//------------------------------// // First Date // Story: Within The Seas of The Galaxies // by Soothing Stone //------------------------------// It had been a while since Twilight had been on a train this early in the day. Perhaps Luna wanted to go over a lot of discoveries, that would be the only way to explain why the train ticket had a departure time of 7:30 in the morning. It didn't go over so well having to hastily arrange everything on short notice. Granted, Spike would be happy to spend time with Rarity at her Boutique while Twilight was gone. It was in the middle of autumn, and the sun was about to rise any moment. There was a fog around the parts of the land the tracks cut across, lending to a sleepy atmosphere. Yet Twilight wasn't thinking about sleep at all. Her eyes were a little baggy, only getting four hours of sleep, but deep down she couldn't think of anything else but the immediate future. Why didn't I mention this is my first date? I don't know what to say, or where to begin! Where should I begin? "Hi Princess Luna, so how was the time on the moon like? Did you jump around? What's the gravity like in space?" See? I don't really know what I'm doing. I should have brought a book about dates with me. She looked out the window of her carriage to get some clarity. But the sight of Canterlot with the castle prominently rising into the sky, only helped to add a feeling of panic. The ride was more than halfway over and it wasn't the longest to begin with. The train traveled inside a dimly lit tunnel, causing all the indoor lights to turn on automatically, one of the most recent technological advancements. Maybe that's one of the things Luna wanted to discuss. While the area outside was pitch black, Twilight realized she forgot to fix her mane after waking up, and hurriedly made adjustments with her hooves. She was going to be in front of Celestia at least once today without doubt, she couldn't bare to look sloppy. Within a few seconds the train was out of the tunnel, and was ever closer to Canterlot. Never before, she realized, was she so worried about what was going to happen when she got inside. I have an idea. This whole thing was her plan. I'll just let her lead the conversation, and react appropriately. If I say anything, it will either be as a response or a question. If that doesn't work, I'm finished. After a few moments of date planning and introspection, the train approached the depot. It slowed its speed gradually, and stopped in a cloud of steam from the engine. Twilight saw none of the princesses were there waiting for her, so she sighed in relief. But then she saw two Royal Guards waiting by a chariot, with their eyes lighting up when they saw her, one of them holding a picture that was obviously a purple unicorn next to Celestia. Either Celestia or Luna sent an escort for her. Not that surprising, actually. Twilight knew there was nothing she could do about it, and pulled her luggage out of the coach, using her horn to pull it behind her. At the exit door, the attendant tore off half of the round trip ticket and mentioned the times she could arrive back to Ponyville. The Guards noted her departure, and one stood watch over the chariot while the other approached her. "You must be Twilight Sparkle. It is an honor to meet one of the Elements of Harmony," he greeted. "I don't mean to be rude, but Luna sent you down here, didn't she?" "Yes, she's been expecting you for quite some time. Let me get the luggage for you." The guard carried both bags to the back of the chariot, stuffing them inside. He proceeded to open the entrance door for Twilight, letting her climb inside. She stepped into it and took her seat, slowly realizing this was the same chariot Celestia occasionally used. Luna had shown she was thinking of every little detail and the date hadn't even started yet. Both of the guards took their spot and pulled the chariot to the castle, recently expanded with a wing for Luna. Not surprisingly, it was painted blue with a moon symbol at the top. The chariot arrived at the entrance of the castle not long after that. The next moment of truth was here. The Guards dismounted and opened the door for her, and she climbed out to the castle grounds. "The luggage will be waiting for you in the dining hall," one of them said. "Why the dining hall?" "Princess Luna will tell you in person. Speaking of which, she is expecting you in the observatory." "Of course," she whispered. She trotted to the castle entrance, the guards there opening the gates at her sight. There was a brief gust of wind as she walked inside, her heart pounding throughout each second. To most newcomers, the scope of the castle would be overwhelming, but Twilight was no newcomer by a long shot. She went through many hallways and turns to where the library/observatory would