Chapter 8 – Three Hearts
“With my sister’s blessing,” Luna said as the scene faded back into the blackness, “I began to try and court Twist. It was difficult to say the least. I still had a duty to teach him what I knew about magic, and I could not just stop, as it would have been unfair to him. Yet at the same time every time I laughed with him, consoled him, or even just saw him, I felt a burning desire to be his for as long as he lived. You have to understand, Twilight, that I would have given much to be with him.”
“So what happened,” Twilight said, “Did you date him?”
“No, no… I did not,” Luna said as her face then changed to a more lamenting appearance, “I tried to show that I loved him by showering praise and dropping subtle hints. In hindsight if I just confessed to him how much I loved him, maybe he would have seen it and loved me as well. But the fact was that he was not in love with me but another...”
“What? Who?” Twilight asked in an almost demanding tone. It was as if the unicorn was upset that there was some other pony that dared to take the happiness away from Princess Luna.
“It was me,” Princess Celestia said, “Twist was in love with me. I don’t know when or how or why he chose me over my sister, but what mattered was that it happened.”
“How could you do that?” Twilight said her voice becoming more angry, “You knew that Luna loved him. She came to you with full confidence and asked if it was ok. And then you turned around and started loving him for yourself? How could you take the pony that Luna loved away from her like that?”
“ENOUGH TWILIGHT SPARKLE,” Luna said in her Royal Canterlot Voice that shook the room with its sound, “MY SISTER NEVER LOVED TWIST AND SHE SUPPORTED ME TO LOVE HIM! IT WAS TWIST THAT LOVED HER MORE THAN ME.”
The unicorn, realizing that she had accused her teacher, her friend, and a princess of Equestria of stealing away a pony’s love cowered in fear at the two. At best she would no longer be Celestia’s protégé, and at worse she could be stripped of her element and even banished. She then felt a gentle hoof on her shoulder, urging her to look up. As she did, her eyes met with Princess Celestia’s. The princess didn’t appear upset instead wearing a calm look on her face.
“Oh Princess Celestia, I’m so sorry,” Twilight said, still not moving a muscle out of fear, “I didn’t mean to accuse you like that. I just got wrapped up in the story, that’s all. Please don’t dismiss me as your student or take my element away!”
“Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia said, “I am not upset with you. You just got carried away, and that I understand. I would have been upset as well, if I learned of the similar circumstances. So please, rise, and let us continue the story.”
“You mean that you can forgive me?” Twilight asked.
“I already have,” Celestia said with a smile as she gave the unicorn a hug.
“Will you forgive me too, Princess Luna?”
“Yes Twilight Sparkle,” the blue princess said, “but only if you forgive me for shouting at you.”
“Of course – and I am sorry,” Twilight said.
“So as my sister said,” Celestia continued, “Twist started to fall in love with me. I admit that I did not know that he loved me, as his advances were at first subtle. Even I back then couldn’t detect them. Now I realize all those flattering comments and questions about me were attempts for him to try and get to know me. Then he tried something more daring.”
The familiar setting of the study where Celestia taught Twist appeared before the two princesses and the unicorn’s eyes. The younger Princess Celestia and Twist were talking and laughing like two old friends sharing a friendly conversation.
“So, you actually said that to the business pony?” Twist said staring longingly into the eyes of his conversation partner.
“Yes,” Celestia said laughing, “and I told him that if he tried to sell inferior quality baked goods again, he would be meeting both my sister and I!”
As laughing distracted the princess, Twist made his move. He suddenly reached in and taking hold of the princess’s head kissed her. It wasn’t a friendly kiss one would give when meeting a pony or saying goodbye. This was a long passionate kiss on the lips that only ponies that were truly in love would share. Celestia’s eyes went wide with surprise as she was kissed by Twist.
“Twist,” she said struggling to break free of his embrace and kissing, “what are you doing?”
“What do you think I’m doing, my love,” Twist said as he resumed kissing her.
“Twist, stop. This isn’t right.”
“Oh, don’t play coy with me. I know you love me as much as I love you. So why even resist?”
“For the last time, let me go this instant!”
“Fine,” Twist said as he released his embrace. Celestia looked over and saw that Luna was in the doorway. She had seen the entire episode and now had a look of utter shock and anger upon her face.
“Luna, it’s not as it seems,” Celestia said.
“How could you?” the younger princess said before turning and trotting down the hall.
“Wait here,” Celestia ordered Twist coldly, “I have a few things to say about your conduct.”
The princess then trotted out of the room and after her distraught sister, hoping that she could find her and undo the damage of that awkward scene before it harmed their relationship for good.