The Sun and the Stars: A Twilestia Prompt Collab

by Fuzzyfurvert

478. Ebullition by Knight of Cerebus

by Knight of Cerebus

***

Everything was working perfectly thus far. Twilight had been able to finish her letter in only a single draft, had been able to send it without any shortness of breath or stomach cramps, had been ready to go to the palace after only five minutes of preparation. It was perfect! Celestia was just like another friend. She could do anything with her. Say anything to her. The chariot arrived, and there was no thundering heartbeat or nagging worry of failure. She stepped inside with confidence she hadn't ever had before. "To Celestia!" She extended a hoof forward. The stallions pulling the chariot exchanged glances.

"Um, with respect--your majesty, the safe word?" The Changeling safeguard was rarely brought to bear against her. She blinked.

"Ladybugs." Was she really that different? "I assure you, gentlecolts, everything is fine. Better than fine. I just want to demonstrate a new spell I've been learning." That sounded enough like Twilight that the stallions at least spread their wings to take off.

She lept from the chariot upon arrival and began a healthy canter towards the palace, trying to ignore the worried looks of her escort.

"Twilight Sparkle!" Celestia's voice was warm and open. Twilight enjoyed the warmth in the way one would enjoy a thin glow of sunlight on a cold winter day. It was fleeting and pleasant, but nothing more. "I must say it was a surprise to hear you scheduled a visit so suddenly, but a visit from you is never unwelcome." She waited for the blush, for the touched and private smile. Something to denote her Twilight had heard her. But what came in response was something utterly alien to her.

"I appreciate the consideration. Was it too much trouble?" Twilight looked at it her with a casual concern. Her lip remained unbitten. Her eyes remained unwavering. A single raised eyebrow was all that she could muster.

Celestia's gaze grew distant. "No. No trouble at all..."

This was GREAT! She could say anything to Celestia, do anything! No more barriers or lies, ever! She wanted to test it further. But she needed privacy for that. She looked to the guards. "Guards, I need to demonstrate a spell for Her Majesty. I would appreciate some privacy."

"Safe word." This time it came from Celestia, said in disbelief. For some reason that didn't bother her.

"Ladybugs." Twilight ignored the fact that Celestia's eyes were widening behind her. The guards exchanged glances--Twilight continued to hate that look of worry that kept following her everywhere--and reluctantly marched out. Okay, this was it. Time for a real test.

"You know, I've been thinking...just between friends. As I was growing into my alicorn body I noticed your eating habits are a little...aggressive, and that you're a little rounder than the rest of us alicorns. It's important to keep your health under consideration, and I was wondering if you wanted to try an exercise regime. I could find time for the two of us, and maybe with a bit of effort we could reach a healthier body mass!" She said it with friendly concern. No shame. No worry of disgust or disappointment. Amazing! But then she saw Celestia's face, and something inside her flickered.

"What brings this on?" Celestia's smile was shallow and stretched. You could tell by the way it pulled too strongly at her dimples. A part of her brain that felt locked in a deep sleep conjured up that fact. Celestia was hurt. Why? Had she said something wrong?

"Well, just that you might want to think about your health. Pinkie Pie doesn't and we all worry for her. I didn't and everypony worried for me."

"Shouldn't that be my choice?" Celestia's smile stretched a little further. The edges of her eyes were pinched. Whatever it was that was faltering internally, it was building up pressure like magma waiting for an eruption. Twilight forced it back down.

"Of course! But I thought some time between friends might bring us closer together." That relaxed the smile--and her insides--a little.

"Perhaps, yes. I confess I had been hoping to spend more time with you outside of our shared duties. But maybe in an activity we both enjoy. Reading, or perhaps stargazing or some practice in magical theory."

Twilight's curiosity overrode whatever the boiling pool of magma within her was. "You like stargazing? I always thought it'd remind you of Luna."

Celestia faltered. "It does, yes. But I love my sister, and the beautiful art she shares with us even more."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense, then. Luna is a good friend." She cast a nostalgic grin back to making friends with Luna.

"Why would I not?"

