//------------------------------// // Night and Day // Story: Student of the Night // by Nadir //------------------------------// “So, with the cure found, the plague is finished,” Sunset sighed in relief. “When it comes to the medical side, that’s true,” Twilight agreed as she reclined into her chair. “Although, funding is still an issue. We’ve raised more bits than we originally expected, but we’re still well below the amount we need. Cadance is canvassing the lower districts, and Silverhorn is trying to convince the holdouts among the nobles.” The two were sitting in Sunset’s room. Sitting at her small coffee table, Twilight sat in a plush chair while Sunset had taken the couch. They were sitting down to tea in order to catch up, although Twilight had also come to ask for a favor. “There is one demographic that we’ve neglected to raise money from, however: the military. Shining is far too busy coordinating the army’s rallies for Luna to do it himself, and the only other pony I can absolutely trust to accomplish this task would be you.” Sunset jolted up. “Oh, I’m not sure, Twilight. I’m in the middle of some big things at the moment,” she trailed off, nursing her tea instead. Twilight took in the room around her to try to see what she was talking about. To her eyes, it looked like Sunset had spent the past few weeks doing nothing. The immediate area had been cleaned, but around the room, there were signs that something was wrong. Half eaten snacks, used plates and cups, crumbled papers, and fully drawn blinds were clear indications, although the biggest sign was the smell. It was an odor that could only be obtained when a pony didn’t leave a room for quite some time. The whole picture was concerning. “What big things might that be?” Twilight prodded. “Things, alright?” Sunset snapped. “I have far too much to do, Twilight. And I don’t appreciate having to explain everything to you, okay!” Sunset declared, breathing heavily. Twilight blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected Sunset to snap so suddenly. It was a normal question, but it had caused Sunset’s muzzle to contort in anger. It was clear that Sunset felted judge, but Twilight only felt concern. This wasn’t the mare she had grown up with. “Sunset, what happened?” Twilight asked. Sunset’s eyes went wide before she managed to speak. “What do you mean?” “When you first got back from the war, it seemed like nothing had changed. You were still the mare I knew, but now? I don’t know the pony I’m looking at. What happened to you?” Sunset shivered as if Twilight had attacked her, the purple mare felt nothing but regret when she looked at her friend. She regretted that she hadn’t check in before now. She regretted that she thought that after that disastrous lunch, everything would sort itself out. She hadn’t considered what her friend needed, or rather, she didn’t want to think about it. Sunset met Twilight’s gaze before dropping her eyes to her lap. She didn’t answer right away, and Twilight didn’t push. So the two sat, the only noise being Sunset’s heavy breathing. It got heavier and heavier until the first tears appeared. As she softly sobbed, Sunset shook her head. “No. I’m not okay. I’ve tried to be, but I’m not okay,” Sunset managed to choke out, her sobs getting heavier. “I’ve always wanted to be a guard; I wanted to protect everypony. I thought I could put everything on the line, but the war-” Sunset cut off as her sobs overwhelmed her. “I was too weak. I am too weak. I mean, look at Shining. He fought in the same war that I did, and he’s doing fantastic. He’s shaping the nation, for Goddesses sake! He’s a hero. And me? I’m nothing.” As Sunset sobbed, Twilight’s mind raced. She hadn’t expected such a wave of emotions. She had only come to catch up with Sunset and ask for a favor. But her friend needed help. With a deep breath, Twilight stood from her chair and joined Sunset on the couch. Sitting, Twilight took the weeping mare in her forelegs, pulling her close. “Sunset, it’s okay,” Twilight assured. “You’ve done so much. And you’ve faced horrors that most ponies couldn’t even imagine. But you came back; you made it! And you certainly aren’t nothing. I mean, you were part of the Valkyries, for Goddesses’ sake! The Vanguard of the Empire. Without you, the war would have been lost. You saved everypony. What’s wrong with that?” Sunset looked up, but her face was not reassured. “Do you know how many of us died?” she asked. From this close, Twilight could see the light draining from her eyes. The scar, so close, still pulsated with an angry red, as if it refused to heal. Twilight couldn’t help but swallow hard. A