//------------------------------// // Ch. 2- The Most Awkward Parent- Teacher Conference Ever // Story: Friendship is Magic Redux // by paiohelohelo //------------------------------// Twilight just stared, mouth agape, sort of how her father stared when the interviewers got too deep or too complex in their line of questioning. “Please, come in,” the President of The United States cordially invited her. She looked back outside the limo towards her mother, who never stopped grinning. Twilight weakly smiled and got inside the limousine. Velvet also got in, closed the door, and sat opposite from her daughter. “You know,” the President started, “There was a time when you felt comfortable enough to simply call me ‘Celestia’, Twilight.” Velvet laughed. “Oh, you know her, always prone to stage fright.” Twilight’s lips may have been sealed shut, but her mind was working a mile a minute! … This has got to be THE Most Awkward Parent- Teacher Conference Ever. … “Oh, but I couldn’t, President Everstar,” Twilight nearly bowed. “Then what about ‘President Celestia’ instead?” her teacher could smirk like her mother, but somehow Twilight never got angry. “For old times sake?” Twilight sort of grinned nervously. “Yes… President Celestia.” President Celestia smiled and turned to her mother. “She really was my favorite student, Velvet. The very smartest, and the most eager to learn.” Velvet smirked. “She sure didn’t like being my student.” Twilight cleared her throat. “Well, maybe I was meant to be a politician or a philosopher- “ she nodded to Celestia- “-rather than a scientist.” “Ladies?” Celestia gently interrupted. “Yes, President Celestia, sorry,” Twilight looked embarrassed to have her favorite teacher, the current POTUS no less, witness a tiff between her and her mom. “Twilight, I know you and your mother have your differences; when she came to talk to you yesterday, you were less than receptive to her.” Twilight looked a little guilty now. “Yes, Madam President… I was.” “Twilight, I think it would be best for you to know that your mother… works for me.” Twilight blinked. “I’m sorry?” “No Twilight, I’m sorry,” Velvet suddenly opened up, sighing. “For all the years of on and off parenting. Missing your birthdays, and Shining Armor’s. Repeatedly. For letting my marriage to your father decay the way it did.” She looked at her folded hands in her lap. “I always wanted to know that you were ok, but secretly I really, really, really wanted you to know why I kept leaving home.” She looked down at her lap again. “Why I kept leaving you.” Twilight was speechless. No, she didn’t expect this at all. All the while, President Celestia patiently waited before gently speaking again. “What your mother means to say is that, for a long time, she has been working her specialty in theoretical physics for the good of The United States Government. Unfortunately, this often meant that, for the good of the country and, indeed the entire world, she has often had to sacrifice your comfort and happiness in order to ensure that progress was made. Oh, Twilight, as your teacher and closest confidant I could only see how this has has hurt you, and I am so sorry, as well.” “It’s- it’s not your fault, Celestia…” is all Twilight could say as she tried to look her teacher in the eyes. Celestia smiled kindly before continuing. “It is not my wish to ask you to make the same kinds of sacrifices your mother did, dear.” Velvet looked out the window and crossed her arms. “But you will… won’t you?” Twilight asked The President plainly. Celestia looked out the window as well, deep in thought. “Twilight, do you remember when you were in my Philosophy class at Harvard, before the election?” Twilight finally broke into a real smile. “Of course! You were my favorite teacher. It was my favorite class of all time!” Celestia chuckled. “Twilight, you hated my class,” She chided. Twilight blushed. “No, Celest- President Celestia- I didn’t!” Celestia just smiled and wagged her finger. “Do you remember when you came to my office the first time?” Twilight Sparkle lowered her head. “Yes.” “Do you remember why you came by?” She lowered her head further. “I… I was going to yell at you.” Celestia kept smiling. “You were such a bright student, Twilight, but you were no philosopher. More at home with positrons than Plato. You were so fed up with the class that you came by to…” “- To give you a whole diatribe on how the classical philosophers logically and scientifically sucked,” Twilight giggled. Her mother smiled. Celestia beamed. “And what happened?” “You assigned me a different philosopher every day from then on. I had to memorize their positions, learn how to defeat them, and face your defense of them in a debate with you after class. A different philosopher every day…” “And?” “… I aced the class.” Twilight smiled almost as brightly as Celestia. “Twilight, why did you learn about all those philosophers?” Celestia asked. “Do things you hated even when you weren’t good at them?” “…To ace the class.” Twilight admitted sheepishly. The President smiled, and then looked down. “Twilight, I need you now. The country needs you. You’re one of the youngest, brightest experimental physicists today. There isn’t a lab in the country much less the world that you couldn’t be running someday on your own. And I believe