...by moving here, I will better be able to perform my duties as Princess, as well as assist in daily organizational governmental operations, such as coordinating diplomatic relationships and examining public works proposals. I’ll take questions in just a moment, but first, here are my goals, as Princess, for the next quarter...
Princess Twilight Sparkle was tired.
She would’ve slept the previous night, but she hadn’t been able to sleep a full night since she’d gotten the letter. And she would’ve slept on the train, but she had to draft a letter describing the explicit duties of her castle’s caretaker while she was gone. And she would be sleeping currently, but she had to unpack. And then she had duties to attend to, didn’t she?
“Well, at least I’m out of Ponyville, right, Spike? Wait, that sounded awful. I meant... at least I’m in Canterlot, where I can better perform my duties as Princess. Wait, that was good, I should put it in my speech. Write that down, Spike.”
Spike looked at Twilight, then to the large cardboard box he was carrying, then to the end of the very long hallway they were walking down, then back to Twilight.
“I can’t.”
“Well, why can’t...”
Twilight looked at Spike, then to the large cardboard box he was carrying, then to the end of the very long hallway they were walking down, then back to Spike.
“Oh.”
She fell silent again.
Finally, the two reached the hallway’s end. Twilight double-checked the room’s number before slowly opening the door.
She’d stayed in this room every single time she visited the castle, but her eyes now found it strangely impersonal. Except, of course, how purple it was. It had always been a very purple room.
Twilight instructed Spike to start unpacking as she made her way over to the overly-plush bed, where a folded piece of paper had been placed on the pillow.
She gingerly opened it.
Twilight-
Welcome!
Once you’re all settled, please send for one of the guards, who will introduce you to your staff and give you your schedule. After that, I would like you to come discuss various items of business with me.
I’m sure you will have a wonderful experience here.
-Celestia
She was re-reading it when a clattering noise on the other side of the room startled her. She whirled around to see Spike, looking incredibly guilty, standing over a shattered picture frame.
He began to stammer out an apology.
“Spike, can you please go get a guard for me?”
Her voice was oddly calm.
“You know you can just ring-”
“Spike. Guard. Now.”
He quickly apologized and booked it out of the room. Twilight walked over to the picture, which had fallen face-down, and disposed of the scattered shards of glass. She picked up the frame and turned it over to see the faces of six mares and one dragon smiling, nearly beaming up at her.
She took a shaky breath and placed the broken frame on the nearest flat surface.
I can get a new one. It was an accident. It’ll be alright, Twilight. It will.
Twilight knocked softly on Celestia’s door, though it was slightly ajar.
“Come in, Twilight.”
“How’d you know it was me?” Twilight said as she sat down across from Celestia.
She hadn’t been in this office in a while. Celestia seldom used it, and even more rarely let visitors in. Her eyes scanned the details she hadn’t really taken in since she was a filly: the large oak desk, the paintings of past rulers on the walls, the insignia-stamped ink pot.
“You’re the only one I’d expect to come in.” Celestia said with a smile. “So how have you been settling in? I’m so sorry your full quarters weren’t ready for you quite yet. Short notice and all.”
“It’s fine, Princess.”
They made small talk like this for a while. Celestia went over Twilight’s schedule and some finer details about being an on-call princess. It was perfectly pleasant. But Celestia, knowing Twilight better than probably her own family, could sense that something was not entirely whole within her favorite student.
“I hope you’ll adjust well to living here, Twilight.”
“Well, it’s where I can most benefit the citizens of Equestria.”
“Spoken like a true diplomat.”
Twilight took that as signaling the end of the meeting and got up to leave.
“Get some sleep, Twilight. You’ll need it.” Celestia mentioned quietly as her student walked out.
That’s for sure.
Spike had finished unpacking by the time Twilight came back from her meeting.
As she walked in, he proudly presented his hard work to her.
Her extensive book collection lined the walls, her various stuffed animals were arranged nicely on the bed, her schedule was laid neatly on the desk, with a brand new picture frame next to it.
She paused in the doorway. He smiled at her.
“We’re just going to have to take it all down and move it in a few days.”
Her voice felt mechanical to him. Cold.
He visibly deflated, but she didn’t seem to notice.
It was nearly silent for a few moments as she wandered around the room, as if inspecting it.
“You can go, Spike.”
She didn’t make eye contact with him. This mood Twilight seemed to be in wasn’t particularly odd for her, as when she felt nervous or was just really focused she often... disconnected. However, for some reason, he felt like he should stay.
Instead, he lingered in the doorway for a few moments, just watching her, before ultimately following her orders.
Of course, Twilight didn’t notice this entire process. By the time he had closed the door behind him, she had already flopped onto the bed, trying to block out the emotional thoughts creeping onto her periphery.
But finally, she allowed herself to sleep.
When she woke, the room glowed from the moonlight let in by her gauzy purple curtains.
She cursed herself for waking up in the middle of the night, though she hadn’t been dreaming, and hopped out of bed in search of a glass of water or something.
Instead, she found her hooves carrying her to Luna’s door.
She knocked, but when there was no answer, she simply let herself in, although later she’d realize how uncharacteristically rude it must have been.
Inside, she found Luna at her telescope, bathed in blue moonlight.
“When I was a filly, I thought I’d be an astronomer.” Twilight said to perhaps Luna, perhaps nopony at all. “Even after I got my cutie mark and it wasn’t a telescope or anything- I mean, it could’ve been a star, y’know? I think, that if I hadn’t been an Element, I’d be in an observatory right now.”
There were a few moments of silence before Luna turned, smiling slightly at Twilight.
“You still can be, you know.”
She motioned Twilight over.
“I get what you’re saying, Princess, but I have other obligations now. To Equestria. I can’t sit up all night and look at the stars. I have work to do.”
Luna shrugged.
“I do it.”
She swung the telescope closer to Twilight so she could look into it, which she happily did. She hadn’t used a telescope much since she was a filly, and would spend sleepless nights such as this one staring up at the moon.
She thought of mentioning this to Luna, but decided it would be insensitive.
“I’m assuming you couldn’t sleep, Twilight?”
She nodded.
Luna didn’t reply, but made no move to take the telescope back.
They sat like this for some time.
Finally, Twilight pulled away and stood up.
“I should get back to bed. Thank you, though.”
Luna nodded.
“Would you like help sleeping?”
“I’ll be okay.”
She thought about thanking her again, but stayed silent as she walked back to her room, and fell back into a deep, dreamless sleep.