//------------------------------// // Tours and Tales // Story: Prominence // by TheOldPonyFromScene24 //------------------------------// Prominence sat back, smiling softly. She'd just finished sharing a small lunch with Twilight at a little café, and Twilight seemed all too eager to begin their walk through town, though Prominence was sure it would be more of a tour than just a stroll around the area. “Would you like me to show you some points of interest?” Twilight asked, with an enthusiasm that Prominence could never bear to shatter, even if she dared deny the princess. “Absolutely.” She replied, smiling a little. Her gracious host began leading her to many of Ponyville's establishments, including but not limited to the hospital, Rich's Barnyard Bargains, Town Hall, and the marketplace. They eventually paused outside of one particularly vexing shop, where Prominence had no choice but to stop the tour and question her guide. “Quills and Sofas?” “Quills and Sofas.” “...Quills...?” “Yes.” “And...sofas.” “That's right.” “I'm...perplexed.” “That's to be expected.” “...Quills and Sofas.” “Quills and Sofas!” “...Why?” “No idea. Shall we move on?” “Absolutely.” Twilight led her away from the most confusing store in town and paused to think. “Hm...Sweet Apple Acres is the heart of our town, and the cornerstone of the community. On the other hoof, it's a little ways out of town. What do you think, Prominence? Should we head by?” “I, I suppose I could at least learn the way to the farm, but it's up to you. I'm not in any hurry.” “We might as well just stop by.” Twilight reasoned. On the way to the farm, Twilight did her best to explain the history of Sweet Apple Acres. There was no way Celestia didn't know at least part of the story, having such a crucial role in it, but she couldn't help but feel like there was some need to tell it to Prominence. The story finished as they walked through the gates, and were greeted by two smiling faces, the elder of which looked knowingly at Prominence. Applejack stepped forward, smiling. “Glad you came by, Prominence.” She paused as Granny stifled a laugh. Applejack stared at her grandmother for a moment, eyebrow sliding up into an appropriately confused configuration. “Uh, anyway, this here's Granny Smith. Granny, this is Prominence.” What Granny Smith produced could only be described as a cackle. “Oh, Prominence is it? Is it now?” Everypony just stared at her. Her granddaughter feared that her age was dulling her mind, and Twilight and Prominence feared that the very same age had only served to sharpen it. The latter backed away slowly, lowering her body, her ears falling flat as she moved behind Twilight. The elderly matron of the farm gave the princesses a very, very exaggerated wink, and headed into the farm house, laughing her head off. Everypony stood in confused silence for a moment. Realizing something had to be done, Twilight grabbed Prominence's hoof, causing her eyes to widen with shock and confusion. “Excuse us for a second.” She teleported into the farm house, and Prominence—No, Celestia. She'd dropped the facade the moment they entered—couldn't help but smirk as she saw her host perfectly reproduce her soundproofing spell. “Well, howdy there, Prom-Min-Nence.” Granny Smith drew the word out in the most spectacular example of exaggeration Twilight had ever seen. “You recognize me, even through all of this, Apple Smith?” Celestia asked from Prominence's lips. “Wait, wait, Apple Smith?” Twilight asked, confused. “Well a'course my name's Apple Smith! Y'didn't think my ma an' pa had themselves a foal and named her 'Granny', didja?” Granny chuckled at Twilight's sputtering response, before turning to Prominence with a wrinkly, warm smile. “How could I ever ferget the pony who gave me my home?” she lowered her head in the best approximation of a bow that her old bones could manage. “Please, don't bow. I am not a princess for the time being. I'm on vacation, after all.” “Y'might not be a princess, but y'still gave us Sweet Apple Acres, and I'll bow to whatever I please!” She looked up slowly, noting the worried expression worn by both Twilight and Prominence. “Now, quit yer fussin'. I ain't gonna tell nopony.” “We appreciate your discretion.” Twilight told her. Granny Smith nodded in reply, then waited. Soon, she tired of waiting, and began glaring at Twilight. “Ain't you two got some business to finish? It's time for my nap!” Applejack jerked in surprise as Twilight and Prominence burst into existence right behind her. She twisted around, smiling sheepishly. “I was just about to head off an' try to get Big Mac and Apple Bloom here to say hi, Prominence.” “Oh, I'm not sure that's necessary. They're probably both in the middle of something, right? And we're not really trying to, um, well, it'd be crazy for me to try to get to know everypony today. I'm just trying to get the, ah, lay of the land.” Prominence explained. “I'm sure I'll get to know them, and many other ponies just by being in the same place as them for three months. Right?” She