Twilight saw the evil glint in Pearl's eyes and frowned. "Pearl. I know that look in your eyes." She rolled her own as Pearl's White head gave her a look. "All of them. What are you thinking?"
Pearl rubbed her claws together with a devilish giggle. "Just all of the ways I can get Kohaku back for all the months of annoyances, pranks, and heart attacks he's given me. He owes me. Best friends or not."
Twilight sighed. "Pearl. I enjoy a good prank or payback as much as the next pony. But remember what happened the last time you did so. Kohaku did not have to make anything up or even bend the truth. You nearly killed him, and more than likely would have had you continued."
Pearl's Red head nodded. "I know. Which is why I'm going to do things less violent. But he's still getting them no matter what."
Twilight's eyes twitched. She would never get used to hearing Pearl's own voice coming from any one of her six heads she felt. She also knew that it was pointless to argue with her student when she set her mind to something. "I will hold you to that, Pearl Rose. Do not make me regret it."
Pearl gulped. That tone of voice said far more than Twilight ever said. Take this too far, and she just might be banished or thrown in a dungeon. "I promise," she whispered.
Twilight nodded, for she heard the earnest honesty in that reply. She hoped it would never come to that.
Tiamat chuckled. "Please do. That annoying puff ball has always had a big head. It is time someone knocks him down a notch. His family only did so much. His mother was too forgiving in some ways," her Black head said.
Pearl bit her lip. She knew she should be asking this of Kohaku himself, but a part of her could not wait that long. "What was his mom like? I only met a "Living memory" as she put it. The power and wisdom I felt from her made Princess Celestia look like a newborn. But also someone loving and caring."
Tiamat nodded. "Then you have come as close to knowing the real Kiyoko Starsong as you will ever know. I always respected her, no matter how annoying her son was. Sadly, He inherited her sense of humor. I only hope he gets her charm later in life," her Green head said with an annoyed snort.
The Blue and White head sighed a little after being reminded of Kiyoko. “But we couldn’t blame him too much, He was and still is only a child. It’ll be hundreds of years before he ever really matures.”
Pearl giggled. Now that she could believe, even though she had never met any of Kohaku's sisters. At least she didn't think she had. It was hard to know with kitsunes. "So what am I supposed to do now? I can't exactly take lessons from Twilight here. Not when she doesn't have her magic. And I doubt this new look comes with an instruction manual," she huffed. "It's why I didn't blast everyone on Nightmare Night. I had no idea how or anything else beyond the basics."
Twilight nodded. This was way outside of anything she knew or had studied. But she was also curious to know more of what Pearl could now do and what she possessed as an alicorn. Each of them was unique in certain ways, while they all shared certain things. Ascended or otherwise.
Tiamat nodded. “Indeed. But half the fun of this will be learning how to control and use it. Princess Twilight can teach you all it means to be an alicorn, and Kohaku does know a thing or two about dragons. The one true thing he got from his father was his mind. If you can get him to focus which is a challenge in itself.” her Blue head rolled her eyes.
Pearl groaned. She had been afraid of that. She trusted Twilight to teach her all it meant to be an alicorn. But she might go insane if she had to take lessons from Kohaku.
But right now? There didn’t seem to be any other choice.
Sometime later, Twilight and Pearl returned to their room. Pearl had spent the last few hours testing out her new form. To varying degrees of success.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” she moaned, rubbing her forehead. Having five minds be combined back into one was a surreal experience, to say the least. “I don’t know how she does it.”
Twilight giggled. “Tiamat was born the way she was, Pearl. She has known no other way of living. I would say that it will get easier with time. But this is beyond anything I have ever seen or been taught.”
Pearl groaned as she flopped onto her bed. “Just my luck.” After a moment, a thought came to her. “Do you still have that broach? Think our friends deserve to know about this.”
Twilight nodded as she brought it out. She understood how this worked, so it was not too hard for her. She just hoped she did not catch her friends at a bad time. “Starlight.”
As before, a light shimmered upward until it resembled a mirror. On the other side, Starlight Glimmer fell backward out of her chair with a squawk of surprise.
Twilight giggled as the unicorn picked herself up. “I’m sorry, Starlight. Is this a bad time?”
Starlight shook her head, trying to control her heartbeat. “No. But warn me the next time you do that.” She blinked as Pearl came into her view before shaking her head. “Pearl. Why are you wearing a horn? The colors do look good on you. But this seems weird for you.”
