Eclipse was up early and eying the tub wondering how many buckets it would take to fill the tub to the level she needed, while she was familiar with running water her only experience with it before arriving in Equestria was sinks and toilets only, she was also looking at the shower stall with a sense of confusion. A half awake Twilight wandered in and started her morning ritual of prepping her toothbrush for after breakfast, she thought a little counterproductive to clean ones teeth before a meal, when she spotted the black unicorn filly looking about the restroom as somepony trying to make sense of an archaeological site. It seemed Eclipse had yet to see the lavender mare, she was too busy inspecting the tub and shower stall without actually touching them.
After chuckling to herself Twilight said, “trying to decide on a bath or a shower?”
“Shower? I'm only familiar with that term when it applies to rain, it doesn't seem appropriate for this setting. Also, how many buckets would it take to fill the tub?”
Twilight blinked a few times before realizing that Eclipse had been completely honest in her response to the mare, this in turn jolted the mare into full awake mode. After mentally kicking herself, and then going over some of her memorized facts, Twilight said, “The knobs on wall in the shower stall make it poor a small stream of water of varying intensity and water temperature from a the spigot further up,” she gestured to each in the shower stall. The faucet for the tub pours water out when you turn the knobs, both have two kinds of knobs. One for cold water and one for hot water. Any questions?”
“Um,” said Eclipse nervously, “you don't need a heating spell for the water in the tub?”
“It's that way for everything thing in the palace,” said Twilight, “and Everypony's home as well. I take it this is another thing you never moved passed in Bridleton?”
Eclipse nodded before saying, “I never encountered a bath that didn't need a heating spell for the water before coming here,” Twilight stared at the filly for a moment, she had taken all running water she saw everywhere as one who takes something on a regular basis, in other words she suddenly realized just how much of her life in Equestria she had taken for granted.
“Bridleton really is behind, especially considering all your maps are pre-Equestria,” she blinked a few times at her sudden realization, “how did you know where Equestria was if none of the maps showed it? And don't say you just got a feeling.”
“No, none of us got one of those,” said Eclipse as she propped herself up to look into the tub, “I suddenly started saying Equestria like it was location to go, I literally had never heard the name of the nation before I first said its name almost a year ago, once we were free of the manor grounds Dream's horn started to glow and it was like she had a location finding spell that lead us to all the ports that eventually got us to Equestria, I don't know how or why. Dream and I had a strong feeling we needed to travel to here.”
“Oh, well that's different! Has she displayed the ability at any point other than when when you were traveling to Equestria?” Eclipse shook her head, “okay, well Princess Luna is responsible for her now so they'll figure something out.”
“Can I get cleaned up now? It would help when we meet your friends later today,” said Eclipse, “Oh, and one more thing, what kind of lesson will today have?”
“That,” said Twilight pausing a few seconds for dramatic effect, Rainbow had rubbed off on her a bit too much, “is a question nopony can answer, the lesson you take away from the meeting with my friends will be all your work and nopony elses.”
Eclipses eyes went wide with surprise, set the bath plug and started drawing a bath. The lavender mare smiled when the filly lightly dipped the tip of her hoof into the faucet's running water to test the temperature and found mad surprised face at finding the water was already warm. Twilight then started routing through the bath supply shelf while the water was still running and returned with a bottle of bubble bath which she added a small drizzle of when it came to the bath before returning the cap to the bottle and the bottle to shelf. She returned and stopped the water's flow, she was proud of her timing and calculations because it looked almost exactly like the bubble baths she remembered her mother had given her as a filly. Eclipse stared at the bubble laden water with perplexed look before giving the lavender mare a confused look.
Twilight unceremoniously picked Eclipse up with her magic, which caused the filly to give a little giggle and a slight smile to form on the mare's face, before gently dropping the filly into the water so as to not make a splash. “Miss Twilight,” said Eclipse with only her shoulders and head above the bubbles, which caused Twilight to giggle at the cute scene before her, “what is this? I don't understand why the bath is all filled with bubbles,” she said in a tone that was very serious and caused the mare to outright chuckle at the situation.
“Sorry for the laughing,” said Twilight as she quickly regained her composure, “but you look so cute in the bubble bath it struck me as amusing enough to find it funny to look at. You don't really need to get any soap out since the bubbles are the soap, just splash around until your done, I'll be taking my morning shower now,” with that she trotted over to the shower stall.
