The rain was at best a slow drizzle. Still the entire city of Canterlot seemed subdued and lifeless. Twilight had left Spike and Owlicious at the royal library promising she would meet them there later. He insisted they bring Owlicious with them. She didn’t blame him. He probably wanted to talk about everything he had seen. How could she blame him? She would love to have someone to talk to right now. She wanted to map out what she would say, but this she had to do on her own. She had left Blueblood on his own to face the wrath of a goddess. How could she have been so selfish? She was more worried about losing her status as Celestia’s prized student than a stallion who had professed love for her. She would make amends starting with the one pony whose trust she had been so afraid of losing.
The palace was as imposing as ever standing high atop the mountain city. Twilight Sparkle was recognized by all the guards. She had lived there a good portion of her life and as the Princess’ student enjoyed access to places other ponies couldn’t go. The hallways seemed empty and devoid of all life. Twilight took a deep breath. The throne room was a grand hall, its typical occupants being the Princess and the two guards assigned to that shift.
Except the throne room seemed different than Twilight’s memories of it. The stained glass windows were still there but the light that usually permeated the room was gone. Instead it seemed as if a million tiny diamonds cast twinkles from the wall. The time hadn’t registered with Twilight, Celestia wasn’t the Princess in Court now. It was the middle of the night. This was Princess Luna’s domain.
“Twilight Sparkle. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” Luna’s voice still boomed, but it carried the reasonable tone of authority rather than the intimidating volume it used to be. All the courage Twilight had worked up to face her mentor disappeared. She hadn’t planned to talk to Princess Luna at all.
“Hello Princess.” Twilight bit her lower lip this was going to be awkward. “Is-uh your sister up?” Luna’s smile disappeared from the edges of her mouth turned to a frown.
“Is the Princess of the Night not adequate for your needs?” Luna’s voice grew in volume shaking the foundations of the room. Luna easily made it known she was a god and not to be trifled with. “This has always been the way. Nopony cares for me. They ignored my night” Her blue eyes faded into a brilliant white glow as the rain outside magnified into a massive thunderstorm. The guards as always seemed completely unphased.
“Um it’s kind of a personal matter Princess.” With that Luna’s eyes reverted normal and the rain returned to a mere drizzle.
“In that case she’s the second room down that hall.” Luna gestured to her left. “Tell her she overslept and forgot to raise the sun. That one always gets her.” Twilight sighed the last thing she wanted to do was prank her mentor. She nevertheless bowed her head and exited through the back of the throne room. The hallway was a thing of beauty. The walls showed the rich tapestry of the sky blue lapis and pearl clouds blended in a way that made it look almost real. Each cloud was gilded with just a bit of silver giving it an exquisite shine. Second door.
It was surprisingly simple an oak door with Celestia’s cutie mark painted on. Twilight put her hoof up to knock, but to her surprise the door was unlocked and swung open with remarkable ease. Compared to the rest of the palace this place was bare. The walls were carved out of the simple stone of the mountain, no embellishment. A few bookshelves and mirror lined the perimeter of the room and in the middle sat Princess Celestia reading on a simple bed of hay. She looked up and finally noticed Twilight staring. The princess marked her page and stood.
“My faithful student. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Princess Celestia’s cheer only served to tie Twilight’s stomach into an impressive knot. The princess slowly walked from her simple hay bed over to her student. Twilight did her best to look her mentor in the eye finding it increasingly difficult to keep her head up.
“Princess Celestia. I have a confession to make.” The princess’ smile disappeared her expression now that of a stolid ruler rather than that of a mentor and friend. “All those years ago” Twilight’s voice wavered she was losing her nerve “when Prince Blueblood tried to raise the sun. I-I-”
“You were there to. You fled shattering my nephew’s heart to pieces.” Twilight stood there her mouth agape. She wasn’t sure what stunned her more. That Celestia knew about her raising the sun or that she knew about her clandestine romance that she herself didn’t know about. Celestia gave a small smirk “You don’t get to be as old as I am without picking up on a thing or two Twilight.”
“Then why didn’t you punish me along with Prince Blueblood? I was just as responsible. It’s my fault I ran away because I was afraid of disappointing you.” Twilight had regained her usual composure. She remembered Rarity talking about controlling the situation by controlling yourself, but it was all Twilight could do to keep from breaking down.
