//------------------------------// // Chapter One - An Amorous Curiosity // Story: Gift of the Goddess // by Medievalman //------------------------------// “No distractions.” Magical energy enveloped a nearby pair of curtains, forcing them closed and casting the upper room of the Golden Oaks Library into darkness. “Today is too important.” A trio of candles perched upon a reading desk magically lit themselves one by one, each spark dancing to the wicks of other candles placed around the room. Light shined slowly into the room, revealing a purple unicorn standing at its center with a small paperback book in her telekinetic grip. She walked carefully to the desk, scanning the room in all directions for any intruders. “Much too important...” The unicorn mare sat at her desk and placed the book on top of its surface. She caressed the cover with her hoof, gradually moving towards its side and flicking it open to a well remembered page. She smiled and her eyes lost themselves in its paragraphs... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...The last of the sun’s dying rays shone through the windows attached to the storefront property as Evening Shine finished up locking down her flower shop for the night. A long day of tedious pruning of the various flowers around the shop left her fairly exhausted, especially when contending with the demands of an especially rude customer not half an hour before closing time. Her complaints still rang in Evening’s ears, every little detail pointed out as a flaw in an arrangement that simply had to be just perfect, or else. It was enough to sour Evening’s mood for the rest of the day. Just be glad you don’t have to deal with her again, she mused. Evening Shine trotted to the front windows, bringing up a foreleg to shield her eyes from the blinding light. She closed the blinds perched in front of the storefront windows, shutting out the fading light. She turned once again toward the interior of the flower shop and trotted up to the service counter. She untied the apron around her waist and lifted the collar from her head, finally setting it down on the surface in front of her. The greeting bell above the entrance to the shop sang its welcome ring. Evening Shine shot a glance at the clock above the counter. 5:56 pm. She groaned at the prospect of helping another customer over heading home. Although business had become a lot slower during winter months, she just didn’t want to deal with anypony else. Evening sighed and shut her eyes in exhaustion. “Welcome to Sunny Flowers, where all your floral needs are simple and easy. Unfortunately, we’re closing down after a very long day and cannot assist you at this time.” The intruder shuffled in place for a moment. “Not even for me?” Evening’s eyes shot open as she whirled around in place. Standing in the doorway was that green earth pony mare she knew all too well. Her deep green eyes met with Evening’s own, filled with longing and sadness. Evening Shine felt her heart skip a beat. “Ranch?! W-what are you doing here?” Ranch took a step forward, her coat glistening in the sunset. “I... I wanted to see you.” “B-but your father, he said...” Ranch stamped her hoof onto the tiled floor, cracking it slightly. “I don’t care what he says! I’m not going to marry that stallion! I want to choose for myself who I want to be with. I-I want you.” Evening Shine felt her cheeks heat up and turned back towards the counter in embarrassment. Tears began to well up at the corners of her eyes, struggling to cascade down her magenta coat. Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! She actually wants... wants... Ranch advanced toward her lover and set her fore hoof onto Evening. “Evening...” “He’ll track us down you know,” Evening Shine stated, desperately trying to fight back the sobs. “He’ll scour all of Equestria if he has to. And when, w-when he finds us...” Ranch grabbed her by the shoulders and spun Evening around to face her. “He won’t find us! I will never let him take you away or tear us apart. I swear, I will never let you go.” Evening Shine stared into her lover’s eyes, drinking in the determination that she so clearly lacked. She’s serious. She’ll fight tooth and nail for... for... “Promise?” “I promise,” said Ranch with a smile. Without another word the two mares locked muzzles together in a long embrace. The rays of sunlight receded from the walls of the shop and washed over the two lovers, bathing them in mild darkness. The kiss lasted a minute longer until Evening retreated from her lover’s face. Evening slowly opened her bedroom eyes. “So, does this mean, we’re together now?” “As sure as a marriage itself,” Ranch replied, brushing Evening’s mane back with her hoof. “In fact, why not make it official?” She brought her muzzle close to Evening’s ear. “Right... now...” Ranch kissed Evening Shine on the neck and began to gradually peck her way down her body. Evening’s blush became even more intense. Oh! Oh! This is it! The moment I’ve been waiting for! All this time, all this work, has finally come to this. Very. Moment! Evening Shine leaned back against the counter and moaned as Ranch continued her descent. She closed her eyes, impatiently waiting for the wave of euphoria that was soon to come.This is it! I can’t wait! I just can’t— “Uh, Twilight?” Evening Shine’s eyes shot open and swifty glared down at the source of the new voice. Ranch was staring her square in the face with a confused expression on her own. She opened her mouth to speak, but the voice that left it was not her own. “Twilight? Helloooooo?” