Who would have known that the pony Twilight viewed as a second mom was actually her birth-mother? Now the secret is out, relations are strained, and life is about to get extremely complicated for Twilight. At least she has Luna, right?
It was supposed to be a good day. Twilight and Luna were sharing the news of their relationship with their closest friends and family. However, Celestia's largest secret yet finally came out. Now, relations are strained between Celestia and everypony else. After all, what's Twilight to do when she finds out her second mother is actually her birth mother?
On top of this massive bombshell, soon Twilight will be sporting a pair of wings of her own. If she thought things were complicated now, just wait until Canterlot gets wind of a new alicorn. Life is about to become one giant nightmare for Twilight. But hey, at least she has Luna, right?
As stated above, this is a sequel. I highly encourage you to read the first story (the writing is extremely rough early on, mind you), but it's not entirely required to understand most everything that will be going on here.
EDIT: Takes place during S3, when it was originally conceived, thus the Alt. Universe tag. There was no redemption of Discord. There was no ascension. Yes, the Crystal Empire is back, and Cadance and Shining Armor are the leaders there. This should cover the more critical aspects of the season in regards to the story.
Celestia’s sun announced the dawn of a new day all across Equestria. In the small town of Ponyville many of its inhabitants were already awake while others were beginning to stir as the warm, golden rays of the sun roused them. The sounds of the market setting up mingled with the various cries of the birds and nature, creating a mixed ambiance that brought the promise of another wonderful day.
However, the inhabitants of the Golden Oaks Library were still all soundly asleep, the sun failing to pierce the thick foliage of the odd structure. On the first floor the occasional snore broke the silence as Spike lay on the couch. Scattered on the ground around him were the last of the books that had yet to be sorted back to their proper places on the shelves after Twilight had violently blown them all to the floor with her impromptu teleport home.
Upstairs, Twilight and Luna lay resting in a small bed, their forms barely fitting onto the surface. Luna’s wing lay protectively draped over Twilight as if to physical safeguard her from a restless night, although the exhaustion incurred from the prior day’s revelations was more than enough to ensure Twilight a dreamless night of sleep.
On the nightstand next to the bed lay an ornate necklace, its attachment containing that of a crescent moon overlaying the sun, both overlooking a valley landscape. This particular pendant had been given to Twilight by her birth-mother, Celestia, just yesterday. It was particularly important, as it contained the anchors for Twilight’s Earth and Pegasus pony magics that had been removed from her at birth by Celestia. Given time, the anchors would reestablish themselves within Twilight, granting her the form she had upon birth; that of an alicorn.
Luna’s nose twitched, a light snort escaping from her nostrils as her eyes cracked open. She could not help but smile at the still form of Twilight partially hidden by her wing as she held back a yawn. Carefully she extricated herself from her lover’s limbs, doing her best to keep from waking Twilight. She froze as Twilight muttered something underneath her breath, a nearly whining sound. Only once Luna was certain that she had not woken her did she finish getting out of bed.
In the absence of Luna’s presence, Twilight’s hooves found the sheet and wrapped around them, a gentle snort rising from her as Luna readied to teleport downstairs. She disappeared from the bedroom and appeared directly in the center of the target room, her nose seeking out the stash of ground coffee beans. Only once the water was set to boil did Luna’s thoughts stray to the conversation she had held with Celestia overnight via their dreams.
”Luna, thank you for coming,” Celestia hesitantly began, for once the all-powerful Princess of the Day unsure of what to truly say. “I was hoping that you would come with the beacon I sent out, however I was uncertain…”
“What, uncertain that I would want to come and talk to my sister after finding out that not only did you have a child in my absence, but that same child is the one pony closest to my heart besides you? Or that you kept it a secret from everypony using a geas of all things to ensure you could hide the truth? Both are quite despicable, regardless of your misguided reasons.” Luna retorted, a simmering anger underlying each and every word.
Celestia shrunk from the verbal onslaught, every syllable making Luna appear larger and larger. After her sister finished talking, she took a few moments to collect her thoughts, the silence all the answer Luna needed.
“See? You know that you were in the wrong here. Even offering up our old home and restoring it in some vain attempt to curb favor with your ‘daughter,’” Luna said the word mockingly, “comes completely short of what you should have done.” She paused, shaking her head and began pacing. “To think, you thought hiding your daughter and passing her off as a unicorn was a good idea. You always were one to bury yourself in self-pity and false guilt with complete disregard as to how it would affect those around you… I had hoped you had grown out of that during my exile, I suppose not.”
“Luna,” Celestia began, her eyes misty as they began to tear up, “I thought it was a good idea at the time, I never once said it was the right choice though… And then once you came back to me, I told myself that I would tell her soon, I truly did. You know that I care dearly for both of you… that will never change.”
Luna just sighed and walked over to Celestia as the tears began to freely fall, resting a hoof on her shoulder as some of the anger bled from her eyes. “Sister of mine… you hurt many quite dearly, and this time there is no ‘quick fix’ for you to use. There is no evil that needs vanquishing, no letter of a lesson learned to be sent off, nothing.” Luna gently wrapped her hooves around Celestia’s neck, allowing her sister to cry to her heart’s content.
“’Twould appear that you are at least aware of some of what you have done at least, this much is obvious. Oh, to think if your subjects could see you now, weeping, sniveling Princess Celestia…” Luna chuckled as a forehoof gently connected with her shoulder. “While I do not forgive you just yet, nor will I for some time, you are still my sister, even if by adoption.” Luna pulled back from their embrace, the anger now completely gone from her eyes as she fixed her gaze on Celestia.
“However, this is your mess, and it is entirely up to you on how to resolve it. I shall remain in Ponyville for the immediate future; I can easily perform my duties there as I could from Canterlot. I am sure that you can come up with a reasonable reason as to why I am there and not in Canterlot.”
Celestia dried her eyes, a faint, sad smile on her face. “Very well, Luna… thank you for coming to talk to me.” She stood up, dropping her forehoof back to the ground. “I’m sure that I can come up with some reason… Also, when you next see Cadance and Shining Armor, could you please pass along a message from me?” At Luna’s nod, she continued. “I would appreciate it if at some point they came to see me in Canterlot. I know that they might not want to, but it is somewhat important, and might help Twilight in the future.”
