//------------------------------// // Wavering Words // Story: The JeanDélicieux // by Cinnarowe //------------------------------// Sugar Plum had absolutely refused to join me at the castle at first. I knew she would, of course, so I told her I wouldn't make her any more hot chocolate for the rest of the weekend. She gave up instantly. She was worried about running into some of her acquaintances on the way to the castle, and she didn't want ponies spreading gossip about her obvious injury, which was covered by a big, orange band-aid. Some of her friends were just as aware as I was, so they would probably assume the correct thing. Even giddy knew about it, and he heard it from Chatter. We had admired the royal pin quite a bit. Of course, it wasn't every day you received a royal summons, though this was arguably more of an invitation than a request. I looked back to my encounter with Luna and remembered how excited she was about telling her stories of how she had picked up a woodworking hobby, read books, and studied what she'd missed since she returned. She talked so much about everyday stuff that wouldn't be so special unless you didn't have many friends to share it with, and I knew that was the case with Luna. So why not? I didn't have anything better to do besides maybe sipping on some scotch while listening to the radio in my home, and Sugar needed a distraction. We both agreed that we would wait a bit until later in the day because, given that she had been looking for my address at night, Luna may have been asleep by the time we got the letter. That gave Sugar and me some time to relax and enjoy each other's company while I rewarded her with more hot chocolate. Her eyes lidded when she sipped on the marshmallow-flavored chocolate, and she again vanished into my couch's comfort. She eventually asked me to buy her a pack of cigarettes, but that wasn't needed. I already had a bunch of it in my storage and figured I'd just give her one. I wasn't a fan of smoking, but it took the edge off when needed. The time had also come to check on her wound, as we were still unsure how it was actually doing. Sugar's magic wasn't attuned to healing or other types of magic than the standard issue one that common unicorns have, which is impressive but still considered common. So we just had to do it the old-fashioned way. I bit the bullet, and without warning, I ripped the band-aid off her upper lip with little effort. The adhesive had already started to turn into paste from the frequent licking of her lips to stop the itching that had started this morning. She only winced a little as it came off, and underneath I could tell it was a little swollen, but not horribly so. It was a dried, bloody mess, though, because the band-aid had forced it to pool at the wound for it to close, so I went over it with a wet towel a few times to get all the dried blood off and wipe the area around the wound that had gotten stained to make sure it healed correctly. I then put a thin plastic sheet I normally use for food preservation over the wound before taking her into the bathroom so she could shower. She still had some dried blood on her neck, and I think she just needed some hot water running down her face to clear some stuff out of her mind. Once she finished, I excused myself to take one myself. It had gotten a bit colder overnight, and Sugar only brought her scarf and hat. She asked if I had a spare jacket for pony sizes, and I did. It was in my old drawer in my storage room, along with... other things. I enjoyed the hot water running down my body while trying to cancel out thoughts starting to seep into my mind about the other items in the drawer until I realized... Oh shit. My eyes widened, and I felt my heart beating faster as I jumped out of my shower and darted across my bathroom floor. I rushed to throw on my underwear and pants before almost breaking down my bathroom door, only to see Sugar standing there, already wearing a thick, yellow jacket. She jumped back at my sudden entry and looked at me like I had lost my mind as I stood there, water running off my body and wetting the floor. "Is everything okay?!" She said, eyes wide as she looked at my bare upper body. I felt my throat tighten at the sight of the jacket she was wearing and swallowed before nodding slowly. "Yeah... I, uh... D-did you need some help with that?" I raised my finger to point at the jacket. Slowly, she followed the direction my finger pointed and looked down at her chest for a moment before looking back up at me. "No... I got it, thanks?" She looked at me curiously as I tried to hide my relieved sigh and excused myself to finish up in the bathroom. I pushed my back against the door once I closed it, slid down to the floor, and put my hands on my face. I sighed heavily and swallowed away the tightness that had started restricting my breathing. I stood back up after sitting there for a moment, berating my careless self, and went to actually dry myself before putting on the rest of my clothes. I took a little extra time to ensure I looked suitable for my trip to the castle. I used an electrical hair trimmer to trim the edges of my hair at my neck and put some hair gel in it. I then brushed my teeth and made sure my breath smelled acceptable, just in case. I breathed into my palm before bringing it to my nose and took in the scent of my breath. There was a faint smell of alcohol, but other than that, it was passable. After cleaning myself up and feeling recovered from my minor panic attack, I headed