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Twilight gasped and whirled around in her seat, catching Spike’s puzzled look. She slammed her reading material shut, careful to bookmark it first with a well placed hoof. “Spike! W-what are you doing here!?” Spike eyed her cautiously, contemplating what to say. “Uh, you okay Twi?” “Uh, yep! Yes! Never been better!” Twilight replied with a nervous chuckle. Her eyes darted back and forth around the room, searching for anything that could distract her mind from the embarrassment she was enduring. Spike focused his eyes on Twilight’s face. “Right, what's the deal with...” He waved a claw in front of his face. Twilight’s blush grew even hotter, her mind struggling to find words. “I-uh, well it's just really... hot! Yes, it's really hot in here.” She half-heartedly chuckled and put on her best smile. “Maybe you should open a window Spike.” “Hot?” Spike asked, looking around the room and testing the air with a wave of his arm. “Feels ok to me.” “That’s because you are naturally cold blooded Spike. As a dragon, you wouldn’t notice the temperature the way a pony would,” Twilight replied, allowing her academic mind to distract her from her emotions. Spike opened his mouth to protest, but the argument died in his throat as he mulled over her words. “I guess...” Twilight smiled at her victory, the awkward line of questioning successfully subverted. “Now, what was it you needed to tell me, my number one assistant?” Spike snapped himself out of his thoughtful trance. “Oh, right! Rarity is here to see you. She's down in the lobby waiting.” “What does she want?” Spike crossed his arms, recalling the conversation. “Uh, something about some books to donate to the library. She said that you would love them.” “Alright then. Tell her that I’ll—” Twilight glanced back at her hoof still bookmarking her progress. “—be down in a minute.” Spike rolled his eyes and left the doorway, quietly mumbling something about crazy literature obsessions. Twilight, however, failed to hear him despite the fact she was craning her neck to verify that he had left. As soon as Spike was out of earshot, Twilight let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and allowed the heat to vent from her face. She looked down at her read. The glitter adorning the title of Hearts in Bloom sparkled in the candlelight, begging the unicorn to continue. Twilight retrieved a small sheet of purple paper and fashioned it into a rudimentary bookmark, marking her place before setting it back onto her bookshelf. “I’ll see you later,” she said before turning toward the open door and proceeding out of the room. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Twilight descended down the staircase from her room and into the main auditorium of her library. Inside, Spike was busy unloading the burden of boxes that Rarity had brought. Rarity, on the other hand, was closely examining the bust of a stallion perched on top of the table, staring at it with dreamy eyes. “Good afternoon, Rarity,” greeted Twilight with a smile. Rarity spun around to face her friend. “Twilight, darling! I sincerely hope I wasn't interrupting anything.” Twilight forced herself to continue smiling. “Of course not, I've always got time for my friends.” “Well, I’m glad to hear it," Rarity said, returned the smile. "Because I have something just for you!” Rarity craned her neck backwards into her saddlebag and pulled out a fairly worn paperback book. “I was doing a bit of spring cleaning around the boutique and noticed a lot of old reading material that was simply collecting too much dust for my liking. I was going to simply toss them out but thought that you might want them for your library.” Rarity gracefully used her magic to levitate the book towards Twilight, who promptly took it within her own. She studied the cover, a large red stallion dominating the center, complete with bulging muscles and a rose clenched in between pearl white teeth, cradling a very curvy white alicorn mare in his strong forelegs. The two were perched above a ruined castle, the flowery novel title carved into the stone behind them. Spike peeked over Twilight's shoulder and took in the book’s