White on Black
Ch.03 “Inconsequential, irrevocable, infuriating”
They didn’t show it, but most of the Element-bearers were relieved when Celestia announced that Chrysalis wouldn’t be sharing the dinner table with them this evening. They had assembled in one of the smaller dining rooms of the castle (small meaning that the Ponyville library would have only fit into it once).
Despite Rarities initial complaints about not following proper decorum, eventually they decided to just sit together at one end of the table, which might not have been proper but allowed for communication without use of the ‘Royal Canterlot Voice’.
Shortly after Celestia sat down she raised her voice: “I know, that all of you probably have a lot of questions, but I beg you to wait until morning, so that me and my future wife can answer them together.” She emphasised the last word.
Awkward silence followed, partly because the idea of Celestia marrying Chrysalis still was unbelievable to the six friends, partly because five out of the six ponies weren’t used to hearing Celestia uttering any sort of intimacy. Her image as the ‘eternal mother of Equestria’ was surprisingly hard to combine with the idea of her being a newlywed. (Celestia herself had always doubted if the bard that had coined the term, knew anything about the physical aspects of motherhood. (Which of course was totally unwarranted. The bard in question was mother to three teenagers and knew very well what she said, when she called Celestia ‘the mother of the state’.))
“So... I think you still haven’t written me a friendship report this week.” Celestia broke the silence. Twilight looked disoriented for a moment before her eyes lit up.
“Oh yeah, I had nearly forgotten. Applejack and I learned a valuable lesson about honesty in advertising this week... “ She began reporting the tale of the weeks (mis)adventures.
Every now and then she was interrupted by her friends, who commented, joked and shared their version of the story. Especially Rainbow Dash was all too willing to correct (and embellish) Twilights narration of the pegasus’ involvement.
Before they knew it, the six friend and the royal alicorn had chattered most of the evening away and hadn’t it been for a Royal Guard reminding Celestia to lower the Sun, they probably would have kept talking the whole night.
The Solar matriarch excused herself and went out on the balcony, accompanied by her loyal protege who never missed a chance to see the alicorn work her ancient magic.
The remaining ponies just lingered in their seats, bellies full, and after such an eventful day rightfully tired. All eyes turned towards Fluttershy, who immediately tried to hide, when she notice that her yawning had attracted so much attention.
“Dun worry Fluttershy. I think we’re all right plum tuckered out after this day.” Applejack said, trying to coax her friend from under the table.
“Yeah, that was crazy even for us,” Rainbow Dash grimaced still trying to wrap her mind around the events of the day, “wasn’t it Rarity?”
“Hmmm... what?” The white fashionista looked up from something, in her hoofs.
“I said that today was pretty crazy.” The blue pegasus repeated.
“Yes, quite so.” Rarity replied unusually short spoken for the drama loving unicorn.
“What have ya got there that has ya so distracted anyway?” Applejack stood up (or rather rolled of her chair) and walked over to the preoccupied designer.
“Oh just some new plans for the wedding dress, I mean I certainly didn’t prepare anything that harmonizes with black and green.” Rarity answered, revealing the sewing schematics she had spread out on the chair besides her. Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged meaningful looks.
“Ya seem to be taking this all rather well.” Applejack deadpanned.
Rarity looked up from her work and said: “Yes certainly, Queen Chrysalis might have been our nemesis, but you have to agree that this all is...”
“...rather romantic.” Applejack and Rainbow Dash ended the sentence simultaneously before bursting into laughter. Rarity shot them an exasperated look, but before long her polite giggle joined the hearty laughter of the two friends. And when three ponies were laughing, Pinkie was never one to not join in. Fluttershy might have laughed as well, but it was kind of hard to tell, since her voice was muffled by several tablecloths and a table that she had wrapped around herself protectively (the cloth, not the table).
---
Celestia sat on the balcony, her horn covered in the amber light of her magic, and Twilight Sparkle tucked tightly under her wing, the same way she had done when Twilight had still been a foal. She could feel how the purple unicorn relaxed, when the sound of laughter echoed from inside the dining hall. It filled the alicorn with joy that her protege had found friend she cared about to such an extent.
“I’m glad that your friends seem to cope this well with the situation.” She said, her considerable mind only partly busied with guiding the sun over the horizon.
“They are Ponyville-ponies, they are used to weird things happening.” Twilight joked, coaxing a gentle laugh from Celestia’s lips. (Celestia didn’t mention that this almost made her drop the sun; no use in worrying her protege any more than she already did on her own.)
