//------------------------------// // 8: Mystics, Movies and Memories // Story: The Lawyer and The Unicorn (T-Rated Version) // by Firesight //------------------------------// Phoenix and Twilight felt like they were all but floating. Neither stayed awake for long after making love for the first time, falling asleep in each other’s arms, their expressions blissful, their spirits soaring. It was nearly midnight before the pair stirred again, Phoenix awakening his Equestrian lover with another kiss to her neck. “Mmmmph… Phoenix…” she called sleepily to him but immediately tilted her head down up to kiss him where he was still snuggled up to her, using the means they’d figured out worked best by then for their slightly mismatched human and pony features—pressing cheek to cheek and then rolling their faces forward until their lips met. As much as they wanted to stay where they were, their stomachs were growling after their missed meal and Phoenix in particular felt quite thirsty. So they got up, cleaned up, and sat down for their long-delayed dinner. The take-out was cold, but Twilight heated it back up to steaming with a simple flare of her horn and they dug in, eating ravenously, leaving Phoenix marveling how much energy they’d both burned off in such a short time. After eating, they stayed in bed through the night and well into the morning, sleep interspersed with several more lovemaking sessions, leaving both spent but happy. Nevertheless, morning came, and Phoenix was stunned when he glanced at his nightstand clock and saw how late it was, telling Twilight they had to get moving. “Aw… sure I can’t entice you for another round?” she suggested silkily, tugging at him with her aura. He couldn’t help but laugh at that. Give her a taste, and now she’s insatiable—and hell, so am I! he marveled, wondering again if her magic had something to do with their enjoyment and his newly discovered stamina. “I’d love to. But… it’s nearly noon, and we do need to get going if we’re going to catch the 3 o’clock train to Kurain,” he told her apologetically, not wanting their time together to end any more than she did. “We need to eat and stop by the office. We can certainly get cleaned up first, though… want to shower together?” he asked hopefully. “Love to,” she told him, craning her long neck to kiss him before following him to his bathroom. * * * * * Before going to the train station where they would meet up with Celestia, Phoenix stopped by his office to pick up a few things. Twilight accompanied him, though she remained in the main room while he gathered some papers and his dress jacket, deciding he should look his best if they were meeting the Sun Princess again. As she looked around, she noticed a scroll sitting by the dragonfire candle, which was still lit. “Huh, guess we got a letter while we were out and about,” she mused as Phoenix emerged from his office. “Oh? Who’s it from?” the lawyer asked, pulling on his royal blue jacket while Twilight unfurled the scroll. When no answer came after a few seconds, he looked at her. “Twilight?” “Phoenix…” she looked stunned as she repeatedly read the letter. “They know!” “Know? Know what?” “My friends! They… they… know about what we did last night!” her hands shook as she read further and then held the scroll out to him. “What?” Phoenix snatched the offered letter scroll out of her hand and scanned it. It was penned by all five of her friends and Spike, each doing a different section in markedly different writing styles, from Rarity’s elegant cursive to big block letters from Applejack and incredibly messy scrawl from Rainbow Dash. To his disbelief, the events of the previous night was all there in Pinkie’s opening description—it listed every single act they’d done! “But… how…?” he staggered back against his desk. “Pinkie Pie…” Twilight said as if that explained everything, blushing and rubbing a hand behind her head—and somehow, to Phoenix, it did. Well, I guess there IS a Pinkie sense for everything… was all she could think, uncomfortable with the idea that her friend could even spy on her most private moments as she read it along with Phoenix, feeling increasingly faint. The commentary was explicit and the questions that followed were embarrassingly direct as well, easily enough to make them both blush. Rarity wanted to know all about his ‘exquisite oral technique’, while Applejack complimented him on how well he made love in a manner that suggested she was interested in knowing it for herself. Fluttershy admitted she ‘kind of liked how he used his hands’ in her usual understated manner, which caused Phoenix to have an immediate flashback to stroking her wings—wait! Is she saying she LIKED it when I accidentally felt her up?—while Pinkie Pie was just happy to know that “they had the BESTEST of best times!” but didn’t hesitate to offer a few suggestions of her own of what they might try later, causing their cheeks to go hot anew. Then there was Rainbow Dash, whose messages were short but punctuated with crude pictographs. “Dolphin-style, egghead? Really?” was her first statement, followed immediately by a sour-faced stick figure of a pony. “So you finally laid my lawyer, eh? Took ya long enough! Congrats and thanks for a REAL fun night!” she finished with a crude drawing of what appeared to be her licking an apple, leaving Twilight no idea what she meant. The note ended with a plea from Spike, who had the best script of all of them, though even it looked a little ragged. “TWILIGHT! Please make them STOP! I don’t want to hear about ANY of this!”he all but begged in big text at the bottom of the sheet, making Twilight cringe further. Poor Spike! “So… how do we answer?” Twilight asked him, her face still flushed, suddenly dreading the idea of going home. By Celestia,I’m NEVER going to hear the end of it from ANY of them now! “Uh…” Phoenix was for once at a loss for words. “Well, at least they’re okay with it, right…?”He offered a little wanly, giving his goofy grin even though he was still inwardly reeling. She gave him an annoyed look. “Them, yes. But it may not stop there! I don’t need all of Equestria knowing about this!” she said as she magically plucked up the quill pen made from Fluttershy’s feather off his desk and began to write on