features for himself. After a moment, he couldn't stand it any longer and let out an audible gag. Twilight turned and glared back at him. Spike merely waved a dismissive claw and rolled his eyes, promptly jumping off Twilight’s back. Twilight sighed and turned back to Rarity with a weak smile. “Sorry.” Rarity giggled. “It's quite alright Twilight, I would not think for a moment dear Spikey-wikey would be interested in such things.” She lowered her face to Spike’s height. “What with him being such a little boy and all.” “Hey!” Spike yelped in protest. “I’m just not into all that touchy-feely junk. It's just all—” He struggled to find the words to describe it. “—bleg.” “Don’t be so sure Spike,” Twilight said. “When you’re older, you might just like to express all sorts of ‘touchy-feely junk’.” Rarity stifled a laugh. “Ah yes, I can see it now. Spike, little Casanova and hopeless romantic!” The two mares burst into laughter as Spike grunted and proceeded to march out of the main room and into the kitchen, mumbling under his breath the whole way. “Mares,” he muttered as he slammed the door behind him. The two mares allowed their laughter to die down, Twilight resting her eyes back onto the book still floating in front of her. Her smile sank into a frown as she continued to stare at it. “It's really thoughtful for you—” “You like it, darling?” Rarity interrupted, jarring Twilight out of her sentence. “I simply didn't want such precious works of art to go to waste and your library would make such a lovely home for them.” She levitated her cargo of boxes into the air and gently placed them in between the two mares, opening the lid as it was set down. Inside were stacks of paperback novels, all slightly worn despite years of use. Twilight counted the number of books quickly in her head. “This is very generous of you Rarity, but—” Twilight grabbed one of the novels within her telekinetic grab. “— aren't these from your, erm, personal collection?” “Oh... why yes they—” “And this box holds your entire collection, all forty-two of them! Why are you giving all of these to me?” Rarity shifted in place and pawed at the floor. “W-well I just thought, since you borrowed one from me, you would like to, uh, have the rest of them!” Twilight raised an eyebrow and gave Rarity a rather stern look. Rarity widened her smile, but Twilight continued her speechless assault. Rarity’s eyes darted back and forth, desperately seeking a distraction. Finally, Rarity let out a sigh. “Alright, Twilight, if you must know. Something wonderful happened recently that has caused me to simply no longer have any need for such stories.” Rarity scanned the room one last time and inched closer to Twilight, motioning with her hoof to hear her secret message. “I didn't want to say anything in front of Spike but...” Rarity bit her lip and brought her muzzle right up to Twilight’s ear. “I have a new colt friend!” Rarity squealed in delight as Twilight’s jaw dropped, the white unicorn bounding up and down like an excited school filly. Twilight watched her friend giggle uncontrollably until finally she shook away her shock. “W-when did this happen?” Twilight demanded in a hushed tone. Rarity ceased her bouncing and looked back towards her friend. “Why, it was just another boring day, three days ago to be exact, when the most handsome hunk of a stallion comes striding into my boutique, inquiring about my latest creations. He was simply marvelous, darling, a coat shining of the finest crimson, golden mane wild yet light as a feather, muscles toned to perfection, and a smile—” Rarity closed her eyes, painting her dreamy visage before recounting it. “—that words simply cannot do it justice.” Twilight pondered over her friend’s words, and furrowed her brow in thought. “Wait, you don't mean... um, Big Mac?” Rarity’s eyes shot open in horror, but quickly regained her composure and gave a quick laugh. “Eh, no, Twilight, not Big Macintosh. This stallion was much more, shall we say... refined.” She reached once more into her saddlebag with her magic, pulling out a small picture and handing it to Twilight. “As you can clearly see, my dear, he’s very much the epitome of masculinity.” Twilight gazed upon the photo and saw that Rarity wasn’t kidding. The photo was of professional quality, its perfect lighting showing off the stallion’s very chiseled features. His yellow mane blew to the one side with his coat following suit, his muscular body posed in triumph. A rose clenched firmly between sparkly white teeth under deep blue bedroom eyes. Twilight widened her eyes, her mouth following suit. “Wow, he’s really—” “Dreamy? Handsome? Sexy?!” Rarity exclaimed. “—familiar,” Twilight finished. Rarity’s eyes widened. “You've met him before?! Why did you not tell me about him?!” “What? Wait, no! I’ve never—” Twilight's protest floundered as Rarity suddenly clung heavily to her neck. “Oh