//------------------------------// // 5: So What's The Deal, Princess? // Story: Wroth Sentiments // by The Apologetic Pony //------------------------------// Twilight pondered leaving her post for several months, while Discord constantly nagged her to make her mind up. She had to admit, the idea of having a companion appealed to her, albeit with a tinge of nostalgia. Discord was neither an Owlicious or a Spike, but more sympathetic than they ever had been. Perhaps she’d meet the dragon again; perhaps he wouldn’t recognise her... Twilight wondered if she’d end up like Philomena, sickeningly lonely and depressed. But if she did, was it undesirable? For however strong she felt in the present; the future was prone to break. It was prone to break promises, prone to break friendships and prone to break ponies. She feared she wouldn’t have the courage to witness the world end, Philomena clearly hadn’t and the phoenix had suffered more, far more than she. Discord reassured her that wanderlust was natural for curious minds, especially for a pony who’d read far too much and lived far too little, in his eyes. And before they’d even gone frolicking, Twilight held Discord in high esteem. She admired him for overcoming the greatest challenge someone could face: his own nature. If asked about his change of heart, as Twilight often did, Discord would attribute all to the mare who trusted him where others did not. He’d say, ‘How was I supposed to “be nice” when I faced universal prejudice, that neither the common folk or sisters or you, Twilight, could see past?’ Twilight wisely pointed out Luna would be stuck in a similar crisis, if Celestia wasn’t there to forgive. She made up her mind. ‘What you're doing, Twilight Sparkle, is how Philomena started! Please listen to me - listen to reason! You know the way you reacted, when your friends, more so your brother... You’ll come begging for me, and I won’t be able to help you, I couldn’t possibly help you!’ Like a big sister, she embraced Celestia with all her might and whispered in her ear saying ‘If it comes to that, I won’t come here. I would never make you suffer like that. For all the threats I made, I’d never do that. Not in a million years. I’ll be okay anyway, you silly filly.’ Celestia, Princess Of The Sun grieved guiltlessly. ‘Quiet now, you’re going to make me cry.’ Despite her best efforts, Twilight’s coat got soaked in more than one set of tears. ‘I’m... going to miss you. I’m not sure I can stand without you. You mean too much to me.’ The mare bit her lip when Celestia looked away. ‘You're strong. You’ve ruled a millennia by yourself, me going on a vacation won’t knock you over. I don’t think anything could. You’ll be fine, oh-wise-one.’ They sat still for a long time. ‘Will you visit us sometimes?’ ‘Always and forever, Celestia. I won’t stop loving you, wherever I go.’ ‘I’ll give the elements to your sister, if that’s alright.’ ‘Whatever my little pony wants. Oh I’m going to miss you so much!’ Celestia hugged her. ‘So long, mailmare.’ ‘Goodbye, Twilight.’ She kissed her for a brief moment, before leaving with a sassy swish of her tail. Luna found three objects on her desk: The crown of harmony, a letter and the book she’d scribed. Thank you for enlightening me, Luna I wouldn’t have realised what I wanted without you, or at least not until much later. I’m sorry for not giving you a proper goodbye, but I said most of what I wanted to you in the ether. Please look after your sister, she’ll desperately need your help for a while after I’m gone. Eager to see you again, Twilight Sparkle. It read like a suicide note. She had the crown, staring at her from across the bed. She had it. Luna lifted it, examined it and placed it on her head. ‘My sister, I’ve done a terrible thing.’ ‘You're a twisted piece of work.’ Discord suddenly appeared in the corner, sneering. ‘You can talk.’ ‘Yes, you would say that. Though I’d have done it too, once upon a time. You went into her dreams didn’t you? The Twilight Sparkle I knew would never have left the post if it didn’t benefit her studies, or her people.’ ‘I’ve been doing so, ever since she read about Philomena’s fate. It was rather wicked of me to influence her in such a manner, I suppose.’ ‘You’re not joking... So what’s the deal, Princess?’ ‘That depends on what you tell her.’ ‘Oh I remember you, Nightmare Moon, now you’re more even manipulative than before! You're like an abomination straight out of Sombra’s doors.’ ‘Don’t misunderstand me, I have nothing against her.’ ‘Of course not,’ Discord droned. ‘I can give her a few years to play, if she wants.’ ‘I imagine she would.’ ‘Then all you have to do is to not speak a word of this to anyone, or try to stop me. You know what’ll happen then.’ ‘Rest in peace, turned to stone for a valiant cause.’ ‘Exactly.’ ‘May you be too haunted to sleep.’ Discord returned to his pony-friend, Philomena be damned.