Princess Luna was at her desk, staring at a letter, there was some moisture at the corner of her eyes. She went through a lot of letters from the stack at her side, but this one was confusing and make her very sad. Or maybe it was just the accumulation of the content of the others. It also brought a lot of questions to her mind. Doubts were crippling at the edge of her conscience.
There was a knock at her door. “Wait a minute,” the night princess replied. She composed herself, drying her wet cheeks, and let her magic open the door.
“Good evening, auntie! I bring you your dress!” The seemly endless cheerfulness of the Princess of Love brought some warmth to Luna.
“I just hope it was not a bother for Mr. Pants. He seems to be a very busy stallion.”
The mare that was trailing a bit behind Cadance walked in the room, carrying a nice blue box, she chuckled before saying, “Are you kidding me, your highness? The poor stallion was waiting for an occasion like that since we had news of your return.”
Princess Luna sighed. “We- I suppose the fame of making attire for a Princess is always welcome.”
The white elegant mare waved with one hoof. “Well, I will not lie, it’s always good for business, but there’s more. Having to work with darker tone is a nice change of pace, if you get what I am saying.”
The night princess raised an eyebrow. “I am sorry, I am not sure to understand, and you are?” there was more wit that Luna wanted in the last part of her tirade.
The other mare’s eyes opened wide open and she bowed. “Pardon me, I am Fleur de lis, your highness.”
Luna lift her hoof to signify that the other mare could rise.
“Well, I was a professional model, and there is a certain canon in this work. You could easily guess on whom it is based.”
It was not hard to understand for Luna what the mare wanted to say. Fleur was a tall mare with a pearl coat, an elegant posture. Luna sighed again. “My sister.”
“Exactly! Even with Crystalbutt here,” Fleur slapped the flank of Princess Cadance, “millions of colts still wet their bed thinking of Sun’s flanks while fillies and mares dream of looking like her.”
The yelp from Cadance and the brashness of the mare brought a small giggled from Luna.
Fleur continued “You should’ve seen Fancy’s reaction when he learned there was a new Princess. ‘Yes, finally enough with all these white maresl!’” The mare chuckled again “Obviously he slept on the couch that night.”
The mare opened the box she had previously deposited on one of the tables. “But enough chitchat, this dress won’t finish herself!”
Following the ordering tone of the mare, Cadance removed everything from the nearby coffee table and invited Luna to stand on it. Fleur levitated the dress from the box aside some pins, scissors, a measuring tape and a notebook.
“You have quite an interesting friend,” said Luna to Cadance while watching the dress rise out of the box. “Mind if I ask why it’s not Mr. Pants that is here?”
Fleur put down the notebook on the desk and began helping the dark alicorn to get in the dress. “The poor dear has a charity event tomorrow. He is taking a rest. Don’t worry, I worked with Fancy enough to get the basics.”
After, the white mare fell into a routine of taking notes, repositioning some pins and taking new measurements, Cadance asked the silent Luna, “Something on your mind, auntie?”
Princess Luna gave a quick glance at her desk and muttered, “Nothing.”
Cadance raised an eyebrow, visibly not convinced by the other alicorn’s answer but said nothing.
Princess Luna’s ears perked then she shook her head “We should not bottle up our feelings. That lead to an unpleasant memory.”
Fleur planted a pin between two layer of tissue and spoke while noting something on her notepad. “I can leave if you want. I am nearly done.”
Luna ignored the mare’s offer. “I… maybe I am not ready as I thought I was.”
Cadance pointed at the many scrolls on her desk. “Is it about these letters? What are these, maybe I can help you.”
“I don’t know. I added some constellations in the night sky as a gift to the mares that freed me.”
Cadance beamed. “That’s a wonderful intention!”
“I…” Luna cleared her throat and pointed at a small stack of letter in the corner of the desk. “Some ponies think so,” she then pointed at the other bigger stack. “Feel free to take a look yourself.”
Fleur and Cadance picked some letters, some were from angry astronomical ponies complaining that she had no right to change their stars, some from nobles demanding similar attention with a lengthy detail of their stupid accomplishments to justify it. Fleur was a bit amused, but Cadance was quite mad.
The unicorn mare showed the folded letter on the middle of the desk. “And this one.”
“I… don’t know what to think about this one. It confuses me as much as it makes me sad”, Luna walked to her balcony watching the incriminating star pattern.