After looking at the bubbles like they were some strange entity for a few seconds Eclipse swatted some of the bubbles and started giggling like the little filly she was. Twilight smiled and just thought Sometimes you just have let foals be foals, she's been so busy trying to be a little mare she, deserves this at least.
Around ten minutes Twilight stepped out of the shower stall and started toweling off, the sight of a happy filly splashing around in the tub completely wet greeted her. “Alright,” said Twilight, “it's time to get out of the bath and dry off,” when she finished saying it she used her magic to unplug the bath and drain the water tub, “if you want we can clean the tub afterwards, it looks like there's a a few soap rings at the edge of the tub,” she lifted Eclipse in her magic, which caused the filly to giggle again, and floated her on to the bath mat before floating a towel over to the filly to dry herself. “Now dry off, we'll see about breakfast after we're all clean.”
Eclipse had used towels before, but had never used one to dry herself, Great Spell and Great Seal had insisted that one of the ponies that “served” the family dry off her, Dream and Sunshine. She giggled a bit as she dried herself off, in the most adorable yet haphazard way Twilight had seen. When the filly was finished she looked more like a black puffball with a horn than a pony, Twilight brought a hoof to her muzzle to help stifle a giggle before floating a comb and brush over to Eclipse to help smooth out the filly's coat.
“I see you're having fun,” said Twilight with a smile as she finished smoothing the filly's coat out.
“I was never allowed to dry myself off before, in fact I was always supposed to sit still in my bath as the servant ponies scrubbed me clean, I thought that something similar to that would happen, but once I noticed you were trusting me in the bath by myself I decided to see how far I could test my limits.”
“If you mean the playing the tub, which I found absolutely delightful to watch by the way, that's what foals are supposed to do. You never really were given a chance to just be a foal, were you? No chance to run around and just laugh at the joys of life? Sit down and just read a book that sounded interesting? Just try something new?”
Eclipse shook her head a bit before saying, “We were always expected to adhere to a strict schedule with no divinations, all foals around our age were not permitted to approach us without the say so of Great Spell, Great Seal or Grand Charm. The only time we deviated was when we couldn't find the pull of sleep at night when nopony was there to watch us. Those times were few and far between, up until a year ago I didn't care for such things, but then something inside me just clicked and I felt the needs that lead to the events that brought us here. I miss my siblings, but at the same time I don't. Does that make any sense?”
“I know the feeling,” said Twilight with a smile as she lead the filly out of the bathroom and down the stairs to the dining hall, “I felt much the same way when my brother first left to train as a guard, and the same way about my parents when I was given my own room to study under Princess Celestia when I was just a little older than you. While the lessons I can teach your are going well, I know there are just things I can't teach you, that's why I'm going to be enrolling you in classes at Ponyville Elementary, I also want you to make friends while you're there, you're already off to a good start with Pumpkin Cake in that regard.”
“Um, what do the Cakes do again? I think you told me, but I might of forgotten.”
“The Cakes run Sugarcube Corner, the local bakery, it's also a popular gathering place for many of the ponies in town from time to time. Oh, that reminds me, Bon Bon has been trying to get a candy store up and running in Ponyville since before I moved here, no luck so far though.”
“I... still have the candy on a stick that miss Pinkie Pie gave me,” said Eclipse, “is it bad I don't want to finish it?”
“No, but Pinkie might want an explanation when you say that,” said Twilight, “you can tell us all later if you want, for now we need to eat breakfast and get ready to go meet my friends.”
The moment they sat at the table, as if on cue, White Tea came out and said, “And what would you both like this fine morning?”
“We'll be having a potentially big lunch outside of the castle today,” said Twilight, “something simple will be all we really need,” turning to Eclipse she said with a smile, “you can go first.”
“Um,” said Eclipse as she twiddled her hooves, “would it be alright if I had a bowl of oatmeal with a drizzle of honey and a dash of cinnamon?”
“That sounds lovely for the morning,” said Twilight, “I'll have that as well. Eclipse, what would you like to drink it with?”
“I don't know,” said the filly meekly, “maybe glass of orange juice.”
