Pearl groaned as she walked into her home. She was thankful her house was so close to her parents. Yes, it was small, only one story, but it was all hers.
“I knew I shouldn’t have eaten so much.” Tossing her saddlebags onto the sofa Pearl gripped the leg rest. She had thought about the last few days. Just four nights ago, in this very house, she had gotten the worst fright of her life. Thinking on it now, though, it had brought her to the best day of her life.
“Let's see. Shower now, or in the morning?” Closing her eyes she bowed her head. “Oh screw it, I’ll shower in the morning. I’m too full and too tired.” Walking to her bedroom she threw open the door.
Everything was just as she had left it four nights ago, save for one thing. All her Gunpla were now back in their cases. But still in different configurations. “Oh great. Whatever ghost is in here I’m so not in the mood. I had a rough day in study and I’m very tired. So can we not continue to drive me crazy?”
The silence in the room was almost deafening. With a drawn-out sigh, she pulled off her shirt and laid out on her bed. “Thank you for at least putting my Gunpla back.”
“You're welcome.” A soft voice from the corner of the room whispered to her.
“Oh, Celestia… why am I being driven insane like this.” Pearl covered her face with both front hooves. “I hear your damn voice in my house, at the Palace, all around Ponyville.” Her breathing growing heavier, Pearl rolled onto her side and looked in the direction of her ficus. “Do you know what it’s like to have pony’s look at you like you're crazy! I can’t take it anymore. Why are you doing this to me!” Taking a pillow she put it over her head.
For minutes the room was silent. It wasn't until she heard a rustling sound from her potted ficus tree that a shiver ran down her spine. Feeling a weight against the side of her bed, Pearl took a few deep breaths before peaking out from under the pillow.
She didn’t know if she wanted to scream or play twenty questions. Before her was a creature no larger than herself. It was shaped very much like a fox with nine long tails spread out along her floor. A set of amber eyes looked into her own. But what was chilling her, was that this fox was made of nothing but branches and leaves from her ficus.
“Gomenasai,” the leaf fox said as it bowed its head. She could almost see small tears running down the leaves. “I don’t mean you any harm, you know. It’s just.. Been so long without company. When you touched me, I just… I thought I found the friend I was looking for.” Turning away the leaf fox slumped down. The fox’s body arched down a little more, its head lowering before sniffling a bit. “I was just…”
“Lonely.” Pearl finished the sentence. She watched its head nod slowly. Biting back a few choice curse words for herself, Pearl scooted closer to the edge of the bed. Sighing deeply she opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it. She understood the feeling of being lonely. But how does a pony comfort a creature like this?
Gah this is so annoying! This creature, whatever he is, is a first-class pain in the flank! First, he drives me to the brink of insanity and now he’s here being all sad. Pearl screamed in her head. She watched as the leaf fox turned its head up and looked at her. Feeling a slight pain of guilt for being so upset at such a sad-looking creature.
“What do I even call you? Do you have a name?” Pearl huffed as she folded her front legs. What was putting her off more than anything was not the fact that he was here. But he didn’t talk the way others did. She heard him, but it was like a voice in her mind now.
“Yeah. Just not one I’ve used in so long. But since it no longer really holds meaning, you can just call me Forestsong.”
Pearl blinked and looked at Forestsong. That was the name Twilight had used when naming her apprentice. “Okay, Forestsong.” Reaching out she touched the leaves, which felt warmer than they should. “This is too strange.” Rolling onto her back, Pearl stared up at the ceiling. She felt his eyes on hers. Not unlike that day when she was shown that fox skull.
Her eyes widening she sat up and turned her head. There was Forestsong looking at her kindly. “You said I touched you?” Forestsong nodded slowly. “Are you… were you..”
“I was wondering when you’d make that connection,” Forestsong smirked with a little chuckle. He saw her tremble but reached up with a soft leaf paw and touched her side.
“I’m... well, I. I'm..”
