//------------------------------// // Whats a buoy? // Story: A Different Perspective // by Living Madness //------------------------------// Twilight was not having a very good day. Well scratch that, she was having a good day at first. Twilight had gotten a letter from Canterlot asking her if she would care to join in the Canterlot royal summit, now that she was a princess it was only fair she rightfully attend. Grabbing her best quill and most luxurious notebook, complete with the multi coloured ribbon bookmarks and a choice of different sized lines of different fonts for her to write on if she so chose. With mild trepidation and hopeful determination she was as prepared (or in anyone else's case overly prepared) for the task of attending her first royal summit. That was the first disappointment. Yes as it turns out that for some time now the royal summit was a code word for weekend long holiday. The princess of Equestria had used this for many years now, locking down part of the castle, they were pretty much free to do as they pleased for three whole days. They could never outright take three days off there was too much to run, and too much (as Luna would say) needless whining from the nobles to simply take this time off. So this well kept secret was a way for the overworked rulers to stretch their legs for a while, much to Twilight dismay. Yes leave it to Twilight of all pony's to be disappointed and upset about being given a free holiday. Well that wasn't particularly fair she wasn't upset exactly. As she came to realise that she was still going to spend the weekend with Celestia and Luna. Cadence had even shown up which was always a welcome addition, she was more than happy to get away from the stress of running an empire. The more Twilight thought about it the more she warmed up quickly to the idea a three day long sleepover with just mares, it was going to be as Dash would so elegantly put it “awesome”. And it was, up until they started doing that thing again. "And pray tell what did thou do next!?" Luna yelled slamming down her hoof with anticipation nearly knocking over the tea set as she leaning over the comfortably sized gilded table that was flanked at all sides by the four rulers of Equestria. "Well" Cadence began a small smirk on her muzzle. "Well he storms up to me almost demanding that I hand over the gold. So without missing a beat I calmly turn to face him and say 'You forget yourself Count Snowdrop, a Cadenza always pays their debts." Luna begins to laugh uproariously at the story, slamming her hoof down further onto the table as Cadence joins her in laughter. Even Celestia was chuckling lightly at the story as she did her best to catch the falling China tea cups as they vibrate off the table. "Most excellent niece, we would have told him to pay the iron price for it." Luna catches her breath enough to comment setting off another bout of laughter from the group. "Of course you would auntie." Cadence playfully mocked rolling her eyes. The only one who was not laughing was Twilight, who was looking at the other three princesses in utter confusion. "I don't understand, why would you say that?" Twilight asked innocently. Cadence stops her laughing, instead she gives Twilight a queer look. "Well when was I ever going to get a chance to quote a line from Game of Thrones?" Twilight furrows her brow further. "Game of Thrones what's that some sort of novel?" An abrupt cough snaps Twilight and Cadence attention to Celestia as she gives Cadence a knowing look. Cadence quickly remembers her mistake blushing lightly as she sunk back into her seat. The unusual action only heightening Twilights curiosity further as she catches Cadences submissive reaction out the corner of her eye. "It was a... play, from well before your time Twilight." Celestia calmly answers, letting out only a small hint of hesitation in her voice as she spoke. The answer doesn't seem to satisfy Twilight at all, as the loopholes in Celestial answer formed in her mind. "But if it was from so long ago, why does Cadence know it? She's only a decade older than me and I've never heard of it." The question catches Celestia off guard, at points she’s always been proud of Twilights powers of observation but she was digging into a secret as old as Celestia and Luna themselves, and such a secret was not so lightly given up. "Well you see--" "What Tia is trying to say Twilight is that she would act out this play for Cadence when she was a filly to help her sleep, isn't that right Cadence." Luna added whilst not too subtly kicking Cadence under the table, making the love princess almost spill her tea. "Oh uh yes, I had problems sleeping as a filly and aunty Celestia would act out the play to me to help me sleep." She quickly adds, almost too quickly. Twilight thought about the answer for a minute, how would Luna know this, she was still on the moon when Cadence was a filly. Also now that she thought about it why didn't Celestia ever act out the play for her when she was a