“I do hope this isn’t permanent. You have no idea how hard it is to coordinate anything with rainbow.” Rarity paused a moment before falling back on her pillow. “No offense, Rainbow Dash.”
“None taken.” Rainbow Dash barely altered her stare. She had been keeping a close watch on Fluttershy the entire afternoon. Twilight, still taking up residence in the body of less outspoken Pegasus, tried to blend in with the décor of the castle bedroom. The Apple’s and Pinkie Pie had taken it upon themselves to escort the Crusaders home after seeing Rarity safely delivered to her recovery room.
Celestia adjusted the shade on the window before addressing the much smaller group. “I’m sure it will pass in time. You should probably get some rest—it seems you have been through quite a lot lately.”
Rarity eased into the bed wiggling to try and find a comfortable position. Reaching up to pat her neck, she cleared her throat. “If it wouldn’t be too much of a bother, could I trouble somepony to fetch me a little glass of water?”
Spiked jumped up and sprinted for the door. “I’ll get it.” In a flash, he was gone—the pitter-patter of his tiny feet echoed down the hallway.
Celestia leaned over to help tuck her patient in. “Is there anything else we can do to help make you more comfortable?”
Rarity blushed, still not used to the doting of the princess in her regard. “Actually, I feel quite well—much better than earlier. In fact, everything from last night to when I woke up in the hospital seems a bit of a blur, but currently I feel perfectly fine.”
Twilight spoke up from her crouched position near the dresser in the corner. “I’m so glad to hear that, Rarity.” Rainbow Dash couldn’t keep her eyes off her. The intense scrutiny bore down on Twilight. Her growing uneasiness helped to validate her cover in a way. Taking on another persona wasn’t easy, but at least she had that going for her.
Celestia backed away from the bed and headed toward the door. “If you would all please excuse me then, I have my royal duties that I need to attend to.”
Twilight tried to seize the opportunity to have some private time with the princess. “I would love to join you—if you don’t mind.”
To her slight dismay, Rainbow Dash chimed in as well. “Yeah, it’s not every day we get to see the sunset up close in Ponyville.”
Spike rushed in the door holding the glass of water he had gone to fetch. Wobbling forward, he was careful not to spill as he handed it up to Rarity. Rarity’s horn sputtered and failed—her magic not quite able to perform the simple task of levitation. Without the assistance of her fully functional horn, she took the glass in her hoof and added something of her own. “I think I’ll stay here, if it’s all the same.”
“Do you mind if I stay with you tonight, Rarity?” Spike looked down at the floor and grasped his hands behind his back. “It’s been kind of lonely without Twilight and I would really appreciate it if I could sleep here with you.” Rarity stared down at Spike and her eyes got big. Spike shook out his hands and backed away a step. “Not like in the same bed or anything—I can curl up over in the corner, if that’s all right with you.”
Rarity returned a smile. “Of course you can stay, Spike. Just, um… separate beds would be lovely.”
“Then I will take my leave and say good evening to you both. I hope you sleep well.” Celestia bowed her head and turned to leave the room. Rainbow Dash and Twilight ran up and gave Rarity a hug before following the princess out.
The clip clop of three sets of hooves echoed down the upper hall and around the small spiral staircase leading down to the main hallway. Celestia led the way toward the throne room and the great balcony where she would perform her nightly ritual. Twilight couldn’t shake the feeling that her every step was being closely watched by the vigilant gaze of Rainbow Dash.
Reaching the balcony, Celestia stepped out into the light. “Please stand back—this will only take a moment.” She spread her wings and gently lifted off from the crystal platform. Her horn ignited with the warmth and power of the sun as she focused her energy on commanding the heavenly orb to set. The crystal in her wrap glinted off the failing rays of the setting sun. In near perfect harmony with her actions, the corresponding fixture of the night rose into the sky. As she lit upon the ground and the magic glow of her horn faded away, she spoke to the newly risen moon, “Thank you, dear sister.”
Rainbow Dash had a smile plastered on her face. “Wow. That’s even more awesome to see up close.”
Twilight stood up and turned to head back inside. A repeating dull thud made her stop and consider the source of the noise. A voice from below reached her ears, if only just barely. “Hello up there. Would you please be so kind as to answer your door?” The three ponies headed for the railing and looked down to take in the sight. There, on the front porch, stood Morning Glory and Cloudy Skies. A pile of luggage was stacked neatly behind them.