“Very well, Sister. I’ll ensure they at least hear it, beyond that I cannot make any promises.” Luna’s ears swiveled to the side, catching some unknown sound. “Now, I must return to my guard over Twilight’s dreams, I am afraid that without my supervision her sleep would be filled with nightmares on this night. Goodbye.” Without another word or glance, Luna turned around and began to fade from view as she walked away, leaving Celestia alone in her dream.
“Princess? What are you doing up so early? Where’s Twilight?” Luna was jolted from her recollection by Spike, who was wiping his eyes before stretching, arms wide to the sides as he entered the kitchen.
“Oh, good morning, Spike. Twilight is still in her bed, asleep. I thought it best she sleep as long as possible. As for myself, I am making some coffee; it truly is the only thing that has helped me get used to being up during my sister’s days.” Luna closed her eyes and deeply breathed in the aroma of the freshly brewing coffee as its smell filled the kitchen.
“Oh, cool. I can make breakfast for us if you want. I have a feeling Twilight will want some of my special pick-me-up pancakes!” he happily exclaimed, punctuating it with a small spin. Luna let out a quiet laugh at the sight, gently shaking her head.
“While I appreciate your offer, I can handle making some pancakes.” Luna paused, trying to recall the recipe. Spike stood there with his arms crossed, impatiently tapping the claws on his foot in sequence, making a quick drumming sound. “Well, on second thought, I could use your help preparing breakfast.” She grinned, scratching the back of her neck with a forehoof.
Spike let out a small chuckle as he moved towards one of the pantries. “No problem at all, Luna, let me show you how a pro does it!” Spike cheerfully quipped, head partway inside a cabinet as he began collecting the various ingredients and utensils needed to make and mix the batter. “I know that these will guarantee to pick Twilight up, no doubt about it.”
Luna watched in amazement as Spike moved around the kitchen at a fast clip, showing just why he was the resident master of that particular room. In no time at all he was quietly whistling away while stirring a thick batter, a pan ready to receive its bounty.
“That was most impressive, Spike. I bow to your expertise in the kitchen.” Luna offered a small mock bow, a wide smile plastered on her face. After Spike acknowledged her with a short, barking laugh, she continued speaking, “After breakfast, I have a favor for you, if you do not mind.”
Spike poured the first pancake of the batch onto the hot pan, eyes focused on the task at hand as he replied. “Sure, so long as it’s nothing too crazy…” he muttered something about the Cutie Mark Crusaders underneath his breath, eliciting a laugh from Luna.
“Nay, I simply ask that you track down Twilight’s friends and family and meet up with them. While Twilight may not want to see anypony, it is best that they be nearby to lend their support.” Luna paused a moment, recalling the message from Celestia. “Additionally, once you find them, could you please let Cadance and Shining Armor know that I would like to talk to them, privately?”
“Sure thing, I’ll go chase them down after breakfast. Anything for Twilight,” Spike calmly replied, his full attention still on the golden circles of deliciousness that were forming under his expert claws. “If you want to, you can go ahead and wake up Twilight, Princess. It shouldn’t be too much longer until breakfast is ready.”
Luna chuckled, pouring herself a cup of coffee and taking a quick sip of it before setting it down at the table. “Very well, we shall be down shortly.”
Spike quickly glanced at the retreating form of Luna as she disappeared from view before turning back to the pancakes. “Like I’d want to be the one to wake her up after yesterday…” he muttered, shuddering slightly before beginning to whistle as he went back to cooking.
“Twilight…” a multitude of voices rang out, summoning the young mare from her dreamless sleep into a realm of pure magic. As her eyes opened, she found herself amidst a starfield, thousands of twinkling stars breaking up the monotonous void of space. Each one lent its voice to a cacophony of sounds, a wordless tune somehow emerging from the chaos with a melody that penetrated to a pony’s soul.
She could not help but shiver as each note reached her ears, causing them to slightly splay backwards as she turned and looked around. She was standing on nothing, yet it felt like solid ground. Hesitantly, she took a step forward, her hooves finding purchase although nothing was there. A chorus of laughter swarmed around her, causing her to halt in her hesitant steps.
“You will find that your hooves shall have purchase wherever you will them to, our Keeper,” the stars rang out after the laughter had diminished. “We know that our former keeper briefly spoke to you of us, but let us welcome you to our domain, young one.” The voices briefly lingered in the air as Twilight attempted to deconstruct them into their individual counterparts.
Giving up as the last of the lingering voices faded, Twilight turned her attention towards the matter at hoof. Just yesterday she found herself here in this domain, although the only voice she heard then had been that of its former keeper, the alicorn Astralia who passed away long ago. Twilight was frightened at first when she had appeared as her image was nearly a mirror of Nightmare Moon. It was no mere coincidence, however, as when Luna went mad she ripped the extra power from the stars, those that had been her mother’s to safeguard. The remnants of Astralia’s power had warped her daughter into the twisted form of Nightmare Moon.
“Umm… thanks?” Twilight hesitantly replied, uncertainty filling her. “So, umm… is Astralia around?” she asked, uncertain what exactly she was supposed to do. After all, Astralia had barely mentioned what exactly her role as the Keeper of the Stars entailed during their extremely brief talk yesterday.
“Yes and no, young one. It takes time and effort for one of us to form as she did, and she was waiting for many, many years… in time, she will be able to do so once more,” they gently replied, the sound soothing to Twilight’s ears. She forced down her uneasiness as she took a deep breath.
“So, is there a guide or anything I need for all of… this?” Twilight asked, sweeping her hoof in a circle in the air in front of her. A peal of laughter rang out in reply, causing her ears to splay backwards as her cheeks flushed crimson from embarrassment. Twilight abhorred going into anything without a solid foundation of knowledge; this situation truly epitomized one of her worst nightmares.
The laughter finally died down as Twilight felt that she could die simply from the embarrassment she felt. It was intensified as the stars seemingly began to talk amongst themselves, the remarks coming out so quickly as to nearly overlap each other.
“Oh, she is so young.”
“Indeed, to think there would be a guide for ones such as us!”
“Just give her time, I’m sure all will be well.”
“Just how much time?”
“What does it matter to us?”