“Sorry?” Pearl nodded slowly “You don’t have to be. No reason for you to be. So just put it from your mind. I’d rather know how things are between you and Twilight.”
Blinking, she sat up. “How do you know about that? Nopony knows about it yet.” Looking off to the side she sucked in her breath, her face glowing slightly red. “You were there. Did you happen to see who pushed me? While I'm thankful for that, I’m pissed that they made me look a fool.”
Pearl could only watch as Forestsong just shifted his gaze off to the side.
Slamming her front hooves down on her bed she leaned in quickly. Stopping only when she was nose to nose with the fox. “That was you!” Pearl growled loudly. “Did you really have to butt into my love life you… You.” Swinging her hoof she felt it connect to Forestong’s face only to pass through. The leaves scattered for a moment before flying back and reforming.
“So I gave you a little push. If I had left it in your hooves, you might have been an old grey mare before you worked up the courage to ask her out,” Forestsong smirked.
Taking a long deep breath Pearl leaped out to tackle this annoying pain in the flank. To show him who was the boss in this house. She felt herself connect, only to fly through him and roll herself into the wall.
“Well, that was smart. Tackle the spirit beast.” Forestsong said as he looked down at Pearl. As he now stood just over her head. “In case you forgot already, I have no physical body.”
“Physical enough to mess with my Gunpla,” Pearl grumbled as she rubbed her head and sat up. Pushing her back against the bedroom wall. She felt his leafy paw press against her forehead. She had to stifle a scream when she saw it ignite an emerald flame. Within an instant, the newly formed bruise and bump vanished.
“I can manipulate some things, small things. But nothing big.”
Sighing again, Pearl looked up at him. “Why me?”
“I like you. You're funny, smart, pretty, and you have a mouth on you that reminds me a lot of my big sister Firestorm.” Forestsong chuckled warmly. “And you did kinda call me.”
Blinking Pearl shook her head. “I did have a feeling when I touched your skull. Like I should know you. But why didn’t I see you then? I mean you haven't started annoying me until I..,” Her mouth holding open she reached up and took off her bandana. There mingled in the cloth was the amber orchid.
It was the same flower she saw in Twilight’s room. A bouquet in a vase. And a pair of them attached to her crown. She even remembered the description that Pinkie Pie had given her and Twilight days ago. Lotus had the same flower.
“What is this flower?” Pearl’s voice took a long dangerous edge as she looked at Forestsong.
“That flower is called the Forestsong. And it can be found in only one place.”
“Where?”
“In what you call the Everfree Forest. My Forest. My home.”
“So if I throw this away? I won’t see you anymore?” Pearl held the beautiful orchid in her hooves.
“At the start, you would have been able to. Not now. We’re connected now.” Forestsong saw Pearl drop her head.
“Great, I’m going to have a permanent imaginary friend as an adult.” Getting a hold of her faculties Pearl looked up at him. “Fine, I guess I can handle that. Just try not to annoy me when ponies are around.” Getting up Pearl walked herself to the bed. “I don’t have a spare room so you sleep on the floor.” Pearl couldn’t think her life could get any crazier. Closing her eyes she thought of Twilight.
The feel of those soft legs around her body. The plush floof she wanted to snuggle. And the warmth of those large wings. Within moments Pearl was asleep.
Forestsong sat there looking at Pearl and moved in closer. A thunderclap erupted outside. He felt the cool breeze from the open window. Smiling, he watched as a mix of rain, wind and cloud took the form of a larger fox, her form so large her head touched the ceiling.
A thunderclap struck around the house again as glimmering grey eyes looked at him.
“Yes, I know. It’s almost time. I’ll come home soon. I just have a few things to clear up.” Leaning in, Forestsong placed a soft kiss against Pearl’s cheek. No lighter than the brush of a soft leaf against the mare’s coat.
Walking to the window, his leaf form dissolved leaving the ficus tree now sitting in front of the window which quietly closed.
As she lowered the sun and moved the moon into position for the night, Twilight sighed. No matter how many times she did it, she was still surprised at how easily they seemed to respond to her.