looked between Twilight and Applejack with an ever-so-cautious smile. Applejack nodded, smiling happily. Twilight gave a similar reaction, tinged with a soft blush. Another blush, Celestia noted. That made five today. Some questions began stirring in the back of her mind. For most of the young princess' life, Celestia had been her teacher. And Celestia knew when a secret was being kept from her, even if it wasn't being kept by a pony she knew like the back of her own hoof. She trusted Twilight implicitly, of course, but there was a bit of her that ached to simply tear apart the secrecy like the wrapping paper on a Hearth's Warming present. Something changed overnight in how Twilight responded to her, and changes seldom occur without cause. She wanted so badly to know the nature of the catalyst behind it. Still, Twilight was allowed her privacy. So, while she posed an actual, true mystery to Celestia for the first time since, well, perhaps the first time altogether, Celestia would not pry. But then, wasn't part of the reason for this trip to take a break from being Celestia? So Prominence could pry all she liked, right? “Twilight? Why are you blushing?” She asked, cocking her head a little. “What? Don't be ridiculous. I'm not blushing.” Ah, the tactic of absolute stone-faced denial. Or brick-faced, given the coloring. Applejack leaned in to appraise her face. “Uh, you kinda are, Twi. Just a little.” “Whaaat? Pfff,” She began, with a roll of her eyes and a dismissive wave of her hoof, “Ha hah, that's crazy, huh? Why would I be blushing? The pony body sure is full of mysteries!” Mysteries indeed, Twilight. Mysteries that I have three months to spend on. I don't know why you would bother to hide anything from me, of all ponies. After all, if any pony can discern an obvious pattern, it should be you, so you should know full well by now that I'm not the type to judge. As Celestia's mind worked, Prominence's head nodded. “I once had hiccups for a week straight. The doctor never figured out why.” Twilight calmed down and gave Prominence a very grateful smile, and Prominence let it slide when she noticed the blush intensifying. “Well, we, uh...” Twilight placed a hoof on her chest, then slowly exhaled as she drew the hoof away, composure flowing back into her. “It was nice to see you, Applejack, but I should probably show her where everypony else lives before sundown. And, uh...oh.” She pointed at a large, artfully carved cloud with fountains spilling rainbows into one another. “There's Rainbow's house.” She said plainly. “It never really stays put so I'm not sure how to work it into an organized tour.” Prominence nodded, staring up at it. It was as if somepony had carved a piece from Cloudsdale itself. Which seemed likely, knowing Rainbow Dash. Celestia was almost certain she'd be able to go to Cloudsdale and find the perfectly shaped hole where she simply ripped her house out of the foundation. “Next should be Fluttershy. She's closest.” Twilight decided. “Well, you two have fun with that. I should be gettin' back to work.” Applejack tipped her hat, smiling at both of them. They said their goodbyes to Applejack, crested a hill, and followed the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. Prominence often veered away from the woods nervously, intent on keeping Twilight between herself and the notoriously dangerous area despite the Princess' assertions that it was actually mostly harmless. On a small hill, at the edge of a serene meadow, sat a lone cottage. It looked so ridiculously, bafflingly quaint and cozy that it seemed those words were created specifically to describe this one singular home, and any other use would only dull and cheapen them. Twilight knocked on the door. And again. A third time, then. A fourth? At this point, all she was doing was whipping some of the animals inside into a frenzy. “I guess she's not home,” She said with a disappointed sigh. “It's fine, Twilight. We'll visit again another time, right?” Prominence asked, carefully watching her face. Another blush. She must be very worried about whatever's going on if I can get a reaction with something as simple as that. Once more, Twilight and Prominence headed through town, making their way to the far end of Ponyville. Where Sweet Apple Acres stood solemn guard, keeping the village separated from the Everfree Forest, Carousel Boutique took a similar station. But as the apple trees guarded against visitors, the Boutique welcomed them from all over Equestria, and impressed upon them the class and sophistication belied by the town's appearance. Or perhaps I am over analyzing it, and Rarity simply intends to be the first shop any visitors who arrive by hoof will see, Prominence thought to herself, following Twilight into the building. When they entered, her eyes began darting about, and a smile formed on her face as she took in the sight of all the dresses, completely oblivious to the interaction going on between Twilight and Rarity. She adored her royal regalia. It had seen her through so many centuries of