be. Once she had found herself there, a wave of nostalgia hit her immediately. It had been a long time she had laid her eyes on these shelves, the old telescope, the massive globe of the world. Even her old study desk was still here, and she looked over it and saw not much had changed with it. It would never beat Ponyville by any means, but it was still worth a trip in memory lane. "I see this was a fillyhood favorite of yours," a voice said. "And personally, I understand it. Not many places like this exist anymore." Twilight panicked and hid behind the desk, peering her head out to see Luna had been here the whole time. The princess laughed as the unicorn got out, trying to pretend she hadn't acted like such a scaredy pony. "Don't worry, I won't tell anypony about that. Like I said before, I don't know how to make a good appearance yet. How was your trip?" "Oh that, I'm sorry about that. The trip was good, didn't expect the Guards to be there waiting for me. That was your idea, wasn't it?" Luna nodded. "I hope that wasn't an issue. Perhaps that was a little too much..." "No, it wasn't. But it felt strange, the only time Celestia did that for me was when I was traveling somewhere, not just from a depot to the castle." She does think I'm being too protective of her, Luna thought. I need to find a way to make her feel more comfortable. "I did have a reason to bring you back to this room. I've arranged some material for you to see, they're scientific advancements we haven't made public yet, they need some tweaking before they're ready." Twilight's ears perked up when Luna placed a thick folder with plenty of blueprints on the work bench. "I forgot all about that! What kind of things did they discover? More planets in the universe? How to control electricity better? Or is it time travel without having to use magic?" "Hold your reigns for a moment," Luna responded, opening the folder. "There's a little of everything for you to witness." You forgot about this? Were you really so afraid of seeing me that you failed to remember the one thing I went out of my way to do for you? I'm right, I'm enforcing my will too strongly on her. I have to change that for the date tonight. ----------------- The next seven hours went away like minutes. Luna's portfolio of the things Equestrian scientists had discovered were fascinating like little else. So many of the ideas were so mind blowing, Twilight went over every last detail for what felt to Luna like hours, which in the case of the dark energy beam did happen. But now it was three in the afternoon. Luna had told the staff to be ready for the two of them at six. Three hours felt real short when you've spent one thousand years on the moon. "And then we step inside, press a date into the machine, and we travel to that time, all on electricity? And no magic? That is brilliant!" "Yes," Luna said, getting a little uneasy, "but we're considering limiting the amount made and locking those up in a secret chamber. You do not want something like this to fall in the wrong hooves. "But it's getting late. Would you like to spend the next time getting ready for tonight?" "What do you mean...oh, the date. Yeah, I should probably do that," she giggled, trying to hide she was getting uneasy too. "Where should I go for that?" "I'll lead you to one of the dressing rooms around here." "And what should I wear?" Luna gasped silently, realizing this was her chance to make Twilight more comfortable. "Anything you would like. I know you'll look amazing in whatever you decide to wear." Twilight turned away as her cheeks blushed. Wait a minute, am I BLUSHING? Why am I blushing? Is that something I'm supposed to blush to? "Lead the way, Luna." Luna did so, taking Twilight through yet more hallways and turns. After some time trotting the palace and watching the Guards saluting the princess, Twilight found herself in a dressing room, the same one Celestia would come in at times. "You should find everything you need here," said the alicorn. "There's a lot of makeup in the drawers, and the closest has a lot of dresses your size, I think. I noticed that everypony's the same size in this time period save for a few stallions." Twilight sat down at the stool in front of the mirror, sighing as she looked at the mirror to see Luna was already by her side. The unicorn looked nervously at all the different makeup and lipstick choices. She didn't try to be fashionable often, and when she did, it was in a dress Rarity had made for her. And now she didn't have that privilege. "I'll leave and ensure everything's ready," said Luna. "I'll be downstairs if you need me." "There's just one question," Twilight responded as she levitated a washcloth. "Why is there yellow lipstick on this thing?" "Oh, uh, I don't know. Maybe Fluttershy was here. Yep, matches her yellow mane