Clearing the Air
Sunset Shimmer closed the journal bearing her former teacher's cutie mark with a bang, slamming the cover down harder than she meant to. She winced, not sure what had gotten into her...but it didn't matter. She trotted to the bathroom, getting a good look at herself in the mirror. Mane was in order, face was clean, and a quick once over confirmed it: she was as presentable as she was going to be without Rarity's expert intervention. The unicorn shuddered, imagining the agonizing time it would take for Rarity to be done with her before everything was said and done. If she was anything like her counterpart, she'd be looking at hours minimum, and nopony had time for that (with the apparent exception of said fashion guru).
Moreover, the pony she was going to see wouldn't care how pretty she tried to look. A good thing, probably, but in some respects it was also a little irritating.
Sunset banished the thought as a knock at her bedroom door filled the air, the sound of hoof on hardwood unmistakable. “It's open!”
The rhythmic clip-clop of another pony heralded the appearance of Twilight Sparkle, the lavender alicorn looking a bit frazzled as she leaned into Sunset's washroom.
“It's almost time, Sunset! We need to be at the front door to greet the Princess when she arrives!”
“You know, as long as you keep calling her 'the Princess' when you're not around her, you're gonna keep slipping up when you ARE around her.” Sunset noted, a smile on her face as she followed the other mare down the hall toward the main doors of the palace.
“Uuugh, I know. It's hard, Sunset! I spent...oh gosh, I guess eleven years thinking of her as The Princess with capital letters. I might be her equal in rank, but I'm nowhere near her level.” Twilight paused as they reached the massive golden doors. “...In any respect, if we're honest. I might be better at solving friendship problems, but those are almost always a team effort between myself and my friends (which makes sense).” The alicorn was quiet again for a moment. “I guess as princesses go I know better than to think of myself as one.”
Sunset tilted her head. “Why do you say that?”
“Well...I had this problem when I first changed, too. I wondered what my purpose was in the context of our kingdom's continued prosperity. I settled on helping to spread the magic of friendship throughout the land, but from a practical standpoint, I don't actually do much regarding helping run the nation.” She leaned nearer to Sunset and whispered conspiratorially, “Sometimes I'm pretty sure I'm only a Princess by virtue of the wings.” She leaned away with a chuckle, a strange smile on her face. “...but that's the way it goes. I'll figure it out, I guess.”
Sunset felt a hollow twist in her stomach as Twilight finished, her smile replaced by a pensive countenance that looked as though she were considering something she wasn't pleased about.
“...Well, look at it this way, Twilight: As a princess, you have the power to help out a lot more ponies than you could as just one unicorn, even with your friends.” Sunset quipped, her voice much more certain than she was. “If nothing else, ponies are much more inclined to hear a Princess out than anypony else, and that's gotta count for something. Plus, you saved me from myself, and how many others over the course of your time in office? I think you're doing pretty great.”
The unicorn's insides felt even more empty as Twilight gave her a wan smile in return. She didn't get a chance to respond when the doors opened behind them. Through the arch walked the Princess of the Sun, her chromatic mane and tail whipping about in an invisible wind as she smiled down at her former students. Flanking her was the shorter but no less imposing Princess Luna, cobalt coated with a black splotch where her cutie mark sat, starry mane swaying about in what seemed to be a much more subdued breeze as she stared squarely at Sunset, her expression plainly sizing the smaller unicorn up.
Neither of Celestia's proteges had anticipated the Princess of the Moon to come along, their surprise evident on their faces as the door closed behind the diarchs. A quartet of guardsponies took up positions around the door, two attired as normal soldiers and the other two as the lacquered deep blue armored night guard, their cat-like eyes glowing softly in the room's dim early-evening lighting. Luna wore a sardonic smile as she addressed the youngest Princess. “Whatever is the matter, dear Twilight? Am I not allowed to visit my friend?”
Twilight recovered first, apologetic. “S-sorry, Princess Luna. We weren't really expecting you to be here, too.”
