"I think it's time for us to go, Moondancer." Twilight announced, as her 'new' old friend released her sister from a hug.
"Thank you for helping me make some new friends. Even if they are my old friends."
"Ohh, we'll come back and visit soon." Twilight replied, the two of them sharing another brief hug.
"That would be great! You still gotta teach me that Haycartes technique."
"Deal."
Spike stepped forward.
"Uh, Moondancer? It got kinda banged up, but here's a little something I wanted to give you back at your first party."
Moondancer took the partially crushed, gift-wrapped box in her magical grasp, tore open the wrapping, and teared up a bit as she looked at a framed photo of their old group of six sitting at a table in a cupcake parlor in Canterlot. Spike had taken this one. From right to left sat Lyra, Minuette, Twinkleshine, herself, and Twilight, who was standing on the left, completely engrossed in a book, and was the only one without a cupcake. Her gaze traced up to herself, who was standing right next to Twilight, looking and wondering what the lavender unicorn couldn't tear herself away from to enjoy something as simple and quick as an after-school snack.
Moondancer wiped her eyes of pricking tears once again, and saw that Pinkie Pie was hopping away with Spike.
"Well, see you around, Moondancer. I'll be back as soon as I can!"
The feelings that were bubbling up inside since looking at the picture threatened to boil over again, and her heart wanted to reach out of her chest, telling her not to let this moment slip by. It had stayed inside for too long.
"Um, T-Twilight?" Moondancer called.
"Hm?" Twilight stopped and turned around.
"I've... Been meaning to ask... Has... Has there ever been anypony else? A special somepony?"
If Twilight found the question odd or surprising, she didn't let it show long enough for Moondancer to notice.
"Uh, no. Not really. Not that I've had time for that sort of thing anyway. Why do you ask?"
"Well, it's just that... At my first party, I was thinking of asking you... I mean, I threw that party to... Uh, you know what? Never mind, forget I said anything. Have a good night, Twilight!" Moondancer said, becoming flustered, blushing furiously, and quickly trotting away towards her neighborhood.
Twilight stood there confused as she watched Moondancer leave the castle courtyard and turn the corner to the street toward her house.
'Just what was that about?'
Moondancer trotted up to her house, dug out her key, poked it into the keyhole and unlocked the door, hastily making her way inside.
'Just one party. One fantastic party, and this time, you were the one who screwed it up. Nice going, bookworm.'
Moondancer shut the door, checking the integrity of the plywood she put over the hole until she could replace it. The stipend she got from the School of Gifted Unicorns wasn't much, but if she set a little aside, it shouldn't take too long. To be fair, it was hardly Twilight's fault. She just knocked. She had neglected so much of this place she was amazed that more of it wasn't falling apart from dry rot.
'I'm never gonna be able to look her in the eyes again...' Moondancer fretted around her den for a few moments, afraid that the awkwardness that she had just created had snuffed out the rekindled flame of friendship with Twilight.
She threw herself onto her couch, and took a deep breath. Maybe, just maybe, this would blow over, and things would get back to normal, albeit with friends.
'Way to dive off the deep end...'
'Of course... She wanted to ask me out,' Twilight realized, now that she had a chance to analyze things in her old tower as Spike snored away the first hours of the night. Puzzle pieces didn't make much sense on their own, but when you take a little time to put them together the right way, the whole picture becomes clear.
Ever since they had met in the Elementary class of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, Moondancer had taken after Twilight almost immediately, primarily in the way she styled her mane. Back then, she had just assumed Moondancer was being a copycat. At that age, who wouldn't be envious of Celestia's personal protege? There couldn't have been any real connection back then, but if it had turned into something more...
Minuette told her that Moondancer didn't seem to be disappointed in her party's attendance until she found out that Twilight wasn't coming.
"She was going to tell me how she felt at her first party, and I didn't show up. I didn't even say goodbye when I left... She kept that bottled up inside all this time, no wonder she lashed out at me..."
Twilight still considered herself lucky that she hadn't caught the business end of that pinata stick, nor had anypony else when she flung it away in anger. Not being a good friend was one thing, but if Moondancer never got the opportunity to tell her how she really felt, and had been holding it in all this time, well, that made this even worse.
She felt she was being honest when she had told Moondancer, "Not really," in response to her question about having a special somepony. The closest she had ever gotten to anypony else was Flash in the parallel world, and that was just a high school dance, nothing really serious at all. Since then, she had barely even gotten a glimpse of his pegasus counterpart.
Above all right now, she didn't want to hurt Moondancer's feelings. Not again.
'But, I've never considered the possibility that I was into mares. Do I even 'go that way'?' Twilight wondered to herself.
She never considered herself curious, but she didn't deny the fact that her mind wasn't immediately backing away from that side either.
A nice chat over dinner couldn't hurt, right? Repair more bridges, maybe find out why she felt this way? Perhaps it would help her delve into her own feelings.
She knew one thing, after everything that had transpired over the last four days, she didn't want to deny Moondancer now that she was coming out of her shell, and had reached out again.
Moondancer was still laying on the couch, fighting her inner conflict for over an hour, when she heard a very soft knock on the door frame. She got up, glancing at the clock, which reported a time of 10:45 PM. She walked out to the foyer and opened the door, where Twilight stood to greet her.
"H-Hey Twilight. Um, listen, about earlier, I just-"
Moondancer stood in the aging ceramic tub, as the warm stream of water from the shower head rinsed the soap suds from her mane for the third time.
'Lather, rinse, and repeat. Why don't they just tell you how many times you're supposed to repeat?' She thought to herself as she watched the white foam spiral down the drain. Her showers were usually quick, less than five minutes, as she didn't want pristine cleanliness to eat away at the minutes that could be used for getting through just one more chapter at the library. But now...
She poked her dripping wet head out from the front end of the shower curtain to glance at the small clock next to the sink, and her eyes widened when she realized that she had been in there for twenty minutes. She darted back in from the curtain, shut the water off, and shook off the excess water before drawing back the curtain and stepping out onto the rug, grabbing a towel.
The late-morning shower did wonders to help her wake up. At first, she thought she wasn't going to sleep well because of the inner conflict that had come about going off the deep end and asking an old friend out on a date. Now, she hadn't slept well because that old friend said yes.
'She said yes.'
That fact had echoed in her head repeatedly throughout the night, the combination of excitement and nervousness churning in her gut assured that she never got more than an hour's worth of sleep at a time. But she felt she had gotten enough sleep, and now, freshly showered, she was ready to take on the challenge of putting together a proper first date.
'Nothing too extravagant.' She immediately told herself after Twilight left for the night. As much as she would've liked to, going all out wasn't the best of ideas just yet. As excited as she was at this prospect, she wasn't entirely convinced that Twilight wasn't just being nice.
'I have to be sure that she reciprocates those feelings. She's been gone for a long time. I have to see how much has changed, and how much has stayed the same.'