back into the living room to find Sugar Plum sitting on her haunches by the coffee table with a pensive look on her face staring down at her empty cup of cocoa. She turned to face me when I came out and stood up when she saw me grabbing my coat. "Ready to go? She's probably up by now." I said as I glanced at my clock, pointing at 5:23 PM. I tossed her beanie and scarf over to her, and she caught them effortlessly in her magic and put them on. She looked towards the clock as she finished dressing and nodded before looking back at me with a frown. "Jean, you sure you're okay?" I gave her a small smile as I put my own beanie on. "Yeah, just a little stressed about seeing the princess, is all." I lied. I wasn't a good liar, but it worked for now. I went to my table, grabbed the golden pin I had received, and pinned it to my chest. Sugar moved with me as I walked over to her again and went for the door. My lie didn't seem to affect her because she still looked at me with that worried look before she laughed nervously. "Heh, seems like I'm not the only one going through it, huh?" I put my hand on her neck to give her a reassuring scratch as I tried to give her my best smile. Lock it up. I inhaled deeply before letting out a deep sigh and grabbed the door handle. "My friend, you have no idea." The sun had started its long dip toward the horizon once Sugar and I had left my house. It was still bright out, with kids playing in the snow and ponies walking to and fro to frantically shop for Hearth's Warming Eve, which was just a few days from now. Last minute shoppers... I shook my head. We took the less crowded path to the castle because I knew Sugar wanted to avoid the possibility of running into Cog. It wouldn't matter which way we went because I owned one of the more popular hangout spots in Canterlot for friends and families, which in a way, made me a local celebrity. I was also a human. Even from across town, ponies could recognize me from my shape alone. There were ponies I preferred running into, but there were also some that I'd like to avoid. Some of my neighbors and old acquaintances would sometimes wave me down and ask how I was doing and ask me questions I never wanted to answer or talk about, so I avoided most of them when I could or dodged their questions as much as possible. As a result, they stopped asking and went to look concerned about me and waving at me when we crossed paths. It made me feel like when I was young again... and it wasn't a good feeling. We had to cross the town square at some point, and in the process, we walked by The JeanDélicieux. The windows were completely tinted, and I could tell the lights were on the inside. "Is someone in there?" Sugar asked me when she saw the lights while being on the lookout for Cog. I nodded. "Yeah, Minuette and Violet said they wanted to make the place look nice for tomorrow's party. They're probably inside decorating it. Looks like they figured out how to obscure vision through the windows, too." I said as I ran my hand across the window as we walked along. "Oh, so I guess that means everpony's coming tomorrow?" She asked, her voice sounding strained. "Yeah, and everyone was allowed to bring a plus one, so I assume there's gonna be a bit of a crowd. You're coming, by the way." I said non chalantly as I looked down at her and smiled slyly. Her head sank. "I'd just be a downer on everypony. Plus, there's this." She said as she tapped her lip gently. I waved a hand dismissively at her. "Nah, you're fine. If anyone asks, just say you walked into a pole, faceplanted, or something. Just because you're injured doesn't mean everyone's gonna jump to conclusions, right?" I said, despite knowing what some ponies knew about her. "Besides, we're your friends, Sugar." I paused as I bent down to her level. "Friends support each other. We hold each other up when we're hurt. Same thing goes for everybody else in there." I pointed my thumb over my shoulder into the windows of my restaurant. Her front hooves huddled closer together as she tried to bury her neck into her jacket and looked to the ground. "I'm not good at accepting charity like this, you know." She started. I opened my mouth to speak again, but she stopped me."But I trust you. There's a reason I came to your house and nobody else's. I just feel safer when you're around." Her eyes widened a bit as she said that, almost as if she had thought it out loud accidentally. She looked to the ground as her cheeks turned red, which was very clearly visible in the cold weather. I felt a twinge in my chest when she told me that. I smiled awkwardly and looked to the ground as well. "Thanks... that means a lot coming from you." She looked up at me again and smiled. We looked at each other for a moment, and it almost felt like... "Alright! Let's keep moving, yeah?" I stood up quickly and broke eye contact with her as I started to walk again, moving away from the town square. Sugar had stood there for a second before moving to follow me again. "We don't want to hang around here for too long, right?" I said. I heard a quiet 'yup' behind me as I continued walking and suddenly became very interested in fiddling with the pin on my chest. After a bit more walking and awkward silence, we made it to the castle gates five minutes later. It was a problem-free trip through the rest of the city. Canterlot Castle now stood before us, and I had to crane my neck to see all of it. As before, I noticed the large spires with Hearth's Warming tree-like decorations with massive