scornful laugh emanated from Sunset’s mouth. “Of course not. They would never tell. Because the number is far too high. Under the direct command of the Queen, the Valkyries were an elite squadron of exactly one hundred ponies. All of us were specially selected and tested for our assignment. We were the finest our military had to offer, and we would easily crush the griffons. At least, that’s what we were told. And we believed it.” Despite her attempt to remain cool, tears reemerged around Sunset’s eyes. “One day, that belief was tested. During our first engagement, the Battle of Harmony Point, we lined up in formation and began our assault. At first, it looked like the griffons would crumple to our elite force. A group of one hundred ponies was taking on ten times the amount of griffons. We felt invincible. So invincible, that we couldn’t see the trap. “The griffon’s retreat was a ruse to get the Queen into range of the their exploding weapon. When it fired, Luna and Shining managed to put up a shield, but they couldn’t protect all of us. Those inside the barriers didn’t suffer a scratch. But the others?” Sunset snapped her eyes shut, causing the tears to pour down her cheeks. “They were torn asunder. As the smoke cleared, half of our squadron laid dead or bleeding beyond help. It was a horrific sight. The friends I made during training were now on death’s door. Rising Flour, Scotch Tape, Painterly Touch. One moment they were fighting by my side, and the next, they were dead. Rising Flour’s head even separated from her body.” Sunset’s eyes snapped open, and Twilight saw the pain in them. “Seeing all those ponies dying was terrible. The stench of death was overwhelming. But the screams were the worst. The lamentations, the pain, the begging. It felt like they were clawing to stay alive. But it was too late. Those were their last words. Not something witty or profound. Just screams. “Those of us left alive charged faster. We charged to get away and to avenge our comrades. They hadn’t planned on our shields, so the griffons weren’t prepared to retreat. We tore through them. Thanks to our pegasi platoon, we stopped any further attacks from that horrid weapon. We attacked until they were routed, taking control of the cannon. Thank Goddesses for the our shields, or else we would have all died that day. But still, by the end of the battle, sixty four ponies from our squadron died, most of them succumbing to that one explosive attack. That engagement left our company shattered, so more ponies were summon to fill in the gaps,” Sunset rasped. Silently, Twilight levitated a glass of water to Sunset, offering it to the other girl. Sunset, however, shook her head, denying the relief. “After capturing the weapon, we thought we had removed their one advantage. We were wrong. That hellish thing was at every battle from then on. And as we learned to plan around it, the griffons found new ways to use it. They keep killing with it. On and on. They even managed to strike the Queen with it, forcing her to return here. After she left, it only got worse. The remaining leadership saw us as expendable. So we were placed on every front line, becoming a mobile force with a single purpose: to kill at any cost. But with each strike, we splintered, our death toll rising higher and higher. But that didn’t save us. The brass just added new pieces and ordered us to attack again. They didn’t care if we made it. We were only there to kill or be killed. It was our own personal Tartarus.” Sunset smiled painfully at Twilight. “But it worked, didn’t it? We won the war. And we came home heroes. Or, that’s what we were told. To me, coming home still doesn't seem real. It feels like the war never ended. Every night, I go back there. I see Rising Flour’s head separated from her body. I see Luna falling from the sky. I see the griffon who scarred me towering above, ready to finish the job,” Sunset cut off, her body shaking. Twilight wanted to tell her it was over and everything was okay, but she remained silent. Sunset still had more to say. “And in those dreams, as I see ponies dying around me, I am faced with my own failures. What if I’d been stronger? Or faster? Or maybe if I had practiced with shields like Shining instead of levitating silverware, maybe I could have saved them too. But I can do nothing. I just had to watch them die. Over, and over, and over, and over again. It’s never ending. “Even when I wake up, and I find myself in this room, I can still feel the war lingering. I can smell the gunpowder; I can feel blood damping my coat; I can see my sword cutting through bone and feather. I’ve tried to ignore it, but on my first day back at the barracks, I broke down before I set hoof in the building. I tried the next day, and the same thing happened, and after a week of failed attempts, I stopped going all together. “The leadership wanted to discharge me, but because the Valkyries are heroes, the publicity would be too damaging. Instead, they sent me to their doctors. They spent days examining me, but they had no idea what needed to be done. So, instead of helping, they put me on medical leave, hoping time will fix me.” Sunset finished with sobs and buried her head in Twilight’s arms. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. So she held Sunset close, silently supporting her foalhood friend. As the tears continued, Twilight continued to seek the right words until she finally figured out what to say. “Sunset,” Twilight whispered. “I’m so sorry that it took me so long to check on you. I’m sorry that I didn’t visit you after our lunch. I should have known something was amiss, but I closed my eyes to it. And while I don’t know what it’s like to fight in such a horrible war, I do know what it’s like to be plagued with nightmares. To this day, I still remember Luna’s attack, and what it did to me.” “Did what?” Sunset challenged as her eyes confronted Twilight’s. “I don’t see anything wrong with you.” With a small spell, Twilight released her illusion, showing Sunset her shattered horn. The yellow mare gasped. “This is what the assassination attempt did to me. This was the cost to save Luna, and it’s a price I’m glad I paid. But it’s a constant reminder of what happened, and it haunts me. I keep thinking about what could have happened. What if I was too slow? Or what if I was too weak? What would have happened to Luna? And then I think of about the future. What if there’s another attack? What if I fail then? What will happen to Luna if I’m not strong enough or fast enough next time?” Twilight shuddered. “Those worries still haunt me, so much that I occasionally wake up covered in sweat. And when those nightmares jolt me awake, I always check my horn. If it’s broken, I know that Luna’s still alive.” Twilight wiped her eyes before continuing. “Look Sunset, I don’t claim to be an expert. All I know is that when the nightmares are too much, I tell somepony. For me, having somepony look me in the eyes and tell me that it’s not real helps. For me, Luna is that pony, and sleeping with her has done more for me than anything else. So maybe you could start sleeping in the same room with somepony else. Maybe a friend from the Valkyries? It might sound silly, but it helps. I promise it helps. Is there anypony who could do that for you?” Twilight asked, her forehoof gently rubbing Sunset’s back, reminding her of their closeness. Sunset shook her head. “There’s nopony Twilight. All my friends are gone now. The only pony who could help would be Shining, but I can’t ask him to do that, especially with his new relationship with Cadance.” Twilight could feel Sunset shaking against her. She felt how frail her friend had become. She needed somepony’s help. And while Sunset couldn’t think of another option, Twilight knew what to say. “Come sleep in my room, Sunset,” Twilight said. Sunset eyes went wide at Twilight’s suggestion. She hadn’t even considered that Twilight might make that offer. “I can’t do that to you,” Sunset insisted. “I can’t ask you to listen to all my horrible tales. And what about the Queen? I couldn’t possibly-” “Luna’s leaving at the end of the week,” Twilight interjected. “I would be sleeping alone anyway. And I want to be there for you, Sunset. Let me help you.” At Twilight’s words, Sunset began crying harder. “That would just make me a burden,” Sunset managed to force out. Twilight took a deep breath. She had to be careful with her wording, or her words would only hurt rather than help. “As you are, Sunset, you’re already a burden.” The golden mare began to shake harder, but Twilight continued before she broke down. “But you don’t need to be sorry about that. You’ve spent so much time carrying the burdens of others. You fought in a war that you never wanted to fight in in order to protect the Empire. You defended everypony, and because of that, you’re haunted with nightmares that you insist on dealing with yourself. Of course you’d be overwhelmed. So let somepony else help. Let me help.” Sunset’s quaking had subsided as she started at Twilight. “How?” she asked. Good. She was open to it. “First, you’ll sleep in my room, and you’ll tell me whenever you have another nightmare. I’ll be there to soothe you. Second, while the military doctors might be lost, there’s a new government program that might help. I’ve only heard rumors, but it’s designed to help ponies with mental anguish. Most of the military isn’t aware of it yet, but I’ll fight to make sure you’re one of the first patients. And I’ll help in any other way I can. So please, Sunset, let me help you. And if we’re talking about burdens, the greater burden would be you refusing my help,” Twilight finished. Tears were still streaming down Sunset’s face, but after a few moments, she managed to eek out a whisper.