Twilight's insides continued to froth and boil. Something inside her was screaming not to say, but she forced it down. She had identified it, and it was the enemy. Love had driven a chasm between her and Celestia and this was her bridge over it. "Thinking of Luna makes you feel ashamed. Like any of your failings. Just like I do with Smartypants. I didn't know you were moving past that. I'm glad."

"I beg your pardon?" Celestia was not even bothering with the smile now. This wasn't going the way Twilight wanted.

"I mean, you and Luna are already starting to fight again." Celestia bit her lip. Twilight pressed on, fighting hoof and tail against the feelings frothing within her now. "You close yourself off when you're hurt and I thought you'd do that since--" Celestia put a hoof over her mouth in shock. She spat out the last few words as quick as she could. "Since you don't like to talk about things like this, even when you need to." Celestia let a tear run down her face. Twilight's entire body froze.

Something had gone catastrophically wrong, both inside and out. The Princess--Her Princess--was crying, and it was all her fault. The pressure inside her was boiling to bursting point. "I wish for you to leave me, Twilight Sparkle." The words were enough. Something in Twilight exploded. She coughed out a great cloud of grey and brown smoke, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks and body kicking against the force of the potion's expulsion.

"Princess Celestia!" She rushed towards the throne, batting the contemptible smoke out of her way as she went, and bowed low. "I'm sorry, I--I can't make this better, but how do I make this better, ohhhh!" She began to prance in place, teeth gritting. "I just wanted to help you, I promise! I know it doesn't seem like it, but please, please believe me--I just wanted us to be closer and for me to, to..." Celestia saw the instant change through her, and her eyes widened in disbelief, another tear running freely. She smelled the odor of rotten eggs and dark chocolate and knew immediately what her foolish, wonderful little alicorn had done.

"An apathy potion." It explained everything that had just happened altogether too well. "But why, Twilight?" Twilight froze in place. It had gotten even worse than she had possibly imagined. No, no, no. Magma churned and erupted within her, a volcano at last blowing its peak. She couldn't say. Especially not after insulting her Princess so badly this day. "I-I-I-" No. She chided herself for stalling. She had made Celestia cry. Celestia deserved to know. And Twilight deserved whatever callous rejection was coming, a dozen times over. "I love you." She cringed and starred at the floor, her entire body burning. "And it hurts, and it makes me act stupid and hide my words and I just wanted to make that easier on us. I just wanted to be the friend you deserved and not some, some, stupid filly in estrus all the time!" She gave a ghost of a glance upwards. Celestia looked exactly the way she'd expected. Dumbfounded. Shocked. "That's why." She simmered in silence, ready for whatever rebuke came next.

"Twilight, if I wished you to change for me, I would have been a poor friend and a worse lover." Celestia rolled the last word around in her mouth a little, trying to see how it tasted. "I love you exactly the way you are. Your attitude towards me was never a barrier for me. You were right, if cruel, just now. I do make distance between the things I wish not to address. Perhaps that is what led you to this. I too wish we spoke with more honesty, but...I was afraid. Afraid the truth of me might drive us apart. Not unlike you."

Twilight wobbled. But then hardened. Determination flared within her. The boiling in her stomach continued to scald her, but now it worked as fuel to her drive. "I promise I will make this up to you. I can be as far or as--" She saw Celestia shaking her head. Her mind raced to find the problem. She ran back over what Celestia had said, from start to finish. If I wished for you to change for me. Oh. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "No. I will make this up to you by listening. I will make this up to you by speaking. And by not flinching from what you have to say back."

"Let me begin by saying that whatever happens next, I will still love you. Never fear for that."

The feeling in Twilight that had been burning on overdrive at last settled. No more scalding boiling. No more crushing pressure. "And no matter what you say next, I will love you, too."

Comments

[ultra1437]

Aww. Good ending.

[Oddboy]

That could have gone so much worse. Good thing Celestia is, or at least tries to be, a rational person and not someone that holds grudges.

[Opponent]

8653736
She gives it her best. It's the most someone can really do for another.