The chatter abruptly came to a halt as Twilight wished that she had some obstacle to hide within or behind. She felt completely exposed and just wished they would be quiet long enough for her to think and recover from the embarrassment.
“Ah, forgive us, young Keeper, we sometimes get carried away.” The voices seemed to be getting distant as the void began to lighten, the black slowly turning lighter shades as time progressed. “It is our time to leave now, we shall hopefully talk with you tomorrow. We now leave you to your rest, farewell.”
The last of their voices barely reached her ears, as if they were no more than mere whispers carried upon the slightest wind. The area went from grey, to white, and then at last to a golden hue as Twilight felt her mind drifting once more back into slumber.
Luna quietly walked into the room, letting out a small chuckle at the sight before her. In the short time she was downstairs, Twilight had managed to become thoroughly wrapped up in the bedsheets, limbs splayed at every which angle as her muzzle lay on its side, mouth partially open. She walked to the side of the bed, gently nudging Twilight with a forehoof as she leaned down towards an ear.
“Wake up, Twilight,” she spoke into an ear, chuckling as it wiggled from the sudden noise mixed with the faint breeze that tickled the hairs within. Twilight mumbled something underneath her breath and turned slightly, eyes still soundly closed. Luna reached with a hoof and gently shook Twilight’s shoulder, gradually increasing the intensity before at last being greeted with a pair of lavender orbs blearily meeting her eyes.
“Luna?” Twilight slurred, mouth opening widely as she let out a massive yawn. She blearily blinked as she attempted to stretch out her hooves, however being entangled in the bedsheets resulted in Twilight finding herself thoroughly restricted. Luna could not help but chuckle as the sight of Twilight struggling to free herself, and she soon turned into full blown laughter as Twilight went off the edge of the bed.
“Good morning, Twilight!” Luna managed to say between bouts of laughter. Twilight stopped in her struggle, looking up directly at her marefriend’s eyes before her horn began to glow. Moments later Twilight landed on top of Luna, the laughing mare letting out an oomph noise at the sudden weight on her back.
After a brief struggle Luna managed to dislodge Twilight from her back and back onto the bed. “You seem surprisingly well, considering yesterday’s events,” Luna remarked, not noticing the slight twitch of Twilight’s left eye. “Spike mentioned something about making ‘special pick-me-up’ pancakes for breakfast, I believe he is nearly done now. Would you like to come on downstairs for breakfast?”
As soon as the words ‘special pick-me-up pancakes’ left Luna’s mouth, Twilight hurried out of the room, rushing for the kitchen. Luna was left in the bedroom, a blank expression on her face. After a few moments coherent thought returned, and she turned around to leave the room. “Well, that was exceptionally easy.”
Entering the kitchen, Luna took in the sight of Spike flipping a partially cooked pancake in the air, cooking the raw side with his dragon fire. It landed in the pan, where he immediately removed it and set it on top of a pile of already cooked ones. Twilight already had her nostrils hovering the edge of a cup of coffee, steam rising from the hot liquid contained within.
Luna took a seat at the table as Spike brought the large plate to the table, setting it down triumphantly in between the three of them. “One pile of pick-me-up pancakes, served!” Spike exclaimed, putting his hands to his waist and posing triumphantly, eliciting chuckles from both ponies.
“Thanks, Spike, you’re the best cook a pony could ever ask for,” Twilight warmly said, picking up the top three pancakes in her magic and gently setting them down on her plate. Her mouth nearly salivated at the sight of the amazingly fluffy pancakes speckled with blueberries and topped with a small amount of powdered sugar.
“No problem at all, Twi,” Spike began, moving some food to his plate. “So, how are you doing this morning?” He noticed Twilight’s left eye begin to twitch and quickly changed the subject to something else. “It didn’t take Luna long at all to get you up, although I heard a bunch of thumping sounds… what were you two doing?”
Twilight let out a weak laugh. “Well, it seems I got wrapped up in the sheets again,” she directed a quick glare at Luna as she continued, “and somepony decided to laugh at me once I fell on the floor. So, I just teleported on top of her.” Twilight smugly smiled, briefly sticking her tongue out at Luna before returning her attention back to her breakfast.
Luna waited to swallow the bite she currently had before chiming in herself. “Well, you have to admit, it was quite the comical sight seeing you so tightly bound in your sheets. Quite ingenious of yourself to teleport out of them, too, although I question the need to use me as your target!” Luna mockingly harrumphed at Twilight, who simply took a moment to offer a condescending smile before returning back to her pancakes.
The breakfast passed in relative silence, the consumption of Spike’s cooking proving too important to be interrupted by such mere things as speech. The large pile quickly disappeared, each pancake finding itself a casualty in the war called breakfast. The battle was concluded as the trio slouched back in their seats, stomachs full, the pancakes the undisputed losers.
Spike slowly got down from his chair, using it to balance himself as he landed on his feet. “Is it time for a nap yet?” he jokingly asked, widely grinning as snickers reached his ears. He grabbed the dishes and quickly brought them to the sink to be dealt with later before turning to Luna. “You said you had something you wanted to ask me earlier?” he questioned, attempting to jerk his head slightly towards the door.
Twilight was too caught up in her post-pancake daze to notice his rather obvious motions, however Luna clearly understood them. “Ah, yes. Let me explain on the way to the door.” She focused on Twilight, who was still oblivious to them. “Twilight, I’ll be borrowing Spike for a moment, I have a question I want to ask him.”
Luna waited a moment, receiving no outward sign that Twilight had even heard her. Chuckling, she followed Spike downstairs to the front door, which was still securely locked. Luckily the library was not scheduled to be open for a few more hours, ensuring that nopony would think anything about it.
“So, go out and find my friends and family and bring them here, or?” Spike asked, one hand on the doorknob. He stifled a small belch, looking up at Luna with a sheepish grin.
“Yes please, and also let Cadance or Shining Armor know that I would like to speak with them privately at some point. I did promise my sister to pass along a message, once I do that it will be in their hooves.” Luna muttered the latter half underneath her breath.
“Oh, Luna,” Spike began, removing his hand from the door and turning around, looking around the library to ensure Twilight had not followed them down. “You’re going to have to be really careful with Twi.” When he received a questioning look from Luna, he facepalmed before elaborating further. “Well, you recall the whole incident with the ‘Want-It, Need-It’ spell, right?”