Pupil and teacher for a moment just enjoyed each others company. That Celestia was guiding the sun took away nothing of the beauty of the sunset, maybe it made it even more precious to the two of them. And as the sun finally vanished behind the horizon and the first stiff breeze of the night blew through their coats, they just edged closer together instead of going back inside.
But even during this old ritual of closeness and trust, a barely noticeable tenseness remained between them. They both knew that a question had to be asked, yet they chose to remain silent, delaying the inevitable for just a bit longer. But like any moment it couldn’t last and in the end it was Celestia who asked the question that had hovered above them all evening: “How much did you see?”
The purple Unicorn slipped out from under the solar matriarchs wings and rested her fore hooves on the veranda, her face obscured to the alicorn. “I tried to only look at what I needed to know, but it seems as if it isn’t so easy to untangle thoughts.”
“How much?” Celestia asked again. There was no rage in her voice, only warmth, worry about someone close to her, and maybe the slightest bit of remorse.
“Everything that happened in the Hive, and a few bits here and there... The first thousand years...did you really spend all that time alone?” The purple unicorn turned her head, tears flowed down her face originating from eyes that looked far older than they had any right to.
Quickly Celestia closed the distance and drew Twilight into a hug, not carefully using her wings, but drawing her in with her front hoof in a nearly violent gesture. She pressed the little filly close to her heart, gently patting her head. It was as if someone had sapped all strength from Twilight and she couldn’t help but leaning against Celestia, sobbing silently. Eventually her tears dried, and she found the strength to answer Celestia’s embrace, laying her forehooves around the alicorns neck. Gently she squeezed her teacher, signaling her to let go.
When Twilight had somewhat calmed down, Celestia led her towards the balcony.
“What do you see?” She asked her student, her wing still draped over the Unicorns body.
Twilights gaze alternated between the city, that stretched out before her, and the face of her teacher.
“Canterlot, I guess.” She finally replied when Celestia showed no signs of speaking up again.
“I see hundreds of ponies, and behind that hundreds more, and behind that even more. I might have been alone once, but that is in the past. I now have all of ponykind to share this life with. I’ve met a mare I can love, and let’s not forget the noisy little pupil that plays with powers beyond her comprehension.” She said, playfully flicking Twilights nose, eliciting a small giggle from her.
The two of them turned towards the balcony doors, where Twilight's friends awaited them. While the walked towards them Twilight looked up to Celestia once more.
“You know there was one thing in your memory that is still bothering me though.” She said.
“Oh, and what may that be?” The solar alicorn replied.
“You do know that cake isn’t supposed to be used that way, don’t you?” Twilight giggled with a mischievous look on her face.
The white coat of the matriarch made a perfect contrast to the bright blush that suddenly filled her face.
---
“I have had your old tower prepared if you want to stay the night.” Celestia said, to her sleepy looking protege. “I think there is quite enough place to accommodate your friends as well.”
“Wohoo, sleepover.” Pinkie chimed, bouncing around and rattling down a list of party supplies that she would need. “Let’s see, we’ll need streamers, and balloons, and pillows and...”
“I think it would be good if you spent the night resting, I imagine that tomorrow will be quite a hectic day. I don’t know if it’s really advisable to have a par....” The white alicorn began to say, before her eyes shot wide with terror.
Pinkie was looking at the royal alicorn, with large watery puppy eyes.
“I really don’t think...” Celestia tried again.
Pinkie’s lip began to quiver.
“I...”
Tears started to form in the corner of Pinkie’s eyes.
“Just don’t let it get to late... “ Celestia sighed defeated. Remorsefully she remembered the days when being ruler of Equestria had actually meant that she had power over her people.
---
“Here we are.” Twilight held open the door to her old library tower, inviting her friends inside.
Everything was left in the exact state she had left it in and even though she never wanted to go back to her lonely canterlot lifestyle, Twilight couldn’t help but feeling nostalgic. Had it really only been two years since she had been sent to Ponyville?
Curiously her five friends, inspected her former residence. Especially Rainbow Dash seemed to have an intensive interest in her choice of interior design. She zoomed around the whole room, lifting a vase here, tugging on the hangings, and manhandling her glassware.
When she started pulling the books out of the shelves, throwing them carelessly aside, Twilight spoke up: “Rainbow, what are you doing?”
“Psst.” The pegasus tried to hush her, continuing with her wanton acts of destruction. Or she would have, if she hadn’t been encased in an aura of purple magic. Twilight unceremoniously dropped her friend in front of her.
“Rainbow Dash, it’s enough that the world is going crazy, so I would be very happy if you can give me a sane and logical explanation to what you’re doing right now.” Twilight said, the all too familiar sensation of a headache coming on.
