Fury flooded into Twilight as she saw what laid before her. She’d thought she’d had more time before word got out; she thought she may even be able to stop it from happening. Yet here it was, spelled out before her: Griffon Capital in Open Rebellion. The dark words stood out from the newspaper in front of her. The news itself wasn’t surprising; Twilight had already known about it from the war councils. And Twilight wasn’t worried about any of the remaining armies. The griffons wouldn’t be able to muster a resistance strong enough to be threatening. No, what worried her about the article was that it included Luna’s sentencing. After the rebellion was put down, the remaining population was to be decimated. A tenth of griffon population, even the chicks, would face the sword. Barbarism didn’t even begin to describe it. Twilight had fought Luna’s decree for hours, but in the end, Luna overrode her, and now the entire empire would hear of her cruel command.
The proclamation was horrible enough, but Twilight’s other fear was confirmed in the very same paper. Nestled in one of the small columns on the sixth page, was another headline: Lunacy of the Lunar Queen. It was a well-written attack piece designed to tear her Queen down. It never definitively claiming Luna was a tyrant that needed to be stopped, but it came dangerously close of suggestion as much. Worst of all, it was written by some unknown pony. Twilight had reached out to the newspaper, but they hadn’t gotten a name. If it really was just a normal pony venting their concerns, Twilight was making mountains out of molehills. But behind the name of anonymity, any of Luna’s enemies could be using this paper to incite ponies to take matters into their own hooves. Twilight had stopped an assassination attempt, and she would do everything in her power to stamp out any rumblings of another one.
Perhaps the worst part of the attack piece was that Twilight was force to agree with parts of the arguments. Yes, Luna did take power in a time of crisis. Yes, Luna did start the war with the griffins. And yes, Luna was showing no mercy to an already beaten foe. Those were all facts that made Twilight uneasy, but she held onto the belief that what Luna was doing was necessary. Without Luna’s past leadership, the city would have fallen to the plague years ago. Without her command, who knows what would have happened to the empire during times of turmoil?
With a groan, Twilight let her quill drop back to the table. She had started writing a rebuttal to the small article, but every time she got a sentence or two in, something sidetracked her. She knew Luna was ultimately right, but she couldn’t figure out how to sell it to the public. She could just imagine any weakness in her writing being turned against her Queen, and that scared her. She felt powerless. She had stopped the assassination, but when it came to saving Luna’s image, she couldn’t do a damned thing on her own. But no, she still had moves to make. It would take time to get everything in order, but she had time on her side. After all, the Queen wasn’t going anywhere. At least, not yet.
Twilight grunted, standing up and letting the wood chair squeak against the ground. No. She couldn’t just sit here and write; she needed to take action. That meant going back to somepony she had wronged. Even thinking of confronting her made her stomach queasy, but Twilight had no other choice. She needed an ally in this endeavor, and she couldn’t rely solely on Fleur. She had her own genius, but Fleur didn’t know how to win the people’s hearts. Fleur would play her part in Twilight’s plans, they all would, but for now, she needed Cadance. That would mean explaining what happened. That would mean explaining why she’d avoided her, and all her secrets would come tumbling out at once.
Twilight paused in the hallway, a frown crossing her muzzle. So many secrets. Since when had she become privy to so many secrets? It seemed that ever since she’d become a Student she’d kept more every day. Trading information, passing thoughts, working towards hidden objectives. What good had that done? She had traded Cadance’s friendship for those secrets. But she was ready to trade back. Transparency would fix everything, even if it didn’t come easily.
Twilight started to walk again, faster now, trotting through the hall. No more hesitation. No more hiding. She repeated those words in her head, letting them become a shield to ward off her worries. Even with those, the worries plagued her mind, but she fortified herself against them, pushing them from her head. So many ponies hated Luna, so many had their heads wrapped around the idea of some twisted tyrant.
Every step she made, Eclipse bounced against her side, reminding her of its existence. She had gotten so used to the sword that she hardly left her room without it, the sentient sword helping her more than she could’ve ever imagine. No other pony had claimed to feel the corruption Luna did, and it gave her courage. It had helped her best Blueblood; its presence alone would help her in others fights as well.
