Celestia hummed a happy tune to herself while she held the pieces of bread in her magic. She placed the slices on the plate and picked up some daisies from a grey, stone bowl that was placed next to her. The clattering of knives striking cutting boards filled the room as the chefs in the kitchen went about their work. Comradely chattering bubbled up from the assortment of kitchen workers. A hiss of water surged from the faucet and the clinking of plates sounded from behind her. Celestia ignored them all, liberally sprinkling the flowers on the slices.
She put the two slices of bread together, laid the sandwich aside in a brown, woven picnic basket. A rather heavyset, brown stallion with a white apron on rushed past her and grabbed a bunch of apricots from an orange bowl that was on the same counter that the Princess was working at. From behind her, what sounded like little more than a filly cursed and her sensitive ears twitched at the sound of a plate falling and displacing the air.
There was no sound of a plate shattering. Celestia glanced behind herself. The poor dear-a completely pink Pegasus who was wearing yellow ribbons and pigtails of all things-looked like she thought she was going to get yelled at for a mere accident. From the way the gruff, brown stallion was glaring at her Celestia wouldn't have been surprised if he hadn't done exactly that.
She stopped him with a look. The stallion started and then busied himself with slicing up apricots. The incessant tapping of his knife joined with the other noises in the room. Trembling slightly, the filly (for she truly was a filly-probably an adolescent apprentice to one of the maids) returned to her tasks and put up the plate.
Celestia opened the cabinet door above her and pulled out a white bowl full of gems which had been set aside for visiting dragon dignitaries. She browsed through the gems, the golden light of her horn shifting the multicolored stones. Her remembrances told her that Spike liked amethysts. She wasn't sure if his tastes had changed over the years so she selected some amethysts and tossed them into the basket next to Twilight's sandwich.
That done, she raised two more slices of bread in the air, set them on the counter and sprinkled them with the yellow heads of dandelions-her favorite flower and not just because they were the same color as her sun, regardless of what Luna had to say on the matter.
Now, it was time to make dessert. She unconsciously licked her lips and then gathered up sugar, cornstarch, salt, ground cinnamon and butter. She tossed every ingredient except the blueberries into the bowl, and picked up one of those automatic mixers. It came to life with a press of the button, whirring around, vivified by electromagical forces. Luna had thought it possessed when she'd first encountered it and even she was astounded by it. Her Ponies were so clever at times. She plunged the device into the mix and it stirred it until all the ingredients were blended together. Once she was satisfied that everything was good she sprinkled them over the blueberries in the pan.
She could have put them in the oven, but there was something about infusing this with a personal touch so she lit up her horn, concentrated her power at the tip and sent the slightest burst. Everypony jumped at the sizzling hiss of her magic inundating the pie. The golden light bathed the pastry, transforming it into a golden brown. Within a few minutes it was done. When she dug into into it with a knife, gusts of steam wafted from it, carrying with it the sweet scent of blueberries and sugar.
It was perfect so it joined the sandwiches and the gems. She stretched out her limbs and trotted out of the kitchen with the picnic basket placed on her withers before pausing and trotting back into the kitchen. Several cooks looked up at her approach. The teenager had moved on to putting the dishes back into the cabinet and jumped when Celestia tapped her shoulder.
"Is something wrong Your Highness?" She held a plate between them.
Celestia held back a sigh. "What's your name, Dear?"
"My name is Sugar Heart."
Of course it is. You are so cute I could just eat you up! She looked at the head cook, the one that had been glaring at her.
Sugar Heart held the plate tighter. "I'm really sorry about nearly dropping the plate!"
Upon a closer inspection, Celestia realized that the filly was an at least nineteen year old mare who had held onto some of the physical features of fillyhood. Her attitude did little to convince one that she was not a kindergartner that had somehow wandered into the castle from a school field trip.
Or maybe I'm just old. Grown senators are going to start looking like foals. Doesn't help that they ACT like foals. "Listen, Sugar Heart. Accidents happen. There's no need to be too stressed about them. Understand?"
Sugar Heart nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
She motioned again to the head cook. "And if Mr. Wooden Spoon starts being mean, you come right to me, understand?" She asked this fully aware that she sounded more like a mother than a princess. Refrain from hugging her, you'll give the poor dear a heart attack.