Meanwhile Cadance took the letter and read it to herself.
Dear Princess Celestia’s sister,
I have a lot of fond memories watching the night sky. That’s how I found my husband, Nighty. I was just getting out of the library after an evening of reading and I saw a poor colt alone with three telescopes around him. He stopped me and asked me if I was there for the astronomy club meeting. I said no, but upon seeing the sadness in his eyes, I let him explain to me some star’s name. I was probably more thrilled by the passion from the colt than the night sky itself. The night sky is also a reminder of our first kiss, the night he asked for my hoof in marriage, and other activities my foals would probably wouldn’t want to hear about.
But during our vacation, we both were very shocked to find a new constellation, especially finding stars arranged in an unflattering pattern that is an insult to our family.
I request that you remove this offending constellation so I can enjoy the night sky again.
Your loyal subject, Twilight Velvet.
Cadance did something unbefitting of a pony wearing the title of Princess, she swore and then called a name angrily. “Velvet!” Then she marched toward Luna, who was currently hanging her head toward the floor muttering.
“I am sorry for Velvet’s words, I-”
The Lunar Diarch raised her head looking at Cadance. “Please explain me what we did to wrong her.”
Luna saw the other alicorn took her time, the pause was long enough for Luna to guess that Cadance was choosing carefully what she wanted to say.
“I… what did you do? I am sorry I should have paid more attention to your work.”
A scroll was levitated toward Cadance, showing a drawing of a big purple star, nearly between each branch of the star was a the picture of simplified version of cutie marks: an apple, a diamond, a butterfly, a bolt and a balloon. On the drawing, Luna’s had put black dot to represent, of what Cadance could guess, the correspond stars. She sighed “I understand why Velvet reacted like that. I well..”
Cadance stopped, using her horn to draw in the air with magic her fiancé’s and his sister’s cutie marks -a spell she learned from Luna. That drew Luna and Fleur’s attention. She pointed at the shield shaped form. “Shining got his cutie mark trying to protect his baby sister as I already told you. The thing is,” Cadance’s hoof moved at the top of the shield “For a while they came up with the belief that the three stars represented the family member he was protecting.”
Fleur clapped her hooves together. “Oh, I love this story, it’s so cute! Crystalbutt little star.”
“Yes. Well, Twilight was all crazy when her cutie mark showed five small stars like her brother.” Cadance chuckled and replaced some stars in Twilight’s cutie mark with ponies, a doll and a book. “Obviously Twilight being Twilight she filled it in with what she loved the most.”
Luna looked at Cadance changing the drawing and telling how the little stars changed meaning as both siblings grew up. There was a small blush on Cadance’s face when she talk about the day Shining said that she was one of his stars.
It was now obvious to Luna why their mother could be mad. Again she acted without thinking, maybe it was the proof that getting back at a ruling position was a bad idea. After Cadance finished her story and some questions about the dress from Fleur, she dismissed them.
As she watched the two mare go out the room, Princess Luna had one final thought: Why didn’t Cadance talk about Spike?
Air was knocked out of Twilight’s lungs when she left the realm of sleep, or rather was forced out by a filly bouncing on her.
“Mommy! Wake up! Wake up!”
“Oof,” Twilight said.
Seeing the positive result of her action, Morning got off her mother but kept talking. “Hurry up! We are gonna be late! I don’t want to be tardy!”
Twilight heard a chuckle coming from the young drake wearing an apron and holding a spatula, Spike watched the scene from the door leading to the kitchen.
“Hu, oh,” mumbled Twilight, then she grabbed the excited filly with her magic and brought her near her chest and kissed her on her forehead. ”Good morning, little star.”
Morning giggled, surprised by the impromptu forced hug. After a while of basking in her mother embrace, she wriggled out. “I love you mommy, but we must hurry!” she said and hurried toward the kitchen.
Twilight had slept on the couch near her desk in the library. She got on her four legs and yawned; she remembered falling asleep after working on preparing Dinky’s magic lesson. “Alright, let’s have some breakfast.”
The mare looked the filly rush in the kitchen and noticed a grinning Spike. He had his claw on his mouth. He blurted while laughing “She is so like you!”