the other side of the scroll. Girls, uh… thanks for all the well-wishes, but these questions are just a TAD bit personal, don’t you think? We’re both shocked to hear you know about this, and I’m going to Pinkie-swear all of you not to spread it around—I do NOT want the press or other ponies descending on me again when I get back! We’ll be out of town for the next couple days to visit Maya and Pearly’s village, and we’re not taking the candle with us. So don’t expect a letter tomorrow. And PLEASE don’t pester Spike! He’s a baby dragon and doesn’t need to be hearing all this!!!!! And Pinkie? If there’s any way you can turn off your Pinkie Sense for this, we’d appreciate it! We do NOT need everypony eavesdropping on us! (And yes, I LOVED it! He made love to me as a pony, and it was WONDERFUL! Everything I dreamed of and MORE!) Your friend, —Twilight “Think that’ll do?” Twilight asked uncertainly, showing him the note. Just hope they haven’t already told anypony! If anyone ELSE knew about this, I’d just die… “Mostly…” Phoenix took up the quill pen and added his own note: Seriously, guys—I’m flattered by all the compliments, but I’m NOT going to answer these questions! I promise to take good care of Twilight while she’s here, but our private time is our own!!!! —Phoenix He showed the addendum to Twilight, who nodded uncertainly, then moved the message over the candle flame. “That won’t stop them, you know…” she warned him as the message was consumed in a flare of green dragonfire. “I know…” He rubbed his head, trying to fight off lurid images of Twilight’s friends the questions had sparked, finding them strangely compelling and no longer idle fantasy after having bedded Twilight. Boundaries, Phoenix… let’s not make things even more complicating than they already ARE! he reminded himself sharply as they departed his office, leaving the dragonfire candle behind. Music: Mystical Air Despite distractions, the two grabbed lunch at the Greek diner and then met up with Celestia and her human coltfriend at the train station, making the three o’clock train to Kurain without incident, though Twilight was surprised to see that Celestia averted her eyes and blushed when Phoenix initially greeted her. Spent after a night of lovemaking, Phoenix ended up sleeping most of the way—and so did Celestia and her friend, oddly—while Twilight took in the sights and scenery of the train trip, noting the train car was definitely less pretty and more dirty than the Friendship Express she often took to Canterlot. But the views made up for it, leaving her admiring the rugged but semi-arid California countryside, surprised to see the landscape dotted with towns and vineyards. Lots of grapes grown… do they really have that big a market for grape juice? She couldn’t help but voice the question aloud, not understanding why the other three all exchanged good-natured chuckles. With all the stops, the train ride took two hours, but eventually found a station in a small town, where they hopped a bus that took them the rest of the distance, finally arriving at… It was an indeed a village, and not like any human one Twilight had yet seen as they stepped off and found themselves on what seemed to be a main street, at the center of which stood a large manor and massive rock. The village itself was nestled in a valley overlooked by several mountains, well away from most cities and roads, and the air was quite clear for it, unlike the city in which Phoenix lived. The architecture strongly reminded Twilight of when she’d accompanied Celestia on a state visit to Neighpon, and so did some of the dress as she looked around, noting that oddly, most of the village members appeared to be girls or women—quite unlike the even gender ratios she’d gotten used to in the city. And the air itself seemed alive, somehow. “My student… do you feel that?” A now-awake Celestia asked her, her awareness picking up… not what she would call magic, but a very potent energy in the air all the same. “I do,” Twilight confirmed, trying to categorize it. It seemed somewhat akin to the mystical energy she’d encountered in the magatama, but far more prevalent and powerful, as ubiquitous to the area as magic was to Equestria. Huh. I wonder if I could draw on it the same way I can magic…? she wondered idly, noting that the large, oddly-decorated granite monolith in the center of the town seemed to be a locus of sorts for it. “Nick!” a familiar voice suddenly broke her out of her thoughts. She turned to see… “Maya!” Phoenix replied, going up to greet her. And behind her was… “Pearly!” Twilight called out, a genuine smile on her face as she stepped forward, knelt down and opened her arms. “Give me a hug!” She didn’t have long to wait. “Mystic Twilight!” Pearl leaped happily into her arms. “I’m so glad you could come!” “Couldn’t leave without seeing your home!” Twilight chuckled, holding the human girl tightly for a moment and rubbing cheeks with her. “And I think you know who this is?” she nodded up at Celestia, who was watching the scene with a smile. “Um…” Pearl looked at the tall woman in confusion for a moment. In response, Celestia grinned and her horn glowed briefly, restoring her hair to its usual pastel-hued, flowing state, announcing her identity instantly to the young girl, who broke out into a surprised and joyful grin. “Princess Celestia!” Pearl recognized in no little delight, instantly bringing her hands together and bowing very low. “Welcome to Kurain!” “Thank you. It’s good to see you again, my dear Pearl,” Celestia returned the respectful gesture, returning her hair to its previous blonde color. “Have you been taking care of your cousin and Mister Wright?” “Very much!” she responded eagerly. “I’ve even been practicing my calligraphy! My handwriting is nearly as good as Mister Spike’s now! Would you like to see?” “I would love to,” she grinned, hearing an echo of Twilight’s old eagerness as a filly when she wanted to show the princess something new. She then turned to her left. “Everyone, I would like you to meet Ferro Stabile. He is my… friend and guide while I am here,” she said out of respect for Pearly’s presence, allowing a hint of irony into her voice. “A pleasure to formally meet you, Mister Wright,” the much taller Ferro shook Phoenix’s hand, taking it in a grip of iron. “Your reputation precedes you. I watched one of your trials from the gallery, and I have to say, you were amazing in it. If I ever need a lawyer, I know who to call!” “Oh! Well, thank you…” Phoenix grimaced at his grip, mildly intimidated by his size—he stood six foot nine, two inches taller than Celestia, and possessed a very well-toned but not over-muscled physique, leaving Phoenix wondering how well he’d fare in a hoofwrestling match against Big Macintosh. Or even Applejack! He couldn’t help but think, suddenly wondering idly what she would look like as a human. “Good to meet you too, Miss Sparkle,” he offered his hand to Twilight next. