//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: A Place In Her Heart // Story: The Folly Of Princesses // by Steel Resolve //------------------------------// Midnight Oil was not a happy pony. True, he was happier than he’d been in some time, having only recently returned from his long-belated honeymoon. He’d also been given a chance to prove himself worthy of the trust of both princesses of the realm, and he at last felt rested for the first time in several years. But these things did not help him when life decided to drop headaches in his lap on a consistent basis. His latest headache had come in the form of a report from Celestia’s intelligence network. They had been keeping tabs on both of the sisters to ensure their safety, being instructed to adopt a strict policy of noninterference unless taking action was integral to protecting them. Midnight was uncertain if he agreed with the agent in question, but one of them had apparently decided that a reporter spying on Princess Luna’s private affairs justified that reporter’s subsequent kidnapping and detainment, reasoning that it was to protect her reputation. He sighed heavily, taking two pills from a small bottle in his desk drawer and swallowing them with a swig of water. He allowed himself just a moment to reflect on the fact that he had more or less wanted all of this: to be useful, and help shoulder the load of government from two beings who had been doing far too much. True, he hadn’t known just what he was inviting into his life, but the choice had been his. This current choice was a difficult one: to leave the reporter to stew for a while, or set him loose with the potential for not only an unflattering and potentially scandalous story about Princess Luna, but also on his own ‘unjustified’ arrest. To make matters all the more complicated, the reporter in question was not exactly a fan of Luna’s; being one of the former members of Princess Celestia’s Press Corps that had been ousted by Luna after she took up for her sister while Celestia recovered. On the one hoof, there was ample reason to punish him on the grounds that he’d been trespassing on private property, taking unauthorized photos, and spying on a government official. But if Midnight did punish the stallion for those specific actions, Luna might take that as ample reason to act on some of her bluster about tarring and feathering the lot of them for their unflattering depictions of her actions. He was fairly sure it was bluster, at least. He was content that she saw reason enough not to act on it if it was not. A decision had to be made, however. While the newspony wasn’t exactly being imprisoned, he was being held against his will in a guest bedroom in the palace. Which was close enough to imprisonment to make Midnight very uncomfortable. All things considered, it would be easiest for all concerned if the newspony agreed to keep silent in return for leniency on his own offenses. That seemed unlikely to work even as Midnight mused about it. Reasonable ponies didn’t spy on other ponies in hopes of catching them doing something untoward. Midnight didn’t feel like it was a great leap in logic to assume Luna had been doing something very much untoward, but she’d had the good sense to keep whatever it was as her own private business, and while he hated the idea of stifling the press, there were some matters one did not tolerate being aired out in public. He looked up from the report, readied a fresh scroll, and penned a quick reply to the agent who had reported the incident, instructing them to make their ‘guest’ comfortable and to await further instructions. He then sent a request for two guards to be posted on the ‘empty room’ to ensure nopony attempted to leave it without authorization, and arranged for dinner service to be sent as well, as the agent could not exactly go out for a bite, nor could he get food for the guest. As much as he hated the idea, keeping the newspony where he was did no further harm than had already been done. Midnight wanted Luna to weigh in on the matter before he was comfortable taking further action. He put the matter out of his mind, turning his attention to the responses he’d received from Manehatten and Baltimare regarding the need for judges in Canterlot. As he’d suspected, there was not exactly a surplus amongst standing judges, but each city did have a considerable pool of retired ones, as current policy was to retire them after at most two decades of service to keep the perspectives of the ponies holding the position somewhat fresh. While many went on to practice law in the private sector, some simply chose to take their pension, and these were the ones that interested Midnight the most. He understood why the term limits were imposed, as even the best public servants could (would) succumb to stress otherwise, but that probably didn’t mean all of them were happy about their forced inactivity. He allowed himself a smile, satisfied that at least one thing was going as planned. Within a matter of days he expected to be seeing prospects for the lower courts, and they would