She gently dried off her hair, then stepped in front of the sink and mirror. She ran a brush through her mane, and had to check herself when she routinely went for her mane tie. No, she wasn't going to wear it up. Her mane had been messily kept for years, and it was time for a change. Twilight had to know how seriously she took this. Grabbing a pair of styling scissors from the drawer, she magically grabbed her mane, and made the appropriate number of snips, giving herself the traditional scholar's cut that Twilight had come to school with almost every day of the year. It was surprising, seeing her mane well-kept, and free of frizz. After giving her tail a quick brushing, she toweled off her coat, put her glasses back on, and went to her bedroom.
Before leaving last night, Twilight said she'd get a message down to her friends that she would be staying an extra day in town, and to come get her at her old tower whenever she was ready. After giving it some thought during her hours tossing and turning and during her shower, Moondancer had the perfect place in mind for her first date with Twilight.
'But what do I wear?' She thought, staring at her closet.
The last thing she wanted to put on for this was the black turtle neck she had worn oh so often the last few years. No, today had to be different. Twilight had to know that this truly mattered to her. But again, nothing extravagant, especially not with her chosen locale. It was all about finding that delicate balance.
After about ten minutes of shuffling around in her closet, she settled on a simple silver necklace. With that done, she shut off the lights, and left the house. She always took note of the far more modern development that surrounded her dilapidated dwelling. She figured it was only a matter of time before the Canterlot Construction Coalition offered her enough bits to relocate. But that wasn't worth worrying about today. She began trotting down the street towards the Royal District, where Canterlot Castle, Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and Frosthay Spire were located. Frosthay Spire was the official name for Twilight's previous dwelling before moving, where Celestia housed her personal protegees.
It was a ten minute trek at a brisk trotting pace. On her way, she noticed that several plants and trees in the gardens were starting to bloom in the spring weather. The castle gardens and hedge maze separated the castle grounds from the school grounds. Moondancer ascended the spiral stairs, swallowed her nervousness, and knocked on the door three times. A few moments later, the door opened, and Twilight stood there to meet her.
"Hey, you're finally here! Beautiful day out, isn't it?" Twilight greeted with a smile.
"Absolutely. Ready to go?"
"Yep, just one moment." Twilight replied, disappearing beyond the door frame for a few moments. She came back with her white saddlebags strapped around her midsection. Moondancer felt a small pang of sorrow, but she hid it well. Was she going to use this time for more studying? She did her best to push her doubt aside. There weren't necessarily books in there.
"So where are we headed?" Twilight asked as she stepped outside, closing the door.
"Someplace appropriate." Moondancer replied, knowing all too well how not knowing every intricate detail about an outing irked Twilight. But an important part of a date out was the surprise.
They trotted down the same path she took, and went back downtown to the Market District.
"And here we are." Moondancer announced.
"The cupcake parlor?"
"Yeah. I noticed in that photo Spike took that when we all got together here after school that one time, that you never got one. I'd say it's time to rectify that."
Twilight gave a smirk, and they headed inside. There were a couple ponies ahead of them in line, and they were quickly served. With them out of the way the duo stepped up to the counter.
"Special order for Moondancer," the unicorn stated. The cashier grabbed a clipboard that was hanging on the wall, and glanced down the list it held. He checked off a box, went to one of the numerous fridges, and came back with a platter, on which four cupcakes rested. They were all chocolate. Two with purple frosting, two with light yellow frosting, and each pair had a molded, colored chocolate on top in the shape of their respective cutie marks. Twilight found herself touched at the sentiment.
"So I've got to ask. Not to state the obvious, but I'm wondering... What do you see in me... Or did see in me all those years ago?" Twilight asked, getting settled in front of a table and setting her saddlebags down on the floor next to her.
"It isn't obvious? Out of everyone at school, you were the only one who seemed to share my love of learning. Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine helped me come out of my shell, but it seemed you weren't interested. I thought if I could show you how to balance friendship and studying, you'd be more social. But it turned out it took a lot more than a party invitation to get your nose out of books. I mean, I could get a party together, but hardly a threat to Equestria."
"To be fair Moondancer, it wasn't just a threat to Equestria. It was being helped along the way, then facing that threat alone and failing. My friends down in Ponyville are amazing, but I can't really see myself connecting with them on that kind of level. I loved studying with you, so I'm sure I'll love getting to know you when we aren't buried in homework."
"You really mean that?"
Twilight seemed surprised at Moondancer's disbelief.
"Absolutely. Moondancer, I wouldn't have said yes to a date just to string you along and make you happy. That'd be all kinds of wrong. I haven't ever had any kind of love life to begin with apart from a high school dance, and I'm not even sure that counts."
"...We never had a high school dance..."
"Long story. I'm saying that I'd love to reconnect with you, and see how deep that connection goes."
Hearing that brought the biggest smile yet out of Moondancer. With that, they started into their cupcakes, which almost looked too good to eat. After that, the unicorn had quite a day ahead planned.
"Before we go, I wanted to give you something." Twilight said.
Twilight's horn lit up, and Moondancer heard shuffling come from her saddlebags. A moment later, the key to Frosthay Spire came up from below the table, levitating over to her.
"I still want you to be able to go my old tower and study whenever you want. It's quieter, and it's great when the library gets too crowded. Spike and I finished cleaning it up last night. Oh, and one more thing."
The magic aura faded from the key as it dropped to the table in front of Moondancer's cupcake wrapper, and Twilight came up with another item from her saddlebags.
It was the first edition of Principles of Magic.
"Looking back, I'm glad I didn't take this with me. You see, I'm sure you remember when Tirek attacked Equestria a few months ago, right?"
"That Centaurian that escaped from Tartarus, yeah." Moondancer affirmed, nodding.
"Well, when he got to Ponyville, he and I got into a pretty big fight. The Golden Oaks Library, the place I lived when I first came to Ponyville, was obliterated, and most of my personal collection was lost with it. So I just want you to know, I'm taking this with me back to Ponyville. I can't think of a better book to restart my collection with."
Moondancer teared up at this act. This way, perhaps it was for the best that she had left it in her tower, so that it, like their friendship, could be used as the start of something greater. She was now mentally kicking herself, thinking Twilight brought her saddlebags for studying over cupcakes. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she accepted the key to Frosthay Spire.
"Thank you, Twilight. That means so much to me."
The alicorn and unicorn spent the first part of the afternoon window shopping in the market district. Before they moved on with their day, Moondancer looked in her coin purse, and decided to buy Twilight a matching silver necklace from one of the corner jewelers. After that, they spent the next several hours in the castle gardens and hedge maze, reminiscing about their botany classes. When the sun finally started it's final dip below the horizon, they at last decided to call it a day. The unicorn decided she wanted to use Twilight's gift immediately, and opted to spend the night in Frosthay Spire. The Princess of Friendship gladly escorted her there.
"I had a great time today, Moondancer. I can't wait to do it again."
It was all Moondancer could do to stop from matching Pinkie Pie and bouncing off the walls.
"Well, I believe it's your turn next."
Twilight put a hoof to her chin, mentally going over her schedule.
"Well, I've got the next weekend free. Why don't you come on down to Ponyville next Saturday? It'd be great to have some company in the castle."
"Sure thing. It's a date!"
Moondancer threw her arms around Twilight and they shared a hug. Afterward, Spike came out of the tower, gave a polite bow, and waved her inside. She waved them goodbye as they took off into the dusk sky, then made her way inside. Suffice to say, this was a tenfold improvement over her house in town. She had already seen the atrium library upstairs, so she opened the door that was under the spiral stairs.
