daughter, Dawn Morningstar, was dressed in a green suit with a long stuffed tail bedecked with felt triangles lining it. Her head was tucked into a larger hood with more felt spikes and some long white felt teeth that came down around her face. Topping the whole ensemble were two large eyes. Celestia on the other hand, was wearing a simple hat. Well, not that simple, in fact, it was rather goofy. It was a knit wool cap with a hole for her horn to go through, above that hole were two more knit horns. Celestia was also wearing a t-shirt with the words, “Juvenile Torosaurus” printed on it.
Twilight looked to her wife. “I like the new look Tia. It oddly suits you, I’m also loving what you’ve got our daughter in. May I ask where you got it?”
Celestia raised an elegant eyebrow. “What, a mother can’t create a costume of something her daughter loves just to see her wear it?”
“Rarity?”
Celestia deflated a little. “Rarity.”
Twilight moved over next to Celestia and nuzzled her. “Alright, I can see where this is going. You two are dinosaurs and I’m about to join you, aren’t I?”
“Pwease Mama? Mommy Tia said you’d take us to the museum. They have dinasawrs!” Dawn looked at her mother with excited eyes. “Can we go see them?”
Twilight put her hoof to her chin. “Hmm, let me think about it. Celestia, do you have any input on this proposed expedition?”
Celestia grinned. “I proposed it, of course. I want to see them too. All of those dusty old fossils… and these ones won’t beg me for political favors!”
“Well, since your mother said it was ok, your other mother agrees. We’ll go to the museum, then if you’re good, I think Mommy Tia will buy us both ice cream.”
Dawn erupted in joy, “Yay! I love ice cream, I love dinasawrs, I love Mommy, I love Mama. Yes. Yes. Yes. Let’s go!” She punctuated her exclamation by bouncing around in a circle around Twilight, her plush tail flopping all over as she celebrated. The tail folded under her hooves and caused her to faceplant on the floor. She popped up instantly though and continued her dance around her mothers.
Celestia and Twilight looked on with soft pride and burning love. As they did so, Celestia leaned over and nudged her wife. “I’ve got a hat for you too”
Celestia walked into the throne room with a slight limp. Her hair was disheveled and her armor scuffed. Somewhere along her journey, she had lost her shield. She had fought through every challenge she faced. Finally she stood at her goal, the center of the Castle of the Two Sisters.
“Luna! Luna come out and face me!” She yelled into the seemingly empty room.
“Luna isn’t here. Luna will never be here again.” A sibilant whisper came from the shadows.
“Well I’m not calling you Nightmare Moon.” Celestia replied.
A dark haired woman stepped out of the shadows, she was shorter than Celestia, though not by much. Clad in a set of black armor with a silver sword at her side. “What do you want, Celestia Morningstar? Why have you fought through my lieutenants just to see me?” Nightmare Moon growled.
Celestia smiled grimly. “You know what I want, Luna. I want her back.”
Nightmare smirked. “Then come and take her.”
Celestia launched into motion. Swinging her sword overhand, she charged Nightmare Moon, who drew her own sword and parried neatly. With a flurry of thrusts, slashes and parries, they danced around the throne room. Swords clanging together as the battle raged.
They moved back and forth across the room, Celestia matching her sister stroke for stroke even through her exhaustion. Nightmare suddenly burst into a flurry of movement, striking from her right, her right, her left then her right again. Celestia struggled to counter each stroke, moving her blade to intercept. Nightmare started getting fancy, adding more flourishes to her strikes, her confidence building as she could see her sisters stamina flagging. She struck from the left and when Celestia parried, she started to spin to her right for a strike. However, the instant her back was turned, Celestia surged forward and slammed her fist and hilt into the back of Nightmare’s head, who collapsed in a heap, her sword falling to her side as she was dazed. She rolled over to face her sister only to feel cold steel at her throat.
“You always favored the dramatic over the effective.” Celestia said coldly, holding her sword steady.
With a gulp, Nightmare yelled. “YIELD, I YIELD!”
“Where is she?” Celestia asked in that same icy tone.
