"Quickly, Spike!"
For how demanding her voice carried weight, Twilight Sparkle's due diligence in a time of celebration still kept a hint of urgency; urgency that was forcibly soft to the ears. Not an uttering left in her boundless vocabulary were those two words that Spike had been listening to the entire day.
"Relax, Twily. Everything's going to be perfect! Don't worry about the small stuff." Cadance walked in from behind, finding Twilight's anxiety insatiably humorous to her own imagination. "You're acting like you used to as a filly."
"Yeah, I mean, this place is already decked out. Have you even seen the outside yet?" Spike's knees almost buckled as the box of decorations landed with an earth-shattering thud.
"Eeeek! No, not yet! But I'm so excited for all of us to see it together!" She contentedly clacked her hooves together. It was the night of Hearth's Warming Eve and the land of Equestria remained at peace. Such a time that the best in everyone came out to celebrate the bringing about of the land and country. Wrought from the earthy ground for its beauty and coursing potential to all who would come to settle the land. A place of equal promise and a life under the seraphic oligarchy of four kindred alicorns within one firmament.
The mute halls of Twilight's castle were formally hung with festive linens and energetic warmth, wrapped up in various colors of tied ornate bows. Strings of lights stuck on time loops, freshly coiled wreaths of snowberry and garlands of violets and imported lavender. If the smell was not intoxicating enough, the delectable scent of a banquet stewing surely sealed the deal.
"Just a few more things and I can rest easy, ok Spike?" Twilight beamed with joy under the watchful eye of her sister-in-law who rolled her eyes with endearment.
"We're opening presents tonight, l-like always?"
"Of course! It's a family tradition. We've just got to wait for everyone else to arrive first. The princesses said they'll be here shortly and the rest of the family should take a few more hours. The ice on the rails delayed the trains a little."
"I know. Long as I get some time to rest after all these days of decorating." Spike saw the box flaps open as a few of the contents flew out and pinned themselves on various places within the lofty space.
"Here Spike," Cadance put a flawless and gleaming gemstone shaped like a star in his claws. He eyed the monstrous jewel and immediately began to slaver over the yellow and blue brilliance. "Put it on top of-"
A loud crack and a crunch assaulted their folded ears, wresting their attention to the delighted mouthful of splintered gemstone.
"Spike!" Twilight and Cadance phrased in just the right tone.
"Wha?" He continued to munch. The star-shaped stone had a giant bite taken out of it, lined with clear but jagged teeth marks.
"That was for the tree!"
"Oh... I thought you were giving me an early present." Spike brushed the stone and sheepishly held it out, still giving into the selfish delights of emotion. "Eheh-hehe. Sorry?"
Cadance broke out into a fit of giggles, spreading like an infection to Twilight and soon Spike. He was lifted up and placed the broken star on top of the tree brimming with gifts at its base. The trio stepped back to take in the fruits of their labor.
"I'm so glad that everyone's getting together for the holidays. It's been too long since we've all came together in one place. And I'm so glad that we get to do it in my castle. I don't have to travel anywhere, Tehehe."
"Yeah, you even managed to butter up Celestia and Luna to come too. They're either too busy or celebrating in their own way at home." Cadance smirked once more at the now lopsided star. Twilight focused her magic on the brown box and teleported it away to some other place in the castle.
"Well, I don't exactly know how I did it, either... Eh, oh well. They're coming and that's that. Also, is Shining Armor coming with my parents or is he taking a separate train?" Twilight's voice was heavy with want.
"Oh, no. He should be riding with everyone else. Then again, anything can happen, huh? Don't worry, I think Flurry Heart can't wait to see her auntie again."
"And I can't wait to see my little niece... You really need to stop her from growing anymore, Cadance."
"I know, she's growing up too fast!"
"Uh, Twilight?" Spike's voice rose through their long overdue chatter. "Imma' go check up on the food, see how it's doing."