Twilight hurried past the guards at the entrance of Cadance’s wing, hardly sparing them a thought. All of the guards knew to let Twilight pass, besides, everypony if she really wanted to, Twilight would just teleport past them. She stopped in front of the door, heart pounding. She knocked three times, letting out her shuddering breath. Why did she feel so nervous? Cadance had never been anything but kind to her. Yet Twilight still shook. She waited only a moment or two before the doors were enveloped in blue light and swung inward, revealing the study beyond. Cadance still sitting at her desk, looked up from her work towards the entry. She blinked in surprise before once more letting her charming smile take control.
“Twilight.” Cadance spoke, standing from her seat. “It’s been too long”
“Yes,” Twilight managed to squeak out; damn her nerves! “Cadance, we need to talk.”
Cadance’s smile seemed to grow wider. “Yes, I think we do. Please, take a seat,” she said, hoof gesturing at the seat across from her.
Twilight nodded, leaden hooves crossing the barrier and stepping inside. She plopped down in the chair, her mind and heart both racing. “Cadance,” she started, a little shaky and high pitched, “I wanted to come and apologize,” Twilight started. She paused for a second and swallowed, feeling like she was going to choke on her words. “I know it’s been too long, and I just wanted to say that you’ve done nothing wrong. I’m the pony who did something wrong; I shut you out for no reason. You’ve only ever tried to help me even before you knew who I was. I was punishing you for something you didn’t even do and that, well, that was stupid, like really stupid,” she went on, rubbing at the back of her neck with a hoof. Twilight looked up with pleading, wide eyes. ”Can you forgive me?” she asked.
For a moment, Cadance simple took in Twilight, her eyes projecting unreadable kindness. For Twilight, the moment felt endless; ever second Cadance stayed silent was agony for the Student.
After what felt like an eternity, Cadance finally spoke. “You have nothing to apologize for, silly filly,” she answered back, unbridled happiness evident across her face. “I thought you just busy, or needed a break from me. There’s nothing to apologize for, I assure you.”
There it was; Cadance had smoothed it over, yet Twilight couldn’t help but doubt her words. She had wronged the pink unicorn, and Cadance had every right to be mad at her. Twilight opened her muzzle, fighting the urge to close it shut. She felt her throat seize as she forced herself to begin. “I know. I know, that you say it’s okay, but I wasn’t just busy. I was joining with Fleur, dodging you for weeks, and spending all my time training. I did all of it to get away.” Tears had started to roll down Twilight’s muzzle. All the guilt she felt started pouring out of her. It took all her strength to not completely collapse. “I should have been better. I’ll try to be better. But I’m sorry I wasn’t. I’m so sorry…” Twilight trailed off, eyes trained on the floor.
Cyan magic gently lifted Twilight's eyes to Cadance’s. There, Twilight didn’t see hidden anger, frustration, or resentment. Instead, she say Cadance’s pure love. Seeing that love made Twilight understand; Cadance had never judged her. Even when she had run away, even when she had joined Fleur’s faction, Cadance had never stopped caring for her. Her love was unconditional, and once Twilight understood, she knew she had been a fool to ever cut such a wonderful pony out of her life.
Seeing such kindness in Cadance, Twilight tried to tell her everything that kept her away. She tried to tell her about the kiss with Silverhorn and his hidden nature, oaths be damned. But her throat was so tight that only soft sobs could make it through. Through the tears, however, Twilight saw Cadance’s horn glow bright blue once more as Cadance cast a spell against eavesdroppers. Twilight couldn’t help but smile at that; that was the spell Shining always used, and somehow, it made her feel even safer. Once the spell had been set, Cadance brushed away a stream of tears on her muzzle, calming the younger mare down with empathetic eyes.
“I know Twilight. I know about Silverhorn’s attempt to kiss you.” Twilight’s eyes went wide. “He told me about it the day after it happened, expressing quite a great deal of regret. It was good that he felt so, or I would have made him sorry,” Cadance finished with a playful twinkle. Twilight let out a chuckle; she couldn’t even imagine Cadance hurting anypony. Regaining her sincerity, Cadance continued. “I also know that you know about Silverhorn’s… unique situation.” Twilight’s jaw dropped.
“You knew?” Twilight managed to whisper in disbelief.
“Yes, I did know.” Sadness touched Cadance’s eyes for the first time this conversation. “And I am sorry that I didn’t reach out to you sooner. I thought giving you space would be the best thing, but if I knew how much you’ve been struggling, I would have reached out myself. Can you forgive me?”
How did this happen? Twilight had been so worried about groveling to Cadance and now the mare was apologizing to her?! At first, Twilight tried to insist she had nothing to apologize for, but she saw the same sadness Twilight had felt just moments before. Instead, Twilight threw her arms around the mare, holding her in tight.
