//------------------------------// // Enjoy your Stay // Story: The Schools of Stalliongrad // by Nadir //------------------------------// Luna had quite the conundrum. Court dragged on ever since the burst of excitement earlier, with each new petitioner seeming more boring than the last. Nothing occupied her mind more so than the purple mare, and every petitioner kept her from going down to the dungeon.  In retrospect, it may have been a touch harsh. Probing her magic and casting in the castle were both technically against the law, but usually it’d be punished with a fine. Only in extreme cases - like assassination attempts - would it end with the pony in the dungeon. Yet, here she was, one more pony in her dungeon and now watching someone beg on about- Actually, what were they talking about? Luna had zoned out around five minutes ago. Oh. Something about food. She tuned back in, catching the tail end of whatever he’d been going on about. “-west fields are completely dead, and the east aren’t doing much better. If we don’t get some sort of magical help, and soon, then we’re going to be dead in the water. And no offense, your highness, but that means that most of Stalliongrad will be too.”  Perhaps Luna should have been paying more attention. A normal pony might have blushed, but instead Luna simply sat herself up straighter and peered down at the stallion, as if she’d been listening the whole time. “You shall have your assistance,” she assured him. “See my seneschal and they’ll provide enough horn strength to keep your fields cleared.” Luna could only guess it had been about the snow - it’d been a particularly brutal season even for Stalliongrad.  It seemed like Luna had been right enough at least, because the stallion had already started to bow his head in thanks. “Thank you, your highness!” The stallion kept his head bowed down low, even as he started to back up. Part of Luna wondered if he’d fall down when he got to the edge of court. Nope, he managed it. Impressive. Instead of allowing the next petitioner to come forward, Luna lifted a hoof, eyes glancing through the room. Her magic bubble dropped once more, the princess clearing her throat. “Guards, please escort the rest of the petitioners out. Night Court will be closing early this evening for important royal business,” she called through the room. Luna couldn’t wait anymore. Most of these issues could, but Luna couldn’t. The mystery had started to prove too great, and the stupid, lavender mare occupied her thoughts too much. And yes, the ponies were disappointed. She could hear groans and see unhappy faces throughout the line but what would they do? She was a princess, their ruler. Luna watched her ponies get escorted out, keeping her spot on the throne for the last few minutes of her court. Once the doors had closed tight, the Princess got to her hooves, standing at her full height, towering over even her muscle bound guard. Her eyes drifted over the pair nearest the entrance, the pair who had arrested the mare. “Lieutenant Silent Knight, you’re in charge. I’m going to visit our newest prisoner, I trust the two of you and Miss Raven will keep things well under hoof until I return,” Luna instructed. A salute answered her words and Luna turned towards the dungeons. Time to meet destiny. You know, it really could have been worse, Twilight supposed. Sure, it was cold and she didn’t have access to her magic, nor did she have anything to eat or drink, and the closest thing to a bathroom was the bucket in the corner, but…  Actually, how could it get worse? It could be like those stupid stories where it suddenly starts raining somehow, but being inside made that feel rather impossible. Regardless, it was already snowing! That was already bad enough.  More than anything, Twilight found it boring. No magic to practice, no books to read, nothing to watch and only the sounds of snoring to occupy her head at all. At least the moaning from earlier had stopped, the poor thing either asleep or dea- Twilight didn’t want to think about that possibility, oddly enough. They were probably fine, and she’d probably be fine. “You’re going to be just fine,” she mumbled to herself. But really, would she? Would she even make it out of the dungeons? Nopony had come back down to give her a light and it had to have been hours. With a groan, the mare stood up from the straw bed against the ground, starting to pace, back and forth. Okay, she could figure this out. She just had to find a way out of here, then a way to talk to the Princess, and then a way to make sure that she didn’t get thrown right back into the dungeon and wow, the more she thought about that, the harder it seemed. With a small groan, the mare pressed her head against the cell bars. The coolness of the metal against