Chapter Seven
A/N: Hey guys. I just wanted to give a huge shout out and thank you to my saintly editors and proofreaders, Midnight Herald, Sasha Nein, and Last Light. Believe me, you would not want to see the mess I write before they go at it.
Now, I would like to apologize for this chapter being so short, because its umm... really short. But, its a full chapter, and I think that you will all be happy to know that the actual plot of my sordid little tale will actually start soon. (Yes, everything up till now has NOT been the story, its setup XD)
Well my dears, enjoy.
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“Will you be needing anything else, Miss Sparkle?”
“Mmmm.” Twilight groaned as she slipped beneath the hot water filling the bathtub. “No thank you Pip. This is... wonderful.”
The unicorn slid still further beneath the surface, until only her nose and eyes poked out. Behind her, her dark mane flared out in the water, rippling and waving in time with the soft roll of the water in response to her movements. Whispy steam curled up form across the surface of the water, looping and whorling as it rose through the air.
She had finally extricated herself both from dinner, and from the nagging, prying questions of everypony had assaulted her with the moment she left the quiet chamber where Princess Celestia and Spike were still conversing softly. The two burly pegasi standing guard by the door had kept them from being disturbed, but that was all that they had been able to manage. Ponies were crowded around the entrance, waiting to catch one more look at the stunning visitor and their Princess.
Twilight heard the soft click as the door behind her closed, signalling that Pip had left to find his own bath and bed. Twilight didn’t know what the Princess wanted her to do with the colt. When she had finally dodged around a corner and hidden while her pursuers stampeded down the hall, Twilight had snuck back to her room, only to find somepony already there.
Pip had been waiting for her, apparently since that morning. He hadn’t been sitting idly either. Every surface in the small suite she and Cadance shared... had shared, was spotless. Pip had dusted, swept, run an oiled cloth along every wooden surface, shined the windows, washed the linens, made the beds, dusted off the two mares’ prized book collection, everything. When she had entered the room, he had hopped off the couch with a guilty twitch, before rushing off to pull a bath for her.
Twilight had chuckled when she had walked over to the couch to find which book the little colt had been so engrossed in. Allworthy’s Heir wasn’t precisely a book she would have chosen for a colt his age to read, but the witty satire that the author injected into the character, always poking fun at the politics and antics of the Helien nobility had made it one of the few books of fiction that she had ever read.
The book had been written almost two centuries before, but that apparently hadn’t stopped it from rousing the ire of every noble who leafed through its amusing pages. Twilight had almost forgotten she owned the book, the simple green binding lost among the many similar books lining the walls of Cadance’s main room. She had gotten the book several years ago, a gift from Cadance for Twilight’s success in her school’s Science Fair. Thrilled at not only winning the golden sun trophy for having the best project, but receiving a book, Twilight had been slightly disappointed when Cadance had given her the battered tome.
Its binding had been worn even then, and only grown more weathered and marred in Twilight’s care, even as fastidiousness as she was around any literature. It had obviously been the favored novel of its previous owner, read and reread countless times judging by the wear on the covers and binding. Maybe the little colt could find some solace in the book, imagining that rather than the ignoble assortments of stallions who torment Pony Joe throughout the tale, it was a real dastardly villain like Blueblood. It might help the foal to find some measure of solace knowing that through wit and luck the protagonist always wins.
Twilight sighed deeply before inhaling the sweet, wet air hovering just above the bath’s surface. The warm steam was laced heavily with the scent of the rose oil Pip had added to the water only a few moments before, bless his little heart. The oil would relax Twilight’s muscles whether the silly things agreed to the relaxation or not. That it smelled divine and that when she left the tub she would smell just as sweet was an entirely different reason to enjoy the warmth for as long as it lasted.
Twilight found that, to her shock, she rather liked having somepony wait on her. Certainly, she had done many similar things for the Princess on occasion, but Twilight was predominantly the royal mare’s scribe. A glorified scribe, and one who could at times be called on to aid the Princess at almost any hour, but a scribe nonetheless.
Twilight wondered if this how the Princess felt, soaking in a warm bath after a long day tethered to her throne. Cushioned or not, sitting in one position for hours on end had to be painful even after centuries of practice. Mentally adding Check with Bath Salts to her never-ending mental checklist, Twilight firmly banished any and all thoughts relating to anything outside of the bathroom.
For a time, Twilight drifted in the warm currents, feeling a gentle ripple pass through the water with every slow, deep breath. After her neck began to ache from her awkward bending, Twilight brought her head forward, letting the water splash about her. The water continued to drip down her back as her mane clung close to her neck, slicked back and saturated with the rose water.
Frowning in concentration, Twilight lit her horn. Behind her, Twilight could feel her mane shifting, sliding along her back as it slowly lifted and fanned out behind her. Quickly, just like Cadance had painstakingly taught her, Twilight used her magic to wrap her still dripping mane into a tight bun behind her, holding it in place with her magic as one last lock of wet hair wound itself around the base of the bun. Weaving those last strands into each other, Twilight pulled the binding tightly closed, and sighed.