“Okay.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After their emotional lunch, Sunset and Twilight planned the move, and over the course of the follow days, they managed to pack up Sunset’s belongs, find space for them in Twilight’s closet, and move the furniture around to allow for a second bed. When it came to the Queen, she was hesitant at first. She cared for Sunset, but she was reluctant to sacrifice any of her precious time with Twilight. But after the Student explained how far gone Sunset was, the Queen happily submitted. It also helped that Twilight promised that they would would still be able to share Luna’s last day in town without interruption. As for Sunset, she was more pleasant to live with now than she ever was at the orphanage, thanking Twilight constantly throughout the move. It helped that Twilight had already managed to get her in to see the new doctor. Sunset was skeptical at first, but after her first two visits, there had already been improvements. The nightmares hadn’t gone away, but with Twilight there, Sunset had finally begun to get enough sleep to function again. And by the end of the second day, she had begun to spend more and more time out of the tower. Everypony involved could tell how life-changing this relocation was. On the day after the move in, Twilight came back from a strategy session with the Queen. They were planning the next phase of the plague removal, which was a huge undertaking. With so little time remaining, part of Twilight would have liked to spend the rest of the day hammering out the details, but she wanted to check in on Sunset. A few good days did not mean she didn’t need Twilight’s company. Besides, it was lunchtime, and there was a new restaurant she was dying to try out. Twilight walked into the room to see Sunset propped up on her bed, her head buried in a book. With Sunset’s bed crammed in, there wasn’t much room for anything other than Twilight’s desk. “Hey,” Twilight said, causing Sunset to look up. “I’m starving, and I’m free for lunch. Do you want to get something to eat?” “No thanks,” Sunset decline with a gentle smile. “I’ve already eaten. Shining came over while you were gone. He brought something from the restaurant that opened last week, and we sat and talked. It was fantastic.” “That’s where I wanted to take you,” Twilight sighed. “Oh well. I’m glad Shining came to visit, and I hope you enjoyed the food. Although, now I’m going to have to go out get something for myself.” “No, please, stay,” Sunset blurted, getting to her hooves. “Shining guessed that you’d try to make it back for lunch, so he brought extra eggplant parm.” Sunset opened the box on Twilight’s desk, revealing the cheesy delights within. Twilight’s mouth was already watering at the sight of it. “Oh yes, thank you! That’s exactly what I wanted,” she exclaimed. Taking a seat on her bed, she leviated the meal by her side before digging in. Sunset smiled as Twilight began enjoying her food. She sat by, watching Twilight eat for a while before speaking again. “Is everything alright, Twilight? You look so tired today.” Twilight paused before remembering that Luna had already given her permission to talk about the project with Sunset. “It’s just the plague,” Twilight confessed, putting her fork down. “As you know, the cure our team has devised is the perfect antidote. But there’s a hitch. The smog that constantly emanates from the sewers at night is laced with the plague; anypony who comes in contact with it ends up infected. Even though the plague has been isolated, the smog is still dangerous. That’s a huge problem on its own, but according to the research team, that smog would take at least five years to dissipate on its own. And who knows how many more ponies will needlessly suffer in that time? “With that in mind, Luna and I have come up with a plan to burn the smog from the sewers. We want to eradicate it in a single night, which means we need more magic than the two of us can produce. To get the amount we need, we’ve begun recruiting unicorns we can trust with the task. So far, that includes myself, Celestia, a selection nobles, former Students, and,” Twilight paused before