Don't Stop Believing

by Seer

For A Smile They Can Share the Night

Twilight remembered feelings of listening to her parents argue when she was a filly. It was wrong, of course, to eavesdrop into what others were saying. Especially when the hushed whispers of those in the room betrayed their desire for privacy.

But Twilight was a curious filly. Twilight was a compulsive filly. Twilight couldn’t sleep until she knew that everything was alright, that it wasn’t her she was arguing about.

There was no such desire in the voices she heard, they were full bore in their fury, resentment, bubbling over and over and over. Slight clinks of treated metal formed the background ambience as the guards shuffled uncomfortably. Twilight could tell in their cringing expressions and the way they made no move to stop her that this was hardly a seldom occurrence.

They looked worried.

They wanted her to hear.

They wanted her to fix it.

Okay.

The clumsy cracking of the door was sufficient to remove any sense of soundproofing magic that would have otherwise snuffed their voices. Both rulers of Equestria shouted like common folk, no thoughts for their station, clearly no thought for who may hear. Twilight could easily imagine Luna marching in, indignant, not shutting the door properly.

Maybe she wanted the guards to hear.

Maybe she just didn’t give a shit anymore.

“I have brooked enough of this from you, sister.”

“Twilight resolved this, I don’t see any reason to press the matter any further.”

“You know full well why we even needed her to step in the first place.” Luna spat, and Twilight cringed, “Are you truly content with all of this?”

“You were away for a millennia, you’ve yet to learn.”

“And how, exactly, do you propose to bring me to heel?” Luna asked, an unmistakable edge of steel in her voice.

The noise of motion was somehow simultaneously so loud, and almost too quiet to comprehend, that it nearly made Twilight’s heart stop.

“Do not deign to threaten me, little sister. My offer of explanation was a courtesy, extended by grace. You would do well to accept it.”

“If mother and father could see you now.” Luna said, laughing humourlessly.

“Mother and father are dead,” Celestia replied, “I will continue their line with or without your leave.,”

“You will reunite us, nothing more,” Luna replied venomously, “I know full well about carrying on their line Celestia. You continue your smiling, conciliatory farce. And leave it to hooves that haven’t so quickly forgotten.”

“It’s been a millennia, Luna, that’s not quick.”

“They wouldn’t say so, I’d expect.” And with that, Luna made her way to the door.

And Twilight was so tired, so exhausted from it all that she wasn’t able to get away quick enough. The ornate wooden panel smacked into her and she fell to the floor. Luna carried on walking, no care for the body audibly tumbling to the ground.

That was until Twilight began to cough, her tender ribs contracting in an agonising rhythm that caught the moon princess’ attention. Twilight tried to get to her hooves, but her hacking and spluttering proved more than equal to her legs, which gave out under her.

Luna made no attempt to help, only standing there looking at Twilight, expression somewhere between pity and disgust.

“How long are you going to keep doing this to yourself?”

One of the guards watched the exchange, before screwing up his eyes. His face contorted, it looked like his insides were on fire. He shuffled, he writhed. Celestia poked her head out of the room, curious by what had stayed her sister’s retreat.

Twilight tried to get up again and failed.

The guard finally snapped. He brazenly abandoned his post in front of both sisters to help Twilight to her hooves. He was gentle, he was so gentle and his touch and voice were kind when he asked her if she was alright, and if he should send for anything that she needed. He guided her to his feet the whole time, not rushing nor forcing. Just patience. Just softness. Just understanding.

Both princesses watched him closely. Celestia’s eyes were inscrutable as always, betraying no emotion while the subtle movements of her irises made it clear that she had seen everything. Luna on the other hand looked wild. She always looked wild when compared to her elder sister. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks and she tilted her head, more beast than god. It was short lived, however, and the moon princess shook herself to some measure of composure, before stealing away down the halls.

Celestia watched her go, before remembering herself and placing a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. But it was absentminded, and she returned her eyes to watching after Luna.

The princess’ hoof was so unbelievably powerful. It nearly knocked Twilight to the ground again.

Comments

[Novelle Tale]

“And how, exactly, do you propose to bring me to heel?” Luna asked, an unmistakable edge of steel in her voice.

She is eating right now and we love her for it.

The guard finally snapped. He brazenly abandoned his post in front of both sisters to help Twilight to her hooves. He was gentle, he was so gentle and his touch and voice were kind when he asked her if she was alright, and if he should send for anything that she needed. He guided her to his feet the whole time, not rushing nor forcing. Just patience. Just softness. Just understanding.

You really succinctly displayed so much comparison with this paragraph, and the one after, between the humanity/equinity of the guard and the almost alien otherness of both Luna and Celestia.

[Zontan]

Okay.

Even here, the implication that Twilight has just always been the one expected to fix things, is perfect.

Celestia watched her go, before remembering herself and placing a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. But it was absentminded, and she returned her eyes to watching after Luna.

The princess’ hoof was so unbelievably powerful. It nearly knocked Twilight to the ground again.

I love this. Luna is so overt in her hostility here, her otherness, that it's easy to overlook what Celestia is doing in her wake. And, of course, that's exactly how Celestia likes it.

[Bicyclette]

Celestia watched her go, before remembering herself and placing a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. But it was absentminded, and she returned her eyes to watching after Luna.

The princess’ hoof was so unbelievably powerful. It nearly knocked Twilight to the ground again.

ooh, symbolism! just love this, and how the whole conversation really does loop back to being analogous to parents arguing in front of their young child in terms of incomprehensibility, with many years ahead of the child before they can even begin to hope to comprehend the context. they are just as above Twilight right now, and of course, any parents that actually did this

They looked worried.

They wanted her to hear.

They wanted her to fix it.

Okay.

would be very unhealthy ones!