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// Princess Twilight Sparkle [Slice of Life?] 
// Story: Half-Hour Horses 
// by HoofAndQuill 
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(The prompt: Celestia and Luna have not always been called the same names in every place and in every age.)

(I think this one was more interesting in my head)



"Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Princess Twilight Sparkle scrunched up her nose, and then sighed at the ridiculous expression she saw on herself in the mirror.  Her wings ruffled a bit behind her in annoyance, and that only did the exact opposite of help to settle her nerves.  She tried again.

"Prin-CESS Twilight Sparkle.  PRIN-cess Twilight.  Prin... ugh!"  Twilight threw up her hooves and collapsed to the floor in frustration.  It wasn't right!  Nothing about it sounded right at all!

A calm, quiet voice turned her increasing frustration into stomach-turning humiliation and panic.  "Is something the matter, my most faithful student?"

Twilight covered her eyes with her hooves for a moment, and then sighed and looked up at Princess Celestia as she approached.  A moment later she remembered herself, and stood up to bow, only to be pointedly stopped by her mentor.  "Your coronation is tomorrow, Twilight.  You no longer need to bow to me."

All she could manage was a weak smile.  "Yes, Princess Celestia."

"You are worried about your new title."  Princess Celestia spoke evenly and with certainty.  How she always seemed to know what Twilight was thinking, Twilight had never managed to figure out.

Twilight nodded quietly.  "It just doesn't feel right.  I'm not a princess, I'm just... me."

"'Princess Celestia' took me some time to get used to as well.  It isn't easy, changing your name."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened.  "But you've always been--  well, no, you haven't, if you had to get used to it.  I've never found any reference to you in any book, other than 'Princess Celestia.'"

Princess Celestia sat elegantly on the tufted carpet next to Twilight, and, feeling a bit like a little filly, Twilight Sparkle sat down next to her.  She could feel the soothing warmth of the pony next to her, and couldn't stop herself from leaning into it.  Princess Celestia's voice was light.  "Does it bother you that I may have another name, Princess Twilight?"

The slight joking lilt at the end of the question did not escape Twilight's notice, but she could hardly consider it polite to comment on it.  "Well... maybe a little.  I've always called you Princess Celestia, and I didn't know that there were others."

Celestia looked upward slightly, as she often did when she reminisced.  Twilight waited, knowing that she would speak in her own time.  "... You know well that I was not 'Princess Celestia' before taking the reins of Equestria's leadership, though I had already named myself 'Celestia' by then.  During the years that followed, bard after royal bard would add more titles.  'Defeater of Discord', 'Vanguard of Harmony', 'Morning After the Eternal Night', and many such others.  After a hundred years, it took nearly an hour to introduce myself at court."

Celestia gave a light laugh, and Twilight smiled, listening intently despite the distracting warmth and closeness of her mentor and personal hero.

"That was only in Equestria, of course.  The dragons, in those days, called me... a rough translation would be 'The Fire that Burns'.  My magic was the only flame that could harm them.  To the griffons I was 'The Demon in the West', mostly due to the Fifty Year War.  I do not know what the citizens of the Crystal Empire think of me, but I doubt they call me 'Princess Celestia' after I caused them to be banished for a thousand years."

Twilight's smile faltered at the less flattering titles, and she found herself leaning against Celestia, trying to comfort the princess as though she was in any position to do so.

Celestia's speech paused, and then took on that slight teasing tone that only her closest subjects and friends knew.  "I had my original name, which I'm afraid must remain a secret between my sister and myself.  But tell me, Twilight Sparkle, knowing my other names as you now do, what do you think of me?"

Lost in the Princess' memories and voice, Twilight took a moment to answer, and spoke with undue haste when she realized she'd taken too long.  "Nothing!  I mean, not anything different.  You aren't... a demon, or some dragon slayer.  You... you're Princess Celestia, I could never think less of you."

A slight smile curled Princess Celestia's lips.  "So, your opinion of me does not change in light of the fact that a bard once called me, only once I remind you, 'Her High and Royal Majesty, Princess Celestia of Equestria, the Eternal Light of the Heavens and Savior of All Ponies Before and After, the One and Only True Goddess of All That Is and Was and Ever Shall Be'?"

Twilight blinked a moment, and then made a strange, scrunched expression as she tried desperately to hold back the treacherous, possibly literally treasonous giggle that was pushing its way out of her.  She failed completely, making a very unprincesslike snort as the giggling laughter broke free.  Celestia joined her in a much more composed and elegant manner, and the two mares spent a moment of frivolous happiness together.

Twilight recovered after just a few moments, and forced herself not to apologize.  "No, Princess, I couldn't think less of you for being called... that."

Princess Celestia opened a wing, and with it, gently pulled Twilight's wing open as well.  She gestured toward the mirror.  "The mare in that mirror is Twilight Sparkle.  She is a well-respected and beloved student of mine, and will always be a very dear friend.  She is also Princess Twilight Sparkle, and will one day find herself to be a very well-respected and beloved princess of Equestria.  She will be both, Twilight, and neither name diminishes the other."

Twilight Sparkle blushed, and folded her wings, shrinking a little but nodding in understanding.  "Thank you, Princess."

Celestia leaned in and gave Twilight a brief, affectionate nuzzle.  "Now, go to bed, Twilight.  Tomorrow is an important day."

She stayed behind, sitting on the floor, as Princess Celestia stood and walked out of the room.  Twilight kept her eyes closed, facing down at the carpet.  Princess Celestia was correct, of course.  Her friends would still know she was still the same pony.  Spike would still be her assistant.  She had wings, she was an inch or two taller, but she was still the same pony.

Twilight opened her eyes and looked into the mirror once more.  She smiled as she saw herself in the mirror, for what felt like the first time since her transformation.  Everything was going to be just fine.