Twilight raised a foreleg over her mouth, hiding a yawn strong enough to bring tears to her eyes. Her free hoof tapped rhythmically against the marble tabletop. Throughout the morning, a few other ponies had shuffled through the door. The scent of fresh-brewed coffee emanated from the small collection of brewing stands behind the counter. The inane chatter of morning pleasantries seemed to echo from every corner of the room.
“May I take your order on this fine morning?” A waitress asked, her enthusiasm far too eager for such an early time. She produced a pencil and notepad from a front pocket of her white apron.
“The coffee smells great. I’ll take a cup.”
The server scratched the pencil tip against her notepad.
“Is that all?”
“For now. Thanks.”
With an eager nod, the waitress moved on to the next table, starting their order on a new page.
Twilight drooped her head onto the table, feeling the chilly metal against her warm skin. As the front door opened to allow another customer, it struck the brass bell hanging above, sending a crisp chime through the building.
“Sorry I’m late. Cadence needed my help with something this morning.” Shining scratched the back of his neck nervously as he took his seat across from Twilight.
“I was starting to think you weren’t going to show up,” Twilight muttered.
“You really thought I’d leave my favorite little sister hanging?”
“Remember that time when you and Cadence took me to the park back when she was my foalsitter?”
“You really thought I’d do it twice?” Shining corrected.
“Whatever.” Twilight turned to rest her cheek on the tabletop.
“Did you already order?”
“A coffee. I’d rather not eat on an upset stomach.”
“But coffee is better?”
“No, but I am not going without it today.” Twilight yawned.
“Late night?”
“You could say that. I was up sick all night.”
“Think you might be coming down with something?” Shining leaned forward to comfort his sister, while simultaneously trying to back away from the potentially diseased pony.
“I don’t think so. It’s probably just the stress finally getting to me. My nerves are going to need a vacation when all this is over.”
“I don’t doubt it. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry if Cadence and I had something to do with this.”
Twilight studied her elder sibling, her tired expression hardened as the flood of emotions left over from the previous night returned. She clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth to the rhythm of her pulse.
“What makes you think the two of you had anything to do with this? It’s not like the two of you were directly responsible for insulting and threatening one of my newest friends and starting a fight with me last night,” Twilight stated flatly. Her healthy wing twitched erratically.
Shining scanned the room, checking if anyone had noticed Twilight’s outburst. “This really isn’t the time or place to talk about this.”
“It never is, Shining.” Twilight returned to sulking.
They sat silently, together, yet miles apart. The waitress returned with Twilight’s drink, setting the mug on a small white napkin. A silver spoon balanced on the rim of the glass.
“Thank you,” Twilight squeaked.
“And what can I get for you, Sir?” She turned to Shining.
“I guess I’m kind of in the mood for a . . .” He studied the menu, tapping a hoof against his chin. “A blueberry muffin sounds pretty good,” he decided, snapping the menu shut and returned it to its small space on the table’s centerpiece.
“Coming right up,” She sang as she hurried to the next order.
“You sure you don’t want anything? It’s my treat.” Shining offered.
Twilight answered with an annoyed stare.
Clearing his throat, Shining attempted to steer the one-sided conversation. “So, have you ever eaten here before?”
“A few times. Apparently, they open early enough for Luna to enjoy it.”
“Huh. I can’t imagine Luna sitting in a little restaurant like this, eating breakfast by herself. To be fair, there are a lot of things I never imagined Luna would do.”
“Like betraying her sister’s favorite student?” Twilight tossed.
“She didn’t betray you, Twilight. She’s worried about you. We are too.”
“That makes it okay?” she exclaimed.
“I told you before. I’m not talking about this right now. If you really think we need to discuss this again, we’ll talk tonight. Privately.” His annoyed, almost angry tone forced Twilight to concede.
This time, when the waitress returned, she carried a lone plate. A fluffy brown muffin sat in the center, decorated with an overwhelming number of miniscule blue dots.
“Thank you, this looks amazing.”
The server returned his cheery smile. Her pencil had been tucked behind her ear.
Shining ate his meal hastily, the sweetness of the baked good clashing with the sour presence of his current company. Twilight sipped thoughtfully at her drink, trying her best to hide in her chair.
When he finished, Shining wiped the crumbs from his place and emptied a small pile of bits beside the dirtied dishes.
“You ready?” Shining rose from his seat.
“Yeah.” Twilight followed him out, leaving behind a half-empty cup.
“Things really haven’t changed much around here, have they?” Shining sifted through memories of his youth, comparing each insignificant detail to the street laid out in front of him.
“I think that’s why they like it here.”
The two of them had been walking for nearly fifteen minutes. The caffeine had finally kicked in, lessening Twilight’s malaise. Together, they strode down the residential road, pointing out each familiar home as they passed. Eventually, they arrived at the most familiar of them all.
“After you.” Twilight stepped aside.
Shining started up the stone path to the front patio. Though many of the flowers had started wilting in the cold nights, they still shed a splash of color through the garden. Little statues depicting adorable rabbits and daredevil birds were littered throughout the finely honed greenery.