uniformly be experienced judges from cities much larger than Canterlot. With all the trifles attended to, Celestia and Luna’s judgement could be reserved for the truly important matters. It would free them to the point that they would actually be able to have lives without the entire nation devolving into a state of chaos. Perhaps then Princess Luna wouldn’t feel the need to sneak out. Credit where it was due on that count at least, she’d stopped sneaking after becoming the only functional princess in the nation. Now she simply let him know she would be out for a while, then dumped another pile of headaches into his lap. He suspected Luna and Life were in cahoots, both started with an L after all. He turned his attention back to the spy’s report. While he himself did not wish to pry into her affairs, he did wonder why Luna’s comings and goings centered around the home of Fancy Pants. The pictures enclosed were vague, only showing her entering and leaving, and typically during the various parties Fancy would throw, but by itself that told him little, as a number of ponies attended. Fancy wasn’t well known for anything in particular, which could mean that he was simply a very boring pony; Or that he was a master of discretion in all things. After having met the stallion several times, Midnight was convinced it was the latter. It in turn made him suspect that Luna went there to have a clandestine tryst with somepony, as was known to happen more often than not at Fancy’s parties. He shook his head, pushing aside his misgivings. It was her business, after all, and as long as it didn’t blow up in their faces and give the press more ammunition for calling her decisionmaking into question, he wouldn’t pry. It just made him wonder why it was she felt she could not trust him with her love life while she entrusted him with the very welfare of the nation. Perhaps it was worth asking about. Celestia treaded lightly as she descended the stairs to the library’s basement. There was a certain illicit thrill to it, as she recognized that Twilight had made this into a deeply personal space, more so than even Twilight’s own bedroom. All around were the chemicals Pinkie had spoken of, various high-end calculating machines, and the shelves upon shelves of reference guides on what Celestia presumed to be every topic imaginable. And in the middle of it all, Twilight stood frowning at a large chalkboard, scribbling calculations into it and occasionally groaning while erasing large sections of an equation that apparently didn’t work to her satisfaction. “Twilight?” Celestia said as quietly as she could, hoping not to alarm her student overly much. “Gah!” The next instant was a flurry of activity as Twilight spun around to see Celestia, then quickly used her magic to flip the chalkboard. She then quickly flipped it again as she apparently realized she didn’t want the other side to be in plain sight either (Celestia caught a brief glimpse of stick figures she supposed were meant to be Pinkie and Twilight) before finally teleporting a drop cloth from somewhere and hastily arranging it over the chalkboard. “Hey!” Pinkie exclaimed from upstairs. “Where’d the tablecloth go?” “Princ—” Twilight began before snapping her mouth closed, earning her a little smile from Celestia. “Celestia! Hi! Is dinner ready already?” Celestia nodded as she finished trotting down the stairs, coming to a stop beside Twilight and looking up at the chalkboard. “Some vexing problem, I take it?” “Gals, I think we might have ghosts, or magicians... or the ghosts of magicians!” Pinkie called downstairs. “Ooh! Maybe the tablecloth was a ghost this whole time! Spooooky!” “N-nothing I can’t figure out!” Twilight said quickly. “We should probably head up. We don’t want to keep Pinkie waiting.” “True, but we should bring her the tablecloth before she starts telling the tale of the late Hoofdini.” Celestia said with a chuckle. “Oh, I... um... I mean is a tablecloth really that important?” Twilight asked, visibly starting to sweat under Celestia’s gaze. Celestia allowed one single eyebrow to raise slightly above the other. “Right... I’ll bring it back upstairs.” Twilight said, her shoulders slumping. Celestia’s horn flashed, sending the tablecloth back to its previous position. Upstairs, Pinkie gasped, then began stomping in appreciation. “Encore! Encore!” What was revealed under the cloth somewhat surprised Celestia. She realised she’d seen parts of it before. It was a massive equation with various corrections and additions, all pointing to a single, unsolvable problem. It seemed as much chalk dust as fresh chalk marks, as could be testified by the various nubs of white contained in a little tray just below the board. “What am I looking at, Twilight?” Celestia asked in a tone that even to her own ears sounded reverent. As much as it was hard to grasp the intent, it was easy enough to respect the sheer work put into the equation. “The ‘Pinkie versus Not Pinkie problem’,” Twilight answered with an equally quiet tone. “Or, as best as I can express it with math.” “Is... is that why you have so