It helped her to focus on something at least, as her insides were doing flip flops at the moment. A part of her still couldn’t believe it. She had an honest-to-goodness date. With Pearl! She almost stopped herself from doing a little happy dance right then and there.
But that was the problem, as her ears fell as she turned away from the balcony she was on.
Forestsong seemed to catch onto her mood as he turned to look at her. “I thought you would be happy? Isn’t this something that both of you wanted?”
Twilight nodded. “It is, and I am. I know Pearl has felt this way about me for a long time now. I never said anything about it because I know what it’s like to have a crush on your teacher and mentor.”
“But?” Forsetsong prompted, knowing there was more to it than that.
Twilight sighed. “I’m afraid this will destroy what we have. What if I end up breaking Pearl’s heart? I can’t do that to her. Not again. She’s lost so much already. I won’t take that away.”
“Is that all?” Sighing deeply, Forestsong tossed a small green ball up and down in his paws. “So what are you going to do? Run away from Pearl like you did with Celestia?”
“I did not run away from my mentor!” Twilight almost yelled out in the Canterlot Voice.
“Not physically.” Forestsong tossed his ball which bounced off Twilight’s forehead and back to his paws. “But you put her so high on a pedestal. You would have had an easier time romantically reaching the Mare in the Moon.”
Twilight closed her eyes and narrowed her eyebrows. Her apprentice was walking a very thin line with her right now. Who was he to question her choices?
“You just want to play it safe. After all, if you don’t jump off the cliff, you’ll never know if you’ll survive the landing.” Smirking, Forestsong licked his lips. “Pearl did the one thing you never could. She’d risked everything just to jump off that cliff and is swan diving toward the canyon bottom.”
Twilight looked at her apprentice, her voice failing her.
“You just have to answer two questions. Are you willing to risk everything to catch the mare of your dreams? Or will you put her on the same pedestal as Celestia and play things safe once again?”
As Forestsong caught the shimmering green sphere again, it vanished. “Look, just start small. You really don’t have to do anything outrageous.”
Twilight watched him silently.
“You're still having problems with that journal right?” Twilight nodded. “Why not get a set of outside eyes? I’m sure Pearl would love to help you. And I’m sure she could use the distraction right now. Studying so hard.”
Twilight felt herself starting to perk right up again.
“It would accomplish two things. You get help with something you both have interest in, and you two can spend time together in a less stressful environment.” Curling up at the foot of Twilight’s bed, Forestsong closed his eyes. “And you two can just take things slow, no need to rush things. You're an immortal now, and thanks to the Dragon Queen’s gift she has an extended lifespan. ”
“So take it from another immortal, don’t go stressing over something that takes time. When you two have all the time in the world to make it work.”
Twilight spun around to face her bed only to find that her apprentice had fallen asleep. His light snoring, sounding like leaves rustling in the wind.
Taking off her crown, Twilight moved to her empty bed. Looking at it she sighed.
It would be nice to fall asleep with somepony. I still remember the nights when she would stay over. She would sleep all curled up right here. Twilight thought as she ran her hoof down on the spot Forestsong had been only seconds earlier.
“Maybe one day. You're right of course.” Twilight said to her invisible apprentice. Over the last few days, she had grown to understand that he was only around when she had her crown on. And whenever she removed it he was like a dream she could just barely hold on to.
“I’ll take things slow, she and I have both been hurt. So, why rush? But first, there’s something I need to do and that’s to remove the pedestal once and for all. To break these chains.” Throwing off her nightgown, “That way I can never put anypony else on it. And I’ll never be able to move on if I don’t.” Twilight slipped on a travel cloak and secured it with a broach. Puffing up her pillows, Twilight vanished into the night via teleport.
Over the last few years, Celestia had grown rather used to being able to stay up as late as she liked and not have to worry about getting up in the morning. Luna was still the night owl, but Celestia was starting to make up for lost time.