Twilight gasped. “Oh no! My parents.”
Rainbow half-heartedly waved as she pulled back from the railing and gave an aside to Celestia and Fluttershy. “It’s not like the door’s locked or anything.”
Twilight spread her wings and hopped over the edge. In tight spirals, she floated down toward the waiting ponies and the mountain of luggage. Two more sets of wings unfurled and soon she was joined by Rainbow Dash and the princess. Morning Glory stood in awe of her daughter and quickly stumbled into a bow before the princess as the trio landed. Reaching out and knocking her husband’s foreleg, she helped him remember to do the same.
“You must be Fluttershy’s parents. How lovely to make your acquaintance.” Celestia smiled and turned to see the look of horror spreading across Twilight’s face.
“It is an honor to be in your presence, your majesty.” Morning Glory bowed even lower, nearly kissing the ground before looking up to see the confused looks of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy staring back. She stood back up and ruffled her feathers before turning to her daughter. “We tried your cottage dear, but you seem to have some sort of unruly bear guarding the place. That hovel is simply overrun with beasts—really not the kind of accommodations we were hoping for.”
“There are plenty of spare rooms in the castle if you would like to stay here.” Celestia made the offer much to the chagrin of Twilight who planted a yellow hoof in her own forehead.
“We appreciate the kind offer, but we could never dream of imposing on royalty. We should really make due with our daughter’s simple cottage and its creature menagerie, your highness.” Morning Glory elbowed her husband in the ribs.
Reaching back to rub the sore spot on his side, Cloudy Skies added, “But since we’re already here, wouldn’t it be so much easier with all our luggage if we just stayed in the castle for tonight? Right, dear?” Both parents turned and stared contemptuously at their daughter.
“Fine. You can stay here.” Twilight forgot her place once again and was quick to avert her eyes from the intimidating stare of Rainbow Dash. Pulling her mane in around her face, she mumbled, “We’ll take your things inside.” The trio of elders walked away as Celestia showed her guests inside to the sitting room.
With brief glances in the window, Twilight watched as they settled in. The pile of luggage slowly receded as she and Rainbow Dash worked to transport it all up to the guest quarters. Alone with her unexpected guests while they did so, Celestia seemed to be having second thoughts as her ears looked about ready to fall off from the constant bombardment of Fluttershy’s chatty mother. Cloudy Skies sat back and seemed to be testing the softness of the Earth Pony chairs in the sitting room staying as far from the conversation as he could.
Rainbow Dash tried to get to the bottom of her friend’s strange temperament as they both worked to move the pile. “Fluttershy, are you feeling okay?”
“Of course, why do you ask?” Twilight raised her guard hoping not to step out of line again.
“It’s just that ever since I came to get you earlier, you just haven’t seemed to be your usual self.” Rainbow heaved a particularly heavy suitcase and took to the air.
Twilight grabbed a couple bags and followed. “I guess it’s just my parents—they can be a bit much.”
“Yeah, but it seems like it’s more than just that.” Rainbow regarded her with another inquisitive stare. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Maybe it has to do with Twilight going missing, or the fact that Rarity spent most of the day in the hospital.” Twilight tried to cover all her bases and give the most convincing argument as to why she hadn’t performed her best impression of Fluttershy all day. “Maybe I just need to get back to my animals—I’m sure they’ve missed me.”
“All right, but you be sure and tell me if you’re coming down with something. I don’t want to have you end up in the hospital too.” Rainbow Dash tossed the overloaded suitcase in the window of the guest room on the upper floor of the castle.
Twilight did the same with her bags before replying, “I appreciate your concern, but I’m sure it’s just the stress of visiting with my parents and worrying about my poor animal friends back home. I should really get back to them.” The pair swung back down to the ground having completed the task of delivering the stack of luggage upstairs.
Twilight walked in the main castle doors and went over to the sitting room to see how the princess was getting along with her host’s parents. Celestia shot her a relieved but forced smile as she entered. “Oh Fluttershy, it’s getting late and we should probably get to bed soon—big day tomorrow and all.” Celestia stretched in a mock display of tiredness.