many—” “Unknowns, yes. So many to account for,” Twilight replied, letting out a frustrated little sigh. “And... you’re trying to express your marefriend in mathematics because—” “Because... Because I understand math, and I hoped it would help me understand her. And hopefully understand how I can best make her happy.” The moment was so solemn between them that when the first giggle bubbled its way out of Celestia’s mouth her eyes opened wide in shock and dismay. It was not mocking in any way, and in fact was more than half hysterical in nature. She understood how Twilight might feel the way she did, but the very idea that Pinkie of all ponies was difficult to make happy was so ridiculous that it was impossible not to laugh, no matter how Celestia tried to hold it back. Twilight stared at her, first in confusion, which quickly morphed into annoyance. “What’s so funny?” she demanded before quickly clamping her mouth shut and attempting to stammer out an apology. “D-don’t apologize, that was very rude of me!” Celestia said, still not quite able to keep a grin off her face. “I just... Twilight, my poor Twilight... I don’t think you’ve ever misunderstood a pony more than Pinkie.” “Misunderstood...” Twilight trailed off before whipping her gaze at the chalkboard. “I’ve studied her for months just trying to get the barest understanding of her! And now you’re telling me everything I’ve figured out is wrong?!” “Not wrong, exactly...” Celestia replied, studying the equations as well. “You’re simply too engrossed in the overall enigma of her when what you really want to know is the simplest thing of all.” She erased a tiny ‘x’ next to an amazingly complex formula, writing in another symbol entirely that looked a bit like a smile turned sideways: “There.” Twilight scrutinized the addition, frowning. “That’s not a solution, it’s just the expression of the amount of happiness she creates in others.” “And that is what makes Pinkie the happiest.” Celestia replied. Twilight shook her head. “Ponies don’t work like that. They have goals, likes and dislikes, f-fetishes—” she managed to say with a blush burning hot on her cheeks. “Oh, I’m certain Pinkie has those as well. But very few things bring her as much joy as seeing other ponies happy, and the ones she loves best make her happier still.” “It can’t be that simple...” Twilight whispered as she actually reached out and touched the chalk with her hoof. “Pinkie is amazingly complex about some things, Twilight. But not about this. You want to make her happy? Be happy with her. Enjoy your time together. Have fun, for goodness sake!” Twilight looked at the chalkboard for a while, saying nothing. She eventually allowed her shoulders to slump. “Of course it’s that simple. I’m an idiot. It was staring me in the face the whole time. I just didn’t want to believe it.” Celestia reached out with a wing, laying the tip on Twilight’s shoulder. “You should tell her. She’s been worried.” “No.” Twilight said firmly. “I’ve worried her enough already. I’ll just tell her everything is fine—” She stopped as Celestia shook her head. “What?” “You’ve been avoiding talking to her, and it’s worrying her far more than if you were just honest with her.” Celestia said. “Honesty is just as important in a relationship as in a friendship, if not more so.” Twilight opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and closed it again. She stared furiously at the chalkboard and began pacing back and forth, frowning. “Fine,” she said, finally. “I’ll tell her after dinner.” Celestia restrained the urge to sweep her student up in a hug, deeming it to be too motherly of a reaction, but she was very proud of Twilight for her resolution. “I’m sure she’ll be relieved. I am as well, actually. I’d gotten a bit wrapped up in my own relaxation, and the idea that I’d missed seeing that you were troubled was very disheartening. I had promised to help you, if I could. I feel like I’ve been failing you in that.” Twilight scrambled about to face Celestia, looking alarmed. “Nonono! You’re supposed to be resting, that’s the whole point of having you here instead of in the capital! I mean, it’s been wonderful to have you here as well but you need to recover eventually and if you won’t let me try anything to help—” “No,” Celestia interjected, in a firm voice that she tried to temper the harshness out of as much as she could. “I didn’t say I was going to, just that you didn’t want me to. It’s not like I’ve been collecting ideas in a drawer at the bottom of my work desk. That would be silly!” Twilight’s eyes shifted away from Celestia’s accusing gaze to one such drawer before quickly shifting them away somewhere else while letting out a nervous laugh. “In any case, I wouldn’t actually try any of them without your permission.” “I... suppose working on theories is no harm. It’s the implementation that got us where we are.” Celestia replied, feeling a little relieved that Twilight seemed to have at least given up on attempting anything risky, despite still studying the problem. “Right,” Twilight said, nodding perhaps a little too quickly. “So, uh, dinner. We