After the momentary pain of having her mane pulled up so tightly, Twilight shifted her weight and settled back against the side of the tub. Leaning with her still wet bun dripping behind her, Twilight laid back against the lip of the bath, resting her neck on the rim. Tilting her head to one side, Twilight grimaced as the muscles protested, then sighed happily as with a soft pop her neck loosened and her head flopped back into place.
When the door opened some time later, Twilight was drifting half asleep in the tepid water. It was still hours before bedtime, so it wasn’t truly sleep that gripped Twilight, rather it was as though she had reached a state of utter, complete peace. Her breaths came long and silently deep as she reclined in the water.
Thinking that the pony who had entered the room was Pip coming to check on her, Twilight didn’t bother moving when the sluggish thought reached her brain. Instead, she shifted in the water, only now noticing that the liquid had begun to cool. Her lips shifted from their contented half smile to a mild frown at the thought that soon, she would have no choice but to leave the bath.
“You haven’t changed at all, have you?” A soft voice called, followed by a warm chuckle. There was the faint hum of magic in the air, and suddenly the bath was piping hot once more, the perfect temperature for soaking. “Hello, little one.”
Twilight felt her lips curve upward once again, then peel away as she grinned like a foal as the water heated. Her amethyst eyes sparkled as they opened, and she turned both smile and gaze upon the pony who slipped into the water beside her. “Hello, Cadance. How has your day been?”
“Oh, much like yours, I would imagine.” Cadance matched her smile, with interest. “A lot happened. A dragon showed up, and then turned into a pony. I think. I’m really not that sure what exactly she is. Then there was a really sweet moment that I had with a friend. She was being a silly little filly and apologizing to me.”
Twilight blushed as Cadance spoke that last, ducking her head under the water so that only her eyes could be seen. Cadance just chuckled, and continued.
“I thought it was sweet. Really. And it was partly my fault, but she was convinced I hated her. We made up though, and then we went to dinner. Oh, and dinner was splendid. The dragon who came to visit? Spike. Oh my, but she was stunning. Sitting with the Princess, and absolutely every eye was locked on them. You could hardly see the little purple spot next to them, hogging the hay fries like usual.”
If anything, at these words Twilight sank a little deeper into the water, a few bubbles escaping her nose and blooping to the surface.
“And finally,” Cadance stretched, and her own horn began to glow, wrapping her mane just like Twilight had previously. The effect when Cadance did it was altogether more impressive, Twilight thought. She only had the thin bands of different colors in her hair, and they were still dark except for the one magenta stripe. Cadance though, her hair was gorgeous pulled back as it was. Golds and purples and pinks and here and there a streak of iridescent blue. As she bound the glossy wet mane, Cadance shook her head slightly, letting a few strands shake free and curl delicately about her face. It just wasn’t fair. Twilight could never look that good that easily.
“Just when I think I might finally be done, I come up to find a strange young colt in my room. And a mare in my bath. A very rude mare too.”
“Rude!?” Twilight yelped, or tried to. All that came out was an enormous bubble, and the last of her air. her head shot out of the water and Twilight inhaled deeply, spluttering as she did. “What? But, how. I. Rude?”
Cadance tilted her head back and laughed, her body sending ripples through the hot water as she convulsed with mirth. After a moment of laughter, which Twilight spend in a state of mixed panic and confusion, Cadance leaned forward.
The pink mare took a stride through the water, until she stood before Twilight, grinning. Then her hooves came up, and wrapped themselves around her dearest friend in a warm, comforting hug, one that Twilight returned in earnest. Cadance pulled her close, resting her head on Twilight’s shoulder as she began to rock slowly back and forth, humming quietly.
“I’ve missed this, Twilight.” Cadance spoke softly, breaking off the light tune of her lullaby to whisper the words.
“What? D-don’t be silly. It’s only been a week.”
“I know.” Cadance’s voice was almost too low to hear now, intermixed with her song. Twilight squeezed her friend, the closest thing she had to a real mother, to a family. She would never let Cadance go again. “But I’m going to miss it.”
Twilight’s brow furrowed at that, but with a final tight squeeze, Cadance released her, slipping back along the tub. She sank once more beneath the water, still humming, and smiled as her eyes closed. “No more talking, okay? I want to enjoy being with you, little one.”
Twilight nodded, and, after a moment of hesitation, began to move. She slowly slid around the rim of the tub, until her flank bumped Cadance’s. Then, with a smile of her own, she settled in next to the older mare, snuggling down against her.
Once Cadance’s hooves rose up to wrap around her once more, neither pony moved until the water had cooled once more, and they both decided that it was time for bed.
“Miss Sparkle! Miss Sparkle!” A small voice cried, and Pip came running into Twilight’s small room.
As the small hooves clattered on the marble floor and the colt came bursting into her room, Twilight turned her head from the book she was reading, snapping the volume closed after carefully marking her page. “What is it Pip?”
“Miss Sparkle! It’s Spike, Miss. She,” Pip broke off, huffing as he tried to catch his breath. With only a slight furrowing of her brow, Twilight’s horn lit with magic and after only a moment, a glass of water floated into the room, suspended in a glittering purple cloud.
