//------------------------------// // Time Apart // Story: Prominence // by TheOldPonyFromScene24 //------------------------------// It had been five days since Prominence came to Ponyville, and Twilight's dreams were only getting worse, causing her to wake up every couple of hours the last few nights, and leaving her hesitant to go back to sleep each time. But now it was morning, and sleeping wasn't anywhere near as big a challenge as waking. She grumbled with annoyance as she opened her eyes slowly. She took a moment to try and wet her dried out mouth, resulting in her tongue making futile smacking sounds. “Need...” Her voice came out rough and raspy as her eyes began to drift closed, but she stubbornly shook her head. “Need to wake up. Got to...” Her mind was fuzzy. Somewhere deep inside, she came under the impression that if she did not force herself awake, she would be trapped for all eternity, drifting in and out of a light doze. She made a snap decision due to her drowsiness. Before she started to drift off again, she'd get up, she'd walk downstairs, and she'd make some coffee. And the first step was getting up. “Alright. Stand. OK. Go!” She rolled over and fell off the bed and onto her side, feeling a sharp surge of unexpected pain as her body came down upon her wing. Not only tired, but now sore as well, she no longer trusted herself to make it down the stairs. The coffee would have to wait. “OK. What do I do next. I...Shower. Cold shower. Force my body awake. No, no, hot shower, promote blood flow. Right...” She narrated, trying to keep herself focused in case the minor rush of adrenaline from her impact wore off. She walked carefully into the bathroom, stepped into the shower, and turned it on. “Don't. Lean on the wall. You know that's a bad idea. You know you'll fall asleep. Don't rationalize it, don't pretend you can stay awake this time, just don't lean on the wall.” The adrenaline was already starting to fade. “Gotta keep occupied. Gotta...w-wash my mane!” She levitated a bottle of shampoo over, squeezed out some of its contents and-- “AUGH!” The shampoo bottle rocketed out of the shower, bouncing off the door and falling onto the tiled floor. “'NO TEARS' MY PLUMP PURPLE POSTERIOR!” She quickly cleared her eye of the errant shampoo and realized that the time and focus spent on the task was apparently enough to fully awaken her. Mostly. She'd still need that cup of coffee. Or two. After toweling off, she stepped out of her room and out into the hallway to find Prominence waiting with a bit of concern visible on her face. “G'morning.” Twilight mumbled, with a suppressed smile and suspiciously little eye contact. “Good morning, Twilight. Uh...Problems in the shower?” She asked. That she even dared to ask once more reminded Twilight of how quickly she'd opened up, and set Twilight to wondering about why Celestia hadn't just made her this open in the first place. “Uh, kind of. Why? Is there still shampoo in my mane?” “Well, I heard a shout about, um...” Her cheeks began to burn bright as she chuckled nervously, looking away from Twilight. “Your, to use your words, 'plump purple posterior.'" Twilight's entire face felt like it was consumed in flame. Her eyes narrowed to pinpricks as she stared straight ahead. “Um, Twilight?” Prominence ventured. “One moment please.” Twilight responded, not moving. “Wh-What are you doing?” “I'm dying of embarrassment. So far, it's harder than it sounds.” It was all the mercy Prominence could give that her laughter was buried in her fetlock. Twilight gave a sigh of defeat. Not only had nothing occurred to save her from her embarrassment, but now she couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful Prominence's laugh sounded this morning, and how it could theoretically actually be possible to die from something like that if a pony managed to blush hard enough to damage a blood vessel or deprive a vital organ of blood. But then came a thought. Blazing and brilliant, this one single thought worked its way back to the forefront of her prodigious mind. “I need coffee.” An oasis in a desert of drowsiness. A wakeful shelter in a horrible storm. A single book and its promises of knowledge and clarity, found remaining in broken, tattered ruins. Coffee was all these things and delightfully bitter as the pleasant, almost but not quite too hot liquid flowed down her throat as she sat on the cool floor of the kitchen, eyes closed, listening to the sounds of Spike happily at work a few feet away. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Prominence. “I haven't been sleeping well lately. Just so you know.” She told her. “Coffee is certainly not an every morning sort of thing for me. But I love it so much.” She began to ponder the implications that the three greatest loves in her life were reading, her bed, and coffee. “Everypony always tells me how much more they're able to do with it, but, Heavens help me, I just can't get past the taste, no matter how much cream and sugar I add.” Twilight hid her smile behind her mug, finding the first glaring flaw that Prominence displayed to be a bit of a soothing balm to her buried desires and anxieties. “I was thinking I might go out by myself today.” Prominence stated. She frowned when she saw the startlingly powerful look of abandonment on Twilight's face. “It's not that I don't enjoy spending time with the both of you, but Celestia sent me here to visit the town, not just you two. Spike's got his chores, you might want to catch up on some sleep, and you've got that, um, what was it you and Luna were working on again?” “It's this...little...not important...” Twilight mumbled noncommittally to her coffee. “Right, well, you've got that to deal with, so I think I'll just take the day to spend out on my own. If you don't mind.” “Yeah, alright." Twilight told her, trying to keep from frowning. "Um, do you need any bits?” “Twilight, Celestia's been paying me for my work for a few years, and I haven't had much chance to spend it, with all my food and