Against the night

by Senorita-De-La-Nieve


Chapter Ten

Twilight didn't remember when she got such a loud clock. Indeed, she couldn't remember when she even had a clock installed in her library. But the incessant ticking noise was mocking in its intensity and overtly loud in the silence of the room. To Twilight, each second that ticked by was another second closer to looming doom.

Her mother was smiling, her dad was frowning, her brother was passive, and her teacher held a knowing half-smirk that for some reason made her want to avert her eyes and colour her cheeks red. Could all Alicorns do that smirk?

She shook her head. Now was not the time for speculation about mind-altering facial expressions, now was a time to face judgement, to justify why they did what they did and share their side of the story. Luna was beside her, fixing Celestia with a passive look. Twilight wondered if they could telepathically talk with each other but dispelled the notion as mythological nonsense.

Celestia turned to Twilight, then to her parents. "Well, I think anymore awkward silence will kill us all." she said to nopony in particular, but gathered the attention of everypony in the room. Dusk snorted and looked at Twilight with disdain.

"I'm waiting for an explanation. Care to give us one?" he asked gruffly, Twilight gulping hard under the fixed glare. She turned to Luna, finding her looking at her with a smile and then turned back to Dusk.

"Mr. Sparkle, it was honestly..." she was about to continue, but a glare from Midnight made her stop. If looks could kill then she would be suffering a heart attack now. That glare was one that would freeze the sun itself. Be that as it may it settled for the moon.

"He didn't ask you now did he, Princess? He asked his daughter," she said simply, and Celestia raised an eyebrow as Armour cleared his throat and turned to his sister. Luna silently counted that as the first strike.

"Twily, care to share your side of the story?" he asked with a gentle smile to show her he was on her side. Twilight sighed in resignation.

"It was just a party dad, we had a lot to drink, and we didn't realize that there was a reporter with a camera at a small party in Ponyville" she said with an awkward chuckle, and Dusk simply blinked, clearly unimpressed. Twilight's giggle turned into a throat-clearing cough, and the room fell once more into silence.

Luna went to break it. "Well, what Twilight's trying to say is that we didn't expect it, and-" she was, however, cut off once again by Midnight's brazen tone.

"Excuse me, Princess, but my daughter isn't finished," she stated flatly, and Luna gritted her teeth. Celestia whistled quietly. Luna would pass that off as the second strike; another and she would defend herself.

Twilight sighed and leaned forward. "Mom, Dad, it was just a party that got out of hand. I am most certainly am not Luna's... concubine" she said defensively, almost desperately and Armour smiled at her.

"No one said you were Twilight, apart from the papers, and we just want to make sure that what they said IS lies. Which moves us on..." he trailed off, not wanting to say it. Midnight, however, had no intention of being so reserved.

"We want to know why you were dancing so provocatively with my daughter, and whether there is any truth to the claim that you're simply using her to get back at Celestia," she said, and Luna opened her mouth. That would have even strike three, were it not for Celestia's intervention.

"Now, Midnight, I know my sister, she wouldn't do that. And besides, Luna loves Twilight. They were sending each other letters for a while, it was only a matter of time before my sister admitted her long hidden feelings for my student," She said with a smile, and Luna blushed. Twilight and her shared a look that spoke volumes.

Midnight nodded. "Well, be that as it may, that still doesn't change the fact that our family has been besmirched by rumours that Twilight is Luna's comfort girl." She said and Luna looked at her, tilted her neck so the bones popped and set her jaw firmly as she leaned forward.

"Mrs. Sparkle. May I remind you, that Twilight is the twice Saviour of Equestria, first from myself, then from Discord, she is the most powerful unicorn in Equestria whose power even rivals my own, your daughter has also stolen the heart of me, which is no mean feat.” She looked back at an extremely red Twilight.

"She's bashful, shy of compliments, always willing to criticize herself and improve, so I think her good qualities overwhelm that one malicious rumour," she turns her head back to face Twilight's parents. Dusk was smiling, and Midnight wasn't above a small grin.

"You really love her." Shining stated. Not a question, not a request for info, just a statement which he knew to be true. Luna simply nodded at him. Twilight held her hoof and stroked it gently. Celestia turned to Midnight and then back to Luna.

"Well, now that we have that out of the way..." Celestia began, but Midnight held up a hoof.

"Not so fast Princess, don't think I missed the little crater over there, did you do that? In a fit of rage? How do we know that you'll take good care of our daughter and not get mad at her?" she asked.

Luna raised an eyebrow. Strike three.

"Actually Mom that was a simple disintegration spell, easily remedied by a..." Twilight began but Midnight held a hoof up.

"Twilight, please, I asked Luna a question." She said and Luna nodded.

"A table is one thing. A living pony is another. My marefriend means the world to me, and I will never allow anything to happen to her," she said with confidence, satisfying Midnight.

Celestia leaned forward in her seat. "Luna. I hope you know just how big this is. I've already had thirty seven letters of complaint and inquiry about your loyalties," she said, and Luna listened intently, nodding as she did.

"Yes sister, and I plan to have a strong word with the author." She raised an eyebrow, giving her an almost malicious look as she said that. Celestia smiled.

"Well, I have word that the author is a one Mr Winter Drifter, a freelance journalist, if you want I could do some digging," she winked and Luna chuckled.

"No, I don't need info to take on a journalist sister." She smiles again and Celestia nodded again.