As Pip took a grateful gulp of the refreshment, Twilight grinned at how much she had improved. She was no stronger in magic than she had ever been, and telekinesis was about all she could manage, but she was finally learning magic. The basic charm, which almost every unicorn mastered by the time the graduated kindergarten, had been all that Princess Luna had been able to spare time to teach her before returning to Selene. Since her departure, Twilight had been practicing diligently, and at every possible time.
Normally, Twilight shared Cadance’s low opinion of anypony who used their magic when they didn’t need to. Some unicorns, like Pip’s erstwhile master, couldn’t be bothered to pass a salt cellar unless it was held in the glow of their spells.
At the thought of Lord Blueblood, Twilight felt her grin widen, almost maliciously.
After the hubub surrounding the arrival of Helio’s newest, and easily most attractive, member of court, the Princess had been swamped. Every noble in Helios was fairly demanding an audience with this new curiosity, and keeping the nobility in check and stopping Spike from inciting riot, accidentally or otherwise, had kept Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor just as busy as the Princess.
Only now, a week after the dragoness’ arrival were things finally dying down. Yesterday, Twilight had managed to just barely move the Princess’ schedule around so that she could go and mete out the smarmy unicorn’s punishment.
Sadly, her visions of banishment and reprisal, of all of the stallion’s affairs being transferred to little Pipsqueak were dashed. She had gotten to watch the Princess give him a tongue lashing though, and by the time she was done excoriating him, Twilight almost felt sorry for the noble.
Almost.
For now though, the stallion was to remain on house arrest, until the Princess could find the time to assign one of her own trusted staff, with a very generous pension, to nanny the egomaniac and ensure that from now on, all of his servants, and indeed anypony who depended on him, was treated well. The stallion had also been assigned civic duty, working at the small orphanage where he had acquired Pip, doing whatever the old matron wanted.
Finally, as a cherry finished a sundae, the Princess had lain out a topper almost as perfect. “And from now on, Blueblood, a tithe of your income is to go straight to the Royal Treasury, so that it can be used appropriately.” The alicorn had said, glaring at the white unicorn. The ‘tithe’ she had deemed fit had come out to slightly more than half of what Blueblood’s estate earned per quarter, to be collected and sent off every quarter for the rest of the arrogant stallion’s life.
Twilight had also, apparently, acquired Pip as her personal assistant.
Having finally caught his breath, said assistant looked up at her and bowed deeply. “Miss Twilight Sparkle. The Princess has asked me to inform you that, should you find time to spare, that Princess Luna of Selene has returned. She waits in her suite for the moment, and is unlikely to leave until supper.”
Pip was beaming by the time his formal little speech had ended, and Twilight felt her own lips quirk into an answering grin. With another magical flare, the book levitated away from her bed, and neatly slid into the open space on the bookshelf. The Strange Made Stranger: A Guide to the Practical Use of Impractical Spell would just have to wait, no matter how interesting the author’s solutions to the use of Silver Streak’s Ooze Conjurate’ might be.
“Thank you Pip. If you would be so kind, I would like you to check what meetings and other duties I have for today, and if at all possible, shift them and the rest of the week’s items. Write them in a separate list, we might not need the new list at all, but I want to have it on hoof all the same.”
“Yes Ma’am.” Pip bowed once more.
“After that, well. I don’t really have anything else for you to do, so when that’s finished, I guess you have the day to yourself. Going to continue the adventures of Pipsqueak, Scourge o’ the High Seas?” Twilight smiled, saying the name just like Pip had taught her.
That was one of the few things that Pip had revealed about himself in the time they had been together. The little stallion absolutely adored pirates, and thought that they might even be cooler than the Princess. Hearing this, Twilight had gone into the town when the opportunity presented itself, in the form of an errand to deliver a message to Lady Bountiful Harvest, to buy a small bandana for the colt. Small and red, with a white skull and crossbones emblazoned on one side, Pip had taken one wide eyed look at his present and squealed like a filly.
Twilight had gently lifted the cloth, and wrapped the tough silk around his head, so that the menacing sigil covered his brow. And thus, Pipsqueak, Scourge o’ the High Seas was born.
Twilight had been part of one or two of Pip’s adventures, as a damsel the scoundrel had kidnapped, and later saved from the lascivious attentions of his rum-soaked crew. To Twilight’s surprise, Pip had taught her that most pirates were actually noble, not ruffians at all. Most pirate captains anyway. Even when he was kidnapping innocent dockmare’s, Pipsqueak was never going to hurt them, and would return them to their home quickly with or without his ransom, like the gentlecolt he had been raised to be.
Of course, the next time she had played a role in Pip’s imaginary tales, she had been Princess Cutthroat, the Captain’s righthoof pony and almost cruel in her devotion to riches. When Twilight had asked why the good Captain kept such a violent first mare, the colt had smiled at her. ‘To keep the Captain ready, at all times. She’s made it clear if anypony kills the Captain, it’ll be her, or they will answer to her, and then the Light, in that order.’
“I think so. Will that be all, Miss Sparkle?”
“Yes Pip, thank you.”