It was a small living area. It wasn't quite as roomy as a traditional house was, but there was a couch on the left wall, along with the doorway to the kitchen, the bathroom door on the far wall, and a full size bed on the right wall. Seeing the freshly made, neatly folded linens made her feel sleepy. She walked up to the bed, and saw a teddy bear resting at the foot of the bed, with a note in front. She picked it up, and saw that it had obviously been torn open, because there was a black stitch line along his chest. She smiled and looked down at the note.
Sweet dreams!
Love, Twilight
Fresh tears fell from her eyes. She was going to have to get used to this. Shutting herself off from the world for years caused her to become a whimpering mess at every gesture of kindness. She climbed into the bed, sliding under the sheets, and holding the bear close, let her head sink into the cool, fluffed pillow.
'Alright, now's the time for extravagance.' Moondancer thought. It was Saturday morning, and a few hours from now, she'd be on a train bound for Ponyville. She couldn't remember the last time she had been out of town. Passing the time through the past week had been difficult too. She tried to read through the hours, but that only worked for so long. It felt strange, but she was also happy beyond measure that she no longer had to retreat into her books. Now, at long last, the day was here. It was time for her second date, but first, she needed to get a little something.
Dear Twilight,
What do I wear Saturday night? Since you're planning our evening, I figured I'd check with you.
Yours, Moondancer
Much to Spike's annoyance, Twilight had quickly taught Moondancer to attune to the dragon's flame, which, with a combination of pyromancy and transmutation, allowed him to send letters great distances. Now they were able to communicate just as quickly and effectively as Celestia and Twilight used to during her days as the princess' protege.
My dearest Moondancer,
I've been wanting to do something formal for awhile. Do you have a dress?
<3 Twilight
No, she didn't.
She had all manner of sweaters, mostly black, and certainly not anything that could be considered formal. Not that that was going to stop her. But if she was going dress shopping, she was going to need a second opinion. Second, third, and fourth opinions.
"You've got a date with Twilight? That's awesome!" Minuette cheered ecstatically at the news.
"Yeah, come to think of it, you two go great together. So what kind of formal wear are we talking here? 'Grand Galloping Gala' formal, 'nice dinner' formal, or 'night on the town' formal?" Lemon Hearts asked.
"Um, there's a difference between those?" Moondancer replied, wondering what she was getting herself into. She didn't exactly have all the time in the world to pick something out for tonight, and no doubt these three friends of hers weren't all going to have the same opinions.
"Come on, we'll find what you need!" Twinkleshine chimed in, and the four of them were off to the market district.
"Twilight, for the last time, everything looks great. If you put one more coat of polish on that table, you two aren't going to be able to see your food." Spike groaned, as Twilight meticulously went over every last detail of her plan, which currently involved setting the table. Perfectly.
"I'm sorry, Spike. I just want everything to be just right."
"More perfect than the way things were for those three events you held last week? It's just a date."
"Second date, and the ball's in my court this time. I have to show her how much this means to me." Twilight emphasized, checking the placement of the plates and dinnerware.
"So you're really getting serious about this, huh? Didn't think I'd ever see you settle down."
"It's hardly settling down, Spike. It's not like there's ever been anyone else."
"Not even Flash Sentry?" The dragon sneered in a teasing tone.
"Hey, Lyra may have an uncanny obsession with those anthropomorphic creatures, but I've decided I'm only interested in my own race, and I'm not going to let a few days with Flash's human counterpart automatically make me attracted to the Pegasus guard in this world," the Princess of Friendship shot back.
The two of them heard the clang of the door knocker on the castle's front doors echo throughout the empty hallways. Twilight's eyes widened as she gasped.
"Oh no, she's early! Go get the door, Spike. I'll meet you guys in the throne room. I have to go change!"
Spike went off to answer the door, and Twilight zipped up to her bedroom upstairs. Her chosen formal wear for the evening was the 'simple and practical' light yellow dress Rarity had made for her birthday a few years ago, which had since been altered to accommodate her wings. She hadn't really had an opportunity to wear it since. She wanted to look nice, sure, but she didn't really want to upstage Moondancer. Especially here. She wasn't sure if the unicorn was nervous about dating a princess, but she'd rather feel like the under-dressed one. She wasn't worried; the other aspects of this evening, and Moondancer's foreknowledge would make her organizational skills and attention to detail rather obvious. She made sure the pink bow was tied snugly, and ran a brush through her mane and tail. Lastly, she put on the silver necklace that Moondancer had bought for her on their first date in Canterlot. With that, she trotted down the stairs, and made her way to the throne room, where Spike was entertaining Moondancer, who was currently looking at the six thrones, and heard her come in. Twilight had to suppress a gasp when she laid eyes on her.
"H-Hi Twilight." Moondancer said nervously.
"You... You look amazing, Moondancer." Twilight said, an open-mouthed smile on her face forming as she took in her date's chosen outfit.
Moondancer was in a black silk dress, with dark pink accents. She still had the scholar's cut, black glasses, and had curled the back of her mane. Completing the outfit was a pair of silver crescent moon earrings, and the matching silver necklace.
"Th-thanks. You too. I was afraid it would be a bit much, but Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine said it was perfect."
"It is. You look absolutely perfect."
The compliment made Moondancer blush. Twilight came up and gave her a hug.
"Well, let me show you around. Dinner's nearly ready."
If Moondancer had only one word to describe Twilight's dime tour of the castle, it would be 'daunting.' She had been in Canterlot Castle only once for a field trip, and this was just as, and in some places, more impressive than that.
"You have all this space to yourself? I'd go nuts." She commented.
"I did for a bit. I started avoiding this place as much as I could, helping my friends with every odd job you can imagine, to the point where it probably got annoying for them. I got so little sleep that I fell asleep during a pancake breakfast... On the pancakes." Twilight replied, blushing a bit.
"So here we are back at the throne room. I skipped the dining room, because that's where we're obviously headed next."
"What's with the tree roots?" Moondancer asked, opening the door once again, peering up at the chandelier that hung above the round table.
"My five friends did that when I was going stir crazy in here. Those are the roots of the Golden Oak Library. They attached all these little gems that were enchanted with memories from my time here in Ponyville."
"Ah, I see." Moondancer said, gazing up at the jewels. There were several dozen, either cyan, pink, or topaz.
"And I'm gonna add this one." Twilight announced, bringing the unicorn's attention back to her. Twilight held another yellow gem in her hoof. She rotated it, and the facets reflected her and Moondancer hugging at the beginning of her party in Canterlot.
"The memory of rekindling an old friendship, and watching it turn into something more."
Twilight took the gem in her magical grasp, and levitated it up to the bottom of the jewel chain above her throne, and connected it to the bottom gem.
Moondancer lifted her glasses and wiped her eyes. Darn it, she still wasn't used to this. The gem attached, Twilight came over and gave her a hug.
"Alright, enough of this sappy mushy stuff," Moondancer said, sniffling. "I'm famished."
"You read my mind. To the dining room!"
