Opening Celestia's Heart

by Knight of Cerebus

Chapter 9

Luna and Starlight stared at one another, the blank void that was Starlight's dreamscape silent and empty save for the two mares. "It seems thine dream has become a nightmare, Starlight Glimmer." Luna sniffed, then landed forcefully a few feet away from her. "It is fortunate, then, that banishing nightmares is my own greatest talent." Starlight looked away. "What have you to say on what has transpired this morrow?"

"I was...okay, I was wrong. I couldn't do what I wanted to in the world we have now. I can't make a perfect society without perfect obedience, and ponies as they are will never have that. I can't have a utopia in the world we have now. It just isn't possible." Starlight shook her head. "But it doesn't matter! What we have now is broken! I'll fix it, no matter what. It's just a matter of..."

"Of what? Thine plan is to make a land of automatons to rule upon? A clockwork landscape? You promised acceptance in your society, but the society I saw had to be perfect to your specifications and none other. That is hardly a land of acceptance."

"And how would you do better?!" A vein popped out of the side of Starlight's neck. "At least I'm trying to make a difference! What are you trying to do with your wings and your horn?!"

Luna scoffed. "You would not understand. My duty is to look upon dreams and keep the minds of Equestria at peace as they slumber. It is not a duty that is respected in this land, and you are no exception in lacking that respect."

"Yeah, making dreams better. Great job with that so far." Starlight scuffed a hoof, rolling her eyes. "Do you run out of every dream that offends you, or am I just special that way?"

Luna grew tense. "We did not return to be insulted. We--"

"Then why are you here, huh?! Yeah, it failed! I failed! Rub it in, why don't you?! Not like everypony else did enough of that! What more do you want to take from me?" Starlight gave a pained laugh. "What else do you think I have left?"

"I am trying to help!" Luna spread out her wings. "Why can you not see that? I returned to fix my mistake! Must I be in your own image in order to do that? Can nopony be different from you and still be your friend?"

Starlight took a step back, her anger turning to confusion. "I'...m...sorry? What do you mean, 'friend'?"

"You are angry. And scared. And alone. You push away anypony wishing to reach out to you. It is infuriating! You see yourself as utterly alone and yet scorn any who try and pull you away from that loneliness!" Luna ignored the strange pressure in her head that her words brought to her. "And for what? What has your contempt for those who do not follow brought you?"

Starlight stared at the ground, pupils scanning for something that might help her understand that development. "But you left. You turned and ran and--and nopony's ever come back before! I thought you hated me, I--" Starlight cut herself off, looking at Luna for some sort of answer.

Luna deflated a bit at this. "We were...angry. You insulted everything that we are, tried to crush it beneath promises of a better world run by you. Just the same as now. In truth we almost did not come back. But we...suspected you did not mean all that you said. That it came from a place of sorrow, not a place of hatred. And that is a thing we know well enough." Again that odd expression Starlight could not place. An emotion with which she'd had no experience. "So we returned."

"So you just..what, pity me? Is that it?"Starlight rolled her eyes, stomping away. "I don't need this."

Luna's own muzzle scrunched up at this, her eyes narrowing. "What you need is to stop yourself and think. Where will you go without me? What will you do?"

"No, what I need is a plan. True, Equestria as it stands can't be the place it needs to. But when has something like that ever stopped me before? If I can't find a way forward, I'll make a way." Again that vein bulged from her neck. Starlight scoffed at Luna's attempts to follow. A wall of blue magic stopped her. Luna laid a hoof against her withers.

"Peace. There are things in life besides utopias and doctrines. Can you not try to see that?"

"But if I can't find a way to make everypony stay then I'll never get back my Sun--" She stopped herself. "I need to find a way! It's the only way forward."

"I have never found the Sun to be the way forward." Luna shook her head. "Come, I am sure in time you will find the Moon suits you better."

Starlight slapped the hoof away. "I don't want what suits me! I want my own terms and my own way forward! You just want to hold me back until I like stars and dreams and little--nothings! Why won't you just leave me alone?"

Luna's expression darkened. "You wish for a society where nopony will change? Fine." Blue magic sealed the two together, perfectly alone in a shimmering box in space. "We will play your game. You and I will sit here. Forever. I will not leave, nor will you. We will stay in static harmony together." Luna gave a nod at the walls.

"What? But what about your duties?"

"I had thought they weren't important." Luna gave a twisted smile. "Little nothings. So we will do what is important to you instead. We will sit inside a box of perfect stability for all eternity." At this, Luna lit her horn and transformed herself into an identical copy of Starlight. "Nothing will ever be different. Nopony will think or behave differently. We will be together in perfect unison forever."

Starlight's eyes widened, her open mouth closing to form a scowl. "You can't keep me! I won't let you!" Starlight immediately began to look for weaknesses in the spell, her horn lighting and scanning. But the box was crafted of dream magic by the pony who invented the field, and no spell a unicorn of the day like Starlight could conjure would ever break Luna's barrier. She fired off a beam, only for it to dissipate into non existence. Then another. Then another.

Luna put a hoof on Starlight's horn, ignoring the way the other mare glared at her. "To what end? Is this not what you wanted? A friend who would never change, never leave?"