her fur almost hurt, the temperature almost too cold. But it cleared her head, let her think, push her mind to its limits. And nothing came. Fuck. Why did she think that would work? It’s not like brains could overheat or something stupid like that. Yet, from this vantage point, she could see a light at the end of the tunnel - in a literal sense. Something blue floated near the entrance of the dungeon, enough to cast soft light against the roughly hewn stones of the floor and walls. A few groans and whimpers joined the air, mostly from those woken up by the light she imagined. The light traveled down the hall, and the closer it got, the more and more Twilight could recognize the shape of a pony. But not just any pony. No, Twilight could recognize that regality from a mile away. Princess Luna strode down the halls, ignoring every cell that she passed, every cell but one: hers.  Twilight backed up quickly, stumbling back until her rump hit against the back of the cell. She took a seat, hard, looking up at the imposing presence on the other side of the bars. Belatedly, decorum caught up with her and the mare bowed her head low, pressing her horn against the cold stone floor. “Your majesty,” she mumbled out. That’s how this was supposed to go, right? The cell door creaked out, the high pitched noise making Twilight wince in discomfort. From her vantage against the ground, she could see the light getting closer and hear the door clatter shut behind the princess. Her breath stopped, heart thumping in her chest as mild panic flowed through her. This could be it, this could be her execution, her end, it could be her sentence to spend the rest of her life here.  The world was quiet, her life hanging in the balance. The only thing Twilight could hear for a while was each breath leaving her, each one coming faster, more worried than the last. Thankfully, it didn’t last long before something else broke the silence. “Rise, mare.” Luna’s voice sounded exactly like she remembered it, the regality, the richness, every part of it made her want to obey. It settled into her very soul, something that she’d never forget. Her body almost moved on it’s own, getting up to her hooves once more, though she kept her head low, deferrant as could be. Luna continued to speak, not stopping with the first command. “Your name, mare. What is it?” she asked. Twilight finally looked up, catching the closest look of Princess Luna she’d ever had in her life. Her beauty was  unmatched, the Lunar Goddess was radiant even in the bleak dungeon. Her mane, so vibrant and full of stars, enraptured Twilight’s attention. Only the glory that was the rest of her body broke it away. Twilight took a moment to peek at Luna’s wings, admiring the loveliness of the feathers, how soft yet strong they looked. And oh Goddesses, those eyes, those pools of radiance, the deep, dark blue that swam with the knowledge of the universe, of things that Twilight could never hope to know.  She was perfect. “I demanded your name, mare! Do not make me ask again!” Luna’s voice, suddenly filled with frustration, broke Twilight from her stupor. Twilight blinked, looking away from Luna’s eyes to get her thoughts back. “Twilight Sparkle, your Highness,” she answered, quietly, deferrantly. She was already in hot water, no need to throw herself into the fire too. Another bout of silence left Twilight Sparkle to stew before the princess answered her. “And what exactly were you doing in Stalliongrad? Nay, in my courtroom? Did you even think before casting spells amidst the presence of a Princess and her most faithful guards?” The words were accusatory, fierce, and Twilight wilted beneath them. Twilight’s eyes closed, the only way she could stop herself from staring at the woman in front of her. “Curiosity, your Highness,” Twilight answered. “I noticed that no sound leaked out from um, your court and all that. And I wanted to know why. Your horn didn’t glow either, so I wanted to see how that worked, if it was from you, o-or some kind of enchantment. So I poked and prodded, your Highness, and I’m sorry, I really, really shouldn’t have! A-and I shouldn’t have tried to resist the guards either, your Highness. I was uh, panicking. I’m new to all this, you see. I come from a small village to the far south, we don’t… we don’t have royals, o-or nobles, any of that.” Twilight was rather aware that she’d started to ramble, on and on with too much info, way more than the Princess asked for.  