Moondancer followed her date through the hall through another set of large double doors.
"Whoa..." She remarked upon setting foot inside.
"Yeah, this was the room that they went nuts in. I guess you could call it the Dining Room of Friendship." Twilight replied.
A large golden dining table was in the middle of the room, with a sizable stone unicorn statue as the centerpiece, and red satin was draped on the edges as the tablecloth's overhang. Above the table was a brilliant gold chandelier. In front of the room's left and right support pillars were two smaller pillars, with a pot of flowers on top of each one. The outer walls and windows had deep crimson draperies lining them.
The table itself had been set for two. As Moondancer took her seat next to Twilight, she noticed that the Princess had spared no expense. The serving platters and dinnerware were the most elegant she had ever seen. Spike came out pushing a dining cart, with two dome-covered plates. He wheeled the cart to the table, then Twilight took over from there, magically levitating the plates from the cart to the places at the table. Finally, she lifted the domes off, and when Moondancer laid eyes on the meal, she had to fight back the drool.
A garden salad with apple slices and fire-roasted pecans and croutons. Twilight had remembered her favorite dish from their school days.
"Wow, it looks delicious, I can hardly wait."
"Well, no time like the present. Dig in!" Twilight gleefully told her, taking her fork in her horn's telekinetic hold. It was, without a doubt, one of the most delicious salads that she had ever had. Throughout the first and second course, the two of them shared what they had done over the past week.
"So you're still in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns?" Twilight asked, swallowing her last bit of salad.
"I'm in one of their post-graduate programs. The research papers I submit are what keep the stipends coming in, and a roof over my head. To be honest, these two dates with you are the first sense of direction I've had in a long time."
Twilight felt a bit sorrowful at that. Moondancer had put up such a barrier around herself that she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life. She'd certainly be there for her if she ever wanted help figuring out what to do.
After that, it was glasses of carrot juice, and strawberry pie for dessert. When they were all said and done, the two of them felt quite satisfied.
"That was the most savory meal I've had in years. Thank you so much, Twilight."
"Glad you enjoyed it."
"What else do you have planned?"
"Well, have you ever had dancing lessons?"
Having caught her interest, Twilight led Moondancer out of the dining room and back upstairs. Through yet another set of double doors, they found themselves out on the castle balcony, overlooking Ponyville's night sky. Twilight had set up a phonograph next to the door. She grabbed the needle, and placed it on the record, and a slow waltz began.
"I... I've never danced with anypony else before." Moondancer stammered as Twilight took her hooves in her own.
"Neither have I. We can learn together."
What followed was some awkward turns, some missteps, but it didn't matter. Holding, spinning, and twirling each other was all that mattered, regardless of how awkward it may have looked as they danced under the moon. Twilight gave Moondancer a final dip as the waltz came to an end. She brought her up again, and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.
Moondancer's face flooded with red as she hugged her date.
"N-not bad for my first dance..."
"I guess I needed somepony else to get better. Canterlot Garden Party attendees could probably tell you of the horrors that occurred next to the record player that night..."
Moondancer chuckled, hugging her date once more.
"Now then," Twilight began. "Enough of that."
She pulled out a book that had been placed covertly underneath the phonograph.
"I believe I promised you a certain studying technique."
Twilight came forward and set the book between the two of them on the balcony before sitting down, prompting Moondancer to do the same. She looked down at the book, and read the cover.
Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac To All Things Astronomy.
"Now there's a subject I'll admit I haven't spent a whole lot of time on." Moondancer commented.
"I love astronomy. The constellations, the phenomena, the wonders of what's out there beyond." Twilight said, magically flipping open the book to the chapter on meteor showers.
"Now the first key to performing Haycartes' technique is to open your mind to learning. For ponies like you and me, I doubt that's much of a problem. It's your first time, so it probably won't last more than a minute. But let's give it a try, shall we?"
Moondancer nodded, and began to concentrate, magical energy beginning to course through the niches in her horn. Not only did she have to concentrate on the book, but she had to synchronize herself with Twilight's magic, so they would enter the book together. Since Twilight was the more experienced, she let her take the lead.
Their horns glowed brighter, they closed their eyes, and then...
Moondancer wasn't sure what happened. There was no flash, or magical sparkling. The first thing she noticed was different was the surface she was laying on, it wasn't the crystal and marble balcony. It felt softer. She opened her eyes, and found herself on a hill of grass. Nothing but grassy plains surrounded them. She looked up, and was amazed at the amount of stars she saw in the night sky. It was nothing like this in Canterlot or Ponyville, due to light pollution.
"Oh wow..." She said a bit above a whisper.
"Really something, isn't it?"
Moondancer looked to her left to see Twilight laying next to her, noticing that her horn wasn't glowing.
"You don't have to maintain the spell?" She asked, noting that magic wasn't channeling through her horn either.
"Nope. It all depends on the concentration and magnitude of your stream before the spell is cast. You can't study very well if you have to multitask with maintaining a spell."
The two of them noticed streams of light began to pass overhead. Without the light pollution, it was even more stunning than when Ponyville had gathered for the shower a few years ago.
"The chapter on meteor showers and comets." Twilight noted.
Moondancer looked on in awe. She had never seen a meteor shower in such clarity. It was so beautiful. Suddenly, the earth beneath them began to dip away, and before she knew it, they were flying among the stars. It was absolutely breathtaking.
Unfortunately, it was also short lived, as Moondancer blinked, and suddenly found the two of them back on the balcony.
"Ugh, sorry. This book's a tough one to maintain." Twilight said, looking a bit winded from the spell.
"Let me try." Moondancer offered. Her horn lit up, the book began to glow, and they were back in the meteor shower. Moondancer's elation lasted all of five seconds, the same as the second in-book flight, when the balcony returned again.
"Not bad for your first try. It takes a bit of practice, but you'll get it, for sure."
"Yep, I have some books I can practice on back home."
Twilight cleared her throat, as she prepared to move on to the next subject.
"I've been wondering. What would have happened... I mean, what would you have done if I had shown up to your party all that time ago?"
"Probably the same thing I did this time; chicken out. You probably would have figured it out back then, too."
"And maybe it's a good thing it didn't happen then, because if I didn't know what I know about friendship now, I don't think I would've said yes."
"How did you get from a Gifted Unicorns student to... Here?" Moondancer asked, waving a hoof at the castle towering above the balcony.
"For that, we go to another book." Twilight said, ushering her back inside. They made their way back downstairs, towards the front, where there was a small study. Two small bookshelves stood on both the left and right walls. In the center of the room was a small table with a couple of chairs. A reading lantern sat in the center of the table. Twilight magically lit it, and went to the left bookshelf as Moondancer took a seat at the table. Twilight came back to the table with a book. On the front cover, there was her cutie mark, along with five others. The only one she recognized was Pinkie Pie's, from the party in Canterlot.
"This is my scrapbook of memories since I came to Ponyille. Take a look if you like, I'll be back with some after-dinner snacks."