should eat that. Let me just put a few things away and I’ll be right up!” Celestia looked at Twilight for a long moment, trying to decide if she’d managed to ferret out Twilight’s most immediate worries or if there was something else bothering her. She couldn’t quite have said why, just that she had a feeling that another horseshoe was about to drop. Eventually, she relented, reasoning that trying to solve every one of Twilight’s emotional problems before dinner might be a tall order even for her. So she gave Twilight a quick but affectionate nuzzle then walked upstairs, brandishing a brand new smile she’d made up on the spot. It was nice to try out a new one every once in a while, as the old tried and true ones tended to feel a bit worn over time. Pinkie sat at the table waiting for them, studiously looking in any direction but the door to the basement and being incredibly obvious about it. Pinkie’s eyes locked with hers the moment her head was visible, and she silently mouthed the question: “How did it go?” Celestia smiled a little wider, and mouthed back: “Great!” She then trotted over to the table, laying out silverware for their meal. “What was wrong?” Pinkie asked, still watching in the direction of the door for Twilight to emerge. “She was working on a math problem she couldn’t seem to solve.” Celestia replied. “The way she was going about it was impossible, however, so I gave her a nudge to get her back on the right path.” Slowly, Pinkie’s worried frown began to mirror Celestia’s smile. Celestia had to admit, the smile looked better on Pinkie than it felt on her own face. “Okay! So she’s just being Twi-twi! That’s good! I mean, not good, but better than what I was worried about.” Pinkie sat back in the chair, looking far more relaxed than she’d been all afternoon. “So, what was it this time? The rabbit population? World hunger?” “Much more personal.” Celestia said as she sat down. “She’s just obsessing over how to make you happy.” “Really?” Pinkie asked, looking a little dumbstruck. “That’s it?” Celestia nodded, and Pinkie wiped the back of her hoof over her brow, flicking away a drop of sweat. “You’re apparently quite the enigma to smarter ponies.” “Phew! I was afraid it was something else! See, we’ve got this third date thing which isn’t really our third date it’s just the third time we’ve done something datelike since I broke up with her and then she broke up with me and anyway I was thinking maybe she was all stressed out about it because she promised to plan it out and she hasn’t said anything about it in a while!” Pinkie took a brief moment to inhale half of the available air in the room, then continued with: “I’m really, really glad it’s not that.” There it is! Astra said with evident amusement. Saw that coming from a mile, no, several miles away. Celestia felt a growing sense of dread creep up on her as she remembered her brief glimpse of the stick figures on the other side of the chalkboard. Ah, here we are. The two of them at dinner, branching paths of various scenarios... Celestia heard the sound of Astra clucking her tongue in disappointment. She does not think much of her odds in any of these. Even less as the evening progresses. How could she possibly think Pinkie would be anything but delighted just to have a nice evening with her? “It’s... it’s not like it’s super important.” Pinkie said with a bright red blush on her cheeks. “It’s just... that’s the important one, right? The one where you... you know. We haven’t... not since it all went wrong. I want it to be right. Special. No games, y’know? Not this time.” Oh. Even Astra seemed less flippant upon hearing Pinkie’s explanation. It’s that date. That... explains quite a bit. Doesn’t it? Celestia opened her mouth, though what she was going to say was unclear even to her. To confirm Pinkie’s suspicions was to send her into another cycle of worry, and since Twilight had promised to make the plans herself, it would be fruitless and helpless worry. But it felt awful to lie and reassure her that everything was fine knowing it wasn’t. She was spared temporarily from that decision by Twilight finally making her way up the stairs, smiling sheepishly even in the face of the oncoming pink train that threatened to send both of them toppling back down said stairs. She caught Pinkie in her arms while simultaneously side-stepping the entrance of the stairway in a move that looked like a rehearsed dance. Enjoyable to see, but just a little too practiced to have not been necessitated by many such near disasters. Twilight hugged Pinkie back in what was surely a mareculean effort, given the strength of an earth pony hug, and knowing Pinkie’s in particular. Twilight whispered something in Pinkie’s ear, which caused Pinkie to hug her tighter for a moment before releasing her, to the evident regret of one and the relief of the other. Celestia was forced to delve into her collection of practiced smiles while she considered what to do. Part of her wished to stand aside and let events unfold as they would, trusting that all would be well even if things went badly. That was, after