“Don’t worry.” Rainbow Dash started. “I’m just looking for listening devices.”
Twilight facehoofed. Maybe it had been a mistake to recommend spy novels to Rainbow Dash.
“And why would there be listening devices in my tower?” She asked the rainbow maned pegasus.
“To tell the changelings about our plans of course.” Rainbow replied.
“Plans?” Twilight asked monotonously, not even pretending that she could follow anymore.
“Yeah, now that the Chrysalis thinks we trust Celestia, we got her right where we want her, and we can ‘POW’ send her back where she came from.” Rainbow said, vigorously gesturing with her hoofs just what ‘POW’ exactly entailed.
“There’ll be no ‘POW’.” Twilight replied, still locked in her droning monotone.
“Hmm yeah, I guess we need to be more subtle about this. Pinkie, did you bring your stealth suit?” The Pink mare, was already suited up for serious undercover action, before Rainbow Dash had even finished her question.
“Pinkie put that... wherever you have taken it from. We’re not going to drive the Changelings out of Canterlot.” Twilight finally managed to say, breaking from her stupor. Pinkie scuffled out of sight head hanging low. Rainbow Dash however seemed to far less ready to give up.
“What do you mean? That’s Chrysalis we’re talking about here. You know the one that nearly killed your brother.” She shouted, edging closer to Twilight’s face with every word. “You’re not just letting her get away with that, are you?”
“Rainbow, don’t ya think that ya should calm down a bit?” Applejack tried to interfere.
“Come on AJ, you were there too. Don’t tell me that you can forgive her just like this.” By now Rainbow Dash was fuming as she looked at each of her friends, seeking support.
“Uhm... Rainbow... I think... that maybe...” Fluttershy spoke up (taking her from infrasound to barely audible) only to be harshly interrupted by her raging friend: “Oh don’t you start, it’s because of you that we even are in this mess!”
The Element of Kindness shied away from the blue Pegasus, visibly hurt by her friends remark. Only for a moment, it looked like she might storm out of the room, her eyes watering just seconds away from crying. Then suddenly a change went through the yellow pegasus’ face as her eyes filled with determination.
“Rainbow Danger Dash!” The blue daredevil fell to her haunches as she heard her full name being used, by the normally so quiet Fluttershy nonetheless. “Now listen here missie, it’s very nice that you care about your friends and that you take it personal when one of us is hurt, but I think that we are all able to speak up for ourselves. Isn’t that right girls?”
The four ponies were quick to nod, when Fluttershy’s ‘Stare’ wandered over them.
Rainbow Dash wiggled around uncomfortably, firmly held in place by the butter coloured pegasus’ deep blue eyes. Being forced to speak about her feelings openly like that amounted to torture for the brash, blue pegasus.
“You know, I just don’t want you all to get hurt.” The normally loudmouthed mare, nearly mumbled inaudibly towards the end of the sentence.
“Well then you just need to protect us if something bad happens... of course only if you don’t mind...” Fluttershy said, now only a very shy pegasus again.
“Soooo... anybody else got any complaints, dark secrets, unforeseen character traits, and or long lost siblings?” Twilight asked rubbing her temples. “Good, I’ll be upstairs sleeping. If it’s important... you know nevermind, I’m not available for anyone.”
---
One dragon, and three antsy looking ponies sat around a worn but clean table, in the only Donut shop of all Equestria that had opened 24/7.
“Don’t worry, your disguises are perfect.” The little green and purple dragon said.
“Klik klik?” came the unsure reply from across the table.
“Okay, almost perfect. Just leave the talking to me.” Spike said seeming almost confident.
“Evening Spike, long time no see.” The earth pony stallion that approached the table showed clear signs that he was his own best customer.
“Evening Joe, I’ve been busy taking care of Twilight. You know how she can be.” Spike greeted the owner of the shop aptly (though not very imaginatively) called “Donut Joe’s”.
“Who are your friends? Usually it’s just you and Twilight.” Joe asked.
“Some distant relatives of Twi. She asked me to show them around town.” Spike recited the agreed upon cover story.
“Well nice to meet you.” Joe stretched out his hoof.
Silently the changeling shook his hoof earning a curious look from the Donut-baker.
“They are from Stalliongrad and don’t know the language very well.” Spike hastily improvised.
“Ahh well, what can I get you?” Joe asked, reaching for his notepad.
“Hmmm... let’s see. How about... one of everything.” Spike said, handing Joe a piece of paper that looked suspiciously like a royal decree. Sure mom would be angry that he forged her signature, but Celestia’s wrath was future Spike’s problem. And after all he was doing important work for political interspecies relationships.