“Of course, I read most, if not all of Twilight’s Friendship Reports to my sister. That was the one where she created quite a mess simply because she had nothing to write about to Celestia… not the best of the lot, but quite humorous nonetheless,” Luna chuckled briefly as Spike rolled his eyes.
“It wasn’t so humorous being in the middle of it…” Spike muttered, pausing a moment before raising his voice and continuing. “Well, after that whole incident, Twilight realized that sometimes its better to ignore a problem and let it resolve itself, rather than potentially making it worse by trying to deal with it.” He raised a hand as Luna started to speak, an odd look on her face. “Yeah, I know… this is definitely something big. But, unless she’s cornered and forced to confront it, she’ll ignore it… it’s just how she is, you know? So, please, be careful with my sister, okay?” Spike pleaded with Luna, concern filling his eyes.
Luna sighed, raising her forehoof to rest on Spike’s shoulder. “I promise to do my best, but I will make her confront this. Hopefully you can quickly find your friends and family, they will be able to help in ways I cannot, I believe.” She lowered her hoof back to the floor, pausing a moment before wishing Spike well.
She turned around, the sound of the door closing reaching her ears as she made for the stairs. Every hoofstep took her closer to the confrontation she would have to force, and she did not look forward to it. Memories from a time long past surged to the forefront of her mind, bitterness overwhelming her senses for a moment as she recalled similar, yet different confrontations with Celestia. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts and refocus on the present, she hoofed her way upstairs.
“Ah, that was amazing. Spike sure knows how to cook!” Twilight exclaimed as Luna came into view with a somewhat somber look on her face. “What’s wrong, Luna? I’ve got some stuff in mind that can help turn that frown around, it’s really nice to have you in Ponyville for more than a day or two, you know?”
Luna sighed, her mood lifting slightly at the sight of her marefriend, yet she remained determined in her course. “Twilight, can we talk for awhile, somewhere a bit more comfortable… perhaps your bedroom?” She motioned with a hoof in the direction of the room, thinking that the bed would make a nice surface to rest on while they talked, or a blanket on the ground failing that.
“Or course!” Twilight hopped down from the chair, eying her cup of coffee and the remainder still in the pot. “Want me to bring the coffee with us, Luna?” she asked as her cup was surrounded by the telltale lavender glow of her magic.
Luna shook her head, a small smile forming at the sight of Twilight’s mug levitating next to her. “No, I believe that I am wide awake, at least as well as one accustomed to the night can be. Shall we?” Both ponies left behind the kitchen and the lingering smell of pancakes, making their way to the bedroom.
As they entered the bedroom, Luna pulled open the drapes blocking the sunlight from streaming in, fully illuminating the room. Hopping up onto the bed, she motioned with hoof next to her. “Come and sit with me for awhile, Twilight, what I want to talk about shall take some time. We might as well get as comfortable as possible.”
Twilight finished off her coffee, setting the mug down on the nightstand next to the pendant, making a point of blatantly ignoring its existence. She jumped up onto her bed and nestled herself against Luna’s side. “So, what is it that you want to talk about? I’m all ears.”
She giggled at her remark as Luna chuckled for a moment before getting right to the point. “I talked with Spike this morning. He informed me that you have a way of ignoring certain things rather than deal with them.” Luna spread her wing over Twilight, hugging her closely to her side as she brought the necklace and pendant from the nightstand. She brought it to a stop in front of Twilight, the chain outspread to be draped around her neck. “You really should keep this close to you, My Star.”
At the sight of the necklace in front of her, Twilight closed her eyes and put up a token struggle against Luna, the large wing keeping her securely in place. “No, I don’t want to, Luna! It means…” she trailed off, tears beginning to form at the corners of her closed eyes.
Luna let the necklace fall to the surface of the bed, focusing on comforting Twilight for the moment. “It means accepting what Celestia said, correct?” Luna knowingly questioned, noticing how Twilight flinched at the mention of Celestia. “While denial is one way to deal with something, I’m afraid this is something that is best faced now, Twilight… otherwise, who knows what may happen instead?”
Twilight shook her head, openly crying. “B-But I don’t want to deal with this right now, Luna! I thought that nopony listening to me during Shiny’s wedding was bad, but this… I’m scared that everything will change now, and that there’s nothing I’ll be able to do about it…” She opened her eyes, reaching out with a hoof and poking the pendant. “I never asked for this, why do I have to deal with it?”
“I’m afraid that life is excellent at sending us twists we never expect, nor want, Twilight…” Luna quietly spoke, more memories lending personal experience to the words. She held Twilight close, calmingly running a hoof through her mane in an attempt to help soothe the troubled mare.
Silence reigned in the room, broken only by the small sobs from Twilight and the soothing noises Luna whispered to her in return. Finally Twilight wiped her eyes with her hooves, her gaze turned down towards the bed. “But I didn’t want this…” she quietly spoke again, her words hollow this time.
“Trust me, Twilight, one needs to adapt. Otherwise, disaster will occur,” Luna paused, taking a deep breath as she forged on with a story she had never spoken about to another, not even Celestia. “It’s how I became Nightmare Moon… would you like to hear that tale, Twilight?”
An awkward pause filled the room as Twilight’s gaze jerked up to meet Luna, her eyes widely opened in shock. If it had not been for Celestia herself briefly mentioning a part of it, the episode of Luna’s time as Nightmare Moon would have remained a complete mystery. As it was, the academic curiosity coupled with Twilight’s own feelings for Luna drove her to the answer she gave. “Yes, Luna… I would like to hear it, if you are truly willing to tell me.”
Luna wryly chuckled, mussing with Twilight’s mane briefly before letting out a long, drawn-out sigh. “I may not feel entirely comfortable sharing the circumstances behind it, but it might help you see why you cannot ignore the situation you are currently in…” Luna sighed again before launching into her narrative.
“As you know, Celestia and I were friends growing up. The earth pony and the alicorn, best friends forever as you might say, I believe.” Luna chuckled, letting her thoughts drift backwards through time. “She became family after her parents died and mine saved her life, turning her into the alicorn she is today. For a time, everything was great between the two of us. After all, what is not to love when your best friend ends up becoming your sister?”