Nightmare called out. “Twilight, could you come here, please?”
A door on the far side of the room opened. A shorter woman walked out, her purple dress in tatters. She clutched her side and her hair was ragged, looking like she’d had a rough time, which she had. She walked stiffly towards Celestia, focused on her princess, hope dawning in her eyes. Celestia moved towards her, her sword arm dropping, her other hand raising towards Twilight Sparkle. Their eyes met, and the rest of the world faded into the background.
Shadows flickered and Twilight moved towards Celestia, smiling weakly, tears forming in her eyes. Suddenly she stopped, her eyes widening. She looked down at her chest in shock, at the point of a sword dripping blood. “Cel-Celes…” she breathed out as she collapsed.
“I may have never matched your physical prowess, but I was always your better at stealth and treachery.” Nightmare Moon snarled, pulling her blade out of Twilight’s back.
“NOOOOOO!” Celestia screamed, flashing forward towards Twilight. “NO! Twilight! Don’t be… You can’t.. Don’t leave me, please, I’m begging, don’t leave me. Hold on!”
Even as she crossed the distance between them though, it was too late. Twilight’s breath slowed and with a final gasp, she lay still, her eyes still staring at Celestia.
Celestia fell to her knees. Tears freely falling from her eyes. “No…. no… nononononono… NO!” She screamed, jumping to her feet and facing her sister. She growled unintelligibly, raising her sword in a mindlessly aggressive stance.
She dashed towards her sister, flailing her sword at Nightmare Moon, she hammered her down, forcing her into a defensive stance. Her sword flashed down again and again, her rage fueling her speed and strength. Nightmare tried to put up a defense, somehow managing to get her sword into a position to block every strike, but she could not gain any momentum, she struggled merely to block the strikes of her sister. Celestia’s face twisted with rage as with a final strike she slammed Nightmare’s sword to the side and drove her own sword home.
Nightmare Moon gaped at her sister, sinking to the floor, Celestia followed after, going to her own knees with her sister. Panting heavily, she took a moment to calm her rage.
Celestia stared into Luna’s eyes, possessed by the night mare and impaled on her sword and whispered. “Never again.” She traced her finger over several runes on her hilt and channeled her full power into them. Feeling the strain of magical effort, she didn't stop, instead she poured forth all of her grief and pain, powering the spell to critical levels. A beam of light exploded into being, connecting her sword and the sun.
The light grew in brightness, the heat of the room rising with it. Celestia crawled over to the body lying on the floor. She gathered Twilight’s smaller form into her arms. Smoke started to rise from her armor. Before the burning light overwhelmed everything, Celestia whispered to her love. “Wait for me Twilight, we will be together again.”
It was a quiet day in Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle was in the library of her new castle, arranging some new arrival books on a shelf in a corner. The library was smaller than the one she had lost, but she was determined to grow it into something at least respectable, if not overwhelmingly impressive.
“Twilight..” A voice whined. “I need a new book to read.”
Twilight’s ears perked up. “New book? Did you say new book?” She looked up to find her marefriend looking at her with a faint smile.
Celestia nodded. “Yes, I have some spare time coming up and I want to catch up on some pleasure reading. You’ve read a lot more then I have in the last thousand years, so of course I’m asking you for recommendations.”
“I see... “ Twilight said, already dividing her attention between Celestia and the bookshelves surrounding her. “Putting aside the silliness of implying I’ve read more in my 22 years of life then you have in your 1058...What is this spare time?”
“Budget meetings. I’m taking a book because I’m only needed for signing off on the final document but for some reason tradition dictates that I be there.”
“Mmm hmm.” Twilight hummed, starting to move down the row of bookshelves. “Sounds boring.”
“Oh it is.” Celestia affirmed. “But no one expects me to pay attention. So I’ve taken to catching up on my pleasure reading during meetings.”
“What a novel idea. I wish I’d thought of it.” Twilight said absently, her focus on the bookshelves in front of her.
Celestia froze. “Did you… YOU DID! Hahahaha. That’s great. My work with you is done.”