lodging being provided by the palace. I'm not short on money.” Breakfast had been delicious, and now that it was over, Celestia was out on the town. She still regarded her disguise as fitting of the initial design plan of ordinary and unobtrusive, but now it was by Ponyville's friendly standards, where ordinary meant a smile and a wave and a pleasant greeting, and not a head held low to avoid scrutiny. She smiled as she thought about the new piece of the puzzle she'd managed to pick up this morning. “Oh, good morning, Spike!” She'd said with a measured amount of familiarity, followed by a pleasant smile when he returned her greetings. “I've got a question for you. I've noticed that Twilight seems to blush a lot. Is that normal?” “Umm...” The dragon rubbed his chin with a claw. “No, not really. In fact, I haven't seen her blush this much since we went through that mirror, and she met that guy from the other world. Anyway, I can't hang around. Twilight gets nuts if she has a late breakfast, because then everything else is late, and blah blah blah blah blah, just a huge lecture right up in my face.” “Alright. Thanks, Spike!” The dragon had been just as forthcoming and honest as she'd expected. He never had been of a particularly suspicious sort, and that played right into her hooves. He'd seen it for earnest curiosity to be informed and dismissed, just as she predicted. “'NO TEARS' MY PLUMP PURPLE POSTERIOR!” came a call from Twilight's bathroom. “I don't even wanna know what that's about. See you at breakfast,” Spike told her as he headed downstairs. A stallion was involved. She was certain now. She'd started to abandon the idea after she'd dwelt on it incorrectly before walking into the gym a few days ago, but she felt her current hypothesis was entirely valid. Twilight had a boyfriend. She wanted Celestia to meet him without putting him under the pressure of being presented to a high ruler. She was worried about him gaining the approval of her teacher. Of course, this, like any good hypothesis, was fluid, and subject to change upon the acquisition of information. So, to either prove herself right, or push herself closer to the truth, Celestia set out to scour Ponyville for clues, and the best places to learn about somepony without them suspecting was always to look at the ponies they kept nearest, and she felt confident in her decision to make the Carousel Boutique her first destination. Until she realized that not everypony was as much of an early riser as Twilight or herself, and she found herself loitering out of view of the door or windows until Rarity opened the shop almost an hour later. Prominence decided it would be prudent to wait another fifteen minutes, in an attempt to keep from arousing suspicions. “Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every garment is—Oh! Prominence, welcome!” Rarity trotted over to her with a smile on her face. Prominence once again found herself caught off guard by the garments that she might never hear Rarity finish describing. “Do you put some kind of desire enchantment on your clothes?” “Oh, darling, of course not! Though I'll take it as a compliment to my work instead of an insult to my character.” “O-oh, yeah. I...That's how I meant it.” Prominence awkwardly rubbed her hooves together, frowning with visible guilt. “It's alright, Prominence. I'm glad that you find them so captivating. Did you perhaps come here for some shopping, or is this more a social visit?” “It...” Prominence paused as a dress caught her eye. “It may end up being both.” Twilight stood by the window, watching Prominence walk away from the castle. Maybe this would be what she needed to finally clear her head. She felt her jaw forcing itself open of its own accord and a loud yawn flowed out. “She was right, Twilight. You really should try and catch up on your sleep. I'll handle all the chores and stuff.” “Right. Thanks, Spike. I know I can count on you.” She smiled softly as he glowed with pride. He'd always been proud of his job as her assistant, but more and more, it seemed like he was growing proud of the actual work involved, and not just the position. Twilight headed back up to her room, closed the shutters on her window, and covered herself with the blanket. Despite the two cups of coffee, she felt all the strength immediately drain from her as she snuggled in under the covers. “Come on, no sexy dreams, please. Or disturbing ones. Or disturbingly sexy.” “And here we are.” She said, looking around at the interior of the Golden Oak library. “Oh...Now I'm sad. Wait. This is a...Oh! Lucid dream!” She closed her eyes and focused for a moment, and when she opened them, the bookshelves around her had all grown to massive proportions, filling with new knowledge. “Now if I could just read in my dreams, this would be perfect.” “Unfortunately, being able to actually interpret text in your sleep is a rare ability indeed. While you're here, and perfectly aware that you're asleep, would you like to discuss something? Or would you prefer to reshape the world to better suit your whim?” Luna asked, stepping up beside her. “I guess I could do both.” Twilight replied, walking out the door to find a Ferris wheel erected and active just outside her old home. Luna followed as Twilight, now lacking her wings, climbed into one of the compartments. “Have you come to any conclusions regarding your views of Prominence?” “I have a massive crush on her. And I feel ridiculous for it.” Twilight replied. Luna was a friend, after all. And if she couldn't be trusted to keep secrets that she learned in dreams, nopony in Equestria would ever willingly sleep again. On a whim, the sky filled with accurately placed stars and turned black, the sun fading to be replaced by a moon. Luna couldn't help but smile. “And that constant focus on her is driving her to the forefront of your subconscious mind. Though I'm still confused about the manticore from the other night.” Twilight immediately muscled past the mention of that dream. “And what do you think