Muzzle close to Cadance’s ear, Twilight whispered, “Apology accepted.” One moment later, Cadance’s arms wrapped around Twilight as the two. After a minute of holding each other in silence, the hug broke as the two mares looked at each other once more, eyes full of happiness. Their friendship had been restored.
“There is one more thing that I must tell you,” Cadance continued, her words much lighter than before. “Your brother and I have been, well, not dating, just seeing each other for the last few weeks. It’s nothing serious, but you deserve to know.”
Twilight felt her jaw drop. Her brother, the soldier, the veteran, dating Cadance? Wow. She thought the world of her brother, but he was clearly dating up. “Oh.” That was all she could really say, the surprise of it getting to her more than anything. Cadance and Shining. Quite honestly, she always believed that Sunset and Shining would end up together. This was...better? She didn’t know. She let out a long breath before nodding again.
“So, uh, can we change the subject?” Twilight asked, a bright, red blush starting to color her cheeks. Her mind had gone filthy places; she knew what she and Luna did in private, and imaging Shining and Cadance doing the same was too much to handle. Twilight wanted those images far, far from her mind.
Cadance giggled, such a beautiful, melodic thing. “Of course, of course. What did you have in mind?” she asked, eyes practically twinkling with amusement. She had guessed exactly what embarrassed Twilight so much.
“It’s about Luna,” she started cautiously; even Cadance didn’t have the best impression of Luna. “She’s in trouble. Not from assassins or coups, but from public opinion. Her image has never been so damaged. Everypony thinks that the war was her fault, or that she caused the plague to take their families, or that she’s slowly going mad. Goddesses, Cadance, I even saw an article in today’s paper that suggested she was being controlled by an evil spirit! It’s insanity! They don’t understand the type of pony Luna really is; they’re blinded to her best qualities because some hack writer tells them to be. I’m trying my best, I really am, but alone, I don’t have enough horsepower to change how ponies view her, nor do I know the steps I would need to take. Cadance, I know that you’ve seen the real Luna; you may not like her right now, but you’ve seen her with me. You know how lovely she is with me.
“Please, Cadance, can you help me show everypony else what I see? Can you help me show them Luna’s true self, the side they never see? It would mean so much to me, and it would make a world of difference to Luna, even if she can’t see the need yet,” Twilight finished, her heart beating. That was all she could think of to convince Cadance. Had it been enough?
She looked up, waiting to see Cadance’s answer, expecting Cadance to need a minute to think. Instead, she saw Cadance roll her eyes playfully. “Oh, alright, I’ll help.”
Hearing Cadance’s agreement, Twilight was so overcome with joy that she thought she might cry again. To prevent that, the Student jumped up and hugged her friend once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With Cadance once again on Twilight’s side, the Student had secured an important ally in her fight to improve Luna’s public image. But, Cadance was only a small part of her plan. She needed everypony she could get, and next on her list was Charlemane. Unfortunately, Twilight wouldn’t be able to appeal to the pony directly, but Twilight’s time in Court had taught her that there was always another way. And it just so happened that Twilight had scheduled another training session with that other way.
While Roamane still managed to best her every time, Twilight started to hold her own in the more recent duels. Granted, that was only when Twilight relied upon both her magical augmentations and Eclipse’s aid, and even then, she had yet to secure a single victory. Still, she was facing off against a pony whose prowess with a blade was legendary. She would take what she could get.
This duel, however, was the furthest she had ever gotten. She had managed to strike Romanae once for every five times he hit her. And, as the two ponies sheathed their swords, Twilight noticed that Roamane was breathing heavily, something that had never happened before. He had never had to put in so much effort. Seeing that gave Twilight heart. Roamane’s fatigue was proof that she was not the same pony as when she started. She may have even been able to best her brother, given the opportunity.
Still regaining his breath, Roamane sat down in the grass, nodding his head towards his the grass across from him. An invitation to rest. Twilight took it, floating over their canteens, dropping one in the grass in front of Roamane and taking a swig of her own. Her own chest heaved from exhaustion. Roamane might have only started being pushed recently, but for Twilight, pushing him that far was enough to make her collapse.
“Good matches,” Twilight noted, half sprawling out across the grass. Celestia’s sun shone beautifully with the pure blue sky, squadrons of military pegasi arching overhead. A gorgeous day, one Twilight could appreciate even though she preferred Luna’s moon.