Apparently, Luna thought the same because Twilight suddenly found her muzzle sealed shut with magic. Her eyes opened once more, ears going back against her head as she tried to look apologetic as possible. “Simple answers are just fine, Ms. Sparkle,” the princess started, sounding almost exasperated. “I understand your curiosity and your unfamiliarity with our laws.” The magic released itself, letting Twilight work her jaw once more, though she stayed quiet. Luna kept going instead, pacing across the floor in front of Twilight, just as the unicorn had done mere moments before. “But ignorance is not an excuse to fall into bad habits. Nor am I able to simply pardon you for committing a crime against our laws, and a transgression against me. Do you understand, Twilight Sparkle?” Luna asked. Magic touched against her chin, lifting it up and forcing her to look into Luna’s eyes.  Twilight nodded her head, her muzzle suddenly feeling dry, words not wanting to come out. She forced herself to speak, even though it felt like she choked on each word. “Yes, Your Highness. I understand.” Her thoughts drifted back to her earlier fears, feeling as if each of them had damned near been confirmed at this point. She’d broken the law, transgressed against a royal, and the mare wondered if she’d ever see the light of day again or if she’d spend the rest of her life down here, wasting away in the dark. Perhaps it was a bit dramatic. It couldn’t be that serious, could it? She peeked at Luna’s expression, seeing something pensieve there, something considering. SHe had to be deciding Twilight’s fate, her punishment. The mare dropped her head, the magic no longer holding up her head as tears started to twinge at the edges of her vision.  “However,” the princess went on. “Your talent cannot be mistaken. Your ability to stop one of my Dragoon’s magical attacks is not something that just anypony could do. Nor could just anypony sniff out my spell. I hide it rather well, I think.”  If Twilight didn’t know better, she might have said that Luna sounded a bit miffed about that last part, like no one should have figured it out. Still, she stayed silent while the princess continued. “I’m not foalish enough to let such an asset slip through my hooves. You will serve your time, you will be punished, but you will also be taught. You will learn, and you will serve your debt by serving me directly. Make no mistake, you are an asset, and you will be taught to make the best of your abilities. Come the weekend, you’ll be enrolled in my school. This is, of course, non negotiable.” Luna’s final decree hung in the air as Twilight’s mind struggled to catch up. On the surface, it seemed like all of her dreams come true. Teaching, lessons, learning from the best. Yet, the other parts seemed darker - serving her debt directly? Then again, it just sounded like community service, the favored punishment of her village elder. Besides, it’s not like she had much of a choice. And when the punishment for breaking a law consisted of your wildest fantasies, one simply had to grin and bear it. So, she would, simple as that. “Of course, Your Highness,” Twilight answered. “I’ve… I’ve always wanted to go to your school, I just never pictured that it would be like this, Your Highness.” Part of her wondered if she was overdoing the title thing, but hey, no correction, probably meant it was okay, right? Twilight looked up in time to see the Princess nod her head in satisfaction. “Good. I had hoped that you wouldn’t be difficult to persuade. I’ll send my seneschal shortly to fetch you and bring you to a room somewhere that isn’t so… ghastly.” Luna frowned, looking around at their surroundings with clear distaste.  Shouldn’t she be happier? Twilight had accomplished the goal she’d set out to do in under a day but something about it felt wrong, felt off. It shouldn’t have been like this, and it shouldn’t feel like this. The mare spoke up, despite her head telling her not to. “Why me, Your Highness? No offense, but it doesn’t feel right that just some magical aptitude took notice from one of the Princesses themselves. I’m sure that there’s a thousand ponies like me, and I’m sure you see one of them nearly every day. So why me?” Twilight asked, taking a step forward, lifting her head.  Of course, it didn’t last long before she wilted underneath the Goddess’s stare, looking right back down to her hooves. “If it’s okay, Your Highness,” she added, as if it would soften the blow.   But Luna didn’t snap at her or strike her, no, the Goddess only laughed. It was a beautiful thing, so clear, so pretty, like stained glass floating through the air. Twilight felt something in her chest pulse, but only for a moment and nothing more.  “Well, you’re certainly more spirited than I thought!” That silky voice teased her, another laugh sounding through the air. “I’ll be honest with you, Ms. Twilight Sparkle. There’s something special about you, something that I can't quite place.” Twilight stayed quiet as Luna kept talking, her ears starting to burn from how bad she blushed. It was enough that Luna talked to her at all, but the fact that she kept complimenting her  pushed it over the top. “And that specialness needs to be nurtured somewhere that I can keep an eye on,” Luna continued. “Somewhere that I can make sure you won’t get into something you shouldn’t. I’ve seen ponies like you do great things, but I’ve also seen them do terrible, terrible things. Sometimes, all it takes is a single push in one direction for a pony to decide which path they’ll go down. I hope this is the push needed for you,” Luna finished. “Now, I really must be going. The morning comes and it doesn’t wait for me, you know.” A smile. The first one that Twilight had seen grace the Princess’ lips. It looked so kind. It somehow made her already radiant visage all the more beautiful. “Thank you, Your Highness,” Twilight whispered out in reverence, right as the cell door opened behind the Princess. A nod would be the only answer that Twilight received as the Princess departed, taking her light with her. Once more, Twilight would be left in the dark. This time, however, indecision didn’t claw at her brain. Instead, she knew what her future held. Honestly, now that she looked back, her hesitance seemed downright foalish. Of course the Princess would want what was best for her. After all, she’d read the stories, heard the tales, all of them telling how benevolent, how kind and yet, Twilight had doubted her. It had been reasonable, hadn’t it? The Princess had thrown her in the dungeon with just a promise of a talk. Even now, she implied that Twilight would be working for her. But then again, that’s what she’d wanted to do from the start. The archmage worked for the crown, doing whatever needed to be done. Twilight wanted that, so why did she feel so strange about all of this? Luckily, Twilight wouldn’t be left alone with her thoughts alone. Another light came down the hall, this one a bright white, accompanied with yet another set of groans from ponies trying to sleep, one particularly rude one screaming: “Turn that fucking thing off!”.  Twilight, however, stayed calm, waiting until the light shone through the bars of her cell. In front of her stood a mare, white furred with a brown mane tucked into a bun, glasses hiding away black eyes. She wore a black dress with a white sash around the center, and a red neckerchief, something to give her outfit some color. Behind her, a guard followed along closely, one that she recognized from their scuffle earlier, the unicorn mare. “‘Ey there, kid. Me and Miss Inkwell here are about to let ya out and all that,” the mare chattered away, seemingly happy as a clam even in the darkness of the dungeon. The door groaned as it opened up before her, the mare gesturing her forward in the light of the unicorn’s horn. “Lemme get all that off you too, sorry about the whole… trying to fight ya deal. Just my job, y’know?” Twilight stepped forward, stepping into the light. “It’s okay. I understand.” And she really did, had she been in the same position, she likely would have done the same. “Oh, I’m Twilight Sparkle by the way. And I’m sorry to have caused you trouble.” An apology earned another one in turn.  “Azure Sickle! Here let me just…” Careful finagling took the ring off her horn, letting it drop to the ground. The shackles came off as well, and without apparent effort, Azure simply disappeared them away from being. “There we go! No uh, no funny business, right?” she asked, flashing a smile. “Miss Inkwell, why don’t you lead the way, yea? I still have no idea where we’re going!”  “Of course.” Twilight heard Raven speak the first time. It was a cultured and refined voice, the kind that you expected from the highest of nobility and the most high born of ponies. “Follow me. And do behave. Princess Luna has put an immeasurable amount of trust in you, if you were to mess this up, I imagine nothing like it would ever happen again. And an immortal’s life is quite long,” she finished. Without another word, the secretary like mare started out of the dungeon, back into the world of the light. A small spell shielded Twilight’s eyes from the sudden intrusion, keeping them shaded just enough so that they could adjust slowly instead of absolutely getting burned out.   