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Tia here. I’m certainly glad to see Mister Wright found himself such a fine filly as you!” he said, his grin broadening. Tia…? Twilight blinked, never having heard anypony use such a familiar address for the princess. “Wait… then you know about where me and…” She asked cautiously as she shook his hand back, grateful he used a gentle grip. “About where you and Ms. Sunshine here came from? Yes, I know everything,” he grinned, resisting an urge to slip an arm around Celestia’s waist—he’d been warned when they got off the train not to do so around Pearly. “She’s even taken me to Equestria a couple times. Blew me away when I first went… like I imagine it did you, Mister Wright.” Especially when she turned me into a pony for the stay… “That it did…” Phoenix said ruefully, rubbing his hand behind his head for a moment. “But I was glad I went for all the new friends I met. I was also happy that—at least in time—I got to share Equestria with my friends, here.” He gave Maya and Pearl’s shoulder a squeeze, the former flinching slightly and the latter grinning and nodding happily. “This is Maya Fey, my assistant, and Pearl, her cousin.” “Good to meet you, Miss Fey,” the tall Ferro gave her a very gentle handshake before turning to Pearl. “Hey there, Pearly!” he got down on a knee and gave her a warm grin as she gave him a wary look back. “I’m Ferro. Celestia’s friend and… helper while she’s here. I promise I’ve been taking good care of her. Mister Wright tells me you enjoy video games and puzzles. Do you have any you really like to play?” “I do!” she nodded eagerly, apparently deciding quickly the big man was okay. “I love Mario Kart! Do you play it?” “I’ve been known to,” he grinned. “Got a daughter your age. She mostly enjoys playing games when I’m there with her, to make things more interesting.” Maya coughed a little. “Well, it’s nice that you all came to visit, and I’m going to make sure your stay is as good as we can make it. But… I do have to ask the two of you to change clothes,” she said, pointing to Twilight and Celestia, who were dressed in simple shorts and blouses with bare arms and lower legs. This drew a blink from the unicorn. “Why would we need to change clothes?” For a moment, Maya looked embarrassed. “Well, Kurain village is very… traditional. We were founded nearly a century ago, coming to America to escape political persecution in our homeland,” she explained as if she giving a guided tour. “We were considered heretics, and our abilities unnatural, so we settled in this valley, which was very isolated at the time, in order to practice and develop our art unhindered. It worked for a while… at least until World War II, when, due to our heavy Japanese ancestry, most of our members were interned at relocation camps. Many left after, and it was nearly the end of our village. We had to drop our strictures against marrying outside our sect, and as a result, fresh blood came in and we began to flourish again,” she went on, Twilight mentally cataloging a slew of new terms and past events she was going to have to look up in her human history books. “But even though we are more open to outsiders now, we still retain some of our original isolation. As such… while here, women are expected to be well-covered like me, and though we do entertain guests, unmarried couples are not allowed to sleep together,” she explained, causing Twilight and Phoenix’s expressions to drop. “I’m sorry. I don’t care, but the village elders do, so…” she gave a measured shrug, though not a very apologetic one to Phoenix. Celestia didn’t blink. “I see. Well, we are your guests, and we would not wish to offend your sensibilities. If you require me to change my attire, then I will,” the sun princess promised. Maya looked relieved, then concerned. “We can certainly find traditional Kurain robes to fit you, Sparkle, but…” she looked at how big Celestia was. “I’m not sure we can for you, your highness.” “Just give me what you can and give me a few minutes alone with it. I’ll make it work,” she promised through closed eyes and a coy grin, by which Maya took it to mean she would modify it with her magic. “Sold!” she said. “Just wait here…” she went into another building, emerging a few a minutes later with a series of robes. Twilight she gave what Phoenix recognized as an acolyte’s uniform, which was in the same design as hers but a different color, which Phoenix knew from previous visits was used by Kurain to denote rank. The all-white outfit she gave to Twilight indicated a beginner, while Celestia she gave the deep purple robes of a Kurain technique master. “The elders might not approve, but you’re certainly far more powerful than any of us, Princess!” she grinned, bowing low. Celestia smiled and bowed back. “The gesture is appreciated, Miss Fey. If you will show us to our room, we will get changed. And Twilight…?” the sun princess turned to her student, who was studying the garment curiously. “We do need to talk.” “So, my student…” Celestia began once the door of the guest quarters had closed behind them, the sun princess surprising Twilight by casting a privacy spell that would soundproof their immediate vicinity. “I take it from his exhaustion and your mutual good moods that you and Phoenix Wright are now… intimate?” she asked mildly, giving her student the barest hint of a smile. Twilight blushed. Never could keep anything from her! “We are, Princess,” she confirmed, before giving her teacher an askance look. “You’re… okay with it, aren’t you?” Celestia gave her a look