all, how everything turned out on a long enough time scale: well. However she’d seen firsthoof the heartache these two could put each other through while wanting nothing more than to make the other happy. Of course, there was the vocal and opinionated part that had literally manifested into its own persona in her head, which would have her scoop both of them up and preempt any potentially disastrous plans by simply throwing them both into bed and showing them in the most direct way how very much they were worthy of love. Twilight sat down for dinner, and Pinkie began serving. It was a single moment of simple happiness. Celestia always felt a little guilty witnessing such moments, like a peeping tom, even knowing they both welcomed it. They were an odd trio. The ageless mare who’d been cursed to love from without, finally invited in and unsure what to do. The mare who made her happiness from the joy of others, and Twilight, always, it seemed, the odd one out no matter what she attempted to do. Inexplicably feeling unsure of her own worth despite being valued beyond measure by the two of them. Celestia replaced her polished smile with another. It was newly forged from determination, tempered in red hot love and passion, shaped by a hammer of will, and quenched in resolve. Twilight was having a problem with her plans. They worried her. That worried Celestia. Twilight was nothing if not a planner, but perhaps... Perhaps she simply wasn’t experienced enough with these sorts of plans just yet. Celestia was very, very good at planning. And if so required she could plan around the plans of others. Luna frowned at Fancy Pants, not quite sure what to say. The advancement of the deserving seemed a rather sensible thing, and her sister was nothing if not sensible. “What do you mean she tried? Was there some sort of uprising against her because of it? Because if so, let them protest. We will have Our will done.” Fancy shook his head solemnly. “No, Luna. There was no outcry. I simply told her I wouldn’t have it.” “What...” Luna’s frown deepened. “Why would you... Fancy, you’re more than worthy of a higher standing amongst your peers! I scarcely can think of them as your ‘peers’ in truth. Elevating you would only make it clearer that they are beneath you.” “I’m not worthy, Luna. That is what I told her. I thanked her, of course, because it’s wonderful to be thought of so highly by the Ruler of the Realm—” “By both of them.” Luna said firmly. “Yes, well, you weren’t quite yourself at the time. Or even known to exist beyond legend, for that matter. Suffice to say, I didn’t wish it, and I still don’t. A new title won’t gain me any respect beyond what I’ve managed to finagle on my own, and might actually lose me some standing from ponies who believed I was abusing our...” He paused for a long moment, considering, and continued with: “That I was abusing our relationship, as it were.” Luna considered his words for some time, feeling dissatisfied with them. Fancy was being just like her Middy, refusing gifts she wished to bestow which in turn made her feel oddly powerless to express her affection. The more she thought about it, the more she became concerned with the implications of his words. “Would... would the revelation of my affection for Fleur cause you problems, Fancy?” At that moment Luna was privy to something she had never before seen; Fancy Pants looked uncomfortable. It was oddly endearing, and in another context she might have wanted to give him a hug, but in this one it simply confirmed her fears. “I... might be seen as a bit less of a stallion by those that care about that sort of thing. Then again, what stallion could possibly compete with one of the leaders of our land?” Luna frowned. There was no question in her mind of Fancy’s virility. She’d experienced it firsthoof, after all. That being said, it wasn’t a thing she was eager to proclaim to the rooftops. “I’m honestly more concerned that it would be seen as some sort of means to an end to attaining your personal favor. It comes with a similar set of shackles that Princess Celestia’s offer did. I may have been born into wealth, but my social standing I had to earn by being a crafty scamp. If I am perceived to have convinced you to hoof over the treasury I begin to look less the rogue and more the cheat, you see? Some might see me as having traded my darling for your personal attention and support.” “But that’s patently untrue!” Luna said, slamming a hoof down on the table and making her glass shake and splash water everywhere. “You were some of my first and most supporting friends, and... then Fleur...” Luna blushed furiously as she remembered the impudent smile and the stolen kiss. “R-regardless, my attention is not so cheaply bought. Which is not to say that either of you are not treasures, and certainly do have my attention—” She stopped, feeling flustered. Fancy smiled wryly. “I understand. But perception is far more important than truth to the foolish, and my peers are very foolish. My worries were much the same as my friendship with Princess Celestia developed. So... while