Having watched the sunset, and admiring how much more spunk Twilight had added to something that had long grown dull and boring for her, Celestia was more than happy to curl up with a good book for the night. Luna was off on one of her “Secret missions” she seemed to be doing a lot of recently.
Celestia suspected it was nothing but an excuse to stuff her face with sweets. But if it brought her little sister joy, then who was Celestia to try and stop her?
She had just settled down with a nice cup of tea, when she heard the faint pop of a teleport spell on the front porch, along with a distinct smell she had long known.
“At least you remembered to knock this time, Twilight,” Celestia smirked as she opened the door to reveal her former student and friend.
Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. How was I supposed to know you were right behind the door? You’re the one who told me that I didn’t need to knock.”
Celestia chuckled, as she let the Ruler of Equestria inside. “To what do I owe the pleasure? That you are not surrounded by guards or hyperventilating tells me that this is just a friendly visit, I hope?”
Twilight nodded, a little annoyed that some of her more eccentric quirks were still being talked about. She had never been that bad. Had she? “It is. This is something that I should have done a long time ago.”
Before Celestia could ask what she meant, Twilight leaned forward and locked lips with the elder alicorn, catching the immortal off guard as her eyes widened in shock.
Twilight managed to hold the kiss for a few moments before Celestia was able to pull away, a look of shock on her face. “Twilight Sparkle!”
Twilight’s ears fell, but she couldn’t stop now. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that? I love you, Celestia. I have loved you since that first Summer Sun Celebration. You inspired me. Beautiful, valiant, and a magic-user without peer. You were perfect to me. I wanted a sun of my own, and if I couldn’t. I wanted to bask in your own. The more I studied with you, the more perfect you became. I worshiped you. Even after I learned that alicorns are not gods, I didn’t care. You were my sun, and if I could spend the rest of my days in your glow. I would die content.”
Celestia was taken aback. She had long suspected Twilight had a crush on her. But she had never thought it had gone this deep. “Twilight. You know that I do not like mares that way. I never have. And even if I did, that would have been wrong of me.”
Twilight nodded. “I know. It crushed me when I first learned of it. Spike can tell you how many tubs of ice cream I drowned my sorrows in that day.”
That got a giggle out of both mares at least. “Once I learned that my fantasy was never going to be what I wanted it to be, I became more determined to make you proud of me. No matter what it took or how long. If I couldn’t have your love. Then I could at least have that.” Twilight sniffed. “You know of the things I’ve done because of that ideal.”
Celestia nodded sadly. “Twilight. I never once blamed you for any of those. I bear as much blame as you do.” She smiled as she lifted the younger alicorn’s head. “But the day you became an alicorn? I was never more proud of you. And the day Luna and I stepped down? I knew that no matter your quirks or eccentricities, you were better than any of us. I am proud to call you, not just my ruler. But my friend. And never forget that I will always be proud of you.”
Twilight’s own smile grew, as she pulled her old mentor into a hug, one that Celestia happily returned. They stood there like that for what seemed like hours before they broke apart.
“But did you have to put it that way?” Celestia asked. “Why wait until now to tell me all of this?”
Twilight sighed. “Because I can never love anypony else. Not as I should. Not until I removed the pedestal I put you on.”
Celestia nodded, beginning to understand. “You found someone? Then she must be worth it.”
Twilight grinned. “She is. I didn’t realize it until a few days ago. And anyone who says otherwise is a big ol’ poopy head. I am making it a Royal Order as well.”
Celestia giggle snorted. Maybe it wasn’t the best use of a Royal Order. But who was she to argue with the princess? “So when should I expect an invite to the wedding?”
Twilight’s face burst into a burning blush so bright it could have been mistaken for the sun itself. “Celestia! We haven’t even gone on our first official date yet! It’s way too early to be thinking about a wedding.”
Celestia only smirked. “Well then, don’t waste your time talking to an old nag like me, Twilight. Go sweep that mare off of her hooves.”