stars on top. Lights were lining the walls surrounding the gate we were heading toward, and all the bushes around us were filled with different types of decor. It made me wonder where they stored all of it during the months between each holiday season. The castle didn't mess around or half-ass anything, it seemed. Sugar was also very engaged in examining everything. She had been quiet since our last conversation, and so had I. I didn't know how to break the silence. I can't be thinking of stuff like that. It felt awkward to be with her all of a sudden, so it might be good for us to meet with Luna right now. I adjusted the pin still attached to the chest of my coat, and I pulled the note Luna had provided me from my pocket as we started to approach the guards standing by the gates, both wearing golden armor. When we got within ten feet of them, they slammed their hooves on the ground to stand straight. "Halt! What is your business here?" The guard to my right asked with a deep, gruff voice. I unfolded my note and presented it to him before tapping my pin. "I have an invitation from Princess Luna. I was told this was fine?" I asked as I held the note with the stamp closer to him, and he scanned it. He checked my pin quickly before nodding. "Very well, sir." He nodded as his horn lit up. The large gates groaned before they slowly started to open, and a courtyard previously hidden behind the wall was revealed. More decorations filled every part of it, and now we had a clear view of the actual gates of the castle itself. They were large and golden against the castle's white walls, and there were decorative lights lining the castle's entrance, which stretched up high before meeting the roof of the castle. From there, I could see decorations hanging from the top and connecting to the towers nearby. I pulled myself away from staring to thank the guard before Sugar and I walked past him into the courtyard, and I heard the gates groan again before shutting behind us. It wasn't a massive courtyard, so it didn't take us long to cross. It was beautiful, though; hedges and bushes had been shaped into ponies and patterns with the tops covered in snow. There was a fountain off to the side with some benches and birdbaths next to it. When we got across and met with the golden doors, I was trying to figure out what to do as we didn't have an escort. Should I knock? I looked back at Sugar, and she looked back at me curiously. "What's wrong?" She asked. I shrugged and turned back. "I dunno... Never been here before, so I don't know if I should open the doors or not." "You should probably knock." Told ya. I nodded, wrapped my hand into a fist, and knocked on the doors thrice with a bit of force. The metal echoed in the large doors, and I stepped back as I waited next to Sugar for a reply. The doors started to move inwards just a moment later, and a female guard stuck her head out. "You must be the princess' guest." She said, addressing me. I nodded, and she gestured with her hoof for me to follow. "This way, please." Sugar and I fell in step right behind the pony and followed her through the giant doors and into the castle's great hall. There were large marble stairs leading to several different places and massive tapestries that hung everywhere in neat patterns representing both princesses respectively. Large pillars stretched from the floor to the roof and were also wrapped in tapestries, with green and red ribbons swirling around the base of it as a holiday flare. The castle was enormous, as one would expect, and my neck started hurting from looking straight up. High above me was the ceiling, and it held patterns that looked like a maze system that went on forever, no matter how long I tried to look for the exit. Our escort had started to walk at some point, and Sugar had to bonk my knee with a hoof to get me out of my sightseeing. We followed the guard up one of the stairs to a pair of doors that led to where I assumed the princess was. I had never been to the castle before, so I had no idea where anything was. Thank goodness I had Sugar with me to calm my nerves. If she wasn't, I might not even have dared to come here in the first place. She may be the one currently in need of a distraction, but I still had some qualms about coming. I wouldn't let her see me like that, at least not now that she needed me to support her. Speaking of Sugar Plum, she stuck to my hip again as we followed the guard through the castle. I couldn't see her face from where I was standing because of her beanie and our height differences, but I could almost feel the uneasiness coming from her, so my arm went for her neck to give her a reassuring scratch. She looked up at me and gave me a cute smile as we continued our journey through the castle. When we walked through the doors to the side and entered into a smaller hallway more focused on Luna's color, the large windows along the walls had blue tint instead of gold and white, and lavender flowers were hanging from the walls in little pots between each window. It smelled really nice in here, and it was almost as if my fears had just melted away. After crossing the hall, we opened another few doors before a large, spiraling staircase took us up to what I would guess was one of the massive spires from outside. It turned out to be a bit of a walk. After a few minutes of climbing, I could feel my lungs betray me as I suddenly noticed just how out of shape I really was. I had to stop a few times to lean against the railing so I could rest, but