Twilight glanced her way before turning back to the books and running her hoof along the row.“What are you on about?”
“You punned, Love.”
Twilight stopped and turned her full focus on Celestia. “I did?”
“You did.” Celestia said with a mad grin.
Twilight scowled. “Horseapples. I’ll have to be more careful in my speech.”
Celestia’s grin faltered. “You mean it wasn’t on purpose?”
“Of course not, you know my opinion on puns.” Twilight turned back to the book shelves. “Pun bombs should be carefully planned and dropped. Used casually they lose their impact.”
Celestia softly stamped her hoof. “Drat, I’d hoped we’d entered a new chapter in your life, but I see now that we’re not on the same page.”
Twilight sighed with long suffering patience. “Anyways, how about The Kin by Dockinson.” She levitated a book down from the top shelf and blew dust from its cover before presenting it.
“That one I haven’t heard of, I’ll take it.” Celestia accepted the book and with a pop and a stream of green fire, sent it off towards Canterlot.
“Nice, now would you like to go get some dinner with me?” Twilight asked. “We could go to your favorite cafe? The Prench Laundry?”
Celestia’s ears perked. “But its so hard to get into, we’d be waiting for hours.”
It was a quiet night in a castle on the outskirts of a small town in central Equestria. A single light was burning in the castle that had sprung up years ago. At a small table two mares were sitting over a pot of tea.
Celestia put down her cup and sighed. “I wish you weren’t leaving, Twilight.”
Twilight buried her muzzle in her teacup for a moment. When she looked up, her gaze was determined. “I… I know… but I feel like I need to. I mean, who am I? I’ve never been me without you. Who am I without you? My whole life has been defined in relation to you. I’ve been your student, your protege and now your junior princess. Maybe out there beyond the borders I can just be me. I don’t know who that mare is, but I think it’s important that I find out.”
Celestia lifted a small box in her magic and floated it across the table. “Take this, please.”
“What is it?” Twilight asked as she opened the box. Nestled inside was a small golden compass. “A compass? How lost do you think I’m going to get?”
“It’s a special compass. It points home. No matter how far you travel, it will always point home.”
Twilight took the compass and looked at it, her eyes followed the point of the needle, it pointed towards the larger pony in front of her. She looked passed her Princess. “It’s pointing towards the center of town, it must be calibrated to Ponyville proper, not just my castle here.”
Celestia smiled softly, her eyes shining. “It must be. Please Twilight, stay safe.”
They talked deep into the night, but when the dawn broke, Celestia returned to Canterlot and Twilight set out to leave Equestria and explore the world.
It had been almost three years. Twilight Sparkle had traveled far from her homeland. The first two years of her travels she had been busy. As she darted across the globe, going from here to there, she’d often get caught up in the sights and sounds. She’d gasp at the grandeur of a waterfall cascading down into a canyon so deep the bottom was difficult to see from the top. She’d gawk as she traveled through a forest of trees so large, they made the forests of Equestria look like children’s models. She climbed mountains without using her wings, just so she could say that she’d done it. People and cultures she’d only read of in books welcomed her and taught her everything she desired to know about their history.
Many times when she’d discover something incredible, she would catch herself reaching for her compass. In her third year away, she started to slow down. She kept travelling and discovering, but she could not shake the feeling that something was missing. This had brought her to this final month in her travels where she’d stopped in a backwater town in an island nation of Foxes. Now she sat in an inn, staring at her compass with a supper of noodles in a spicy broth. She idly spooned some up to let it trickle back into the bowl. Her eyes tracking the needle as it wiggled slightly. It had been wavering lately. Twilight almost wondered if its enchantment was dying.
Twilight sighed. “Maybe I should go home. I’m not finding anything out here. I mean it’s all so very interesting, but… it’s so hollow without someone to share it with. I miss…”
“What do you miss?” It was a voice she’d often heard in her dreams and memories.
“I miss you.” Twilight said absently before she jerked around to face the voice. Standing at the door to the inn was Princess Celestia. She moved over to Twilight’s table and took a seat across from her.