I appreciate the offer, I’m afraid I must decline any favor you wish to bestow on me personally.” Luna opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again, pouting. She was beginning to question the use of having unlimited political power if she could not grant boons to her valued servants and loved ones, nor could she punish her enemies with impunity. “Very well, Fancy,” she said at last. “Thank you, Luna,” Fancy replied, looking considerably more relaxed than he had since she’d brought the discussion up. “I do appreciate that you consider me so highly.” Luna nodded brusquely, still pouting. She resolved to gift Fleur with a large shipment of tobacco, reasoning that if the gift were one pony removed it would perhaps be less problematic. Failing that, she’d have to resort to making the ponies of the Black Hoof deliver her gifts instead. She half considered taking them on as retainers. She yawned suddenly, remembering that it was still quite late, or early, depending on one’s point of view. “Yes, well, I think I’m going to go rejoin Fleur. I did promise her, after all.” “I’ll be along shortly,” Fancy said, picking up a book and opening it at the marker. “I’d like to finish this chapter.” Luna nodded, waving backwards as she went back down the hall. Her thoughts were plagued with new concerns. She did not wish to cause Fancy trouble in her declaration, but neither did she wish to hide it. Both Fleur and he deserved her acknowledgment, adoration, and more besides. This new age had such interesting ideas about love, but in some ways the tired old ways held sway. Friends could and did enjoy each other with little to no social stigma, but couples were still expected to adhere to the vows spoken to each other. And while that was fine for some, it was clearly not for all. She herself could not claim to understand, as she had very nearly cost herself her friendships with Fluttershy and Rarity in her naivete. Bonds meant for two did not so easily accept a third. The bond between Fancy and Fleur was made of different stuff than most. It was strong, but flexible where others were rigid. Nothing could hope to break it, not even the new one between Fleur and herself, for it fit neatly within the larger bond. But while she knew that, it would prove difficult to explain to the populace. They may very well think him less for having ‘lost’ his wife, even to one such as Luna. Stopping at a window, she glared out at the city balefully. Luna knew exactly which ponies would mock Fancy behind his back. She’d interacted in at least small ways with the majority of the power in the city, and had made a list of those troublesome souls. She kept it in a small lockbox near her bed, and sometimes dreamed of the night she would have them rounded up and executed. At other times she dreamed more darkly and slew them herself. Those were... therapeutic. But despite her own occasional proclamations, she was well aware this could not come to pass. Smiting one’s enemies was too simple for this new age. Better to turn them to allies through persuasion, or at the least make them stay out of her way through intimidation. Knowing this did not make it less pleasant to dream about. Fleur was already asleep as Luna returned to the master bed, though her posture seemed fitful. Luna eased herself into bed next to her, and immediately felt white manicured hooves latch around her barrel in a tight embrace. She struggled for air for a brief moment before willing herself calm, reminding herself that despite habit she did not need to breathe as often as normal ponies did, or at all if it came to it. Nevertheless, it did feel better when the grip eased, allowing her chest to rise and fall as it normally did. She smiled, affectionately gathering Fleur into the embrace of her outstretched wing and nuzzling her. “What shall We do, Dame?” she asked quietly in the darkness. Fleur offered no response, having slipped into a deeper sleep with a tiny smile on her lips. Luna smiled back, despite knowing there was nopony to see it. Without the fear of being the cause of a broken marriage, being with Fleur was a pure and simple joy the likes of which she’d not experienced since— “Since her,” Luna said out loud, a little wonderingly. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen a trait in Fleur that Blossom had shared in kind. For two ponies separated by centuries and social status alike they had so many little habits in common. Or, perhaps, it was simply that Luna noticed them all the more for being endeared to both. What surprised her most was not that her mind held forth the comparison, but that it brought no accompanying pain in her heart with it. It was pleasant to think of Blossom, to remember long years together. She yawned, laying her head down on the pillow next to Fleur’s. Her ears perked up as she heard Fleur laugh in the distance. She blinked, looking down to find the stonework and greenery of her personal garden, looking just as it had so many nights before. Above, the field of stars twinkled, and her moon hung low, as if spying upon her. She wandered for a