Twilight joined her in fanning out her wings and reaching back to stretch out her back legs. “You’re absolutely right, princess. I better get home and check on my animal friends.”
Celestia’s smile forced to stretch across her face. “Why don’t you just stay here tonight? I’m sure your little friends won’t mind if you stay the night here with your parents in town.”
“Well, I’m out. See you all later.” Rainbow Dash waved over Fluttershy’s head and quickly darted out the castle doors.
“Now don’t be silly, dear,” Morning Glory retorted. “Of course you’ll be staying here with us tonight. The princess has graciously offered to put us up and you’re the whole reason we’re even here.” The irony of that statement wasn’t lost on Twilight.
Twilight shifted her gaze from the stern faced mother to the pleading princess and back again. “All right, but just for one night.”
Celestia got up and quickly ushered her out the door. Turning back to the parents, she made a weak excuse for privacy. “Excuse us just a moment—I need to check to make sure the rooms are prepared.” Leaving the parents to themselves, Celestia tried to work in a few moments with Twilight.
“You really didn’t have to do that.” Twilight shook her head as she walked up the stairs careful to be out of earshot of her parents.
“Old habit. At least I can help keep an eye on them for you while you figure out your current Trial.” Celestia smiled up in earnest this time. “I believe congratulations are in order for passing your first Trial then?”
“I guess. I’m not really sure I did anything special except to end up sending my friend to the hospital.” Twilight ran over the memory of the event where Rarity’s element accepted her actions as a form of mastery in Generosity.
Reaching the top of the stairs, they unexpectedly ran into Spike. He raised his arms to stretch out a yawn. “Hey you guys. I was just about to head to bed and I thought I’d come say goodnight.”
Caught a little by surprise, Celestia returned to monarch mode. “Spike, Fluttershy and her parents will be staying the night. Would you please show our guests downstairs to their room?”
“No problem.” Spike gave a quick salute and ran off down the stairs. Twilight could have sworn she heard him mumble something about a Hotel of Friendship as he passed.
Twilight and the princess continued down the hall and came to the lower guest quarters where Celestia had taken up temporary residence. “It’s been a very long day and we should probably both get some rest.” Celestia reached down and patted Twilight on her shoulder. “You can continue to sort things out tomorrow.”
“I guess you’re right, princess. I just hope my parents don’t get in the way of completing the Trial.”
“I’ll try my best to see that they don’t interfere. Have a good night and I’ll see you in the morning.” Celestia reached down and gave the Flutterfied Twilight a hug. They parted and entered opposite facing rooms. Twilight was happy to finally see a bed and threw herself down on it. Before long, she was dreaming once again.
“Rise and shine, lazy lump.” Morning Glory’s wakeup call joined with an abrupt removal of Twilight’s covers served as ample incentive to get out of bed. “It’s impolite to sleep in whilst a guest in someone else’s home.” Twilight rolled over and rubbed her eyes. The room came into focus as she met the stern glare of her host’s mother impatiently tapping her hoof waiting for a response.
“Yes, mother.” Twilight hung her head and slid off the bed.
“Hurry along now. You’ve already missed the sunrise, and you don’t want to be late for breakfast too.” Morning Glory smacked Twilight’s haunch as she trudged past.
“Ouch! That hurt.” Twilight rubbed the spot on her rump just to the side of her cutie mark. “Why’d you hit me?”
“Discipline, young lady. It seems to be the only way to get through to you.” Morning Glory held her head high. “As your mother I expected far more from you. At least you seem to have caught the eye of the princess—who knows how you managed that. If it weren’t for her, we most certainly would have turned around and left the moment we found that vermin infested hovel you call home.”
“My friends aren’t vermin.” Twilight grumbled while continuing to rub her smarting backside.
“Well then, it seems I have my work cut out for me.” Morning Glory strutted past and out into the hallway. “I’ll need to work harder to get your head back in the clouds where it belongs.” She turned back with her signature glare. “Chop, chop, dear. We mustn’t keep the princess waiting.” Twilight sighed and begrudgingly followed.
Breakfast passed in silence for Twilight. Her bowl of oats looked less and less appealing as the minutes ticked by. The ongoing prattle of her mother served as a constant reminder of the terrible burden that Fluttershy must have grown up with. She couldn’t wait for the meal to finish so she could retreat to her home and work on figuring out her current Trial.