loneliness and work. It was like a set of comfortable old friends who she could always spend time with. She had scarcely considered wearing anything else. But these dresses... She had seen the designs worn by Twilight and her friends at the Gala, but those were made for the ponies wearing them, and not really anypony else. Now she was surrounded by the true scope of Rarity's craft, and she yearned to buy something, despite knowing that nothing she got here would fit in a few months. Somepony said her name, and she nodded without taking the time to consider why. She snapped out of her awe as something snaked around her foreleg and squeezed it. She looked down to see measuring tape enveloped in a blue aura, moving up and down her leg, then on to the next as Rarity made notes. Prominence blushed, then opened her mouth. “I'm sorry, my mind was wandering. What, um, what did I agree to?” “Just getting your measurements on file in case you happen to need anything new during your visit,” Rarity said with a smile. “Despite what Applejack might tell you, I can, on certain occasions, be prone to fits of practicality.” She paused, biting her lip as the measuring tape began to surround Prominence's barrel. “...May I say something dreadfully candid?” Twilight perked up her ears. Candid was usually reserved for when Rarity lost patience for her preferred tactics. A sudden shift in the behavior of a friend was something worth taking full notice of. Prominence looked between Twilight and Rarity, bit her lip, scuffed her hoof awkwardly at the floor, and took a deep breath. “I...suppose?” “If you make a habit out of the abuse of snack foods I saw last night, then we're going to have to do this all over again.” She tightened the tape slightly around Prominence's barrel for emphasis. Twilight sighed. Oh, so it's not really a big deal. She just wanted to warn Prominence that she might get fat. Her eyes widened as her understanding of the possible repercussions of this conversation sunk in. SHE JUST TOLD PRINCESS CELESTIA THAT SHE WAS GOING TO GET FAT! Twilight woke up. Cautioning herself to prepare to see the fiery ruins of Ponyville, she slowly opened her eyes. She examined her situation. Rarity and Prominence were watching over her, very concerned looks on their faces. She was laying on one of Rarity's fainting couches. Which was very appropriate, given that she'd fainted. She took a deep breath. Everything wasn't on fire, and that was always a good sign. “Is everything OK?” She asked. “Certainly not!” Rarity insisted, causing Twilight to cringe in fear. It must've been Opal. Opal's on fire somewhere, She thought, her mind immediately latching on to the first outcome she imagined. “You fainted!” Rarity continued. “In what world is everything OK when a dear friend suddenly collapses on your floor? You had us both so worried, Twilight!” “Right, right.” She sat up slowly. “Easy...” Prominence coached, levitating a glass of water over to her. “It's alright, I'm fine. I'm sorry for interrupting.” “Interrupting wh-OH!” Prominence jolted in surprise as measuring tape came around her stifle. Rarity offered her an apologetic grin, but quickly took note of the measurement. Once the measurements were taken care of, Twilight and Prominence took their leave, heading back to the former's home. The moment they entered the palace, however, Prominence pulled her into an unused side room, ensured it was empty, soundproofed the chamber, and moved in close to Twilight, their faces only inches apart. Ohhhh, I didn't wake up yet. I'm still passed out at the Carousel Boutique. This is another dream. I hope there's no evidence of what I dream about this time. I'll never be able to look either of them in the eye again! It was about this time that she realized there was a discerning stare on Prominence's face, and a hoof on her own forehead. “Mm. You feel a little warm. And you certainly look flush.” Celestia said, looking into her eyes as she slowly backed away. “Wh-What?” “Ponies don't pass out without reason, Twilight. We both know that. And I've seen you deny the fatigue of spending a week full without sleep. You would not admit that you had been staying up every night with your studies until posed with proof that you had not been taking care of yourself. You say you're fine, but I'm not about to risk your health, even if I am forced to catch you in a lie.” “No, no! It,” She sighed. “It's what Rarity said to you.” Celestia paused. What had Rarity said to her? Whatever it was had been quickly forgotten as they heard the sound of Twilight hitting the floor and rushed to help her. “Refresh my memory.” “About, uh, how you had been eating at the party. And your measurements?” She winced, fearing that the sun itself might come crashing to the ground, the epicenter of its world-ending impact being a fashion-forward unicorn mare. “Oh! Yes. I suppose I can see why that might have been a little shocking to you, but I don't think it merits fainting. Besides, she was absolutely right. And I did give her full license to be as