Twilight was attentively listening, drinking in each and every word Luna spoke. “Even before our mother and father passed though, things began to change, small things at first. Controlling the moon was quite the feat, but once Celestia was able to move the sun, well… suddenly I was the one in the shadows. But, it mattered not to me, as I had my sister and my parents, and we lived happily together, much like any family could dream of doing.
“Of course, you know that not much later, both of our parents were taken during the downfall of the alicorns. The loss of both parents hit us both extremely hard, because by this time, I truly was the one in the shadows. Nopony seemed to care about the night or my moon, none cared that I had started keeping their dreams freed of nightmares…” Luna trailed off, her voice filling with bitterness as she spoke each word.
Twilight quietly coughed, drawing attention to Luna’s changing mood. A faint blush filled her cheeks as this time Twilight was the pony offering support with a comforting nuzzle to Luna’s neck. They rested together for a few minutes before she felt comfortable continuing the story.
“As time marched on, we found ourselves aiding in the ruling of Equestria. You’re already well aware of the Hearth’s Warming Tale, after all of that took place we officially became Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to the ponies around us. I was happy for a time, helping others, preventing the same needless loss of life that claimed my parents.
“Of course as the time wore on, not many ponies saw me, as my duties were best performed during the night. When Celestia’s sun left the sky, everypony went to sleep, none remained awake to bear witness to my work. Celestia wrote off my concerns; her head was so firmly wrapped around Equestria’s issues that she completely ignored our personal problems,” Luna noticed Twilight looking at her questioningly. “Yes, she had more than her fair share of issues back then… remind me to tell you about the earth pony Iron Saddle… on second thought, you might not want to hear that one.”
Luna briefly chuckled at the memory, and the awkward position it had put Celestia in. “So,” Twilight began, refocusing Luna’s attention once more. “This all seems to line up with you simply wanting somepony to acknowledge your work, and the fact you too played a large role in their lives, right?”
“Very much so. It started with them always referring to us with Celestia first, and then me. Eventually, ponies began to drop me from their minds completely, seeing my sister as the only ‘true’ Princess of Equestria.” Luna snorted at the recollection, a hint of anger intermingled with pain in the sound. “It was at that point that I reached out to my last refuge, the stars. Every time I reached out to them, I was reminded of my mother.
“I no longer recall just how much time passed, my mind was left quite muddled during that time. The important thing is that because my sister ignored our problems for ‘the greater good of Equestria’ and I was left on my own, I somehow thought that if the ponies would not show me the respect due their ruler, I would make them do so with my own power. I ripped as much power as I could from the stars as well to ensure I could stop Celestia if she decided to interfere, and from there, well… you know the rest.”
The pair sat in silence for awhile, both content to simply hold each other close as they took in the words. Twilight was feeling overwhelmed at how such a simple thing turned into a major problem, blushing slightly from embarrassment as a few parts of her experience with the Want-It Need-It spell drew similar parallels to Luna’s story.
Luna, on the other hoof, felt as if a massive burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She still felt quite bitter and angry over the whole experience, but no longer as keenly as she had just minutes prior during its recollection. She relaxed her body, gently sighing when Twilight’s hooves found their way around her neck.
“So… because Celestia ignored the problems you two had, you ended up as Nightmare Moon and she ended up banishing you? That seems… to be kind of too simplified, really,” Twilight stated, a dubious undertone lining her words. Luna simply shrugged, nodding her head slightly.
“Yes, it is somewhat of a simplification, but I believe it serves to show why ignoring an issue is the worst way to approach something. I doubt you would turn into a pony bent on forcing ponies to enjoy whatever you do, but I could see you trying to brainwash them all to ignore the fact you have wings, once the time comes.” Luna playfully quipped, glancing at the forgotten necklace.
“Hey now, brainwash?!” Twilight replied incredulously. “I think that I’d only… strongly suggest, not brainwash!” she shot back, before noticing where Luna’s gaze had strayed to. The necklace became surrounded in a lavender glow as Twilight picked it up. As her hoof connected with it, a warmth began to suffuse her body, causing her to let out a content sigh.
“So, how did you ever forgive her for it all, Luna? That seems like something that would be hard to overcome…” Twilight asked, mindlessly toying with the pendant in her hoof, running it over the different textures.
“Truthfully? I still have not fully forgiven her… how could I, when one simple action on her part might have averted what occurred?” Twilight’s eyes widened at Luna’s statement, and she quickly continued her reply. “However, she is still family to me, and family is extremely important, especially when they are all one has left in the world…” Luna trailed off, a far-off expression in her eyes.
The next words from Luna’s mouth completely stunned Twilight. “Did you know that the biggest hesitation after you asked me out was that you eerily looked just like her? Celestia, I mean. I had to get you out of my sight and use magic to recollect all of the time spent together. Now I know why you look so much like her… it is quite disconcerting, really, and makes me a little angry.”
“What?!” Twilight exclaimed, speechless at the revelation Luna dropped on her. She began violently shaking, prompting Luna to throw her hooves around Twilight.
“Shh, calm down, My Star, I did not mean it like that. I do not regret my choice, and you should not question it either.” Luna calmly placed a hoof underneath Twilight’s chin, bringing their lips together for a brief kiss. After they pulled apart, Luna ran her hoof along different parts of Twilight’s face. “Here, you have her cheeks.” She punctuated it with another quick kiss before moving on. “Your eyes are extremely similar, and your face… it is just like hers was at your age. I harbor no ill will towards you, my bitterness is entirely directed towards my sister, and her alone. I shall never hold such feelings towards you. After all, you are my savior, in more ways than one.”
Twilight’s thoughts fled for an entirely different reason as Luna peppered her with attention, washing away the absurd amounts of fear that had been present moments before. “So, how do you deal with it then? It still seems so overwhelming, as if I’m a leaf trying to direct the flow of the wind…”
Luna sighed, glad that she had managed to avert a near-crisis situation. “Honestly, you try your best to accept that which you cannot change. In this instance, wings are in your future, and you are an alicorn. Beyond that, you take each day one at a time, cautiously, and hope for the best yet prepare for the worst.” she paused, a small grin coming to her face. “At least I’ll be able to teach you how to fly. You have to find the good in the bad as well.”