“I missed you too.”
“Princess Celestia? What? You’re here? Why?” Twilight’s eyes were wide with shock.
“I came looking for you.” Celestia said simply.
Twlight smiled. “I guess I mean how? You’re the Princess! Shouldn’t you be Princessing?”
Celestia shrugged. “Cadance staged a coup. I’m no longer a Princess of Equestria.”
Twilight boggled. “What?”
“I paraphrase a little here, ‘You’re no longer fit to rule our country, you’ve lost touch with the world. Blah blah blah something about kings and successions and being caught unawares… Yadda yadda yadda. Go find that which connects you to life itself, We banish you. Get out and don’t come back… without her.’” Celestia recited in a deadpan tone.
“What.”
“Luna’s idea, apparently, but coming from a more liked usurper and instead of eternal night, eternal love… something or other, I didn’t really pay attention. All I know is that they both showed up one morning and kicked me out of Equestria.”
“What?”
Celestia smirked. “Why Twilight, whatever happened to your vocabulary, there are other words in Equish.”
Twilight shook herself. “Well ok, but how did you find me? We’re a long, long way from Equestria.”
Celestia levitated a silver compass out of her saddlebag and laid it on the table next to Twilight’s golden one. It’s needle pointed straight at Twilight.
Twilight stared at it. “You have a compass tracking me?”
“No. I have a compass that points to my heart. You have my heart Twilight, I’ve just followed it, for once.” Celestia timidly looked for a reaction to this statement.
Twilight wordlessly stood up and picked up her own compass. The needle was pointing at Celestia. She moved around the table, the needle remained locked on Celestia. “But, but, you said it pointed home!”
“Home is where the heart is? The enchantment has always pointed to the place you feel is home. For me, it points to you… apparently your compass reciprocates that feeling.”
Twilight’s face took on a contemplative tilt. “Well now, that puts a whole new light on things. How utterly fascinating. Now this is worth exploring. Care to join me?”
Celestia smiled in relief. “I’m yours Twilight. For now and for always.”
A mare walked down the hallway, humming quietly to herself. As she approached the door she paused, took a deep breath, and knocked softly. Opening the door she walked in and approached the bed.
“Dear, are you awake? It’s a beautiful day outside. The birds are singing, the sun is shining and the nobility isn’t in open revolt.”
A small cough came from behind her. “Ah Princess…”
The mare turned. “Doctor! How is she this morning? I had hoped she’d be having an up day. I promised to read her a book that my Father used to read to me when I was sick.”
“She, um, she had an attack last night…” The doctor started.
He was instantly interrupted. “Is she ok, what happened? Will she be alright? Is she in pain? She looks ok, please tell me she’s ok.”
The doctor continued. “She was in pain. A lot of pain. We’re still not sure what happened. In the middle of the night she suddenly started screaming and we… well we almost lost her. After we stabilized her, we put her on the strongest ataractic magic we know. I promise you that the pain has passed and the best thing we can do is keep her sedated.
“Please Doctor. Please tell me that she’ll get better, that she’ll come back to me.” Her head remained bowed over the form in the bed.
“I… I can’t. If I told you that, I’d be lying. We’re doing everything we can. At this point, I cannot promise that she’ll be fine. It… it might be best for you to start thinking about…”
“DON’T SAY IT.”
The doctor’s mouth clacked shut at the sharp words. “I’m sorry.” He whispered as he gently placed his hoof on the mare’s shoulder.
She looked up at him with a grief stricken face. “So am I Doctor. Please leave.”
The doctor silently took his leave.
The mare moved back to the bed and sat down in her usual place. She levitated a book over and opened it to the beginning. “Where were we? Ah yes, ‘The year that Buttercup was born, the most beautiful woman in the world was a Prench scullery maid named…”
The day moved on, the mare beside the bed did not. When night fell, she finally stood up, walking to the door she looked back. “I’ll be back tomorrow my love. Wait for me.”