As she turned to go to the kitchen, she noticed Moondancer turn the scrapbook over, open it, and start from the end. She exited the study out into the hallway, and made her way back to the dining room. The kitchen was built behind it. The dishes from dinner were still soaking in the sink, so as she sorted through the available snacks, she split her attention and cleaned the two plates, and put them on the drying rack, having found a bag of baked oat chips, and made her way back to the study, taking a bit longer than she would have preferred. Walking down the front hall, she felt a breeze, seeing the culprit was the open front door. She closed it, and turned into the study, and her concern immediately rose when Moondancer was no longer inside.
"Moondancer?" she asked.
'Maybe she needed to use the bathroom.' Twilight thought, but that possibility evaporated as she looked at the open scrapbook, and noticed teardrops on the very first page.
"Oh no..."
My dearest and most faithful student Twilight,
You know that I value your diligence, and that I trust you completely. But you simply must stop reading those dusty old books. Understand that there is more to a young pony's life than studying. So I'm sending you to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location, Ponyville.
And I have an even more essential task for you to complete...
Make some friends.
Enclosed is the Overseer's Checklist.
Sincerely, Princess Celestia
I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville.
Moondancer angrily sorted through the books she had brought over from her house. She was reshelving Twilight's private study, double-checking what she wanted to leave here, and what she would take back to her house. She wasn't sure if she would still be allowed here after what she had sent the school that morning.
To Princess Celestia, Headmistress of the School for Gifted Unicorns,
I will be departing the School for Gifted Unicorns effective immediately. All of my tuition is in order.
Cordially, Moondancer
She had also gotten a letter from Twilight early that morning, and she wasn't quite sure how to respond just yet. Her first order of business would be finding something to replace the stipends from her research paper submissions. Somepony in this town had to be hiring for something.
Her book sorting was brought to a pause when she heard a knock on the door downstairs. Setting the books down on the floor, she descended the stairs and went to greet her visitor. It was probably Twilight, come to see if she was okay. She opened the door, and her gaze was immediately drawn upward, for it was an alicorn, but not the lavender one she was expecting.
"What do you want?" She asked to Princess Celestia grumpily.
"I came to see if everything was okay. You weren't home, and Twilight sent me a letter telling me that you'd be occupying this place for now. I didn't think it would be followed up with a drop-out notice.
"Yeah well, life's full of surprises. I'm busy." Moondancer said, turning back to head upstairs.
"And judging by your tone, I'd say this isn't a good surprise, or that my visit is welcome. Moondancer, is everything okay? Have I done something wrong?"
Moondancer turned back to the princess with an angry, annoyed look.
"You sent her away! Twilight left in such a hurry because you needed someone to make sure your annual party went off without a hitch! She showed me her scrapbook. I saw your letter to her. 'Make some friends'? As if the five of us didn't even exist! That's why I'm dropping out. Our friendships with her didn't matter to you, and I cannot respect that."
Celestia took a few moments to take the accusation in.
"Moondancer, you're upset; from your point of view, understandably so. But if you give me a chance to explain, I hope it will stop you from making a decision you'll regret." Celestia responded as calmly as she could to the distraught unicorn.
Moondancer took a breath, and figured that at the very least, she should hear her out.
"Fine."
"Thank you. Please follow me."
Moondancer followed the Princess up from the lobby back up to the private study. She showed her the podium that Twilight had left a book laying open.
"Predictions and Prophecies." Moondancer said, looking at the page it was open to.
"I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I saw more deeply into it than Twilight did. She paid attention to the "stars aiding in her escape," thinking it was the stars in the sky helping Nightmare Moon escape from the moon. I interpreted it a different way; I saw the stars as her cutie mark; she'd aid in her escape, and not Nightmare Moon escaping from the moon, but rather, Luna escaping from the darkness of Nightmare Moon."
Celestia glanced back to make sure Moondancer was understanding everything so far.
"It also alluded to 'two of each kind', so whether she was a good friend or not, I had a feeling the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony would not be the six of you; you're all unicorns. It said that they would 'come from the praising of the sun', or rather the Summer Sun Celebration which celebrates the summer solstice."
"And what about staying in Ponyville?"
"That was her choice. I was prepared to let her return to Canterlot, but she wanted to stay. Moondancer... Friendship is magical, and she began to discover that magic with her five friends down in Ponyville. I knew she would rekindle her old friendships soon enough. Did I believe it would take all this time? No, perhaps not. But they're rekindled now, and if I've heard things through the grapevine correctly, that her flame of friendship with you is a bit brighter than the others, hmm?"
Moondancer's cheeks tinting red was all the affirmation the princess needed.
"It took her awhile to come around and remember you, and if the two of you work out, then perhaps a consolation would be that you'll be closer to the Princess of Friendship than any of her old or new friends are right now."
The thought and realization warmed Moondancer's heart.
"So perhaps you'll want to rescind your notice of departure?"
It took a deep breath and a gulp, but Moondancer managed to look up into Celestia's gentle gaze.
"Yes, I'm sorry."
Celestia smiled.
"Apology accepted, because I have been long considering making you an offer."
"What kind of offer?" Moondancer asked, intrigued.
"You've been writing and submitting thorough research papers for years, on all manner of subjects. If you could figure out which area of magic you like best, and focus on it, I would be compelled to offer you an apprenticeship at the school."
Moondancer's heart skipped a beat. An apprenticeship at the School For Gifted Unicorns would be huge. It would finally give her life direction, an area of study to focus on, and a career. If she was lucky, it could even lead to a professorship.
"An app-p-prentice? Me?"
"You've been using books and studying as an escape and coping mechanism for many years. Now that you've rekindled your friendships, I'd like to see those years of study put to practical use."
"I-I don't know what to say..." Moondancer said, overwhelmed at the possibilities.
"Well, you don't have to say anything right now," Celestia said, turning to leave. "If you decide it's something you'd like to pursue, let me know which discipline of magic you choose."
Moondancer nodded, and watched as Celestia disappeared down the stairs.
She walked to the window, and stared out at the city of Canterlot.
"Wow... Just... Wow..."
Twilight didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night, and now it was beginning to show. She had spent all night fretting about what had gone wrong, the disastrous way Moondancer interpreted the first page of her scrapbook, and whether she should forget waiting for the train and just fly up to Canterlot to see her. Yet, a part of her told her to not give chase, that if Moondancer left without saying goodbye, then she probably wanted to be alone. There also wasn't any proof that she had actually gone back to Canterlot.
She ended up playing it safe and sending her a letter early the next morning, which as of now, had gone unanswered, affirming the possibility that she wanted to be alone.
"Twilight, I'm sure she's fine. She just needs a few-"
Spike paused mid-sentence as a gas pocket made its way up his chest. With a belch and a flash of flame, a scroll materialized and dropped to the floor, moments before Twilight grabbed and unfurled it.
Dear Twilight,
I'm sorry for running off last night. I took that first page of your scrapbook pretty badly. Don't worry, everything's good now. More than good, actually. I need some of your help and advice. If we're continuing to swap, the third date's mine. Say, this coming Wednesday at Frosthay Spire at 7:00?
"Next stop, Canterlot! Canterlot, next stop! Late night stops include Fillydelphia and Manehattan!"