candid as she pleased.” She watched as Twilight released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. “That said, there's not really any harm in gaining a few pounds. I am going to reshape my entire body at the end of this, after all.” “Right. Sorry. It's just...Well, Prominence,” She began, confident that she'd come up with the perfect way to vindicate her reaction. “What would you do if you had just seen somepony tell Celestia that they were worried that she was going to get fat?” Celestia's eyes widened at the unexpected question, and she had to take a deep breath to help her consider it. “I concede your point.” Twilight ached to leap about, to pump her hooves in the air, to scream her immaculate victory to the Heavens. With one question she had managed to win Celestia to her perspective. If only she'd known about Prominence sooner, many a dizzying clash of logic and reason from her days of stubborn foalhood might've been circumvented entirely. But that kind of celebration was entirely beyond the scope of how friends should act toward each other (without at least one of them being Rainbow Dash), so she simply nodded. “Thank you for understanding.” “Did you really think I might not?” “Well, no. I knew you'd understand. You always do. I'm just glad it didn't take us two hours to get there.” Twilight told her with a grin. “Mm. A pity. I really do enjoy our verbal sparring matches. Even as a foal, you were one of the only ponies I've known who could keep me on my hooves during a debate instead of always talking yourself into the corners I plan to catch you in.” Twilight's grin fell away. All those arguments in the past, where Twilight was flummoxed at how Celestia could ignore large chunks of the obvious until she specifically pointed them out, where she spent the whole time pleading her case to a gentle, knowing smile, they had each taken on a new light. It was a game. One Celestia apparently very much enjoyed. She couldn't actually take that away from her, could she? “I promise to only use my new trump card if we're at risk of running late for something.” Twilight told her after a moment's contemplation. “It's not much of a trump card if it can be dispelled with nothing more than, 'Twilight, I am Prominence.' It simply caught me off guard this time.” “Right. It's kind of silly to be using a fictional pony as precedent in my arguments.” Twilight didn't notice the fleeting frown on Prominence's face, or if she did, she hadn't thought enough about it to say anything. After a moment of silence, Celestia moved on to another topic. “You know, Twilight, something seemed to be missing during the tour of Ponyville...” “What's that?” “Even if the mayor is in charge of it, you're a princess. And as hesitant as you may be to flex that particular muscle to get your way, I know you wouldn't let anything stand in the way of making a new library.” “Oh, that's right here in the castle! Come on!” She grabbed Prominence's hoof and ran out the door, up the stairs, down the hall, down a different hall, and took a rapid series of turns. A quarter of the way through this trip, Prominence noted that they had been following a yellow line painted on the wall, presumably meant to lead guests through this dizzying path. Twilight threw the massive doors open, revealing a huge room with high arched stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings, and rows upon rows of bookshelves, each one completely filled. “Um, Twilight...” Prominence spoke, once again masking her voice. “Yes?” “If you don't mind me asking, when the castle appeared, did your bedroom already have a bed?” She began, preparing her case. “Of course. It wouldn't have been much of a bedroom without one.” “And did the library already have all these book shelves?” “Now that you mention it, no. That is a little odd...” It took everything Celestia had to keep Prominence from face-hoofing. “Twilight, I, uh, I think this is supposed to be a ballroom.” The princess looked at her with disbelief and horror. “But, but there's an elevated reading nook!” She protested, pointing toward the back of the room. “I believe it's supposed to be the stage for the band.” “Then why does it have high powered reading lamps pointed at it from the ceiling?!” She demanded, though a part of her had already realized the answer. “Those are spot lights. Um...For the band.” Twilight's hind legs buckled as she sat down heavily, her shoulder slumped and her back hunched. “I thought I had the perfect library.” She said quietly, moping more than a little. But somewhere in the midst of her mope, as Prominence wondered if it wouldn't be too familiar to put a comforting hoof on the princess' shoulder, a spark of an idea caught fire, and she managed to break free. “This is my home. If I wanted to put a bed in here and call it a bedroom, even if it wasn't meant to be one, I'm allowed to do that. Because it's mine. As it happens, I put books in it and called it a library. So that's what it is.” “Celestia would often make it sound like you were the kind of pony who would never accept the misuse of a facility.” Prominence stated, more as a matter of fact than as an objection. “Well, this is different, because it's my facility.” She stomped a hoof to punctuate and emphasize her point. “Besides, why would anypony need a ballroom in Ponyville? We've got Sugar Cube Corner.” She said, grinning. “Agreed. I just wanted to make sure you weren't doing this without knowing. If you understand that your library was originally meant to be a ballroom, nopony should have any right to object to your repurposing it. It's not as if Celestia hasn't made similar decisions in the past.” “She has? Like what?” “I...It's not my place to say. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. I forgot myself for a moment.” Prominence lowered her head, and Twilight felt her heart beating faster. She treats me like I'm in charge of her...Could that be the cause of this? Or maybe it's just the knowledge that somepony like Celestia would ever be beneath me... She dwelt on this thought a moment too long before correcting herself. In station! Beneath me in station. Luna was right, I'm seeing her in a drastically different light, and it's definitely doing something different to me, but am I seeing her sexually? Romantically? Both? Or is there just a weird reaction involved in acclimating to the change, and my subconscious is just using one or both of those as an approximation to cope with it? I need more evidence, but I can't just walk up to her and TELL her! For now I guess I'll just have to stay the course, right? Observe my own reactions while I interact with her. Make note of anything that seems out of the ordinary. As Twilight considered these thoughts further, she didn't bother actually moving. Or speaking. Or blinking. Prominence looked away bashfully, a blush coming through on her soft pink fur. “Um. T-Twilight?” “HUH!?” WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? “Sorry, um. If that happens again, just...” She paused, eyes lighting up a little. “Actually, could you help me out if it happens again?” She smiled slightly. “I suppose?” “If I just freeze up and it seems like I'm staring at you, move out of the way, then snap me out of it, and let me know if I kept looking straight ahead, or if my eyes followed you.” Prominence nodded slowly. “Alright. Does, uh...Does this occur often?” “Nope. First time. That's why, if it happens again, we have to study it, right?” Twilight smiled at her with far too many teeth, and eyes just a bit too wide. “Uh,” Prominence's eyes shifted from side to side. “Y-Yes?” “Yes!” Twilight replied, her smile now much more natural. “Wait, how long was I, uh, locked up?” she asked, noting the last of the day's light fading from the stained glass windows. “A few minutes?” “That doesn't make any sense...How is it so late?” “Well...You did faint.” Twilight felt the heat building in her cheeks. “Oh. Right. Well, come on, we're late for dinner. Spike's probably waiting.” Sure enough, as they entered the dining area, an annoyed little dragon glared up at them, sitting to the right of the head of the table, his claws rapping against the stone, slowly wearing dimples into the surface. “Well, well, well. Look who it is.” He stared daggers at Twilight. “The most organized, punctual pony in town is late for dinner. How do you suppose that happened? My guess is she just. Doesn't. Care.” Twilight sighed and lowered her head as she made her way to the head of the table. “Spike, I'm very sorry. There is no excuse for my tardiness.” Prominence followed Twilight, once again sitting to her left. “Um, no excuse?” She asked, trying to prompt Twilight to at least try and explain. “Nope,” Twilight shook her head. “No excuse.” “But, but you fainted.” She offered, a little flummoxed. Spike's eyes widened. “Wait, you fainted!? Are you OK?” Twilight sighed and turned to reply to Prominence. “There is never any excuse for tardiness. If ponies could just show up for anything whenever they wanted and didn't have to take responsibility for their lack of adherence to a set schedule, how would the markets work? How would the government function if none of the ponies in it were ever in the same building together at the same time? Adherence to a schedule, no matter how few things are actually scheduled, is a necessity for all of Equestria. A pony must be where she says she's going to be, when she says she'll be there.” Prominence was shocked by the dedication with which Twilight discussed the dangers of a lack of punctuality. For that matter, so was Celestia. She looked over at Spike to find him just burying his face in his claws as the food in front of him—in front of all of them, she realized—was engulfed in a magenta aura and brought back to proper serving temperatures. Finally, as she picked up her fork and moved to begin eating, Spike's claws came away from his eyes. “That's dumb.” He said plainly. Prominence dropped her fork in surprise, but neither of them seemed to notice. “Twilight, you fainted.” “That's still--” “You fainted!” “It's unacceptable for