"Alright. Thanks, Spike." She turned her back for only a second before the sound of Spike's eager claws tinkled against the stone floor. "I trust you won't eat everything?"
"Oh, I might have a taste here and there. How else will I know it's done?"
"Heh, alright, just go. Silly little dragon, you're lucky I love you so much."
"I'm practically your little brother."
"Well, of course you are! I did hatch you when I was just a filly... Hurry along, Spike. Go taste your food like you wanted."
"Ok!" Spike's voice slowly dimmed, as did his tapping claws. Twilight gently snorted with a soft smile. She felt the gentle caress of Cadance's hoof on her neck. What started out as a kind pat soon turned into a full-on hug around her body.
"Ever think about actually settling down with someone?" Cadance's simple musing weighed heavy on Twilight's mind. She bobbed her head back and forth, not exactly set on a clear path or sense of direction for that matter.
"Haha! What kind of question is that, Cadance?"
"Oh, I don't know. It's just one of those questions, you know?"
"I have, but I'm more enthused by my studies and books than to settle down... not just yet. Don't get me wrong, I like Flurry Heart and the thought of having a child. But it's just that: a simple, harmless thought."
"And that's completely fine, Twilight. There are plenty of ponies out there that have the same mindset. Although their passion probably isn't studying, reading books, and being a princess all at once." Cadance let Twilight out of her clutches and sat down on the opulent couch together.
"Geez, I'm so glad you and my brother got together though."
"O-Oh? Why's that?"
"Because he can be awkward around mares, not to mention protective."
"Are you calling my husband and your brother a weirdo, Twily?" Cadance prodded and poked Twilight's sides playfully.
"Hahaha, yes."
"Yeah... I can see why you say that. And maybe that's just an added feature. I like his awkwardness." She curled her wings once she dived back into the couch. All pride and revelry in the actions that followed Cadance proved how close the two mares were. And now, after all of their demands in their roles as princesses and rulers were fulfilled, they finally had a night to get even better acquainted. They sat back and enjoyed themselves only in the present. The future and past did not matter.
"So-" Twilight peeked over, getting even more comfortable than before. "-what's my sister-in-law up to in The Crystal Empire?"
"Oh, you know. The duties that were bestowed upon me... A lot of duties."
"Same old stuff? Paperwork and visitations of the sort, I assume."
"Yeah... I really need to find a scribe or someone I can trust. One who's actually good and quick at their job."
"Me too. I only have Spike and Starlight to help me with the work I get, but I try not to involve them too much. I mean, it isn't their job to do those things. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's not as bad as your work or, especially in this case, Princess Celestia's."
"Oh! Where is Starlight, anyway?"
"She's spending the holidays at her old village. She really hit things off when she returned there a few months back. At least everyone has something to do on a day and night so magical... Sorry, what were we talking about? Paperwork?"
"Ooh yeah! Celestia is very stubborn about her paperwork. She has to look it over herself before it gets passed through the scribes. Maybe you can talk her into hiring us some of her scriveners? You seem to have more pull with Celestia when it comes to talking her into things."
"Keh-he, I think she felt more obligated when I played coy with her. And now that you mention it, I remember fondly as a filly watching her pass inspection on stacks and stacks of paper." Twilight felt so deceitful and fake when she actually did go up to Princess Celestia and talk to her about coming over. But she found it delightfully fun to do so.
"Guilt-tripping a princess? Doth—thou, have no modesty?" Cadance grinned and scratched the back of her neck.
"That was terrible. Wait... Were you mocking Princess Luna?" Twilight slyly questioned Cadance, but she was nowhere near afraid to tell the wholehearted truth.
"Yes."
"Heh, why?"
"Oh my goodness, have you never seen her get angry, Twilight? Haha! It is absolutely hilarious!" Any ounce of Cadance's modesty was chucked out of a thirty-story building.
"What's so funny about it?"
"She yells so formally and sometimes mixes Old Ponish into her sentences. She'll just start spouting off like an old Canterlotian fancy who's been mocked by someone. I have to leave every time she goes off on a rant because I can barely cover my muzzle from laughing. Even Celestia giggles about it before coaxing Luna to calm down."