Roamane nodded, Twilight catching the movement out of the corner of her eye. “Aye. You’re getting better, filly. Proud to see your progress. I’d almost be worried to face you outside of the circle, what with your damned magical tricks. You’re going to make this old stallion sore,” Roamane said, rolling his neck.
Twilight giggled. “Oh, don’t pretend, I know you could go for hours longer yet.”
Roamane grunted, accepting the compliment. They both knew it wasn’t empty flattery. “Yea, yea. There’s no need to butter me up, Student. I’m well aware of my capabilities,” Roamane answered.
“While I’ve got you here, you mind listening to an idea I had?” she pitched, tilting her head a bit to study Roamane’s expression.
He nodded, meeting her eye from his sitting position. “Hit me. Sans sword this time.”
“Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Luna’s in a precarious position right now. Public opinion has swayed against her to the point where it may interfere with her ability to do what is necessary. I mean, she can’t do much when everypony believes she’s about to set off a bomb.”
Twilight paused for questions, but Roamane remained quiet, waiting for her to finish her thought. “So, as Student of the Night, I’ve been working to improve her image a bit, but alone, I can only do so much. So, I’m hoping that the troops may speak for her; I know that most of them have a pretty positive opinion of Luna. At least, that’s what I’ve gathered. I was hoping you might help encourage some of the soldiers who view Luna the fondest to speak out for her. And maybe any other pony whose voice would matter in such things.” Twilight hoped she had hinted strong enough about Charlemane, but even if Roamane missed it, convincing the soldiers to speak would be enough. So many people thought that Luna had simple stayed among the commander’s roost. Few knew how she had fought on the front lines. Almost no pony had know how injured she had been at the end. How close Twilight came to losing her Queen.
Roamane gave an easy nod of his head. She figured he’d agree. Roamane cared about the troops; he listened to them. And from them, he had heard about Luna’s sacrifice. Twilight surmised that he’d respect any commander willing to put her life on the line for her troops. It seemed her guess had been correct.
“I can do that, Student.” Twilight sighed in relief. “And yes, I’ll make sure to talk to Charlemane about this plan as well.”
Twilight flushed. She had become used to subtle politics; she hadn’t expected Roamane to just come out and say what Twilight had been hinting at. “Yes, if it’s not too much trouble,” she murmured, embarrassed.
“No trouble at all, Student. Despite all the bullshit that the common ponies have been spouting, your Goddess isn’t a bad one. I’ve been getting real tired of the nobles pissing and moaning, too. We’re getting another battalion back home real soon. I’ll talk with them, and we’ll see what we can do.”
“Thank you, Roamane. You have my gratitude, and if you ever need anything, please let me know. I’d be happy to help,” Twilight finished, no longer blushing.
Roamane only grunted once more and jerked his head towards the practice field. “Well, if that’s the case, how about another round?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight ducked under Shining’s fierce swing, the blade grazing at her mane as she ducked. Her hooves nearly tangled underneath her as she retreated, trying to get far enough away to begin her own offensive. But Shining was relentless. His horn brought his gladius around in wide arcs, repeatedly striking at her sides. Some were deflected by Twilight’s magic, others by Eclipse, but Shining kept striking and Twilight barely parried.
That was how Twilight’s reunion with her brother had gone. She had sought him out, but left the activity up to him. To her surprise, he wanted to duel, and Twilight felt happy to oblige. Although only minutes ago, it seemed like the duel had gone on for hours. It had been like this since the beginning; Shining constantly on offense and Twilight barely managing to keep up. She had expected to have an easier time with her magically enhanced reflexes and speed, but Shining had apparently learned that trick during the war, for he exceeded even her enhanced state. From the outside, the battle looked almost choreographed, their enhanced reflexes looking almost like well-rehearsed dance steps.
Although that beautiful dance was starting to fall apart. Twilight was panting and she could feel her coat becoming damp, while Shining hardly seemed phased. He wasn’t pushing his limits just yet. The war had made him strong.
Continuing his sword’s assault, Shining adopted a new tactic. Amethyst shields appeared on either side of her, boxing her in and preventing her from scrambling away. The unrelenting blows disrupting her attempts to dispel the magic. Her brother’s shields were a work of art, and with them, he controlled the flow of battle; at this rate, her defeat was all but assured. But, luckily for Twilight, she had her own way of fighting.