Celestia chuckled, apparently the only pony in the room feeling any kind of levity. “Luna heard that I was going to have a heart-to-heart with my previous student and insisted on coming along. She can be quite insistent, and so here she is! If nothing else, it allows you to catch up with Twilight, eh?” The white alicorn smiled at her sibling, who smiled in a more genuine way at the remark.
“Indeed. I see no reason to dawdle, so let us converse. After all, any friend of Twilight and student of my sister is also friend to me...or at least, I hope so.” She looked at Sunset, her friendly face doing nothing to mask the calculation in her eyes.
The two younger mares glanced at each other hesitantly even as Celestia rolled her eyes. “I think this is more a private talk between Sunset and I, Luna. You will have your chance, but I'm afraid I'll be keeping Sunset for the time being. You're right about not wasting time, though. I assume you had a spot in mind, Sunset?”
“I-I do, Princess. If you'll follow me...” Sunset winced, grateful for the rescue from the awkward prospect of pouring her heart out in front of a virtual stranger and somepony she didn't want to hear. As they turned for the stairs, she heard Twilight speak.
“Would you like some tea, Luna? I'd love to hear about goings-on back in Canterlot...”
The library was uncharacteristically pristine as Sunset and Celestia entered, the vast majority of books properly on their shelves and the remainder neatly stacked on the counter on the right side of the room. The pair took up seats on the cushions arrayed around the center table (several had been placed in a small mound to accommodate the Princess's greater scale). A quick cantrip ensured the water in the kettle was hot enough for tea, Sunset pouring a cup for the Princess as the latter settled down.
“Well then, here I am, my former student.” Celestia spoke, her voice warm as she smiled over her cup at the unicorn. “...Is it always so gloomy in here?” She looked about, apparently surprised at the relatively soft lighting.
“Er--yeah. The castle is angled in such a way that the sun never seems to be able to directly shine in the windows. Add that it's around six in the evening, and it seems kinda dim. The lamps should come on in just a few--” Even as Sunset spoke, the lanterns arranged around the walls and supports flared to life, gentle white light greatly enhancing visibility and making for a much more efficient reading environment (and one that promised significantly less eye-strain).
“Hmm! A magic battery, I take it?” Celestia peered at one of the lamps, a critical eye taking in every detail. “...No, a time-sensitive enchantment. Oh, perhaps it's both? I do see a focusing crystal inside.”
“That's mostly right, Princess.” Sunset grinned from her seat. “Twilight only ever conjures enough light for herself, and that's normally enough because it was only ever her and sometimes Spike in the library, but I figured if we were going to have guests it would make more sense for there to be more general lighting. Spike had the idea to use some of the gem slivers he didn't want to eat (he doesn't like chrysoberyl, for some reason). Since gems are naturally good at holding mana, Twilight and I just took turns charging them. She wove the parts of the enchantment that watch for ambient lighting conditions while I took care of the light's intensity.” She paused to take a breath, surprising herself with the detailed explanation. “I mean, it was pretty simple for us when we worked together.”
Celestia's beaming face made Sunset's heart soar. “Very clever, Sunset. I daresay the two of you are a natural pair when it comes to magic.” She sighed wistfully. "I would've loved to teach the both of you concurrently. You'dve made quite the splash at the school, I daresay. Well, more than you already did."
“O-oh, well. Thank you, Princess. I'll be sure to Twilight you said so.”
Celestia nodded, still wearing a smile. “Still, I think you have more to say to me than merely showing me a comparatively minor pet project between the two of you. Talk to me, Sunset. What's on your mind?”
Sunset paused, her expression falling. “I...erm...” She took a deep breath and looked Celestia in the eye.
“Princess. I need to know. I really need honest answers. There's so many things that I want to ask you, that I should've asked you, that I never thought to ask because I was too assured of my own superiority to let them trouble me, as obvious retrospectively as they were.”
The alicorn closed one eye, a calculating glint in her eye as Sunset spoke. “I will answer you to the best of my ability, Sunset. Within reason.”