I should do? I've never really had a crush on anypony before. I mean, OK, maybe there's been a few literary characters, but they were out of my way once I finished their books. And, Flash, sure, but now that I'm in Equestria, I doubt I'll ever see him again. I guess, when this is over, I'll never see Prominence again, either, now that I think about it.” “You should speak to my sister. And, if I may make a suggestion? Ask her where Prominence came from.” “You mean Saddleton?” Luna shook her head, a light smile on her face. “Ask Celestia. Not Prominence. You'll get a very different answer.” “...Alright.” “Can we go on a roller coaster, next? Roller coasters are my favorite.” “This tea is amazing. Where did you get it?” Prominence asked, smiling and staring at her cup. “Oh, from Zecora. She lives out in the Everfree Forest.” “Ponies actually live there?...Regardless, I should try to take some of this home. Celestia would love it.” She sat back in her chair, glancing down at the small shopping bag of clothing that Rarity had magically wrinkle-proofed for her, then allowed her eyes to wander around the small dining room. “Rarity, can I ask you something?” Rarity raised her eyebrows a little as she lowered her teacup. “Of course, dear, anything at all.” “Do you happen to know if Twilight...If she has a special somepony?” She grew a little wary of the smile that struggled to assert itself, despite Rarity's attempts to keep it contained. “I can actually say that I am absolutely certain she does not. However, we must move fast, as that is subject to change at a moment's notice.” Her horn brought a small notebook over to her. “I've got several ideas in here to win her over and eventually sweep her off her hooves, though they may need some fine tuning. Twilight was most certainly not the pony I had in mind while writing this.” Prominence began laughing. “Oh, Rarity, I never took you for a joker!” “Hm? Oh, haha, yes, and what was it about what I said that was so funny?” “Well...She's obviously straight, isn't she?” Rarity bit her lip for a moment. As much as she could gossip about celebrities, Twilight was her friend first and a celebrity second. When it came down to it, she simply had no right to correct Prominence. Not without Twilight's permission, at least. “Oh, I suppose you may be right. I'm just eager to see any of my friends find somepony special. It must have just been my inner romantic getting the best of me. Perhaps Twilight has a point about my reading too many romance novels.” “Even if she were interested in mares, even a little, I'm just a common filly from Saddleton. I'd never have any chance with a princess.” Prominence said dismissively, a small, entertained smile on her face. Rarity nearly flipped the table before the chiming of a gorgeously crafted antique clock distracted her. “Oh! I'd nearly forgotten. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I have an appointment. It's time for my weekly spa visit with Fluttershy. Of course, you're welcome to come along, Prominence.” “Oh, alright! That sounds wonderful! But, um...” She looked down at her bag. “Oh, don't worry. You can check that at the spa. Or, if you plan to come back here afterward, we could just leave it here.” “I think I'll take it. Not that I'm not enjoying your company, but, how do I put it...” “You want to keep your options open if something else should come up, I take it?” “Yes! That. Exactly that.” The two unicorns made their way to the spa, chatting amiably about the various minutiae of their lives, of Canterlot and Ponyville, and of high society and royalty. When they got to the spa, they found two...friends waiting for them. “Oh. Discord. Hello.” Rarity said slowly, more out of surprise than distaste. Well, maybe a little distaste. He wasn't exactly the most relaxing of company, and relaxing was sort of the point of the whole thing. “Hello, Rarity!” He replied, excited. “And Prominence! How wonderful to see you both.” “You too, Discord." Rarity said with a small, not entirely real smile. "Though I am surprised to see you at the spa. It's not the kind of place I'd expect you to visit.” “Even I need to unwind once in a while.” He said with a grin. “And of course, Fluttershy can invite a friend, right? After all, you did.” Prominence looked back over at him curiously as she checked her bag. “Wait, was, was I not supposed to come?” “No, no, you're both fine.” Rarity assured. “The more the merrier.” Added Fluttershy. “Aloe? Lotus?” Rarity called. “The Usual!” Twilight woke up from her nap, feeling much more rested. Still, she had a nagging feeling in the back of her head. Luna had given her some advice, though she didn't understand it, and she felt like she needed someone else to talk to. It wasn't any sort of doubt regarding Luna's suggestions, but a desire to have more input. “Well, there's only a few ponies I even can talk to about this, so it's not like it would be a huge chore or anything.” She headed out of the palace, which took a bit longer than she cared for, before spreading her wings and taking off into the air, heading for Sweet Apple Acres. Granny Smith was always a source of wisdom, due to her years of experience. Well, usually a source of wisdom. Okay, it was an even three way split of wisdom, joyful reminiscing, and mumbled nonsense. She landed outside the farm house, knocking on the door. “COME IN!” Granny called from her rocking chair. Twilight entered and sat down across from her. “Hi, uh...G...um.” She paused, trying to decide on how to address her. Granny seemed to pick up on it. “If you try'n call me Apple Smith, I'll tan yer hide, princess or no.” “Oh. Um, alright, Granny Smith.” She paused again, not entirely sure of how to proceed. “I'd like to ask you for some advice, if I may. Privately.” “Go right ahead. Youngun's are all out workin' the fields.” Twillight quickly cast her soundproofing spell just to be safe, and took a deep breath. “I have a crush on somepony. But not that pony. The pony she's pretending to be.” She said, hoping