"You aren't my friend!" Starlight stepped backward. "My friend would understand! She'd try to help, not keep me cooped up in some stupid test!"

Luna's grin fell away, and she turned back towards the walls of the box. "I want somepony who will understand also. But to you that is not enough. So here we shall remain, until you see the error of your ways."

"You don't get to force that on me!" Starlight lowered into a crouch, her horn lighting. Blue magic snuffed out the combat spell instantly.

"And you do?" Luna sat. "Forcing this life of order upon others is fair if it serves your utopia? You know better for others, while I do not know better for you?"

Starlight glared. Another mindgame from another righteous princess. She was trapped. Unable to reason her way out of her new 'friend's' clutches and unable to use magic to escape the toxic 'friendship' lesson. Her mind raced to find a way out. A way to wrest control back from her current princessly oppressor. Then it came to her. She would play the princess at her own game. She turned back to Luna, a wide smile across her face.

／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

"Come on, it came from in here!" Cadance practically charged through the ivory hallways. Canterlot Castle had been her home for many years, and while the redecorating that had been done to accommodate the Grand Equestrian Pony Summit had thrown her off somewhat, she and her husband still knew the halls well enough to move through them with haste. Shining was not far behind, but bless him, his legs were not quite as long and his body not quite as light as the alicorn's own. Cadance tugged at him with her pleading gaze, her hopeful look lending extra strength to Shining's hooves.

He skidded to a halt not far from Cadance's own location. Most unicorns would have been winded, but the Royal Guard had hardened Shining Armor to the point he was practically part earth pony. "So...what's going on this time?"

Cadance rolled her eyes. "A relationship, obviously--"

"No, I know that. You only ever gallop like that when you sense a new one. But, like, how many weeks in? Are they fighting? How physical is it?" Shining shook his head. "And, uh, what are you going to do about it?"

Cadance's grin stretched across her face. In her rush she'd forgotten how thoughtful Shining could be. Already asking what needed to be done, already wondering how to help. "I love you." She swiped his nose with a wing, causing him to give an indignant 'hey!' "There's a lot of anxiety. Nothing too physical, and if I'm not mistaken they've had to hide for a while. They're scared that it's fragile." Cadance slowed down, her head lowered and her gaze narrowed in a pose that looked for all the world like a prowling big cat.

"Is it?" Shining followed behind at an even pace, casting his eyes around at the surroundings in case of paparazzi or nobles that might distract her from her search.

"Not exactly. They just need a reminder, I think. There's a lot of loyalty there. They clearly knew each other before all of this." She wrinkled her nose and furrowed her brow, probing the love magic further. "Ooooh, and there's a lot of passion, too! But it's buried behind nerves." She giggled. "I think it might be some taboo block in place. Maybe cross-species, or there's an age gap or a class difference."

"Do you think it'll last?"

Cadance bit her lip. "I don't know. But I know there's a lot of depth to it, whatever the obstacles."

"So...do we just remind them, then? Or do you wanna do the whole couples therapy thing too?" Shining glanced at the position of the sun. "Princess Celestia is going to want to find us and get us settled in."

Cadance at last settled on the hallway she could sense the love coming from. "Depends on how busy they are and what we figure out once we find them. Could you cover for me if I need it?"

"When don't I?" Shining gave a cheesy smile, sweeping back his mane with macho gusto.

"That's my dork." Cadance giggled again, lightly tapping her horn to his and sending him a vision of her teenage self watching a younger Shining doing laps around the barracks, her eyes on his withers and a blush on her cheeks.

His gaze softened at the feelings of admiration, and he sent her back a quick image of her stroking his mane after an exhausting day of obstacle courses. They broke off and returned to the search. Three doors down, they stopped.

"I'll be outside if you need a colt's perspective." He chuckled. "Or if you need an alibi when Princess Celestia comes to fetch us."

Cadance raised a regal hoof to the door and gave a dainty knock, not unlike what Auntie Celestia had taught her to do. She expected a total stranger, or perhaps a distant aquiantance from her palace days. Her eyes flew wide open when she saw her little sister open the door. "Princess! There you are, I was wanting to--Cadance?!" Her eyes lit up, and the inevitable dance began.

Once the sun had been invoked, the ladybugs awoken, hooves clapped and a little shake managed, Shining cleared his throat. Cadance gave him a warning look. "Shining Armor, you will not interrogate Twilight into revealing the identity of the colt you're no doubt feeling an urge to traumatize."

"I didn't say anything!" Shining protested.

She gave him an unimpressed look. "Twilight needs our support now, honey. She has mine, and she's going to need yours."

He relented. "Fine, just--if he hurts her..."

Twilight fell into a sitting position, sweat on her brow. She immediately began to connect the dots, her eyes shrinking smaller and smaller with every passing thought. "Uhhhhhh. Well, uhm, this has been a great meeting. But I need to go, ehe, prepare trade unions with the staff!" She tried to reorganize her excuses. "Debrief the press on the entrees!" Her siblings stared at her, clearly unmoved by her attempt at an alibi. "Uhhh--gottagobye!" She launched backwards with a flap of her wings and slammed the doors with a blast of telekinesis.

"Well, that's where the anxiety was coming from." Shining deadpanned.