As the conductor bellowed the scheduled stops, the butterflies in Twilight's stomach wouldn't settle as the evening train made it's final approach to Canterlot. She hoped the nervousness in her gut wouldn't make her sick. On one hoof, she was thrilled that she hadn't done anything wrong on the second date, and things had gotten right back on track after Moondancer had sorted things out. On the other hoof, she was nervous. Not so much about whatever Moondancer needed advice or help with, but what her expectations might be for the third date.
It was common in some circles that by the time the third date rolled around, some dating couples would get intimate with each other. For others, it was five dates, or seven, or nine. The date count was insignificant. What was significant was figuring out what Moondancer's expectations were, and depending on what they were, would she be ready? Twilight had never had an intimate encounter in her life. How would it go? Would it be super awkward? It would probably be the farthest thing from perfect. As long as they both enjoyed themselves, that's all that mattered. But again, they had to be ready.
The Friendship Express came around the final bend, and slowed to a stop at the platform, the hissing brakes announcing the arrival. Twilight got up from her seat, taking care not to brush her gala dress against the train doors. Once she was clear of the platform and on the streets of downtown Canterlot, she heightened her pace to a quick trot. She continually had to swallow the nervous lump in her throat as she got to the school grounds and came to Frosthay Spire, her private study that she had given to Moondancer. Ascending the stairs, she took one last deep breath, and knocked on the door. She heard frantic hoofsteps come down the stairs and towards the door, then... Nothing. A full five seconds passed before the door opened.
As Twilight saw Moondancer's smile change to surprise, along with her widening eyes, she knew something was amiss. Then as she saw her date in her black turtleneck and earrings, the dread set in. The impossible had happened. She forgot.
Organized, punctual, planning, Princess Twilight Sparkle forgot to ask about tonight's dress code.
"Twilight!' Moondancer said happily.
"Oh my gosh, aren't I the overdressed one... I'm so sorry, I should've asked what kind of clothes to wear." Twilight said nervously, blushing lightly at the cheeks.
Moondancer wasn't having any of it. She came forward and embraced the glamorous alicorn in a hug.
"Nonsense. You look absolutely beautiful."
Twilight returned the hug, relief setting in immediately as Moondancer welcomed her in.
"Although, I certainly wouldn't blame you if you took it off. I was gonna rough it tonight. I figured you have way too much of the fancy life with all the events you host at the castle, so I've been cooking up some simple, home-cooked goodness." Moondancer announced as they made their way into the living quarters. As the aromas emanating from the kitchen reached her nostrils, she did indeed opt to remove her dress and set it neatly aside on the couch. A few minutes later, Moondancer emerged from the kitchen with two steaming platters, and Twilight had to swallow to avoid drooling at the sight of homemade hayburgers and fries.
"That smells amazing." Twilight said, taking another whiff as Moondancer set the platters on the table.
"Thanks. Haven't cooked in awhile. Well what are we waiting for? Let's chow down!"
Being homemade, the burgers and hay fries were much more savory. Moondancer made one last trip to the kitchen for some cheese sauce, and that was the icing on the cake. The two of them ate to their heart's content. Afterward, Twilight helped Moondancer with the dishes. They had a small debate during the endeavor; Moondancer believed letting Twilight help with the dishes wasn't being a good host, while Twilight thought that not helping wasn't being a good guest. All in all, dishes were done in half the time, and they could then get on with their evening.
"So what did you need my help with?"
"Oh! Well, earlier this week, after Celestia explained what had happened with you moving to Ponyville, she offered me an apprenticeship at the school, something I figure could finally lead to a career. Perhaps a teaching position."
"Really? That's fantastic!"
"Yeah, it is. But she said that my studies have been so broad that I haven't really chosen a field of magic to focus on, and when I do make a decision, to just let her know."
"And?"
"And that's my problem. I've been looking at all my books, and I can't make up my mind. All these different disciplines of magic I've submitted research papers on, and I can't decide what I like most. I figured if I could get more help with the Haycartes spell, I could take a closer look at the disciplines with you."
Twilight leaned in to kiss Moondancer on the cheek, getting a red tint from her cheeks in return.
"Absolutely. Come on, let's go find your future!"
Together, the two of them left the living area and ascended the stairs up to the study. Moondancer, who had spent the last few days reorganizing the shelves, began pulling books off the shelves and setting them in a circle around the two of them. In the middle, she placed a copy of Aetherius: The Origins of Magic. Surrounding them in the circle were more than a dozen books, each focusing on a specific arcane discipline.
"Ready?" Twilight asked.
With an immediate nod, the two of them closed their eyes and began to concentrate. The niches of their horns began to glow with light, and the books around them began to glow, most of all the center copy of Aetherius. The air around them began to crackle, and in a flash, Moondancer and Twilight Sparkle vanished into thin air.
Moondancer opened her eyes, and found herself floating next to Twilight among some of the most spectacular nebulae she had ever seen. The Canterlot planetarium had absolutely nothing on this.
Upon taking a closer look, Moondancer recognized the constellations in the nebulae surrounding them; the signs for the various schools of magic. There was Destruction, which was offensive-based magic with the elements of fire, ice, and lightning. Most practitioners of Destruction magic found military careers in Celestia's royal guard as battlemages. To the left of that was Pyromancy. It was similar to Destruction magic, but with an exclusivity for the properties of fire. The disciplines of Alteration and Illusion were very similar, as both schools changed physical truths. But where Alteration was limited by the laws of nature, Illusion magic was not. Mysticism was one of the least understood schools, as those spells seemed to alter the nature of magic itself. Despite similarities to Necromancy, the practice of which was strictly forbidden in Equestria, wizards who mastered Mysticism were common in the Royal Guard's higher ranks. Yet another school was Conjuration. Twilight had used this school to summon Parasprites in her magician's duel against Trixie some years ago. Some scholars considered the telepathy and object manipulation that nearly all unicorns practiced to be part of the Conjuration school, while others argued that such magic belonged to the school of Alteration.
Lastly, she turned to Restoration. The constellation resembled that of a bird with wings spread. Practitioners of Restoration magic specialized in magical defense, healing, and some even dedicated their lives to rooting out those who would delve into necromancy. Healers were found in all walks of life as travelers, finding jobs in hospitals, or as medics in military outfits.
As she gazed closer at the Restoration constellation, Moondancer felt a pang in her heart. She saw herself in her house, horn glowing brightly, tears streaming down her face, with a spell book in front of her on the floor.
'Trying to heal a broken heart.' Moondancer remembered, her long study sessions in the days after Twilight hadn't shown up to her party. Of course, it hadn't been that easy. There were just some things magic couldn't fix. Eventually, she had given up, and moved on to other areas in the school of Restoration, and other schools as well. But the friendship was eventually healed. More than that, her it was made even stronger than it originally was.
"Well, Moondancer?" Twilight asked, who had been standing silently next to her friend as she considered her choices.
"I think..." the unicorn began, taking one last passing glance at each constellation. "Restoration. Helping others to heal like you, Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, and Minuette helped me to heal."
The constellation of Restoration reacted to her words, glowing brighter as the others faded away. Moondancer also noticed that her cutie mark was glowing dimly as well.
"Huh."
"What is it?" Twilight asked, also looking at Moondancer's glowing cutie mark.