that Granny could piece it together without having to flat out say that she was infatuated with Prominence. It just felt like it would be too embarrassing to state it plainly outside the safety of her dreams. “'She?' You a filly fooler, Twilight?” Granny ran her eyes up and down Twilight. “Oh, um, I, well, I, honestly, I've never taken the time try and analyze my sexuality. I just, I never had much experience in that regard, and I've never been in a real relationship, besides which I've almost never even been interested in anypony, so it never seemed entirely relevant. Though, all current evidence considered, I'd say I'm, um, bisexual?” She answered awkwardly, hoping that Granny wouldn't turn out to be as prejudiced as some other members of her generation tended to be. “Oh, me too! I don't mind tellin' you, I fooled with more'n my share of fillies back b'fore I met Applejack's grand pappy.” Granny may not have minded telling her, but Twilight minded. Twilight minded more than she felt she had any reason to. “Why, I remember this one filly, she had this way of ticklin' me right behind my--” And now Twilight had a perfectly legitimate reason to mind as much as she did. Still, she came to Granny for wisdom because of the older mare's experience. If she was sharing stories of her past, there might be something for Twilight to glean. Her optimism faded over time, however, as Granny continued on and on about her dalliances over the years. Twilight was now certain of two things: Granny Smith did not exaggerate when she'd said she'd fooled with more than her share of fillies, and Granny Smith had terrifyingly precise recall for a mare her age. Luckily for Twilight, in the midst of yet another overly detailed explanation of past exploits, Granny dozed off and fell asleep in her rocking chair, and the princess could leave without making up an excuse. She wondered, as she flew back to her home, if the blush on her cheeks would ever truly fade. When she entered the palace, she cast a spell over the entire thing. Her voice echoed through the halls of her home, resounding from each and every room. "Spike, could you meet me in my study? I have to write a letter." “Thank you so much for inviting me, Rarity. I've never felt so pampered.” Prominence let out a little extra breath on the last word, smiling wistfully. Of course, Celestia had felt that pampered before. Around two hundred years ago. That was a more luxury centered age, though, where such things were symbols of status. “Think nothing of it, darling. It was wonderful having you both accompany us. But, Discord, do you think that if we do this again, you could perhaps try a little harder not to get kicked out? Aloe and Lotus were giving me nasty looks the entire rest of the treatment, and it can't have been too entertaining to just sit here and wait for us.” Discord's smile set Prominence's fur on end. “I managed to keep myself entertained.” The three ponies all glanced around, a mix of nerves and curiosity driving them to try and seek out whatever havoc he might have sown, but found nothing. “Oh, Prominence, I was wondering if I could take a little walk with you.” Discord said, smiling. Celestia's instincts screamed to refuse him, to turn and leave, or to drop into a combat-ready posture, but she could conceive of no reason for Prominence to do those things. Besides, he was trustworthy now. Supposedly. “Alright. Goodbye, Rarity. Goodbye, Fluttershy.” She followed the draconequus in tense silence as she levitated her bag beside herself. After a few twists and turns, he went into an alley. She hesitated for a moment, and wished she'd hesitated longer when, as she entered the alley, a brick wall formed up behind her, a ceiling following suit over head. She finally listened to her instincts and dropped into a battle ready position, only to find her glowing horn pointing at a large sign Discord held in front of himself, instructing her to cast her soundproofing spell. She didn't know how he knew about the spell, but she cast it regardless. It was a struggle to keep from grumbling in annoyance when she did. The last three days, she'd managed to stay in character the whole time, and now Discord, for no revealed purpose, seemed intent on having her break character. “Thank you. Now, then. Did you enjoy the flowers?” Celestia paused, caught off guard. Flowers? She thought back a ways before she managed to find them in her memory. “The ones you gave me when Twilight's castle appeared, yes? They were lovely.” “And how did they taste?” Celestia felt a light blush heating her cheeks, and hoped it wasn't strong enough to penetrate her coat. “I'm sorry, Discord. I misunderstood. I thought they were for decoration, not consumption.” “Well, no matter, as long as you enjoyed them.” He said, waving a dismissive talon in the air. “Is that all you needed to talk to me about?” She asked, a bit of tension in her voice. “Not at all, Celestia. I have a very important question, one that needs answering all the more now that you seem ready to do battle with me the moment we're sealed off from the public eye.” He smiled down at her. “And what question is that?” She finally straightened up, realizing she was still poised for combat. “Are we friends?” “Uh, Twilight?” Spike asked, rubbing his claws together nervously. “Yes, Spike?” She asked, sitting at her desk, staring down at some parchment. “You've been staring at that scroll for a while now. Are you sure you don't just want to track me down when you're ready to send it to her?” “Just give me a moment to finish writing the letter, and then you can send it and be on your way.” “Finish?” He huffed with annoyance. “You haven't even started.” And he was getting so bored with waiting! Although, there was probably a way to make this more fun. A sly grin formed on his face. “Oh, I get it. You forgot how this works. Uh, there's these things called letters, and when you put them together the right way, they form words.” “I'm aware.” She said, her expression conveying that