eventually, we made it. When we finally got to the top, I was pretty wheezy, and Sugar gave me an amused look. "It's pretty embarrassing when the smoker doesn't struggle to climb stairs, you know." I flicked her nose before coughing. "Yeah, y'know, for a moment there, I thought I wasn't gonna make it." I blurted out between my intakes of air as I looked back towards the stairs. I didn't notice immediately, but once we were in our new surroundings, I heard the faint sound of music playing. It was... I don't even know how to describe it. It gave me chills and made me feel all kinds of feelings at once. The beautiful sound of a harp was playing over some light piano taps, and sometimes the serene sounds of delicate violin playing would join in, and my mind suddenly shifted into an image of the night sky. "Wow," Sugar breathed next to me. "That sounds beautiful." The guard continued after we had a short moment to recover, and we fell in step behind her again as we walked through the hallway. Everything had a very calming feel to it. The lights were dim and warm, the carpets on the floor were soft against our steps, and the air still held the scent of lavender. The roof was much lower than it had been downstairs, and the windows along the wall let in the last bit of sunlight that remained. As we walked along, I saw the sun almost vanishing beyond the horizon in the distance. It feels like I'm dreaming again. I thought. Thinking back to my dream last night, I stared at the moving floor as I bit my bottom lip. Vocals had now joined in the music that was still playing from an unknown location, and it almost felt like someone was singing me a lullaby. I looked down at my hands, which had started trembling. I was beginning to feel pressure behind my eyes as the music broke down my walls faster than I would like to admit. It always had a very soothing effect on me, and only when I had moments to myself with it at home would I eventually let some of my bottled-up feelings out. I had her... just for a few moments. How long has it been now? I don't even remember. I was thankfully brought out of my train of thought as I almost walked right into the flanks of the guard we were following, and I noticed she had stopped in front of a door guarded by two ponies wearing dark, lavender armor. I recognized one of them as the guard who delivered my letter earlier today. The door had a unique design to it. It was a mishmash of black and blue with some dark purple here and there. It all seemed like a large whirlpool slowly collecting into a crescent moon emblem in the middle of the door. "Guests for Princess Luna." The guard in front of me declared with a salute, and the Lunar Guards nodded. The male guard on the left walked over to the door to knock before opening it and slipping inside. I heard some talking before a loud 'CRASH' came from within. Sugar and I looked at each other with equal frowns before looking back at the door at the same time before it suddenly opened, and Luna's head stuck out with a large grin. "Jean! We were not expecting thee this early!" she exclaimed happily before her eyes cast toward Sugar, studying her curiously. I smiled nervously and waved at her awkwardly. "Sup, Princess. Sorry if we interrupted you. I brought a friend with me. Is that okay?" I gestured to Sugar Plum, who just stood there, unsure if she should go into a bow. I bumped her with my leg when she didn't say anything. "H-hello, your majesty!" She squeaked with a very strained smile, and I saw one of her pupils shrink. Luna continued to examine her for a moment before her smile reappeared. "Any friend of Jean is a friend of ours. Please, come in! Thou interrupted nothing!" she said tto us as she gestured us to come in with her hoof and vanished behind the door. I pushed Sugar with a hand on her neck and dragged her with me into the room. The guard that had gone to fetch Luna had already walked out again and retaken position. Sugar and I walked past him and through the large door. "Holy..." I breathed as I took in the place I had just walked into. It was like one of the penthouse suites they had in one of those highrises in Manehattan. The room was tall; the very top of the ceiling was domed, with some windows surrounding the structure. Further down in the actual 'apartment,' I guess I should call it, was everything a pony could ever want. A large seating area with dark leather couches and a coffee table sat as a centerpiece in the room, with a tea set resting on it. Just off to the right was a kitchen resting under an upper-floor balcony that looked out over the room. The kitchen itself was fully equipped with an island, fridge, and a large freezer in the corner. I felt a sparkle in my eye as I took in the oversized kitchen. Oh, the possibilities. I could feel myself drooling. Taking my eyes away as I scanned the room some more, I saw the entrance to a balcony on my left with the remaining daylight shining in through them. Large blue curtains covered the windows surrounding the balcony entrance, and most of them were closed. I turned back and saw Sugar Plum was also trying to process the large room we were in, and I started removing my warm clothes to hang them on a hook just by the door. She reacted to my movement and did the same before joining Luna. The blue alicorn stood in the middle of the room and waited for us to proceed. You have all this to yourself? I thought as I looked at her pony form standing in her absolutely massive room. "What thinkest thou? Are our chambers not most