One final time, Pip bowed his patchwork head, before flashing her a smile and walking off happily. Twilight smiled as well, watching the colt rushing off to finish his work so he could play.
After a moment of pleasant dread, wondering what the newest adventure’s of the drinking, gambling, wenching pirate would be, Twilight slid off of her bed. With a glowing flick of her horn, the thin woven band that held her mane pulled into a ponytail unwound, moving to rest lightly on her bedside table.
Twilight shook her mane out as she walked over to the door Pip had closed behind himself. Opening the door, she walked out into the small hallway that lead to the main living area of their suit. Passing first Pip’s door, then Cadance’s, Twilight stepped quietly up to the suits main door. Pushing it open with a gentle touch of magic, Twilight slipped out of the room.
To find her nose bumping into a sleek, strong black chest, sheathed in cold silver armor.
“Oh. There you are, Twilight.” The Night-Mare murmured, laughing softly as she reached out a hoof to help Twilight up from where she had fallen back in surprise. “We asked the little pirate where your rooms were, and he lead us to you. We hope you are not upset? Truly, it was no fault of his that we deceived him.”
“What? Oh, do you mean Pip?”
Princess Luna’s head tilted slightly as she tried to hide her smile. A soft chuckle rumbled from her chest as she watched Twilight stammer and blush. Her obvious amusement made Twilight blush harder, until she was truly afraid that she was going into shock. Making a conscious effort to calm herself, Twilight took several long, deep breaths. Raising her head from her contemplation, Twilight felt her cheeks warm as she met Princess Luna’s grin, but managed to speak with passing nod to solemnity.
“That is quite alright, Princess.” Twilight spoke calmly and evenly, bowing her head to the visiting Princess. “I hold no grudge to Pip, though I would like to politely inquire as to why you have sought my company? Are you in need of a guide once more?”
“Why, Twilight,” The black mare pulled her head back, widening her eyes in a show of hurt. “How could you? Did we not share something special?”
“I...” Twilight’s calm broke, and the blood rushed once more to her cheeks. How did this mare always seem to wronghoof her? “Ahem. I apologize if I have given any offense Princess. I wish only to serve however I might.”
The Night-Mare’s lips pulled back, and she barely contained her laughter. Her eyes sparkled as they fixed on the mare, still blushing, who was doing her utmost to remain proper despite her teasing. “I think I have teased you long enough. Tell me Twilight, would it be a burden if we were to speak with one another for a time?”
“A burden? Of course not Princess. I was...” Twilight trailed off, looking away as she bit her lip.
“Yes?” Luna prompted gently. “You were what?”
“Pip told me that you had returned, and I... um...” Twilight’s voice faltered again. Looking up, she caught the reassuring smile of the Princess, and the black head nodded slightly at her to continue. “I was coming to find you.”
“Were you, now...” Princess Luna tilted her head to one side, gazing speculatively at the small unicorn. After a moment of careful consideration though, she straightened and smiled at Twilight. “Well, then I am pleased to have saved you a trip.”
“Thank you, I-Oh!” Twilight’s eyes widened for a moment, then began to sparkle as her smile stretched wide. “Princess, watch this.”
Twilight took a step back, closing her eyes. For a moment, she stood like a statue of serenity, with only a small smile to break her expression of utter peace. Then, her horn began to glow. Energy began to collect around the stubby point, flowing down to the base before returning to the peak in a lazy spiral. Gradually, the ribbons of energy began to broaden, thickening and drawing closer to her horn as they did.
In a moment, the bands of power had joined together, forming a tight cone of swirling energy. A moment later, the door behind Twilight opened with a soft click as purple energy shifted the latch and pushed it. Then, in a mathematically precise line, book after book began to drift out of the room.
They traveled in perfectly straight lines, as though following some invisible track, rather than wobbling in place and shifting up and down as they moved. The Princess’s eyes narrowed as they flicked from the books, to Twilight’s horn, and back again.
With her eyes still closed, Twilight tilted her head fractionally to one side, and the books began to move once more. They arrayed themselves around her, several inches apart, each one facing towards the mare at the center of the circle of literature. Once the first layer had completed itself, with all twenty books spread evenly about the purple mare, the next layer began to arrange itself, in exactly the same pattern.
In less than a minute, every book was stacked neatly in the floating column, hovering in the air without so much as a page out of place. It was perfectly organized, and while not a spell that consumed a great deal of raw power, Twilight’s control of the flow of her power was stunning.
Princess Luna found herself staring at the mare, whose eyes were still serenely shut. Slowly, her eyebrow’s returned to their rightful place above her eyes, rather than in their impressed arch, and the alicorn began to circle the mare.
“I am impressed, Twilight. You are showing an amazing amount of control with this. I take it that you have been practicing?”
She had to have been. Anypony could send out tendrils of invisible power to manipulate objects near them. That is what gave their magic its wavering quality, the energy collected at their horns spread itself out unevenly, stretching to seek the object the unicorn desired. Twilight was doing something far more directed, sending out perfectly straight lines of power directly to their targets, feeding her spell directly rather than powering the wavering strands of magic.