With a flash of light, Twilight teleported to the other end of the dueling circle. She landed hard, her hooves sinking into the soft earth. Just a little too high. Steadying herself, she already saw Shining spinning around, trying to find his opponent. Twilight didn’t intend to give him the chance. Her horn glowed with ghostly light as four bolts of electricity arced across the field, trying to shock the stallion. Yet, even that didn’t faze Shining; before the lightning connected, he already had a bubble up, bouncing all four bolts back towards Twilight. She only barely managed to roll out of the way in time, though the lightning singed the back of her coat. So much for that plan.
Twilight struggled to lift herself up, trying to catch her breath. She was flagging, yet Shining still appeared unfazed as he began galloping across the circle towards her. Seeing his approach, Twilight knew she would lose; her brother just had too much experience. But, she wouldn’t let him win unscathed.
As Shining closed in, Twilight offered control to Eclipse, and it greedily answered. It seized her magic, pouring it into it’s blade. It made her head hurt, made her scarred horn glow a green instead of its usual purple, but she didn’t care. Right as Shining closed in, gladius thrusting, Twilight teleported a few feet behind her brother. Shining spun around and began to close in again, but this time, Eclipse was the one to strike. Shining’s sword quickly deflected it, but for the first time, Shining was the one on the defensive. And Twilight intended to keep it that way.
Eclipse began striking out far more accurately than Twilight had been able to, forcing Shining to spend most of his time deflecting. In the meantime, Twilight began casting more battle spells. With Eclipse controlling her body, Twilight was free to And, with her sword fighting for her, Twilight could put all her focus into hurling lightning at her foe. It really was a lovely combo.
As Shining parred both sword strikes and lightning, Shining’s face maintained its composure, although Twilight could see the sweat flying through the air as he moved through each blow. Shining was so pressed that he could only react; he had to rely upon instinct for everything else. Twilight noticed Shining’s hoofsteps; she saw how they methodically backed away. In that, she saw an opening.
Ceasing her barrage of bolts, Twilight summoned a small portal right where Shining’s hind leg was poised to step next. As he retreated, his leg phased through the portal, breaking his balance. Shock broke his composure; he knew he was open. As Shining tripped, his sword swung wild, giving Eclipse an unobstructed path to his foreleg. As the sword’s magically dulled edge crashed into Shining, his face twisted in pain. In the heat of battle, Twilight couldn’t help but feel joy; she might actually win this fight!
That hope didn’t last long. As Shining managed to balance himself on the three hoofs not in the portal, he let out a feral grow and surged forward. His larger frame slammed into his sister, sending her flying back an entire foot, and as she landed, one of Twilight's hind hooves landed on a shield, causing her fall flat on the ground. Before she could rise, Shining’s sword was pressed hard against her throat.
“Game over, Twiley,” he rasped out, removing the sword, his voice somehow still light. Despite the intensity of their fight, he once again saw her as his little sister.
Twilight groaned and pushed herself up from the ground. Releasing her battle magic, Twilight tried to match her brother’s tone. “That was my move.”
Shining laughed in response. “Well, Twiley, you may have come up with it, but it seems like I perfected it. Besides, in battle, once somepony else can use it, it becomes everypony’s moves.”
Stretching out, Twilight slide Eclipse back into its scabbard. “Fair enough. But putting that aside, I couldn’t believe how fast you were. I didn’t think it’d be so one sided.”
Shining shrugged, plopping down beside his sister. “I’ve only gotten this good because of practice. I know that you and Roamane duel a few times a week, but imagine swinging your sword as often as you read your books. You just get used to it. If it makes you feel any better, you’d still kick my ass every day in any sort of magical competition,” he teased, giving her a little bump shoulder to shoulder.
“I know, I know. Don’t worry, I’m not jealous or anything. I’m just surprised. If your training has made you this good, it’s hard to believe the Griffonlands stood against us for as long as it did. I know not everypony is a unicorn, but there should have been enough to overpower the griffons.”
Shining frowned. “We had unicorn magic, sure, but they found ways to compensate. Ways that even made the Queen think twice about engaging. Ten years ago? The griffons might have folded much quicker, but they’ve really leveled the field quickly. It worries me; what if some other kingdom has developed similar strategies in the meantime? The griffons weren’t even the ones to declare war, and they still made us bleed.” The stallion shook his head in concern. “It’s something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since coming back. That technology erased any advantage we had, and unlike unicorn magic, it can be traded away to some other society. I don’t even want to think about what would happen if the minotaurs manage to get their hands on some of that technology,” he finished, brow knitting together in worry.