finally saying, “a few military ponies.” Sunset’s body tensed up, but after a moment, the yellow mare nodded for Twilight to continue. “To top it off, we need more than power. We need to be able to channel the magic in a precise way. There are plenty of unicorns who could do it with weaker magic, but with a spell this potent, one mistake could take out an entire section of the city. To prevent such a disaster, we been searching unicorns with fantastic fine magic skills. But there are so few in the Empire that have the ability, which is only exacerbated by trying to find trustworthy ponies. We’ve gotten more than we’ve expected, but we’ve been struggling to find the last few members for the team. It’s just tiring,” Twilight finished with a heavy sigh. “Could I help?” Sunset asked. Twilight sat up. With Sunset’s condition, she hadn’t expected such a response. “Well, naturally, Luna and I both thought of you. Besides your unparalleled fine magic skills, we both trust you absolutely. But we also know how much you’re dealing with right. Not to mention the military ponies who are going to assist in the operation, which could easily trigger another attack. It might be too much for you right now.” Sunset breathed in deep. “You’re right. With both the stress of such an important undertaking and the presence of military ponies, I wouldn't be able to handle it at the moment. But it’s not happening right now, yes?” Twilight nodded slowly. “I suppose that’s true. At the very least, we would have to wait until Luna and Celestia’s return. And that’s only if we can find enough unicorns by then, too.” “Then I have at least a month to get well enough to assist. I’m under no illusions of being completely healed in only a month. But, with all the support I’m receiving, I think I’ll be well enough to at least help. I don’t want to only be a burden in a month, Twilight, and with both you and the health program you’ve found for me, I know I won’t be. So please, allow me to help. I need to have something to work towards,” Sunset finished, her eyes full of determination. Twilight opened her mouth to object. This project was so important. Could she really risk it all on the vague promise of recovery? But Sunset’s resolved expression silently fought off her worries. If anypony could manage such a recovery, it would be Sunset. “Alright,” Twilight agreed with a nod. “I’ll let Luna know that you’ll be a part of the team.. And I’ll be sure to help with your recovery. With Luna leaving the day after tomorrow, I’ll have plenty of time for you. I’ll not exactly sure how I can help, but I’ll be there for you.” A relieved smile spread across Sunset’s muzzle. “Thank you Twilight. I won’t let you down.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Twilight groaned as she stretched out on Luna’s massive bed. Tonight was the last before Luna’s journey, and the two lovers had gone all out. Shining Armor had taken Sunset out for a night on the town, giving his sister enough time to have a proper goodbye. Once, Twilight might have wondered if something would spring from that, but with Cadance as a partner, she couldn’t imagine Shining doing anything other than being a friend to his comrade. “Up, magelet,” Luna called. Following orders, Twilight rolled back on her stomach, sitting up in bed. Her mane was tangled from her earlier nap, and her clothes were wrinkled, but she was around the only pony where none of that mattered. Their final day had been spent in complete and total isolation, cut off from their responsibilities for a few short hours. Only the periodic delivery of meals interrupted their euphoria. They spent the day talking, cuddling, and kissing. It was pure bliss for Twilight. It’d been perfect. So perfect, that the only flaw was that it had to end so soon. Twilight must have been making a face because Luna slipped into bed and nuzzled her Student close. Forelegs wrapped around the smaller mare, Luna planted a soft kiss on Twilight’s horn. Twilight loved feeling her lover’s flesh against her own; she could feel the unconditional love seep into her. It quelled her worries and assured that no matter what happened, their love would persit. Calmed, Twilight leaned in closer, pressing her head against Luna’s chest. She breathed in her lover’s scent. “I’m gonna miss you,” she mumbled, voice muffled by Luna’s coat. “It’s not fair. It seems like you only just returned from Griffonia, and you already have to go again,” Twilight complained, letting out another little huff. She had tried to be mature, but she couldn’t help her frustration. Luna might be gone for a whole month! And she would lose her best friend, her lover, and