“Yes.” Twilight spoke slowly, and her voice hummed with power as she did. It gave the words an odd, resonant quality as she spoke, like hearing an echo of the words a moment after they were spoken.
Luna completed her slow circuit and looked once more at the peaceful face of the smaller pony. “That’s enough, Twilight.”
Twilight’s eyes snapped open, and for a moment, Luna thought she saw a faint glow within the amethyst orbs. As her eyes opened, the precise positioning of the books slipped, wavering in place as they would for anypony. Twilight grinned widely at the Princess as she sent the tomes floating back to their shelves.
“That was... very impressive, Twilight.”
If anything, the alicorn’s words made Twilight’s grin widen. Unable to control herself, Twilight took a step closer to the Princess, wrapping her hooves around the strong black body as she did. She pulled herself closer to the momentarily stunned mare, hugging her tightly as a tear squeezed its way past her eye.
“Thank you, Princess. Thank you so much.”
After a moment of shock, Luna reached a hoof encased in silver armor around Twilight. She squeezed the mare gently, resting her head on the lavender shoulder for a moment. After several slow, deep breaths, she pulled lightly back, and Twilight let her go.
“You are most welcome, Twilight Sparkle.” She said, bowing her head to the young mare. “Now, before I begin to tease you in earnest, would you please do me one favor?”
“Umm, sure?” Twilight asked, more than a little worried at the threat of further teasing. It wouldn’t be too bad though, not like when other ponies teased her. Twilight knew that Luna meant her words in jest, not like the others who really did want to hurt her.
“Twilight, would you please attend the Council meeting this evening? There are matters that shall be discussed which involve you directly, and I would have you hear them from the horse’s mouth.”
The council room was, as ever, stiflingly hot. It was, however, rarely ever quite so full, or so silent. The presence of a visiting Princess seemed to be the only thing that would make the various nobles forget their quarrels and meet in peace it would seem. Every noble who could attend the meeting was somewhere in the room, and not one of them had spoken a word once the soft rumble of whispers at Luna’s entrance had died away. Now, every colorful mare and stallion in the hot, confined quarters had their eyes riveted on the visiting Princess, seated beside Princess Celestia at the room’s central table.
Around the disk-shaped table, the rest of the Senior Council sat, the members of that elite group choosen by lot from each sect present during the Summer Sun Celebration. Lord Marshtamer for the East, and Lord Nest Builder for the south. Lady Golden Crown sat in the inner circle as well, a representative for the merchants and the guilds of Helios.
All twenty of the Senior Council had fixed their eyes on the Princesses just like the rest of the crowd, though they too glanced occasionally to the dragoness seated on Princess Celestia’s right. Spike’s scales shone a dull grey and a deep maroon in the faint red light of the room, far less stunning than her usual emerald and amethyst, but hypnotic nonetheless.
Almost unnoticed, sheltered off to the serpentine visitor’s right, Twilight tried to make herself as small as possible. She needn’t have bothered. The stunning trio nearby quite capably distracted everypony’s attention, save General Stormfront, who cast an occasional glance her way.
Twilight just wanted to know why Princess Luna had been so insistent that she attend the meeting. So far, the only topics that had been discussed related to a proposed raise in the tax on grain. It wasn’t exactly what Twilight would deem urgent, and the Princesses and Spike had only spoken a few words throughout the discourse. Now though, Silver Scales was shuffling the papers before her, straightening them out as the agenda for the Council session proceeded to the next point.
The scribe read the paper, and Twilight could see her eyebrows shoot up. After she reread the paper several times in quick succession, the grey mare cleared her throat, bringing a hoof up to straighten her spectacles. “Ahem. Now, as I was saying, we now move on to the next point on our agenda for the evening. Princess Luna, would you care to speak?”
The grey pony turned her head towards the black alicorn, who nodded gravely.
“Then the chair would like to recognize the right of Princess Luna of Selene to speak as a visiting dignitary. Are there any objections?” Silence met her questioning gaze as she slowly swept it around the room. “Then the floor is yours, Princess.”
She took a step back from the section of desk which held her papers, clearing a small space for the Princess to slip into. Then, once the Princess was situated and the top piece of paper was turned neatly over to obscure the remainder of the meeting, the chair pony bowed deeply to the Princess.
“Thank you,” Princess Luna spoke softly, inclining her head to the old pony with a slight smile. Then she turned to face the crowd, and her voice firmed. “I would like to apologize for my speech the last time we all met in this very chamber. It has been nearly two centuries since the last I visited this nation, and I am afraid that I wrongly assumed that your customs had changed little.
“My ignorance is no excuse however, for I should well know that nopony can stymie change. The seasons turn and turn again, passing in the endless cycle of ages. Ponies change with them, every season bringing new thoughts, new ideas. We lose some friends every year, and gain new ones. While at one time we may face a drought, the next we might be blessed with a seemingly endless bounty.”
The crowd stilled once more, every eye in the room locked on the black body as the Princess spoke. Twilight found herself leaning in against the wooden table, trying to catch every word the Princess spoke.