time, following the hushed voices of what she had realized were two mares, one she recognized as Fleur’s, the other she found achingly familiar. “Ma Petite!” Fleur called out as Luna rounded a corner to find the speakers sitting together on a bench. “You join us at last!” she patted the stone slab directly next to her. Luna did as she was bid, feeling a little confused that she was being invited to sit in her own garden. She was more so by the pony sitting next to Fleur. Seeing them both side by side was jarring enough to wake her mind from its dreaming state to a much more aware one. “She is tres bon, Princesse,” Fleur said with a knowing smile. “I see why you love her.” “Fleur... what?” Luna managed to say eventually. Fleur shrugged. “I am as mystified as yourself. I was dreaming of some dreary party and decided to step away, then I found a large door with a crescent symbol. I opened it, and found this garden, and Ms. Blossom on the other side.” “Blossom is fine, Dame De Lis,” Night Blossom said with a smile. “If we’re going to use titles, I would have to ask what one calls the lover of a Princess,” Fleur retorted with an even bigger smile. “The caretaker, of course,” Blossom responded with a little laugh. Fleur joined in, leaving Luna to stare at both of them wondering if she’d gone mad again. It was something one always had to consider, having lost one’s sanity once before. “You... don’t question any of this, Fleur?” Luna asked. Fleur shrugged once more. It was a languid and fluid movement that spoke of utter relaxation and distinct lack of care. “We are dreaming, non? To see loved ones long gone is something one can expect.” She looked around nervously and added in undertone, “I hope this is your dream and not mine, I am not ready to see grand-mère et grand-père just yet...” “But... I only just fell asleep,” Luna protested. “And you were here before me, clearly... for you’ve been talking to each other for some time—” “Not for so very long,” Fleur answered. “Long enough to exchange names, and for me to recognize hers. Since then we’ve been speaking of you very much.” Luna’s mind boggled, wondering once again at the odd way in which time worked in her realm, or rather, the way it did not. Mere moments could pass in a dream only for hours to have gone by in the waking world. The opposite was equally likely. Scientists had been studying the phenomenon for generations and making very little progress beyond getting a lot of napping done. Since her return she’d had several groups approach her about being taken physically into her realm, and she’d turned them all down, claiming it would be far too dangerous. Experiencing the effects herself outside of her own created dreams, she began to entertain taking a device or two with her, to satiate her own curiosity as much as theirs. As much as dreams were her domain, she had so little true understanding of that which she was ruler of. Blossom embraced her as she sat between the two of them, whispering in her ear: “I like her. She seems good for you.” Luna nodded dumbly, uncertain of what to say when one’s long dead lover expresses approval of the current one. ‘Thank you’ seemed a little trite, and she was uncertain how she felt about discussing Fleur with said long dead lover, much less while Fleur herself sat on her other side. “She’s flustered, I think,” Fleur said from her other side. “I-I am not!” Luna said vehemently, glaring daggers at Fleur while trying desperately to stop blushing. “She’s definitely flustered.” Blossom said, standing up and studying Luna intently. “See how the muscles just under her muzzle move? She’s trying to keep her teeth from grinding together.” “Really?” Fleur replied, looking curiously upward, then nodding. “Ah, I see. I watch her wings instead. Her posture shifts just a little and they begin to lift from her side.” Luna huddled into herself, spreading her wings in a sudden broad sweep to push both of them away. There was a shocked silence, followed by Blossom saying: “Oh dear, we’ve offended the Princess.”   Fleur laughed heartily, and peeked at Luna from under her wing. “Non, she is pouting, now.” “We are not pouting!” Luna said in a voice that reverberated throughout the garden, startling several species of wildlife in the process. “Shhhh,” Fleur said as she ducked under the wing to nuzzle against Luna’s burning cheek, giving it a little affectionate peck. “No harm was meant, ma petite.” Slowly and resentfully, Luna allowed the wing to fall, wrapping it around Fleur while looking pointedly away from her. She simultaneously lifted the wing on her other side until it was above Night Blossom, then closed it, drawing her close in the process. “You dare so much...” Blossom said, wonderingly. “Do you even know whom you toy with?” “I was ever one to play with fire. If she burns me up, at least the flames will be glorious,” Fleur replied, frustratingly unrepentant. “But you know, do you not? You dared much, too.” “Not so much as this. I’m fairly certain there would have been demands for my head if the noble houses knew how much I did, but I did not test the Princess