stunning?" she asked with pride and puffed out her chest. I nodded and smiled at her as I crossed the room to her. "I don't know what to say, honestly. I've visited friends before, but this takes the cake. Thanks again for the invite." I laughed. She puffed her chest out further and grinned. "We art most pleased to hear it, Jean. May we ask whom thou hast brought?" She asked and peeked her head sideways to look past me at Sugar. She was still standing by the door. "This is my friend, Sugar. She works at my restaurant, and she's a little nervous." I waved her over with my hand, and I could see her gulp as she slowly approached. Luna held out her hoof to greet Sugar, and she took it quickly. Sugar had a very strained smile, and she was sweating. I guess this might be a bit jarring for her—the whole 'meeting a princess' thing and the fact that Luna is an alicorn. I learned in school that alicorns are the most potent ponies to have ever walked Equestrian soil, and standing next to one as a pony would probably feel a little overbearing. Luna perked up when Sugar introduced herself. "We remember ordering Sugar Plum Pie... Was that thou who prepared that for us, young mare?" Sugar gaped a bit before replying. "T-that's right, your majesty. I hope it wasn't bad or anything..." "Nay, not at all! In fact, we must ask thee for thy recipe!" She exclaimed as she gestured for us to follow into the kitchen before looking back. "And please, both of you, call us simply Luna. We wouldst much prefer it." She smiled. Sugar and I shared a look before following. Thank Celestia, I really didn't want to learn proper etiquette. "We know not much in the way of cooking. We were hoping thou could lend us a hoof as we would very much likest to prepare a cake for our sister." Luna asked as we joined her at her island in the kitchen. She was holding a note in her magic that she had unstuck from her fridge and had a pencil at the ready next to it. I looked at Sugar and nodded at her. "If anyone's going to help you with that, it's this mare." Sugar Plum put on her best customer service face as best she could without straining her fresh band-aid too much. Luna nodded and went over to Sugar before draping a wing over her and ushering her into the kitchen. She asked for some recipes to write down as she explained what she enjoyed eating on a regular Saturday. I chuckled to myself at the two of them. It feels so casual. We're in her home, so I suppose that's what she wants it to be. I mused to myself as I took one more look around me and saw... Holy shit. Further inside the apartment, around a corner previously hidden before we had wandered further into the room, stood a massive diorama made of wood inside what looked like a hobby corner. I say massive because this thing was absolutely monstrous. It was almost the size of the fountain in Canterlot Square! The actual contents of the diorama had a giant crescent mood etched in wood, with Luna herself draped around it, hugging it close as a mother would her foal. The detail of it all was just... unreal. I walked over to it slowly as Luna continued chatting with Sugar Plum about baking and ran my finger over the moon. It felt smooth as if it had been polished. Wooden Luna was the same and was actually larger than her own lifesize version. "This looks professionally made... it must have taken so much time to make," I whispered to myself. "Luna, did you make this?" I called behind me while taking it all in. I heard her say 'huh' before her hoofsteps came my way. "Ah, yes! We did, indeed. We have not had time for much else since our return. What doth thou think of it, Jean?" I looked back at her standing behind me as my eyebrows eyebrows went up, and I snorted. "I don't even know what to say. I know you told me you liked this stuff, but this is just on a different level than what I was expecting, Luna." She blushed and smiled at me before waving at me with a hoof. "Oh shush thee, it is but a project. We thank thou for thy kind words." I was going to comment about her possibly making this a career for herself when I remembered she was a princess. I turned back to study the artwork again, and my ears perked up when I noticed I could still hear the music from earlier coming from... somewhere. I turned to face Luna again. "Oh, by the way, what's with the music? I can't even tell where it's coming from." She gave me a warm smile and looked up at the ceiling. "We art the Princess of the Night. It is our duty to ensure the dreams of our ponies remain safe and peaceful. To be able to work efficiently, we must also be at peace. We quite enjoy this music." She gestured to the ceiling above us, and I could faintly make out some sort of magic floating around. Luna's horn lit up a bit, and the music increased in volume as the magical field became more apparent to the naked eye. It was like the ceiling had turned into the night sky. I could see stars dancing and floating in unseen streams as the night sky shifted and moved around our entire space. It was a bit confusing to look at, but beautiful nonetheless. My mouth opened. "So the music comes from you?" I asked her as I stared at the magical display. Luna nodded and powered down her horn. My eyes widened as I remembered something I was told earlier today. This is probably more of what Sugar Plum was talking about. Like winding up a music box and letting it go until it runs out. Magic is so fucking incredible. I looked down again at the princess before me and smiled kindly at her. "I like this