But it only took Twilight a moment to adjust before the light became bearable, and before she knew it, they’d started out through the castle. It really was quite radiant. Scarlet runner rugs covered the entirety of the marble floor, making the journey pleasant on hooves that weren’t used to anything so plush. Twilight couldn’t help but look around. It seemed like every direction she looked, she saw some sort of new piece of art, or amazing pottery that would have sold for a fortune anywhere else. The ponies they passed were regal as could be too, dressed to the nines, talking in accents, clearly nobles, more wealth in a single stretch of this hall than Twilight’s entire village. They made it back outside the castle as Azure Sickle started to speak up again. “So uh, gonna be one of them mage students, right?” she asked, conversationally. The trio trudged through the streets, back out of the courtyard and beyond. The absolute darkness and the pouring snow kept her from seeing much of her surroundings, but the light illuminating from around Raven’s horn somehow kept them warm and safe from the downpour, enough that Twilight felt just fine talking and chattering away. “Apparently!” she answered, with a nervous little giggle. “It’s the last thing I expected. H-honestly? I thought I would get um, executed after all this. Or imprisoned, something like that. I mean, I attacked you! And like, broke the law!” Twilight’s anxiety had started to come back, because of course it had. No matter how had she’d tried to quash it, the mare always found herself being the awkward sort, the weird sort.  Azure only laughed though, and gave a wave of her hoof as they walked. “You didn’t attack me or nothin’, little lady. You tried to defend yourself from what you thought was an attack, and I can’t uh, fault ya for that shit. Just don’t do it again and we’re cool. All good?” she asked, stopping so that the two of them could hoofbump. And Twilight actually did it! Her first one ever! She’d never done that before! “All good!” Twilight agreed, as they walked down the cobblestone streets of Stalliongrad. Ahead of them, another wall loomed, this one smaller than all the rest. Only ten feet high or so, and ringing a domed topped structure with more than a few outbuildings around it. A tower jutted up, one that ended with an observatory at the top of it. The colorful painted spiral patterns against it giving a pop of color to an otherwise drab atmosphere.  The gates before them opened and they entered the campus proper. It seemed to be quite taken care of even now in the midst of winter, the grounds were clean and the walkways clear of snow. Oddly, even the ground underneath Twilight’s hooves felt warm, some sort of magic enchantment that kept the snow from it and provided warmth all at once! How wonderful!  The outbuildings seemed to have quite the variety to them. One looked like your standard apartment block, nice but definitely old. Another, a greenhouse that functioned even in the arctic chill. Was that one a ball room? Just barely out of her vision due to the snow that poured down. Was this where she was staying? Part of her couldn’t believe it. Only then did Twilight realize that she probably should have said something back to Azure. “All good,” she agreed, a little quietly. “And uhm, is this where I’m going to be staying?” Raven took that answer. “The Royal Academy of Magic. Luna’s school, I’m sure that you’ve heard of it.” Of course Twilight had, everypony had, everypony that had even thought about magic before had considered this place, hoped to walk through its doors at least once. “Tomorrow, you’ll enroll in classes and get yourself settled into the minutiae, and tonight we’ll get you to a room so that you don’t have to sleep in such… ghastly places,” Raven  finished, with a scoff. Belatedly, Twilight realized that Luna and Raven spoke damned near the same, but she supposed being around someone like Luna all the time would rub off on you. “I- I can’t wait,” Twilight managed to get out, her eyes starting to widen as she really realized what she looked at. The Greenhouse of Life, home to many advancements in medicine, botany, and so much more. The main building with the striped tower, Luna’s own personal observatory. She’d bet that the library tucked behind the building too, something filled with so much knowledge, so many books, that Twilight might spend the rest of her life reading.  “Good. Because I’d rather not be out here in the frigid night as much as possible. Come along. Azure, you may guard the gate.” It was worded like a suggestion, but definitely sounded like a demand, and with the salute the guard mare gave, it became pretty obvious which of the two it really was.  