Three wooden steps led onto the concrete porch. A duo of wicker rocking chairs tilted in the breeze. Shining pulled open the screen with his magic and knocked.
“They are home, right?” Twilight inquired.
“They should be. Where would they be this early in the morning?”
As if to answer Twilight’s question, the front door swung inward, revealing an older mare, grayed by birth, rather than age. Sharp locks of her purple and white mane spilled over her shoulders.
“Hey, Mom.” Shining and Twilight shouted in unison.
“Shining? Twilight? What are you two doing here?” Twilight Velvet asked with a mix of surprise and confusion.
“Just wanted to stop by. See how you were doing,” Shining said.
“We can come back later, if you’re busy,” Twilight offered.
“No. Your father and I were just finishing up breakfast. Come in.” She stepped out of the way, allowing her children into the front hall. Each child greeted their mother with a short squeeze as they piled in.
They continued through the short hallway next to the stairs. Polished family portraits watched from their golden frames as Twilight crossed them.
“Night Light, we have guests.” Twilight Velvet announced, relinquishing her children into the kitchen.
Twilight noted the black and white checkered tile on the floor, complete with a faded pink stain. A casualty of one of her first experiments.
Their father, a handsome blue stallion, had yet to move from the breakfast nook. He chewed the eraser of his pencil, enamored by the half-finished crossword in the morning paper.
Their mother cleared her throat, drawing her husband from its mental gymnastics.
“Twilight? Shining?” He rocketed from his seat, nearly knocking his children off their balance as he rushed to greet them.
“Morning, Dad.” Shining reached an arm around his father, clapping him on the back.
“Hi, Dad.” Twilight stepped forward, joining the other two in their group hug.
“What are you two doing here? We didn’t even know you were in Canterlot.” Night Light released them.
“Luna asked us to come. We would have sent you a letter first, but this was kind of short notice.” Shining shrugged nervously.
“What about?”
“Hold that thought,” Twilight Velvet interrupted. “What do you say we take this little get-together to the living room?”
At the matriarch’s orders, the family shuffled into the cozy living room. Night Light took his customary place in his recliner, while Twilight and Shining hurled themselves onto the sofa. The ancient springs groaned in protest. Though her young had left her a spot on the couch, Twilight Velvet preferred to rest her hooves against the mantlepiece, allowing her easier access to the conversation.
“You were saying?” Night Light continued.
“Just a royal thing. Luna wanted me and Cadence to help her with some foreign guests, or something like that.” Twilight was impressed with how quickly her brother had grasped the royal art of the lie.
“Anyone interesting?” Night Light asked, leaning forward.
“I don’t know.”
“Shouldn’t you be helping them with that, Twilight?” Concern bled into his words.
“I offered, they told me they didn’t need my help with the preparation but wanted me here for when our guests actually arrived.”
Shining gave his sister a knowing look before jumping in. “What about you two? What have you guys been up to?”
Time ticked away as the family huddled around their conversation, delighted in each other’s company. They listened attentively to Night Light’s tale of his latest bingo championship. Shining Armor wooed them with stories of absent little Flurry Heart. Both parents melted at the thought of their precious grandchild. Twilight shared some local gossip around the castle, careful to skirt any topic that might lead to a difficult line of questioning.
Night Light made that goal far more difficult with his next question. “How is Princess Celestia? We haven’t seen much of her these days.”
Twilight opened her mouth, letting an awkward silence permeate the air before stammering, “She’s fine. Been busy with . . . princess stuff.”
Before her father could press the topic, Twilight’s mother jumped up, interrupting any further questions. “Would either of you like a drink, or a snack, maybe? I can’t believe I forgot to ask. What kind of host am I?”
“No, thank you.” Shining shook his head.
“Are you sure.” his mother raised an eyebrow. “We’ve still got a few of those juice boxes you like.”
Shining reconsidered.
“I’ll take a glass of tea, if you wouldn’t mind,” Night Light said.
“Twilight, why don’t you come help me in the kitchen.” Twilight Velvet nodded toward the kitchen.
“Sure.” Twilight followed her mother away, sharing a final confused stare with her brother.
Twilight raided the fridge, searching for the small yellow juice box while her mother retrieved the kettle from the top shelf of a cabinet above the sink. She hovered it into the sink, twisting the faucet until the stream of water poured out.
“Remember this?” Twilight’s mother tapped the cookie jar sitting on the counter. The tempered glass, molded into the shape of a gingerbread house, had a crack down the side where it had been pieced together with paste.
“Yeah?” Twilight retreated, unsure of her mother’s point.
“Shining Armor broke it years ago. He told us you did it.” She laughed.
Shifting uncomfortably beneath her mother’s imposing tone, Twilight practically whimpered. “I didn’t break it.”
“And he hasn’t gotten any better at lying to me in all these years. And neither have you, Missy.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Are you in trouble? Did something happen?”
In her youth, whenever Twilight had been scared or nervous, her mother would speak in a soft, gentle voice. Hearing it again, after all these years, sent a warmth through her body, bringing with it a comfort only a caring parent could manage.
“We’re not supposed to talk about it.”
“You can tell me.”