Twilight rolled her eyes, but smiled. She was happy to see Morning being excited at the prospect of something she denied herself: going to a friend’s house. She had always turn off other ponies from her life when she was Morning’s age, figuring that her family and books were enough. Sadly her moving out from her parent’s house and her status as Celestia’s prized students did not help in any social endeavor. As she grew up, becoming close to a pony had became a problem.
She walked at a lazy pace to the kitchen, she was still sleepy, freeing all her saturday put her in the situation of studying very late at night. Before entering the kitchen she winced as an old scar make herself known. Twilight was a little worried, she had that nightmare again. But this time instead of holding a picture of the filly to remember her choice, she had taken the real pony. She shrugged those thought away and went to her seat.
Spike served pancakes to the mares in room. That was welcomed with smiles.
Morning was at her second honey covered pancake when she talk “You are gonna tell, Dinky?”
“Yes, yes” Twilight sighed. Morning had insisted for telling the truth to Dinky and she could not really said no. After all she had promised the filly that she would let pony knows she was her daughter after her birthday. She felt a bit silly lying to everypony about Morning, but it was what the Princess had proposed to get her friends comfortable with the idea of having a filly around Twilight.
The filly nearly jumped of happiness in her seat then grabbed another fresh made pancake. Twilight made herself another mug of coffee. “So Spike, not going with Rarity today?”
Spike keep watching his frying pan, “Nah, she is in Canterlot for one of Fancy’s party.”
Twilight continued “I thought you will want to go to Canterlot with her. Don’t you have a new series of comics to buy?”
Spike flipped the pancake “Hm, Shining will buy them probably. And I will spend the morning with Pinkie, it’s not that bad.”
Twilight took a sip of her coffee “What are you doing anyway?”
Spike put his last pancake on his plate and joined the mares at the kitchen table. “I help the Cakes with some order and I help Pinkie checking if she does not forget stuff for her parties. I think today she planned on repairing her welcome machine.”
The ears of Morning perked, she was finishing her glass of orange juice while listening to the exchange “Welcome machine?”
Spike answered “Oh yeah, it’s a weird box on wheels, you pull and lever and like… bam” Spike throw his arms open in the air. “It welcome you with confetti and cakes! I should ask Pinkie to show you one day.”
Morning giggled at Spike mime. Twilight just smiled behind her mug.
After eating breakfast, Twilight went to check on the saddlebags she had prepared the previous day. She had ordered two copies of Your unicorn foal and you, a book dedicated to parents of a unicorn foal that were not unicorn themselves. Twilight was a bit sad to discover the library did not already have a copy and since she wanted to give a copy to Ditzy, she also took one for the library.
Spike joined Twilight with a foiler emballed package “Here your sandwich for the picnic. I made the usual.”
Twilight grabbed the proffered package and put it in her saddlebags “Thank you, Spike” She patted the drake on the head “I don’t know what I will do without you.”
Spike blushed at the praise but replied ”I am sure you will find a way.”
Morning get back from her room with her own saddlebags filled with school homeworks and Woona resting on her head “I am ready!”
Twilight smiled, hide a yawn with one hoof and trotted out the library with Morning at her side.
---
After leaving Morning Star with Ditzy and Dinky at their modest house, Twilight went a scheduled picnic with her friends. With some fruit of hazard or Pinkie’s clever manipulation, she was seated near Rainbow Dash. But she was currently thinking about her morning. It had been a new experience for the mare. Telling the official truth about Morning had been surprisingly easy, Twilight did not even had issue convincing Ditzy to not tell other ponies.
She was still amazed how thing went for Morning. On her first day of school Morning had made a friend and herself gained a student, she had see Dinky at lunch the whole week, she was very different than Morning. Dinky was less demanding and could take care of herself, probably because she had only her mother and she was often left alone. Twilight liked Dinky, she was maybe not the smartest filly, but she was seriously invested in school.
She understood more about Dinky and her mother after spending a few hours at their house. It was a very modest house located on the edge of town. Twilight figured the mare did not earn that much money because there was little few fourniture and the wall could have be bare if not for the multiple pictures of Ditzy and her filly. It was not that much of a surprise, taking care of a Morning had put a nice strain on her own budget.
Twilight managed to learn a bit more about Ditzy when they left the two fillies play together. The pegasus mare left Cloudsdale when she learned Dinky was not a pegasus. She quickly find a job as the mailmare of Ponyville, it was not a great paid but she did not have much qualification to work for.
