//------------------------------// // Conversation // Story: A New Sun Rewrite // by Pinklestia //------------------------------// "When harmony, mutual consideration and trust pass out of the home, hell enters in." - David O. McKay Pathways To Happiness 1957 book by David O. McKay Mag stepped out of her bedroom into the too-bright lights of the hall and the smell of garlic bread. Well no, the lights were not to bright she was just grumpy because she wanted to stay sleeping a tad more. "Ah, you're out," said Celestia from the kitchen. "Yep," said Mag. She walked into the kitchen to see Celestia wearing a chef's hat of mysterious origin and vigorously stirring olive oil into a bowl of crushed greenery. That made her wanting to go to sleep right away so she could learn more magic. "This is an herbivore's dinner, I'm afraid," said Celestia, setting the bowl down. "I'm not complaining. Do you even know how to cook meat?" Celestia turned back to the stove to lift the dinner plate off the top of the pot of spaghetti - Mag didn't have a pot lid - and see how it was doing. "I have only the vaguest idea. If I had to cook meat, I would probably just grill it in a pan while trying not to look, then take it off the stove when the smell changed." "That'd be how I cook literally everything that can't be cooked in a microwave, so that makes perfect sense to me." "This meal is almost ready," said Celestia. "Where are your plates? I could only find the one." "I only own one plate." Celestia sighed a "What am I going to do with you" sigh. "Oh, come on. What do I need a second plate for? Tell you what, I also have a bowl. Let me just find it." "Is it the bowl I've got green beans in?" Celestia pointed with a hoof. "Oh. Yeah, that's the one." "At least you have two forks," said Celestia. "Yeah, I lost the first one, so I bought another, but then I found it under the couch. Lucky, eh?" "You also have a table," said Luna. "That pile of square objects in the bedroom is sitting on one." "I thought about that, but can computers be moved?" said Celestia. "Sure," said Mag. "I'll clear it off and then you can help me drag it out here. I was planning on setting the computer up in the living room anyway, so you can Google all you want without annoying me. You could also look up all the pop culture references I keep dropping." "If you're going to bring it into the living room then I hope to spend time reading all about human history, actually." "Fine." Mag had never bothered to buy a proper desk. She'd found a table at a yard sale for 15 dollars and it worked just fine. She got a lot of things from yard sales, including her tableware and the television. Why spend 30 bucks on 25 eating utensils for a one-person house when you could spend 20 cents for one fork and one spoon, and not have to drive off the mountain to do so? And wasn't that something Celestia wouldn't like, more so being her mother? Mag tried to think on pink unicorns instead. Mag dragged the table into the kitchen, it either wasn't as heavy as she remembered or being able to do magic made her stronger for some reason. So she didn't bother to get Celestia's help, though, come to think of it, Celestia could have just levitated it with far less effort , now that was one magical skill Mag wanted to master as fast as possible. "Mag, since we are living together, you do need enough dinnerware for four people minimum, just like anyone else. Honestly, Mag, you should have at least allowed for the possibility that you'd make friends at some point." "My friends could bring their own plates," said Mag. "Well, you've made friends now," said Celestia, "and they're here for dinner, and they're both completely unarmed with any plates or spoons. Your logic has failed you. Here you go." "You are family not friends, and Luna and me share the same body." Mag accepted a plate of buttery bow tie pasta with pesto, steaming garlic bread dusted with basil, and a mound of green beans. Mag set it reverently down on the table. "Thank you mom. Wow, my pony princess mother can cook." Celestia, now serving herself a bowl of the same, smiled. "It wasn't a difficult meal to make, and I said I'd cook you dinner if you spoke with Jorge. But Mag your logic still failed since I didn't bring my own plate." "But you could make more plates with magic." "Yes but magic is tiring." The pony Goddess made as if to put a pot lid back on the pot of pasta, remembered there wasn't one, and sat down. "Who is Jorge?" asked Luna. "He runs the grocery store down the road," answered Mag. "There seemed to be some slight awkwardness between Mag and Jorge, so I encouraged them into a bit of small talk. You know I'm a great believer in the power of small talk." "Yes, it's maddening," Luna sticked out Mag's tongue."Look at me, I am the princess of endless talking!" Celestia lifted her fork with magic, ignoring Luna, and stabbed a single bow tie, lifted it up to eye height, and studied it critically. "I hope I got this recipe right. I also hope the pine nuts I gathered are fit for human consumption. Humans can eat pine nuts, yes? I remember them from the market in, ah, Greece, I think you called it, but perhaps things have changed." "Yeah, we can eat pine nuts. Where on earth did you get pine nuts?" Mag looked out the window. "Wait, no. Seriously?" "You live in a pine forest and you've never gathered pine nuts?" said Celestia. "Mag, will you flaming well eat what's in front of you?" said Luna. "Yes, do," said Celestia. "Pushy, pushy, pushy," said Mag, and took a bite. It was excellent. Mag ruined it by dissolving into tears. Celestia leaped to Mag's side of the little table with a flap of her wings and clutched Mag to her furry