"Well Mrs Sparkle, I think we've got everything we need. Now, if you don't mind I'd like a chat with my student here," she stood up from the chair and walked towards the kitchen, as Midnight and Dusk got up themselves.

"Only if you would give me a moment with your sister, Celestia." Shining said and Luna looked up at him, gulping.

Twilight turned to her and added in a whisper. "Oh, it's fine, it's just the mandatory possessive brother speech, I have to talk to your sister, who's also my teacher, and the co-ruler of Equestria." She nervously giggled and looked towards the kitchen fearfully. Luna chuckled and kissed her cheek gently.

"You'll be fine. Now don't keep her waiting," she playfully pushed Twilight off of the couch and giggled as she stumbled. Twilight shot her a playful look, shaking her head as she trotted into the kitchen, leaving the Princess alone with her family. Three pairs of eyes watched her, two with gentle smiles, and one with a not quite happy expression.


Twilight trotted into the kitchen of her library and looked at Celestia, who was sitting across the room with an oddly stern expression on her face. She motioned to a chair that sat next to the table where she and her friends had enjoyed many a meal together and forged happy memories. This one, she could tell, was going to be a less than happy one.

"Sit." Celestia gently ordered and made no further remarks, so Twilight sat on the chair and watched her mentor nervously. Celestia got up and pulled out the other chair, sitting on it and placing her hooves on the table.

"Twilight. What I am about to tell you is serious." She said, keeping her eyes level with Twilight's in an almost unnerving stare. Twilight simply nodded in return, so Celestia continued. "You are now in a relationship with a Princess. That is no easy task. You will be the target of journalists, radicals, and maybe even assassins," she said bluntly and Twilight's pupils shrank. Celestia nodded again.

"Ponies will try to use you to get to her, and perhaps even vice versa. But that's just the start. You are a capable unicorn Twilight, the most powerful I have encountered in nearly a thousand years. But this relationship will test the limit of your abilities, and I sincerely hope you're ready for it." Celestia finished gently, placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. Twilight, who had been listening to her words intently, nodded and Celestia chuckled.

"And if you break her heart, well, there's a nice lovely spot on the moon," she said, and Twilight looked up suddenly, her eyes wide and her pupils near pinpricks. Celestia burst into giggles, and Twilight sighed, shaking her head.

"One more thing, Twilight." Celestia said, and Twilight re-focused on her.

"Yes Princess?" she asked and Celestia smiled gently, not wanting to say it, but feeling that she had to.

"Luna's immortal, she will outlive you. Are you sure you and her can take that kind of heartbreak?" she asked, and Twilight smiled.

"Don't worry Princess, whatever time we have together will be enough to make up for that. We both know that," she said with a smile, and Celestia nodded and got up from the chair, walking towards the doorway into the living room.

"Well, I must return to Canterlot. Oh, and Twilight?" she turned back to face her student, who once again watched her.

"The Elements of Harmony are as Timeless as us," she smiled gently. "Food for thought." Celestia walked back into the living room with the others, leaving a stunned Twilight to mull over her words.


Luna looked up into the eyes of Twilight's parents and her brother. Under any other circumstances she would have been standing to greet them, and it would be a Royal visit to the castle. She was in the presence of the parents of the Element of Magic and the Captain of the Guard, under any other circumstances, yes, they would bow and show all due mannerisms.

This was not normal circumstances.

"So, uh, Luna." Shining spoke first, the causal name sounding strange coming from him. "Are you gonna take good care of my sister?" He asked with a smile and an arched eyebrow, and Luna nodded.

"Of course I will, and don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle, I'll be careful with what we are seen doing in public in the future," she said with a smile, and finally got a few chuckles from Dusk.

"Well, Princess, I did this when Shining brought home Cadence, and I'm gonna do it now." He smiled widely, and Shining raised a hoof.

"Dad, wait..." he said anxiously, but Dusk simply leaned down, gripped Luna in a fierce hug and twirled her around. She yelped in surprise, his strength was considerable seeing as how he was able to swing a Princess nearly twice his height and weight around.

Dusk laughed jovially and put her down, and as she stumbled gripped her hoof and shaking it. "I'd like to formally welcome you to our family," he spoke with warmth and Luna couldn't help but giggle and smile at him, shaking back with equal enthusiasm.

"Nice to be welcomed," she said, and Dusk let her hoof go. Luna looked at Midnight, who sighed and smiled genuinely.

"Well, as long as you promise to take care of my daughter, then I have no reason to not approve." She patted her shoulder and stepped back again, and Luna rationalized that that was as close to a hug that she was going to get from the mare. She nodded in return.

"But," Dusk said, and Luna felt dread pool in her stomach. "If you break her heart, well, wouldn't it be a shame if your guards become lacking in their abilities?" He chuckled to show he was half-joking, and Luna nodded.

"I would never do that. But, uh, thanks for the warning I suppose." She giggled and Dusk smiled, as Celestia walked back into the living room.

"Everypony okay in here? No structural collapse? No magical fire-fights?" she asked, and they all chuckled.

"No, we're fine here." Shining said, and Celestia smiled.

"Good, sister, I will be returning to Canterlot now. When can I expect you back?" she asked, and Luna shrugged.

"I don't know. I would like to stay a while longer, if you don't mind," she said and Celestia nodded, bidding farewell and walking out the door.

Twilight walked back in and smiled at Luna. Her family left after a few more minutes as well, and when the door closed, Luna and Twilight stared at each other for a while, before both collapsed on the couch with great sighs. Their eyes closing as they were finally able to relax for the first time since that morning.