Sunset felt a surge of anger at the implication therein, but quashed it as she continued.
“That's fine. First question: why me?”
“I'm afraid I don't follow, Sunset. If you're asking why I took you on as a student, then you already know it was because of your great talent.” Celestia responded, her tone one of confusion. It was the diplomacy voice, the one without inflection or offensive emphasis. Sunset hated that voice. “With all of the power you had, even at that young age, you needed proper tutelage to control it or you might hurt yourself and others.”
“Is that how you selected all of your students? Raw power?” Sunset asked. “Is that why you picked Twilight?”
“Sheer magical force is one criterion, yes.” Celestia responded, unflappable. “There are other factors, of course.”
“Like what?”
“They're myriad, Sunset. Ability to retain information, willingness to learn, and so on. What are asking, exactly?” Celestia's eyebrow raised, the only concession to true confusion her normally iron control allowed. “If you're trying to find some hidden rationale to my choosing you, I'm afraid there isn't one. You were a filly with far more power than she knew how to control in a bad situation. At best, you would be a sad waste of talent without further training. At worst, you were a danger to yourself and ponies around you, especially with the temper you had back then.”
Sunset glowered, frustrated. Of course it was a simple, logical answer. “Fine. Next question. Why did you let me go?”
Celestia's face remained passive. “You mean when you went through the mirror.”
“Of course that, but more than that.” Sunset stood, pacing around the other side of the table, her mind racing as she spoke. “You had to know how arrogant I was. I know you did. How proud I was, how much of a bully, how much of a snob I was.” She jabbed a hoof at Celestia when the alicorn opened her mouth to speak, cutting off the words she knew were coming. “You told me to have humility, but you didn't tell me that until near the end, when it all fell apart. I didn't turn into the creature I was overnight, Celestia. You know I didn't, and don't tell me you didn't see what I was becoming. Not as perceptive and well-informed as you pride yourself on being.” Sunset took a breath, continuing.
“I'm not going to downplay my part in what happened, but where were you? Even before Twilight stopped me, I spent every night wondering if you were coming to clap me in chains, how long I had before the mirror opened and you came through with soldiers to subdue me and drag me back. You never did. You never tried to come for me. It was like you were ready to wash your hooves of me completely.” Sunset's breath hitched as the weeks and then months of intermingled fear, fury, and longing came rushing back. “You never came for me, for good or ill. You just...forgot me. Eight years of teaching, of living with you, of learning with you, and you never came for me.”
Celestia's still expression lost some of its perfection, sadness creeping into her features as Sunset's rant continued.
“Then I went and stole something important, and you sent Twilight to go clean up the mess instead of going with her! You had no real concept of what was on the other side, did you? What sort of world I was in? The sort of world you sent HER into!” Tears came unbidden to Sunset's eyes. “You sent somepony who had nothing to do with anything besides being a victim and made HER put a stop to me! I...I...!” She stopped, hesitating. “I want to be so angry at you for that, but she's the best thing that's ever happened to me. The very best thing that's ever happened to me. If not for her, I...ugh.” Sunset stopped, wiping at her eyes with her hoof.
Celestia said nothing, apparently inviting Sunset to continue, so she did. “But you still...sent somepony into the unknown, potentially never seeing her again, instead of doing it yourself. Even though you knew it was me. Even after she left--er, came back here, and returned later, you still didn't...you never wrote. Never tried. It was like you didn't care. I had to learn about how my home had changed from Twilight; had to learn that you had a sister, like the human version of you did. Imagine my surprise there!” The unicorn chuckled, her voice still cracking. “...Why didn't you even try, Celestia? I thought...I thought we were family. I really did. But as soon as I lost my temper, as soon as we had a fight, you just discarded me. Didn't punish me, didn't try to teach me, nothing. You sent me away.”
“Sunset, enough.” Celestia's voice was cutting, tinged with pain. “You don't have the full story. I...” She hesitated, carefully choosing her words. “I made a mistake, Sunset.”