filly? It was no secret Twilight had trouble falling asleep as well, especially when there were books to be read, with the amount of nocturnal hours she spent in the library it was any wonder she didn’t have permanent bags under her eyes. Before she could answer however a sharp knocking at the door pulled her thoughts away from the conundrum. "Ah that must be dinner." Celestia quickly states, trying to pull the conversation away from the uncomfortable line of questioning. "Thank the moon I could eat a horse." Luna stated, getting no odd reactions from any other pony besides Twilight, who once again was look at Luna in shock. That was a more than morbid remark for a herbivore to say. Twilight gave herself a moment to collect herself once again giving the statement the benefit of the doubt before shaking her head quickly and turning to the door. The door opens up quickly as a line of Castle servants enters the room like a living train of pony's, each carrying a different assortment of foods and beverages into the hall. The food was quickly levitated onto the table in its assorted order. Salad for Celestial and Cadance, a grilled enormous mushroom topped with cheeses and garlic for Luna complete with a bottle of red wine for all, and a large Prench onion soup with dipping bread for Twilight. The other Alicorns wasted no time digging in as Twilight sighs looking down at her dish in defeat, her questions left once again unanswered. This was not the first time this had happened in fact as far back as she could remember the Alicorns were acting and saying strange things around one another. As Celestias student she considered it was some form of code or perhaps something she was simply not meant to know. But now that she was a fellow Princess and as stated by Celsetia, Luna and Cadance an equal to her fellow princesses she thought at least they would stop being so secretive around her. It had even crossed her mind that it could have been some form of schizophrenia, however the morbid point held little weight when Twilight considered the astronomical impossibility that all three princesses had contracted the mental illness also noting that the closest thing to this was Nightmare moon and she had not mentioned anything like what the princesses were saying in the last encounter with her. This left only the possibility that they were keeping something from her. The thought saddened Twilight as she let her mind brood. She couldn't help but think back to the first time she had experienced one of these secrets. A filly Twilight nearly nine years old, yawned as she closed the book she was studying. She looked outside the castle window only to realise by the rising sun just how late she had been studying. She let out a panicked squeak as she realised Celestia was now up and would be waiting for Twilight any minute to begin her studies. Never one for tardiness, even realising how tired she was, she pushed herself off the chair she was on and bound down the castle hallways, in the direction of her teachers domain. Racing down the halls she was relieved to see that the guards were nowhere to be seen, meaning that it was around six am, the time the night guards changed posts with the morning team. Twilight hesitantly knocked on the door, getting no response from the owner inside, again and again she knocked, until finally she gave in and lit up her horn moving the door handle open and passing the door just enough to let her small form Inside. Looking around the equally enormous chamber, she hesitantly advanced inside, scanning the room as she pushed further through the door, she hesitated flicking her ears up as she heard a gruff voice a few metres behind her "Man these morning shift suck." "You said it next time remind me never to be late for inspection, I swear Captain Sturm Hoof has it out for me." Another deep voice agrees, moving closer to the chamber door. The voices sent Twilight into a panic she realised was going to get caught red handed sneaking into Celestias room without permission, and if Celestia finds out she's going to be punished maybe she’ll stop teaching her, or worse send her back to magic kindergarten. The thought sent Twilight into a full blown panic, she didn't want to go back to magic kindergarten, she only just graduated a few years ago the embarrassment would kill her. Pushing through her panicked state, she quickly closed the door running over to one of the potted plants that numbered around the chamber, doing her best to seem as small as possible as she heard the hooves come closer and closer towards the door stopping just at the entrance. Twilight allowed herself to catch her breath as moments of silence confirmed she had successfully evaded detection. It was only then that Twilight noticed another sound. She flicked her ears in the direction of the sound behind a closed door she could hear the cascade of running water, but that wasn't what got her attention it was the voice coming from behind it. Somepony was singing. She wanted to