“Okay, last summit, finally.” Twilight’s eye twitched. “Luna, would you come in here?”
The alicorn flew in on a gentle breeze, landing next to the ascendant. “Hello, everybody. How are you, Twilight?”
“Stressed, but, let’s not get into that. If you could turn so they can see your mane and tail?”
Luna turned to the side to show as much of her ethereal features blowing in an unseen wind as possible. “Like this?”
“Yes, just like that. Now, from what I’ve been told, the ethereal mane is the most variable of the summits. It can come in slow or all at once, but has a tendency to show at least a few hints before it comes in for good.”
Luna nodded. “Correct. I’m told Stellar Horizon’s appeared fully formed not long after he began his ascendency. Glacien, meanwhile, told me that his took centuries to reach its final state.”
“On top of that, I’m also told that the way they look and behave can be quite different from alicorn to alicorn. There’s no way to guess what it will be like until the summit is dominated. Didn’t you say that one of the old alicorns had a mane of pure fire?”
Luna nodded again. “Indeed I did. It was most impressive, I think. It was--”
“Ah!” Twilight held up her hooves. “Not yet! That hasn’t been revealed in the story!”
“Oh! Right! I apologize. Please, continue.”
“Right.” Twilight cleared her throat. “Lately I’ve just been letting my mane kinda grow normally. I just haven’t had time to trim it, though I really should get at least the bangs cut. I doubt that having it overgrown will make the summit come any faster.”
Luna grinned, a twinkle in her eye. “Likely not. I suppose I should give you some time to get a manecut at some point.”
Twilight glared at her.
“What?” Luna raised a hoof to her chest, feining innocence.
“I know that look, Luna. If I go get my mane cut now, it’ll wind up dyed, or shaved off or something. Nope. Not happening.”
Luna ran her hoof through her mane. “Oh, Twilight. You should really know better by now. I don’t need such an obvious setup to prank you.”
Twilight’s ears pointed straight up at the sky, twitching. “Out! Out out out out out!”
“Hehe. Oh my. Nervous are we?”
Twilight started to push her out the door. “Not taking the chance. Out!”
“Fine, I’ll go.” Luna jumped ahead of Twilight, taking back to the air and letting her fall over. “But remember, I live in the castle too.” With a great flap of her wings, she flew right out the door.
Twilight sat up, leaned her head on a forehoof, and sighed. “Next time, we talk about cored weapons. Or maybe wing type. Possibly. I dunno. Depends on whether or not I can find guests who won’t try to embarrass the hell out of me.”