back that was both amused and mildly reproachful. “Twilight… you would really ask me that after all you’ve already seen and heard from me?” She closed her eyes and grinned. “Be assured I am very happy for you both, especially given my worry that I’d frightened you with my behavior that first night. I might have had a bit much to drink, but please understand my intention. I was trying to show you by example it was okay to have a human lover. That it was okay to enjoy yourself and this world as one,” she said as she magically undressed before Twilight, who blushed but did the same, reflecting she was already picking up some human modesty. “Well, I admit I wasn’t sure about everything at first, especially that first night we were here, but… I think I like this version of you,” she smiled. “It’s real, and it shows. And… I daresay it’s had a bit of an influence on me.” Celestia looked at her student, an eyebrow raised. “Oh?” “Well, yesterday, I, um… took a page from your book, and…” she whispered what happened at the park in Celestia’s ear, and had the pleasure of making the her mentor blush. “I see… it would seem I have taught you quite well, my student…” Celestia chuckled happily, wishing she had been there to see it. “That would explain the magical bursts I sensed. And afterwards…?” she prompted, already knowing the answer. Twilight’s grin got wistful. “And then when he got back, he made love to me as a pony, and… oh Princess, it was wonderful!” she all but danced in place. “He made love to me so many times I lost count!” Celestia grin got broader. “I know.” The tone in her mentor’s voice caught Twilight short. “You… know?” Celestia paused and closed her eyes, smiling as if to savor the moment. “You were broadcasting your pleasure quite strongly, my student. And given our close bond and the fact that I was the only other magic user in the city… I’m afraid I experienced everything you did,” she grinned knowingly. Twilight reeled, the blood abruptly draining from her face. “E… Everything?” she asked in a very small voice. “Everything,” Celestia confirmed, her smile getting broader, delighting in her student’s reaction. “And I must say, I was impressed. You seemed to figure out the mechanics of mating men quite quickly. And I must also say, Twilight, that Phoenix Wright’s lovemaking techniques were superb. He would be more than welcome to do the same to me anytime… though in some ways, he already has,” she teased, thoroughly enjoying herself. Twilight felt herself going faint, wondering if she’d broadcast her pleasure accidentally… or out of subconscious desire for her mentor to know what she was feeling. First my friends, now the Princess… is there anypony who DOESN’T know what we did? “Um… why didn’t you tell me?” she asked weakly. “You could have contacted me telepathically.” “Because, my dear Twilight… I didn’t want to interrupt or spoil such a wonderful experience… for either of us,” she chuckled, tilting her student’s chin up and giving her a kiss on the forehead right where her horn would be. “But sadly… we are going to have to sit down for a magic lesson to ensure it does not happen again. As powerful as your magic is, your broadcasting can be picked up by other ponies and even affect humans who are near enough. And I’m afraid it would simply not do to cause sudden outbreaks of sex for those in range of your aura,” she said with the slightly sardonic tone of somepony it had already happened to. Twilight suddenly wished she was able to cast an invisibility spell. “Um… I’m… sorry…?” “Don’t be,” Celestia all but cooed in Twilight’s ear, her tone and closeness making Twilight blush anew. “I was very gratified to share such a wonderful experience with you. And even more than that, you reminded me of what it was to be pleasured as a pony. It had been a quite a long time since I had… until last night, that is.” She winked at her student again, making Twilight’s blush deepen. “I think I wore out poor Ferro, though. I suppose it’s just as well we’re sleeping apart tonight,” she conceded with a wry grin, pulling the Kurain robes on over her head. Twilight’s blush deepened even more. “Well, um… should we do the lesson now?” Celestia laughed as let her magic go to work on the garment, tailoring it to fit her, leaving Twilight wondering when she’d ever learned such spells. “It will take more than a few minutes in a hotel room, I’m afraid… several hours at least. But as long as we do it before you are intimate as a pony again, there shouldn’t be a problem,” the sun princess promised her student. “Just like me, your magic is much more muted as a human, so there shouldn’t be an issue then.” Twilight was relieved to know she could still be with Phoenix as a woman in the meantime. “I imagine I’ll get around to it at least once more before this trip is over,” she mused, some of Pinkie Pie’s suggestions running through her head again. “But, let’s not keep the others waiting, shall we?” she said as she smoothed out the Kurain kimono, and headed out the door with her mentor. After a brief tour of town and the surrounding fields—one where both Celestia and Phoenix noticed Twilight flinch at the sight of several penned horses—the group sat down for dinner in what Maya called “The Grand Hall”, though it was scarcely more than a large room with a long table set low to the ground, and places to sit marked by cushions around it. The meal was, as always, vegetarian, though still quite good for it even to Equestrian tastes, consisting of village-grown produce, fresh milk, and even some local cheese and wine, the latter greatly surprising Twilight when she first tried it, thinking it was simple juice. A fruit-based alcoholic beverage other than cider? she marveled, though given its lack of sweetness she wasn't entirely sure she liked it. As they ate, the group made small talk, and the subject eventually turned to Equestria after Maya assured the group that they wouldn’t be disturbed. As usual, Pearly inquired about Trixie and Twilight was about to disappoint her again until Celestia herself spoke up. “You mean Trixie Lulamoon?” the sun princess asked in some surprise. Pearly nodded eagerly. “Yes! Mystic Trixie! I just want to know how she’s doing!” she pleaded, to which Maya audibly groaned. “I