that’s just like you Twilight!! First it's your big brother and now this?! At least your brother was already taken when I heard about him b-b-but this?! This one might have gotten away!! How could you do this to me, Twilight, how could you—” “Rarity!!” Twilight shouted, silencing her friend’s ranting. “I’ve never seen this pony in my life! I just said he looks familiar, that’s it. I don’t know anything more about this... very, very handsome stallion.” “Oh,” Rarity said, placing a hoof on her chest before letting out a sigh. “I’m sorry, Twilight. It seems I may have gotten a bit carried away.” “A bit?” “Okay, a lot.” Rarity blushed and tossed her hair back with a hoof. “I guess it doesn’t really matter now, because he asked me out! Now he’s all mine!” “Well, I’m happy for you Rarity,” Twilight replied, setting the photo down on the table. “Thank you, Twilight,” said Rarity. The white unicorn began trotting happily to the door, eyes slipping once again into a dreamy glaze. “Oh, this will be a most wonderful evening. A romantic date with the stallion of my dreams.” “By the way, Rarity...” Twilight said as Rarity reached the main library door. Rarity spun back around to face her friend, her eyes only half lidded. “Hmm, yes?” “You never mentioned his name,” Twilight said with a smirk. Rarity continued to open the door with her magic and proceeded to make her exit, but not before swinging back around halfway through the door, flashing a wicked grin. “Did I? Well I’ll tell you, Twilight.” She began to slowly close the door behind her as she spoke. “His name is, Long. Member.” Twilight took a moment to close her jaw once again as Rarity stepped graciously out the door. That name could mean a lot of things, Twilight thought to herself. Perhaps he has been inducted into a model club for some time now... Yes that's it... Twilight turned back to the table and eyed the new collection of books that had been given to her. She carefully extracted each book one by one out of the boxes and carefully laid each one on top of the center table. Unsurprisingly, every single book was some form of romance novel, all paperback and slightly worn from use. Many featured pairs of ponies in various locations all staring lovingly into each other’s eyes. Eventually, Twilight’s eyes were met once again by the photo Rarity had provided for her of the handsome stallion. Twilight cocked an eyebrow and snapped her attention to the novel beside it. Now she remembered why he seemed so familiar. The resemblance was unmistakable. The creak of an opening door snapped Twilight out of her thoughts. She looked up to meet Spike’s inquisitive gaze, happily munching on a bowl of assorted opals and quartz. She was a bit annoyed that Spike would invade his after dinner snack at this hour, but was relieved to see him in a better mood. Spike gulped down a handful of gems and looked around. “Where’d Rarity go?” “Oh, she left already. She had a—” Twilight stopped mid-sentence and dropped her gaze down to the photo of Long Member on the table. “—a-an appointment. To place an order! For dresses.” She flashed Spike a wide smile. Spike shrugged and swallowed down another handful of gems. “So, what was in the box?” Twilight peered into the box Rarity left behind. “Well, Rarity thought it would benefit the library to have an assortment of fictional novels from her personal collection,” Twilight said, stacking the novels into neat towers. Spike rolled his eyes and grabbed another clawful of gems. “Ugh, I hope they’re not all those ‘kissy-smoochy-lovey-dovey’-type stories.” Twilight giggled to herself. Spike froze before eating his gems and turned to face Twilight. “They all are, aren’t they?” “Yup! And guess who gets to shelve and catalogue all of them!” Twilight winked at her ill-fated worker. Spike groaned and set his bowl of gems on the table. With practiced care, he took a stack of novels from the table and walked over to the desk on the other side of the room. Once there, he set the books down, grabbed a quill and parchment and prepared himself to risk his lunch for the sake of record keeping. He took the first novel on the stack and, with only one look at the title, shuddered. “And that's why you’re my number one assistant, Spike!” Twilight chirped. “Yeah, yeah,” Spike replied. “So, are these for stock or circulation?” Twilight pondered the question for a moment. There were a few titles that seemed interesting but... “Circulation,” she concluded. “I don’t think I’ll be keeping them around. I mean, none of these stories hold a candle to Equestrian Theories of Thermodynamic Law.” “Are you sure?” Spike asked, whirling around in his seat. “What do you mean, Spike?” Spike leaned back in his seat and searched the ceiling for a reply. “Well... I mean, what if somepony asks you a question? Like, what would be a good romance story?” Twilight laughed and waved a dismissive hoof