Cloudy Skies seemed to have adapted quite well to life with the overbearing mare. Detached and aloof, he readily agreed with everything that was required and kept his distance the rest of the time. Twilight had no doubt why Fluttershy was an only child—one was disappointment enough for her unappeasable mother.
Waiting for what she thought was a pause in the conversation, Twilight interjected, “I think I better get home and see how my animal friends are doing.”
Morning Glory shot back another glare. “Fluttershy, dear, it’s impolite to interrupt.” Turning back to the glossy eyed Celestia, she continued her one sided conversation. “And that’s how I knew the static charge wasn’t fully—“
Twilight stood up and pushed her chair back from the table. “I’m going home. I need to check up on my friends.” Without a pause to consider the shock on her mother’s face, she turned and walked out of the dining room. She didn’t make it half way down the hall before two ponies skittered to a halt blocking her path.
“What has gotten into you, child? That was incredibly rude—and to think you made us have to apologize to the princess…” Morning Glory covered her eyes as she began to tear up. She laid her head across her husband’s shoulder.
“Just look at the trouble you’ve caused.” The glare from Cloudy Skies echoed the look Twilight knew well. “You need to march right back in there and say you’re sorry.”
“I may be your daughter, but I’m not a child. I’m a grown mare and I’ve decided that I’m going home.” Twilight flapped her wings and floated over her parents heads. She flew over to the door leading to the small auxiliary balcony off the main hall. Opening the window and preparing to leave the castle, she took a final glance back at her parents.
“Wait a moment, dear.” Morning Glory wiped away a tear from her cheek while remaining sprawled across her husband’s back. “Perhaps I’ve been a bit harsh. Could you give us a moment to smooth things over with the princess, and then, perhaps, we could all go see your—uhhh—home?”
Twilight floated down and looked her mother in the eye. “As long as you can agree that it’s my home and my rules. My friends aren’t vermin and my cottage is not a hovel.” She flipped back her mane and caught the full on view of her mother with both unflinching eyes.
Shakily, Morning Glory released her grip on her husband’s mane. “All right, Fluttershy. Your home—your rules.” Twilight turned to her father who just rolled his eyes and nodded his head.
After a brief, conciliatory meet-up with the princess, the family trio winged their way toward Fluttershy’s cottage. Twilight followed the glittering stream along the path toward the house on the very edge of town. While in flight, a mixed flock of birds joined them, chirping happily to welcome her home. Twilight got the shock of her life when she realized she could actually understand what they were saying.
Even more surprising was her ability to chirp back a greeting of her own. She called out hello and thank you in rapid succession. With her newfound talent, she performed a barrel roll and spun into a hum of a lighthearted song while the birds danced and sang on the breeze in harmonic accompaniment. Her parents hung back in awe of their daughter’s bewildering interaction.
Landing on the short winding path leading up to her front door, Twilight waved goodbye to her bird friends. A moment later, she was joined by her parents who huddled behind, afraid to approach the giant guard bear blocking the way forward. Twilight approached the fearsome pile of fur and was immediately tackled. Cloudy Skies jumped behind his wife and they both shrieked in terror. Twilight laid back and basked in the sticky slop of her bear friend’s tongue as it lashed against her coat in affectionate strokes.
“I’m glad to see you too,” Twiilght roared with a bit of a giggle. The bear grunted back his own greeting and peeled back to allow her to stand. He lumbered off the path and plopped back down out of the way glaring at Fluttershy’s parents as they shuffled past.
Safely inside, Cloudy Skies slammed the door shut by throwing all his weight back into it and then sunk to the ground. “Are you sure this place is safe, dear? Having a bear for a doorman is quite possibly the worst choice I think you could ever make.”
“As long as he doesn’t hear you say that, I think you’ll be fine.” Twilight reached down and scooped up Angel. The bunny’s whiskers tickled her cheek as he whispered into her ear. Twilight squeaked back before setting him down and turning back to her parents. “Angel just wanted to remind you both to wipe your hooves—he just mopped the floor.”