“Twilight. I didn’t punish Blueblood. I was disappointed in him. Before I assumed responsibility for the sun it took dozens of unicorns to keep cosmic order that the two of you could move it all is a feat in and of itself.” Twilight opened her mouth to speak but Celestia held a hoof in the air to stop her “I was disappointed in the both of you. You threatened the lives of everypony in Equestria.” Twilight’s spirit dropped. She had disappointed the most merciful being ever. She wasn’t going to punish them for endangering the world. She broke a stallion’s heart for absolutely nothing.
“But how could you trust me after that? How could you let such a horrible pony be your student?” Twilight lost her composure and just sobbed. Celestia’s expression softened as she wrapped a wing around her crying student. She used her hoof to tilt Twilight’s head back up and looked at her. The tears magically lifted from Twilight’s face as the Princess gave her a smile.
“Twilight. There is no such thing as a bad pony. My own sister tried to destroy the world if you remember, but remember Twilight nopony is perfect. Mistakes can happen, and even if it takes a millennia the damage can be repaired. It would have been cruel of me to punish you for something you did not even remember. Twilight I was saddened by your distrust of me.” Celestia paced the room she placed a hoof on the wall and pressing on one of the bricks it slid away. Celestia motioned for Twilight to follow her.
The royal gardens were a sight to behold. The drops of rain twinkled in the moonlight, giving each flower, each plant the illusion of sparkling. A bat or two darted overhead in the now clear night sky.
“I fear Twilight, you too feel as other ponies.” Celestia stopped and looked to the sky. “I am frightening am I not? I’ve just been better at fooling myself than Luna has been. Ponies are afraid of us, even you my faithful student.” Twilight’s heart sank.
“But Princess everypony loves you” Celestia turned to Twilight
“Do they Twilight Sparkle? They meticulously clean the town when I attempt to visit casually. The try and cater to my every whim before I even ask for it. I even hear tales of ponies telling their foals if they are not good I’ll send them to the moon” This was a side to her monarch Twilight had never seen before, she seemed… vulnerable. “That is not why I am saddened by your fear Twilight Sparkle”
“Then why tell me about being unloved Princess? Why talk about being feared by everypony?” As awful as it sounded Twilight was glad the conversation was about Celestia’s problems.
“Because Twilight at the end of all things, I know everypony actually cares deeply for one another. Including me. Look to the sky Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight looked up at the starry night sky. “You see Twilight Sparkle long ago, when I banished my sister I was left alone. It was me and my little cave in the mountain. “I despaired.” Celestia had sat down and gazed at the stars. “I was alone, I did what I had to for Equestria. Then, something remarkable happened, lights began to appear in the empty sky. I flew to investigate them, higher than any Pegasus could fly, till I could see them in great detail. They were smiling ponies, brilliant as the sun, ponies long gone. Ponies who cared for me in my loneliness and Luna in her jealousy. The stars chose to aid in Luna’s escape, they knew the time was right for her return.”
“I returned to my simple cave overjoyed that my little ponies watched over me as I watched over them. I returned to my cave and found something else just as extraordinary happening. My little ponies were building me a palace. Honestly all I need you already saw, my bed of hay and the roof that covers it. They built a magnificent city for my sake Twilight Sparkle. Everypony is loved even if it takes friends to show them that.” Princess Celestia gazed back up at the night sky, it truly was magnificent. “You see Twilight Sparkle there is magic inside everypony that even I with all my vast knowledge do not understand.” Princess Celestia smiled as the night sky “Good night my friends.” Princess Celestia returned her gaze to her student and led Twilight back into the castle sealing her secret exit behind her.
“Truth be told Twilight I am not the pony you need to be apologizing to. No damage was done by your failed attempt to raise the sun. Nopony was hurt by that, and while I was disappointed when you chose to avoid taking responsibility for your actions, one pony was hurt even more.” Twilight gulped Princess Celestia had not forgotten the cause of her visit.
“My nephew was never quite the same after that night. He developed a fear of his heart being broken again; he shunned the idea of romantic involvement. What was worse was he now considered himself superior to common ponies. He saw them as he saw you Twilight, disloyal and cowardly. No matter how untrue I know those two things to be, he will not take my word on common ponies or you. I had hoped that your friend Rarity might soften his heart at the Grand Galloping Gala, but all that came of that night was his irrational fear of flying cakes.” Both the Princess and her student giggled at the memory. “I think it would be good for the both of you, if you were to attempt to reconcile.”
“Yes Princess” Twilight responded with a saddened and somewhat fearful voice.