"Right." Cadance pressed a hoof to her forehead, a knowing smile forming. "Going to need you to stall for me after all, hon."

"On it." Shining shot her an exaggerated salute and cantered off.

"Twilight?" The door did not open. "Ladybug...? I'm not here to hurt you. You know helping couples is my thing. I just want to talk about it."

To her surprise, Twilight neither stalled for more time to panic nor ignored her outright. Instead the door swung open, Twilight breathing out lightly. Were it not for the telltale cowlicks and the suspiciously orderly writing desk, Cadance would have sworn Twilight hadn't reacted at all. Twilight, for her part, let out a breath with a sweep of her hoof, flashing Cadance a proud smile. "Right, sorry about that. I do need to talk. There's just a lot of tension right now. A-actually, I could use your help, probably. It's just..." The confidence wilted away. "Promise you won't be mad?"

Cadance laughed at this. "I could never be mad about love from a pony like you, Twilight. Maybe a little sad if it wasn't healthy or the other pony wasn't truthful to you, but never angry."

"Well, let's start with the easy stuff. It's a mare, not a stallion, and I think that makes me bisexual but I'm sure you'd know better than I do. I know that doesn't matter to you, but I need to get it out of the way. We've been together for about a month now and we've been breaking the news slowly. Most of our friends know by now. We just--Sorry we didn't tell you! It's...well, you know Shiny..."

Cadance gave a groan at that. "Don't worry about him, honey. I'll sort him out if he puts up a stink."

"You don't even know who it is yet." Twilight's brow furrowed. "What if you think it's unhealthy? You shouldn't approve just because it's me."

Cadance giggled. "I can feel it, remember? What you have needs a little more communication, I think. But you're working on that. I can feel the bubble of tension, and I can feel the spot where you two have started to talk and the tension's starting to come undone. Shiny can't feel any of that. I'll be sure to tell him."

"Good, good. Right, you can feel that. So, uh, why did you track me down, exactly?" Cadance ruffled a hoof through Twilight's hair. Not like it could get much messier.

"I was gonna give a nervous couple a pep-talk about their being more loving. I can also feel some sort of barrier between you. Like...a species thing. Or a gender thing." Cadance giggled. "Imagine my surprise."

Twilight rubbed a hoof with the back of her head. "Yeah, surprise...most ponies react like that. That I'm into mares now, who it is and how I met her. Thanks for being supportive first." She stretched her pained expression into a smile. "I think I kind of needed that."

"So what's been the big divide? Have you been dating somepony you're working with? Is it a griffon I'd know?" Twilight didn't answer, but the lack of nervous laughter let her know she hadn't hit the mark yet. "Well, it's not like you've got a boss you've been dating or something." Cadance giggled at this. Twilight's own laughter came out far too high and far too fast. Cadance raised an eyebrow. "Wait...no...are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Twilight took a step back, nodding. She shut her eyes and lowered her head, waiting for the inevitable backlash.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Twilight's brain had barely registered the joyful squeal when she suddenly found herself being vaulted into the air by her old foalsitter. "Ohmygoodness Twilight that's great! Oh, I should have noticed earlier! You've always been so fussed about how you feel about each other and Auntie gets so lonely and now--you two must be over the moon! You have to tell me everything!" With every sentence she tossed Twilight again, catching her with open arms and a wide smile each time. On the last catch, Twilight hugged her close and the two of them spun together, laughing.

"Yeah! Yeah! It has been great!" Cadance let Twilight catch her footing, and she rubbed a hoof against the back of her head. "It's been great for both of us. She's been teaching me how to do court stuff and I've been helping her make some new friends, and we've been doing all kinds of crazy math and magic and drawing and gardening and...Yeah." Twilight settled into a cozy smile. "It's been the best. But..it's weird, isn't it? Like, she used to teach me. And she's like a thousand times my age. That's weird, right? You aren't going to say that's weird?"

"Well, okay. Okay." Cadance brought herself back down to earth with a breath of her own. "Twilight, look at it this way--if Princess Celestia told you to do something you didn't want to do, would you do it or not?" She stared the other pony in the eyes.

Twilight looked away. "Wellllll...we talked about that. She was kind of using me a bit early on--I realize that sounds bad, it was more like, err...delegating?" She looked back at Cadance, her resolve hardening once more. "So I had to put my hoof down on that. We talked it out--and I think we're in a good place now? But I still worry sometimes that it bothers her and I mean I do that for everypony so it's not that different, but y'know, I guess that isn't exactly conventionally healthy. And sometimes she isn't as considerate as she wants to be and I kinda let her get away with that sometimes because it's hard on her and she needs room to breathe and--" Twilight squeaked out a little 'pleasedon'tbemad' and gave a sheepish smile.

"Okay." Cadance placed a hoof on Twilight's chest, allowing her to breathe. Twilight wrapped a hoof around Cadance's, and then let out a breath. "Let me phrase it a different way. Have you ever told her off for something?"

"A couple of times, yeah." Twilight flashed a guilty smile, then paused. Cadance was giving her a proud smile. For yelling at somepony. She froze up. "I...mean I'm not proud of it, but...yes, sometimes she makes mistakes and sometimes they hurt other ponies. Including me. That isn't right. But it's not like I like it."