and everything." Luna took the cloth away, hiding how red her cheeks were as she shut the door behind her. The student tried to hide she was laughing. It wasn't something she would admit out loud, but Luna could be really hilarious at times. Wait a second, did I laugh about that? Did I just admit she makes me laugh? Oh no...don't do this to yourself. You can do things better than that. She brought all the lipstick and makeup options in single file into the air, and it was clear this was going to be a long three hours. When she glanced at the dress choices behind her, it was clear this was going to take up the time before the date. Oh well. Better start somewhere. And thank Celestia, Luna wasn't going to force her hoof into this... ---------------- Wow. I think this looks amazing. It might have taken thirty dresses but I think it's going to be worth it. Let's just add a little more lipstick...there! Twilight grinned as she looked at herself in the mirror. This was the first time she had to do all of this herself and it looked pretty good. She glanced at the clock in the room reading 5:43. She still had some time left before she had to be there, but then again she wanted to be there early. She went and opened the door, only to find a Guard ready for her again. His eyes were dazzled by the sight, but shook it off. "So I'll assume you're ready to meet the princess of the night," the Guard said. "May I lead the way?" Twilight nodded. It was so obvious Luna had planned everything she could to make this night memorable. The Guard led her through the castle once more, and eventually they arrived at a pair of doors that were platted with gold. It wasn't a room she was familiar with, and so her mind was blown away when she looked inside for the first time. The best way to describe the room was a private setting, yet filled with the glamor of the throne room. There was a gold tint to the entire place, and Twilight could have sworn the chandelier was halfway made of crystal. In one corner was a fireplace that added to the glow of the room. On top of that, there was only one table in the room, big but not so big that the two chairs in place were far apart. Somepony had already placed two plates, cups, and the needed silverware for the meal. Twilight slowly descended to her chair, surprised as she had ever been at the sight. How had she been here for years and never knew this area existed? And it felt very...intimate. "I think you look marvelous," said the Guard. "And excuse me for a moment, I'll tell the princess you're ready to meet her." Twilight waved him as he left through the doors. Now she had another few moments to think before it all came crashing down on her. Remember, just be yourself and allow her to ask questions. It should be fine in the end, right? Then THE moment arrived. She heard the doors open to see Luna come in, in all her decor. But to her surprise, when the princess got a good look at Twilight, she was the slack jawed pony in the room. Twilight was dressed in a black dress that glistened throughout the ensemble. It had a see through part on the lower half that was covered in starry glitter, matching the lighter slippers she had on. Her mane had thankfully stayed the same, but the earrings she had on, with stars for a design, looked impressive indeed. "My goodness," Luna said. "You picked your fashion well. I...I'm impressed." "Thank you," Twilight responded, "but I'm not nearly looking as good as you." Did you just FLIRT with her? Luna laughed. "No matter. I wonder if you attempt to flatter your friend like this all the time." Oh Celestia, YOU JUST DID! You can't be doing this! The princess took her seat across Twilight, and the date began. "I imagine you're a little nervous at this moment. Did you agree to this date, because you were worried still what I would do if you said no?" Twilight shook her head. "Not so much. You were trying your best to make me feel comfortable at Nightmare Night. It was the least I could do." Luna took a deep breath of relief. "Good, I guess we can begin now. I want to ask something about you, and it's kind of personal." The unicorn nodded, and placed her front hooves on the table in anticipation. "Why did you help me out last year at Nightmare Night? You didn't have to do anything, and it's unheard of to help royalty like this." Twilight gulped, and realized the cup she had already had red wine inside. It was halfway empty once she was done. "I...I...I don't know. I think anypony would in that position." "But you were the only one who did. Don't you remember? None of your friends, other than perhaps the farmer Applejack, tried to assist me. If I recalled that time precisely, you sent me to Fluttershy to teach me proper speech of the time. And she feared me and would not do that task, and instead you helped me with it