Honestly, those thoughts hadn’t even occurred to Twilight. She knew the Griffonian war had dragged on longer than anypony had expected, but she hadn’t thought to question why. Shining had learned more than dueling during the war. “I think that’s a fair assessment, although, it’s not exactly like we’re resting on our laurels. I mean, we didn’t even have the airships ten years ago, right?” she asked, trying to soothe her worries as well as his.
Shining nodded in agreement. “Yea, but our innovations aren’t as effective as they should be. Every other society knows exactly what’s coming for them. That’s the problem with being the most powerful nation; everypony else knows to watch out for. We, on the other hoof, have to keep our eyes on multiple targets. Not to mention, it seems like we have a lot of leaks inside our military hierarchy,,” he complained, flopping down onto the grass.
Now that was new information. Even Twilight hadn’t heard about the leaking information, although she had assumed as much. That was always a danger in an empire of their size. “How did you hear about all of this anyways?” she poked.
Shining took a quick look around. With a grunt of effort, another of his soundproof bubbles surrounded them. “I’ve been working close with Charlemane and Cadie since I got back. We’ve formed a security council of sorts. Right now, it’s just the three of us and a few other trustworthy ponies doing counterintelligence stuff. Rooting out spies, finding defectors, that sort of thing. It’s gotten to be so much that I had to resign from the Valkyries, and before you ask, yes, Luna knows. At this moment, you two are the only ponies outside of the council who are in the loop, so please don’t go spreading this around.”
That was a lot to process. Shining was on a secret council? There were spies leaking information? It was so important that Shining gave up his position in the Valkyries to pursue it? Shining’s pet name for Cadance was CADIE?
She chewed it over in her head for a few moments, making sense of the new revelations. She briefly wondered who else was a part of the council. It was probably comprised of the ponies she least expected. If she hadn’t heard it first hoof, she wouldn’t have believed that Cadance or Shining were a part of a secret counterintelligence council. Charlemane, sure, but not those two.
Twilight nodded slowly. “Yea. Right. I’ll keep it to myself, don’t worry,” she promised, offering him a weak smile. “I feel bad asking you since you’re already doing so much but… I’ve been looking for some help with Luna’s imagine. I’m sure you’ve heard how some ponies have started looking at her. It’s not exactly great for her or the empire, so I was wondering if you might help me. It wouldn’t take much from you; a few words here and there from a war hero would be enough, you know?” she asked, hoping that he’d understand.
Considering his new job, it made sense that he did. He returned her request with a solid nod and one of his easy-going smiles. “Course. Luna’s with you, and she was a damned fine Commander. I wouldn’t dream of doing anything but that.”
The two sat in silence for a moment before Twilight finally cracked. “So, you’re calling Cadance Cadie these days?” Twilight asked with a playful look in her eyes. Her brother just groaned, covering his face with his hooves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight usually loved tea, but staring into her cup, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of loathing. To be fair, the tea itself wasn’t at fault. This particular cup was a lovely Chrysanthemum tea, perfectly brewed. In fact, Twilight might have downed a whole kettle of it if she was anywhere else. No, Twilight was in a foul mood because of the pony she was forced to drink it with. Usually, she associated tea with pleasant conversations, with ponies she wanted to be around. Celestia, however, was not one of those ponies.
Peeking up from her porcelain cup, Twilight took in the room around her rather than look at the pony across from her. The room had been decorated with her own personal palette, with white, gold, and light pastels dominating the room. Despite her grumblings, however, Twilight could hardly call it offensive. Light filtered in from the window to her right, the table itself an intimate thing with just enough room for the two of them. Other than that, the room was sparsely decorated. A rug on the entryway, a few sitting pieces, but nothing more. Vastly different from Luna’s quarters.
With nothing else to look at, Twilight finally resigned to meeting Celestia’s eyes. Celestia didn’t inherently bother her, nor did she hate the white mare. She just found her ineffective. Sure, she eventually got ponies to do what she needed of them, but Luna’s approach got stuff done much quicker. Although, Twilight’s assessment may be too bias. After all, Celestia still had her Godhood, and by all accounts, she did do things. Just not as much as her love.
Yet, despite her misgivings, Twilight needed her. Just like she needed Cadance, Charlemane, and Shining. Her support of Luna was perhaps the most important. If the public believed that Luna didn’t even have the support of her own sister, any attempts to improve Luna’s image would fall flat. Therefore, tea with Celestia.