"Right. So that's taking her feelings into consideration, and that's a healthy thing to do. But the crucial part is that you don't let her get away with everything. That'd be a deal-breaker right there. If you couldn't tell her 'no', I would be upset with her. She'd be taking advantage of you, and that would be wrong. If she said something mean to a pony you loved, you'd tell her off, right?"

"Well...not directly. You remember how she freezes up if you put her on the spot? I try not to let that happen. Is that bad?"

"No. That's you taking her feelings into consideration. You still say it, right?"

"I try to find time to pull her aside, yeah. We've, uh, we've been talking that out, too. She's better about it now. So I've been trying to get better at saying it more." Cadance nodded at this.

"Good." Cadance gave a sly look. "Y'know, the power imbalance thing is actually better than I thought it would be."

"Really?" Twilight blinked. "Why?"

Cadance pulled out one of Twilight's wings with a gentle hoof. "Because of these puppies. You're a ruler too, remember? If you were dating, say, Applejack, you'd have to be sure you weren't pulling rank on her whenever things got dicey between the two of you."

"Wait...ponies would think I was abusing my title?" Twilight balked, swallowing on air.

Cadance laughed. "You would be the one pony in Equestria not to think of herself as a big deal even after getting their own kingdom." She poked Twilight on the snout, causing her little sister to whine at the jab. Cadance smirked. "I don't know. It would depend how the relationship developed. But the risk would be there, same as this one. Auntie has experience with handling power imbalances. You're doing well on your end from the sound of it. You're getting better and you know what you need to do. That's what's important. As for the public..." Cadance smirked. "The power imbalance is what ponies worry about, Twilight. Being her student would add conflict of interest, but since you graduated, the fear is you doing things to please her and never taking your own feelings into account. You need to show them you can stand up to her, see her as a pony and not a source of confidence."

"Okay...and how would a mare like me with the social skills of a lethargic ground sloth go about doing that?" Twilight flashed a quick smile, her eyes widening to match the overlarge grin.

Cadance giggled at this. "You're selling yourself short, Twilight. Use your head a little. You've got a pretty good one on those shoulders." Twilight blushed, her smile growing a little more natural. "Besides, this isn't quite as scary as you think it is."

"You think? It's only my discrediting a ruler in front of her entire nation if I screw it up. No pressure or anything." Twilight gave a small shudder, the curtains on the bed behind her wrapping themselves in a reddish aura and rearranging themselves into an equilateral triangle.

"Well, it worked once already." Cadance smiled. "I like your odds."

"Worked already? When was that?"

"Me, you goof! You think there's no power imbalances in a Princess dating a member of the palace staff? Conflicts of interest in dating a pony who took an oath to follow royal orders? At least you two are equals. We're still the most popular couple in Equestria four years running. We might have some competition down the line, though. I hear Fancy's planning on popping the question soon, so I have to figure out which date is right so Fleur can beat him to the punch.

"Oh, it'll be so worth it to see his nerves just evaporate into love and--" Cadance stopped short. Twilight was staring, one eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face. "Right, anyway. The point is that Equestria loves a good love story. Just make sure yours is one too, and our little ponies will do the rest."

Twilight put a hoof to her chin, giving a hum and looking skyward.

Cadance put a hoof to her withers. "But if you really need the help, try this one: take her down a peg when you're at a social sometime. Nothing too mean, just a little jab here and there. Catch her slipping up, trick her, make light of it with her."

Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin. "Hmm...I guess that could work. I'll have to see if I can fit it in?"

Cadance blinked. "Fit it in?"

The two were prevented from engaging in any further discussion by the sound of an approaching pony being confronted by a stammering Shining Armor.

"Your highness, Cadance really needs to talk with Twilight alone about her speech! I know it's a little bit late, but she needs to consult on the Crystal Empire and--" The doors flung open, Celestia striding in ahead of a very anxious Shining Armor. "Sorry, Cady, she wouldn't stop this time!" Just as Shining could not stop Celestia from entering the room, he likewise couldn't stop his wife from vaulting at Celestia like a javelin upon seeing her.

"Auntie! Auntie, Auntie, Auntie I'm so happy for you!" Celestia laughed at that, hugging Cadance closer to herself as well.

"I'm very glad to see you so enthused, Mi Amore." She pulled Cadance further into the hug, closing her eyes and humming at the touch. "I had hoped you would be supportive of the shift in our relationship."

"The what now?" Shining took a step between her and Twilight. Celestia opened her eyes and stared directly into Shining Armor's own, her expression deadly serious.

Celestia gave Cadance a squeeze and then let her go, rising to her full height. "Prince Shining Armor, former captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard and chief consultant to Equestria's military. I must ask for your undivided attention. You know that my niece is very dear to me, family both by law and in my heart. Any who would harm her face my judgement, and you once swore to me that if you were ever among them, you would accept whatever punishment I deemed appropriate. Today I must swear the same." She lowered herself into a bow. "I am in love with your sister, and have courted her for one month's time now. Whatever your judgement, I will accept. If I hurt your sister now or ever, you may recall in turn as you wish."