Pearl shook her head. “I’m not wearing anything. This is real.” To prove her point, and following what Twilight had been able to teach her, she lit up the end of her horn, her magic swirling in a rainbow of red, blue, green, black, and white.
Starlight’s jaw dropped. That hadn’t been fake. Even from this distance, she had been able to feel a tinge of magic around the horn. “How? When? That shouldn’t be possible.”
Pearl shook her head. “Today and Tiamat gave this to me. I’m still not sure why. Plus a few other things, but those can wait.”
Twilight nodded. “I still cannot believe it myself. But I saw it with my own eyes. Among other things, I’m still trying to wrap my head around. Is everyone still in class?”
Starlight nodded. “I could pull them all out for this, though. I know we’ve all been worried sick about you. Kohaku though is on a… extended leave of absence.”
Pearl sighed in exasperation. “Alright. What did he do this time? Which pony has to deal with him if it’s not me?”
Starlight chuckled. “He hasn’t done anything, Pearl. Buttercup came up to us the other day and said he won’t be around for a week or so because he wasn’t feeling well. I tried to press for a reason but she refused to budge.”
“I take it you did not leave it at that.” Twilight smiled as Starlight shook her head.
“Nope. So I went out and found he wasn’t at home anymore. But rather he’s out by Fluttershy’s cabin. So I went there, on the way I saw Big Mac standing watch near a pathway into the Everfree Forest.” Starlight siped on a cup of coffee. “I tried to get answers but he refused to let me through or answer any questions. But as I walked away, I did manage to spot Kohaku, sitting under a waterfall in the distance.”
“A waterfall why would… Oh.” Twilight put her hoof on her lower lip and thought for a moment before letting out a sigh. “I see, I guess we will tell him later.”
Pearl nudged her mentor. “Hey what’s wrong with Kohaku?”
“He is not in the best of shapes right now. It’s nothing too serious but if he does not take care of himself it can lead to some serious consequences.” Twilight placed a wing on her student’s shoulder. Remembering the last time this came to her attention.
Pearl sighed. Darn it. But then grinned widely as she thought of the possibilities with this. “Oh. This will just make things better when we get back then.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, for she had an idea of what Pearl was thinking. “Please go easy on him, Pearl. When we see him next he will not be the same, he will be quite weak and tired.”
Pearl huffed but smiled all the same. “Fine. I’ll go easy on him. Plenty of time afterward I guess. If being an alicorn means what I think it means.”
Twilight bit her lip as she and Starlight looked at each other. This was something she had been trying to avoid thinking about.
Pear saw the looks and rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop treating me like a newborn! Mom and dad aren’t getting any younger, and with all the stupid stuff you guys do, I’m surprised you’ve lived this long sometimes. I know part of what it means to be an alicorn. But I’m not being a princess in Equestria. Ask me in a decade or something, and then we’ll talk.”
Twilight groaned. And just like that, the moment was gone. Starlight giggled at her mentor’s expression. “Then you can tell our friends, Starlight, what has happened. But for now, keep it between us.”
Starlight nodded. “And Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? They will want to know as well.”
Twilight rubbed her snout irritably. “If they ask, tell them to contact us. I am not sure what the day-night cycle here is like, but it feels like evening.”
Starlight nodded. “Well, it is the afternoon here. If we’re lucky, we could talk at the same time every day. Or later if you’re up for it. School is almost out for the day, and the students are all worried about both of you.”
Pearl frowned. “You haven’t told them what’s going on?”
Starlight shook her head. “Only that you both made it. We left out that… thing you fought, and the worst details of the Blight, but it was still enough for a certain six to be worried sick.”
Twilight nodded. She had a good idea of which six it might be. “That will be good enough for now. No reason to spread more rumors than whatever may be out there now.”
Starlight nodded. The School was flooded with rumors as it was. It was now common knowledge where Twilight and Pearl had gone, and everyone was worried sick.
Heck. Three fillies Pearl hung out with the most, Lotus, Red Light, and Cloud, almost made it a daily thing where they asked if there was any news of the pair.
As the connection cut off, Starlight giggled at the reaction they might have when Pearl and Twilight returned to Equestria. Kohaku as well.
She could almost see the glee the Pegasus would have with that reveal.