The musky smell of vinyl rushed outwards as Lavender opened the door. A small cloud of dust settled around the two unicorns as they entered the shop. Twilight slipped behind Lavender after stepping in.
Soothing orchestral music wafted towards them from the record player by the counter. The shelves were lined with albums, the colorful artwork creating a mosaic along each of the dozen-or-so aisles. There was a small shelf against the back wall with cassette tapes arranged meticulously. Mounted above the shelf was an ornately painted violin.
Behind the glass countertop was a pegasus mare. Her coat was sky blue, her lengthy mane a deeper cerulean. The pair of spectacles perched on her nose caught the overhead light, obscuring her eyes.
“It’s me!” Lavender said. “And I brought a friend!”
Kind of a strong word if you ask me.
No, no. I have to make this work. Lavender calls you a friend? You want Lavender to be a friend? You’re friends. Now, focus. First impressions are essential.
The pegasus swayed her head as she looked up, knocking a stray strand of hair out of her face. “Oh! Lavender!”
“It’s been too long.” Lavender smiled, approaching the counter. Twilight followed suit.
“I saw you yesterday.” The pegasus said, followed by a silent laugh. “Who’s your friend?”
Lavender opened her mouth to speak, but Twilight interjected. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. I’m visiting here from Canterlot. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Canterlot?” The pegasus adjusted her glasses, “how fascinating! I’m Bay Breeze, by the way.” Twilight noticed that she did not make any semblance of eye contact as she spoke, her head tilting slowly from side to side with the rhythm of her voice.
Strange.
No, concentrate. Just talk and be normal.
“Fascinating?" Twilight said, "It’s not really as interesting as it sounds.”
“Oh, you’re just being modest, I’m sure,” Bay Breeze said, “I’d love to hear about it.” She’s looking at Lavender.
“C’mon Twilight,” Lavender said, nudging Twilight with her foreleg, “I’m sure you’ve got some wonderful stories on your hooves.”
Okay, she’s looking at Lavender when she talks.
“I’d really rather hear about Ponyville, you know?” Twilight said, staring at Bay Breeze’s face. “Since I’ll be staying here.” Still looking at Lavender.
“Well, what do you want to hear?” Bay Breeze said, reaching out her hooves, “If you’ve got any questions about the wonderful sounds of Ponyville, I’m your mare! Many wonderful musicians have come out of here, and I have some of their earliest works…”
Bay Breeze continued to speak, but Twilight let her words roll over her completely. She was fixated on Bay Breeze’s line of vision.
Okay, I have to know now. But it would be really rude to ask, wouldn’t it? I don’t want to cause a scene. Twilight lightly poked at Lavender’s side with her hoof. She turned her head away from the counter and spoke in a hushed voice. “Um, hey? Is everything alright? Why won’t she—”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Bay Breeze piped up. Twilight flinched upon hearing her. “I have major sight impairment.” She removed her glasses, revealing her wide golden irises. “I can only really see with these, but even then, it’s blurry. I must’ve seemed really rude to you, not even looking at you when I’m speaking.” Twilight wondered if she was imagining her voice being tinged with anger, as if trying to say ‘you could have just asked me, you tactless idiot’.
I am such a moron. How could I not tell? Twilight’s face turned bright red. “No, no. I’m really sorry for—”
“Please, Twilight. It’s quite alright. I’m aware of my impediment being the cause of a lot of awkward conversation, so I tend to state it outright. I apologize for the confusion.”
Twilight’s mouth hung slightly agape. Is she for real? Is she apologizing for me being incredibly rude and inconsiderate? No, no. She hates me already and is just trying to be nice so Lavender doesn’t seem like a total jerk for bringing a socially demented moron like me in. There’s no way anypony would take that indiscretion with a grain of salt.
Lavender placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and gave her a reassuring glance. “So, Bay,” she started, “where’s Flare? I thought Twily here would get to meet the whole gang!”
What makes you presume you get to call me Twily?
“He was out shopping, last I heard,” Bay Breeze said.
“Who’s Flare?” Twilight asked.
“Solar Flare. He’s my living assistant,” Bay Breeze said.
“And our bestie!” Lavender added, beaming.
“Well, when he’s done, I’m sure he’d love to meet you, Twilight,” Bay Breeze gave a gentle smile.
I’m sure he would. I’ll screw it up, though.
“Anyway,” Bay Breeze started, “what brings you to Ponyville, Twilight?”
“I’m on break from grad school,” Twilight said, “so I thought I’d just go somewhere new for a change.”
Lavender looked at Twilight inquiringly. “I thought you said you’d been here before.”
Twilight laughed uncomfortably. Pony feathers, I talked myself into a corner.
“…But you said you ‘knew your way around’.” Lavender raised an eyebrow. “I don’t get it.”
“I… uh…” Visited briefly. No, had family here. No, poor memory. “I visited here a long time ago, but I don’t really remember it very well.”