Shining Armor stood stock still for a moment, chewing his cheek. His eyes were wide and his hooves clenched, but he flicked his gaze over to Twilight, who was looking at him with wide and pleading eyes from behind Cadance, and then he straightened. "Right. Well, Your Majesty...with that in mind. I spent every day telling my troops how to keep things from hurting you. I know how to do it better than anypony." The two shared a nod. "I accept your oath and your courtship." At this Cadance stepped forward, letting out a huff and flicking her mane.

"Listen, you two. If I ever find out one of you kicked the other's flank over something silly I'm hauling everypony off to counselling." The two of them paled at this. Cadance gave a little 'hmph' and trotted back to Twilight.

At this Twilight chimed in. "If anypony in this room hurts anypony else, they've hurt me. No excuses."

Celestia opened her mouth, turning away from Shining with a practiced smile. "Twilight, dear, we were just--"

"No excuses!" She held up a hoof, and Celestia bowed her head in a more sheepish grin. "We clear?" She turned to Shining, who cleared his throat and grumbled at this, but did not meet her eyes. Then she turned back to Celestia, who sighed and gave a little nod. Twilight nodded. "Good."

"The point is we reached an understanding." Shining knocked one hoof against the other. "She knows what you mean to me and I know what you mean to her. We're good, Twiley. Better than good. She's a good pony and a family friend."

"Wait, so you could have just done that any time and he would've been okay with it?" Twilight raised an eyebrow at Celestia. "Why didn't we just tell them first?"

"Somepony was very insistent that I refrain from telling them, on account of Captain Armor's feelings, if you'll recall." Twilight blushed at this. Celestia's smile widened. "Besides. I believe that your brother and his wife have established a family tradition in abruptly announcing relationships to their flesh and blood. Who was I to get in the way of such a fine and noble custom?"

Cadance and Shining both suddenly became incapable of meeting Celestia or Twilight's gaze, and soon Celestia was surrounded by flushed and sheepish ponies and enjoying the pink glow coming from her neck. Shining recovered first, his eyes going to Celestia's peytral at once. "Your Majesty, umm, can I ask what the new gems are? Anything I should know about?" At Cadance's raised eyebrow he flicked his mane. "Most of the kingdom's weaponry uses crystals."

Cadance looked away. "Right. I knew that..."

Celestia nodded at his admission. "Signs of your sister's talent in her domain. She has been assisting me in reawakening them. These are developing Elements of Harmony, Captain Armor. We have been cultivating them as a new means of national defense." Saying it with formality allowed her to say it evenly. Cadance trotted over to them, studying.

"Twilight's been making new friends?"

"No, Mi Amore. I have." She gave a short smile, her tone still formal and her eyes still on Shining. It was because of her focus on Shining Armor that Cadance's second hug almost knocked her off her hooves. Celestia laughed at this and closed her eyes, hugging Cadance back once more. "I would have told you both sooner if I'd known this would be our welcome."
Cadance stroked Celestia's mane, and Celestia in turn looked over at Twilight and smiled, her hooves holding Cadance close. "It sets my heart at ease seeing you so happy for us."

Twilight shot a glance over at Shining at this, who threw up his hooves in response. "I'm not a Princess of Love, okay? I want what's best for you, whatever that means for your relationship. If that means fighting Princess Celestia I'd do it. But if you're happy, I'm backing you to the hilt. I'm here for you, and if she's what makes you happy then I'm here for her, too. You know that, right?"

Twilight sighed. "Alright. Let's get ourselves a Princess of Love certification on us being happy, then. Can you maybe smile a bit if we do?"

"I'm not trying to be a jerk, alright. I'm just glad I know the pony. She's a fair boss and a good ruler." At Twilight's skeptical glance, he turned to Cadance for help. "But yeah, it'd be a load off my shoulders if Cady gave you both a once-over to see that everything's good between you."

Celestia got one last squeeze from Cadance, and then she pulled away to survey both of the ponies involved. "What kind of Princess of Love would I be if I didn't?" She drew herself up to her full height, trotting to the back corner of the room. Then she turned around and motioned for Twilight and Celestia to move together with her hooves. Once the ponies in question were together, she began. "I want both of you to describe how you're feeling. Specifically, I want you to talk about how you feel about the relationship, about each other and about yourselves. We're going to go one at a time, and then together. Got it?" The two ponies shared a glance, then nodded. "I got a bit from Twilight already, so we can start with Celestia and then see if Twilight has anything to add. I'm going to need you both to be honest with me."

Celestia settled down, her wing wrapping around Twilight. "That I can speak candidly about these things without hesitation says more than I ever could about how Twilight Sparkle has touched my heart. I could cite example after example of times Twilight has made the lives of my beloved subjects better through her dedication and her great compassion, and talk at length about the things she has done for the ponies closest to me again and again, but much more touching to me is her unwavering belief that I am a good pony trying to do the right thing. That faith empowers me in ways she scarcely understood. Each day I think we realize it more and more. More and more I feel like the pony she sees me to be, and that is a joy I can scarcely describe." Celestia rested her head against Twilight, her peytral glowing with orange light. Twilight gave Celestia a wry smile.