"I never did figure out what I'm supposed to do with my life, Twilight. I mean, my Cutie Mark appeared right around the time I met you, Twinkleshine, Minuette, and Lemon Hearts. I don't really know what it means. Now here I am, trying to do so in a matter of minutes."
"Well, let's see if we can find that out."
The constellation of Restoration faded out, and Moondancer's cutie mark took it's place.
The crescent moon cutie mark hung in midair. The purple moon began to rotate, from left to right, going through the cycles of the moon. The new moon then began to reappear on the left, and with it, Twilight's cutie mark joined, along with those of Twinkleshine, Lemonhearts, and Minuette. They followed Moondancer's cutie mark through the cycle again, before disappearing when it completed the cycle again on the right. Then, one by one, they reappeared as her cutie mark began a third cycle, and stopped where it had originally.
"I think I understand... You guys disappeared, but you came back... Just like the moon does every cycle."
"Old friends may disappear, but if they truly love you, they'll always come back." Twilight offered.
The cutie mark suspended in the air before them glowed white, shrunk, and joined the existing mark on Moondancer's flank. So that settled it. Moondancer the Healer.
Moondancer looked over at her.
"The moon disappears, but always comes back. But I don't want you to disappear again, Twilight. I think... I think I love you. Like, for real. Like 'rest of my life' real."
The cheeks of both mares flushed red.
"I think I love you too." Twilight said, locking eyes with her.
Moondancer took two shaky steps forward, and her lips connected with Twilight's. Electricity sparked between them and flowed through their bodies.
Neither of them had kissed anypony else before, so understandably, it was awkward and sloppy. But that wasn't enough to stop them. Slowly, Twilight opened her mouth and invited Moondancer's tongue into a slithering dance. After a few seconds, they parted, both finding themselves short of breath.
Twilight found her back legs shaky, and her nether region becoming wet.
"A-Are you sure we're ready for this?" Moondancer asked nervously.
Twilight's nerves started going off too. Her heart wanted her to tackle Moondancer and take her, but her brain, as usual, exercised caution. But she didn't want nerves to keep her from this.
"I-I'm ready if you are..." Twilight replied back, as the stars and nebulae below them gave way to a limitless, lush grass field. The two mares settled down in the field, and Moondancer slid closer, and began to nuzzle Twilight's neck. Twilight felt a shiver go down her spine, and found herself trying to keep her wings folded in.
Moondancer switched from nuzzling to sucking and kissing Twilight's coat, sneaking in a gentle nip every now and then. She went lower to her chest, down to her stomach, and her nose began to detect the Princess' arousal. Sinking lower still, she dared to give one of Twilight's teats a suckle, getting a gasp out of her. She didn't stick around, and finished her journey south, her mouth millimeters from Twilight's glistening marehood, as she breathed in the alicorn's arousal. She took a final breath before closing the minuscule gap, and and her crush shivered as she exhaled onto her love canal.
Although her nerves were taking her for a ride, Moondancer never went into anything blind. She knew mare anatomy like the back of her hoof, and during a trip to a more... Questionable bookstore, she read up on how to properly stimulate it. But she had never tested that knowledge, until now.
She opened her mouth wider, stuck out her tongue, and place it flat against Twilight's lips, feeling her squirm in response. The first sensation to reach her brain was how warm it was. She slowly withdrew it, then began kissing. Left. Right. Bottom. Clit.
Twi was trying her hardest to hold still for her lover, but she was just so...
Her train of thought was interrupted when Moondancer placed her tongue at the bottom and licked to the top, and suckled on her clit for a half-second.
"Oh! Oh Moondancer..."
Moondancer repeated the four kisses, but then instead of licking up on step five, she slid her tongue into Twilight's folds, which responded with a squeeze, trying to pull the organ in deeper. Moondancer pulled out, and began again with kisses, going a little deeper each time, and each time making Twilight want more. As much as she tried to stay neat, she began to feel the alicorn's juices on her muzzle, and it fueled her desire more. It punctuated the one, undeniable fact of this moment.
Right here, right now, the Princess of Friendship was melting in her mouth.
On her next penetration, Moondancer opened her mouth wider, got a seal around her marehood, and sucked.
"M-M-MOONDANCERRRRR!!!" Twilight cried out, as the maneuver pushed her over the edge.
The unicorn wrapped her front hooves around Twilight's back legs to keep her from squirming as she continued to suckle out her juices, keeping her on her high for as long as she could, the princess wordlessly screaming, which turned to moans as her climax began to subside. Before she could finish, there was a flash of light, and Twilight found herself suddenly uncomfortable, and with how hazy her mind was, it took her a few moments to realize it was because she was currently laying on the closed copy of Aetherius in the library of Frosthay Spire. She rolled off the book, ad Moondancer let go of her back legs.
"That... That was... Wow..." Twilight panted out, while Moondancer licked her lips.
"Mmm, royal cum..."
It was hard to breathe again as the two lost themselves in outrageous laughter at Moondancer's lewd one-liner. Twilight got a hold of herself, and glanced over at Aetherius, and found the pages dripping with her cum. Too breathless to laugh again, Twilight mentally chuckled, thanking Celestia for sanitation spells. She turned to look to her left, and found Moondancer practically dripping. It wasn't going to take much, so how to go about it...?
She hadn't kept up on practicing quiet casting, but she was pretty sure with something that small...
Her horn lit up, and a floating, glowing purple phallus silently appeared between Moondancer's legs, inches from her marehood, and the unicorn hadn't noticed.
'Now just add a touch of heat... And...'
Moondancer's mouth shot open as she was penetrated out of nowhere, and she looked over at Twilight, who looked right back with a seductive look that told her everything.
'Cum for me, you sexy geek.'
Dipping into the last reserves of her magical energy, she took telekinetic hold of Moondancer's legs and flipped her over into a presenting position as the magical stallionhood continued to fuck her relentlessly. As she fought through the sex-fueled stupor, she pressed back against each one of the magical organ's thrusts, Twilight knew it wouldn't be long. She set the phallus to thrust even faster, and Moondancer's tongue hung out of her mouth.
"Twi... Twi... Twiligh.... I'm... I'm gonna..."
With just a twitch of her horn, the final stage was triggered, and hot stallion spunk erupted from the tip of the phallus. The substance itself was harmless, and did not have the means to impregnate mares. What it did do, however, was shove Moondancer over the edge as her back legs went rigid.
"TWILIGHT!!!"
The magical phallus hilted in her, and the spunk it produced evaporated before it exited, leaving only Moondancer's love nectar to slowly drip from between her legs.
Its work complete, the phallus disappeared, and Twilight's magical hold on her legs gave out, and Moondancer dropped to the floor, sated and exhausted.
"Not... Not bad for a third date..." Twilight said, leaning down for a kiss.
Their lips parting, Moondancer looked up at her.
"I'm not dating anymore..." she said, catching the last of her breaths.
"What?"
"Yeah. When I think of dating, I think 'keeping your options open'. Not anymore. I'm yours, Twilight."
"Are you sure you're ready for this, Moondancer? I mean, word is bound to get out that you're in a relationship with a Princess, and I wouldn't want-"
"Twilight," Moondancer began. "That doesn't matter to me, at all. Princess or not, I want to be with you, and if I have to deal with the occasional newspaper photographer, so be it. Believe me, it'll all be worth it to be with you."