Twilight only groaned as Celestia giggled.
Twilight returned to her room a few hours later. It always felt good to visit her old mentor, and though it had started off awkwardly, it had soon become just another visit for the two of them.
With a sigh, she returned her traveling cloak to the closet, before picking up the letter that sat on her bedside table, one that was close to her heart.
Flurry Heart’s acceptance letter to study at the School of Friendship. She and Cadance had fought long and hard about this. Cadence wanted her daughter to stay in the Crystal Empire and attend one of its schools. Twilight could respect that, for she had nothing but good things to say about the empire’s schools.
All but one that is. Crystal Prep Academy was the premier center of learning in the empire, with ponies from every level of society attending. Which sounded fine on paper.
But alarm bells and red flags almost ten years old had begun going off in Twilight’s head the moment she had met the principal. While Cinch was as civil and polite as could be, Twilight didn’t need to be a princess to see it was nothing but a lie and a mask. Somepony who only cared what having a princess attending her school would do for its reputation and prestige, and her own image of course.
Twilight and Cadance had butted heads more often than she cared to count, with Flurry caught in the middle. They had finally agreed to compromise. Let Flurry herself decide where she wanted to go, and they would respect her choice.
The letter was Flurry’s answer, and while Twilight was happy for sure. She was sure she would be getting an earful from Cadance about this.
Sighing, she put it from her mind for the moment and picked up the journal she had found recently. She was still no closer to learning what was said in it. Kanji didn’t have a translation guide, and only two races knew of it. The Kitsunes and Eastern Dragons. One was lost to time, and the other was so elusive they too might as well be lost.
Shaking her head, Twilight opened the journal, hoping she might get lucky and understand what was in it this time. But no luck. “Why did this come to me? I love reading new things. But if I can’t even read this stupid thing. What’s the point?!” Twilight tossed the book aside in frustration, only to hear a small clink bounce on the floor.
Turning her head she found the light shimmering off a clear piece of crystal. Twelve inches long and as thin as the rachis of a feather. Not unlike how the Kanji was aligned in the journal. Blinking, she moved over and lifted the thin gem in her magic and examined it. She found it was triangular with writing on one side. Squinting her eyes she focused on what was there.
“Hon’yaku” Blinking she had heard words like that before. But where? Shaking her head, she turned her head back to the journal, the crystal floating before her with the light of her magic shining through it.
What happened next was something Twilight never expected.
The moment the light filtered through the crystal hit the pages, the words on the pages were projected into the air as thousands upon thousands of scrolls. Reaching out she touched one and opened it, inside the words were translated into perfect Ponish.
Twilight’s jaw dropped as she started to read. “How. What kind of magic can do that? And where can I learn it?!”
Giggling at the idea of what all of this meant, she took a few moments to read from the very beginning. What she gleaned from just a cursory look through made her grin like a school filly on the very last day of school.
“Oooh. Pearl is going to flip when I show her this!” She squeed, doing a happy dance in mid-air as she giggled.
Twilight looked at the cover of the book and quirked an eyebrow. Taking a chance she placed the crystal down on the line that was written there.
‘To my sons, may this forever lead you through your lessons. And know that with knowledge, we abolish hatred. ~Katsuko Everfree’
Twilight smiled. She could appreciate and respect what Katsuko meant. He sounded wise. And this confirmed a long-held thought of hers, and several other scholars as well.
At least some Kitsunes had come this far west. Maybe even an entire family if this was anything to go by. That also meant that the skull Fluttershy had found wasn’t just there by accident. Someone had put it there.
But that didn’t feel right. It was too well preserved, and the last Kitsune had been lost to history millennia before Equestria was even founded. There should be some sign that it had been out in the wild for that long. Yet, there was no sign at all.
Something wasn’t right, and Twilight wasn’t sure what to make of it.
For now, though. She would concentrate on what she could discover. But not all of it. Oh no, This was something to be shared, and over a long period of time.
And Twilight knew just the pony she wanted to share it with.