"I mean, if we're putting aside everything I did for Equestria we're going to have to ignore that the country is the beautiful place it is today because of you." Twilight poked Celestia's chest, and the mare gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes at this. "So ignoring a thousand years of making the world a better place, Princess Celestia understands me in ways not even my friends and family do. She always knows what to say to give me strength. She can defuse emotions that terrify the other ponies I care about, and she can find ways to make those same emotions shine. The same compulsions that turn me into a nervous wreck push me forward when Equestria's in danger or my friends are falling apart. The same obsessions that run my brain in circles give me that dedication she just described. Celestia's the only one who notices that. She values me, all of me, and that means the world to me." Twilight finished by nuzzling into Celestia's neck.

"Right." Cadance nodded, her tone even but her smile wide and glowing. "So that's a pretty clear and pretty strong 'I love you' from both of you. What about the relationship? What's that been like?"

"Comfortable." Celestia said. "We've progressed at a pace that feels natural. She is very considerate, and I try to be the same to her. We are mostly on the same page. When we are not, what conflicts we hold defuse with some quick communication. I think on this we are agreed."

"Comfortable." Twilight nodded. But she raised her hoof to add something else. "Uplifting, too. I never feel like it's too big for me, even though it's such a big step from what I'm used to. I mean, I have no idea what I'm doing. But I feel like whatever it is we're doing together, we're doing it right." She blushed and screwed up her eyes as she spoke, but a wide and earnest smile shined through all the same.

Celestia gave a small smile of her own. "That isn't to say things are perfect. Recently we came into conflict over my expression of feeling. It is something I've begun to wrestle with, given self-expression has been so rare for me until now." She looked over at Twilight, who hugged a little tighter in response. "I hurt her sometimes in my haste to feel things I once denied myself. It is to her credit she always forgives me."

"For me it's a matter of confidence." Twilight tapped her hooves together. "She's always patient about that, and it's been growing as time goes on. I guess for me the dilemma is getting too bold and stepping on her hooves. Do I say something and make it sound rude by mistake? Do I say nothing and let it build up until I get how...well, y'know how I get." She sagged a bit at this. Celestia lifted her chin up with a wing, nuzzling her. She brightened a bit.

"But we talk about this stuff. It isn't something we never knew about before we started dating. We handle it when it comes up." Celestia nodded at Twilight's words.

"Oh good. I don't need to give the communication speech." Cadance wiped her brow, smirking at Twilight and Celestia. "You wouldn't believe how many ponies think sparing feelings is better than talking about them. I see too many relationships fall apart to that." The mood got slightly somber at Cadance's scowl, so Celestia gave a sly smile and added in.

"My room might also have a mild flower problem now. You ask a mare for flowers once and she finds a new bouquet for every occasion." Celestia tickled Twilight with a wing. She gave a giggle and then pushed Celestia back with both hooves.

"And I have a lot more sketchbooks filled up now." Twilight added, her hooves settling back down. Then she realized her admission, and she shrank away from Shining and Cadance's confused looks. Celestia spoke up.

"Twilight is a closet artist. Sometimes I pose for her in private. I dare say she's improved since we started, and her sketches have since blossomed into works that are as varied as they are breathtaking." Shining and Cadance shared a look.

With a careful step forward, Shining opened his mouth. "Could we..." Twilight gave a tiny nod, and then filled the room with a cloud of papers with a flash of her horn. She stepped back again, blushing and staring at the floor.

"I tried to catch your good sides." She murmured.

Shining looked over the sketches, his gaze flickering between one of him in full guard armor with a little filly Twilight behind him and another one of Cadance taking flight in front of a shining Crystal Heart. "Wow, these are amazing!" He came to one of his parents stargazing with him and Twilight. The way Twilight captured the shine in their mother's eyes held his gaze. "I didn't know you could draw, Twiley!"

At this Twilight only flicked her gaze up at Celestia and smiled. "She did." She whispered.

Cadance pointed her hoof at Twilight's smile. "Now we just need to bring that," she spread her hooves out, "into the wider world. What's it been like in public?"

Celestia was quick to respond. "We have had a wide array of reactions to wrestle with. Yours has been the first unanimously positive one, and so we have been careful in the ways we express ourselves. I would say the word for it is discreet."

"Yeah," Twilight nodded, "everypony seems to have an opinion. At least so far everypony's had their heart in the right place about it." Celestia's teeth grit behind her smile at this, but Twilight was too busy staring at Shining's own reaction to notice.

Cadance spoke up. "Mmm. I think that's something to work on. Both of you are so focused on what goofs like this guy think," she jabbed a wing at Shining, earning her a 'hey!' in response, "that you suppress things you shouldn't around us other ponies. Try focusing on how good you feel, not how scary other ponies judging you feels. I know that a pair of busy body worryworts like you have trouble with that," both of them bowed their heads a little at the tease, "but I also know you two can get swept up in your feelings. Try getting swept up in your feelings for each other. I think it'll do you both some good." The two of them looked at one another and blinked. Slowly, hesitantly, Celestia extended a hoof to Twilight's chest. Twilight wrapped a hoof of her own around Celestia's back. Then their eyes lowered into hooded gazes. Celestia ran her hoof along Twilight's chest, and Twilight in turn raised hers up to rest behind Celestia's head. The two touched horns together, and then closed their eyes in bliss at the contact.