music, too." Sugar interrupted our little moment together and asked for some help finding ingredients. Having the oversized kitchen that she had, Luna only had a little in terms of actual food. A few bags of chips in the cabinets, some premium chocolates in the fridge, and some tubs of ice cream. She was a little embarrassed, but it made her feel more like an actual pony, not a princess. Sugar quickly warmed up to the princess after they discovered they shared a love for desserts. Luna never mentioned the band-aid. If it was out of respect for her privacy or just because she hadn't really noticed it yet, I didn't know. Either way, I think Sugar appreciated it. We did come here to distract ourselves from that, after all. Luna would talk about her failed attempts during the last six months, and Sugar had expertly pointed out what Luna did wrong with each one. She didn't let it sit long enough. She left the oven on too long, didn't prepare it right, added too little butter, was too hot when added, etc. I just laughed as I watched them from my spot on the couch, a cup of coffee in my hands that I had made from Luna's very expensive-looking coffee machine. It was easy to forget how she had been the last day over at my place, but Sugar was a fierce pastry chef. On more than one occasion, she had butted heads with her apprentices at work when they messed shit up in the kitchen. I liked that about her. The mare was a shell of her former self that I met a few years back, but she still had that stubbornness that we all knew and loved about her. I looked at her, finally being herself for a moment as I sipped on my coffee and thought back to when I saw her terrified expression as she was running away from her maniac of a husband. I felt my brow tighten and my fist clench. Sugar, I swear. No matter what, I'll definitely figure out a way to help you. Luna needed help to make a cake for Celestia because, as it turned out, the tallest pony in Equestria was quite the cake fanatic. She wanted to make lemon velvet cake, but we had no ingredients, so she called her guards to get the kitchen staff to fetch her what she needed and also ordered us some breakfast. Except it was evening right now, though I guess it would be breakfast for Luna. The food was... less than stellar. It was spaghetti, served on a food trolley, and some of the most fancy-looking plates and cutlery I had ever seen. It was a crime that the food on it was so poorly presented and looked like something you'd find at a two-star joint. The only reason I don't say one-star is because the utensils were pretty. I felt my hands tremble at the sight. I was two seconds away from sprinting down to the kitchen to give the staff a piece of my mind. The salad was burned, the noodles were over-cooked, and the sauce was thin and had absolutely no flavor. It was just so fucking comical that they served this sewer junk in the poshest way possible. I need to find a brick wall, fast. I told Luna I wanted to go on an inspection down in the kitchen, and she agreed. According to Luna, they hired a clown instead of a chef in the castle's kitchen. He would constantly complain about the work hours ever since the lunar princess returned and would make absolute garbage food. Of course, he wouldn't let anyone else make a meal for the royals either, so I guess that means the rest of the staff just stood on the sidelines and watched him cook most of the time. Judgement is on its way. I thought as I grinned evilly with my fingers interlocked in front of my face. When the time comes, I'd have a few choice words for my friend down in the kitchen. Luna and Sugar giggled at my antics, although Sugar was sweating and her pupils dilated. She knows of my wrath. Another time, though. Luna had fished a newspaper clipping out from under the table as we ate the soggy mess. "We wanted to ask thou about this, Jean. Whilst we were looking for thy address in our archives, several other items were amongst the files we found. This one, in particular, caught our interest." She flipped it around to us so we could see what she was talking about, and my heart sank when I saw the photo. Luna continued with a sly smile. "It appears thou have a story to tell us, Jean. How could thou not tell us thou was part of the Equestrian Top Chef contest?" Sugar gasped quietly beside me, and I looked at the picture she had presented to me. In the picture were a group of ponies and one human, each with a medal around their neck. There was no color in the picture as it was a bit old now, but I remembered what colors the medals had. The two ponies in the middle of the picture had golden ones, the two on their left had a pair of bronze ones, and... The pony next to me and I had silver ones around our necks. My hand was around the mare's neck, and our faces were close. We looked happy, despite having come in second place. There she is again... The second time in one day. I thought as I tried not to react too much to the picture. I shrugged nonchalantly. "I didn't win, so it wasn't worth mentioning." Luna gasped. "Still, this is quite an achievement! We do not recall seeing this mare before; who is she?" She asked curiously, pointing at the mare next to me with a hoof. I looked down at my food and pushed the remaining parts around with a fork as I tried to form a response. I saw Sugar next to me, leaning in to see the picture better. "She's just a friend I was participating with," I said before changing the subject. "Oh, by the way, Luna. We're having a work-related party tomorrow, and we can bring someone. Would you like to be my plus one?" I asked her. Luna was taken back by the sudden change in topic but seemed to think it over. "We... wouldst like to say yes, but we art afraid to ruin everypony else's merriment." "I don't think you have to worry about that. Sugar here adjusted pretty quickly." I said as I patted the mare on her head before she tried to swat at my hand. "Plus, if you want, making a cake for the party would probably make everyone warm up to you in no time." I smiled at her. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Introverts are hard to convince, but we're on a roll right now. Luna smiled sadly at me. "As we said, Jean, we wouldst like to join. We appreciate thy efforts in convincing us, but we art still worried. We were only able to leave the castle yesterday because our guards accompanied us." She nodded towards her door. "Plus, we had waited too long to visit our old friend Cibus' establishment." Sugar jumped in after she had finally put the picture down. "Actually, Princess, I don't have anypony to invite either. I could offer my spot for one of your guards if you would like?" Luna's ears perked up at that. "Art thou sure, young Sugar? Have thou not somepony thou wouldst like to bring?" Sugar looked up at me, and my eyes quickly fell on her band-aid. I gave her a reassuring smile and put my arm around her shoulder to give her a little shake. "It's fine, Princess. I don't have anypony to bring." "Then we shall accept, thank y-" Luna started but was interrupted by the door to Luna's chamber knocking gently before opening. In walked none other than Princess Celestia herself. My jaw met the floor before Sugar and I stood to face her. "Please, sit. My guards informed me that my sister had visitors and I wished to meet you. Treat me no differently." She said. Her voice was so soft and kind I could almost mistake it for an angel. Her prismatic hair waved in the same astral wind as Luna's hair did. Her hoof ornaments tapped gently on the wooden floor as she walked towards us from the door. "Sister, we did not know thou were still awake," Luna said and went over to give Celestia a nuzzle. Damn... that's weirdly cute. "I still have some unfinished business to attend to, sister. But, I am glad to see you are enjoying yourself." She told Luna as she eyed her like a proud mother would a child. Celesia raised her head to look at Sugar and me. "It is wonderful to see you again after all this time, Jean. And how much you've grown!" She came over to me, and cupped my cheek with her hoof. I blinked. "What?" "Do you not remember? I suppose you wouldn't." She giggled, draped her wing around me, and hugged me; for some reason, she smelled very nostalgic. It was like putting my nose into a basket of freshly dried clothes. "When you were but a boy, you stayed in the castle with your mother. Did she not tell you?" I just stood there and returned her warm hug numbly as my face buried deeper into her neck. "S-she told me she lived in the castle for a while, but I didn't know you and her knew each other that well, Princess." I muffled in her fur. She laughed as she pulled away. "Your mother and I have been writing to each other for almost forty years, my child. Surely she must have mentioned it." My brow furrowed, and my jaw dropped. I had not heard about this. Mom would have told me at some point if she did, wouldn't she? I had seen her writing at her desk several times, but I never knew she was corresponding with the princess... "She's hasn't mentioned that... I don't think. Why have you?" I asked. Celestia smiled. "We are old friends. When she first came here all those years ago, your mother was the topic of every headline worldwide, and she needed protection from the other kingdoms." She walked around me to grab a cookie with her magic from the table. "I took her in while she was still pregnant with you, and she stayed here as my guest for quite some time. Until you were three years old, I believe." She finished as she munched on her cookie. That part I knew. My mother had told me all about the political battles that had been going on when she came here and how crazy things had been. When she first arrived in the Everfree, one thing led to another. Before she knew what was going on, griffons were involved. Long story short, she escaped the party of griffon scouts who were camping in the forest thanks to the serpent that happened to lurk nearby. He heard her shouts for help as they tried to tie her down and came rushing over. My mother has been trying to track him down since that day to thank him, but she never wanted to go into the forest again. Nobody ever said they heard from him either as far as any of us can remember, so some ponies thought she might have made him up in her daze. She told me Celestia had taken her in as a guest and hid her behind the castle walls until everything had settled down. After that, actual laws and treaties were made on my mother's behalf so that she or I would not be kidnapped or worse by others who saw us as a rarity to collect. Coming over to me again, Celestia looked at me sadly. "As I mentioned, your mother and I have been corresponding. Not as often as I would like to, but every once in a while." She paused before continuing. "I know it's been a while now, but I would just like to extend my most sincere condolences to you, Jean. I can not imagi-" I raised a hand quickly to stop her, and she did. I knew where this was going, and I didn't want to hear it, princess or not. I felt