panic now more than ever. She knew that voice anywhere, it was Celestias voice. Which meant she had locked herself in the room with the exact pony she was trying to avoid getting into trouble with. But somehow the lust of finding out what her mentor was singing was almost too much for the filly. She had never heard her mentor sing ever in her young life so the idea of Celestia expressing herself in such a way enthralled Twilight to no end. Slowly she stepped out of her foliage hideout and walked towards the door. The sound getting more and more clear as she progressed. Twilight considered that she had never actually seen her teacher in such a moment of innocence before, always hidden behind her princess persona, the thought only inspiring the little filly onwards as she closed in on the doors location. "Back... Attack." Even from behind the door she could hear a trace amount of the song. Despite even her own logical mind telling Twilight to stop she ignored it and pushed further opening the door. As she leaned her head inside, the sight she saw left the filly for the most part completely stunned. There in the bathroom was her mentor holding a bottle of conditioner up to her mouth, her other hoof moving in time with her singing, her eyes closed as she used the bottle as some sort of makeshift mic in the shower. "And the man in the back said everyone attack and it turned into a ballroom blitz." "And girl in the corner said boy I want to warn you It'll turn into a Ballroom blitz." Twilight could scarcely believe what she was hearing, it was her mentor, her second mother almost, singing such weird out of time music, whilst performing some very usually movements of her head and hips in a dance that was very unbecoming in any ballroom. It was overloading the filly’s mind, what was a man? Why would it want everypony to attack a buoy? Why was this Woman thing trying to talk to a sailing apparatus? "It’s, it’s a ballroom blitz, it's, it's ballroom blitz." Celestia continued singing the strange mantra. Twilight didn't even feel the door close behind her, she didn't even feel herself moving closer until she was almost next to the celestial goddess, her mouth completely open in shock and awe. "Yeeeeah it’s a ballroom blitz." Celestia finally finished opening her eyes and letting a goofy smile grace her otherwise serine face. Celestia turned in time to see the little Twilight effectively gawking at her. "Oh Twilight, would you mind fetching me a towel." Celestial stated giddily, that same smile still on her face. Twilight didn't even move an inch as she levitated the towel over to the dripping wet sun Alicorn. "Thank you my faithful student." Celestia thanked, turning to dry herself before the realisation hit her like a speeding train. "Wait, Twilight!" Twilight grimaced at the memory, that was the first of many lectures on personal space and not just from Celestia. But still those questions she had asked herself as a filly hung unanswered in her mind, Celestia was very good at skirting around her persistent inquisition. She looked up from her food with a frown that turned to embarrassment, as she realised that the whole table was looking at her with worried expressions. "Twilight art thou feeling well, you have been quiet for a peculiar amount of time?" Luna asked. Twilight shot her eyelids up flicking her gaze up towards the three mares, she gave a sheepish smile as she lowered her head in embarrassment. "Oh it’s nothing I was just, you know thinking about something." Celestial raised her eyebrow at her former student but chose not to press any further. "Well please let us know if you’re not feeling well Twilight." "I will Pri- I mean Celestia." Twilight quickly corrects herself, it was still weird calling her by her own name even to this day. With that the other mares returned to their banter and food, Twilight looked at her dish deciding she wasn't very hungry. "Tia would you pass us the wine please." Luna asked. Celestial levitated her cup up to her sister, however she slipped mid process dropping the cup onto her sister’s coat. "Bloody hell, Lulu I'm sorry." Celestia cursed bringing a cloth over to her sister. Twilight let out a gasp she had never heard her former mentor swear, period. Actually was it a swear, she could tell it was by the tone in her voice, but she had never heard those words before. Whatever a hell was she didn't understand why it would require or have need of blood around or inside it. "No worry's sister, twas an accident, but perhaps you could lay off the wine for a bit." Luna smirks playfully as she lifted the cloth to her chest drying it off her fur. "CJ does say you drink like a Scotsman" she finishes with a devilish smirk as the sounds of Cadence stifling her giggles with her hoof. Twilight looks once again in utter confusion as the nonsense words bring a small pout to Celestias lips. "I do not, that is an utter exaggeration." She blushes in embarrassment, as Luna and Cadence give her an unconvinced look. Okay that was it, she