“Yes, sometimes simplicity is best” said Twilight with a curt nod, “I think I'll have the same.”
“Very good,” said White Tea, “two honey and cinnamon oatmeals and two glasses of orange juice, your orders should be out shortly, would you like anything else to go with that.”
“Um, if it's not too much trouble could you have some fish taken up to my room, I'm sure the otter up there is feeling displeased with the dry food miss Fluttershy gave me to feed her, she was still sleeping when I got up today.”
White Tea gave a curt nod and headed back to the kitchen. Twilight smiled at the filly as she said, “So, you have been feeding her.”
“Um, yes,” said Eclipse, “I fill up her bowels in the morning after I get out of bed, but I only did it to her water before heading to the restroom today. To tell the truth she's been sleeping while I'm up, I think she might be active when I'm asleep, I guess that means I don't get the chance to bond with her.”
“She's still young, like you,” said Twilight, “she probably just needs more rest to get used to everything around here, you'll probably be running around and having fun with her before you know it.”
***************************************************
After breakfast Eclipse had dashed up to her room and grabbed her Twilight doll, she really felt it might be needed in case she started to feel uncomfortable. Looking over at the far corner that had the basket with a sleeping otter in it she smiled a bit at the sight, something about having the otter in her room felt right. She rushed back down to pick up one of the baskets in her mouth while keeping her doll on her back, after making sure the doll was secure in its place she nodded to Twilight, who had set of saddlebags on with something Eclipse assumed the lavender mare wanted to share with her friends, and two made their way out the door.
“I know you've met most of my friends,” said Twilight as they made their way to the park, “but there's still one more pony that you need to meet, and trust me when I say she's somepony you'll recognize for the rest of your life, hopefully fondly. Just remember this is a picnic, try not to overeat, I don't want you getting sick on anypony's conscience. Is their a reason you have your doll of me with you?”
“I figured I'd need something to help me feel safe if I started feeling scared, and you make me feel more safe than anything,” said Eclipse after bringing the basket to float a little unevenly next to her, “even more than my siblings, and I've known them my entire life and you only a few days.”
“Some ponies just have that kind of effect on other ponies,” said Twilight with a smile, “it makes me happy that you told me all that, now,” they were coming up on the park grounds, “let's find a good place to set up.
**********************************************
It was seven minutes after the two had arrived at a clearing in the park that met all of Twilight's criteria when they saw Rarity trotting towards them with an elegant looking picnic blanket, “Twilight,” said the white mare with surprise, “you're usually not this early, it looks like having little Eclipse there is making you more punctual.”
“Yes, well there's something I wanted to show everypony and just felt like it couldn't wait.”
“Really,” came Fluttershy's voice as she came up meet the three already there, as Rarity was setting the blanket down and and Twilight floated the basket on to the the blanket. “Hello Eclipse, how are you today? How's Abal doing?”
“I'm fine,” said Eclipse as she floated the Twilight doll from her back to her forehooves, “and Abal sleeps all day, she seems to clear her bowels out while I'm sleeping.”
“Well, she is very young, just like you,” said Fluttershy, “it's just nice to hear you're doing what you can to look after her.”
The four ponies settled down on the blanket with their legs tucked under them, Eclipse seemed a little uncomfortable in position and was noticeably trying to imitate Twilight's positioning. It was at this point they heard Applejack's voice say, “Ah'm gussin' yer not used ta sittin' like that, little filly.”
Looking over the two the orange farm mare coming over while pulling a small cart with several crates of apple juice and apple cider.
Twilight looked over and saw the black filly's discomfort despite all attempts to not show it. “I... I never sat like this before,” said Eclipse with shame in her voice and pulled her ears back in shame as she said it.
“It's okay,” said Twilight, “we can work on finding a position that's comfortable for you when you're ready,” her violet eyes took in the sight of the filly relaxing and pulling her forelegs out to wrap around the Twilight doll just in front of her.
“It's her favorite thing in the whole world,” said Twilight as she smiled at Rarity, “she doesn't like leaving the palace without it, it makes her feel safe just having it nearby.”
“Hey everypony,” said Pinkie as she hopped up with a mass of cupcakes, muffins and a really big six layered circular cake that had their cutie marks covering each layer, on her back, Eclipse noticed a cloud with a tricolored lightning bolt, which was the only mark she didn't recognize.