her sleepmate all at once. How would she sleep? Sure, Sunset was a roommate, but she would miss her bedmate. She wasn’t sure how she’d manage once she lost her paradise. Luna squeezed her all the tighter, ever so gently pulling Twilight to lie in the bed together. “I know, magelet. It isn’t fair, and I’m going to miss you too. But, it’ll be okay,” Luna whispered, guiding their bodies into their usual configuration. Luna spooned Twilight from behind, her body like the crescent moon in the sky. Twilight’s body easily conformed to fit Luna’s shape. “It’s only going to be for a few weeks. We’ve survived this kind separation before, so we both know the drill. Just keep yourself busy, and you won’t even notice I’m missing,” Luna teased, her muzzle lightly touching Twilight’s nape. Twilight hummed in pleasure, content with the current situation. “I know, I know. And I will be busy. There’s so much to do around there. It feels like it never ends. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss coming back to you every night. I probably won’t be able to sleep,” she complained, rolling over to face Luna. Luna’s caring gaze meeting Twilight’s nervous one. “You know you can contact me at any time,” Luna gently assured. “We have letters and lines of magical communication that are swift, and I can come back at the drop of a hat. You just need to call, and I’ll be on the first airship available.” Luna kissed her deep, and Twilight’s heart pounded. Was tonight going to be the night? At the beginning of their relationship, Luna had been on death’s door, so anything beyond kissing was a no-go. But that had set the tone for the rest of their relationship. They never went beyond this intimacy. She loved that they didn’t need more to love each other, loved the way they touched and intermingled. But, the night before their long separation, Twilight secretly hoped that they could take the next step. She’d yearned for it, hoped for it, and finally it may be given to her. Her blood burned as Luna’s body overpowered hers, the Queen’s hooves beginning to reach for unexplored regions. It felt like lunacy had taken control of the Queen, and the Student was ready to surrender to it as well. Twilight had almost felt herself melt entirely when Luna suddenly broke off. Breathing heavily, the Queen pushed herself up and ran a hoof through her mane. “We must stop,” she insisted between breaths. Twilight couldn’t help but stare in disbelief. They had been so close. They were almost there. And then Luna ran away. Luna had rejected her. “But I’m ready,” Twilight insisted, trying to hide her hurt. Luna sighed. “It’s not a matter of readiness, but an issue of timing. It isn’t the right moment. But there will be plenty of moments, magelet. You are young, and I am immortal. So why should we rush anything?” Trying to read between the lines, Twilight tried to figure out what was really bothering her lover. “If this is about the rumors, I’m not worried about them. They can burn in Tartarus for all I care! I just want to be close to you.” “This isn’t about the rumors,” Luna insisted. “It’s just not the right time. I can feel it in my body. Most of the time I’m with you, I only feel the love. But there’s a madness that I have to keep at bay. It tells me to throw all caution to the wind, and devour you. It screams to make you mine forever. It isn’t a voice of gentle love, but of possessive lust. I’ve lived long enough to see how quickly relationships of lust fall apart. I never want that for us. Instead, I want to continue building on love, so we will be together until the end of our days.” Luna’s eyes glowed with affection, and Twilight’s pain melted away. Instead of the burning, overwhelming feeling from before, she felt the warmth of Luna’s love. And between the two, Twilight would always choose this heat. Sitting up, Twilight embraced the Queen. “I love you, Luna,” Twilight whispered. “I love you too, Twilight,” Luna assured, hugging her Student back. As she did, Twilight felt fatigue wash over her. In her embrace, Twilight could surrender to it. As she relaxed in her lover’s arms, she heard Luna’s voice whisper, “Sleep well, magelet.