in front of her. “Oh, Spike, why would you be worried about that?” Spike frowned. “Well, no offence Twilight, but you have never had a coltfriend or, heck, even been in love, at least as far as I know, which is, uh... well all my life.” Twilight’s smug face devolved into a scowl. “What?! I know a lot about romance! It's, uh—” She brought an apprehensive hoof to her chin as she thought hard for a response. “—i-it's when two ponies love each other, and, a-and, they are, together! See?” Twilight flashed him a victorious smile. Spike rolled his eyes and turned back to his work. “Whatever you say, Twilight.” As Spike’s attention returned to his work, Twilight’s triumphant smile began to fade. She shifted in place and traced the floor with a slow hoof. H-he’s right... I don’t know the first thing about being in love... She turned toward the bookshelf to her left, eyeing the photographs that sat in frames on top. She approached the most recent addition, the group photo of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance at their wedding together along with Twilight and all of her friends. Well, if my BBBFF could somehow stumble into a relationship, I suppose it's not that hard... She smiled and set the picture back where it was. She then began to scan the rest of the photos, each one bringing back old memories of good times with friends. The more Twilight saw, however, the closer she began to see the root of the problem. It’s just difficult to develop one when... She picked up the last photo in line and held it aloft in front of her. It was taken the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, after the whole Nightmare Moon debacle. In it, she sat with her friends, as per usual, along with the Royal Sisters. When you’re always among friends... Just friends... Twilight sighed, set the picture back onto the shelf and paced back toward the table. How am I supposed to know about romance when I never have the opportunity? Friendship has shown me that life outside of study and duty are important, but what about beyond that? What, do I have to date my friends now? Twilight shook her head and dispelled the notion with a grimace. The thought of being entangled in a mess of manes and legs with any of those mares sent a chill down her spine. Especially in public, or even alone in a room, or in a bed... with all five of them... at the same time... Twilight groaned audibly and slammed her head into the table. Spike whirled around to check on the disturbance, but upon seeing Twilight still breathing simply shrugged and returned to his task at hand. Despite her now slightly blurred vision and a now throbbing forehead, her quick actions had the desired effect. She slowly brought her head back up, resting her chin on the table and coming face to face again with Rarity’s collection. She scanned each one until at last settling on the novel Rarity had shown her, the familiar stallion still cradling the white alicorn. Twilight eye’d the alicorn closely. She looks just like the Princess, Twilight thought. She smiled and closed her eyes. Well, if any mare could have the stallion of her dreams, Princess Celestia would be the one... Twilight imagined a castle rooftop, spacious and grand. She pictured the sun goddess herself veiled in regal adornment, artfully dancing across the stone floor. The wind carried both her flowing mane and dress, the elegant movements of the white dancer caressing its currents. Blissfully she danced, danced until the wind died down all around her. Turning to her partner, the white mare smiled. Twilight smiled back. Twilight creaked her eyes open and sighed. She would be the one... Twilight slid her eyes away from the cover of the book and set them on the rest of the table, staring at the bust statue, the stacks of books, the quill and parchment. She perked up her ears. Her eyes grew wide. She bit her lower lip as she flared her horn and levitated the quill and paper in front of her. She would be the one to ask all about it! With haste, Twilight unfurled the scroll and dipped her quill into one of the several inkwells scattered across the table. She flicked off the excess ink and brought the pen to the page. Her quill came to a screeching halt. Wait! W-what do I say? What can I say?! She flashed a glance back at Spike, who picked up yet another novel, gagged at its title and promptly wrote down its name. Twilight bit her lip once again, a cold sweat crawling down her neck. I-I’ll just ask her. I’ll just say, ‘Princess I need you to tell me all about your romantic relationships.’ Twilight shook her head vigorously. Wait, what?! No! I can’t say that! Thats intrusive, a-a-and rude! More beads of sweat appeared under her forehead. Maybe... maybe I should just... forget it. Twilight shook her head once more and furrowed her brow. No, I have to do this. Come on Twilight. Let’s just... start with the basics. Twilight brought her quill down to the parchment and pressed it down into the paper. Dear Princess Celestia... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “Would it be ironic if we were to say that now was our favorite time of day?” Princess Celestia looked back at her sister standing beside her on the palace balcony. Princess Luna did not return the gaze, only smiling at the sunset with eager anticipation of the coming night. The last rays of the dying sun sparkled off Luna’s starry mane, the glint of each speck only punctuating the energy just waiting to be released within her. “Not exactly, dear sister,” Celestia said with a smile. “It would be only natural that you would favor the day’s end.” Luna looked back at her, puzzled. “And,” Celestia continued. “I would say it is definitely one of my favorite times as well.” “Oh, yes, quite.” Luna blushed at realizing her mistake. “Old habits are difficult to be rid of, even though w-, er, I have worked hard to remove them.” “It's alright, Luna. You've made remarkable progress in your linguistics. You should be proud to have adapted so quickly. One thousand years of social divorce is hard to overcome.” Celestia nuzzled her sister and turned her attention back toward the setting sun. “Ready?” Luna snapped her focus on the horizon. “Yes.” With that, Celestia’s pearl white horn flared brilliantly with golden magic, reaching out into the heavens. The sun reacted in kind, obeying the commands of the alicorn and slowly slipping beyond view. Luna waited patiently until her sister released her grip on the glowing gas giant. Soon the world was in the darkness of night once more. Luna bit her lower lip and furrowed her brow. “Now, sister,” Luna said as she stepped forward to the railing. “Watch this!” The night princess gave her wings a mighty flap, hovering in the air only a few feet from the floor as her horn flared a deep blue. Within seconds, the great white moon appear from below the horizon, traveling in an arc to its designated position before parking itself in the night sky. As soon as the moon had halted its course, Luna flicked her horn once, and like a great black curtain, unveiled the starry heavens to the world below. Luna allowed the glow to fade from her horn and drifted back down to the stone floor below. “Do you see it, Tia?” she asked excitedly. Celestia scanned the night sky, searching for the surprise Luna had hidden for her. The surprise wasn't hard to find. Dominating the sky was a huge nebula, swirling with deep hues of green and magenta. The stars within the hypnotic display shined brightly through the veil, each one unique in its color. “It’s beautiful, Luna,” Celestia replied with tears in her eyes. “You’ve truly outdone yourself. Thank you.” Luna smiled in triumph and returned to her sister’s side, looking out towards the rest of Canterlot. “Do you think the other ponies will like it?” “I’m sure of it, Luna.” The two Royal Sisters stood out on the balcony a little while longer, watching as various ponies awoke their friends and families, urging them to take a look outside. Most of Canterlot could be viewed from the high towers of Canterlot Castle, and the crowds that gathered to marvel at the night sky were not disappointing. Luna smiled wide as she beheld a scene she wanted so long ago. Luna shifted her gaze back to her sister, but found Celestia’s attention fixated only on one spot. Luna carefully traced where Celestia was looking, all the way down to a pair of ponies stargazing below. Luna leaned in closer and squinted her eyes. There, in the royal gardens below, were Princess Cadance and her new husband, Shining Armor, both enjoying the heavenly spectacle together. Luna returned her attention to her sister, just in time to catch a single tear descend from her eye. Celestia sighed. “It’s getting late.” She turned back to Luna, who swiftly averted her stare. “Thank you for the wonderful gift,” Celestia said as she retreated into the interior of the tower. “Retiring so soon, sister?” Luna asked. “We haven’t even had our late night tea.” More tears began to form under Celestia's eyes. “Forgive me, Luna, but I-I really need some rest. I just—” Celestia stopped mid sentence and looked around the room. Faint sparks danced from her horn and within moments, a neatly rolled scroll bathed in green flame appeared before her. The magical fire dissipated and the scroll hovered magically in front of Celestia. “A letter from Twilight?” Luna approached her sister from behind, eyeing the scroll. “Strange, why would your student send a letter at this hour?” “I’m not sure...” Celestia replied, taking off the royal seal and unfurling the letter. Luna peaked at the letter’s contents, but was as puzzled as Celestia by what she found. Almost every other word was scribbled out, some lines being blacked out almost entirely before starting anew. “Twilight is not normally this sloppy with her writing...” “Indeed.” “What does it say?” Celestia cleared her throat and, after some minor proofreading, read the letter aloud. “Dear Princess Celestia... I’ve learned much from my time in Ponyville about the magic of friendship, but I fear that I may be ill-equipped to research the deepest of relationships with my friends alone. The concept of romance (and its ensuing partnership) has still eluded me. I write this letter to you tonight to formally request your assistance in continuing the study of friendship in this area. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle The two sisters sat in silence for a moment, mulling the words the letter providing in their heads. Celestia began to silently re-read the letter, ensuring that she didn’t omit any words that should have been included. She mouthed each sentence, contemplated its meaning, and read it again. Luna broke the silence. “D-Did your student just—” Celestia flashed her sister an indignant look. “I am quite certain that is not the reason she wrote this letter.” “Those nervous scribbles tell a different story, Tia,” she replied, ending her comment with a raspberry. Celestia rolled her eyes and turned her attention once again to the letter. “The concept of romance...” The white pony princess began to pace slowly back and forth across the room, furrowing her brow in thought. Luna watched her sister carefully, analyzing her every movement as she paced. Twilight, requesting advice on love from my sister. Quite the curious development this has become, Luna thought to herself as she grew a wide smile. It's almost... too perfect! The letter continued to levitate before Celestia, but began to sag below her glassy eyed stare as she continued to walk. Her pace slowed to a crawl before finally stopping in the middle of the room. “I don’t understand,” Celestia finally said. “What is there not to understand, sister?” Luna chirped. “Your student is obviously reaching out to you for help.” Celestia spun around to face her sister. “Luna, you know as well as I this isn't something I can teach her.” “Perhaps you can, Tia,” Luna replied, her smile only widening. Celestia’s eyes widened and she swiftly turned her back on Luna. “T-that would be very inappropriate.” “Come now, sister,” Luna cooed as she advanced towards Celestia, catching the soft hint of a blush. “Think about it for a moment. Twilight, a reclusive shut-in that has spent most of her life in the pursuit of study, suddenly thrust—” Luna strafed past Celestia, whipping around to face her with wings flared. “ —into the world at large without a shred of social experience, now faced with the terrible wonder of love. I, for one, know just how terrifying that is.” Celestia stood, unflinched. “She has made remarkable progress ever since she has left, Luna. She has made all sorts of friends, lives a life of independence, and has defeated some of the greatest threats to Equestria to date. She is hardly ‘inexperienced’.” “Tis true what you say, my sister,” Luna said, her smile only devolving into a smirk. “But the path your student wishes to tread is by far more dangerous.” Celestia’s eyes retreated their focus to the floor, cracks forming in her stoic stance. “I-I’m confident she would—” “Would what? Handle the heartache of a lover’s betrayal?” Luna interrupted. “No! I would never want her to go through that!” Celestia shouted, a new-found fire glistening in her eyes. “Then teach her, Tia,” Luna said, softening her tone. “Educate her about love. Tell her everything she needs to navigate the wilds of romance.” Celestia averted her gaze back to the floor, mulling over Luna’s words in her mind. “Tia,” Luna whispered, placing a hoof on her sister’s shoulder. “The heart is treacherous and desperate. Without control, it can lead to pain of all sorts. Pain that does not quickly heal and leaves grievous scars. Is that what you want for Twilight?” "Y-you're right," Celestia admitted with a sigh. She trotted slowly to the doorway, retrieving the sent letter with her magic. "Thank you, Luna, for helping me see the situation as I should have, for Twilight's benefit, and not as, as..." Celestia felt the words die in her throat. Luna simply nodded in agreement. With that, Celestia turned and left the room, letter in tow. Not soon after the door was shut, Luna burst into hysterical giggling. Oh, what joyous of occasions! To see the seeds of love planted firsthand! With some help of course! Oh, Luna how fiendishly clever of you! She spun in place before twirling like a top back onto the balcony under the night sky. She came to a tired stop at the edge of the railing, with the full vista she enjoyed earlier still glistening as beautifully as before. But Luna's dreamy gaze was set on only one thing, the newly married couple in the garden. A curious thing love is... and they would look so cute together!!