“Fine.” Twilight cycled through the myriad issues in her life, trying to decide which would be best to sate her mother’s curiosity. “How did you know you loved Dad?”
The magic holding the kettle in place faltered for a moment, though Twilight Velvet herself didn’t budge an inch.
“Are you trying to change the subject?”
“No. I want to know.”
Her mother weighed her response with pursed lips. “Your father and I met at a young age. Our families were close friends, so we saw each other often. We attended school together, went to parties together. It just sort of . . . happened. Gradually. I don’t think either of us even realized until the night of the school dance, when we shared our first kiss. Why are you so interested?”
“I think I met someone special.”
“Oh? Spill it. I want to hear everything.”
“Well, there’s an issue with it. There’s an issue with . . . her.”
Twilight reddened.
“Do I know her?”
“Kind of.”
“You can’t dance around the question forever, Twilight.” She turned to face her daughter.
“The problem is: she’s a bit of a troublemaker. Okay, a serious troublemaker.”
“Everyone enjoys a bit of trouble now and again. So, when do we get to meet this special pony that’s captured my daughter’s heart?”
“She’s not a pony.”
The kettle slipped again.
“A griffin? A dragon?”
“A changeling.”
“Oh . . .”
Twilight groaned, drawing in a deep breath. Her mother braced for whatever shock Twilight could deliver.
“It’s Chrysalis.”
The kettle dropped, crashing into the dishes piled in the sink, cracking a plate in two.
“You alright in there?” Night Light’s voice emanated from the other room.
“We’re alright.” Twilight yelled. “Mom just dropped the kettle.”
The young princess turned to her mother, unable to look her in the eyes.
“Chrysalis? The Changeling Queen, Chrysalis? The one who brainwashed your brother and replaced your sister.”
“Yes.” She couldn’t read the blank expression on her mother’s face. She readied her magic, ready to flee, if necessary.
“How did that happen?”
“I don’t know. She just seemed so . . . lonely. I wanted to help her.”
“Start at the beginning, Twilight.”
And she told everything. She paused constantly, allowing her mother time to process the information. Celestia’s condition. Chrysalis’ imprisonment. Begging her for help. The brief friendship that formed between them. The confusing emotions Twilight had never faced before. With the dam broken, the words spilled faster than she could think. Laying everything out on the table lifted a weight from Twilight’s soul.
“ . . . and now Shining and Cadence are here to keep an eye on me. They think I’ve been corrupted by Chrysalis. Maybe I have. I spent all morning mad at him. I know he’s trying to protect me, but he won’t listen.”
“It’s a complicated situation.” Twilight Velvet noted, ignoring the overflowing kettle behind her.
“What do I do?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“That doesn’t help.”
“It’s a decision you have to make, Twilight.”
“I thought moms were supposed to have all the answers.”
A gleam sparkled in the older mare’s eye. “Want to know a secret, Sweetie?”
“Sure,” Twilight consented, falling back into her slump.
“I had this same conversation with your grandmother before I married. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to tie the knot. Maybe I’d hate it. Maybe my husband would change afterwards. I had terrible nightmares before the wedding.”
“Do you regret it?”
“Not in the slightest. That’s not my point, though. My grandmother imparted this little bit of wisdom to me: Sometimes, there is no right or wrong answer. You want to know if falling for Chrysalis is dangerous? It’s very possible that she is. Is it a bad idea? Also, possible.”
Twilight visibly wilted. Her mother continued.
“But none of that is what matters. The question you should ask is: Can you live with the consequences of your choice? If you want to be with someone like Chrysalis, it could very well be a dangerous trick. That’s a possibility you must live with. Well, hopefully live with. On the contrary, what if you say no? If she’s really special to you, sending her away might be worse.”
“That’s nice and all, but I’d prefer if you could just say yes or no.”
Twilight Velvet finally shut off the water, setting the kettle on the stove to heat.
“I know. I’m not the one that has to live with the consequences. Shining knows this. He’s decided the consequences of breaking his little sister’s heart is easier than letting a villain take over the world.”
“So that’s a no, I shouldn’t.”
“It means he’s made up his mind. He wants to choose for you. Are you going to let him?”
Twilight considered the question.
“No. Whatever decision I make, it’ll be my choice.”
The two mares waited in silence until the kettle started to whistle.
“Love rarely makes sense. That’s why you follow your heart, not your head.”
“Thanks, Mom. You took all of that a lot better than I thought you would.”
“Twilight, I’ve lived a pretty long time. You pick up a trick or two in that time. If I’ve learned anything, it's that life can be crazy. And as far as I can tell, you’ve got a good heart, and a solid head on your shoulders. I know you’ll make the right decision, for you, and Equestria.”
“That means a lot coming from you.”
“Oh, and pass on a message for me, will you? If she messes with my daughter, I’ll make sure the princesses are the least of her problems.” Her mother winked playfully.
“I’ll tell her.” Twilight held her mother tight, blissful in her shielding embrace.
“If you ever need someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, your father and I will be here for you, no matter what. Now let’s get back before your father sends Shining on a search and rescue.
“Oh, and before you leave, we have a gift for you.”