Morning Glory stared at the immaculately clean and cozy living space. From nearly every location possible, a birdhouse was hung or a patch of straw was arranged, but everything was neat and fresh. The lovely smell of freshly blooming flowers carried through the windows with the morning breeze. “If I hadn’t seen this with my own eyes, I would have never believed you, Fluttershy dear.” Catching herself gawking, she put a bit of a spin on things. “While it’s really nothing compared to the majesty of cloud based living, it does have a certain rustic charm.”
Cloudy Skies gazed around the room from his slumped perch sitting against the door. “Whatever you say dear.” His words rang hollow as he took in the splendid view.
“Make yourself at home, I’m going to head upstairs and take a moment to freshen up.” Twilight really just wanted to get away and have some time to herself. Having her parents crashing in her house certainly put a damper on figuring out what it was she needed to accomplish with the Element of Kindness.
She walked up to her room and shut the door behind her. A family of ducks hastily moved to waddle off her bed, but quaking her hospitable acceptance, Twilight urged them to stay. The thought of being able to communicate with every kind of animal was quickly becoming Twilight’s favorite new ability. It nearly outweighed the absence of her horn—at least for now. She moved past the bed and strode into the bathroom, eager to wash away her stress with a calming shower.
Checking to see that she had a fresh towel at the ready, she stepped into the shower stall. Before she had a chance to turn the handle for the water, she heard her mother shriek. Dashing from the bathroom and darting past the ducks once again, she flung open the door and nearly threw herself over the railing. She nearly lost herself with laughter at the sight below.
Morning glory cowered behind a pillow fending off the advances of a lowly field mouse. It seemed that one of Fluttershy’s rodent friends had taken it upon himself to offer their guests a bit of a snack. He held a cracker at the ready—a menacing sight if ever there was one to behold.
Twilight called down to her besieged parent, “It’s okay mom. He’s not going to kill you with kindness.”
Morning Glory peeked over the pillow and hesitantly reached for the offering. “A-All right then…” Once accepted, she slowly moved to deposit the wafer on the table beside her. “I’ll just save that for later. Don’t want to spoil my breakfast.”
Cloudy Skies had moved to an easy chair and was staying occupied watching a trio of ferrets that were performing an entertaining interpretive dance routine. Twilight chuckled and returned to her shower. It amazed her that in all these years, this was probably the first time Fluttershy’s parents had ever been to Ponyville, let alone this cottage. The resentment of their daughter’s choice to live on land must have been a huge obstacle in their relationship. It didn’t help that Morning Glory seemed to hold her daughter’s friendship with her own self as Princess Twilight in such low regard.
Turning on the water and stepping into the warm spray, all her worries melted away. The gentle rain splattered across her feathered wings and drained through her flowing mane. She swished her tail to help work the moisture through the sagging strands of hair. As the water washed across the delicate pink butterflies adorning her flank, the nagging pain of her mother’s morning blow to her backside flashed back into focus. Why would she ever strike her daughter like that? Twilight had to question the parental role and what she perceived as a gross overstep of those bounds—especially given Fluttershy’s age. She wasn’t a filly any longer.
With the water having done the job of relaxing her muscles and washing away the dirt and sweat of the previous day and night’s activities, Twilight took to her towel to work out the lingering dampness in her coat. A gentle brushing, albeit a manual one, soon brought the luster back to her mane and tail. Renewed and refreshed, she stepped from her bathroom ready to face her current Trial head on.
She could have sworn she heard one of the ducks whistle at her, but she didn’t have a chance to react as a gentle knocking came from her bedroom door. She reached over and turned the handle pulling back the door to reveal her mother sitting back and holding up the very same mouse she had recoiled from just minutes ago. The little critter held in its forelegs a simple bouquet of flowers—nothing too fancy, just a few garden variety splotches of color.
“I don’t know what to say. I think he wants to give them to me.” Morning Glory looked utterly confused, but in a good way. Twilight reached down and picked up the mouse and brought him up to her ear so she could try and make out his tiny squeaks.
Placing him back in her mother’s outstretched hoof, she replied, “He wants to apologize for scaring you earlier. The flowers are his way of saying he’s sorry and that he hopes you can forgive him.”
