Twilight Sparkle stepped out onto the balcony. Cool night air swept through fur. The little filly may have seemed calm, maybe even content, but she was panicking on the inside. The Princess had called her, wanting to speak with her. And she knew. She knew it was all over! The Princess was going to end Twilight's position as her Most Faithful Student! She was doomed! Yet, she did not show it on the outside, if she was going to go out, she would go out with dignity. That is, until she inevitably burst out into tears.
The panicked little eight year-old rummaged through her memories. Had she missed an assignment? Had she not completed a project? Did she not get a hundred on her test? Had the Princess-
Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened.
When the Princess had said that she should go out and meet some ponies, she must have meant it!
'Of course!' Twilight thought. 'And I stupidly thought it was just a suggestion! Idiot! Idiot! IDIOT!'
Princess Celestia walked past the purple unicorn, taking a seat on the balcony. The princess looked at Twilight and patted the spot next to her. Twilight walked over to her teacher and sat down next to her. The two sat and watched the view for a long time. It occured to Twilight that she had never really noticed this view. She wondered why.
Eventually, the unicorn looked up to her mentor. "Princess?"
"Yes?" The Alicorn asked.
"I was, um, wondering why you, uh, brought me, uh, here." The filly stammered.
"Ah, yes," Celestia said. "I brought you here to ask you something."
Twilight braced herself.
"I wanted to ask you..."
'Here it comes...' Twilight thought.
"What's the one thing everypony wants?"
"...What?" Twilight deadpanned.
"I asked you, what is the one thing everypony wants?"
Twilight sat there for a moment in a mix of confusion and relief. She was wondering why her mentor would ask such a thing, but also relieved she wasn't being removed of her position. But, she knew she had to answer the goddess. What's the one thing everypony wants? That was simple! She would ace this test for sure.
"Knowledge." The purple filly stated.
"I'm sorry to say, Twilight, but not everypony values knowledge as much as you." The princess chuckled.
The unicorn's jaw dropped.
"Can you think of anything else?"
Twilight's mind raced. She couldn't fail this test! She can't! She's never failed! Then, an answer popped into her mind. Surely that one would be correct.
"Safety." Said Twilight.
"Close, but it's not the answer."
Twilight gulped. Had she...failed?
"We ponies, as you know, are social creatures, and we strive for relationships." Celestia told her.
"Princess is this a lesson about how I should get some friends?" Twilight asked. "Because even though I want to please you, I'd rather focus on my studies."
"No, it's not about friendship, my Faithful Student." The alicorn said. "What everypony wants is family. Even me. I've lost many, many ponies over the years. And yet I still want ponies to be near and dear to my heart."
Twilight frowned. "I'm not sure if I want family."
"Oh? And why's that?"
"I...Mom and Dad...they just use me and Shining," Twilight sniffed. "They don't really care about us, they just use us to be more important and to get money."
The sun goddess rested a hoof on her student's shoulder.
Twilight sulked. "So, if that is what familes are like, I don't want a family."
Celestia's horn glowed.
"You see, my Faithful Student, families aren't just ponies you are related to," She wrapped a wing around Twilight, pulling the filly close to her. "They're also the ponies who care about you and love you unconditionally."
The princess levitated an infant dragon down onto Twilight's hooves. The baby dragon was swaddled in a bright pink blanket and did not stir.
"Really?"
The princess nodded.
The two sat there for a while, Spike still sleeping in his big sister's forelegs. Twilight let her mentor's words sink in. Then, she looked up at the sun princess.
Twilight took a deep breath. After all, the princess had said there were no such thing as stupid questions.
"Princess, I was, um, wondering, uh..." The young pony stammered.
"Yes?"
"I was wondering if, uh, since I've been your, um, student for a while, uh, now," Twilight spluttered. "Could you, uh, be, uh, my..."
The alicorn looked down at her. "Yes?"
"Could be my, no, me and Spike's kind of, sort of, pseudo, uh, mommy?"
Celestia's eyes shrank. The princess frowned. Could she really let a pony into her heart after Sunset Shimmer? She began to think of ways to say no as gently as possible. That is, until she saw her student's face.
Twilight's eyes were filled with hope and happiness, and a small smile upon her face.
The white pony wrapped both Twilight and Spike in an embrace.
Celestia smiled. "It would be an honor, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight Sparkle's body was overflowing with emotion's, mixing between joy, relief, love, and happiness.
Twilight sighed into the Princess' embrace and looked out over the balcony. The sky was a beautiful mix of black and dark blue, stars dotting the sky. In fact, she was sure she could make out Equuleus. She smiled even more. The view really was breathtaking. And she wondered why she never noticed it before.