herself.” “I would have crushed them to the last had they laid a hoof on one of your tail hairs,” Luna snarled, holding Blossom just a little tighter. “That is adorable!” Fleur said from her other side. “I wish I had been able to know you in life, Blossom. If you bring such passion out of ma petite you would have been one of my favorite ponies.” “Blossom would have liked you as well, I think. Though she’d probably have been very protective of Princess Luna at first, even if there was little she could have done to you beyond perhaps attempting to poison you with some of the exotic plants the Princess cultivated here. I think your existence would have made her very unhappy, because she’d have been convinced you had stolen her Princess’s heart away.” Night Blossom trailed off solemnly. “I think I am happier to know you after my life, because you might have made her end her life early out of despair.” Fleur frowned momentarily, then nodded, some small shadow of the smile returning. “Things were very different for you. Forgive me, Blossom. But rest assured, her heart is safe.” “I know,” Blossom said, simply. “I am her heart’s caretaker. You cannot take my place. But nevertheless, you have entered her heart, and I welcome you.” Fleur’s smile became more relaxed. “Merci beaucoup, gardien. But I think you misunderstand. We like each other very much, but—” Luna had been silent for some time, uncertain what she could possibly say. But she felt confident she had a response to give Fleur, at least. “Just... listen to her.” There was a long silence as Fleur just looked at Luna from under her wing. She got out from under it, looking just a little reluctant, and made a little space between them. “Ma petite... you are very kind, but there is no need to fib. You are my dear friend, and I love you, but I know you do not—” “Love is not something you can easily seek out, Fleur,” Blossom said, extracting herself from under Luna’s other wing and getting up so she could face Fleur without looking past Luna’s chest. “It likes to surprise you.” “Oh?” Fleur said, a single eyebrow raised. “How did Blossom surprise you, ma petite?” “She—” Luna stopped suddenly, unable to speak the words as she relived the memory. She saw flashes of a smoke filled battlefield. A flanking strike by Sombra’s elite, cutting through her meager defenses, and a blow meant for her caught by her former gardener who had insisted on becoming her shieldmaiden for reasons known only to her. “She made a grand and stupid gesture, while she was at a place she should never have been, because she did not wish for her Princess to be without her.” Blossom said from somewhere a million miles away. Luna hadn’t had the heart to deny her favorite servant, and had thought them both safe enough in the rear lines. She had stood over Blossom after slaying the entire regiment of Sombra’s slaves, and had heard her gasp out something that both shocked and enraged Luna. To find out such a thing as her favored servant lay in a pool of her own blood... “It very nearly killed her. It should have. And with what would have been her dying breath, she—” Blossom said, looking not at Fleur, but at Luna. “She told me she loved me, and always had since the moment we’d met,” Luna said, smelling the smoke and blood as if she was still there. “I looked down at her, and something in me... broke. I pulled at a wellspring from deep within myself, performing a type of magic that had never been done before, and I forced life back into her.” Blossom nodded, turning back to Fleur and saying: “She didn’t dare say it in life, but she could say it then. Blossom was a very foolish pony.” “That... is quite the surprise,” Fleur said slowly. “I can see why you guard her heart. You won it at great cost.” Blossom nodded solemnly. “But I never meant to claim it for all time, Dame. She was supposed to have found another she could love. Several more, even.” Blossom shot Luna an accusing glance, which softened into a smile. “It took her longer than I would have hoped, and as before, it was a pony who was not afraid to risk everything for a chance at her favor.” “I certainly didn’t declare my love on a battlefield.” Fleur replied, scoffing. Blossom smiled. “No. But you had your own trials. You won yourself a place, all the same.” She took one of Fleur’s hooves in her own, and brought it together with one of Luna’s. “Take care of her, sister. She needs somepony like you in her life.” She let their hooves drop, smiling brilliantly. “I have my duties to tend to. I imagine you two have something to discuss.” With that she began to fade out, like a shadow slinking back from sunlight. “Wait!” Luna called out to her hastily. “Don’t leave, please!” Though the mare had mostly faded, the smile remained. “I would never, Princess. Whenever you want me, all you have to do is dream.” The two remaining ponies sat together for a time, both looking at the space that Night Blossom had previously occupied. After an indeterminate time, Fleur turned to Luna, a curious but pleased look on her face. “Did you have something you wished to tell me, ma petite?”