see…” a ghost of a smile touched Celestia’s lips. “Well, I can tell you that we are keeping an eye on her, and thus far at least, she has kept out of trouble. It would seem that my sister has… plans for her, not all of which I am comfortable with,” she said carefully. “But Luna is adamant, and I have learned by now there is no point in trying to dissuade her when her mind is set on something. That much did not change even after her purification.” Much like Trixie herself, Twilight couldn’t help but think, wondering what the moon princess would want with her still-missing rival. And in many ways, me as well… “Really?” Pearly said eagerly. “Um… is there any way you could get a message to her for me?” Celestia looked up again, surprised. “It might be possible, depending on my sister’s wishes…” she granted, drumming her fingers and deep in thought for a moment before smiling again. “You really like Miss Lulamoon, it seems.” “Very much!” Pearly’s eyes lit up. “She’s a wonderful pony! I like her magic shows and I love her power!” “Most eight-year old girls would…” Maya mumbled under her breath just loud enough for Phoenix to hear, praying her cousin didn’t ask to the show the movie again—Pearly had made her watch it so many times by then that the theme song made her ill. To her relief, her young mystic cousin moved on after Celestia promised she would take back a message for her. “So you’ve been to Equestria too, Mr. Ferro?” Pearl asked curiously, having already made a new friend. “Indeed I have, Pearly,” Ferro said with a smile. “It’s been awhile since I last went, though. For some reason, Tia always wants to visit me, and doesn’t like it when it’s the other way around.” Celestia sighed and shook her head. “I’ve told you, Ferro. As a Princess, I get pestered non-stop to take care of some noble or another’s trivial disputes. I don’t like it when an opportunity to see you is reduced to you watching me watch nobles bicker.” “Yeowch,” Maya mused. “So glad I don’t have to put up with that. I’d probably snap under the strain of managing a country. Being the de facto Master of Kurain is hard enough!” This got some raised eyebrows from the ponies and Ferro. “De facto Master?” Twilight asked, puzzled. “You mean, you’re the Master in all but official title?” Maya sighed, her good cheer vanishing. “Yeah. When my mother, Misty Fey, disappeared, everyone thought Sis would take over as the Master. But she left to become a lawyer, and then…” She trailed off, eyes going distant. Phoenix knew full well what the young mystic was likely remembering, and decided to step in. “Anyway, Maya’s not truly the Master… yet.” He glanced at her. “Exactly when will you take up that role, anyway?” Maya sighed again. “My mother will be officially labeled as ‘deceased’ come February. On that day, I will officially be instated as the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique.” Twilight blanched. “She’ll be labeled ‘deceased’?! Why? Can’t you look for her, or—?” Pearl was the one who spoke up. “Mystic Misty has been missing for nearly 17 years. Kurain customs dictate that if someone disappears for that long, they are considered ‘de-seased’, and are labeled as such in our scrolls,” she recited. Celestia nodded solemnly. “I see. Then it would seem a heavy burden lies on your young shoulders, Maya Fey.” Maya shrugged. “Yeah, well, I may not be able to raise the sun, but I think I’ll do well enough.” She paused. “Of course, I think I’ll need some more training…” Twilight, still not keen on the idea of someone being labeled as dead just for disappearing for a while, decided to change the subject. “So after dinner, what should we do?” Maya considered that. “Well, there’s not much nightlife around here, of course… not even in the town you came through other than a bar or two. But maybe we could find you a movie or something to watch?” she suggested. “That sounds like fun!” the disguised unicorn said eagerly, eating the last bite of her jaw-droppingly large strawberry dessert. “I’d love to see what your fiction and films are like.” “Okay then! Let’s see… maybe something epic that has plenty of magic and mythology…” Maya mused, rubbing her chin in unconscious imitation of Phoenix. “I know! How about The Lord of the Rings?” “Ah yes. Tolkien,” Celestia spoke up from the remains of her meal, causing Maya to give her a surprised look. “An excellent author, though I found his works a little too… dense for my tastes. I didn’t get past the first book, I’m afraid. However, I believe you would enjoy them, my student, as they are very richly detailed,” she grinned at Twilight. “I heard there were movies made, but I never did see them.” “They were made about twenty years ago,” Ferro spoke up. “Some of the effects are a bit dated, but the movies themselves were highly acclaimed and hold up quite well.” “Yeah, they’re pretty good flicks,” Maya said with a smirk. Checking the clock, she frowned. “Still, we probably only have time tonight for the first one. Good thing I have the extended trilogy on Blu-ray!” She pulled a green-bound item from the shelf. Twilight thought at first that it was a tome of sorts, but when Maya opened it up, instead of paper, she saw two small, circular discs, each with writing on them: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. “Wait… that’s the movie? Those discs?” Maya grinned. “Sparkle, Sparkle, Sparkle… don’t tell me Equestria is still stuck in the age of reel-to-reel cinema.” Twilight coughed pointedly while Celestia just smiled. “We ponies don’t believe in fixing what isn’t broken.” “An outdated, visually unimpressive, flickering movie isn’t broken?” Phoenix teased; even he knew that the age of reel-to-reel had come and gone a long time ago. Celestia just smiled a little more. “Well, I admit when my agents first brought back the technology, I wasn’t terribly impressed. But, a little magic to clear up the flickering and improve the resolution made it far more popular. Most ponies with bits to spend have at least one projector in their home, and it’s worked for the past fifty years or so.” Maya shrugged. “If you say so… but I think you’ll be more impressed with how far movies have come since then.” She removed one of the discs from inside the case, and opened up a device under