Sugar Heart put aside the plate, setting it atop the stack in the cabinet before she closed the door. "Mr. Wooden Spoon isn't that bad. He's just very, um, grumpy."
The stallion in question grunted. "I can hear you two, ya know. I wouldn't be so grumpy, Your Highness, if this one didn't break so many things."
Sugar Heart shuffled her hoof. "I wouldn't be so clumsy if he didn't make me so nervous."
Celestia cleared her throat. "Fear has no place in my palace. Mr. Wooden Spoon, we've talked before about your leadership style. You shout too much, even for minor offenses and mishaps. That's not how Ponies-or any sapient-learns."
Sugar Heart looked down at the stone floor. "Th-there's no need to get angry on my account."
"I'm not getting angry little one...I mean, Miss Heart. I am only saying that you are free to complain to me if you have a grievance or even if you just need to talk."
"Yes, Your Highness." She bowed. Celestia couldn't resist patting her on the shoulder.
...
Twilight was surrounded by books scattered all around the floor. The books had been in boxes, but she had never found boxes to be particularly helpful to the sorting and organizational process. She needed to see the books, feel them, maybe read them for a bit. There was a reason the library was closed indefinitely on re-shelving day. The new books had arrived today. Spike had taken the children's book section and was quickly and efficiently settling the books in their proper location.
Twilight sneaked a peek at the newest Daring Do book and when she looked up, the minute hand on the clock had moved significantly. Spike had plopped down and was flipping through a copy of the Ronaldo the Noble Dragon series. She slid the Daring Do book on the shelf, sighing and wondering if she could claim librarian's privilege and keep it for herself.
But that wouldn't be right and Dash might cry. Nopony wanted to either see or hear that. Especially if Fluttershy wasn't around to calm her down. She lifted all the books in her field, spinning them around, carefully scanning each title. Spike came to the end of his book, hopped up and placed the Noble Dragon book with the rest of the series.
Twilight turned her attention to the science section which was looking rather bare. Farmers were scientists, first and foremost, who needed to know a lot about biology, botany, animal behavior and meteorology. Pinkie Pie had checked out her book on etymology (which she apparently had a degree in, who knew?), Applejack had checked out her botany book, Carrot Top had checked out the book on biology and thus the section had been slowly diminished to its current state.
She wiped away a layer of dust, which made Spike look a bit sheepish. The science books in her field were separated into one, floating clump of literary tomes while the rest of the books were gently set on the floor which Spike attended to. Holding the books in her field while simultaneously sliding them onto the shelf took a great deal of concentration.
The tapping of a claw poking her thigh brought her out of her trance yet she maintained her hold on the books. "Twilight? There's somepony at the door."
Twilight slid the last few books into their proper places, smiling at how full the shelf now looked. A full bookshelf always looked so happy. After a few moments of appreciating her work, she looked over to Spike. "Is it one of the guards, you think? Or did we forget to put the closed sign on?"
Spike waddled over to the door, hopped on a window ledge, peeked out the window. A pink princess waved to him and he jumped off his makeshift perch. "It's Cadence!"
Twilight didn't need any further encouragement to bounce over to the door and fling it open. "Cadence!"
"Twilight!" Cadence swept her former charge into a big hug. Twilight hugged her back and then they parted to do their greeting dance. They bumped their bums together and fell on their side, giggling. Twilight recovered first and stood up. "So, what brings you to my library? Just visiting?" Her eyes widened. "It's not an emergency is it?"
Cadence pressed a hoof to Twilight's chest. "No, it's no emergency. I just wanted to talk." She looked around. "Book re-shelving? You mind if I help?"
Twilight shrugged. "The more the merrier."
They both lit their horns and picked up separate stacks of books. Cadence glanced at them. They were mostly fiction and she looked around, trying to figure out exactly where to put them. Twilight slid all of her books on a barren shelf in an orderly row then directed Cadence to slide all of the books she held on the shelf below where Twilight had put hers. "So, something on your mind?"