Twilight smiled, her heart warming at the fact that they were past the dating stage. She had a marefriend. She repeated that to herself as she snuggled into the unicorn to bask in the afterglow.
In the hours after Moondancer told her school of choice to Celestia, things became insanely busy for the unicorn, starting with the acceptance letter.
Dear Moondancer,
You have hereby been accepted into an apprenticeship as a Healer in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.
Curriculum will follow shortly. Please consider if you wish to study locally at a school dormitory, or abroad. Abroad locations will have to be approved by the apprenticeship committee.
Congratulations, and we look forward to working with you.
Sincerely, CSFGU Apprenticeship Committee
She wasn't sure what she was expecting, how intimidated she thought she'd feel. She had always had some butterflies in her stomach whenever a term report came knocking, no matter how many of them she aced. But this? It was almost as if it was nothing. The power that a significant other brought was incredible, not to mention finally having a focus, a direction in her life. As long as she had Twilight, nothing this apprenticeship could throw at her would rattle her, and before she knew it, she'd be a journeymare, and then finally, a white mage.
After most of the week's insanity had passed, Moondancer was finally making a trip back to her house to get some things organized. As she turned onto her street, she heard the sounds of woodwork, and was astounded to find that it was coming from a construction team working around, and on top of, her house.
"Wh-what is this?" Moondancer asked, taking in the work being done. The forecolt heard the voice and turned towards her, correctly deducing that she was the owner.
"Oh, apologies if we're in the way ma'am. After nopony came and went for a few days we thought the place was unoccupied. We're on a contract from Princess Twilight Sparkle. We're to repair the front door, and restore and seal the exterior woodwork."
"That's alright, I've been on the other side of town for most of the week, I guess she wanted to surprise me."
"It's almost quittin' time, so we'll be out of your hair shortly."
Moondancer glanced at her watch, and noted the time of 4:40 as she went inside. The noise didn't really get a lot better, as the sawing and hammering reverberated through the structure. She closed the front door, and only then noticed that it had been repaired, good as new. Dropping her saddlebags, she saw a package next to the door frame. The construction ponies must have set it in here when it came so it was out of the way outside. Looking at the return address, she noted that it was from the school.
She took the box into her room and set it on the bed before carefully cutting the tape. Her smile widened as she opened the lid and took out a dark blue mage's robe. It was a fine silk. The single silver stripe on the hood, neck, and legs noted her school of choice, Restoration, as well as her position of apprentice.
She couldn't wait any longer. She quickly took off her turtleneck, and unfurled the robe, slipping into it, and tying it traditionally at the chest. She teared up as she looked at herself in the full length mirror. This was all thanks to Twilight. She saw through her fumbled attempt to ask her out, and she helped her learn the spell that finally gave her a direction in her studies.
She carefully, but quickly took the robe off and folded it neatly and put it back in the box. Twilight had to see this. By the time she got the box fastened to her saddlebags and headed out the door, the construction team was already gone. The work wasn't done, but it was still an amazing difference. The house looked almost as good as new.
The new apprentice rushed down the evening streets to the train platform downtown. The next train down to Ponyville came fifteen minutes later, and it was a rather anxious hour's ride down to the valley. She could barely contain her excitement as she cradled the box in her hooves. She zoomed out of the train and galloped down towards Twilight's castle. She nearly skidded to a halt in front of the giant doors, and knocked.
Twilight came and opened the door, and saw that Moondancer had quite the ecstatic smile on her face.
"Hey you. This is an unexpected surprise." Twilight greeted, coming in for a hug and kiss.
"I've been wanting to get down here all week, but I've just been buried in paperwork. I really wasn't expecting to see my house being renovated today."
Twilight did a double-take as they started walking down the main corridor to the living area.
"You... Just now saw them? They've been working for three days!"
"Yeah, I've been on the other side of town all week, all around the school and in Frosthay Spire. I just had to come down and show you this!" Moondancer exclaimed once they got to the living room. She dropped her saddlebags and set the box on the coffee table, opening it and pulling out her robe.
"So it's official now, eh?" Twilight asked, as Moondancer put the robe on, and fastened it in the same way that she did at home. Only once it was on did Twilight see just how... Perfect she looked.
"It fits you to a T."
Moondancer smiled, a red tint appearing in her cheeks.
"Thanks. I really love it."
"In fact, now that you have that on, I want to see how it looks with a... Surprise that I've been preparing."
Twilight had Moondancer's interest as the two of them went over to the west wing of the castle. They went to the 3rd door down, and Twilight opened the set of double doors and stepped aside, ushering her marefriend inside.
Moondancer stared in awe as she stepped into the library. The room was a tad larger than the study atop Frosthay Spire. Two half-circle bookshelves stood six shelves tall on both sides of the inner circle, separating the center of the room from the outer walls, which held more bookshelves. In the rear center was a polished oak desk. Enchanted torches lit as they sensed Moondancer's motion as she made her way to the center of the room.
"You did this all in a week? This room was nearly empty when you showed it to me on your tour."
"Yeah. I got to work right after I sent the construction team out. It was kind of a double edged sword."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, I wanted to fix the damage to the door, and then I figured that you deserve better than that. Going into an apprenticeship... You'd never have time to fix the place up, but really... I figured if it was renovated, it'd be easier to sell or rent out. I... I was wondering if you'd like to move in with me. When I heard you had been accepted into the apprenticeship, I brought in everything I could think of that a apprentice healer would need for her studies."
Moondancer felt a lump begin to form in her throat.
"You did this... For me?" She asked, looking around the room again.
Twilight came up next to her as she continued to take the impressive room in.
"Moondancer, I can't make up for forgetting about you in Canterlot for years with one party, a few dates, or even a night together closer than I've ever been with anypony else. But if I can give you a home, and a place to develop your magic and hone your chosen discipline, well, I think I may finally be able to call us even."
Moondancer turned to Twilight, and the waterworks had already started. Sniffling, she threw her front hooves around the Princess.
"Yes, yes absolutely. I'd love to move in here with you. This is so much more than I could have ever asked for."
Twilight returned the hug, and they parted, Moondancer wiping the tears from her eyes, before hearing her stomach groan in protest.
"I guess that snack on the train wore off already."
"Spike already had dinner started, but I'll tell him to up the portions since we're eating for three now. I'll come get you when it's ready. Make yourself at home!"
After a kiss on the cheek, Twilight departed to return to the kitchen, leaving Moondancer in her new study. She strolled across the stone and marble floor to the desk. It was brand new, or at least looked like it. She could see herself in the polished wood. The phoenix symbolizing the School of Restoration had been engraved in the oak, and then finished and polished over. Browsing the shelves, she found nearly every possible reference a healer could want, and looked forward to augmenting them with her own in the years to come.
It was't just her apprenticeship either. Strengthening her bond with Twilight would be an exciting adventure all it's own. What would come next? Proposing? Marriage?
One thing was for sure; she wouldn't let it pass her by. She would make each day count.
Together, with the Princess of Friendship, anything was possible.