“But unlike the skies, we do not begin each season anew. For we are as blessed as we are cursed, with the gift of memory. We recall with sorrow those friends whom we shall never again see. We remember the hardships of the drought, and endeavor to keep a store set aside in case one should strike again. We travel through life not only peering out across the bow at the endless expanse of this beautiful, terrible life, but casting our eyes behind us. The past stretches out behind us all as infinitely as does the future.
“If the future is the unknown waters that lie ahead, then memories must be the wake the spreads out with our passage. It flows through the waters of time just as easily as the future shifts between any of its countless possibilities, each ripple affecting everypony.
“I do not speak thus simply for my own amusement. Those among you who have seen the timeworn cycle turn over and over know of what I speak. You have seen fifty, sixty, seventy seasons pass as fluidly as the first, but never has the same season come again. Never is our realm the same. So it is to you I speak when I say that I wish for another change, a greater one.
“How long have we laboured, both of our great nations, to placate the tyrants of Ryais? How long have the sons and daughters of Helios given their lives to stem the tide of the gryphons from razing our lands to the barren soil?”
“Damn right, girl.” The grizzled general growled, looking around. “You’ve all been there. You know what hell the front is.”
His words were met with nods and murmurs, and not a few shudders as everypony relived their time fighting against the gryphon. It was a bloody war that had stretched on for centuries, and the beastial aggressors simply would not hear diplomacy.
The Princess inclined her head to the veteran, before resuming her speech. “And why do they strike? Sadly, that blame lies in part with me.”
Silence followed her words as the Princess of the Night swept her gaze about the room, as though daring anypony there to challenge her. Nopony did.
“To my great regret, I found that I could no longer accept many of the traditions of Helios at the time. I, and those of a like mind, petitioned Princess Celestia to form our own nation some four centuries ago. At the time, we had no idea of the turmoil that we would create. Little more than a quarter of a century later, the Queen of all ponies, Terrace, passed from this world. With her passing, all that remained of her ancient kingdom, a land known as Equestria, fell under siege.
“Long held back by the fearsome might of the Queen, the dragons and gryphons no longer had her wrath to hold them at bay. While both nations were mourning the loss of our noble leader, Equestria, what is now Helios and Selene, was attacked. While ponies squabbled over who was to inherit what from the great empire, they struck.”
Luna’s voice faltered then, and she looked down at the wooden table for a moment. From her nearby seat, Twilight could see the muscles of the black mare’s legs tighten like iron bands, and her wings twitch sporadically as she fought against whatever emotion gripped her.
Twilight cast a worried glance over her shoulder, towards the Princess and Spike, only to find both of them similarly fighting off their own memories, all three of the ancient, beautiful creatures bore the same expression of grief and regret on their faces.
“We were fools.” Princess Luna spoke, and her strong voice wavered slightly as she lifted her hoof. Then she slammed it down on the table, and her head swung up to glare about her. “We sought to remain separate. We refused to join together, to become one people again for the sake of vanity and broken egos. I freely admit, I was one of the loudest voices that fought against reunification, crying out against Helian ‘tyranny’ until all would believe nothing else.
“What I seek now, is the Council’s permission to begin to heal that wound. I seek to close the rift I have created between our countries. I ask, no. I beg you to come to my aid. I have convinced the Council of Selene that my plan is sound, and they have consented to my plan. Now, I have only one obstacle removed. I seek to join our two nations indelibly. I wish to reform Equestria, slowly merging our two countries into one, so that we may lead them to a greater, brighter future. A future free from the tyrannical might of the dragons, whose power comes from our division. Free from the attacks of the gryphons, so that we may finally live in peace once more. So that our sons, our daughters, our foals do not need to die before their time.
“I propose a marriage to ensure this alliance. I offer myself to this union, as I am sure you all remember. So finally, I must ask.” Princess Luna’s voice softened as she spoke, before turning to face Princess Celestia once more. “With your leave, Celestia?”
The Princess nodded at her black counterpart, and beside her Spike inclined her head as well.
“Thank you. Now. Twilight Sparkle. Will you marry me?”
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"Will you marry me?"
Well, there goes the 'luna is your mother' theory I had going on. My bet's on Cadence at this point.
Anyway, solid chapter.
I'm still in the "Celestia is Twilight's mom, and that 'Cadence' is a hireling that that is around sometimes to be a cover story for those times when Celestia ISN'T disguising herself as Cadence for Twilight" camp.
It also solves the whole "how would marrying the Princess's SCRIBE be any political use in unifying the countries" question....
I have to admit - I am quite enchanted with this story!
At first I was like
cuz of the cliffhanger-ness
Then I was all
Now I'm like
Whelp, the marriage thing was pretty much a given, so no real surprise there for me. The backstory was nice to learn about, and it remains to be seen if Celestia is the mom, or what exactly Cadence is. I'm not too sure that Celestia = Cadence at the moment, but I'm willing to wait. It seems like Luna discussed this with Celestia beforehand which makes me wonder if Celestia's the mom and Luna knows or what. Either way, Twiluunnaaaaa. This should also clear up any Luna is the mom theories, which I honestly could not see being correct anyway.
Did I mention that this chapter is SO AWSOME!
PLOT TWEEEEST!
This really took an unexpected turn, I'll be honest.