“Then why would you say you knew your way around?” Bay Breeze asked.
Twilight froze. I can’t say it was because I was trying to avoid Lavender. I’m boxed in. Why can’t I be straight with them?
“Oh, let’s stop interrogating her, Bay.” Lavender said, clearly noticing Twilight’s discomfort. She turned to the recoiled unicorn. “You don’t have to tell us anything you don’t want to.”
Twilight sighed with relief. “Thanks.” But I’ve already ruined my chances with these two.
Keep at it. You’ve had worse first impressions.
“How about I show Twily here to her new place, and then all four of us will do lunch?” Lavender said.
Stop calling me Twily or I’ll magic you out of existence.
“Sounds great,” Bay Breeze said, adjusting her glasses and attempting to look at Twilight. “The usual place?”
“Sure!” Lavender nudged Twilight with her hoof, “You look like you need some fresh air. Come on.” She led Twilight out the door and closed it behind them gently.
Great. We walk in, I insult her friend, I lie to them, and we leave.
---
“Yes, Philomena. I’m fine.”
The phoenix lowered her head, pointing her sad yellow eyes at the floor of Celestia’s study. Celestia was splayed out on her mattress, her mane rolling over her cylindrical pillow. The fireplace was filled with ashes and the one of the pins holding the tapestry up on the wall had fallen, leaving a corner of it hanging loosely. Wind blew in from the large arched window, catching the tapestry’s edge and threatening to carry it away.
Celestia looked over to her pet. The fiery bird covered her dejected face with one wing. “Do not look like that. I just have to start over, is all.”
Philomena lowered her wing and glared at Celestia disapprovingly.
“I will not tolerate such insubordination, Philomena.” She flinched, almost falling off of her perch. “You are not to judge me. I am the ruler of Equestria. You are but a beast.”
Philomena cawed quietly.
“What do you mean, I have to keep telling myself that?” Celestia lifted herself from her prone position. “I am day. I am the sun. Even a phoenix would perish without my radiance.”
Philomena held silent.
“Just because I have had a little trouble over the disgraceful early deaths of my beloved friends does not mean I am not conducting myself as an honorable ruler would.”
Celestia began to pace around her bed. “And so what if I use my subjects for my own needs? It is more than a worthy sacrifice to retain the happiness of a ruler who could, with the twitch of her horn, drown this land in burning light or starve it from the energy it needs. She was a tribute, Philomena. They were all tributes.” Celestia stopped pacing. “And the next one will be as well.”
Philomena flapped her wings, sending a flurry of flaming feathers to the floor.
“How do you know that? Just because you have been around for nearly as long as I have does not mean that your miniscule, animalistic mind can hope to comprehend the depths of sorrow I have been through, nor could you grasp the necessity for the retention of such memories that shaped me into the mare I am.”
Philomena shifted on her perch and tucked her wings in.
“There is no other way. You have no place to speak to me in such a manner. You have no means of comprehension. Your perspective is clouded with your animalistic stupidity. I can comprehend your defiance in that you, as an animal, instinctively fall back on violence and fear.”
Philomena turned her head to the open window.
“Of course I am not observing her. Why should I? What force should compel a divinity to look upon one subject solely because she feels disadvantaged? I have duties to attend to, Philomena.”
Philomena motioned to the closet door.
“So what? What if I hold the treasures of my friends dear to my heart? Is that not natural?”
With a shimmer of her horn, Celestia opened the door. A pile of little tinted glass diamonds toppled out.
“Yes, Philomena. It has been that many. And it will be many more. And nothing you or Luna can say will change that.”
Philomena swooped down onto the floor and walked to the pile of glass diamonds. She snatched one in her talon and tossed it over to Celestia. Her horn glowed as the little trinket levitated over to her face.
“Yes, Philomena. This is Twilight’s. Why should I care? This one is done with.”
Philomena flew back over to her perch. Celestia squinted, looking carefully into the glass. Five of its six larger facets showed a mare. Each looked incredibly disconsolate. The other facet appeared to have been cloven out, leaving a scratched cavity behind.
“Yes, Twilight has left this world. I am aware of that.”
Philomena cawed.
“I understand what you are trying to say. That I am imprisoning myself within this world, and that those who care about me most certainly miss my presence. But let me inform you of something, Philomena. No one cares about me. They were the only ones who truly did. If I refused to raise the sun one morning, they would not curse my name. No one else in Equestria would ever do so.”
Philomena lowered her head.
“Leave me be. I must attend to another world. This one has need for me only one moment of the day.” Celestia cupped the diamond-shaped reality in her wing and stared at it.
Philomena fluttered down from her perch again and brushed up against Celestia consolingly.
“I said leave me be!” Celestia knocked the phoenix away with her wing. The bird staggered back and nearly fell over. “You should have been left with the dragons, you vile thing.”