Shining opened his mouth to protest, but Cadance pulled him backwards with a tug of magic and put a hoof to his lips. "If it still bothers you this much," she whispered, "just focus on me. They've had to deal with us for years now. They've never said anything about it. Let's return the favour." Shining turned his eyes back to them.

"Twiley threw a fit when we got married." He grumbled.

"Shiny, that's not fair. She threw a fit at a brainwashed pony getting married to an evil bug, and when she saw us together and happy, she saved our wedding day by herself. She went down as the pony who protected us from Changelings and failed weddings both. Do you really want to go down as the pony who protected Twilight from being happy?" At this he ducked his head, wincing. He muttered a 'no', and then widened his eyes when Cadance touched her horn to his own. Soon the two became lost in a private world of their own.

Eventually Twilight pulled them all from their intertwining joys. "Now we just need to figure out how to get to a place where we can do that in a hallway without ponies shouting about the end times."

"Going public." Cadance nodded. "Let's hear the plan."

"I-I didn't say there was a plan." Twilight blushed.

"We all knew it was there, Twiley." Shining deadpanned.

"If I could submit a request, I would love to hear it in the lecture voice. The little parade of pacing you do is a joy." Celestia winked at Twilight, who at this point was refusing to meet the look of any of the assembled ponies.

"Traitor." She huffed.

"Never." Celestia stressed, running a hoof along her withers. "You may say it when and how you wish, but I like seeing you take charge. It is just a preference." At this, Twilight took in a deep breath, and the two of them shared a smile. Celestia released her hooves, and Twilight walked into the center of the room, standing her full height.

"Ponies like to feel like they're part of something," Twilight stressed. "I first figured that out at Winter Wrap Up. They work with you when you see their talents and find ways to incorporate them into whatever you're trying to do. I did it at your wedding, too. I asked around and found ponies who wanted to work on the wedding and hadn't gotten a chance. That's how I got it all set up in an afternoon. Incorporating based on other ponies' talents. The cleanup after Tirek's rampage, the setup for the Equestrian games, last week's Gala, the conference tomorrow--everything I organize. It comes down to noticing a pony's unique talents and letting them work to their strengths.

"That's also how I get everypony on board for things that might've been scary to them otherwise. My friends were really scared I wouldn't need them anymore after I became a Princess. I noticed that after saving me a few times from the plundervines they all were more comfortable with the change, so I started fixing up the old castle in the Everfree with them. It was something to do, and even though we never really got anywhere with it it reminded us that I need and treasure them just as much even with my station. Doing the same sort of thing when I'm in public has made ponies who were nervous about a fourth princess feel more at ease. This is another big change like that, and that's where the plan comes in.

"Our dating life has been very private, and if we want it to be accepted by the public, we need to let them know we still care about them as much as we do each other. I was thinking we let them introduce us. I don't need to pretend to be nervous, I just need to pretend like I haven't worked up the nerve to ask Celestia out. She can pretend to have wanted to do the same, maybe with a little more melancholy, and then we let the nobles do the rest. Sort of like what Discord did with that zany cheese scheme, but more genuine. We let them set us up and show appreciation for it, even if it's just another way for them to try to gain our favour. That gives them a feeling of inclusion, and any good behaviour we might reward will help them feel valued. This sets a precedent for our relationship being a positive thing for Equestria, a precedent we can reinforce when the wider public starts to process and embrace it, until all of Equestria is caught up in the idea that this is a good change." Twilight gave a tiny nod, her argument made, and trotted back to Celestia's side.

Cadance nodded along, but at the description of the plan's execution itself she frowned. "I like the idea behind this plan, but I'm less certain on the way you want to bring it together. Making everypony feel valued is a great idea, and something I wish I'd thought of earlier for some announcements of my own. But I don't like the dishonesty of the rest of the plan, and I don't know if rewarding nobles for catering to your personal life is the kind of precedent you want to set as a Princess."

Twilight's eyes widened. "I didn't mean like gifts or anything! Just showing appreciation, maybe some invites to events and things!"

"Handing out invites to royal events on the basis of appreciation for our relationship is a breach in our authority, Twilight." Celestia hugged her wing a little tighter, making sure to lower herself down to speak to the junior princess. "Events require bits to arrange, and thus are a type of gift all themselves. While we can indeed praise nobles for their consideration, any exchange that involves the expenditure of bits cannot be facilitated by the crown the way you're saying."

Twilight paled further at this, her pupils shrinking and sweat dotting her brow. "I-I didn't think of it like that. I'm not advocating corruption, I swear!" Celestia patted her wing against Twilight's side, and the little alicorn's pinprick pupils began to expand a bit more. She gave Celestia a grateful little smile, which was pause enough for Cadance to clear her throat.

Cadance held up a hoof. "I know you didn't mean it like that, Twiley. We all know you're a good pony, but not everypony is going to take what you're proposing that way. I asked to hear the plan so we can work on things like this together. Alright?"

Twilight swallowed in some air. "Right." She let it out. "I...got carried away. Tried to apply what I did as a unicorn to things I can't really do as a ruler. I'm sorry." She looked down. "I wasn't thinking."