instead. "And when I was convinced everypony would fear me for life and I declared Nightmare Night to be canceled forever, you were the only pony who worked on fixing matters. Is that not true?" Now the wine cup was empty. Twilight didn't want to believe there was another reason she did all that for Luna. And as she thought about it, there was another reason. "Because everypony feared you as Nightmare Moon, when I knew you changed. I saw you go back to good with my own eyes, and I didn't think you were treated fairly." "Treated fairly? I'm astonished you view it that way. Not that it wasn't true, but you must have known of what I could have done to those that dare ran away from my presence. That is why your actions were so unheard of. And I confess I was surprised you thought I was worth the trouble." A waiter came in and poured Twilight another glass of wine, but she didn't notice it. "What do you mean, worth the trouble? I try to help anypony out when they're having problems like you did." Luna's heart dropped. Did that mean her case wasn't special? She might have read too much into those actions... She didn't give a response, and Twilight could see her ears droop. The student didn't know what it was that caused Luna to react like this. Maybe it was how she said it? Instead of responding, the alicorn waved to the Guard standing watch, and after a few awkward moments a couple of waiters came in with plates of salads inside. They placed besides both ponies, and the whole area started to feel cold after the waiters left. "It is made with some of the plants from the garden," Luna sighed. "I thought you might like it." Twilight picked up a fork with her magic and brought a bite of salad to her lips. It did taste delicious, fresh with a nice zing to it. She took a few more bites and started to enjoy herself. Yet she couldn't for very long. Luna sat with a gloomy expression, and it was so prominent that it became the elephant in the room. "What did I do wrong?" Twilight finally asked. "I didn't mean to do it, but I want to know what I did wrong." "Nothing," Luna cried. "I think I made a mistake. I'm sorry for taking so much of your time." "Wait, what mistake? I might have been nervous before, but I think this is amazing. This is really nice of you to do for me--" "It's nothing you did. You are fine. But I think I read too much into that night." She got out of her chair and walked to the window, showcasing the castle structure. "I thought about it a lot afterward. Do you know what it was like, to be so helpless for once in your lifetime, when you thought the worst part of your life was over?" The princess looked at the moon, an eternity of terrible memories coming back to her. "I thought it was over for me at that moment, when my reception in Ponyville was received with, as you commented, mixed results. Behind in the times, whatever they call it. "But you helped me through it. There was nothing you could have done that was more helpful than that. And that was one of the reasons I fell in love with you. And now I know that's just how you are with anypony. I was the fool for thinking too much about it, and I'll proceed to take you home. I think you had enough of my foolishness." Twilight shook her head strongly, and now the princess found the student by her side. "No, you're not a fool for thinking that. I might not have thought about you as a marefriend then, but I considered you a friend at that moment. And even if this doesn't work out in the end, I still want you to be my friend." Luna looked at her, and smiled gently. "Honestly? Even if we don't love each other as marefriends? That...that means more than you can realize." Twilight smiled and pointed at the table. "We still have a date together." They both laughed and walked back to their seats. Luna adjusted herself, trying not to think too hard about what to do next. "You should try the salad," said Twilight. "It's as good as you said it was." Luna got a few bites with her fork, and ate some of it. "Wow, this is the best batch we've had in a while. And that's an accomplishment." The unicorn nodded in agreement. "It's really nice of you to do something like that for me." Wait, you're thinking about it... "But before we can continue, can I ask something?" I thought you were just going to let Luna ask all the questions. Please don't agree to answer... "Yes, what is it?" NO! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? Whatever you do, don't ask about-- "What was it like up there on the moon for those thousand years?" Wow. You went there. You have no shame. Luna nudged a little in her chair, looking backwards at the window with the moon coming into view. "That time...not even the historians dared to ask about that part of my life. I presume they would be afraid what would happen if they did ask, and for good reason. "The first moment I arrived, I remember feeling a sense of rage and sorrow, all at once. Nightmare Moon was enraged when she realized she had failed, and almost immediately started to count down the time until her banishment was over to take her revenge against my sister. Me...do you recall how I was when you defeated me?" Twilight nodded, feeling guilty as hell for asking something so personal. "That was identical to how I felt up there. Shame, guilt, regret, grief, sorrow, any negative emotion you can come up with. I wouldn't admit it to myself, and wouldn't until I saw her again, but I felt such a deep regret over what I had done. We were both so close together, and I had let something so insignificant as the ponies sleeping during my night get in between us." Luna stopped talking for a moment, looking at the moon crescent she had for a cutie mark. "She gave me a second chance to make things right. That's all I could ask for." And then it was her drink of wine that was gone in one swing. She didn't look upset to Twilight as much as she was relieved it was over. "So can I ask you another question?" the princess inquired. "That is, if you don't mind." "It's OK," Twilight said. "Go on." "I don't believe it was a secret I went out of my way to try to make you feel comfortable around me. I know you're smart, and you probably figured it out once you saw the chariot or sooner than that. Did you think...it was a little too much?" Twilight realized she hadn't really thought of it too much, rather focusing on not making a mistake. But the answer was clear. "Yes and no. I really enjoyed seeing what Equestrian scientists found out, that was one of the best things anypony has ever done for me. But since I got on the train, I was so nervous about what to say and do. You were so thoughtful that even though you promised you wouldn't punish me if I said I didn't love you, when I realized how much this mattered to you I tried to do everything I could to make sure you were happy." "So that's what you thought about all of this. You were still worried about what I was going to say and do if you did not approve of me as a lover." "Wait, that's not--" "It is what you meant. And I shouldn't be surprised. Having a princess asking you out on a date would overwhelm most ponies, even one with as much experience with royalty as you." The student blinked at that. "You're not mad at me?" "Is there a reason I should be that I'm not aware of? I'm willing to admit I fancy you greatly. And there is nothing wrong about having concerns about something you're new to." Those words disarmed Twilight, and it felt as if a weight lifted off her shoulders. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I got carried away with making you happy." The rest of the date went rather well. They kept discussing things about Celestia and Twilight's studies, and as time went on the unicorn was more and more comfortable talking to Luna, eventually being able to look past the crown on her head like she did with Celestia. Not to mention, the meals provided were pretty solid too. The cheese and hay soup was better than expected, and the desert of cinnamon ice cream was delicious. By the time that was gone, it was nighttime outside and Twilight was starting to get sleepy. "I should get you home before it gets any darker," Luna commented. "Are you ready to depart?" "I...I think so," Twilight said, almost passing out. "I guess I'll go back by train. Thanks for everything, Luna. Should I give the dress back" "It was my pleasure, Twilight Sparkle. And the dress is yours to keep. Since I do have some duties to attend to after this, I'll have a Guard escort you back to the depot. And Twilight..." "Yes?" The princess approached the unicorn and kissed her on the left cheek for the briefest of moments, before opening the door for the Guard to come in. "Let me know when you want to see me again, if you do." That one moment felt so long for the purple unicorn. The kiss felt so cool to the touch, and she felt a sensation in her chest she didn't know before. It was like having warm water in her chest, warm but like a liquid on top of that. Neither feeling left her as she exited the castle and followed the guard back to the depot. She wanted to explain this, but wasn't sure where to begin. When she took her seat back inside the train, adjusting for her dress, she could swear she was...happier than ever before. It was so obvious why, but she was trying to find a reason other than it, just to make sure her emotions weren't getting to her. But she couldn't help it once Ponyville was back in view, and gave up with logic. When she stepped off the train and stood silently inside her hometown, it was suddenly clear to her. Oh my Celestia, I can't believe it. It's true, isn't it... ...I'm in love with Princess Luna.