The minute Piercing Strike let out her scream, Twilight Sparkle woke up in her bed in Ponyville’s castle, vaguely anxious. This year not Canterlot but Ponyville was the residence of the Princesses in the interchanging order of the cities. It was not a bad dream — as Luna’s fellow traveler, Twilight had long been in control of her little domain of dreams and did not need nightmares from outside. And if something from outside were to overcome its boundaries, the effect would not be limited to a minor unease on Twilight’s soul.
Twilight rolled over on her stomach, stretched her whole body and unfurled her wings for a long moment, with a pleasant trembling in her legs, and pulled the unfinished Meadowbrook’s autobiography from the bedside table — among the Pillars of Equestria she was the last one who decided to tell about herself, and the only one who entrusted Twilight's help as an editor before sending the book to print.
Not that it could really help with what Twilight was worried about now — the Pillars went into limbo long before the start of previous Off-season, and could not tell the Princess of Friendship anything that would matter except "be yourself" and "rely on your friends" and, of course, "if nothing else helps, take the shovel". But Meadowbrook's clumsy and heartfelt prose was refreshing. Perfect for sleepy eyes and a still dormant mind.
“Nopony knew who I was. The ponies glared at me. But I knew that the infection was here. I was determined to win over it or succumb to... ”
Twilight turned the page and went deep into reading.
The Moon illuminated the book with a translucent white radiance, although there was no need for that, with Twilight's relatively new night vision.
Half an hour later, Twilight was ready to bet a dozen bits that the Moon was deliberately put there to stay. It was cute, but somewhat annoying and embarrassing. At the same time, Luna knew for sure that it would be annoying and embarrassing. Therefore...
"Princess, in case you have forgotten, I am actually an adult pony, and this is my room. Mine, not ours,” Twilight said quietly and sternly, spelling each word out and staring intently at the Moon.
"You have already plunged all the cycles into disarray!" Twilight decided to keep unsaid. If anypony was embarrassed by Off-season, it was Sisters, and then Luna was the first of them. it was happening with Luna and because of Luna, and maybe even by or through Luna — but not within her control.
Twilight recalled the last of five times she had seen Celestia crying; she heard her slow, smooth and still melodic voice in her memory, “If I had restrained myself then and reached an agreement with my sister, instead of war, instead of banishment... then this would not have happened, neither then nor now. Of course, I will rejoice with you, my faithful student. But in general... please excuse my imprecision but you seem to be writing, in the meaning, 'If you banish the alicorn not instantly, but as a process for several decades, and return her to Equestria with similar inhibition after the banishment's end, then the duration and strength of the Off-season to follow can be diminished by seven to eleven times in terms of time, by three to six times in terms of impact.' I believe you, my student Twilight Sparkle. But try to understand why I can only smile and hug you, and not announce a new holiday in honor of your brilliant discovery. Consider this your homework."
Twilight blushed.
Of course she understood it — later on. The day she got it, she decided what she would do for the coming decades as the Princess of Friendship. At the same time — even though neither she nor anypony knew about it then — Rainbow Dash’s Ascension was predetermined.
But that was years ago. Now she was deep into reading, and after fifteen minutes, out of the corner of her background attention, she noticed with satisfaction that the Moon went beyond the window frame.
Luna knocked on the door and entered. She was tactful enough to not distract Twilight from the book; Twilight, in turn, read no further than the next two pages, until the end of chapter eighteen. After that, Twilight turned to Luna and looked her over.
Luna was still smaller than Celestia and still taller than Twilight, albeit only slightly in both comparisons, and generally looked almost the same as in photographs from Shining and Cadence's wedding. For more attentive eyes, such as Twilight's ones though… There were many subtle changes from that awkward Princess who once had been trying to hide her utter perplexity and confusion, with whom Twilight spent Ponyville’s Nightmare Night — the length of the horn, the shape of the pupils, the shape of the ears, the shade of the coat. Only a pony who fell asleep then and woke up now, years later, would have picked up on them straight away. One just awoken from a long slumber could ask what happened in the world, and among other things, they would definitely be told about Off-season.
Off-season had already begun then and continued now — it was more obvious now but no less inevitable. In those days long gone, who would have noticed that the Moon was shining brighter, especially in the months of autumn? Who would have heard the lines of peculiar songs in the swamp winds? Who would have seen that the blood of accidental wounds coagulate less readily?
In fact, relatively many would have.
Children of the Night, for example.
Twilight found her solace in the knowledge that it was too late to prevent the Off-season. Even on their first Grand Galloping Gala, it was too late. She constantly reminded herself of this. And not everything was bad about it — Starlight Glimmer, for example. Beatrix— Trixie. Chrysalis, too, in recent years. Et cetera. She could remember many actually good ponies and other creatures that were, stealthily, awoken, driven and motivated by the coming Off-season.
She couldn't stop feeling guilt in her heart.
She put the book down on the nightstand and blinked, looking at Luna, trying to drive away her tears.
Luna came closer, hugged her, dragged her deeper into the bed, and until the imminent rainbow dawn everything was mostly fine.