me--” “You. Fainted.” Spike said, with an air of finality. “...I suppose you have a point.” Prominence just stared, dumbfounded. Every contest of wit that she'd ever had with Twilight had been the two of them carefully chiseling and sculpting their well-refined arguments. Spike, however, had forgone the chisel, kept the hammer, and bashed it against Twilight's argument until it he won. Spike paused mid-chew, and looked up to find the pony across the table staring at him. “What?” He asked, his mouth full. “This is a very strange place,” Prominence replied enigmatically before finally starting on her own meal. Spike looked to Twilight for clarification, but she could only give him a shrug. “Thank you very much for wonderful meal, Spike. I'm sorry we made you wait so long for it.” Twilight said, watching the dragon gather up the dishes. Prominence rushed to follow her lead. “Yes, thank you. It was all delicious.” Spike smiled at the praise, and then at Twilight. “Hey, no problem, nothing's too good for my princess!” He chuckled as he waddled adorably into the kitchen to begin washing dishes. Twilight's head slammed against the table. “Are you alright?! Did you faint again?!” “No.” She huffed with exasperation, “He's just been getting way too much mileage out of calling me his princess ever since he figured out how much it annoys me.” “He's much more than your assistant, isn't he?” “Yeah. He was one of my first friends. He's practically my adoptive LBBFF.” She chuckled a bit before noticing the look of confusion on Prominence's face. “Ah, he's like a little brother to me. I don't know what I'd do without him. Especially now that we've got this whole huge palace to live in.” “It must be nice to have siblings.” And with that one comment, she saw a dawning look of realization on Twilight's face that she had been expecting from the moment she got off the train. “Spike!” She called out toward the kitchen. “We'll be in the parlor!” “Which one?” “The, uh, the red one with the big chairs!” She nodded toward the door, and led Prominence through the hallways. They seated themselves in the aforementioned big chairs. “So, Prominence, tell me a little about yourself.” “Well,” She began, “My favorite color is green, and I love pasta. With white sauce. A-and broccoli.” “I, uh, I meant more along the lines of your past.” “Oh. If you're really interested, well, um...Where do I start? Probably childhood, right? Heh, um, well, I grew up in a small mining community a few miles west of Fillydelphia, called Saddleton. When it was first founded, they called it Colton, and I've never been clear on why they changed it.” Slowly, she proceeded to tell Twilight about her life alone with her father, who worked refining the ores brought out of the mines. Twilight listened intently to the story of the time she was watching her father work when the bellows on his furnace broke, and how she came to the rescue, with her magic directly pouring into the flames, making them grow hotter. Prominence seemed to grow more confident in her storytelling, recalling how, as she continued helping her father until the bellows could be repaired, she experimented more and more with the magic she was using, and it wasn't long before she'd gotten her cutie mark for her fire magic. The story had Twilight completely rapt. In the beginning, she'd been focused on the levels of detail and plausibility of the story, but by the end, she realized that, at that moment, the only important thing was hearing Prominence tell her story. “So, that's a little bit about me. I hope I didn't bore you.” “Oh, not at all, Prominence,” Twilight paused and nodded to Spike as he waddled in, comic book in claw, settling into yet another large chair to read. “But, I was wondering, if you live so far from home, why didn't you go there for your vacation? Maybe spend some time with your father?” “Father isn't there anymore...He isn't...He isn't with us anymore.” Spike looked up from The Unstoppable UltraMare and just stared at Twilight with disbelief and horror. For her part, Twilight held the same expression, but with the addition of a jaw that was silently flapping up and down. “It's been a few years! I wasn't even working for Celestia yet!” Prominence asserted, waving her hooves frantically. “It's fine! I'm at peace with it. The hardest part about it is trying to break the news when somepony asks a question like that without making them feel horribly guilty. And it looks like I messed that up, as usual. I'm sorry, Princess.” “I really don't get why she's apologizing to you.” Spike noted. “Go back to your comic books!” Twilight grumbled. “And, Prominence, I asked you to call me Twilight.” Prominence grimaced. “O-oh, did I not? My mistake. It still feels bizarre that I'd have the right to address a princess by name.” “Well, as long as you're trying...” She trailed off in thought. “I suppose I should tell you about myself now. Any requests?” “Well, I've heard Princess Celestia's side of the story, but I've never heard your side of how you got your cutie