//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven part 1: Parting Of The Ways // Story: Twilight's Diamond Daughter // by deadpansnarker //------------------------------// “So, are you sure you’re okay with us leaving now, Starlight?” “Relax, Twilight. The Friendship Castle is in safe hooves with me! The same applies to your school, too. If anything happens while you’re gone, you’ll be the second to know. After me, of course.” “Alright, but do you remember everything I told you?” “Yes, yes. No ‘renovations’ to the edifice until you okay them first. Polish the crystal from top to bottom once a week. Keep the noise down if I have any friends staying in for sleepovers…” “By ‘friends’, I just meant Trixie. But yes, that sounds about right, and I trust you with anything else I might’ve neglected to mention. Now, about your new role as headmare…” “Twilight! You know you already wrote an extensive list of rules for everything, including the stuff you just told me!” Starlight rolled her eyes at the alicorn’s typically overzealous approach to detail. “If you spend too long here talking, your pegasi steeds aren’t going to be able to see the route to Canterlot! I thought you said you wanted to be there before nightfall…!” “Ohmygosh, ohmygosh. It’s happening again!! I’m so focused on everypony else’s business, I plain forgot about my own!” Twilight slapped the tip of her horn in frustration, eliciting a slight ‘thunk’ in response. “It’s just so hard leaving behind such a big part of my life, to go and live somewhere else. Of course it could be said I was returning to a big part of my life, since I was born and raised in Canterlot…” “Go!!” Starlight let out a good-natured shout, before throwing her hooves around the jittery alicorn. “You’ve said goodbye to all the students. All your possessions are safely packed ready to transport. You can return to visit whenever you like, and I promise that nothing is going to happen to either the castle or the school in your absence. In other words, there’s nothing left to do here. To be honest, I’d be more worried about what awaits you over there…” “Oh, don’t be too concerned about me! I’ve been training myself to take Celestia and Luna’s place for over a year since they floated the idea. I read the Equestrian constitution from cover-to-cover more times than I dare to count, I took lessons in diplomacy from some of the best international consuls, and as for trade…” “No Twilight, that’s not quite what I meant. I was referring more to, er… your recent initiation into the ‘joys’ of parenthood. I know I said you made the right choice, but that was before I discovered what a hoofful Diamond could be. Are you… are you sure this is what you want to do?” Starlight’s hoof pointed to the passenger area of the ready-to-depart carriage, where a sulking pink filly sat next to Spike. Neither pony or dragon were paying each other any attention though, in fact Diamond had barely uttered a word since her ‘colouring book’ was forcibly removed via magic from her crayon-stained grip. “O-Oh, that. Yes, I think she’ll be fine. She’s just going through a few teething problems, that’s all. Once I get her settled in at Canterlot, and the majesty and magnificence of the city start to take hold, I’m sure she’ll be far too busy being overawed to…” “Princess Twilight! Princess Twilight!! I’m bboorreedd! None of your servants will play i-spy with me! Spike won’t toast my marshmallow! These seats feel like they’re made of sandpaper…” Diamond did what she’d done best since arriving in Twilight’s care, which was to kick up a right old fuss. As well as literally kick the back of her seat with great vigour, earning her a few frowns from the usually stoic pegasi guards (not servants) and a side-eye from the silently seething Spike. Starlight cast a questionable glance to Twilight as if to ask ‘you were saying?’, but the alicorn had already been dealt with Spike’s initial skepticism and wasn’t about to change her plans at this late stage. “Listen, Starlight. It’ll be fine… I’ll have a long talk with her about the ‘do’s’ and ‘don’t’ of being under my wing once we arrive, and lay everything on the line. The rest of the girls are arriving tomorrow anyway for a banquet thrown in their honour, so if I can’t get her to behave for that important occasion, I may as well give up now.” “Wait. You’re telling me, you didn’t cancel that already?” “No, of course I didn’t! This’ll be the first time I get to see some of my best friends since becoming ruler. It’s only a shame you can’t attend, but I understand if your new schedule as headmare is keeping you fully engaged. Why, what made you think I would?” “Well… it’s just…” Starlight hesitated to say it, but she cast her eye back to an increasingly fidgety Diamond, who now made mock snoring noises whilst pretending to be deceased. “Like I said, all it’ll take is a bit of time and perseverance, and everything will be great!” Twilight firmly rebuked Starlight’s understandable doubts, though it sounded like she was more trying to convince herself. “I mean, look at all the friendship problems I’ve managed to solve! The villains I managed to defeat! The world I helped to save! Surely motherhood can’t be too much of an additional burden…” “I’m not going to tell you to do anything. This is your life, and your choices. Just… good luck, and if you or Diamond ever need anypony to speak to, you know where to find me. After all, you are talking to an officially certified self-trained counsellor here!”  “Nice idea, but what about that new trainee you just appointed? I believe her name is ‘Miss Lulamoon’, or something? Are you telling me she’s not up to the job(!)” Starlight chuckled at Twilight’s attempt at humour there, and decided to respond in kind. “Oh, you mean Trixie? Nah! She’ll be great, but she’s a bit too inexperienced at this stage to deal with a situation of such emotional complexity. For now, I’ll just have her talk to plants. If none of them start wilting by the end of next week, I’m thinking of promoting her to real-life creatures! Won’t that be impressive…!” Both mares laughed in unison, before sharing what they both knew would be the last look they’d have together for a long time. “S-Starlight?” “Yes, my Queen(!)” “I just wanted to tell you… how proud I am of how far you’ve come…” “You mean from my old village? I agree, it is a bit of a journey. Really gives you bad corns, if you don’t take regular breaks along the way.” “Starlight!! Can you stop joking around for just a second? I’m trying to have a ‘moment’ with you here…” “I appreciate it Twilight, but we already had that big farewell party just after your coronation where drinks were consumed, speeches were made and plenty of tears and platitudes were shed. We know how each of us feels, now the only thing left to do is to fulfil our destinies and move forward into the future. We’ll both do a fantastic job we’ll be happy with, so what’s there left to worry about? Before you go though, maybe we can play one more game. This was inspired by your new ‘protege’: i-spy with my little eye, something beginning with… D.” “Okay, Starlight. I’ll play along for old time's sake, but remember: just because I say those kinds of things a lot, it doesn’t make them any less true. Anyway, the answer is obviously ‘D for Diamond Tiara’. You forget, I’ve seen where you’ve been staring the past few minutes.” “Nice try, but wrong I’m afraid. Do you honestly think I’d be that predictable? And wouldn’t the clue be DT if that was the solution…?” “Okay then, whatever. You win. Just tell me as I’m leaving, because I fear that if I don’t go right now, I may never want to… Diamond!! What do you think you’re doing?!” A nonchalant Starlight observed the alicorn gallop over to the carriage to remonstrate angrily with Diamond, as the impatient filly’s ennui finally reached its peak and she was now in the progress of using her barbed tiara to poke holes inside the plush interior. Destruction, disobedience, delinquency, desperation… the solution could’ve been any one of those. Starlight watched the pair of ponies still squabbling with each other as the carriage departed, to the extent that only an undistracted Spike returned her wave goodbye. I have a feeling Twilight finally knows what she’s let herself in for. Well, if anypony can get results, it’s her. Anyway, after all that, it’s time for a good long soak in the tub. Now where did I put those bath salts? Hopefully, she didn't take them with her...