//------------------------------// // Pear - Celestia & Twilight Velvet [Pearple Prose] // Story: Table for Two // by KitsuneRisu //------------------------------// There had been a slight disagreement when he had taken her order. What sort of pony came to The Cafe and didn’t order coffee, after all? But Celestia had insisted, and The Owner had been reluctant, and Celestia had, eventually, picked a random drink to go with her order. The Owner was appeased after that. The pear that Celestia asked for was ripe, and soft, and her lips were coated with juice from her first bite. She looked and felt wholly undignified, but the ponies around her hadn’t glanced at her once, not even after her and The Owner’s rather animated discussion. It was refreshing. And the pear was delicious. She felt, more than saw, her friend’s arrival. Celestia had been sitting in a quiet corner of the Cafe, by the window, at a tiny table for two that fit her perfectly despite her size. She had been staring at her cup of unwanted coffee when she heard a tiny gasp, and she looked up to see Twilight Velvet staring at her, a mite bewildered. “Velvet!” Celestia beamed at her friend. “How lovely to see you!” And she had meant it, even if she had rather enjoyed the peace and quiet and the muffled sounds of conversation that she couldn’t quite parse. “We haven’t spoken since…?” “The School,” Velvet said, with an expression caught somewhere between a wince and a grin. “Yes. Quite a long time ago now. Sorry.” Celestia recognised the apology, and ignored it. “Indeed, it has been a while. Would you like a seat?” She opened her wing in invitation. “Tell me, how is life in the Sparkle household?” Velvet hesitated a moment before she sat. “Well, profoundly unexciting, I must admit, what with Shining gallivanting off to the Crystal Empire and whatnot.” She flashed Celestia a crooked smile. “But it’s been… good. Retirement has been treating Nighty and me pretty well. I do miss teaching, though.” “Oh? And how is Night Light these days?” Celestia asked. Twilight Velvet snorted. “Still with his head in the stars, as he’s always been. Do you know what he got me for our anniversary this year? Go on, guess.” “Oh, I don’t know.” Celestia smirked. “A telescope?” “Every. Year.” Velvet rubbed her forehead with a hoof, groaned, and smiled a long-suffering smile that Celestia quite envied. “He didn’t even come to bed that night. He spent all night looking for ‘our constellation’. Didn’t even know we had one, to be honest.” Velvet laughed, and Celestia joined in with her own quiet giggling.  “Well, I’m glad to hear everything seems to be going well for you, even if it’s a bit…” Celestia smiled, “...unexciting.” “Ah, well, it’s not like being a highly-respected professor of theoretical magic at one of the most prestigious schools in the world beats lying in bed and reading terrible romance novels all day.” Twilight Velvet’s smile turned brittle. “And, besides, you made it quite clear then that-” “Miss Velvet?” The Owner said, appearing at their table silently. “You appear to have had time to consider. Can I take your order?” “Oh.” Velvet blinked, and seemed flustered. “What do you serve?” “The Cafe is well-known for its coffee, Ma’am.” “And nothing else, apparently,” Celestia muttered under her breath. The Owner coughed loudly. Twilight Velvet looked at The Owner strangely. “I haven’t had coffee since I worked at the School.” “Very well, ma’am. Your order shall arrive shortly.” And then The Owner was gone. “Um… Okay then.” Velvet turned back to face Celestia, opened her mouth to resume speaking, and then frowned. “Are you eating a pear?” Celestia blinked. She’d forgotten all about it. “Oh, yes. Yes I am.” “Hm.” “What? Is there juice on my face?” “No, no.” Velvet hesitated. “Well, yes, but that wasn’t it.” Celestia wiped away the juice with a flash of her horn. “Please, tell me.” Velvet just shrugged. “I just don’t see you eat that often. It’s like seeing Santa Claus.” Celestia stuck her tongue out at Velvet. “Hush, you. I happen to appreciate the art of eating as much as the next pony.” Velvet smirked lopsidedly, then tilted her head. “Do you even need to eat?” “Hmm? Oh. Not as such, no.” “Then why do you?” Celestia arched an eyebrow. “Because I have taste buds.” Twilight Velvet made a gagging face. “Then why are you eating a pear of all things?” Celestia stifled a laugh. “I’ll have you know that pears are not only nutritious, but delicious and auspicious.” “Nutritious I can understand.” Velvet’s lip curled in mild distaste. “Not so sure about the other two.” “Did you know,” Celestia began, sitting up a little higher, “that there’s a civilisation, off to the East, that considers the pear to be a symbol of immortality?” “Really?” “Yes. I travelled there, once, a very long time ago now. They were a very honourable and hospitable people - very gifted storytellers - and when they visited Canterlot some years later, they planted a pear tree in my personal gardens, as a symbol of both my longevity and our new friendship. It’s still there to this day.” Celestia smiled her secret smile, and was quiet. When she blinked, she saw a land embraced by the sun, and when she breathed, she smelled tea, and incense, and the sea. Celestia opened her eyes to the sound of The Owner setting Velvet’s coffee down on the table. The Owner bowed out, and Velvet thanked him before turning back to The Princess with a thoughtful expression. “That’s quite interesting. I don’t really see how relevant it is, though.” She sipped at her coffee. “The point of it is that pears are important, or, rather, symbols are. Also, I like pears. How’s your coffee?” “It