could take no more all these code words were making her crazy, She had to find out now, feeling her eye twitch with annoyance and a the grinding of her teeth she finally released her pent up aggravation. "Okay that is it! Who’s CJ and before you start I know he or she's not a play or an old book or something. Can sompony please just tell me I'm sick of being left in the dark." Twilight finishes placing both of her hooves on the table her wings flared out in annoyance as she directs her gaze equally to her fellow Alicorns. Cadence bit her lip as she flicks her gaze to Luna who in turn turned to her sister who gives a very short almost unnoticeable sigh, shaking her head. "My dear Twilight, it’s not important trust us CJ is nothing but a phrase." "No he or she isn't, is this why you all act so weird around each other and make up words?” “We do not make up words." Luna interrupts. "Yes you do just last month you asked Cadence hypothetically what sex she would want her foal to be and asked her boy or girl instead of colt or filly and before you interrupt Cadence said Shinning wants a boy so don't tell me it’s some sort of old Canterlot phrase because Cadence wouldn't know that." "I want a girl by the way." Cadence answered almost too quiet for anyone to hear. Luna looks dumbfounded at this point stuttering and failing to make an excuse under Twilights scrutinising gaze. Soon Twilight felt a soft reassuring hoof on her shoulders courtesy of her sister in law. "Twi trust us it’s not that big of a deal you're making too much out of this it's just something we Alicorns say to each other from time to time." "But I'm an Alicorns now, why don't I get to be in on this, don’t you trust me?" Twilight asks saddened at being left out of the loop by the closest ponys she had besides her friends. Another sigh comes out of Celestias mouth as she unfurls one of her enormous wings to Twilights side rubbing her back in a calming fashion. "My little Twilight you are wise beyond your years its true, but this is something that has been with us for many, many years and you are still very young for an Alicorn, perhaps in a few years when you are ready we will explain but please trust me when I say it is not a problem you need concern yourself with, far from it." "But Cadence is only so many years older than me, isn't she young for an Alicorn?" "She is, but she has been one for all her Life and such a thing comes naturally to her it would be impossible to keep her from it." "So I have to wait before you can trust me." Celestial gives her a saddened look leaning in and nuzzling her. "Now Twilight you know full well we all trust you with our lives. It is not about trust it is simply that we feel you are still too young to truly appreciate this or understand." The answer though sweet did not sate Twilight far from it, it had only been a few months that she questioned her role as a princess of Equestria before the Tirek incident. She had only recently understood her purpose, so to have Celestia of all pony's say that she was not mature enough to understand made her feel insignificant to say the least. The rest of the meal went by fairly tense but uneventful, as Twilight hardly touched her soup. At least her fellow princesses didn't slip back into one of their weird phrases or story's which at least brought some comfort to the young Alicorn. After the late dinner the others thought it best to retire for the evening. Twilight didn't protest, tomorrow would hopefully be better anyway. No matter what happened the idea of being around the princesses enjoying the entertainment and games the castle had to offer still gave Twilight some hope to overcome or at least distract her melancholy. After a round of hugs and nuzzles to signal the end of the night Twilight watched her sister in law close the door to the room parallel to her own before entering her own chambers slumping against the door as it closed behind her. Alone Twilight had little to distract herself with. Well that's not true she had a abundance of books to be read or re-read in her old room where she studied as a filly. Twilights second favourite past time after reading was to go back and re-read her old favourites, dispute Spike telling her that was just more reading, not two different hobbies. She slowly levitated a collection of old tomes over towards her, as she continued to slouch against the door unable to find the motivation to move to a more comfortable spot. Looking over at the collection of books she hasn't seen for many years, some as a child and some even in her more difficult teen years that she suddenly remembered with perfect clarity as a carefully hidden magazine fell out from one of the tomes revelling an old playcolt magazine with the luxurious title of 'Best plots of the year, just mares addition!' That despite nopony but Twilight seeing upon the magazine falling down to the floor, was quickly thrown under the bed with said pony blushing intensely. After that little episode, Twilight selected a less