The two of them had sat in silence for a few moments before Celestia finally broke it. “So, Student Twilight, what can I do for you?” she asked.
Twilight jerked to attention, examining her counterpart. Celestia’s purple eyes met her own, even Twilight able to tell the care and empathy in their depths. Like always, Celestia kept her muzzle plastered with that easy going, carefree smile. Something about it made Twilight nervous. In her experience, sincerity of that level was usually feigned, barring Cadance, of course.
Twilight tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. “What makes you think I want something? Maybe I just wanted to share your company,” she offered, trying to hid her surprise. No need to confirm was may just be a stab in the dark.
Celestia giggled. “Student Twilight, I am under no illusions about how you feel. I’m aware I’m not your preferred Goddess; you’re more of a night filly, yes? I would love if this gathering was just a chance for the two of us to get to know each other better; you seem like a wonderful filly, but I know you want something. So, if you please,” Celestia finished, taking a sip from her cup.
Classic Celestia. Twilight felt herself reassured despite knowing about Celestia’s little tricks. Perhaps she’d judged her too harshly, but it was difficult to consider Celestia’s words over her beloved’s.
With a deep breath, Twilight began. “It’s about your sister. I’m sure that you’re well aware of her struggles.” Nervous, Twilight stopped to take a sip from her own cup. Even though they were sisters, Twilight couldn’t help but feel exposed; if it wasn’t for Luna, she could never have been this vulnerable with Celestia. It took everything she had to not start stuttering.
After her drawn-out sip, Twilight replaced the cup on the saucer and continued, nerves back under control.“Which leads me into the real topic of this conversation. I want to improve Luna’s standing among the common ponies. Because of all the attacks the papers have launched against her, the common ponies cannot see that Luna is caring for her citizens. Instead, they believe that they live under the rule of a cruel tyrant. They can only see a Queen that abandoned their families and loved ones to die by shutting the gates. They cannot see the truth.
“Because of that lack of support, the nobles have been swarming like vultures, waiting for a chance to pick away at her. They only have their own selfish interests at heart. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time with Fleur and heard from the different nobles. I’m sure you know how different of a song they sing behind closed doors. They want her power and her prestige, yet we both know that none of them would be able to handle it. I think it’d spell disaster if they managed to get enough power behind her to force her to step down. I don’t think either of us want to see that.
“So, here’s my proposal. I want you to throw your support behind Luna. I’m going to start arranging fundraisers, charity events, different sorts of things in Luna’s name. It would mean a lot to her - and me - if you could attend at least some of them as a draw. The lower city ponies, they love you. If they saw your name, they’d come. If you talked about being proud of what Luna did, they’d listen. It wouldn’t take much, maybe a few hours out of your day a couple times a month. I know your time is incredibly valuable, but I think that these simple measures alone would make a big difference in the lower cities trust.”
Twilight finished her practiced speech, lowering her fidgeting hooves into her lap. She looked up, watching Celestia work over the idea in her head. The mare had an incredible poker face, Twilight quite honestly couldn’t get anything from it. It didn’t help that Celestia didn’t answer instantly. She was most likely thinking it over, but that didn’t prevent Twilight’s anxiety from spiking through the roof.
After a few agonizing minutes, Celestia regarded Twilight with a smile, whispering, “You two really are in love, aren’t you?”
Strangely, Twilight didn’t jump at Celestia’s comment; when it came to loving Luna, she was never nervous. “Yes. I love her with all my soul, and she returns the feelings despite my age. I would ask that you keep this quiet. I’m trying to save her public image, and if any of her enemies found out, our love would be a liability. One millenia old alicorn with her student, a teenage unicorn? The press would have a field day.”
Eventually, Celestia nodded her head, her own horn’s light bringing the tea cup to her lips. She took a sip, before speaking. “Yes, you are right, Student Twilight, in more ways than one. I love my sister dearly and want to see her succeed, even if I don’t always agree with her methods. If you can arrange some times for me to appear, I’ll do my best to meet them. Nothing less than two weeks advance notice, please. I’ll have to clear my schedule and that’s no easy task. However…”
There was the catch. Twilight’s leaping heart plummeted back into her chest.
“I want the information to be delivered by you personally. You have a bright mind, Twilight, and I’d quite like to experience it myself, especially with how much Luna waxes on about you. Perhaps we could have chess sessions every other week? Fridays, mayhaps?” she asked, that twinkle in her eye that Twilight had learned to recognize as mischief. Still, a small price to pay.