Cadence floated up a hardcover encyclopedia, set it next to the other encyclopedias. "How do you know something's wrong, Ladybug?"
Twilight raised a pile of softcover mysteries, slid them in place on a shelf to the far right wall. "Do you see my fantasy novels?"
Cadence's pink magic sifted through the rapidly diminishing pile of books, located them and separated them from the rest. Twilight took them in her own magic and put them on the right shelf. "Something's wrong."
"Maybe I just wanted to stop by?"
Twilight shook her head. "I read a very interesting book on Pegasus wings and emotions. Each movement of a Pegasus' wings reveals something about their emotional state."
Cadence cocked her head and glanced back at her wings. "Huh. Thought I had more control over that."
Twilight frowned. "It's not Shining, is it?"
"No, no it isn't."
"So, it's something." Twilight put down the pile of books. "Let's take a break. We can talk."
"Sure?"
"Friends are more important than books." She sat down on the couch. "Do you want some tea?"
"Sure."
"Good, because Spike always makes tea for guests. I don't know why. He just got into his scaly head somehow. Not a bad thing."
Spike hurried back into the living room with a silver tray on which was a white teapot and three white teacups. He placed it on the table and hopped up on the foreleg rest after grabbing a teacup for himself (though his preferred beverage was root beer.)
Twilight sipped some of the expertly brewed green tea. "So, spill."
Cadence gave a wistful smile. "This is familiar, but last time you were smaller and I was asking that."
Twilight swallowed her tea. "I learned from the best, ya know."
"Thank you." Cadence settled into the couch cushions. A few moments passed by in companionable silence. It was Cadence who first broke the moment. "Have you ever heard of sympathy for Tirek?"
Twilight rubbed her chin. "The sci-fi novel or the concept?"
"The concept."
Twilight lifted the teacup to her lips, wisps of steam tickling her muzzle. "I've heard of it. Tirek's story was quite sad-a prince banished from his kingdom because he fell in love with a commoner who later betrayed him. The bitterness in his soul corrupted him."
"It is a sad story."
"So, the idea came to include those who felt sympathy for legendary or historical villains. Why do you ask?"
Cadence shifted, fluttering her wings slightly before returning them to her sides. "I'm the avatar of Love in this reality. Hatred is...hatred is damned near impossible for me."
Twilight listened, nodding for her to continue.
"I hated Sombra because he was devoid of love." She shuddered. "I felt his...unsoul? I can't describe it. Hatred like that can cause me physical pain. I don't like feeling it. I hate Chrysalis too. I was prepared to kill her at the wedding. Snap her neck with my wings."
Twilight smirked. "But watching her fly out the window was so much more fun."
Cadence couldn't help but giggle at the image. "Granted."
Twilight's magic returned the teacup to the silver platter. "So, what does Chrysalis have to do with this?"
Cadence paused, placed her teacup back on the table. "When me and Auntie went to the Roof of the World..."
Twilight reached out her hoof, pressed it against Cadence's chest. "What?"
"I learned something. About Auntie. About Chrysalis. I just don't know if I should share it."
"Do you think Celestia wouldn't want you to share it?"
Cadence studiously avoided Twilight's gaze. "I'm not sure she would."
Spike rolled his eyes. "Why did you come all the way here to tell us if you aren't going to tell us?"
Twilight shot a look at her assistant. "Spike, why don't you go dust?"
Spike guzzled his root beer. "Done that."
"Dishes?"
"Yep. Books still need to be stacked."
Twilight floated over her coin purse. "Here's an advance on your paycheck."
Spike greedily transferred the offered gold to his claws and hopped off the couch.
"Be back in an hour!" She called after him. "Also, the next issue of X-Mares just came out!"
Spike zoomed out the door. Twilight giggled. "That'll give us some time."
Cadence raised an eyebrow. "You offer him money every time he annoys you?"
Twilight stopped with the glass raised halfway to her lips as realization struck her. "Huh."
"Bribes always backfire."
Twilight took a sip. "So, what did you want to tell me? Something about Chrysalis?"
Cadence sat up straighter. "What if I told you Chrysalis and Celestia used to be friends?"