mark.” Spike and Prominence stared at Twilight as she hopped in circles around the chair she'd been sitting in. “YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES--” She stumbled a bit, and stopped her hopping. She broke into a furious blush as she remembered where she was and what she'd been doing, not to mention who'd been watching. “A-anyway, that was...That was easily the best day of my life. I got my cutie mark, I was going to be taught by Celestia personally, and I even got Spi—is that a different comic book?” She asked, staring at her assistant. “How long was I telling that story?” She turned to the clock. “Oh no. Oh, Spike, tell me tomorrow's not...?” It took a moment for Spike to register her meaning, but he nodded, a look of sympathy on his young face. “I gotta go! Prominence, make yourself at home, Spike, you should already be in bed too! Oh no, oh no!” She vanished in a flash of magenta light, and Prominence stared at Spike curiously. “Am, am I permitted to know what that was about?” “Head down to the castle's gym when you wake up tomorrow. That should answer your questions,” He told her, closing his comic and hopping out of his chair. “There's a gym?” “Not usually.” She didn't get a chance to ask him to clarify before he closed the door behind him. “A very, very strange place,” She reiterated, climbing out of the chair. She supposed she could have stayed up, but the simple fact was that she'd been walking around town all afternoon, and even if she wasn't ready for bed, she didn't quite know the way from the drawing room to the bedrooms. She quickly headed out the door and followed the sound of dragon claws, her longer strides letting her catch up to Spike. The trip to the bedrooms was spent in silence, until they reached Spike's door and they said their good nights. Prominence entered her room, climbed into her bed, and snuggled into the oh-so-soft blanket. “There you are. You kept me waiting.” Luna told Celestia, who found herself in the courtyard of their old castle. “I suppose all three of us got to bed a little later than we expected,” Celestia replied before she paused to sniff a rose. “Roses that smell of daisies. Is this all the whimsy I have left in me?” She quickly regretted this statement as the rose tried to bite her. “Never mind.” She turned toward Luna, moved forward, and embraced her tightly. “How is she doing? Is she handling everything alright?” She asked, smiling at her younger sister. “She's doing well. Her dream is a bit odd, something about some sort of debate with you. I am surprised that she told you anything at this point, however.” “Luna, what in the world are you talking about?” Luna put on a poker face forged through centuries of practice, but it didn't quite hold up against her big sister. “What are you talking about?” “I asked you to handle the sun. I asked you to handle the country. What did I beg you to personally attend to with utmost care?” Realization flashed in the eyes of the Princess of the Moon. “Philomena is fine, sister. We have been having a lot of fun together.” “Good. Now, what were you on about earlier?” “Nothing!” She responded just a little too fast. “Luna...” “That matter is between Twilight and her subconscious. I am not at liberty to discuss it with anypony but her.” She stamped her hoof for emphasis and stared defiantly at Celestia, who seemed to be analyzing her face. “It's Twilight, then, that you were referring to? So, this must relate to the puzzle...” “Puzzle?” “Never mind. I will solve it in due time.” She gave Luna a few playfully condescending pats on the head. “Changing the subject, how have things been in Ponyville?” Luna asked, catching her sister's hoof in her magic. “Well, one old mare managed to recognize me on sight, disturbingly enough, but other than that, it's been simply amazing.” Celestia replied, tugging her hoof back and shaking it off. “They're all just so welcoming. It's only my second day here, but when Twilight and I went out, there were so many ponies smiling at me, nodding to me, waving at me, saying hello. I attended one Pinkie Party, and suddenly they act like I've been a member of their community for years. At this rate, it won't be long before I have to bring Prominence out of her shell.” “And then phase two begins.” Luna said gleefully, rubbing her fetlocks together. “Don't say it like that! That makes it sound like I'm some sort of megalomaniac, or a sorry excuse for a serial villain.” She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her snout for a moment. “Regardless, yes. At that point I will be able to move on to the next step of my vacation.” “Keep me apprised in your dreams, sister.” "Of course. But I do hope this dream doesn't move too fast. I'm not looking forward to breakfast." Meanwhile, in the next dream over, Luna was sitting among a large audience, observing a heated, logic-filled, passion-fueled debate between Twilight and Prominence. And while there would be no clean up in the morning, Twilight seemed to be enjoying herself almost as much as the night before.