Twilight's thoughts are going to be hilarious next chapter, and Luna is going to spend the entire time smirking while Celestia chuckles behind her hoof
I can't wait for the next chapter! This story is amazing!
'sabout all you can react with there right?
Huh. Imagine my surprise when this popped up in the featured box without bumping my favourites list. Apparently I never favourited it. Excuse me while I go rectify that. Also, excellent chapter, looking forward to more.
Saw that coming since Luna first visited. Nice to have my theory confirmed
This chapter breathed new life into me, class today is gonna be easy... *dies from cliffhanger overload*
well my theory is dead... but oh well, the Twiluna more than makes up for it (god my priorities are messed up)
Can't wait to see how Twilight will react, I mean she barely knows Nightmare outside the magic tutoring and the lunch...not exactly a good foundation for marriage...not that political marriage often have good foundations. As to 2141244, I don't know about how these things work, but isn't twilight considered both a minor noble, and the royal handmaiden (more or less, she's actually a scribe but she acts more like a deathly loyal handmaid), not sure if that's a strong enough position, but those are my thoughts... Also, kinda tangential but isn't Twilight afraid of the dark? That can't be conductive of anything good marrying the night princess...
Also, now that we're past the marriage and mother issues part, did you mention the book being 200 years old? As in, the same time nightmare visited? If so, is the book by chance written by Selenian authors? For some reason I have the sudden image of Nightmare writing the book just to get cheap shots at the nobility now...
waaaaaht!!!
I'm becoming more and more impressed with each chapter. Well done.
Okay, so Luna isn't her mother, (hopefully), but you kinda have to admit you could see this coming, (even though it seemed like a Luna X Big Mac was in the works). Excellent work on this chapter
I actually expected this...
I'm of the opinion that Celly is Twi's mom. Cadence is just a unicorn, but also allows Celly to assume her form to interact with Twilight, or does so herself as some sort of replacement for a child she herself lost.
Luna is Luna, though possibly not Celestia's sister, I always assumed their sisterhood was one more of fate than blood.
This chapter gives more evidence of Twilight as Celestia's daughter because of her nascent magical ability. Plus that she's an eligible candidate to be the spouse of Luna, as well as Spike (fem)'s responses regarding Twilight's origins.
2141244 - Even as far as public knows, Twilight is a fairly major noble herself, in ranking anyways. She may be a scribe and hoofmaiden, but she's got serious rank regardless.
Called it, I knew Luna was going to pick Twilight
Now I cannot wait for the fallout and reactions
YEEEEEEESSSSSS!!! This world needs more NightLight!!!!
I knew Luna would ask Twilight to marry her!
This story just keeps getting better and better.
I can’t wait too long for more!
dun dun dun.......... /)^3^(\
2141244/2141251/2141421 Don't be stupid! Clearly Cadence is Twilight's mother, Celestia is simply her father.
After all "magic penises fix everything"!
Just ask Luna!
2141207 For all we really know anyone could be her mother even spike(as weird as that is.). The teasing of cadences past could just be a ruse to misdirect us.
Aaaaw crap, knew this was coming, hoping it wouldn't happen.
2141542
I echo this sentiment.
I a thought about that, I do not thinkthat Cadence is Twilight's mother nor Luna. Celestia is a possibility but that might be to convenient. Since the mare appeared at night it might lead to believe that their is only one other mare of the night. You all know who I am talking about.
2141713
...Trixie?
Shit just got real.
Though, I kind of saw it coming... all the blushing sort of gave it away.
Heh. Well that went as predicted but its a good thing. I wonder when people will realize that neither of the C's is her mother. I think its been spelled out already who she is the daughter of but I'll wait and see.
This is me reading the last line:
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw2884-Rainbow_Dash_leg_wiggle_2.gif
SO AWESOME!
Also, should this go into the Twiluna group now?
And then everyone's mind in the room explored.
Seriously I wish I could be there to see the looks on everyone's faces! And oh Twilight... poor Twilight... she had nooo idea what was going down and now she's suddenly had her world turned upside down!
Of course I feel like this strengthens my "Celestia's child" theory. Twilight being a simple servant wouldn't really qualify her for the marriage (at least in my mind it doesn't, however if the author can explain how it would then disregard that
) Now as to WHY Celestia would hide Twilight's identity... well it would help keep the nobles and other rulers from flipping a lid and causing all kinds of problems for Celestia. It also protects Twi from growing up and getting special treatment or from having to deal with angry nobels who can't take their anger out on Celestia but CAN on Twi. In general it just keeps the target off Twi's back until she's ready to take care of herself. At least these are some of my thoughts. 
Looking forward to the next updates!
2141862 - Who's your idea? It's not Luna. Marrying your own daughter would be downright weird.
Spike? Even stranger, but maybe...
Really the only options presented have been Celestia and Cadence. All we know is Celestia kept herself cloistered away during a sudden attack from their enemies roughly around the same time as Twilight was born. It could have been Celestia giving birth, or Cadence, but I'm not sure Cadence is old enough to be Twilight's mother, even if she got with foal when she was a young teenager. I think Cadence's maternal instincts towards Twilight are simply a transference of what she would have felt with her own foal.