Raven started to lead the way again, towards the small apartment block building. “There’s a room waiting for you. It won’t have much in it, but the crown will give you a small stipend to decorate as you see fit. But, it’s a warm room and an entrance to a prestigious university, so I’m sure you can’t complain too much.” If Twilight didn’t know any better, she might almost think that a slight against her. But the way that Raven talked made it seem less edgy, less cruel, just a manner of speaking rather than anything serious. The two of them entered the apartment building, only to find that the inside looked nothing like what Twilight expected. The entire first floor seemed to be a shared space. The foyer itself had quite the comfortable seat arrangement, armchairs and sofas placed nicely apart to give everypony just enough space, while also keeping some close for groups. In the middle, a lovely staircase split at the middle, one side going left, the other to the right. Back on the ground floor, on the left, a wide, open kitchen with booths and tables for eating and speaking, well kept, clean and taken care of. On the other side, a foyer with a fireplace, bookshelves galore, each of them stuffed to the prim. A pool table took up one part of the room, a dim light hanging above it with magic providing it’s source.  In fact, magic seemed to be everywhere. She could feel it swimming in the air around her, the stove itself had to be powered by it, all of the lights, the bookshelves too? Experimentally, her horn pulled at a book, letting it drop… only to have something grasp it and fit it right back in place. Twilight couldn’t help but squeal in excitement, ready to spend the next few weeks studying that enchantment if she had to. Unfortunately, Raven broke her out of the spell. “Don’t tarry.” A light chastisement, nothing more. “Your room is on the second floor. I’ll be giving you the key, getting you settled, and then it’s on you. Breakfast is at eight every morning in the common room, being late is grounds for missing it entirely,” Raven lectured as the two of them trekked up the stairs.  It wasn’t far to her room, maybe the fifth one down off the right side. Raven levitated  a key up and unlocked the thing. The two of them would step in, showing off simplicity just like Raven had promised. Wood floors, a simple bed shoved into a corner, a dresser on one side, and finally, a nice, wide desk with a relatively comfortable looking chair. As for decorations? Nothing to speak of save for a rug in the middle of the floor, an old fur one that had definitely lost some of it’s fuzz over the years, probably something meant to be warm and nothing more now. Somehow, her saddlebags sat on the bed, the same ratty old things that she’d worn for her entire journey, safe and sound.  “This is your room, Ms. Sparkle.” The same magic as before levitated over the key to open the door, allowing Twilight to surround it with her own purple glow. She looked at it like a treasure, a rarity in this world. Twilight had never had her own room before. In her village, houses weren’t built large, and her brother and her had split a room for years and years. Their parents had taken the other bedroom, leaving her no privacy of her own. But Raven - or perhaps Luna, really, had given her privacy, a place to study all on her own where she wouldn’t be interrupted. The same giddy smile as earlier had come back with a vengeance, the mare’s tail starting to swish back and forth behind her. “Thank you, Ms. Inkwell!” she squeaked out, the excitement getting the better of her. Part of Twilight wanted to hug her, wanted to dance around the room in joy but she composed herself. She may be an awkward mare, but she wasn’t that awkward. She was, however, just awkward enough to start pacing around the small space, covering every inch of it that she could to try and get used to it. To her credit, Raven finally smiled, breaking the cold and collected demeanour and replacing it with a subtle grin. “You’re most welcome, Ms. Sparkle.” But that’s all that would come before launching back into business once more. “The bathroom is shared at the end of the hall, but it has warm, clean water for you to use. The kitchen is open at any time if you get hungry, be respectful of anything marked. And finally, be sure to spend some of your time outside of your room.” Strangely, Raven’s tone of voice had changed. Instead of the clipped, refined manner, it had gotten warmer, almost caring. “It’s important to make friends and to see the city. This may be your dream and it is direly important to study, but it’s also important to live a balanced life.” Raven finished with a nod of her head and one last look around the room. “I’ll leave you here, Ms. Sparkle. Settle in and get some rest, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life and you’ll dreadfully need it. “Thank you,” Twilight managed to whisper out. “Thank you so much, a-and please- if it’s not too much trouble - could you please tell the Princess I said thank you as well? And that I appreciate what she’s given to me?” Twilight asked.  