“I see…” Twilight trailed off, deep in thought. Luna patiently remained quiet, allowing Twilight as much time as she needed. Finally, she spoke up as she began toying with the necklace again. “Still, who would have thought one of my dreams coming true was so painful… Before yesterday, I wished that she were my second mom. Heh.” Twilight let out a dry chuckle, forcing it.
“I am not saying to forgive Celestia, either. That is in your control. What she did was wrong, and truthfully time is probably the only remedy you will find to that problem. However, keep in mind that you have wonderful friends and an amazing family to support you, as well as me.”
“Thank you, Luna,” Twilight replied, carefully picking up the necklace. “For everything… I’m not fine now, but I suppose give it time and I will be?” she chuckled at Luna’s expression. “I suppose I should start accepting what I can’t change.” Twilight slipped the necklace over her neck, the cold metal resting against her chest.
“Hurry up, I don’t want us to be late,” Velvet Dawn chided her husband, Crescent Dusk, as they walked through the outskirts of Ponyville towards Sweet Apple Acres. “If only half of what Twilight told us in her letters is true, this is a meal that we do not want to miss.”
Crescent rolled his eyes, following alongside Velvet. “Well, if somepony hadn’t spent so long getting ready this morning, we wouldn’t be in such a rush…” he trailed off, gulping slightly at the glare she was giving him. “And I really, really doubt that they would invite us to breakfast and not save us some food if we were to run a little late, love.”
Velvet sighed, leaning into him slightly as the first trees of the orchard came into view. “I suppose you’re right… I’m just still a little stressed about yesterday.” Her eyes briefly closed as she recollected the events that had occurred not even a day ago. “At least there should be a good breakfast before we figure out what to do to cheer our Twilight up.”
Mirroring her sigh, he briefly nuzzled Velvet. “Yes, I don’t think that this is something that her favorite chocolates and a few books will solve this time, but,” he chuckled, a small smile on his face, “I’m sure that between all of us we’ll be able to think of something. After all, our filly is a strong one.” Crescent could not help but sigh again as he leaned into Velvet’s side.
They remained silent for the remaining duration of their trot, the distance between them and the farmhouse rapidly dwindling. Slowing down as they reached the door, Crescent raised his hoof and soundly knocked on it three times in quick succession, then patiently sat back and waited.
The sound of hoofsteps grew louder as somepony approached the door. It swung open, revealing Applejack. “Morning,” she cheerily greeted, waving a hoof. “Ah just finished makin’ the last bit of breakfast, so y’all got here just in time.” They followed her inside, walking through an expansive living room into the dining room.
Quiet chatter and the aroma of cooked apples greeted their senses as they saw the overly large dining table. Atop its surface were plates upon plates of baked goods and breakfast foods, as well as numerous pitchers of drinks. Of more interest to the new arrivals, however, were the ponies already seated around the table engaged in idle chatter.
Shining Armor was seated next to Cadance, cradling a cup of coffee as if his life depended on it. She was busy sipping at a cup of her own, filled to the brim with tea. To their left sat Rainbow Dash, who was wrapped up in trying to catch up on some sleep, her head slumped against the edge of the table. There was an empty chair between Dash and Fluttershy, the latter of which was busy staring at her hooves, her head jerking up as they entered the room. Pinkie sat to her other side, eying the closest platter of pastries with a glimmer in her eye. Last was Rarity, who was also enjoying tea, small, dark bags visible underneath her eyes.
“Good morning, everypony,” Velvet and Crescent exchanged greetings with each individual in the room as they took a seat between Dash and their children. Velvet’s eyes lit up at the veritable feast laid out on the table’s surface as her mouth began to water. He turned towards Applejack, smiling. “Thanks again for inviting us over.” He nudged his wife before continuing. “Velvet here has been waiting to taste some of your cooking for the last few years after how much Twilight has talked about it.”
Applejack took her seat at the last available chair, chuckling. “It’s no problem at all. ‘Sides this way we can all come up with ways to help cheer up Twilight. Ah know Ah’m speaking for all of us when Ah say she’s pretty darn important to all of us here.” Ponies around the table nodded their assent, various murmurs of agreement sounding out.
“We were always so glad to see that Twilight had ended up with such wonderful friends here,” Velvet began, removing her attention from the food. “We were concerned when she first moved to Ponyville, but once we started to get letters from her about you all, we knew that she was in good hooves.” Her eyes closed as she dropped her head. “I just hope that she’ll forgive us…”
Crescent gently rubbed Velvet’s back reassuringly as Pinkie chimed in. “Oh, don’t worry; Twilight won’t be a silly filly for too long!” She never once removed her gaze from the apple turnover in front of her. “All we’ve got to do is turn that frown upside down, and everypony knows a good party can do that!”
“Uuugh, too loud, Pinkie,” Dash grumbled, lifting her head up. She took a deep whiff of the food, her stomach growling in response. “Can we, like, eat first, and then take care of the important stuff?” Everypony was silent for a few seconds before breaking into laughter following a second thundering growl from Dash’s direction.
“Oh my,” Fluttershy demurely remarked after the laughter in the room died down. A small smile on her face, she looked over the gathered food. “That actually sounds like a good idea.” Fluttershy paused, a thoughtful look on her face. “I believe that one thinks better on a full stomach, that is.”
Food began to move around the room as everypony left the challenging issues for after breakfast. Scrambled eggs, toast, grits, and various dishes containing apples shuffled around the table. Plates were rapidly filled with food, and then cleared as rumbling stomachs were sated. Idle chatter filled the air between the clattering sounds of silverware hitting dishes and glasses being set down.
Once everypony was thoroughly full, Velvet and Rarity worked together to clear the table, the dishes marching in sync to an inaudible tune as they filled the sink. Once it was cleared, a brief silence hung over the room.
“Well,” Rarity began, mussing with her mane subconsciously, “that was worth getting up absurdly early, dear Applejack. A most delectable breakfast indeed, thank you.” She took another sip of her tea, a small smile present on her face.
Velvet nodded her assent. “Indeed, it was everything our Twilight said it would be, and then some. I think the only thing that might compare is her favorite donut shop back in Canterlot,” pausing, a far-off look came to her eyes. “We would take her there almost every weekend, even after moving to the castle.” Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she sadly smiled and looked at the gathered ponies. “So, might as well move on to the more pressing matter… our Twilight. I know that she’s taking all of this hard.”