"On the contrary." Celestia chimed in. "Your thought was a good one, and I think we both agree that with some modification the plan could work. But I agree with Cadance also. Some review by myself and Cadance would help you avoid the pitfalls of inexperience, one of which is knowing what kinds of positive reactions are seen as favouritism and what kinds are seen as courtesy and consideration. I would like to hear Mi Amore's alternatives." Twilight swallowed down her remaining stress, turning back to Cadance.

Cadance gave a nod at Celestia's words. "I say that you announce the truth at the Conference, with my backing. You talk with the nobles openly and candidly, and explain the relationship in a positive light with them. Try to explain it to them as individuals, the same as Twilight wanted, and throw in hints about things you might be interested in attending together or styles you might want to try together if you can. You both got manecuts recently, that's a starting point for stylists. Celestia's getting more flowers from you, maybe talk with the florists about that. Based on everything you've said thus far, I can say this relationship gives you both the confidence to grow and explore in ways you haven't before." At this she paused, and nodded to Shining Armor. "What I see is a healthy relationship starting to settle, something I've always wanted for both of you. I just never thought it would be with each other. Show them what you explained to me. Show them you're in a happy place together. Make an optimistic statement about what you do for each other and what that'll do for Equestria. That's how we can win the nobles over."

Celestia chimed in once Cadance had finished. "I suppose my only protest to this new plan is that I regrettably don't know the nobles well enough for such an endeavor. I know surface details; names, ambitions, and what flaws I pick up from their requests in court, but there are very few I know anything about beyond their public persona. I simply do not have the time to mingle with them personally, given the scale of the events I attend. I'd need to find and approach a noble who would feel comfortable sharing such details with me and would be able to keep a secret in order to bring this plan to bear."

Twilight put a hoof to her chin. "Rarity's not invited--I don't know if she even knows the guest list. We'd need somepony who knows all the ponies in attendance, somepony who has a tie to--what about Fleur?" Twilight turned to Cadance, who blinked.

"Fleur?"

"The pony you were telling me about earlier. The one who wants to propose."

Cadance blushed at this. "Well, erm," she coughed into her hoof, "she certainly wants to get married. Working up the courage is another story, and I might be pushing that just a little teeny--"

"Right, right." Twilight waved a hoof. "So she's nervous too. That works even better. Does she know anything about the other nobles?"

Cadance raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "Well, she's a socialite, so yes, she does. Where are you going with this?"

Twilight straightened her stance, puffing her chest out. "If she wants to propose but she's scared to do so, that means she's in a similar place to Celestia and I. It would also mean you two know each other at least well enough to share personal secrets, which means that your little sister having an announcement of her own could be a point of common interest."

"So you want to pump Fleur about information on the nobles?"

"I'd like to make friends with her." Twilight corrected. "If she's scared and nervous about taking a big step, I think it's better to be scared and nervous with somepony else than scared and nervous all by yourself. We'll see what happens from there."

"If I might, Twilight." At this Celestia stepped up. "Fleur is a Canterlot resident. She and Fancypants are both good ponies, and I have sometimes wished to know them better myself for some time now." Twilight put a hoof on Celestia's withers and smiled. The two of them shared a look that communicated more than Celestia's words ever could. They gave a brief nuzzle, then turned back to Cadance.

"Change of plans." Twilight announced. "Celestia wants to make friends with her. I'll focus on keeping the conference running smoothly."

"We can do that together." Shining chimed in. "Cady and I are used to these things by now. We can handle the politics side, you focus on hosting." The others all nodded at this. "We've got your back, Twiley. We'll take care of the little things so you can handle the big one."

"It's a plan." Twilight sighed in relief. "I just hope it works..."

Comments

[Empty Shelf]

Interesting. I was wondering when we'd pick back up with Luna and Starlight. Also enjoying the parallels between the two. The irony of Luna's lecture is delicious.

One thing I still really like about the story is how not-silly everyone is being. Overreaction might be more funny, but this feels more real.

[Stahlseele]

"Yeah! Yeah! It has been great!" Cadance let Twilight catch her footing, and she rubbed a hoof against the back of her head. "It's been great for both of us. She's been teaching me how to do court stuff and I've been helping her make some new friends, and we've been doing all kinds of crazy math and magic and drawing and gardening and...Yeah." Twilight settled into a cozy smile. "It's been the best. But..it's weird, isn't it? Like, she used to teach me. And she's like a thousand times my age. That's weird, right? You aren't going to say that's weird?"

Deadpan-Cadence:"Twilight. Everything that mare does is weird in some little way or other. I'd be more surprised if her love life wasn't."

[Knight of Cerebus]

8789995
Rainbow already did that much in Chapter 7.

"Well you don't treat Starswirl like that, do you?!" Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"N-not in public." Twilight whispered. Her assembled friends stared at this, Celestia raising one eyebrow in a small smile. "It's mostly just in dreams, anyway."

"You're a weird pony, Twi."

[Aurora Dimmet]

Luna is purposefully avoiding practicing what she preaches, hopefully through handling that psychopath she'll gain healthy introspection and finally be able to admit some of her faults to herself. Starlight Glimmer still needs a blast from that Reformation Spell if it does half of what I suspected it might. Tartarus is fine too.

We're getting a plan together to go public!