"Wow, that really does sound like something Princess Luna would do... Ha! Haha! I bet she starts cursing up a storm, too."
"Oh yeah, you would not believe how many times she yells-" Cadance quickly glanced at the door, "-I didn't want to cuss in front of Spike, but she yells the word "fuck" religiously. Like, it doesn't even fit into her speech patter when she yells it, sometimes at the top of her lungs."
"I barely know her, but she does seem to be the type that gets angry easily."
"I mean, I love the girl. I'm not making fun of her or anything because we all point out each other's flaws and laugh about them."
Twilight Sparkle furrowed her brows, "do you talk about me?"
"Well, sometimes. But we haven't really started picking on you yet."
"Oh..."
"Don't take it personally, Twilight. You're still adjusting to your role... We'll start making fun of you soon enough, ok?"
"You sound excited about that. Hehe, I don't know if I should be scared or not."
"Oh, it's fun. I've got to start introducing you to some inside jokes we have. But I think that'll have to wait for another day."
"Twilight! Twiiilight!"
"What, Spike?!" She yelled back into the bounding hallways.
"Celestia and Luna are here!"
Naturally, Twilight's eyes looked up at the clock. "Oh, like they said. Right on time."
———
"Are you sure, dear sister?" Princess Luna trooped through immeasurable amounts of snow and glazing ice. "She will be ok, yes?... Gah! I'll have whoever's ass made all of this snow!"
Princess Celestia was not the only one having to be in the same figurative boat. The layers of snow went all the way up to their underbellies in some places. The trail that winded through the countryside was non-existent. Eerily quiet was the frozen landscape, nothing but the crunch of powdery snow and their company. Giant fluffs of snow fell from the sky at an alarming rate, flaking off onto their warm bodies and manes. "Of course. She's faced far worse things than the cold."
"Are you sure? It's going to get really cold tonight. Not saying it isn't already."
"It isn't the first time she's agreed to do this." Celestia gazed up at the brilliant crystal castle as bright as the sun. The lights and the luminous crystals blinked like little firecrackers without the report.
"I—I know... It's just-"
"What is it, Luna?"
"...Nevermind. It's nothing." Their muzzles and necks were covered in long scarves. Reading each other's emotions relied solely on the sharpness of one's ear.
"Alright then. Just a few more steps and we'll be out of the cold."
"Right... Of course." Luna wore her guise given the things expected and to come. But the feeling she felt inside was something she could not ignore for too long. 'Calm down, I'm sure she will be ok.'
"Do you have that bell, Luna?" Celestia gained a foothold on the staircase leading to the castle door and stood above Luna as a blackened figure amidst the light. She overshadowed Luna as a big sister and as her forerunner of kin. Not bound by the laws of their diadems, nor were they enslaved by the roles gifted to them at such a young age when Equestria was leaderless.
"Uh, I should..." She cleared out her saddlebags in a cloud of deep blue magic. Everything that was inside now flittered around her eyes, "where, oh where, did my little bell go? Ah! found you."
"There you go." Celestia snickered, "do you need to borrow my reading glasses, Lulu?"
"Haha, very funny. I am not amused by your childishly snide remarks. So you will have to do better than that, Tia... Or Celie. Whichever offends you the most."
"Oh, I think we'll have plenty of time to make derogatory banter and quips at each other. This is just the beginning... I really hope you don't get frustrated and start spouting off about everything you hate. You may want to check your language."
"I really do that a lot, huh? Hmm, I do wonder where I get all of my cynicism from. But I shall try to refrain from certain actions. Even if it is to prove that your point is false."
"Lulu, just ring the damned bell."