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After that lovely night, Twilight was forced to say goodbye to her lover. She walked with her to the docks, stood with her as the airship was loaded, and waved goodbye as she was pulled away. She kept waving until the ship disappeared into the horizon. She would have stayed at the airship docks the entire day if she hadn’t had an appointment with the other Goddess. Like her sister, Celestia was also going out on a fundraising mission. Unlike her sister, however, she was leaving tomorrow. And for some reason, she had requested Twilight’s presence before she left. Twilight felt annoyed at the obligation, but she had agreed to the occasional meetings with Celestia, so she reluctantly agreed. In the early afternoon, the two convened in Celestia’s receiving room for tea. So far, their meeting was amiable, but nothing extraordinarily. They had exchanged pleasantries, sticking mostly to the topics of tea, food, and weather. Nothing meaningful had been discussed, and as Twilight poured herself another cup of tea, she began to fear this meeting would be a complete waste of time. As Celestia finished her second cup of tea, however, she finally turned to a serious topic. “I know that it’s only been a few hours since my sister’s departure, but the nobles seem to be behaving thus far,” she quipped. “Yes,” Twilight agreed. “It seems like Fleur is keeping the nobles at bay, although we won’t know for sure until you leave tomorrow. But, she’s a pony of her word, and I trust that she’ll keep her nobles in check.” At least, Twilight hoped she’d be able to. The temptation of a coup might be too great. Celestia smiled securely. “I’m not worried about our noblesse causing any huge problems. I know that deep down, our nobles are capable of the best. You’ve seen just how amazing they can be, yes?” Twilight tried not to scoff. “Well, I’m not worried about Cadance or Silverhorn, obviously, and with her promise, Fleur isn’t an issue either. But with both you and the Queen gone, some of the hothead nobles, such as Blueblood, might try to seize power. I just hope that Fleur’s grip will hold.” Celestia took a second to think it over, the alabaster mare looking out towards the sun shining in through the window. It looked dazzling against her mane, the bright light making all the colors gleam so wondrously. “I don’t believe we have to worry so much, Student Twilight. I don’t share the same fears as my sister. I believe in the nobles of Canterlot; I can see their goodness. That’s what makes this city so fantastic. Despite the infighting and flaws, our city is beautiful. Wouldn’t you agree, Student Twilight?” Celestia asked, directing her attention back to her guest. Twilight scowled as she processed Celestia’s words. “I can’t say that I’m of the same opinion, Princess, although I can understand why you think so. From up here, the city might look kind, but from my foalhood, I know it’s anything but. In the lower districts, I’ve seen the worst of the plague stricken districts. I’ve walked among the corpses that lined the street. I’ve smelled the rot rising from the sewers underground. And I know that living in such conditions changes a pony. None of that happens up here, because the nobles keep it all locked away in the lower districts. It may seem beautiful from up here, but a nice facade doesn’t make a city great.” As Twilight finished, Celestia nodded slowly, her smile starting to dim as Twilight’s words sunk it. “I can see why you’d think that, Student Twilight. I know that life hasn’t been kind to you, and almost anypony in the lower district would probably say the same thing. It’s not surprising, given the circumstances. Quite frankly, I would be more surprised if you did agree with my assessment. As proud as both my sister and I are of your progress, you are still from the lower parts of the city, after all,” she noted. At Celestia’s remark, Twilight felt the anger rise. She lifted her head, shooting a sharp look towards her host. “I do not know what you mean by that, Princess. I’m proud of being from the lower districts, and I’m not going to develop from being a lower-classed unicorn. Nor do I particularly care if I am. Many of the ponies I met down there have more merit than any of the nobles or-” A raised hoof cut her off. “I’m sorry, Twilight; I didn’t mean it like that. Of course there is nothing wrong with being from the lower districts, and I regret that what I said could be construed as such. All I meant was that we’re proud of how much you’ve managed to do in such a short time. You weren’t born with the resources you have now, yet you’ve done more since you’ve gained the position of Student than most will do in their entire lives. And that only makes me think of all the Twilight’s we’ve missed over the years. How many lower districts unicorns were passed over because the magical aptitude test doesn’t happen often enough? How many brilliant pegasi and earth ponies have been overlooked because we lack the means to test them?” Celestia lamented, letting out a sad sigh. “That’s why I wanted to have these little meetings with you. I’ve