“Um,” said Eclipse as she pointed the mark, “whose mark is that?”
“The one the most awesome mare in Equestria,” came a brash female voice, a cyan mare with a prismatic mane and tail landed next her, which startled the filly so much that she gave gasp before suckling one of her Twilight doll's wings, “name's Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow gave a confused look at the filly, “Um, Twilight, why is their a filly here with us?”
“She's my new student said Twilight, “did you decide to bring something to our get together picnic?”
“Already took care of it,” said Rainbow with a cocky smile, “I arranged for the weather team to make it a partly cloudy day, and made sure there were a few clouds around this area so we could enjoy the sun without it being to hard on us. It's the least I could do for my best friends. So, who's the filly that's cutely suckling on a doll that looks like ya?”
“Alright girls now that we're all here let's get to catching up, who'd like to start?”
“Well,” said Rainbow, “you know that new flight school attached to the Wonderbolts I've been trying to work on?” They all nodded, “looks like...”
*******************************************
It was a few minutes after they had all met up for the catchup picnic, Eclipse was fast asleep against Twilight's side, the lavender alicorn was smiling at the sight.
“I can't believe all of our major projects are being delayed,” said Pinkie in a voice at a tone to not wake the filly. “I'm also super happy why she said she didn't finish the lollipop I gave her, that's the best reason to never finish any sweet, ever.”
“It's nice she's getting into healthy habits,” said Twilight in her own soft voice, “she called me mom this morning, it felt nice.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” said Rainbow in an energetic low voice, “you said she calls you 'mommy' when she's asleep near you, and now she's calling you mom in broad daylight. Are you sure she's not really your daughter?”
“I don't remember adopting any foals, or the joys of pregnancy anytime since I last saw you girls,” responded Twilight, “although there have been some odd instances that started popping up when she and Dream arrived in Equestria, which reminds me,” she floated the first journal out from her saddlebag, “I want you to read this, together, what you read should explain everything.”
“Alright,” said Rainbow as she pulled it towards her and the five other mares. Once the five of them opened the book a warm and insightful magic flowed over them like a gentle wave.
After reading the first ten pages Rarity said, “Oh my, Twilight, where did you get his book. The lavender alicorn just smiled at the sleeping filly at her side.
“So, Rainbow,” said Applejack, “is yer old place still open ta ya or do ya need a place ta stay fer the night.”
“I've been making sure I still have the deed to my old place here in Ponyville, I've been having Twi look after it while I'm away, we'll be moving it back to a good place in the Ponville skies later today.”
“Nice to hear, darling,” said Rarity, “I'll be taking some measurements of Twilight and Eclipse tomorrow, we need start working on their Gala dresses.”
“Ugh,” said Twilight, “how did they force me into having no choice in attending one of Celestia's major social event? Luna's been trying to devise her own event to be the equivalent of the Gala, but only support she's seems to be getting so far is coming from Celestia, Cadance and Me.”
“You haven't had an official appearance for Equestria in over four years,” said Rarity, “Canterlot's nobility want their princesses to be more visible to them, if it makes you feel any better...”
“Luna's being forced into it as well,” said Twilight with a hint of pity to her voice, “which means Dream will be forced to attend as well, these fillies need a chance to be foals for a bit before they're thrown into the political spotlight,” she started stroking Eclipse's mane, “I just hope whatever social anxieties they have aren't exasperated by Gala, Eclipse has told me a few times how social events similar to the gala worked in Bridleton, it wasn't pleasant to hear.”
“Um, what are they like? Just so we know a bit more about her fears and can help her through it,” said Pinkie with concern and interest in her voice.
“Well,” said Twilight before taking a deep breath, “Eclipse and her siblings her forced to attend all the ones her parents hosted, which happened a few times each month from what I've been able to decipher from what she's said. And by attend I mean stand on a platform like a set piece for an extended period, without breaks or so much as being able to ask for a small glass of water.”
“Oh,” said Rarity, “I can see how she would be afraid of attending the Gala, did you dispel her fears about that?”
“As best as I could,” said Twilight as she continued petting Eclipse's mane, “here's to hoping she doesn't develop a whole new set of fears from the experience. Rarity, I'm sure whatever you come up with will be beyond perfect for her and me.”