tastes,” Velvet said, “terrible, botched, lukewarm, with not enough sugar.” “Oh.” “It tastes almost exactly like the sort of stuff I’d make in the morning when I was late for class.” Twilight Velvet studied her reflection in the coffee. Her hoof tapped out an absent-minded rhythm on the table. The two were quiet for a while. Celestia finished her pear and gave consideration to the core that went uneaten, while Velvet sipped at her terrible coffee for a minute or two before abandoning it. “So,” Velvet said, eventually, “how is Twilight?” The tone she spoke with was different, Celestia noted - clipped, oddly formal. She sounded exactly like a university professor. “She’s fine,” Celestia said. “Anxious, perhaps, but the happiest I’ve seen her in some time.” “Really.” Celestia nodded. “Yes. Haven’t you been in contact?” Velvet looked away as she spoke. “Not exactly. Not since her coronation.” “And whose fault is that?” Velvet shot her a glare. “Excuse me?” Celestia looked at her, without expression. “Did she not speak to you, or did you not speak to her?” Velvet shifted in her seat. “I don’t really see how that’s any of your business.” “Really? Because I think it’s very much my business.” Celestia looked at her old friend with a mixture of concern and irritation. “Why haven’t you and Twilight been speaking?” The smile on Velvet’s face was thin, and her ears flicked. “Well, we’re both busy ponies. Or, she is, at least. I wouldn’t want to bother her.” Celestia said nothing. “She has a very important position now, after all,” Velvet continued. “It takes a very special kind of pony to do what she does, and it seems Fate decided it was going to be her.” “Velvet.” “And not only that, she’s the wielder of perhaps the most powerful body of magic in the known world. Do you remember, back in the day, when we calculated the theoretical maximum of the ultimate expression of Friendship? How many zeroes were on there, again?” “Twilight Velvet,” Celestia said, sternly. “I want you to listen to me.” “I am not a child, Princess Celestia,” Velvet said. She sounded tired. “I would rather you didn’t treat me like one.” Celestia didn’t speak, for a moment. “You’re right. You aren’t.” She relaxed back into her seat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to get angry.” Twilight Velvet shifted in her seat and frowned slightly. “No, I can understand, I suppose. I just… I don’t know.” “Velvet, please.” A white hoof reached across the table and reassuringly stroked Velvet’s own. “Talk to me.” Velvet looked up, once, into her friend’s violet eyes, and then down, at the remains of the pear. She sighed. “Alright. Okay. I confess, I’m not entirely sure how to explain this, but…” She hesitated. “Have you ever felt… a bit meaningless? Or, no, that’s the wrong word. What I mean is, I wake up, I have breakfast, I’ll read a book, maybe I’ll go shopping for groceries or something, then I’ll come home and I’ll watch TV and I’ll go to bed. Meanwhile, my daughter gets up, saves the world, becomes a princess, and gets back in time for tea.” She laughed, and to Celestia it seemed nearly genuine. “Oh, it’s very silly of me, I know. But that’s just how I feel,” Velvet said. Celestia let the information settle in her head, and considered it quietly. She felt surprised, above all else, yet it made perfect sense in hindsight. “Are you… jealous, then? Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” But even as she spoke, Twilight Velvet was shaking her head vigorously. “Of course not. Do you really think I’m that petty?” She stopped then, and thought. “Well, I suppose jealousy might be a part of it. But Twilight’s life is not mine to live, and besides... ” She gave Celestia a smile. “I’ve had a rather interesting life of my own, have I not, Tia?” Celestia returned the smile, and gestured for her friend to continue. “No, I think I’m just...  scared.” “Scared?” She nodded. “Of the future. For my family. For you, sometimes. But, and this will sound selfish, mostly for me. My golden years have passed me by, and what have I got to show for it? There isn't anything that I can point to and say, 'this is me'." Celestia almost glanced outside involuntarily, at the sunny streets and smiling ponies and, beyond that, the burning midday sun. Velvet followed her gaze. "Do you see what I'm getting at now, then?" It was then that The Owner appeared, casting their table into shade. "Excuse me, Miss Velvet," he said. "Would you like some more coffee?" Velvet blinked, surprised. "O-Oh, yes, please." She offered her slightly chipped, somewhat stained coffee mug. The Owner refilled it, then bowed out. Velvet turned back to Celestia. "Anyway. Maybe I'm just being a sentimental old fool. But sometimes I look at Nighty and all his beloved telescopes and I just think, you know?" This time, Celestia smiled, and nodded. "Oh, I think I do." And before Velvet could say another word, she held her own mug aloft in her magic. "How about a toast? To old times?" "Of course." The two mares clicked their mugs together, then drank. "Eugh." Celestia made a face. "Mine's gone cold." She put it aside. "Never was a coffee person, anyway." Twilight Velvet didn't respond. When Celestia looked at her, she saw her looking down into her cup, contemplating her reflection in the brown surface. "Velvet?" She blinked, and tore her gaze away. "Oh. I... Yes. Sorry, I just..." She glanced down at her watch. "I should get going. It was nice catching up with you, Celestia." Tentatively, almost reluctantly, she put her coffee mug back on the table, before picking up her bag and leaving the Cafe. Celestia sat in silence, and thought of years gone by.