chest to coo promises of a better tomorrow while Luna offered panicked reassurances. Mag sniveled and blubbered out incoherent fragments of self-effacing apologies, as if she could possibly talk her way out of the situation when she couldn't talk. Mag eventually fought it all back down and would have tried to act casual and go back to eating dinner, but her equine wouldn't let go and pretended not to hear when Mag said she was fine. She spilled over again and could do nothing but lay her forehead on the table with her hands folded over the back of her neck, and wait for it to pass. It did. Celestia, still not letting go, eventually said, "Any better?" "I don't understand anything on any level," said Mag. "You'll work it out. I'll help you." "We both will. You have much to look forward to." "You have all the time in the world to make sense of what's happening, and you will. You're an especially clever creature in an already brilliant world." "I know not what to say, or what I can offer you that isn't already yours for the asking from either or both of us, but know that I would offer you any comfort if I only knew what you needed from us." Luna said and hugged Mag with Mag own arms. "I won't leave you alone." Celestia said and Mag got the impression it was a lie but said nothing about it. "And neither shall I, for, well, obvious reasons, but I wouldn't if I could my dear niece." "We'll all look after each other, okay?" "Rest. You've done well today." And Mag was off again... then stopped on the bathroom, picked a brush and came back. "Not before I brush your beautiful mane and talk some more." "So... we are family now." Mag said. Because it was still hard to believe, even if she was crazy, had done magic and had a pony princess of the night sharing her body. "Yes, I could make it legal on this World if you want, but that would require me to.legally exist here, and is too much hard work, I don't wanna bother unless you think is really important." "Oh, feeling lazy? I like that, it makes you flawed, less perfect, more human somewhat." Mag said and started to brush Celestia hair. "I... I feel like it would so easy to give up and I hate that. I am a doer, I do things." "Yes, that's one of the things that irritates me about you sister, you tend to always intervene, to do things. In fact if beings like us weren't invisible for most of the humans you would already be trying to fix this broken world." Luna said using Mag's mouth. "I... I still want to help, but there are many things I don't know of Earth, and I don't want to mess up." "What did the Regent said? Humans are not ponies, he said you would break me if you forgot that, I think that also applies to the rest of humanity. And yes I am hating myself for thinking he is right on something." "Hence the wait for being contacted by the local magic users." "Ah yes, people who only are able to see you dear sister because they are either crazy, delusional or small kids. That will sure go well." Luna sacasrm tasted like fresh water or it was probably the glass of water she drank just after she talked. Then Mag continued to slowly brush Celestia mane. "So... are we gonna talk about our feelings now?" Mag said, because while she didn't want to, she hated this waste of time, this delaying of things, and she knew Celestia was probably wanting until she felt asleep to go risk her life alone. Because Mag was her adopted daughter and also shared her body with Luna so she didn't want them hurt. "I... I will start. Mag, I don't want to lose you, I really think you should stay." "I think if you go alone you may end killing yourself. Regents can kill other Regents, right?" "A Regent in their own World is basically almost Omnipotent, so yes. But things rarely go to those extremes. Celestia might end as someone pet or as a statue but she would still be herself and alive." "Celestia, do you want to be punished?" Celestia looked away "Maybe." "And to think you called me an idiot when I punished myself for having been Nightmare Moon. Even if as you yourself said, that didn't last a hour and I didn't hurt anyone but you and myself. "That was only because I told everyone in the castle to run away before talking to you Luna and because I used the Elements Of Harmony to seal you away. But yes, it was stupid to create a nightmare creature to punish yourself." "And being hurt on purpose by another Regent isn't stupid?" Mag said as she finished brushing the pony goddess hair. "Yes. Mag I have not been entire honest with you. While I do love you like a daughter, I only decided to adopt you because you got my sister stuck in your head. Not that I wouldn't have mothered you anyway but humans lives are quite short and I don't think I could take yet another loss well." Mag stared. Celestia have her a hug. "Is... is okay. I knew I wasn't special." "But Mag you are special, you can see me while most of your kind can't and you can do magic. And you got me and Luna together again. And I do love you... I just don't feel I could stand losing you." "Ehh Luna, got anything to confess?" "Mag, you actually have a high talent for magic, for someone who lives in such a magic dry world at least." "Okay fine, I am special and not in the sence everyone is special and all that crap. What now?" "Now go to sleep while I use this Google again." "Fine." Then the human stomach grumbled. Celestia looked ashamed "We might have forgot to finish eating dinner I think?" "Well that does explain the food still in the table." Luna said sarcastically. Then again, it had been a quite emotional moment. Celestia's table manners were the ultimate proof that courtesy was an art. All that puff about keeping your elbows off the table