“Twilight. Do not think of this as a burden. Think of it as an opportunity to make an old friend again.” Celestia radiated warmth and confidence. “You’ve always been good at making friends whether you realized it or not. Your good friend Moondancer for example. I’d make sure to see her before you leave for Ponyville again.” Celestia stopped. “We’re here Twilight.”
Twilight was unsure how they made the walk to Comet Tower so quickly. It was far more imposing than she remembered, perhaps it was her guilt, perhaps it was the weight of what she set out to do, perhaps it was because she had not remembered the tower until earlier today. Celestia opened the door. Twilight gulped and nervously walked into the hall. Room 1100 Room 1101 Room 1102 Room 1103. This was it. She wanted to leave. She wanted to run as far away as possible from this. She didn’t want to be confronted with her own failures.
No. She had run away from responsibility before; she wasn’t about to do it again. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. “Enter” A voice annoyedly responded “My dinner was supposed to be here ten minutes ago.” Twilight opened the door. “Oh it’s you. What do you want peasant?” He was infuriating. Apologizing to this spoiled stallion was going to be difficult.
“Um… Blueblood I-”
“It is customary to address me as Prince Blueblood or perhaps your highness would be more appropriate. I will not be disrespected by peasants anymore.” That Rarity put up with this for an entire evening was shocking to Twilight.
“Um alright then your highness” Twilight practically growled. “I came to apologize for-”
“Oh yes you come to apologize years later? You decide to say you’re sorry long after the fact. Honestly, why bother after all this long hmm? Do you think you could say you were sorry and for everything to go back to the way it was? Do you think me stupid enough to forgive you?” A brown earth pony carrying a tray of food entered the room “Get out of here! Can’t you see I’m busy?” Blueblood shouted. The Earth pony practically dropped the tray, immediately leaving the room. “Well? Answer me!”
Twilight cringed at the prince’s demand. He certainly wasn’t making this apology any easier. “I’m sorry your highness” She practically hissed his title “I shouldn’t have abandoned you long ago. I’m here to take responsibility for my actions. That doesn’t mean you get to be smug to everypony you meet!”
“Why not Twilight Sparkle? Why not? Isn’t that what you taught me all those years ago. That even those closest to you will abandon you for their own interests.” The earth pony peeked in the door once again. “Go away! I’m not hungry get rid of that!” The Earth pony cowered back behind the door and fled at a full gallop. Blueblood’s stomach growled a moment later “I was hungry now see what you made me do?”
“I made you do it? You are still responsible for yourself.” Twilight was certainly peeved.
“Not that. You made me send my dinner away.” Twilight groaned “Excuse me for being hungry.” The purple unicorn was doing her best to keep from setting the Prince on fire, but he was getting frustrating to deal with. Still, she had been having little success and according to her books the fastest way to get at a stallion was through his stomach. Reapplying her smile and doing her best to look sincere, Twilight spoke again.
“C’mon your highness we’re going to dinner.”
Pony Joe’s wasn’t exactly the most crowded place in Canterlot, but a prince entering it still spread through the grapevine at great speed. Pony Joe’s was packed with ponyrazzi and reporters. Pony Joe requiring them to buy something to stay resulted in him covering all his expenses for the week in a day. Pony Joe finally finished serving all the tabloids before going to Twilight and Blueblood’s booth. “Follow me to your private table” Joe led them back to the kitchen.
“Not Fair!”
“I call foul!”
“You charged me four bits for this coffee!” Joe chuckled, he always got endless entertainment out of the media, even if it cost him tips it was worth it.
“Now you two should have some relative privacy. I’m going to be in and out of here to make donuts but other than that the place is yours. Have fun little lovebirds!” Joe exited with a haughty cackle more suitable to Nightmare Moon than a confectioner. A faint glow of magic pushed a record player into the room playing cheesy romantic music from some fifty odd years ago. Twilight was famished, she hadn’t eaten since before going to the spa and to be honest, that donut smelled good. Still Blueblood was looking at his like it might attack him.
“It’s just a chocolate donut. It’s not that complex.” Twilight was worried about coming across as condescending, but it was too late.
“I know what it is Twilight Sparkle” He poked it with a hoof “but I do not eat common pony food anymore.” Twilight internally groaned it seemed like she had been having the same conversation with him all night. Putting her donut down she vowed she would have the pastry.