I know how to utilize your skills.” “Please, Madam President, you think too much of me.” “Twilight Sparkle, I absolutely believe that right now, sitting here, I am joined by the two most brilliant scientists living in the entire nation.” She leaned closer towards her old student. “And it looks as though I will be needing both their help this time around.” Twilight looked at her teacher. “…What for?” Celestia looked at Velvet, her smile replaced by a look of grim determination. Velvet looked back at her seriously for a moment, and then slowly nodded. “I apologize, my dear Twilight, but I will not be able to give you all the details yet. Unfortunately, you probably would not even believe me if I did tell it all now,” the President broke out into a small smile, quickly joined in by Velvet, leaving Twilight feeling a bit more left out of the party. “However, I have decided it will be an acceptable risk to temporarily grant you the appropriate security clearance.” “Security clearance?” “Yes, so that your mother may show you herself what she’s been working on all this time… where she’s been working on all these years.” Twilight’s mouth stood open in shock. Well, crap. She thought to herself. Be careful what you wish for… “Then you may decide, My Most Faithful Student, whether you think you’re up to the task or not.” Twilight’s eyes slowly moved from The POTUS to her mother and then back to The President again. “Do I really have a choice?” she asked meekly. President Celestia smiled warmly. “My dear Twilight Sparkle, you will always have to make your own choices. No matter what you do. Have I taught you nothing at all?” Twilight smiled back, then looked at her mother. “Checkmate?” Velvet asked her daughter. “… Check. For now.” “Yes, but as you can see, I pulled out my Queen, or President as she were…” “Check.” Twilight politely turned back towards Celestia. “Alright, I’ll go with her. Just to finally find out what she’s been up to all this time.” Celestia smiled. “Thank you, Twilight. You don’t know how happy that makes me.” She knocked on the driver’s partition and the engine immediately started. “I do apologize, but I have other pressing matters to attend to, Velvet…“ she looked at Twilight Senior, who nodded, and then opened the door to get out. “Thank you, Madam President… for the opportunity.” Twilight replied, and then added thoughtfully, “And for believing in me. It was very nice to see you again.” Celestia cocked her head. “Twilight Sparkle, do you really believe you passed my class simply because you wanted to do so that badly?” Twilight looked at her in surprise. “Um, I guess so.” Celestia offered one last regal smile. “Oh, Twilight… don’t you remember? You learned everything you could about the philosophers each day, and engaged in debates with me afterwards because, as I recall you saying to me repeatedly, you just ‘couldn’t stand the idea of anybody else telling you the world was supposed to work a certain way’… if you couldn’t demonstrate it for yourself, that is.” Twilight was frozen, her gaze on the President, but she could feel her Velvet’s eyes boring into the side of her head, as well. “Goodbye, President Celestia.” “Goodbye, My Most Faithful Student. I do hope to see you again soon.” The limo lazily made its way down the street and around a corner. Both Twilights watched it in fade into the young and already starry night. Neither of them said anything for a while. It was as if, sometimes, when the nation’s top two physicists get together, they needed to seriously plan out what they were going to say to each other beforehand. “So… have you got all of your ass shots in order?” Velvet asked Twilight after a long and heavy silence. “It’s been a while since I’ve been abroad, mom, but I should be fine,” Twilight frowned. “What for, are you working in South America, by any chance?” Velvet smirked and pulled a manila envelope folded in half from out of her purse. “Here, this is your preflight checklist. You’re going to need to get your visas and a whole bunch of pretty painful shots in the ass as well.” Twilight nodded. “Goodie,” she noted sarcastically. “This is important, dear. They won’t let you into the work site, much less my lab if you don’t follow these through. Since you’re very fond of checklists, and not very fond of excessive amounts of sand, I trust you will make the right decision in the end.” Twilight frowned. “Just where exactly are we going to, anyway?” Velvet smiled, and then did something completely unexpected, completely uncommon, with her daughter: she took her in her arms and hugged her. “Ummmmm okay…” Twilight said quite uncomfortably. “You know I love you, right, kid?” Velvet asked. “Even if I don’t say it enough.” “Ok… Mother? Mother. Mother. You are really starting to creep me out now.” “Sorry dear.” Velvet broke away and, tearing a little, smiled sheepishly. “So! I will be here after you get packed and ready, around the end of this week. After that, I can only ask that you trust me on this one, honey.” Twilight flicked her manila envelope. “Well, there’s a first time for everything, isn’t there?” Velvet smiled at her daughter, and then headed to her little hybrid vehicle parked on the curb. Before reaching it, she turned back and said, as if it were an afterthought, “There sure is, dear… sure is.”