she was already fed up with his jokes. Spike didn't look too closely, though. “Do you not remember how the letters get on the paper? You take the quill, that's the feather sitting in the ink well over there, you take that, and you write the letters down. On the paper.” “Thank you. Spike.” “You do remember how to write, don't y--” “You want me to write?! Fine! I'll write!” She snatched up the quill in her magic. “'Dear Cadance, Are you familiar with Prominence? Because I have a huge crush on her and it's affecting my quality of life by screwing up my sleep schedule, but I have no idea what to do about it! But there's bigger news! So, so much bigger! My assistant, the hero of your own Crystal Empire, has won a massive award for World's Snarkiest Smart Aleck!!!' There, it's written, now send it!” “I--” “Send it!” And it was gone in a flash of green fire. “You have a crush on Prominence?” Spike asked, a massive smile forming on his cute little baby dragon face. Twilight's joints locked up. Her back stiffened. Her jaw tightened as she stared at him. “Oh good Heavens what have I done.” “...Friends...” Celestia took a slow, deep breath as she continued pondering Discord's question. He'd been impeccably patient, though he looked worried. Finally, she came to a conclusion, but it wasn't the one she'd wanted to reach. “No.” She didn't let his pained expression slow her down at all. “No, Discord, we are not friends. We have each fought, horn, hoof, and claw against everything the other stands for, for centuries. And while I am willing to move forward in peace, the simple fact that I thought this was a trap is proof enough that I do not consider you a friend.” “I see. I suppose I can't really blame you, after all the horrors I've wrought.” He sighed wistfully. “Oh, the horrors. I miss them. But, sacrifices made for the greater good and all that.” “I wasn't finished, Discord. I want to be your friend.” He paused and stared at her for a moment. “Why?” “Because you are trying. I can see it, though millennium old instincts don't want to acknowledge it. You are trying to be a better draconequus than the chaotic demon I once fought. And you're succeeding. I would be honored to call the new Discord a friend. I just hope you'll afford me the time to see him as one.” “You're really willing to give me a chance?” He asked, staring into her eyes. “If I wasn't, you would've been punished for conspiring with Tirek by now.” “That reminds me, why was I never charged with treason?” He asked, stroking his beard. “Not that I necessarily would've let you punish me, but I keep expecting the guard to bust down my door and read me my rights.” “Well, legally, treason is a citizen's betrayal of their country,” Celestia told him with a crooked smile. “At the time, you weren't legally a citizen. In fact, you were still in our books as a piece of artwork. But that's been rectified by now, and your citizenship is in full effect.” “Oh ho...so I get all the rights of any tax paying Equestrian?” “That depends. Do you actually pay taxes?” She smiled playfully. Discord began whistling innocently as the brick wall vanished, forcing Celestia to once more take the role of Prominence. “That was a lovely chat, Prominence. Thank you so much. I look forward to spending more time getting to know you during your visit.” “Me too, Discord. You're certainly, ah, interesting?” “Oh, now, I don't know why you'd go and say a thing like that. I'm just me.” “You. Cannot. Tell her.” Twilight begged, laying on the floor before Spike. He stared at her, confused. What kind of dragon did she think he was? “Oh, come on, Twilight. I'm not gonna tell anypony. But why don't you tell her? Then you guys can..,uh...what's that look for?” He asked, noting the distinct way that Twilight was looking at him that seemed to say, 'Really? Really?' “Why don't you tell Rarity about your crush on her?” Spike frowned. “Right. Well, I'll help you with Prominence if you help me with Rarity!” He exclaimed with extraordinary enthusiasm. Twilight sighed, pulling herself back up into a sitting position. For all the silliness of the child's crush, he did seem to have a fair bit in common with the object of his affections. “Spike, I don't want to have this crush on Prominence. I don't need help winning her over, I just need help getting over her.” Spike gave her a disappointed frown, and she decided there was a change of subject was in order. “How exactly would I help you with Rarity?” “Well, she might not be interested in dragons. So I'd need you to turn me into a stallion.” He muscled through Twilight's stare. “You know, like how you turned the girls into breezies?” “Well, there's two problems with that. For one, if I made you a pony, you'd be a little colt. For another, if I turn you into a colt, I'd have to give in and turn Rainbow into a dragon. I don't think anypony is ready to deal with the rebuilding efforts that would follow.” “Oh. Right.” He sighed and looked down at the ground. Twilight frowned and set her hoof on his shoulder. “Look, Spike, even if I did turn you into a pony, you'd still be a dragon on the inside. Be what you are and let everypony love you for that. Because if Rarity falls in love with you as a pony, that pony's not who you really are. Now, come on. Why don't we make some lunch together?” “Alright,” He sighed, heading for the kitchen. Twilight followed behind him, frowning softly. All she could think about was how much she wanted Prominence to get back, and how much she didn't want to want it. “Show us! Show us!” Three adorable little fillies chanted at Prominence. They'd been questioning her for a while about her home, her job, her cutie mark, and now the actual magic that earned it. “Alright. I'm going to show you some, well, it's not really cold, but I call it cold fire.” She paused and looked at the unicorn. “Promise you won't try this yourself? Because you could really hurt somepony if you try it and make a mistake.” She received a nod, and lifted her hoof. With a flash of her horn, the hoof