Twilight had spent most of the morning explaining to Dinky and Ditzy her plan for magic lessons and how Ditzy could help Dinky in her magic development even if she was not an unicorn. For Twilight, learning how to use your magic in daily thing was a good way to bond with your relatives, even if it was by simple encouragement from a non unicorn. She did not tell Rarity, but it was her main reason to not teach Sweetie Belle, she had hoped Rarity took the hint and guide her sister herself or see with her parent.
“Twilight?” her thought get interrupted by the gentle voice of Fluttershy asking her something.
Seeing a thermos in the yellow pegasus grasp, Twilight answered “Oh sorry. Yes Fluttershy I would like some tea.”
“You are not freaking out over a missing report?” Rainbow Dash said with a grin on her face
“Oh, I thought I would never be able to finish everything on time before today. Taking care of Morning full time pull me really on a stray. This last assignment was a nightmare I have to,” Twilight paused to yawn “finish yesterday because of Dinky’s lesson.”
Most of her friends smirked but Fluttershy beamed “Is so nice of you to help Miss Doo with her little Dinky.”
Applejack, who was polishing an apple remarked “Sugarcube, I will be mighty lost I don’t get a little bucker out of me.”
Rainbow dash grinned at the earth pony mare,“You need to find a stallion for that AJ.”
An angry frown appeared on the farm pony “I am not talking about that with ya.”
While their friend were friendly arguing or teasing each other, time seem to slow for Twilight as she felt the wings of Rainbow Dash touching her occasionally.
‘Rainbow Dash’s wings... must be soft too, it’s like a soft warm pillow’ The tired mind of Twilight thought. She unconsciously shift position and her head quickly found a nice position in Rainbow Dash’s side before falling asleep.
Fluttershy put a hoof in front of her mouth “Oh the poor dear.”
The other pegasus turned her head when she felt the unicorn hit her “Hu, Twilight?”
Pinkie grabbed Rainbow’s head and whispered in her ear, “No no no Dashie, don’t wake up her, she look so tired.”
***
A few hours later Twilight awake from a good nap. The soft pillow and the warm blanket were a nice feeling to wake up. The pillow was strangely soft and warm and- Twilight’s mind managed to process what the pillow was, she jerked from Rainbow side.
“Oh no, no, no!”
“Finally up, egghead?” Rainbow Dash, freed from the unicorn pressure, rise up and start stretching herself.
“I am so sorry Rainbow! So sorry!”
Rainbow Dash chuckled “I am the last pony to blame another pony to take a nap.”
Twilight face flushed with a tint of red “I… slept on you.”
“I am an awesome pillow, hey.”
“No, no, it’s not alright… I need to do something for you”
The pegasus waved one hoof in front of her, “Nah it’s fine.”
Lot of naughty ideas passed on Twilight’s head on how she could repay the pegasus, but this was not how she pictured the start of a normal relationship. She put a hoof on her chest to calm herself before talking “I...have two tickets for the Wonderbolt opening-”
Rainbow’s ears perked straight and she ended Twilight’s sentence “Tour? You are kidding me? You get tickets for this?”
“Yes?” Twilight herself was not a great fan of the Wonderbolts, it was a gift from Cadance. She remembered that it was the start of their new tour across Equestria.
Rainbow Dash did a small circle in the air “But all the tickets were sold in nearly two days!”
Twilight tried to not stutter too much her next sentence, her heartbeat was clearly higher than some minute ago “Well, wwould you like to come?”
“You bet I want!” She other mare replied. She took flight and start doing random trick in the air.
‘She say yes! Thank you Cadance!’ beamed Twilight internally while trying to not blush or smile too much.
Rainbow Dash landed, she placed a hoof behind her head “Thank you, Twilight. You really are a great friend.” she paused, watching behind Twilight “It’s not like the Gala… you know?”
“No, no, no. I mean, I don’t think I can have other tickets” In a sense Twilight was glad Rainbow brought this question, she did not want the others to know “Just don’t tell the other?”
“Yeah, sure!”, she took off leaving Twilight alone.
Twilight walked with a spring on her step, smiling and waving at everypony that greeted her on her way to Ditzy’s house. A huge smile on her face.
The gray pegasus opened the door when Twilight knocked “You look happy.”
Twilight hugged the mare and beamed “I have a date!”