mature piece of literacy, and stated to immerse herself in the book. However after reading the same page for the seventh time she closed the book with a long over drawn sigh. As thoughts of all those times she had caught her Princess friends engrossed in their unusual hidden world. Twilight thought about the time Cadence had asked Celestia if the PayStation was better than the Z-box, or was it a Y-station, Twilight couldn't remember nor did it make any sense. Or that time shortly after Luna's return one of the first things she had asked Celestia was the state of the Saracens Rugby team. A question that had led to a dead end of research for Twilight. She recognised that Rugby was a form of Hoofball played by minotaur’s in their homeland, but as much as she researched she could not find any team past or present that went by the name Saracens. Then there was the time Celestia herself had asked Rarity to make her some form of horse shoe, that had a star on the side of each shoe. Which alone was unusual but not weird, except for the fact that Celestia insisted that the shoes say the words Converses above the star. To make it 'more official' in her words. Twilight shook her head, there were too many of these occasions to count. She looked at the enormous window outside realising just how long she had been sitting there thinking. She grunted as her somewhat sore joints clicked and popped into place from sitting on the uncomfortable marble for so long. Annoyed once more that her questions were left without answers, and now the fact that she had wasted valuable reading time pondering the questions that still had no answers thus nothing of worth had been accomplished. She was annoyed to say the least. She decided that bed would be the best thing right now, if she was going to do nothing she might has well catch some sleep whilst she accomplished it. However as Twilight began to move she heard a clicking sound followed by a creak come from outside her room. She didn't have to guess what it was as the sounds of soft hooves on marble confined her assumptions. Quickly and quietly Twilight turned to look through the keyhole of her door. There as expected was Cadence, her mane pulled back into a ponytail as opposed to the regular lavish treatment she afforded it, she was also oddly enough carrying snacks in her magic popcorn and soda floating in the air next to her head. Twilight lifted her brow in confusion, as the love Alicorn looked both ways twice, as if trying to cross a busy street before opening the door further. As the door swung open the same creaking noise from before caused Cadence to flinch. However instead of looking both ways her worried glare was fixed entirely on Twilights door as she waited for any reaction. The simple act hurt more than Twilight could had thought, Cadence had never done anything this secretive before. Well sure there was that surprise birthday that made Twilight think she was blanking her and lead to series of spy-esc shenanigans to see why she was avoided her, eventually ending rather climactically with Twilight falling through the roof of a house onto the cake of her own surprise birthday party Cadence had planned. Also considering the fact that Cadence had been sneaking behind Twilights back to date her brother for years, only letting her know about it after the big wedding was just a few days away. But to be fair Twilights parents and even Princess Luna and Celestia had been kept in the dark about that for almost as long as Twilight had. But this was something different, this was the first time it had ever been done specifically towards Twilight and that stung far more than the other times ever did. Flinching on instinct at the thought that Cadence had spotted her through the keyhole Twilight held her breath. Finally after a tense free moments Cadence had decided the coast was clear, closing the door behind her she snuck out of Twilight’s limited field of vision. Twilight wanted to cry, she wanted to hit something hard at the same time. Once again they were keeping something important from her and they didn't even have a valid excuse for it. How was she too young to understand? She had faced down ancient terrors with equally ancient weapons, she had studied countless scrolls, tomes and history's she had three different PhDs for pony's sake. She had even been trusted to hold an enormous amount of power during Tireks attack. So how was it possible she was not to be trusted with this, not that Celestia had specifically stated that, but she knew the meaning was there. No, she thought, this is it, if this had something to do with this CJ she was going to find out or possibly get another stern talk about personal space again while trying. Opening the more smooth lubricated door that made absolutely no noise, Twilight caught the literal tail end of Cadence at the bottom left of the hall as she turned. Twilight bound down the hall with fiery determination, as she focused in the spot one thing on her mind. This ends tonight!