A bow of her head answered Twilight’s questions with the affirmative, along with the smile on her face. “Of course. In the meantime, please get some rest. You’ll need it for tomorrow.” With that, Twilight found herself alone in a room once more. But not the same as last time. Instead of a cell, this felt homely, warm. All the things around her were her own, and she lived here, not just existed. With a smile, Twilight started to dig through her saddlebags, working through them to find the picture she always carried with her - her and Shining, smiling at the camera. It had been the only one they could afford, and every day it brought her new strength. Twilight put it on her night stand, along with a minor enchantment to keep it standing up. A simple thing, really, but one that did it’s job. Her spare clothes, of which not much existed, went into the dresser, a simple shirt and pants, more utilitarian than anything. Some of the heavier furs draped over her body would come off as well now that heat radiated around her, draped against the back of the bed so they could properly dry off after being in the snow for hours and hours.  And then, for a second at least, Twilight just stood there. Her mind emptied, her breathing slowed, and Twilight just… relaxed. It’d been a while since she took the time to relax and just do nothing. For the last few months, it’d been go, go, go, keep moving, don’t look back. For once, she could sit there and do nothing, nothing but rest. Her mind wandered, because of course it did. It wandered over her time in the dungeon, the darkness and the fear, but mostly, it wandered over towards Luna. She thought about the mare’s beauty, the way she talked, and the way that she almost seemed to manipulate Twilight. Twilight wasn’t a fool. Nopony did something for nothing, and that included the Princess. The more she considered it, the more she had to realize that Luna wanted something from her. But what could she want from a peasant girl? Yes, she had magic, but so did the dragoons. Without even thinking about it, Twilight’s body had gone onto autopilot. It walked towards the end of the hall, key around her neck, towards the bathroom. She’d push the door open, finding something modest, but workable. A few stalls for toilets, a row of sinks in stone. But what about- Ah, there. A small curve in the wall had hidden away another compartment, and as Twilight ventured forth, she found a row of showers, each with their own curtain. A sigh went through her, hurrying herself on over towards the first one. Belatedly, she realized just how much she stank, months and months of traveling without access to a proper restroom had made her this way, and now she could fix it. Goddesses bless, the water actually felt warm too! No, downright hot! The mare yipped, jerking back and turning the heat back down as fast as she could. It’d take a few moments, but she’d finally manage to get it to a comfortable level. Better. Oh Goddesses, the water felt so perfect washing over her, she almost didn’t ever want to leave. Her mane hung around her face, clinging to her neck as it got soaked through. A pleased sigh escaped her, and in that moment, Twilight knew nothing but bliss. It somehow soothed all of her aches, all of her pains, even the mental ones that showers should have no right actually fixing. For a brief moment, she thought about sitting down, then remembered it was a shared shower and decided against it quite quickly.  Instead, her mind went back to Luna. There had to be something more there. Her body on autopilot again, scrubbing behind her ears, getting her mane nice and clean, all while crunching over her thoughts. What did she want?  The reasoning had been sound, but even then, it was a lot of resources to invest into a single pony. And no matter what else happened, Twilight wouldn’t let herself get taken advantage of. From the lowliest beggar to the highest royal, none of them would take advantage of Twilight Sparkle. Another sigh escaped her as the shower flicked back off, the last trickles of water leaving her. Belatedly, she realized that she had no towel. Even more belatedly she realized that she was a unicorn. A simple spell that she’d known forever would leave her dry once more.  Mind heavy, Twilight headed back towards her room. The sun would be coming up soon, she could tell by the light peeking over the horizon, window positioned just perfectly enough to have it flood her eyes every morning. Mental note: get some curtains for this room, because she’d absolutely not stand for that. In the meantime, she pulled the covers over herself, facing away from the window and snuggling tight into the sheets. She could figure out the paradox that was Luna in the morning, once she’d had more sleep. The next day would start with her in a new position in life. No longer Twilight the peasant, but Twilight the student. And no matter her reservations about Luna, or about Raven for that matter, nothing could stifle her excitement for learning. The secrets of the arcane would be hers, just as planned. It’d been a great plan.