tried to converse with all of my sister’s Students at least once, but not all of them have made me want to continue our conversations. Quite a few of them are downright ill-mannered, if I may be so blunt. But you aren’t one of them. You haven't let the position go to your head, and you’re still doing such wonderful work. I’m in awe of you, Twilight. That’s all I meant,” Celestia insisted The door opened before Twilight could answer, allowing a pony in a maid’s uniform to step in. She darted to their table, quickly piling up the empty and dirty dishes onto a cart she wheeled into the room. “Can I get you anything else, Your Majesty?” she asked, slightly shaking. Her eyes darted between the Princess and the Student, and Twilight couldn’t help but feel for the mare. Celestia gently shook her head, her mane flowing around her neck from the movement. “No thank you, Quill. Twilight and I are quite satisfied with the refreshments. You’ve done very well,” she reassured. The mare beamed, her tail swishing in delight. She blushed a deep red and bowed her head. “Thank you, Your Majesty, Student Twilight,” she squeaked, before practically sprinting away with the cart. Celestia waited for the door to close behind her to resume the conversation. “I’m sorry about that. She’s a new hire and serving the two of us is probably the most nerve-wracking thing she has ever done. Let us continue, yes?” Celestia asked, gesturing across the table towards Twilight. At Celestia’s gesture, Twilight took a moment to realize how far she’d come. Not too long ago, she would have been like Quill, unable to speak in front of one of the Goddesses. But now, she felt comfortable disagreeing with one of them. She supposed that Celestia was right. She had changed. “Thank you for your apology, Celestia,” Twilight began. “And I’m sorry that I made assumptions without hearing you out. I know that you hold no ill-will towards the common ponies. It’s just that dealing with the constant deluge of snide comments from nobles has made me sensitive to any comment concerning the lower districts. It’s just so infuriating. It’s like they think we’re inherently dumb and are beyond learning.” Celestia nodded grimly. “Unfortunately, I’ve seen that too. It’s a terrible shame that those who are tasked with guiding others should see them in such a light. It’s actually something that I’ve been trying to change. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the movement to mandate education amongst the servants. It’s something that Cadance and I have worked on in the past few months.” “No, I’m afraid I haven’t,” Twilight said, shaking her head, “but it sounds like a fantastic idea. Everypony needs education, but with only the nobles and richest merchants being able to afford it, it seems like a fantasy to most.” “Education is crucial,” Celestia agreed. “Although, while educating all common ponies would be the ideal, we’ve decided to focus on the servants of the nobles. There are a few of them that already educate their servants, although most only spend the bits to educate the most loyal. Fleur herself is one of the rare exceptions, with all of her servants receiving an education befitting a merchant’s foal.” That earned an arched eyebrow from Twilight. “Fleur? Although, now that you’ve mentioned, I suppose can see it. She does take her responsibilities as a noble quite seriously.” Celestia nodded with a small smile. “She really does. So much so that Cadance and I were hoping that we could collaborate with her to expand our efforts. Her support would be instrumental in convincing the noble class to fulfill their duties to those they directly care for. And with her aid, the education efforts could continue while I’m off raising money for the cure. The only problem is that neither Cadance nor myself are on the best of terms with Fleur.” Celestia paused, giving Twilight a hopeful look. “With that in mind, I was wondering if you could speak with her on our behalf? It’s already something she agrees with, and with you advocating for it, I’m sure she will accept. Can you please talk with her, Twilight? It would mean a lot to me,” Celestia pleaded. Twilight almost wanted to groan when she realized this request had been the reason Celestia wanted to meet with her. It shouldn’t surprise her; when the stakes are this high, nothing iks straightforward. But Twilight had been around long enough to learn how to play the game. “Of course, Princess Celestia. I’ll happily do this favor for you,” she said, emphasizing the word ‘favor.’ Catching her meaning, Celestia playfully smiled. “Thank you very much, Student Twilight. I will not forget your generosity.