"Heh, ok-ok. I'm already ahead of the game, anyway." Princess Luna firmly inspected the small bronzed bell covered with a thin layer of white and green tarnish. Alien symbols were deeply carved into the cast but not enough to compromise the integrity of the bell. A sound most unexpected from something so small, its venomous knell created a deep brassy trill instead of a lighthearted tinker. And as Luna rang the bell, it reeked of otherworldly magic, falling off its rim in long blackened tendrils. Disingenuous in nature as its beckoner's intent for who it was designed for. Regardless, the sound reverberated but the scene remained inert.
"Did it work? You know I can't-"
"Shh..." Luna quickly silenced Celestia. Closing her eyes to concentrate always seemed to work. Her ears searched for something to move out in the wild, out in the desolate wintery wastes.
'Come on, ring the b-'
'ting-ting—ting-ting...'
'Good girl...' Luna breathed a well-deserved sigh of relief. Being greeted by the resonant bell's silent rattle gave hope to her every time.
"She's here. Send the letter, Celestia."
"Done and done, little sis." Princess Celestia turned the letter into fiery powder and watched it streak across the frostbitten fields. "Come on, let's hurry inside. Twilight's probably dying to see us right about now."
Luna stared over the fields, watching the contrail land near the Everfree Forest in a small thicket of trees. She only managed the feat due to its sheer brightness of red through the thickness of white flakes. She did not want peel her eyes away.
"Luna, hurry up..."
"Sorry, I-I shouldn't worry so much." Luna turned to face Celestia, stepping in her actual hoofprints up the stairs.
"Huh?" Celestia read a note scrawled in magic on the door.
'Please, don't hesitate to come in! I probably wouldn't even hear you knocking.'
"Um... alright then." Her yellow magic pushed the door open. A rush of heat bombarded their bodies as the two princesses quickly shut the door behind themselves.
"Heh, well. Princess Twilight sure does like decorating for Hearth's Warming." Luna's eyes were already starting to sting from all the lights and visual stimulation. Celestia did her a solid and unclothed both Luna and herself, placing their scarves onto a crystal coat rack nearby. "Thanks, sis."
"You're welcome, Luna." Even Celestia found the pretentious display a little much. "You're right about it being awfully bright, hehe. I'm more used to the light show back home. It's more, uh, uniform and spread out."
"My thoughts exactly."
"Ok, maybe Twilight left us directions to where she's at, hmm?"
"Yeah, that also sounds like something she would do. A right and proper neat freak she has always been. Ever since I came back from my imprisonment, that thought seems to stick with me the most."
"Oh, right... I sometimes forget that you two don't exactly know each other very well."
"Yeah, I'm always sheltered away within the castle or in my room polishing up on my cunning."
"Or talking to her..."
"Is that bad, Tia? She's done so much for us."
"What? Of course it's not bad... Eh, look, I'm just saying that you need to focus on other things too. She can handle herself."
"Well, pardon me for my diligent attitude towards someone I worry for. And if I recall, you two used to be inseparable."
"I understand, Luna. And I thank you for being good to her in all. But this can wait later." Celestia motioned Luna's transfixed gaze towards Spike walking around on the balcony above.
"Hello? Spike?"
"Oh, hi Celestia!" Spike noticed Princess Luna starting to peek out from Celestia's towering stature. "A-And Luna."
"Greetings, Spike."
"Where might we find Twilight? Uh, are you eating?" Celestia looked at his stuffed cheeks deliberately. She smirked once he started to smile with gemstone slivers between his teeth.
"Uh... maybe just a little? Eheheh."
"Spike, you'll spoil your appetite."
"I know, but I didn't eat a lot! I swear!"
"It's ok, Spike. I'm just teasing you."
"Ok, well, follow me. I'll go take you to see Twilight and Cadance."
"Ah," Luna raised her muzzle high, "Cadance is here already, I see."
Spike cupped his claws and began shouting down the hall, announcing the arrival of the two mares. Celestia and Luna quickly strode up the steps within the massive hollowed tree, finding Spike waiting for them at the very top of the stairs.
"Right this way, ladies." Spike immediately heard snickering coming from Celestia, then Luna soon after.