The throne room of Canterlot castle was shrouded in shadow. Windows that normally allowed light to stream in were darkened by the mood of the mare sitting on the throne at the head of the room. The guards had fled early on, roughly ten minutes after the order to clear the room had been given. A scorch mark ran along one wall. Next to the door was a smashed pile of… something that looked expensive.
A servant was peeking in the door at the far end. “Your Highness, you see what I mean?”
Twilight Sparkle peeked in with her. “Yes, yes, I believe I do. That is definitely a cranky Celestia. Thank you for getting me, I’ll take care of this.”
Twilight pushed the door open and walked towards her wife. As she approached she called out, “Celestia, was that a vase next to the door?”
Celestia straightened up from her slouch. “No, it was a suit of armor.”
“Ooof, I didn’t know you could shatter steel like that.” Twilight winced.
Celestia’s voice was harder than the steel remnants. “I can if I have the right incentive.”
“Blueblood?”
Celestia grimaced. “Blueblood. I swear, I have no temper for that… sanctimonious sack of mule droppings, coming in here, whining about my precious people. If I see him again, I think I’ll give him a time out.”
Twilight gasped. “Celestia! You weren’t really thinking of having Blueblood banished to the moon just because he said something arrogant about my bloodlines, were you? He’s an ass and it doesn’t matter what he says.”
“Yeah well,” Celestia muttered. “I wasn’t not thinking about it. By Cadences Right Butt Cheek, if he moans one more time about how a commoner has less of a right to my time then he does. BAM. ZOOM. STRAIGHT TO THE MOON!”
Twilight smothered a giggle. “Ok, ok, but why are you so worked up? I’ve seen you handle a hundred things worse then your nephew without so much as a frown, but here I find you raring to commit nepoticide without a second thought.”
Celestia slumped down into a pathetic pile on her throne. “Well, with everything going on, it’s been hectic. I haven’t slept well in days, you’ve been off in Ponyville, the Griffons are acting up, the treasury wants a budget, you’ve been gone, someone’s been stealing the palace’s sugar supply, you weren’t here, Applejack wants my blessing to court Sunset, bright spot, but then Luna said she had to go chase the Dread Pirate… Spectrum… wait.” Celestia’s eyes widened. “TWILIGHT DAMMIT. She’s shirking her day in court to go off gallivanting with that prismatic lover of hers!” Celestia dropped her head into her hooves with a loud groan. “I’m just so… grumpy.”
Twilight shook her head and sat down next to Celestia, reaching a wing out and rubbing the larger mare on the back. “Go ahead, tell me about all the things that have gone poorly this last week.”
So she did. Celestia started on Monday and worked through a week that had had exactly one thing go right for her. The explanation dragged on and towards the end, Celestia started rambling.
“...And the cake thing! Why won’t the cake thing just die. Judge one baking contest in which the only entry is a ruddy cake and suddenly you’re ‘Cakelestia!’ Why, if I ate cake half as much as everyone seems to think I do, I’d be as far beyond zaftig as Discord is beyond sane. I’d much rather a nice pie or an apple fritter. Oooh, can we go out to Sweet Apple Acres for apple fritters? Maybe some apple cider…” Celestia trailed off at the look she was receiving.
Twilight was staring at her with a sympathetic, but amused expression. “Are you finished?”
“Well I am now. I know better then to keep on when you give me that look.” Celestia replied.
“Good. Here’s the plan. We’re going to Ponyville. We’re shirking your next four days of court. I checked, there’s nothing that can’t wait for Luna to get back. In Ponyville we are going to get some apple fritters, maybe some cider, and we’re going to relax in the spa wing of my palace. There we shall be pampered by Lotus and Aloe until this… this… Xanthippe is gone and my Tia is back. Is that understood?” Twilight stood up and extended her hoof to Celestia.
“Yes Dear.” Celestia bowed her head meekly, then took Twilight’s hoof and stood up as well.
“Good. I’ve not enjoyed my week away from you either, so this will be good for the both of us..” Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed. “It almost makes me think you’re the pregnant one.”