“Your highness, there is nothing wrong with commoners, deep down we’re all ponies from Princess Celestia down to the littlest foal. Deep down everypony cares about everypony.” Twilight was speaking from the heart and the softening of Blueblood’s expression gave her hope. He looked down at his donut.
“Come with me Twilight Sparkle” Twilight’s heart soared seeing him levitate out payment for the uneaten donuts on the table. It sank realizing she was abandoning on perfectly good jelly filled donut.
“Focus egghead.” Why did she berate herself in Rainbow Dash’s voice? Twilight’s mind was a mystery even to herself sometimes. “Maybe I should do a study of my thought process when I-”
“Focus egghead.” Twilight turned her attention back to Blueblood. He had lead them to the vast albeit empty Canterlot Central Park. Blueblood stepped without heed into the less than solid ground leading Twilight to a small lake in the center of the park.
“Does everypony care about everypony Twilight Sparkle?” Blueblood sat muddying his flanks and hindlegs, his composure was fading and his eyes appeared watery. “Do they?”
“Of course they do BB.” The Prince didn’t even care about his dropped title or the return to a childhood nickname. “Why wouldn’t everypony?”
“Because I’m useless. Because I’m just some stuck up Prince. That’s all I ever was. Some great grand-child of Princess Luna, not strong enough to move anything important. Just another pony important for no reason. Everypony either patronized me or ignored me. Nopony was my friend, until you Twilight Sparkle. You were the first pony who didn’t treat me as an annoyance or a means to an end. I was…” He paused for a long time “happy around you. I was just your neighbor. I guess… I guess … I got carried away and fell for the first girl I ever really met.” He laughed at himself “And then when you were like other ponies, I went and got myself heartbroken.” He continued laughing “I don’t know why I was surprised.” His laughter abruptly stopped “Everypony knows who the most important pony to watch out for is.”
Twilight wasn’t sure what to say. Here was Blueblood owning up to his own faults, yet now he was despairing over society. He felt lost. He was a scared unloved stallion, he came across more as a colt in a stallion’s body than a full-fledged adult. It certainly made Twilight believe his self-doubts. What do you say to a pony like this? Twilight sat down next to Blueblood ignoring the mud now enveloping her tail. She cast her head backwards desperate to come up with something to say.
“Stars”
“Pardon Twilight?”
“Princess Celestia talked to me about this. Look up at the sky BB.” The Prince looked up at the sky “Each star represents a pony long gone watching over us. They weren’t always there BB. When Princess Celestia had to banish her sister she was alone. She felt alone, like there was nopony looking out for her, then the stars came. Those ponies watch over all Equestria, including you BB.”
“It seems a bit silly, but it makes me feel a little better.” Blueblood stood up, shook the mud of his flanks. “Thank you Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight stood up. “I think I accept your apology. Still do not think it means I am interested in a relationship with you”
Twilight internally sighed in relief “I wouldn’t dream of it your highness.”
All Twilight wanted to do was sleep. She was emotionally drained and had been up all night dealing with her own mistakes. She hoped Spike and Owlicious had gotten a good night’s sleep. She didn’t want to talk about anything more. The library smelled off, it smelled of wood varnish, but it probably was just regular maintenance on the library shelves. She was ready to collapse when she saw Spike and Owlicious talking to a familiar unicorn who she owed a debt to.
“Moondancer!” Twilight ran and hugged her somewhat neglected friend. Barky the Timberwolf offered an unenthusiastic bark of welcoming before stretching out walking in a circle and taking a nap. “You really were a great friend even if I never knew it.” Twilight levitated out the diary “Thank you for doing this.”
“I didn’t enchant the book Twilight, my job was just to make sure you had it.” Twilight looked rather perplexedly at Moondancer.
“Then who enchanted the book?”
“Twilight, who do you think cared enough about you to craft a powerful memory spell to protect you from yourself? It’s beyond the skills of a teaching assistant, even when disappointed in you Celestia thought of you first. She takes care of all ponies.”
It never occurred to Twilight that Celestia could have been looking out for her this whole time as well, she wondered what kind of friendship lesson this would end up being. “You’re still a better friend than I am Moondancer. Thank you.” Twilight finally detached herself from her friend.
“Well of course I’m a better friend. Anything you can do I can do better.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“Depends are you mare enough to accept it?”
“You bet I am. Magical Trick Contest first to one hundred wins.” The two unicorns grinned, resuming a friendship long fallen to the wayside, Twilight didn’t feel so tired anymore.