"Oh, Gentleman Spike is here to escort us."
"Thanks!... I guess?"
Celestia could already hear Twilight's excitement about everyone coming over. But it was hard to discern if what she was hearing was real or purely left to the mind's eye. Sprites and flashes of images ran rampant inside of her sequestered thoughts, most of when Twilight was just a filly. How she was filled with energy and innocent joy, not to mention her scary aptitude for knowledge.
"Always a quick learner and thinker... she still is."
"Did you say something, sister?"
"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Just reminiscing is all."
"Oh no, don't start yourself down that path, Celestia. You know how emotional you can get once you start delving deeper."
"I know. But I'm only remembering all those years when Twilight was a filly. She'd always be so innocent and, well, cute about it. Don't worry about me either, ok?"
"Ha! The one time I worry about you and you play it off as a pony would with too much pride in her bleeding heart." Luna filled her vitriolic tone with a haughty smile.
"So, when was the last time you read through your dictionary?"
"Yester-oh, you little b-"
"Luna... Watch it." Celestia's voice oozed patronizingly, "I wouldn't want my little sis to blow her top already."
"I'm sure you would not. What a terrible thing of me if I were to return the favor tenfold."
"Um," Spike cocked his little head back towards them, "are you two ok?"
"Oh—N-No, Spike, we're just having some fun teasing each other. We're not actually fighting. I would have won a long time ago if that were the case."
"Is that right?" Celestia stared at Luna for a moment before seeing Twilight and Cadance in the doorway. Strangely, they stayed silent, as if waiting for their conversation to stop. Although Twilight could barely contain herself from springing forward and giving Celestia a heartfelt hug.
"I'm so glad you two could make it!" Twilight dug deeper into Celestia's fur.
"Of course, Twilight. We wouldn't miss something so special." Celestia graciously nuzzled Twilight but she did not let go so easily. "My-my, you're a little clingy today."
"O-Oh! Sorry, hehehe! I don't get to see you as much anymore. I'm just making up for lost time!"
"You're quite alright, Twilight."
"Yeah, I've been holding that in for a while now." Twilight glanced around, all the other princesses of coveted power in their respective grasps now stood as one. She did not care how everyone made it or what they had to do to get to there. Whether it was immoral or selfish, their actions she cared naught. She quickly began to question herself, was she acting out of brazen selfishness for begging everyone to come over? Were her pleas and actions taxing to the ponies and family that had to travel, putting all things aside just for her? Twilight knew there were ponies out there who would be fortunate to have what she had, but she was only one pony. And she knew that all those kinds of problems would never be solved in many lifetimes to come.
"Twilight? I'm going to go check a few things around the castle... Twilight?" Spike waved his claws around Twilight's face. She rapidly blinked and looked down.
"Uh-go ahead, Spike." Twilight processed her thoughts intensely over the repercussions formulating in her imagination. She shook her head lightly, getting the thoughts away for a moment's pass. But another deceptively simple question followed.
"Celestia?"
"Yes, Twilight?"
"I was talking to Cadance about everything you three do together. That you share playful banter and joke around to keep things from being dull. And, I was wondering what else you know that you haven't told me?" And at that exact moment, Twilight's ears flickered to the all too familiar noise, loathing every solemn warble. Her cutie mark began to pulse. And a pit formed in her stomach without effort.
'Oh no! Why is my cutie mark doing this right now?!' Twilight's eyes darted every which way before firmly settling on the open door. "Will you excuse me for a few minutes?"
"Uh, well, of course, Twilight. Is something wrong?" Celestia gawked at Twilight strangely, especially at her cutie mark.
"No! Nonono, everything's fine! You just keep chatting. There's tea and wine on the table if you want-" She netted a hangdog look on her face. "-I'll be right back."
Twilight entered the silent hallways, making sure no one was around. She opened her wings and immediately darted down the corridor. The door to the throne room was open, and a sharp figure blurred from beyond the glass.