Then, unto Twilight.
Princess Twilight Sparkle, and her castle of cold crystal.
No matter how close she got to it, the frozen oak of a building still looked like it had nothing to do with the rest of the town. An ice sculpture in a honeyed beehive.
Her saddlebags chafed to the point she marvelled she had any skin left. The pricks of golden rose thorns reminded her they could puncture her side at any moment.
Velvet slowed the closer she came. The mere front door resembled a portcullis, already locked down against the presumed hostile invaders. She almost imagined the archers waiting on the battlements.
Princess Twilight Sparkle. Or little Twily?
Her little girl had to be in there somewhere, didn’t she?
For a moment, the last few hours stung her, as though someone hugging her had suddenly produced a knife. She’d let them get so close… how could she approach Twilight, not knowing if the knife would be anywhere…
And then, in an instant, it turned out the knife was a big misunderstanding and would she like some homemade cake?
She’d been spoiled, that was it. For a while, she’d been part of Derpy’s family, a family she’d barely known existed, yet a family that had waited patiently and naturally for her to show up so they could get started with that cake.
Velvet halted by the door.
She reached out to knock. Then stopped.
What if –?
No! Enough “what ifs”! Was she daredevil Twilight Velvet or not!?
Still, she hesitated.
She wondered if it was too late, if Twilight would be angry, if it was safer to turn tail and run.
All right.
She braced herself.
Whatever else happened, her day so far had been a day in the sun. She remembered how Derpy’s face shone. Nothing else that happened could take that away from her.
“Come on, Velvet!” she told herself. “Come on…”
She knocked.
There. It was done.
She waited. Idly, she rearranged the golden roses in her saddlebag, then hastily stopped and choked on her heart when the door started opening.
Smile, or don’t smile? Honest, or happy?
Just as she opened her mouth to say hello, a male voice said, “Mom?”
Velvet dropped the smile in shock.
It was…
“Shining Armor!?”
“Hey, Mom! Long time no see, huh?” By the time Velvet recovered, he’d already finished hugging her in one strong forelimb. “Sorry about that. So many plates to juggle, you know?”
“What – What are you – I mean, it’s very wonderful, Shining, but how –?”
All her doubts settled down under Shining Armor’s patting little laugh. He always liked sharing the joke.
“Twilight arranged for me to come over today,” he said. “Cadence and the others are waiting inside too. Spike’s made us all cookies!” In a whisper, he added, “Don’t eat the ones that sparkle, and you should be all right.”
“Oh?” said Velvet, on safe ground but still not sure if it’d hold. “H-How is Spike? All right, is he?”
“Ah, you know him. Tough as iron. Likes his independence, and all that.”
“I remember he liked baking things,” she said, too far gone to think about her words carefully.
“Don’t worry. I’ve been giving him tips. Who knows? He might even be as good as me someday.”
Velvet found it impossible to manoeuvre politely around the sticking point. “But… why are you here?”
Shining Armor looked as though he’d been asked if he liked coal cookies, extra crunchy.
“Twilight wanted everything to be perfect for Mare’s Day.”
“Twil–?”
Hoofsteps echoed around the entrance chamber.
An auditorium might have thrown around the tiny, modest sound until it resounded like a gathering army, but in that vast entrance chamber to a crystalline castle, the approach of one dark princess would have terrified anyone into surrender. Cold, clicking, clinical, clipped like a luckless pegasus wing, leaving her alone as the shadow of the horn drew near.
Then it shrank. Became reasonable. Was just the hesitant step of any pony.
Shining Armor beamed and stepped aside.
The wings folded, and there, standing and staring nervously, was just Twilight Sparkle. Her Twily. Her little princess.
Something levitated beside her. It shone in the light, enchanted.
“Mom?” Twilight’s voice barely echoed.
This time, Velvet let the tears bleed freely to mingle in the sweet, satisfying sea of her life.
Princess as she was…
…ordinary as they were…
…and without a drop of gold anywhere in sight…
Twilight offered the humble red roses. “Happy Mare’s Day, Mom.”