the television set, pressing a barely-seen button as a tray slid out with a circular slot inside. She placed the disc inside and closed the device, powering on the big flat-screen TV as she did so… it was a little out of date considering the more modern ones, but was more than sufficient for entertaining a few guests. A soft but strangely compelling female voice was heard, initially speaking in an unknown language: The world is changed. I feel it in the water… I feel it in the earth… I smell it in the air… Much that once was is lost… For none now live who remember. Music: Shadows of the Past It was nearly midnight when Twilight and Celestia returned to their shared room in the Guest Inn. It was a simple suite that consisted of a single large “King-sized” bed and adjoining bathroom, which Maya had apologetically explained was the only guest room they possessed that had a bed big enough for the sun princess. While the latter was freshening up, Twilight stared out the open window into the dark of night, now dressed in a pair of ‘pajamas’ Maya had loaned her. The brilliantly starry sky and unfamiliar constellations might have held her interest on any other night, but now her mind was elsewhere, still back in the viewing lounge from where they had come. Twilight never thought watching a movie could exhaust her, but that one had. Three hours of riveting story set in spectacular landscapes, featuring running battles, some questionable magic depictions and uncanny arrow accuracy—even the unicorn archers of old couldn’t find their marks so readily without first enchanting their arrows—interspersed with some superb character development and equally poignant sacrifices of two ‘Fellowship’ members. Twilight was deeply moved by what she saw, but also very troubled as they returned to their guest room, taking the first turn in the washroom. What does it say of a world and race that they can imagine such things and turn it into such a work of cinematic art? she thought as she showered again, donning Maya’s “PJs”, though they were a bit small on her, exposing a bit of her belly. And those black, evil-looking horses the ringwraiths were riding didn’t exactly help matters… “What troubles you, my student?” Celestia asked as she emerged from the washroom, now dressed in a sheer nightgown, recognizing the look on Twilight’s face as one she wore when she did not understand something… and even worse, could not fathom the answer. “It’s nothing, Princess,” Twilight said, realizing quickly the wringing of her hands gave lie to her own statement. “It’s just that I keep thinking about the movie. I know it’s fictional and yet… it still affected me. It was so dark and depressing at times. Not just for the deaths of Gandalf and Boromir, or the breaking of friendship… er, Fellowship at the end, but the fighting and battles themselves. So much death, so much waste of life… and all the wanton sacrifice of males. Fictional or no, I can’t even begin to comprehend such a scene,” she shivered where she stood. Celestia’s expression softened. She didn’t have the heart to tell Twilight that the movie in fact did not accurately depict a battlefield—the smells, the severed limbs, the mangled bodies and grieving, traumatized survivors. Pray you never see one for real, my student… She shook her head as she stood behind Twilight and put her hands on her shoulders, staring out the window with her. “Be glad… because I have seen such scenes,” was all the sun princess would say on the matter, and Twilight knew better than to press her, guessing it had to do with either the griffin war or even worse, her war with her own sister. “Do not make the mistake of believing ponies are beyond such things, Twilight, for our own history says otherwise…” she trailed off in reluctant remembrance. “For me, though… the most poignant moment of that movie wasn’t the opening battle or Gandalf’s death. It comes later, when Frodo tempts Galadriel by offering her the One Ring,” she mused, her eyes going distant. Twilight looked back at her, her brow furrowed. “Really? Why is that?” Celestia hesitated for just a moment before speaking. “Because I have known that temptation, Twilight. Known it all too well. The desire to have more power, more control, to rule as a goddess-queen… in truth, Luna was not the only one to succumb to it. At the height of our war… I did too.” Twilight looked up at her. “Pr-Princess… you mean you… like Saruman?” an analogy to the fallen wizard was the only one she could draw. Celestia visibly grimaced at the comparison, sitting down in a large chair beside the room fireplace and lighting it with a brief flare of her power, magically dimming the room lights as well. “I take no pride in the memory, Twilight. Knowing the survival of Equestria if not the entire world was at stake, I hardened my heart too much for the battles to come, and in so doing lost my way. ‘The Tyrant Sun’, I was called for a time, and not just by the forces of the Nightmare,” she sighed, staring into the flames. “It was a chapter of my life I would just as soon forget. In the course of that war and even the lead-up to it, I became, just as Galadriel said, ‘as beautiful and as terrible as the dawn,’ using my magic and control of the sun punitively. And all would indeed ‘love me and despair’,” she shook her head, managing a sad chuckle. “Fate has a cruel sense of irony, it seems. Had Luna not succumbed to the Nightmare when she did, our positions could very well have been reversed. Even before she openly rebelled, I was showing signs of iron hooves in my methods of ruling. At the time I was still the lesser of two evils, but had it been but a few years later… our subjects could very well have turned to her to depose me.” “Was it really that bad?” Twilight asked, certain there was some exaggeration in her mentor’s words. Celestia? A tyrant? She couldn’t imagine such a thing. Celestia looked at her student, sorrow and regret in her eyes. “Twilight, I once ordered a noblepony’s family imprisoned because he had the audacity to question me in court.” Twilight’s shocked look caused Celestia to cringe. “I know it seems hard to believe, given the pony and princess I am now, but at the time… I was well on my way to being a despot the likes of which would even