*Tick, tick, tick* It took her a minute to place the sound. “Clock. Bedside. Right, got it.” Slowly Celestia rose towards consciousness. It’d been a long week and now that the weekend was here, she was determined to make the most of it… by doing nothing. Luna had volunteered to take care of the sun and Celestia had leaped at the opportunity.
The quiet sounds of a lazy morning surrounded her. Outside the open window the leaves rustled as a light breeze moved them about. In the distance she could hear the babble of a small brook. All around her the world was waking up.
*Dee duh duh! Dee, Dee Duh Duh* The piercing trill of a killdeer rang out, greeting the morning. Celestia’s lips twitched with the trace of a smile. The palace in Canterlot was too full of ponies for the birds to be comfortable there, so she only got to really enjoy them when she left. She lay there, eyes closed, soaking in the morning.
She sighed in contentment, remembering the previous evening when she’d teleported to Ponyville, stolen it’s most precious treasure and ran away with it to the mountains. Speaking of… she cocked her ears and listened. *scritch scritch scritch* There it was. The sound of a quill scribbling notes. The was a light musical hum underlying it. Twilight using her magic and writing something down at the desk. Her treasure, stolen in the night and whisked away.
*Fweeeee* a sharp whistle rang out through the house. A tea kettle, put on to boil, was apparently her wake up call for the morning. She listened to the hooffalls of her mare. Waiting as the went into the kitchen. Then she waited for them to return.
*Clip clop, clip clop* When they halted at the foot of the bed, Celestia knew the gig was up.
“Good morning Celestia.” Twilight Sparkle was watching her open her eyes with a smile. “How is everything this morning?”
With a slightly deeper hum of magic, Celestia accepted the cup of tea. She sat up and smiled. She took a sip and smiled happily. “Thank you Twilight. Everything is just… perfect this morning.”
A young colt was standing in front of a large, ornate door. Dusk Shine fidgeted nervously. “C’mon Dusky, you can do this, just like we practiced in front of the mirror.”
He took a deep breath, pulling his foreleg up to his chest. As he exhaled he pushed his leg out as if throwing his worries away. Lighting his horn with a soft blue glow, he knocked lightly on the door.
“Come in.” Came the reply.
Dusk Shine pushed the door open and walked in. He crossed the room to stand before a desk, more specifically, before the tall, white, alicorn mare seated behind the desk. “Princess… I… I have something for you.”
Celestia smiled at him. “Princess? Since when are you so formal Dusky?”
Dusk blushed. “I made it for you.” He hoofed over a card.
Celestia looked at it. The cover had a childish picture of her standing next to a small purple unicorn. They both had large smiles on their faces. She opened it up to find a small note scribbled in crayon on the inside. “Will you be my Valentine. _ Yes _ No”
“How adorable! I’m not sure I can answer that question though. I might have to ask permission.” She winked at him.
He squeaked. “What? From who?”
A soft feminine voice came from behind him. “From me.”
A purple glow enveloped the card and lifted it away from the desk. Dusk spun around to face…. his mother. Twilight Sparkle smiled at him. “How cute Dusky. But why don’t I get one?”
Dusk blushed. “I made you one too. We all made them for our Momma’s at school. I was gonna come find you next.”
Twilight grinned. “Well I’m here now, why don’t we go get mine. Then you can go out to supper with your two Valentines.”
Celestia cut in. “And ice cream, we want Ice cream, don’t we Dusky?”
Dusky cheered. He happily ran off to fetch the second card.
Twilight looked over to Celestia. “I don’t know what we did to deserve him, but I’m glad we have him.”
Celestia looked at her and gently rubbed her belly. “How glad are you?”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Are you…?
Celestia looked at her calmly. “I think one good trick deserves another.”
This time Twilight cheered and rushed over for an embrace and a kiss.
“More tea Your Majesty?” The small brown unicorn mare asked politely. Treasured Tome had no idea how she’d ended up in this situation. She was a librarian! Not a noble or anyone of importance! Yet here she was, sitting at a table, using her chipped tea set to serve tea to a purple alicorn.