ignited in fire. “It's not hot at all.” she said, staring at the orange flames. “In fact, you can touch it.” She held out her hoof, and each of the little fillies reached into the fire, cooing in awe as they found no heat emanating from it. The teacher in Celestia ached to explain the process by which she was using her magic to immediately dissipate the heat that was a necessary product of a sustained reaction, or how she was fueling it with magic so nothing had to be burnt to keep the fire going, but it just wouldn't do. The explanation, if given to Prominence, would go right over her head. To Prominence, this would have to be something that she just sort of did. “And I can change the color, too.” It turned purple, matching the mane of the little pegasus. Then red, matching the earth filly. Then she paused and stared at the unicorn's mane. She wasn't sure which of the colors to-- “Just do the pink.” The unicorn sighed, and Prominence complied. She then extinguished the flames. “What did you think?” She asked the fillies. “Probably not as interesting as the spells Princess Twilight casts,” She said, allowing herself to use her title due to her absence, “But I've always been fond of that one.” “Actually, Twilight mostly just levitates stuff when we're around.” “I saw her turn a frog into an orange once, but it wasn't on purpose. She was aiming at an apple.” “Turnin' an apple into an orange? That's downright heresy!” “Do you even know what 'heresy' means?” “Uh...Somethin' bad?” Prominence watched as the little fillies fell apart into an argument of semantics. “Uh, I think I'll be going now. Alright, girls? Girls?” When she received no response, she continued on her way. As she walked, she became acutely aware of the fact that it was lunch time, reminded by the gurgling growl of her stomach. She picked out a small eatery and sat down at a table, ordering a salad. Once the waiter brought her meal, her eyes followed it down to the table, and she turned and thanked the young stallion. Then she turned to Pinkie Pie, seated across from her with a massive smile on her face. Her hoof went to her chest as her heart tried to burst right out of it from the surprise. “Pinkie Pie, when did you get here?” “Just now! I saw you eating alone, but since I never saw you eating alone before, I figured you must like to eat with other ponies, but since there weren't any other ponies sitting with you, I guessed you just couldn't find any, and it made me feel so sad that you were eating alone even though you didn't want to that I just had to come and eat with you!” She turned to the waiter as Prominence tried to digest her explanation. “I'll take a hay and cheese sandwich!” “And what sort of hay did you want, Pinkie?” The waiter asked, smiling. “Alfalfa!” “And the cheese?” “Hm...Today feels like a cottage day!” The waiter was unfazed. He must've taken Pinkie's order before. “You want cottage cheese on your alfalfa sandwich?” Prominence asked, grimacing with distaste. “Yep! Oh! And clovers! Put some clovers on that bad boy!” “One alfalfa and cottage with clovers, coming right up.” “So, why do you hate eating alone so much?” Pinkie asked with an innocent smile. “I actually don't have a problem with it” Prominence replied, skewering a few leaves of her salad with her fork. “But you never do it!” “I was just about to, though. I was going to do it right now.” “Oh, right.” Pinkie Pie idly tapped a hoof on the table. “So what's in the bag?” “Oh, just some clothes I bought from Rarity...and your head...” Prominence stared at her lunch partner. She took a bite of her salad as she did. “Ooh, pretty!” Pinkie's head shot out of the bag as she heard the gentle 'tak' of a plate being set on the table. “Ooh, sandwich!” She gobbled it down in three quick bites. “MMMMM-mm! That's some goooood eatin'! Well, if you're sure you don't mind eating alone, I got some stuff to take care of! Enjoy the rest of your lunch! It was nice seeing you!” She then proceeded to hop away, leaving Prominence somewhat, if not completely, dumbfounded. “Wait! Your sandwich, it--Oh.” She turned to the waiter. “I suppose I'm paying for her meal.” “Actually, she already paid for both of you.” He said with a pleasant smile. “Really? When?” “I have no idea. When somepony tips as well as Pinkie Pie does, I stop asking questions.” “I really need to stop sending ponies letters that I'm expecting responses to just before meals.” Twilight said, looking down at her bowl. “I know it's technically sterile, but the idea that it came out of your mouth kind of makes the soup just...I can't eat it anymore.” She pulled out the scroll and shook it off. “Sorry. I gotta work on my aim. I really thought I was just burping!” Spike told her, frowning down at his plate. “A completely understandable mistake. I just hope the letter's not unreadable.” She quickly set her magic to drying out the soup that had soaked into the parchment. Dear Twilight, Tell Spike I said congratulations. Out of all the smart alecks in the world, to be crowned the snarkiest is a big deal! In all seriousness, I'm sorry to hear about Spike. It sounds like he's testing his limits when it comes to pushing your buttons. Here's hoping that this phase is easier on you than cousin Blueblood's was on me. As for your crush, if Prominence is who I think it is, then I'm not entirely sure how to help. This is a lot more complex than the average infatuation, for obvious reasons. Luna's probably your best bet, even if love is more my domain. But if it's effecting your sleep, then I'd guess Luna's already aware of the issue. The advice I can give you is really the advice I'd give anypony who might be at the beginning of a romantic relationship. Be honest, and listen openly. Trust your partner to do the same, and never forget that there was a reason you had feelings for them in the first place. I'm not sure how helpful that will be at this point, but someday you'll have a use for that advice, whether it's Prominence or somepony else. Good luck, and if you need