Shining cleared his throat, gaining everypony’s attention. “Well, we haven’t heard any explosions, there’s nothing rampaging through the town last we checked, and everything seems quiet still, so I think it’ll be manageable for us.” Grinning at first, as he turned towards his mom his expression relaxed into a reassuring smile. “Mom, please relax. It’s not really you and Dad’s fault for us not knowing the truth. There’s really no way to overcome a geas, and you two did try to tell her the truth, and even went to Celestia herself to have her tell Twily the truth. So please, don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“Honestly,” Cadance began, resting her head on Shining’s shoulder, “I have a feeling that nopony is to blame, really. However, we do need to hear Aunt’s side of the story first, but I have a feeling she was afraid more than anything else.” She sadly chuckled once, sighing. “It’s silly to think of, really, but to think that after all she’s been through, she was simply afraid.”
Dash harrumphed, crossing her forelegs as she rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, like I’d believe somepony like Princess Celestia could be scared of anything. I mean, come on!” Dash threw her hooves in the air out of frustration. “I mean, she’s like thousands of years old. How the buck can she be afraid of anything?!”
“Well, umm, I would think that she is still a pony, even if she is that old,” Fluttershy remarked, staring at Dash. “I mean, I think that there will always be something that somepony is afraid of. Why, Dash, I still remember that one class in flight school when—“
“Shh, don’t say anything else!” Dash exclaimed as she scrambled over Applejack in her haste to reach Fluttershy, her face flushing crimson. “I thought you promised not to tell anypony about that, ever! It’s so totally not cool.” Dash grunted as Applejack forced her back into the seat, a glare directed her way.
Fluttershy giggled behind a hoof, a wide smile on her face. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of telling them, Rainbow, but I just wanted to make a point is all.” Dash glowered for a moment before sighing in defeat. She returned the look with a smile, placating her within moments.
“Darlings, I do think that we’re getting off-base here,” Rarity began, looking approvingly towards Fluttershy for a moment. “The more important thing here is how to best cheer up Twilight, after all. The Princess’ reason really is not important at the moment. Now, besides Pinkie’s favorite approach, does anypony have any ideas?”
Pinkie bounced up and down in her seat, her hoof raised and waving back and forth. “Oooh, oooh, pick me pick me!” she exclaimed, drawing looks of amusement from everypony. “I’ve got the bestest best idea, ever!”
“Now calm on down there, Pinkie, we all know you wanna throw a party to get Twilight feelin’ better. Let’s try and come up with somethin’ a little less wild first, okay?” Applejack interjected, causing Pinkie to drop her hoof down into her lap and zip her mouth closed. “Now, Ah was thinkin’ that we could have a small, quiet get-together here on the farm. Just like we used to do before we started meetin’ up at Twilight’s. We could chip in together and get her something from all of us…” she trailed off, looking around the gathered ponies questioningly.
“Pft, bo-ring!” Dash waved her hoof, dismissing the idea. “Seriously, what she needs is some adrenaline. What better way than to go to the Wonderbolt Derby in Cloudsdale next week?” she questioned, a large grin plastered on her face.
Shining raised a hoof to support his chin, a pensive look on his face while Applejack chided Dash for calling her idea boring. He lightly hummed to himself, thinking on the best approach to cheer up Twilight. The conversation continued in the background, undulating with each new idea that was shot down by another, only to be replaced with one of their own.
A rather odd idea brought the majority of his focus back to the ongoing conversation. The mention of a pajama party caused him to explode with laughter, drawing confused looks from everypony gathered. “What?” he asked as the laughter finally became controllable. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with any of these ideas, they’re just… silly.” Shining finished somewhat lamely, shrugging his shoulders.
Before Shining could continue elaborating, Pinkie finally exploded from her seat, her mouth opening wide. “You’re all so silly! I know exactly what we can do for Twilight to make her all happy again,” Pinkie stated, smiling wide as she looked around the room, ignoring the eye rolls.
“We just need to be ourselves, duh! I mean, it’s pretty obvious, right?” Pinkie queried with a slightly confused tone in her words. “Twilight is probably concerned that everything is going to change, so we need to make sure we show her that it doesn’t matter to us to help her out, right?”
Chuckling filled the air, heads nodding at Pinkie’s simple statement that nopony else had thought of. “That’s actually… very smart,” Rarity nodded as a thoughtful expression crossed her face. “As a matter of fact, I have just the thing in mind.” She got off her seat and pushed the chair flush with the table. “I really need to go and get this put down on paper before I lose this idea, darlings, so I wish you all the best.” Pausing at the room’s entrance, she looked over and shoulder. “I’ll be expecting an invitation from you sometime soon, Pinkie.”
As Rarity disappeared from everypony’s sight, Fluttershy turned towards Pinkie, speaking quietly. “Umm, Pinkie, could you maybe come over and help me with my animals? I didn’t get a chance to feed them this morning, and I’m going to be behind I’m afraid… if you don’t mind of course, that is.” She quietly finished with a smile on her face.
Pinkie wrapped her hoof around Fluttershy’s shoulder and leaned in. “Sure thing, Fluttershy! Just need to do one… little… thing.” Pinkie reached behind her back with her free forehoof and pulled out a small stack of envelopes, one for each pony present in the room. “Everypony here is officially invited to a party for Twilight!” Deftly, she flicked each invitation across the table, every one landing neatly in front of its intended recipient.
As Fluttershy and Pinkie opened the door, Spike tumbled into the house. “Ah!” he exclaimed, rolling once before stopping against Pinkie’s side. He jumped to his feet, shaking his head. Spike noticed the duo right in front of him, as well as those gathered at the table. “Ah ha, found you all! I need you all to come over to—”
Pinkie giggled and cut Spike off. “Sorry, we’ve got things to do and stuff to plan!” She grabbed Fluttershy and dashed out the open door, a large smile plastered on her face. Spike stood there dazed, looking down a few moments later to find an envelope impaled on his smallest claw. “Huh… okay then.” He carefully removed it and walked into the dining room. “Hey there, everypony.”