At the unicorn's incredulous face, the diarch continued. “You know I do. For all that I do know, and all that I am and am capable of, I'm just as capable of choosing poorly as any mortal pony. It's a hazard of having a heart, I'm afraid.” She gave a weak smile as she continued. “It likely doesn't help that I like to keep my cards close to my chest, as the gambler's saying goes. After all, if I'm going to have an elaborate plan (and I have quite a few) the fewer moving parts and ponies involved the more stable it is.”
“Is that all I was, Celestia? A part of a plan?” Sunset asked, voice hoarse with sorrow.
“No! You were so much more than that, Sunset. So much more. I can't even begin to...” The alicorn came around the table and sat next to Sunset, wrapping the smaller pony in a hug. “Oh...Sunset, please try to understand. I...” The alicorn tried to find the right words, her usually impeccable ability to speak leaving her high and dry. “I had a lot on my mind, Sunset. It's not an excuse, but there were a lot of complex issues that all needed my attention, and I was intemperate with you. I took my frustration out on you, and in that way I'm as much to blame for anything you did as you are. It wasn't until after you went through the portal that the weight of what I'd said truly hit me.” She squeezed the unicorn a little more tightly as she finished, her voice cracking. “It was my sister all over again, but worse in a way. I had no way of knowing where you were, or if you were ever going to return.”
Celestia looked at her former student, tears starting to form even as she saw the bleary, wet face of the smaller pony. “Sunset, I beg you to believe me when I say, I didn't know what to do. I was afraid. I was too weak to face you after all my failures. I didn't know how exactly the mirror worked; I wouldn't have even sent Twilight through it if you hadn't come back to steal her crown, thus telling me it wasn't a one-way device. I couldn't leave Equestria for any significant length of time, and how would I justify sending soldiers to an unknown realm, potentially to die, to retrieve somepony who'd made clear she didn't want me in her life? I didn't even want to send Twilight, but it was HER crown that was stolen.
“I replayed those moments in my head constantly, Sunset. And in a way, I continued to fail even as I taught Twilight after you. You've seen how devoted she is to me; it's sweet and useful from a practical standpoint, but it's also unhealthy, and I'm not sure how to help rectify that, either, since most of Equestria seems content to look at me as more a goddess and less a pony. I spent so much time personally involving myself in her schooling, to not repeat my mistakes with you; if she wasn't spending time with me, she was reading. She was just like you, but instead of arrogant she was detached.” Celestia sighed, considering her most recent student. “I love that girl, but I did her a disservice in many ways. But not nearly as much as I did to you.”
The alicorn released Sunset, sitting and staring at her sadly. “I have wronged you, Sunset Shimmer. And I am sorry. Even after you changed yourself, I was afraid to face you. And for that also, I am sorry. And for what it's worth...” She nuzzled the amber mare gently, in a motherly way. “I missed you every day you were gone. The moment I saw you on that balcony with Twilight, I had to stop and ask myself if it was a dream. I had to make sure, had to know that you were really, really there. And you were and are. You learned something I failed to teach you on your own, and to hear Twilight tell it, have excelled. And I am so proud of you, even if it doesn't mean anything to you anymore.”
Sunset wasn't quite able to contain herself, tears bursting anew from her eyes. These complex emotions would be the death of her yet, she mused. She coughed, blinking and rubbing at her eyes. “It means more than you know.”
Celestia gave her a gentle kiss on the head, soft and motherly. Then, she straightened up, pausing to reassert her poise. Sunset wondered if she was the only pony who could recognize when the Princess was setting up the iron facade, or if she only ever saw it break because Celestia allowed it in her presence. Regardless, the alicorn was once again composed and nodded at the unicorn.
“...Well then! I think it's time you told me of your sojourn on the other side of the mirror, Sunset. I'd very much like to hear about these 'humans' and their culture.” Celestia stated, clearly trying to steer the conversation back toward less emotionally charged subjects.
The amber mare nodded, wiping her eyes one more time. “Yeah, okay. Humans are...well, let me draw you a sketch....”