The day had started off so well. She’d woken up full of determination to finally sort the new arrivals. Hours had flown by as, lost in her work, she’d made books fly around the library, finding their very own spots on the shelves. Interruptions were few, it being summer in a small town, most of the populace was busy out on the farms, without time to stop at the library. The few customers who had shown up had quickly been covered and she’d gone back to her work with a smile. By late afternoon, she’d finally finished the task and, wiping her brow, looked about her with satisfaction.
That was when it had all gone south. As she’d stood there surveying her work and feeling imminently satisfied with herself, she’d heard a throat cleared behind her. “Excuse me, do you have a moment?”
“One moment please,” She’d said, as she ran down her list, quickly assuring herself that she’d gotten everything sorted. “Ok, how can...I… help you?” Her voice trailed off into a squeak as she looked up into the large purple eyes of an alicorn, watching her with an air of amusement.
“You’re a Princess!” Tome had blurted.
“Am I?” Princess Twilight Sparkle had asked mildly. She flared her wings and looked at them. “Why, I suppose I am. What do you know?”
Treasured Tome blushed and dropped into a bow. “I’m so sorry, Princess. I meant no disrespect. Please forgive me.”
Luckily, Twilight Sparkle hadn’t been offended by Tome’s lack of refinement in dealing with Royalty. She’d laughed and asked her if she could help her with something. Obviously Treasured Tome had agreed instantly and that had lead to this situation, the two of them sipping tea in the late afternoon.
“Princess,” Tome started hesitantly, “You asked if I could help you with something… if it isn’t too bold, may I ask what?”
“Just wait, please.” Twilight responded. “It’s almost time for the sun to go down.”
Twilight stared intensely at Tome as the sun dropped below the horizon. Nothing happened. Twilight’s face fell with a sigh. “You’re not her,” She murmured, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but I was hoping… I’d hoped so much…”
“Excuse me? I’m not who?” Treasured Tome asked nervously. “I suppose I can be this mare, if you need me to be, anything for a princess right?”
Tome gasped. “Princess Celestia? She’s gone? But… but, the sun…”
Twilight made a calming gesture. “The sun still rises every morning and sets every night. Wherever Celestia has gone, she is still raising the sun. I know it’s her because I forced a Pinkie Promise out of Luna to not touch the sun until I can find her.”
Tome’s eyes widened. "What? You thought? Me? Her? Why? What’s a Pinkie? HOW? I don’t understand, where did the Princess go?”
“I don’t know. She left without telling me anything. I just assumed she’d be back, but after two years… I had to go looking for her myself.”
“Princess, if you don’t mind my asking, if Princess Celestia doesn’t want to be found, how can you find her? What led you here?”
“I’m here following one of my few leads. A couple of months ago was Celestia’s birthday. Luna had some type of gift sent to this province.” Twilight answered.
“This province? That’s an awfully large area to search Princess.”
“I know, but it’s what I have.” Twilight looked tired. “I can feel the surges as the sun goes up and down. When she raises the sun, she uses such a large burst of magic that I can feel it, if I’m within ten miles or so. I’ve been close, so close. Three times in the last seven years I’ve almost found her. I was hoping… well, it doesn’t matter. I will find her if I have to search all of Equestria. Thank you for the tea and your time Miss Tome”
Tome watched as Twilight Sparkle got up with a grace born of practice, bowed her head slightly and turned to leave. Twilight walked out the door with her head held up, but her wings drooping slightly in a position of defeat.
The door closed behind the purple princess and Treasured Tome slumped down. When she rose up, her eyes held a different look in them. Gone was the meek submissive librarian, instead they held a look of steel and determination. “You were close Twilight, hopefully you will never know how close.”
As she set about cleaning up the tea, thinking about the encounter and wording a thank you note to Cadance, she began to feel cold. It welled up from the depths of her heart. A voice sounded in the back of her mind, sinuous and proud, full of hate and desire, a beloved voice but one she could never listen to. “So once again, she came so close to finding you. You cannot keep her away from me forever. One of these days you will slip and she will be mine.”
Anger flared, pure and bright. “Never. You will not have her. She will escape from you.”