have made King Sombra blush. And given enough time, I probably would have crossed that line, were it not for Luna’s open rebellion… and the war that followed.” Twilight stared at her, aghast, even as a small part of her made a note to look up ‘King Sombra’ later. “But… how, Princess? How could you of all ponies turn evil?” Celestia gave a very sad but knowing smile. “Because I wasn’t evil, Twilight… at least, not to me. I did what I did for the good of all, you see,” she gave a short, humorless chuckle. “In my mind, I simply believed that since I meant well, anyone who opposed my rule and methods did not. You assume that since you are good and only want what’s best for your ponies, that anyone who disagrees with you must do so from base motives… and is therefore evil. You therefore do not have to listen to them, or treat them with any fairness or respect,” she recited. “It is a conceit, and a very dangerous one, my student. A very lazy and seductive way of thinking that can snare even the best of ponies… and I was far from my best then. I became arrogant, and when war broke out, even brutal in my rule. At the height of our conflict, I thought nothing of burning a village filled what I thought were lunar sympathizers to the ground, and assuaged my conscience afterwards by telling myself it was all for the greater good.” Her expression turned brooding as Twilight stood speechless. “War is a terrible thing, Twilight. It twists even the gentlest of hearts, scars even the hardest of them. War between sisters; between those who should love each other… is even worse, for the feelings of sorrow and betrayal, anger and hatred it generates. Through attack and counterattack, atrocity and reprisal... we found ourselves trapped in a cycle from which we could not escape. Along the way we fought battles only too similar to the one we saw at the beginning of the movie, most notably when I ordered an assault on her mountain fortress of Nocturnia.” “Nocturnia…” Twilight repeated to herself, her brow furrowing at the distantly familiar name. “I think I read about that. It was her stronghold, wasn’t it? The capital of Nightmare Moon’s self-proclaimed new nation that was always shrouded in night?” “Indeed,” Celestia confirmed. “Her so-called ‘Lunar Republic’, though in truth it was anything but. The full story of the battle is in the Canterlot Archives, but in simple terms… it was a failed attempt to end the war quickly by destroying her base of power with a surprise attack. I fought Nightmare Moon directly there to make sure she could not engage and overpower my army as Sauron did, but it brought no victory. Surprise was lost thanks to her thestral spies and the battle ended in a bloody draw, leaving both us and our forces too exhausted to continue—it was all I could do to raise the sun the next day,” she recounted. “And it was only when I saw the wreckage of battle and broken bodies around me… when I saw the blood of my beloved ponies staining my own hooves, heard the cries of an orphaned foal calling for her lost mother… that I realized what I had become. Realized just how far I had fallen.” Twilight listened, stunned at the scene she described. “What… what did you do then?” Celestia turned her glistening eyes on her student. “I rescued the foal, withdrew my army, and returned to my castle where I then threw off my armor and cried openly in my chambers, grieving for myself and my lost ponies, knowing beyond any shadow of a doubt that it was all my fault… that I had brought them to this through my own arrogance and neglect,” her voice began to break, and it was several seconds more before she had composed herself enough to continue. “And thus… just as Frodo had to journey far to destroy the ring and its evil, I had to journey far within my own heart to destroy the evil that had taken root there… and that meant finding my love for my sister and ponies all over again, even in the midst of war. I ordered my generals to fight a holding action while I went into seclusion, trying to rediscover my connection to Harmony. It was not easy but I eventually did it, and thus was able to wield the Elements of Harmony myself for the last time.” She paused, as if to gather herself to tell the final part of the tale. “When my preparations were complete, I summoned Luna under flag of truce and made one last plea to end our conflict in our ancient castle in the Everfree. But she said there could be ‘but one princess’, and it would not be me. She transformed back into the Nightmare and it was there we fought our final battle, which thankfully was only between the two of us. With the elements at my disposal, the outcome was preordained… but no less wrenching for it.” She looked away, but not before Twilight caught another tear in her eye. It was several seconds more before she could speak again. “Can you understand this, Twilight? That for the love of my ponies and the love of my lost sister… I had to banish that sister for a thousand years. As her rage and hatred of me left the elements unable to purify her, I knew it was ultimately the only way to save her and Equestria as well, but it still tore my heart out, and left a wound that in some ways never fully healed, knowing the pony I had nearly become and my culpability in her fall from grace… and then being reminded of it every time I saw her face in the moon. And it was only when she was gone that I realized how much she meant to me… how much I missed her… how much I needed her,” she shivered. And Goddess knows my coping mechanisms after left a great deal to be desired… Twilight knelt at her side and put a hand on her arm. “But she’s back now, Princess. And I saw how happy you were to see her again,” she said, reflecting that their reunion was the first time she’d ever seen the Sun Princess cry. And tonight is the second… She smiled sadly again as she put her opposite hand over Twilight’s. “Luna is indeed back now, and I thank you or your friends from the bottom of my heart for returning her to me, purified and free of the Nightmare that had consumed her. And yet, in some ways… she has not returned. She is still lost in the past, struggling to adjust to this new world and find her place in it. Struggling to come to terms with what she became… to forgive