I still think Celestia's the strongest contender for being Twilight's mother, but Cadence isn't out of the running.
I have fifty
on Celestia being Twilight's mother. Also, I saw this one coming. Another twenty 
on Twilight fainting.
2141956
The previous Queen or someone similar. I don't think it is either Cadence or Celestia. I haven't thought it was either of them since the story started.
I absolutely LOVE how well Twilight's powers are coming along. That filly don't do Anything by half measures!
Wow I have never seen a cliffhanger so big.
Celestia is Twilight's mom still has my vote, and hoping the necromancer is dad.
"(Yes, everything up till now has NOT been the story, its setup XD) " Isn't the setup still a part of the story?
By Celestia I have read hexalogy book series with a less complicated and interwoven plat then your setup. This will be a glorious read.
It will be fun if Twilight will say "NO".
Very good can't wait for more
Wait, what?
I must say, I didn't expect that one.
I think you should bring zebras in eventually. Because Zebras are freaking awesome.
>>Ebonysdagger
That would make Twilight at least 375 years old, due to the death of Terrace a quarter century after Luna established Selene. I'm kinda thinking the same way, but I need to hear where the missing time went. Whatever happens, Ima LOVE this story!
That evil cliffhanger! Get the next chapter stats!
2141251
Well, there was that scene Twilight walked in on in the first chapter, when Celestia and Luna were talking in the Heart... One wonders what exactly two nearly immortal rulers would have to talk about after two centuries.
2141343
Interesting ideas about the origins of Allworthy's Heir, never thought of that. In truth, it was just because I was making a rather heavy handed allusion to Tom Jones by Henry Feilding. Good book, a classic you really should read if you haven't.
On an entirely different note, I love your avatar. She(?) is adorable. Did you make it yourself?
2141358
No pressure or anything...
2141421
Very true. Especially because everyone has a thing for posthumous honors to be given. When a pair of civilian doctors are killed in an attack far from the front lines, an attack whose only survivors is their newborn daughter. Since you inherit your parents rank, by raising their rank once they are dead, Celestia ensures a measure of security both in station and against the less... pleasant aspects of orphandom. I mean, look at Pip. All this, in addition to the fact that Twilight's been in Princess Celestia's direct employment since she could walk essentially, all that comes together to mean that she is in fact *very* highly placed in the Helian hierarchy. Sorry, I made a few mentions of her being the same rank of nobility as Blueblood, and he was obviously in a high enough station to be a serious pain in the royal white plot.
2141542
...
Who has also read about other magical penises? Because we all know Twilight would react exactly that was to being confronted by one.
2141922
OMG THAT'S ADORABLE!!! Can I has squealing RD?
2141926
Well, I don't know. They aren't exactly romantic though, are they? Sure, they are getting married, but for the moment its just a political thing. If you all think it should go there, you can go ahead and suggest it. I never add stories to groups though, its a personal quirk. *shrug*
2142054
Wait wait wait. You want the amazingly perfect, beautiful, kind, wise Celestia to have been shacking up with the insane, murdering necromancer? What did he do, hold her down and rape her?
On that note, it is an interesting idea. I might have to do a spin off on that, it could be fun...
2141973
Bugger, 2142197 stole like my entire speech. But yeah, that leaves about four centuries unaccounted for. Sorry dear, thats just too big a hole in the plot.
2142430 She was made for me by someone, if you would like I can go back an crosscheck who made it and you could ask him/her to make you one... as to why I have it? It was based off my tumbr
2142430
He became insane and murdering because of the war. Why would his past be horrible? He might have been a minor noble a prodigy in magic.
A raid murdered his family or they could have answered the call to arms and died on the battlefield. Celestia could have been his friend.
He might have just started using necromancy as a last ditch effort and it slowly drove him insane as he was forced to bring back his friend's,
comrades in arms, then he embraced hate and totally lost it when the pony's he was protecting told him he has gone to far.
Or if you want the rape angle you could say that when he was finally killed they did not take good care disposing of the body and he
reanimated himself after some time and took his revenge on Celestia.
Or the necromancer was never killed, Celestia has kept him "safe" in a special prison/crystal/stasis spell.She has finally decided she needs
a strong magic user to help her. Or its all part of Celestia's/Luna's secret breeding program.
I could go on a bit more but its all down hill in sanity points from here on.
"you want the amazingly perfect, beautiful, kind, wise Celestia" you have shown us she is a lot more then that propaganda.
And if you really want to get freaky she still can be Luna's daughter, nobles have been known to do more crazy things. (-1 san. point for me)
Why is there no Romance tag? Heads up of TwiLuna would've been nice before I got invested.
2142430
Ouch!!! I hit my chin on my new hardwood floors!
2142764
Because this marriage doesn't necessarily mean the story will be about the relationship from now on, even though I'd love to see a full chapter of Twi freaking out during the ceremony or something. This is an event, not the whole story. So the romance tag isn't really needed.
2142430 Hey, hey. Take this. -Hug-
You're awesome and you should feel awesome, keep up with the amazing work!