Twilight's ears twitched. She thought about Celestia. She was like the sun itself-warm, kind, giving warmth to everyone without regards to who they were. The name Chrysalis conjured an image of a dark warrior queen-dark not just in color, but deeply in her dark heart.
A deceiver.
A cruel conqueror who had hurt her brother (she would never know how much she had hurt him, but she suspected horrible things), who had captured a mare who was her sister in every way but blood. An evil creature who had turned her friends against her.
A thing who had left scars that had yet to fully heal, who had overthrown the nation she loved, her very city, the place of her birth, who had wounded her family and her friends.
The teacup held in her magic cracked. "Did Chrysalis hurt Celestia?"
"Twilight. Breathe."
Cadence guided her former charge in a breathing exercise, both extending their forelegs. "Good. Calm?"
"Yeah. Don't worry, I haven't surged in years."
"Great. If you ever need a meditation session we can schedule one."
Twilight concentrated, repairing the crack on the teacup. "Next Saturday work?"
"How about three o'clock?"
"Sure."
"Great."
Twilight's magic seeped into the crack that marred the teacup. Within seconds it had vanished. "So, did she?"
"You look ready to march into the Hive and murder her if I said yes."
Twilight didn't respond to that. She only stared into the diminishing brown liquid in her cup. She lifted the pot and poured some more. Cadence hoofed her cup over and Twilight filled it too.
"I know where the Hive is. I wouldn't go in alone. Shining gave me a book on Changeling warfare. I'd be in and out within three hours. My strategy has a thirty-three percent chance of success, a forty percent chance of partial success in that I would be able to set off the magibomb which would ensure Chrysalis's untimely demise." Twilight's tone of voice was chillingly calm. "I would then be captured and killed. As would my friends. Not worth it."
"Revenge is never worth it. No, Chrysalis didn't intentionally hurt Celestia."
"Define intentionally."
"When we are at the Roof of the World, I felt evil." She shuddered. "It was just pure evil. Worse than Sombra. I had visions of a race that had lived on this plane before our first ancestors had come into being. They destroyed themselves, Twilight, by twisting the energy of creation."
Twilight felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "They have relics in the Everfree Forest. You can feel the lingering presence."
"So, you know what I'm talking about. That evil, it's alive. I felt that corrupting magic infiltrating my mind. It felt just as evil as Sombra."
Twilight adjusted herself on the couch. "I'm confused. What does this all have to do with Chrysalis?"
Cadence took a rattling breath, brought the rustling of her wings under control. "I don't know why, but Auntie, Luna and Chrysalis all traveled to the Roof of the World together. All three were infected by its evil. Auntie gave into despair, Luna into envy, Chrysalis into lust."
Twilight went silent for a long time, digesting this new information. "So, you're saying Chrysalis was corrupted? A victim of evil? She was once...she was once Celestia's friend?"
She closed her eyes and randomly picked one of her friends-Rarity for some reason-and imagined witnessing her fall to darkness. Tears pricked at her eyelids. "I can't even imagine how much that must have hurt her."
"I can't either. I get the feeling they had been close at one time."
Twilight drained the last of her tea. "Do you think she could ever be purified? Luna was."
Cadence sighed. "I don't know. What would you do, strap her to a chair and blast her with the Elements?"
"I'd do it for Celestia if I thought it'd make her happy. But capturing Chrysalis would be next to impossible."
Cadence floated her now empty teacup onto the platter before lifting the pot and filling her cup. "She looked so sad, but at that age I guess you just learn to deal with things."
Twilight hid a grin behind her cup which she levitated in front of her lips. "Maybe I'll just invite her to our wedding."
Cadence's jaw dropped. "Wedding?"
Twilight held her teacup in her magic while Cadence swept her up in her wings, actually twirling her around like she was a little filly again. Laughter bubbled up from Twilight's lips as she held onto Cadence's neck. When Cadence finally released her, she took a few seconds to catch her breath. "Glad you're happy for me!"
"You have no idea!" She flapped her wings in excited, little bursts. "I've wanted Celestia to find her special somepony for so long and she found you-which is fantastic-and you two getting married is wonderful!" The Princess of Love clapped her hooves. "Just wait till I tell Shining! Have you told your parents?"