herself for it, long after I already did. She has a difficult road ahead, Twilight, and all I can do is be there for her… as I failed to do before,” she sighed, then smiled again at a more hopeful memory. “It may interest you to know that I am trusting her with control of the sun and the rule of Equestria in my stead right now, even though she was uncertain she was ready for such responsibility again. That alone makes me certain she is… for the old her, the one tempted and enthralled by the Nightmare would never have hesitated.” And I have changed too, for back then I would never have surrendered that power, even temporarily… Twilight echoed her thoughts. “But from what you’re saying… you aren’t the same pony now either, Princess.” She nodded sagely. “I suppose not. But still, even now I cannot help but wonder… what if it had been me? What would have happened if I had been the one to give into my darker impulses fully, fall into the thrall of the Nightmare, or whatever my equivalent would be?” she asked out loud, staring into the fire. “What would have changed? Would I have ended up banished instead of Luna, only to return unrepentant a thousand years later? Would I ever have acknowledged the error of my ways, or simply continued on my course, believing my rule to be just despite all evidence to the contrary… rationalizing all my evil away as I did then?” Twilight shivered. Not just you, Princess… what would have come of ME without your training and influence? she suddenly wondered, and got a bad feeling in return. Would there even have BEEN element bearers or an Element of Magic then…? “I don’t know, Princess… I just know asking ‘what if’ and ‘what could have been’ doesn’t solve anything. What matters is what actually happened; Luna fell to the Nightmare’s grip, and you were eventually forced to banish her to keep the world safe. That’s the ironclad truth of history. And if there’s one rule I know for certain, it’s that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.” Celestia chuckled a little, causing Twilight to look at her quizzically. “I’m sorry, Twilight, I just found it amusing that a human and a pony, who had no relation and no means of contacting each other, both came up with the same memorable line. A human named George Santayana said it here on Earth, while the philosopher Deep Thought came up with the phrase in Equestria.” She chuckled again. “There are a number of odd similarities in names and phrases between Earth and Equestria, now that I think on it.” Twilight nodded slowly. “Right… I noticed that back when Maya mentioned a ‘Las Vegas’ after Trixie’s trial.” She shook her head slightly, deciding it was a question that could wait for later. “Getting back on topic… why tell me all this, Princess? You almost never talk about the past, especially something as personal as the war against Luna. So, why?” Twilight took the chair beside Celestia, staring into the fire along with her mentor. Celestia smiled sadly. “Perhaps the movie touched me as well and now I find myself lost in old memories. Or perhaps I simply want you to know who I really am—the sides of me I cannot show in Equestria. Not Celestia, the Sun Princess, but simply… Tia, the pony. A flawed being who over the long years of her life has made some terrible mistakes, and is not always as all-knowing or all-powerful as she appears. Far from a beacon of light, she is at times a weak and wounded creature who seeks escape far away from her responsibilities and memories, sometimes on a different world entirely. “She is a lover of men, at times a terrible tease, a mare who sometimes needs to let her mane down… and sometimes, she just needs the friendly ear of her student while she reminisces. This is who I am, Twilight, warts and all.” She put her hand to her chest as she spoke, turning to face her prized pupil. “And after all you have seen and heard… I hope you do not think less of me for it.” Touched beyond measure, Twilight took Celestia’s hand in her own in a human gesture she had quickly come to appreciate. “Princess… I would never judge you for what I was not there to see or for choices I couldn’t fathom being faced with. I don’t know what you were then, all I know is what you are now—a teacher and mentor to me, and a benevolent, beloved ruler to us all. That is who you are too, no less than any of these other things,” she insisted, her eyes shining. “What defines us as ponies is not that we make mistakes. It’s that we learn from them, pick ourselves back up on and move on, remembering and applying the lessons for next time. And in the end… you did, Princess.” “Twilight…” Celestia stood up and hugged her student hard. “How did you get so wise?” “Well, I’ve had a very good teacher,” Twilight replied with a coy grin she’d picked up from Celestia herself. “And she’s still teaching me now.” “And it is my honor to do so… my beloved student,” she suppressed a sniffle, holding Twilight even tighter, not even caring about their relative state of undress. They stayed locked in their embrace for the next ten minutes, silhouetted in their bedclothes in front of the fireplace, until Celestia looked up and noted that the clock read nearly 1am. “It is time for bed now, Twilight,” the sun princess said, giving her student a motherly kiss on the head. “I think we both need our rest after last night. Certainly Ferro and Phoenix do,” she added with her coy grin. “You said it,” Twilight agreed, chuckling a little ruefully, deciding it was probably just as well she and Phoenix were being forced to sleep apart. And come to think of it, this’ll be the first time I’ve actually slept as a human… “We’ll do the magic lesson tomorrow, then?” “I think that would be for the best,” Celestia confirmed as they both tucked themselves in. “We’ll find an isolated spot in the woods where we can meditate… as ponies, if needs be.” “I look forward to it. Good night, Princess,” Twilight called from the left side of the bed, her hand finding Celestia’s again beneath the covers as the sun princess magically switched off the light. “Good night, Twilight,” Celestia answered back, giving her student’s hand a squeeze, the sounds of a summer night and slow crackling of the fireplace lulling them off to slumber. They fell asleep hand in hand.