anything else, just let me know. Your brother and I will always be there for you. Your Loving Sister-in-law, Cadance Twilight felt warm and fuzzy. She always did whenever she talked to Cadance. She didn't know if it was adoration, or admiration, or just a byproduct of all the love magic that seemed to suffuse everything she touched (the letter was soaked in it, even more than with dried soup), but her sister-in-law always made things seem lighter, and less dramatic. Still, she wished she'd bothered to actually ask for advice on getting over a crush instead of just stating that she had one. She shot Spike a small, annoyed glare, but he was too busy eating to notice. Between the reassurance she'd gotten from the contact with Cadance and the vague advice Luna had given her, Twilight felt like she was ready to make her move, and get past this crush and get back to focusing on enjoying Celestia's company. But just to be safe, she should probably try and find some books, and do a little research. Celestia had set out today with a clear goal in mind: Find clues as to what exactly Twilight Sparkle was keeping from her. All she managed to actually learn was that, at least to Rarity's knowledge, Twilight did not have a special stallion in her life. The rest had been filled with fittings, a spa trip, a serious discussion with one of the least serious beings she knew, being interrogated by little fillies over her magic, and the shortest lunch meeting of her life. She began to wonder just when she became so easily distracted, but quickly reminded herself that she always liked to see where the day would lead her on its own. It was only her office that prevented her from doing it more often. As she thought on this, Rainbow Dash continued to recount to her the story of the latest Daring Do book, speaking as if she were the sidekick character that Yearling had introduced. She also thought on the troubling possibility that Rainbow Dash wasn't entirely clear on the idea of fiction. The very idea that Daring Do could be a real pony was preposterous. This would mean that the peace and safety of her world could have been at risk from incredibly dangerous ancient magics dozens of times over since the books started coming out, without Celestia's knowledge. It was simply unthinkable. Regardless, Celestia had read the book. As a result, she was only half listening as Rainbow spoke. It was a story she was entirely familiar with, which gave her the time for this introspection and—oh. Rainbow had just finished wrapping it up. She smiled at her, trying to show appreciation for the story. “So, you ever see a Sonic Rainboom, Prominence?” “Oh, uh, yes, actually.” She told her, fidgeting her hooves. Rainbow faltered. “You wha?” “The wedding, after the changeling invasion. I was actually getting bandaged up after one of them attacked me, but the window in the palace infirmary gave me a great view.” Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief. “Don't scare me like that. I thought somepony else was jacking my signature move!” “Hey, Rainbow," Applejack called as she sauntered towards them. "What's it like havin' somepony new in town to bore with all them stories about how great you are?” She asked, a playful smile on her face. “I dunno, what's it like having somepony to bore with all your apple stories?” Rainbow spat back before she had a chance to actually think of something that made sense. “I don't reckon I really got any apple stories,” She said, pretending to think as she rubbed her hoof on her chin. “Got plenty of stories about you crashin' in the orchard, though.” Rainbow grunted at Applejack, glaring at her, as the farmer gave her an insufferably smug smile. “Hey, remember that applebuck season when Big Mac got hurt? Oh, oh, or the time you ran away 'cause you couldn't win a blue ribbon in a rodeo?” Their foreheads were pressed together, they growled at one another, their eyes were narrowed. Prominence was almost certain they were about to come to blows. Instead, they each threw a foreleg over the other's shoulder as they began laughing “You two certainly have an...oddly abrasive relationship.” She noted, watching as Applejack calmed herself down. “Nah, it ain't really like that. We don't make fun of anything that either of us is really sore about.” Applejack explained, still hugging Dash with one leg. “Yeah. If we can't both laugh at it, neither of us laughs at it,” Dash confirmed, finally pulling out of the hug. “I see. Well, if it works for you, I suppose...” “Anyway, Dash, I got a hoof full of free time and a cartload of energy. You wanna race, or wrestle, or sumthin'?” “Sure! You in, Prominence?” “No, I, uh,” She took a moment to come up with an excuse. “I've been lugging these clothes around all day, it's probably time I actually take them back to my room at the palace.” “Alright, we'll catch you later!” Prominence smiled as she watched them walk off, purposely bumping into each other as they went. 'Definitely something more athletic, if I make another disguise.' She mused as she began her way back to the palace. 'She really should get some servants, if only to alert her when someone shows up.' She thought, looking around the empty halls as she made her way to her room. 