a sudden headache flare to life in my head again, and I wanted to quickly stop this before Luna or Sugar caught on. "I... Do you mind if we talk alone, Princess?" I nodded to the corner on the other side of the room. Celestia looked confused and eyed where I had been gesturing. Luna and Sugar had been listening to our conversations and looked confused between Celestia and me. At some point, Sugar had snuck behind Luna and perfectly disguised herself behind her flowing mane and tail. Celestia had yet to address her, and it seemed like Sugar wasn't ready to be, either. Celestia looked back at me and nodded, her facial expression turning soft again as she turned to walk over to where I had directed. I followed her and ignored the looks I was getting from Luna and Sugar as I walked past them. I was only focusing on what I would say to Celestia. Mostly, I just wanted her to drop it and not talk about it, but I didn't really want to be rude to her, especially now that I know she and my mother are pen pals. Why didn't you tell me that? I asked the mental image of my mother. We made it around the corner and walked over to the diorama of the wooden moon before Celestia turned to look at me with her kind gaze. She studied me for a moment before pressing on. "I understand it has not been easy for you. Your mother has told me such." I sighed and looked at Celestia's hooves instead of her eyes as I nodded and felt a tear wanting to trickle out of the corner of my eye. Not even one sentence in, and you're already this weak. Pathetic. She took my silence as a cue to go on. "She also tells me you spend too much time working. She talks about you quite often, actually." She walked close to me and cupped my cheek, making me look into her eyes as mine started to get watery. My lips started to tremble, so I didn't dare say anything. I felt my throat tighten, and it made me want to get sick all over the floor. I didn't want to stain Celesia with low-grade noodles. Celestia pressed on. "I have lived many lifetimes and seen ponies come and go. The first time is always the worst, so please let me give you some advice." She offered. I couldn't say anything. I was afraid I'd burst if I did. So I just looked at Celestia and nodded again. "Don't push the ponies closest to you away." She said as she kept her gaze locked with me. Her eyes were calming, and it was almost as if she was inviting me to open up to her. She put her hoof down on the floor again, and I took a shaky breath before letting it out and finally talking to her. "I appreciate the advice, Princess," I said. "If you don't mind, please don't tell anyone else about this." She frowned and nodded. "It is your responsibility whether or not you wish for anypony to know. I will not rob you of your choice." I nodded in thanks and turned to walk back inside the living room before I heard her speak up again. "Indecision is not a decision, Jean." She said sagely in a serious tone. "I know about your other dilemma, as well, and all I can say is that I hope you reconsider." She said as she walked up next to me, and I felt her wing on my back again. I looked at the ceiling again to observe the barely visible stars floating around and thought about what she had just said. Indecision is not a decision. I said to myself in my head. You hear that, you pathetic piece of shit? Princess Celestia just told you what you've been telling yourself all this time. "Nopony can make these choices for you. Remember that. You're not alone in this, Jean." She assured me as she rubbed my back with her wing. I glanced at the princess standing next to me and thought about what I'd say to her. If this was any other pony giving me advice, I'd maybe think about it, but Princess Celestia was an ancient being who had been through more than I could ever dream of. "Thank you. I'll... think about it." She closed her eyes and nodded as she rubbed my back. "Now, as for Luna. I happened to catch the end of your conversation from the other side of the door." She started as she ushered me to look around the corner at Luna, who was currently showing off her small collection of wooden figurines of ponies she had crafted to Sugar Plum. "She is afraid of scaring ponies but wishes to leave the palace because being behind these walls is driving her crazy. I am not often able to entertain her." She said sadly before looking at me with a smile. "So, I think her going with you tomorrow is a wonderful idea." I nodded at her, very thankful that the conversation had shifted elsewhere. It was going to be a challenge to get everyone on board with her joining us tomorrow, especially Minuette and Chatter. Luna was an alicorn, one of very few that had ever existed. That was a big waving flag, for sure. Her outfit was also standing out from other ponies. On her head was her black crown nestled behind her horn, she had some sort of black ornament around her neck that had her emblem on it and her glass hoof guards. That, plus her wavy blue mane that looked like a portal to the universe, was a dead ringer for a princess. I tapped my chin as I leaned around the corner with Celestia. How to make her stand out less? I thought about it for a moment before a plan formed in my head. "Say, Princess. Has my mother told you of the traditions from her home world?" I asked. Celestia nodded and looked back at me. "She has. Are you referring to Christmas?" I nodded, and then a large smile formed on my face. "That's right. And there's a certain jolly old fella I think we can dress her up as."