“Consider it a date.”
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Twilight walked into the garden. One left. Soon, she would have all the leaders of the different factions united for Luna. Sure, she might not have every pony in every branch for her queen, but with all the important ponies backing her, Luna would soon be on surer hoofing. Soon, the entire empire would see why Luna was Queen. Why she had to be Queen. All it was going to take was one more pony. That made Twilight neverous.
As she sat down on the garden bench where their alliance began, Twilight tried to calm her nerves. There was no reason to be nervous; Fleur was a close ally and a smart pony who could see the logic of backing Luna at this time. It was all well and good to be against Luna when nothing could come of it, but with so many of the common ponies against the Night Goddess, the power structure everypony was used to was in danger, and none more so than the nobles. Plus, Fleur owed her after all the help Twilight had given to her. She was ready to cash in all that good will.
As Twilight calmed herself, Fleur arrived, dressed even more beautiful than usual. She’d dressed up for the occasion, sporting a gorgeous pastel-purple dress trimmed in gold. She’d also had her mane done up, a complicated braid spotted with light purple and blue gemstones that paired perfectly with her dress. Twilight felt positively plain in comparison, wearing her normal everyday attire with her only accent being Eclipse strapped to her side. Fleur had come dressed, not as a friend, but as the leader of the Noble faction. She must have some idea what Twilight was going to ask.
As the noble approached, Twilight stood, a smile across her muzzle. “It’s good to see you, Fleur,” Twilight started, gesturing to the empty side of the bench. Fleur glided across the remainder of the garden, a generous smile touching her lips. As she reached Twilight, she sank into her seat and nodded for Twilight to do the same.
Fleur’s eyes met Twilight’s, and without waiting long for the Student, the noble began. “So, my dear Twilight, what did you want to talk about today, hmm?”
“Always straight to business, aren’t you, Fleur?” she teased with a light chuckle. Fleur wasn’t one to beat around the bush, which Twilight usually appreciated. It was different begin the one wasting the time however. Although, Fleur seemed to acknowledge Twilight’s unease, taking the light teasing in stride.
With a quick clearing of her throat, Twilight began. “It’s about Luna. I know you know how, let’s say, tenuous her situation has become in the kingdom. With all of the attacks, both here and abroad, Luna has had to take, let’s say drastic measures, to ensure the kingdom’s survival, and that has lowered her in the eyes of the common ponies. It’s a troubling predicament, and as the Student of the Night, I’m obligated to fix it. I need to show the rest of ponydom the wonderful ruler that I see everyday. That’s why I’ve asked you here. Your position among the nobles is unrivaled, and you know how to bring them into line when it matters the most. There’s a lot of disinformation and distrust brewing, and I think that, with your help, we can. So, what do you say? Can I count on you?”
“No.”
Twilight’s throat seized. The worst had happened. No, not yet, she could salvage this. Forcing herself to continue, she asked, “Why not?”
With a gentle sigh, Fleur began, “It’s not a good idea at this time. To advocate for the queen, even a little more than I’ve already done, would jeopardize my position within my party. Unlike Luna, I’m elected to lead, and to stay in power, I need to know the limits. It would be career suicide to support Luna when all the nobles can talk about is how much they despise her. If I even attempted what you’re suggesting, I would be ousted, and you would be without a powerful ally among the nobles.”
Twilight knew her response and almost tripped over herself trying to point out the critical flaw. “But if Luna falls, the nobles’ positions will be in jeopardy. Who can say if even Celestia will be able to take control. The empire could collapse, and most of the nobles would fall with it. Isn’t self preservation an easy sell?”
“Every noble thinks they’ll be the one to survive, and with less nobles, each of the remaining families will gain more power and prestige. It’s a gamble too many are willing to take. None will see the wisdom in preserving Luna, which means I cannot support your queen. I’m sorry Twilight, but the answer is a no.”
Twilight felt the despair spreading through her. She had been so close, and now it was over. “I don’t understand,” Twilight’s voice was low, quiet, broken. She looked up at Fleur. “I’ve done so much for you. I’ve helped you with so many events, worked with your party on so many political pushes. I’ve even forgiven the nobles for the actions of Blueblood. How can you say no?” she questioned.
Fleur sighed once more, this time in exasperation.“Twilight, I’m a politician, not a charity. I can’t give up everything in a futile attempt to save your queen from herself. I’m sorry.”
With a flash of magic, Twilight disappeared.
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