'Or maybe just to keep it from being so uncomfortably quiet. Then again, maybe she likes this quiet. Maybe it reminds her of life in a library.' She stepped into her room and set down her bag, pulling out her purchases. She'd only bought two pieces, fairly casual and comfortable, making a single, simple outfit. She paused for a moment to look around her room, unsure why she felt the need to confirm her privacy, and began trying her clothes on. She'd done it at the boutique, of course, but, honestly, she just couldn't resist wearing them again. “Well,” She said to the mare in the mirror, “I may as well wear them now. After all, they won't fit for long.” She sat down on her bed for a moment. “I wonder what Twilight's up to.” She got up off the bed and trotted out the door of her room. There were four places in the palace that she could think of where Twilight might be spending her time: Her office, her study, the laboratory, and the library. And Prominence wasn't likely to think she had permission to enter any place so private as the first two, or as potentially dangerous as the third. So, she made her way to the library. If Twilight didn't turn out to be there, she could at least find a book to keep her company until dinner. She wandered around for a bit until she found the yellow line on the wall, following it to her destination. Once she reached the library, she casually ambled through the stacks, calmly browsing titles as she went. She grabbed a book that looked interesting and headed to the 'elevated reading nook.' If Twilight were in the library, she'd either be there, reading, or almost impossible to find among the bookshelves. Unfortunately, all that was waiting on the stage was a bunch of empty lounge chairs. She climbed into one and looked over her book. She'd heard of it before, but never taken the time for it. A strange comedy that drew its humor from being set in a place of absurdity, surreality, and danger, where the inhabitants viewed almost all of the strange and potentially deadly occurrences as either mundane or mildly troubling. She decided to get a taste for the humor first, cracking it open to a random page. Intrigued, though finding the particular entry childish, she decided to stick with her choice and headed back to the beginning. She wasn't normally one for the second person narrative, having emotions and views forced upon her by the author, but it seemed that, if anything could truly manipulate her emotions simply by a desire to change them, or take her agency from her, it would be the strange forces controlling this little desert town. It was only when she moved back to the beginning of the book that she realized it was not all in this same format. Eventually she paused and looked up, smiling to see Twilight standing there. “Oh, hello, Twilight!” Twilight stared. That wasn't fair. That wasn't fair at all. Here she was, spending her day trying to find ways to get past her crush on Prominence, and now she stumbles upon her in a simple yet elegant white blouse and a long red skirt, in the library, curled up with a wonderfully strange book. It was like she was purposely trying to be even more desirable. She had to cling with all her might to the idea that Prominence hated coffee just to keep her wits about her. She looked over to the stack of books she'd been gathering, hanging in the air in a magenta aura, and quickly set them off to the side, hopefully far enough that Celestia wouldn't be able to make out any titles. “Oh, um, hey, Prominence! I was just planning on reorganizing those books. They've all got similar topics, so they should probably be closer together, and, um, I like your outfit. Did Rarity make it?” “Yeah! Then we went to the spa with Fluttershy and Discord, but he got kicked out. Then I took a walk with him, and then I had lunch with Pinkie Pie, and then Rainbow Dash told me about Daring Do. I even ran into Applejack. It's been a pretty eventful day.” “Yeah, life in Ponyville can keep you busy. Wait, why did Discord get kicked out of the spa?" "Um, I think it was Aloe, she was giving him a massage, and when she said that his muscles were tense, he told her, uh, 'Those aren't muscles.'" Her Discord voice would need some work. "And then they were sort of uncomfortable about his presence and asked him to leave" In reality, they weren't so much uncomfortable as panicked and disgusted, and they didn't ask him to leave so much as shriek. "Huh. If they weren't muscles, what were they?" Prominence just shrugged in response to Twilight's question. "Um, anyway, I was wondering I could talk to you somewhere private.” A groan echoed through Celestia's head, but Prominence simply nodded, smiling pleasantly, if looking a bit bewildered. She followed Twilight to a much smaller room, and the princess cast the sound proofing spell. “I was wondering, um, could you tell me...” Her mind blanked. “I was supposed to ask...” she groaned. “...Of all the times to not remember a dream! All I can remember is that Luna suggested I ask you something!” She smacked her hoof against her forehead a few times, as if trying to jar the memory loose. “Well, while you try to remember, and as long as I'm breaking character, I might take a chance to gloat over something I learned today from Rarity.” Twilight's breathing became quick and panicked. Had Rarity told her? She wouldn't! Would she?! “Oh yeah?” She asked as calmly as she could manage, which was certainly not very calmly at all. “W-what's that?” “She says that you told her she reads too many romance novels.” She gave Twilight a grin that rivaled even Pinkie's biggest smiles. “Oh, the very idea tickles me to no end. Twilight Sparkle, of all ponies, telling somepony else they read too many books. The same mare who, as a foal, would deny the possibility of 'too many books' so very adamantly, even to the point where she would decry her teacher, a princess, as a blasphemer.” Twilight couldn't decide whether to be relieved that Rarity had shared that instead of the much bigger secret, or mortified that Celestia found out she said that. “If you can't remember what you were supposed to ask, I'll try asking Luna myself while I'm asleep, alright?” Twilight nodded, a vacant look on her face as she continued to feel ambivalent over the whole 'too many books' fiasco. “Is there anything else you wished to discuss?” “No, nothing. Sorry for wasting time.” She hung her head, frowning. She had felt like she was making such good progress, too. “It's fine.” Celestia told her with a smile as she headed over to the door. She paused just before she opened it. “By the way, you may want to set Rarity straight. She seems to have some misconceptions about your sexuality.” She walked out the door and down the hall as Twilight just stood for a moment in silent shock. “Wait, what?”