Princess Luna was somewhat less obviously amicable than her sister, at first pass. A bit loud, a bit abrasive, and firmly secure in her bearing as royalty among lessers, she appeared more like the throngs of entitled nobles that plagued Canterlot's courts day in and day out with trivialities and bickering than Celestia. Further examination and time spent revealed this to simply be an aggressive stance against ponies she was unfamiliar with, but Sunset had never had such interactions before, and in a way, Twilight felt sorry for the unicorn as she was grilled by the Moon Princess.
At the same time, there was a certain silly entertainment in seeing the unicorn rise to the challenge Luna presented. They were both strong personalities, and seeing them clash would be an interesting social experiment (if it weren't for the whole 'don't experiment on your friends without their consent' thing). In the meantime, she turned to the Diarch of the Sun.
“Pr-Celestia? Do you mind I talk to you for a moment?”
“Certainly, Twilight. What's on your mind?”
“I wanted to know--er...” Twilight glanced nervously at the other two ponies (and dragon) in the room engaged in a tense and somehow boisterous game of go fish (and by the sound of it Spike was destroying the other competitors). “Could we take this somewhere else?”
The alicorn chuckled and moved to the kitchen, where Twilight gently closed the double doors before speaking. “Sorry, P-Celestia. It's...well, it's a bit of a private question.”
“Oh?” The alabaster mare queried in an innocently inquisitive tone.
Twilight frowned at the Princess. “Princess, I'm serious. It's important.”
“Oh, I assure you, I'll treat this question with the grave severity it deserves, my friend. Have you perhaps found love?” She joked, chuckling. Her laugh died off as she noted the uncertain expression on her former student's face. “Oh, Twilight. You have, haven't you? That's wonderful, dear.” Celestia's voice was warm and full of praise as she smiled at the lavender alicorn. “If you don't want to tell, I won't pry, but may I ask who the lucky pony is?”
Twilight shook her head rapidly, lips pressed together as she made a sound of worry. “I don't know if it's really love. I wanted to ask you if you knew what it was like, so I could get some perspective. After all, I can't possibly go into something like this without further information--”
The alicorn laughed, covering her mouth with a hoof. “Twilight, you silly filly. I'm afraid that love isn't something you can objectively say you're experiencing or not. It's one of those emotions that defies logical explanation and asks us to have a little faith in.” She placed a hoof reassuringly on the smaller mare's shoulder. “Trust your instincts, Twilight. Perhaps you could talk to your other friends? Sunset might even have some insight, if you ask her.”
Twilight gulped and nodded. That was sound advice; as the Princess of Friendship there was no reason not to ask her friends about the situation. “Thank you, Celestia. I'm sorry to bother you with something so silly--”
“Twilight Sparkle, don't apologize. This isn't silly in the least, even if your approach is.” Celestia admonished, her voice stern but soft. “I don't blame you for being cagey about it; I remember the first time I felt that emotion. It was difficult, hard to describe. Love was a very different thing when I was young, Twilight. Take your time, certainly, but don't doubt your heart. Between it and your friends, I'm sure you'll find a way to express your feelings to your crush...that is the word the children use these days, right?”
The joke made Twilight giggle despite herself. “You're not that old. Er, you are, but--well, that's not what I mean--”
Celestia held a hoof up, still chortling herself. “Twilight, stop! You're making it worse! Now, come. Let us compose ourselves as the Princesses of the Realm we pretend to be and return to our family!” The pale mare went through the double doors, a smile on her face. She didn't seem to catch Twilight's pained expression, which was just as well, to the youngest Princess.
When she thought about it, she was still kicking herself mentally for even commenting about that to Sunset. Sunset might end up sharing that with Celestia, and of course Celestia would come to her and do the thing where she gently asked what was wrong and how she could help, even as she patted Twilight on the head and assured her that she and Luna had things well in hoof. Twilight sighed; it didn't matter, ultimately. She knew at some level that as long as the Royal Sisters existed there wouldn't be a need for her, especially considering Cadance was currently acting Empress of the Crystal Ponies and was also thus occupied. Twilight was a Princess with no kingdom, no matter how she looked at it.
