//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: Eclipse // by Hiver //------------------------------// I suppressed a yawn as I started to slowly stir awake. The last rays of the sun were filtering in through the darkness-dome that covered our bed. Sunset was already missing. As usual nowadays, she was up far before Sparks and myself, usually before dusk. Sparks stirred in the darkness next to me. I shifted slightly to roll to face her. What I saw was a pile of every blanket we had shifting and stirring. They rose and then lowered. First slowly and then suddenly. The pile shifted, wiggled and then Sparks let out an annoyed sound. There was a bright flash of purple light beneath the pile, and she reappeared on top of it. I smiled sleepily, “Did the dangerous blanket monster eat you?” I teased. Sparks grumbled something before she yawned and stretched, arching her back, her wings raised high. I watched sleepily with a small smile. Twilight waking up may be one of my favorite sights in the universe. Luna was beautiful all the time and Sunny was cute while sleepy, but Sparks was completely adorable with her mane all mussed up, her wings in disarray, her eyes half-closed, and ears drooping slightly. Yawning again, she scooted closer and cuddled close, nosing in beneath my chin until I rested my nose against the base of her horn. I wrapped a foreleg and a wing around her and then we just stayed like that for a bit, feeling her warmth against me. “Sneak,” I whispered after a while. Sparks shifted and I felt her smile, “Talk to Luna then?” “Mhmm,” I agreed and ran my hoof along her mane softly, “You know, you could just have filled me in on the fact that Sunshine needed a vacation.” Sparks relaxed with a small sigh, “I know,” she said and cuddled closer, “But Luna didn’t want me to unless she thought it could work.” “And it has nothing to do about getting me to take a vacation either, huh?” I teased. Sparks shifted back to bump her nose softly against mine as she smiled, looking into my eyes, “You know I've been Celestia's student too, right?” she said, sounding amused. "Which part of a month of magic lessons sounds relaxing?" “It would to you.” Twilight laughed and then rolled onto her stomach, stretching again, “Maybe a little,” she admitted before she flicked one ear, eyeing me in the darkness, “Well?” I sighed and rolled onto my stomach before also stretching. I cracked my neck, causing Twilight to shudder in disgust before shooting me a glare. “I agreed,” I finally said, pushing myself up to sit. I flicked my tail and canceled the dome of darkness over the bed, squinting against the last rays of the sun playing across the room. “If everypony else thinks it’s a good idea, I won’t stand in the way.” Twilight grinned happily and jumped to her hooves, “Good,” she said and kissed my cheek before sitting down. “And… “ I continued with a small sigh, “I really do need practice,” I admitted, “My spell-casting is still below par.” Sparks looked at me strangely, one eyebrow raised, “No you’re not. Have you seen the average unicorn? They know like two or three spells related to their special talent and perhaps a couple of utility spells and that’s it. If even that.” I shrugged. Intellectually I knew she was right and even three spells were way more than some unicorns who only had telekinesis and maybe a light spell. But I'm not just an educated unicorn, I'm an alicorn, and I have to do better. Especially out in the world of matter, I couldn’t just throw power at the problem. Sparks shook her head and brushed her wing across my side before jumping off the bed and using her horn to light the magic crystals as she moved over to the mirror, starting to brush her mane and tail. I settled down to watch, running my magic through my own mane and tail, giving them both a good shake. I then picked my silver circlet from its stand on the desk and settled it onto my head. Climbing off the bed, I moved up to Sparks, starting to work on smoothing out her feathers. She didn’t comment but her breath caught in her throat for a second as her wings spread. Smiling to myself, I worked my way along her left wing, “So…” I asked, “Think she’ll go for it?” “I think so, she loves teaching,” Twilight said after a moment before she glanced at me, “Luna’s going to bring it up with her, you just need to say you want to do it.” “You do know that she’s going to see straight through it, right?” I said and moved to her other wing, “She has some experience in subterfuge you know.” Twilight smiled a bit, “I’m sure she can. But it would also be something she not only likes to do, but would be good for you. No need to call it subterfuge when it’s the truth.” “Yes, because I have nopony here that can teach me practical magic skills,” I teased and carefully pulled out a loose feather, bringing a gasp from her. She fluffed up her wings before folding them again, glancing at me, “Do I point holes in your plans?” “Yes, constantly,” I said and put the feather in a box for future burning. “Well, it’s a good plan,” Sparks said as she got up, turning to me, “She gets to relax, you get to practice magic and get time away from Nocturnis. It’s literally win, win, win.” I just nodded and returned to her, “I know, I know. Just pointing things out,” I said before I smiled, “...You don’t need to convince me, you know. Luna already did that.” Sparks smiled and then led the way out into the other chamber and the waiting breakfast.