and making light, inoffensive conversation were just the bare minimum requirement of the medium, like the meter and rhyme restrictions of a sonnet. A sonnet could obey all the rules of poetry and still be a bad sonnet. A person could obey all the rules of dining and still look like a barbarian. Celestia was no barbarian; she was impeccably civilized without being precious. Words and gestures that would have seemed stiff even to a Victorian era baroness seemed casual with her. And yet Celestia never made Mag feel like she was being humored or tolerated. Yet she was still Mag the barbarian and if it wasn't Celestia she would swear she was just being barely tolerated because she was a poor barbaric woman that didn't know better. The mother pony goddess tried to draw Mag out, to get her to talk a bit about the local flora and what a person might find at a human yard sale, and when Mag had nothing particularly to say, Celestia took the hint with grace and kept the conversation going all by herself, letting Mag get by on nods and monosyllables. Crying all over dinner. Lord. What had happened, really, that was such a big deal? Visiting royalty, got fired, compulsory headmate, cleaned the store, suddenly a sorceress, dip in the lake, yelled at a scary hobo, talking to a pony queen well pony princess, don't know what to do. Whatever. Most of it wasn't even bad, from a purely objective point of view. There were people who'd kill to be her right now, abject terror or no, and not knowing what to do had been her base state of being for the past decade. Oh and don't forget being adopted; that was nice. And now she was sitting there pitying herself, and it was clear that Celestia had decided to say something about it, because she'd stopped talking and had the look of someone constructing a tricky sentence. "The aether seems to be reacting a bit differently to you than it did before. Has something happened?" "I did magic. I can do magic. I am a witch mom, I am going to Hogwarts!" "You can... hm. What happened, and how can I help?" Seeing Mag's face change at the question, she added, "We don't have to discuss this, of course, certainly not right now. I'm sure Luna knows the story and is already doing everything she can. Oh and that reference was... Harry Potter?" "Correct," said Luna. "And you are not going to Hogwarts young lady, that place is fictional." "Uh, I knew some of my books in my bedroom were missing, when did you read them?" Mag asked. "I actually just found about that using Google since I didn't sleep much since I meet you." "Anyway long story short, the imaginary friend from when I was like five is my magic. Can I learn how to levitate things? And yeah Luna is teaching me magic." Celestia nodded. "Yes you can. And well, I hope you aren't planning anything in the way of actual lessons tonight. We're all exhausted." "May I?" "Hold on," said Mag. She finished her garlic bread, took her empty plate to the sink, and came back. "Okay." "Mag has a most interesting magic signature," said Luna. "Oh?" said Celestia. "Pink, dancing and blueberries." "Interesting indeed," said Celestia. "Do you have any idea of what it means?" "No, have you tried asking to Mag imaginary friend?" "I tried, she stuffed my face full of blueberries, made me dance, and put pink bows in my tail." "I see." Celestia said holding her laughter. Celestia flatly refused to take the bed, Mag couldn't imagine sharing the bed with her, and, when Mag made as if to lay down blankets for herself next to the couch, Celestia stood up, lowered her horn, and herded Mag into the bedroom. "We need to get you a bed," said Mag. "You need to get to bed," said Celestia. "One thing. Please set up your computer in the living room. I know Celestia, and I suspect she'll have difficulties sleeping, which means leaving her to herself to think in the dark. This is no time to leave her alone with her thoughts. Apprise her of the device and perhaps she'll read herself to sleep." "Good point," said Mag. She got up and made as if to go around Celestia, who was blocking the door. "I'm setting up the computer," said Mag. "Must you? I'm going directly to bed, you know." "Yes, she will, whereupon she'll find that she cannot relax enough to fall asleep, and will be able to think of nothing else but what we have lost." Celestia gave Mag a Look. "This is Luna's idea? Let her rest, Luna. I'll be fine." "Someday, you will be," said Luna. "I swear it. But for now, read yourself to sleep with Mag's machine, and I shall send you dreams of cloudbursts over the sea, and of the glen in which we wore our first crowns, and of camomile baths in great steaming tubs." "It's easy to set up," said Mag. "You plug the one thing into the other thing and then that thing into the wall. No problem." Celestia, at a rare loss for words, stepped aside. Mag got her to levitate the table over to the corner near the wall socket and plugged things into things, turned it on, explained Google in a bit more detail so Celestia could use custom search settings, and pulled up a poetry website at Luna's suggestion. The whole process took 10 minutes and Celestia picked it up quickly. "Thank you both," said Celestia as Mag walked back to her bed, "though you both worry too much. I'll be out like a light." "Let us agree to ignore the optimist and leave her to her own devices. I'll see you on the other side. Worry not; your dreams will be peaceful." "See you mon," said Mag, turned off the light, and crawled under the covers. Mag heard the couch creak and blankets shift. Then a while later, just before falling asleep, Mag heard the couch creak again, the swish of moving blankets, and then the clicking of a computer mouse.