As she entered the dining hall, she was surprised to see that a game of chess seemed to have been set up between Luna and Spike. Moreover, Spike was annihilating Luna. Privately Twilight felt a surge of smug pride at her number one assistant. Spike was no slouch in the academic front, for as long as he'd spent around Twilight. She was willing to bet that if he were so inclined he could easily apply for advanced classes were he a student at a private school. It was perhaps self-indulgent, but all the same it warmed her heart and helped to dispel the melancholy that loomed over her. Sunset's voice brought her out of her reverie as she paced up to the table.
“Wow, Spike. That's...dang.”
“How goes the game?” Twilight asked in a singsong voice, taking up a seat next to the amber unicorn.
“I will tell you how this game goes, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna announced, frustration clear in her voice. “Your young drake has utterly vexed me, and I cannot for the life of me understand how. I was a proficient player in my day, but I have been roundly defeated.” She peered at Spike over the board, who wore a smile as he moved his remaining knight. “Agh, and that is checkmate, unless the rules have changed since then. Well played, Sir Spike.”
“Good game, Princess. Any other takers?” Spike grinned at Sunset, as if daring her.
“Yeah, no thanks. I just spectated that and I gotta say I don't think I'm feeling up to getting my flank kicked by a kid.” Sunset scoffed. “Take your dominance and run with it before Princess Celestia takes you up on it.”
“Too late! It's been too long since we played a friendly game, hasn't it, Spike?” Celestia nudged her younger sister out of the way, who found a nearby seat and watched with interest.
“Sure has, Princess! I might even be able to win this time.” Spike twirled his king on the tip of his finger in a feat of dexterity that only fingers allowed. Twilight felt a minor pang of envy, but it passed as the familiarity of hooves and the reassuring feeling of the ground beneath all four limbs took precedence.
As Spike and Celestia set up for a game of their own, Twilight regarded the unicorn to her right out of the corner of her eye. She was so relaxed, despite being in the presence of royalty. Sunset had adapted to the situation so much faster than Twilight had when she'd first interacted with Princess Luna. In a way, the lavender pony mused, Sunset was a natural at friendship, more so than her. She wondered if it was a habit she'd developed or just a normal thing for her guest.
It was hard, sometimes, not to compare herself to Sunset Shimmer. Every lesson she learned about friendship she had earned through hard experience, bit by bit. Sunset, by comparison, seemed to be almost equally at ease with social interaction as she was, and that was with a scant seven month's experience compared to Twilight's years in Ponyville. Even more than that, she was bonding so quickly with Equestria's instances of many of her friends so quickly. It helped, probably, that in a way she already knew their natures, but at the same time, it was baffling to Twilight. It was just one more thing she couldn't really test for herself, which was frustrating in addition to confusing.
Twilight didn't really register the conversation going on around her as she continued to muse on the strange friendship phenomenon that Sunset Shimmer represented. Or at least, she didn't until Spike snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. “Hunh? What? What'd I miss?”
“You're just staring a hole in the board. I was worried you were about to go into a coma or something like you did when you tried to map every possible move in checkers.” Spike folded his arms, concern in his eyes. “Are you tired?”
“You did seem kinda distracted, Twilight. Need to lie down for a bit?” Sunset chimed in from her side, the voice bringing a warmth unbidden to her face.
“N-no, I'm fine. Sorry! Where were we?”
“I'm afraid I may be getting rusty is where we are, Twilight. Spike's really giving me a run for my money.” Celestia noted sardonically, examining the board. “Without you two to keep me sharp it seems my skill has decayed.”
“O-oh! Well, I would cheer for you, Princess, but it's Spike, so you can see why there's a conflict of interest at play.” Twilight raised her hooves in a warding gesture, sheepish smile on her face.