"Not yet. We're going to tell Spike today."
Both settled back down on the cushions, Cadence practically bouncing in her seat. "So, where are you going to live? Are you moving back to Canterlot?"
"We're going to live in the old castle so we can both be close to the places we love. She's thinking about rebuilding the old city."
Cadence nodded. "Good compromise. Wait, Auntie's moving the location of the capital? That's huge."
Twilight nonchalantly blew away some steam that curled up from her drink. "It is and it's going to tick off the old nobility, but I don't care about that."
"You've grown, Ladybug."
"You're right, I have." She lowered her cup, revealing her broad smile." "It's because of her. Ever since we've started dating I've felt more confident."
"Love buoys up the spirit."
"She goes out of her way to make me feel special. My self-doubt isn't all gone, but there's less everyday."
Cadence patted her cheek. "You two are good for each other. Will you let me perform the wedding?"
"If you do that, how will you be my best mare?"
The resulting squee could probably have been heard in Canterlot.
...
The broad-leafed oak towered over the grassy hill, shrouding it in shadow. The knotted roots of the tree ripped out of the earth, looking like veins as they crisscrossed the land. An Alicorn, a Unicorn and a baby dragon were sheltered beneath its branches.
A picnic blanket was beneath them, between two roots. Spike chomped on an amethyst and rested beneath Celestia's wing. Twilight gobbled down a daisy sandwich with her usual enthusiasm. Celestia took more delicate bites of her own sandwich. "You look so cute with your cheeks bulging out. Like a chipmunk."
Twilight blushed. "I do not."
Celestia tickled her side with a feather. "Do too."
Twilight jumped and snorted, her lips twitching upward. "You look just as cute when your mouth is stuffed with cake."
"Oh, I know."
Spike swallowed the last bit of his amethyst. "So, why did you ask me along?"
Twilight draped a foreleg over him. "As you know, me and Celestia are in love."
"I've noticed."
"So, we've decided to cement our relationship and get married."
Spike perked up. "Hey, that's cool." He frowned. "Does that mean we're moving back to Canterlot?"
Celestia shook her head. "Actually, I've ordered the rebuilding of the old castle and the old city. I'd like to tour it today in fact."
Spike stretched out from his seated position. "So, living with you two again. Just like old times. It won't just be us, will it? N-not that I'd be scared, but I bet an empty castle could get lonely."
"I've already reached out to overcrowded cities which might be interested in a new settlement program. The first wave of settlers will come within a month."
Spike cast a glance at the looming Everfree Forest. Memories of fire and fang reopened old wounds. His teeth started chattering.
"Spike? Hey, what's wrong?"
The caress from Twilight's hoof brought him back to the present. "There's a mean dragon that lives in a cave in the Everfree. He doesn't like me."
"Oh, you told me about him.. He's the one who who attacked you when you ran away."
Celestia narrowed her eyes. "Windfang. A k'rish'tar-a dishonored one exiled from Dragon society. A sane dragon would not attack a whelp. Nor would he approach our city due to his distaste for Ponies. He's lived in Equestria for centuries and never interacted with Ponies."
Spike gulped. "Alright. Cool."
Celestia nudged him with a wing. "So, did you want to take the tour of the city with us?"
Spike hopped up, puffed out his chest. "Of course! I've gotta protect you two from the big, scary dragon!"
Twilight bit her lip to keep from giggling. "Oh, I'm sure we'll feel very safe with you."
Celestia stood and patted his back with a wing. "Come along then, Sir Spike."
Twilight strode up next to him. "There's something else. We've discussed it and well, we'd like to adopt you."
Spike paused, then shrugged. "But you already hatched me, raised me and been with me every day."
"We'd just like to make it official."
Spike tried to shrug, but she could see the smile spreading across his face. "Alright. That's cool...Mommy." He hadn't said it since he was a hatchling and realized she was a Unicorn and he was a Dragon and she'd tried to pretend that hadn't broken her heart, but she felt a familiar warmth spreading in her chest. She pulled him into a quick hug which he returned and then let him go before he got embarrassed.
Side by side, the family walked into the forest which they would soon call home.