The snowstorm howled outside the narrow glass-less window at the wall, gusts of icy wind sneaking in through the opening from time to time, sending shudders of cold running up my spine.
This was the dream realm so I could easily have ignored it or changed it. But that would have removed the necessity of the fireplace on one side of me and the sungoddess on my other. It was much better not to break the illusion.
Celestia looked different from in reality. She was smaller, actually a bit smaller than Luna in reality, barely a head taller than me, her mane and tail a pink rather than rainbow. Instead of her usual regalia, she wore a gold circlet as a crown.
Which was currently sitting to the side on a table along with my own silver one.
I glanced up at her before refocusing on the book laying before us, scooting a bit closer to her side to keep warm.
Celestia didn’t react other than to settle her warm wing across my back to ward the cold away.
I frowned at the book, turning back a page before I checked the other page again. Then I picked up a pen in my magic, dipped it in the ink before slowly drawing a design on the parchment by my side.
I double checked before I nodded, “Done.”
“That took longer than I thought,” Celestia said with a small smile as her horn lit and she took the offered parchment.
“I’m not very bright,” I said with a smile, “And considering the distractions, I think I did alright.”
“Distractions?” Sunshine asked, her sun warm wing brushing along my back.
“Well, you know the cold and such,” I said, looking up at her, “So how did I do? Okay or do I need to practice some more with you?”
Celestia passed the parchment back to me, “These calculations are correct. But I don’t think you are at quite Twilights level yet.”
“Oh well,” I said, “I suppose we just have to continue my lessons then.”
“I suppose we do,” Celestia agreed as she looked at me, “You are coming for Hearths Warming this year?”
I nodded, “We are. Sparks wants to spend it with her parents this year and… well, we are everypony getting pulled along into it. Not that I mind. But there is quite a while until then.”
Almost half a year, but we had to plan these sorts of things well in advance. We couldn’t just leave whenever we wanted to.
“And Shining Armor and Cadance?” Celestia asked.
“They’re coming too,” I said and then looked up at her, “You’re invited as well, Sunshine.”
Celestia hesitated, “I’m not sure I should, it’s a family event.”
I looked at her, “Sunshine, you’re being dumb. You are part of our family.”
She flicked one ear, shifting slightly, “...I know,” she admitted quietly, “But I’m not part of their family. Me being there would be a distraction.”
“And me and Luna wouldn’t be?” I asked, eyeing her as I poked her side with my wing, “Sunshine, if you want ponies to see you as anything but a perfect pretty pony princess, you need to actually act like a normal pony sometimes.”
Celestia sighed softly, “Page, you know they need me to be a ‘perfect pretty pony princess’ as you call it. Same as they need you to be their prince.”
“Buck that,” I said, “You also deserve to live as much as any of them. Duty and responsibility is all well and good, but you need to be able to take time off too, especially among family.”
She looked at me, raising one eyebrow.
I groaned, “Yes, I’m aware I’m the one saying it. But that doesn’t make it any less true. You need to be able to relax as much as anypony else.”
“I do try to,” she admitted, “But it’s different when there are other ponies involved. Ponies act differently around us.”
“...Yeah, they do,” I agreed with a small sigh before I shook my head, “But this is a family thing. If there are any ponies that should be used to hanging out with alicorns, it would be Night Light and Twilight Velvet.”
Celestia hesitated before she nodded, “I suppose you are right.”
“So?” I asked with a smile, brushing her side with my wing, “Want me to check with Sparks?”
“...I would like that.”
I nodded, “Good.”
“Though,” Celestia continued and smiled at me, “I don’t want you to think I think our lessons are work. I enjoy teaching and spending time with you, Page. I am ever so thankful for these moments.”
“Want to pick up an actual student again?” I asked and shifted closer to her warm side as a gust of icy wind brushed past my ears.
Celestia nodded, “I have considered it,” she said quietly, her nose touching the mane between my ears for a second, “Have even looked at the foals at my school. There are some definite possibilities. There is one filly, First Frost. Her ability to handle cold magic is great even for an adult pony. I wish I could teach her, but I am completely incapable of cold magic.”
“That would make it difficult to teach her,” I admitted.
Celestia nodded in agreement, “It would not be fair to her. I passed her details on to a master of elemental magic however. But there is another filly. Star Bright. She just started this year, but she has promise I think.”
“Bookworm?”
Ceelestia laughed, “She blew up the magic lab!”
“Wow, rea-” I started to answer before I frowned, “Wait, Sparks has talked about that place. It’s specially warded to resist magic. How in the world did a filly blow it up?”
Celestia grinned, “Because she was playing around with alchemy, not straight magic,” she said and shook her head in wonder, “Melted a hole straight through the wall.”
“Wow.”
That’s impressive. Terrifying but impressive.