“I-I-I…” Morning Glory was speechless for once. She looked down into the tiny critter’s beady black eyes and took hold of the flowers with her other hoof. “Thank you very much. I don’t think anyone’s given me flowers in as long as I can remember.” She set the rodent down and he happily scampered away.
“Come in and have a seat, mom.” Twilight could feel a moment brewing. “I think you have some things you need to get off your chest and so do I.”
Morning Glory entered and the duck family took their leave, exiting the same way she had come. With the bed now free, Twilight plopped herself down and fluffed up a spot next to her urging her mother to have a seat as well. With a bit of lingering reluctance, the elder mare lifted herself up and settled into position.
Twilight took the lead. “I don’t know what it is you have against my decision to live down here, mother, but as you can see, I’m perfectly happy. I just wish you and dad could see that and come to accept that I’m old enough to make my own choices, even if you don’t agree with them.”
Morning Glory cracked a bit of a smile. “Fluttershy, I no idea what a wonderful young mare you had become. All these years I’ve been beating myself up inside for thinking that I failed to bring you up right. I’ve been mad at myself for failing to turn you into the perfect Pegasus I had envisioned you to be. I see now that I was wrong.” She sighed and let out a chuckle. “How strange that a mouse had to be the one to make me see the error of my ways.”
Twilight smiled back. “Do you still think I live in a vermin infested shack?”
“Not at all.” Morning Glory hung her head. “If you hadn’t stood up to me earlier, I would have never come here to see all of this. It’s simply amazing.”
“Maybe I just needed a swift kick in the rear to set me off.” Twilight chuckled. “Seriously though, I’m really too old to be getting spanked by my mother.”
“I’m very sorry dear, old habits die hard. I’m afraid I was all caught up in the spectacle of royalty.” Morning Glory pulled back a bit. “How did you manage to get in so tight with Princess Celestia?”
Twilight straightened up. “She’s a very good friend of mine and whenever she needs my help, I’m there to give it—just like with Princess Twilight.”
Morning Glory sighed and turned up her nose. “Don’t tell me you’re still friends with that upstart Princess Sparkle.”
“Actually, I am, and by the looks of things, you don’t approve of my choice in friends.” Twilight tried to remain calm. The conversation was heading into deeper waters and she wasn’t sure she could tread lightly any more.
“Why would you be friends with the likes of her? She barely becomes a princess and she’s got the entire town signed up to construct her a royal palace—as if she’s entitled to it for some reason or another.” Morning Glory waved her hoof in the air. “Although it is quite lovely, I’ve never seen a more perverse usurpation of power in my life.”
Twilight rolled over and could barely contain her laughter. “You actually think Twilight wanted a castle?”
“Why is that so funny?” Morning Glory stared at her daughter with a look of utter confusion.
“If you want to know the truth, Twilight never asked for that castle. It was given to her when we all came together to support her as she fought to free everypony from Lord Tirek. Without Twilight, and without all of us to help her, you wouldn’t be able to live in the clouds or have an amazing princess like Celestia to adore. We’d all be flightless and magicless ponies serving a cruel taskmaster. Twilight is my friend and I know she feels the same about me.”
Morning Glory cocked her head to the side. “That’s certainly a different story than I’ve ever heard. Perhaps I should have a chat with Princess Celestia and see about dispelling some rumors that have been floating around Cloudsdale.”
Twilight rolled back over and looked into her mother’s eyes. “I think what’s more important is that you realize that I love you. Even though we’ve been through a lot, I’m still grateful you are my mother. I hope that you know I didn’t come to Ponyville to run away from you and dad. I found my destiny here—it’s where I found my friends, both my animal friends and my pony friends.”
“I think I see that now. I just had to get my head out of the clouds long enough to see clearly and now it’s all coming into focus.” Morning Glory reached out to give her daughter a hug. As she wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy’s neck, a familiar burst of rainbow color filled the room.
Twilight could feel herself slipping away as the frightened mother mare reeled back shouting for her husband. Hoping for a smooth transition, she sunk into the blackness and felt the welcoming weightlessness of the pool’s water surround her. Swimming to the surface, she was once again greeted by a familiar hoof.
“Took a little longer this time, didn’t we?” Starswirl gazed down on her.
“You could skip the lecture and just help me out of here.” Twilight grabbed his hoof and the wizard helped pull her from the pool.