“Of course; I would never ask you to. Back to it, young dragon. Let's see if I can't get my act together.” Celestia moved her rook, smiling at Spike.
“You had better, Sister, for the honor of the crown! I have already lost mine, so it falls to you to uphold our pride!” Luna laughed from her seat.
Twilight was putting the lid back on the box while Spike snoozed in his chair when Sunset called her into the kitchen, where she was finishing off the dishes.
“What's up, Sunset?”
The unicorn gently placed a plate freshly dried into the cupboard with a kinetic field as she turned to her host. “I need to talk to you; do you have a minute?”
“Certainly. Is something the matter?”
Sunset paused, pursing her lips. “Not a problem, but important.” She climbed up onto a stool at the counter to get comfortable; this brought a burst of dread to Twilight. No one got comfortable unless they were about to say something you didn't want to hear.
“It's been a great time, Twilight, and I really appreciate you letting me stay while I'm here, but it's coming up on three weeks and I did say I was only going to be gone for a while to the others. I've decided I'm going to head back through the mirror to see my friends on the other side.”
Twilight's heart turned to ice. She couldn't leave, not now, not when she... There had to be something she...she had to put on the right face for Sunset.
“I understand, Sunset. If you need the portal reactivated at any time, you know how it works. All I ask is that you let me know beforehoof, so I know you didn't go missing anywhere nearby.” The words tasted...wrong coming out of her mouth, despite her better judgment. It wasn't as though she was leaving forever, and she'd known this wasn't a permanent arrangement from the get-go. But then, she...
“Well, about that...I was actually wondering if you wanted to come along? Since time seems to flow differently here and there, it would probably only be advisable for you to stay for a couple days, but you could definitely stay at my place while you're on the other side. Seems only fair, after all. I could show you to a few of the museums and libraries, since I know you're anxious to get a look at human history and technology. Plus, I'm sure the girls would be excited to hang out with you again after so long!” Sunset finished, a smile on her face. “What do you say?”
Time seemed to come to a halt around Twilight. She opened her mouth to speak, the answers she wanted to give crashing against the answers she knew she should give in her mind.
“I....”
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I hope they kiss soon
i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/815/725/124.png
Because reasons.
6902125 Yes.
Anyway, nice to see more proof of Spike as the badass we all know he is. Anyway, while not much seems to have exactly been accomplished this chapter, it was still very nice and well written. However, I will say it was nice getting more of Twilight's inner mind and emotions here.
Not much else to say, but I enjoyed it.
At this point, Spike is just a baby in name.
C-c-c-cliffhanger?! I need to know Twilight's answer!
*BASHES HEAD INTO TABLE*
JUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSST. KIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSE.
That sounds like Twilight got a whole lecture after doing exactly that doesn't it.
Hmmm. If they run into SciTwi there, things could get...awkward. Fast. What with budding emotions and all.
But since I prefer that ship anyway, I don't mind SciTwi the Homewrecker
Oh come on, their relationship was waaaaaaaaaay past being this terse by the defeat of Tirek
Missing a word, there. Should read
Ooh, I'm terrified of what's to come, as there are so many possibilities with the cliffhanger at the end of the chapter. What's worse is that it's an actual cliffhanger for me, because as I type this I'm about to go into work for a few hours and will have to wait to read the next chapter.
I just really hope everything goes well for our two heroines, and I'm smart enough to know how stories work but nonetheless the feels dammit.
6988374
To be fair to Sunset, I think her heart can tell the difference. Don't get me wrong; I'm okay with both Sunlight ships, but with human Twilight it feels like more of a novelty thing. They're best written as a oneshot or at best a short story. In this story, the characters act real. And Sunset can surely tell that, despite the near-frightening resemblances between the ponies of Equestria and their human counterparts, the two Twilights are separate people with separate personalities and experiences. She's falling for her Twilight, not the concept of a Twilight.
Sooo....
Did spike win the game or not?
6924690
lol same
I'm so tired just kiss already!!!
10541412
Lol i.know right
10541412
My thoughts exactly