“‘Sup, Spike?” Dash casually greeted as she stood up and stretched. Turning, she addressed everypony else in the room. “I’d stick around, but I gotta jet. Clouds need busting, tricks need designing. Trust me, it’ll be totally cool, I’ll let you all know when it’s ready.” She blew past Spike and out the door, an afterimage temporarily left in her wake.
“Okay then…” Spike muttered, turning towards everypony else. “So, Luna said I should come and bring you all to the library. She said that she’d like to have some of you close by,” he paused and raised a claw as Shining’s mouth opened, “and no, Twilight was not doing so good this morning, but she might be better by now thanks to Luna. It kind of took a bit of time to track you all down.”
Applejack got out of her seat as everypony else moved to Spike’s side. “Y’all go on ahead without me. Ah gotta take care of stuff ‘round here, Mac can’t buck the orchard on his own.” She paused as she passed Spike, briefly patting him on the shoulder. "Ah'm sure it'll all turn out right as rain. Ah'll probably swing by tonight with some fresh apple pies." Applejack addressed the rest of her words to everypony else. "Feel free to go ahead and show yourselves on out, it was a real pleasure having y'all over for breakfast." With a smile on her face, she walked out of the room.
Cadance nudged Shining, noticing a look of concern that had been on his face since Spike's arrival. "Relax, love. I'm sure she'll be just fine... besides, Auntie Luna is with her right now." Raising her voice, she looked towards her parents. "Mom, Dad, shall we get going? I just know that she'll love to see us all."
"That sounds like a good idea, Cadance," Crescent replied, moving to hold the door open for Velvet. "I'd really like a chance to talk with Twily and make sure this doesn't get out of hoof. Knowing her, things might just escalate pretty quick if we don't," he chuckled, passing out the door behind his wife.
Spike held out a claw as Shining and Cadance went to leave out the door. "Hey, Luna wanted me to pass a message along from Princess Celestia." He watched as a puzzled look crossed their faces and shrugged in return. "I have no clue, Luna just asked me to let you know that she was really, really hoping you two would go to Canterlot sometime soon. I think it has to do with Twilight, but Luna really didn't tell me much more."
Shining looked over to Cadance, holding her eyes with his for a few moments. A myriad of expressions crossed their face before he turned back to Spike and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose we could. Thanks a lot, Spike." Using his magic, Shining opened the door. "Well, let's get moving. I also want to talk to Twily a bit now that she's hopefully a bit calmer than yesterday."
Crescent and Velvet were waiting for them just a few steps away from the porch, their gaze on the orchard as the rhythmic sound of hooves hitting trees echoed in the distance. Applejack noticed the five of them and gave a final wave before heading out into the orchard, and they left the farm, their destination barely visible in the distance.
Shuffling the stack of papers in front of her one last time, Celestia sighed and rose from her desk, briefly glancing through the thick, tempered window. The sun was barely visible, its image highly distorted by the spelled glass meant to withstand the hardest abuse and assault. She felt that it mirrored her inner thoughts rather nicely as she turned and walked for the the door.
As she exited the study, two guards fell into formation behind her, silent and vigilant. “Princess Celestia!” She paused and turned, taking in the image of a unicorn running at full speed, a few papers floating alongside her. Celestia raised a hoof to stop the guards from moving forward as the mare slowed down, a slightly panicked look on her face.
“How many I help you, Primrose?” Celestia had a brow raised, curious as to what had stirred one of the many castle’s aids into such a worried state. “What is wrong, you appear to be quite out of sorts.” She smiled disarmingly, attempting to calm the flustered mare.
Primrose came to a stop a few feet shy of Celestia, pausing long enough to regain her breath. She breathed out and then brought one of the forms in front of her face. “Princess Celestia, is this correct? Princess Luna will be absent for the next month from Canterlot?” Her voice was hitched in a mixture of concern and worry, eyes darting over the other forms still in her magical grasp.
Celestia let out a throaty laugh, catching Primrose and her guards off guard. “Yes, that is very much correct,” she began with a large, faked smile on her face. “My sister has recently taken Twilight Sparkle on as a student, much like I had before her. However, her focus of learning can only truly be accomplished during the late evening and night hours. Being present in Canterlot all day and then going to Ponyville to accomplish those lessons would be extremely tiring.”
The form was moved out of Celestia’s face to be brought back to the small stack as Primrose’s breathing finally normalized. “Ah, I see…” She nervously shuffled her hooves as the realization of her approach entered into her mind and caused her to nervously chuckle. “So, I’ll just go on ahead and file these then… yes, filing needs to be taken care of.”
Chuckling, Celestia smiled once again and dismissed Primrose with a wave of her hoof. “Please, don’t let me hold you up. I’m certain that you have quite a few things to care of today, yes?” Primrose nodded in reply. “I wish you a good day then, Primrose.” Celestia waited until she could no longer see the mare before quietly laughing, a true smile gracing her face for a few moments. “Well, let’s continue on then,” she quietly mentioned to the guards behind her.
They continued to escort her around as Celestia navigated through the many corridors of the castle. Thanks to Twilight’s careful planning, the day’s workload was extremely light. Celestia sadly smiled at the thought, a phantom of her as a filly crossing her vision as an old memory was dredged up. She recalled that it was here in this very same hallway that Twilight had first mentioned her love of Daring Do.
“Princess, are you okay?” A guard’s voice snapped her from the memory as he entered her sight. She realized that she had come to a complete stop during her recollection, and Celestia quickly shifted her focus back to the present.
She smiled with a hint of embarrassment visible as she addressed him. “Yes, I do apologize. A thought came to mind, which made me remember something.” Humming, she tapped her hoof a few times against the stone floor. “You know, today was already an extremely light day, I think I shall postpone what little there was until tomorrow. Therefore, you two are dismissed. Please, enjoy the time off.”
Both guards gave a brief salute as their stoic and concerned expressions shifted to elation at the early dismissal. “Have a wonderful day, Princess Celestia,” they gratefully spoke in unison before turning and dashing off towards the barracks. She chuckled at their quickly retreating forms and changed her destination from the meeting rooms to a garden nestled away in the back of the castle.
On the way to the garden, she swung into a group of offices, her gaze fixating on one pony in particular amidst the bureaucratic chaos contained within the room. This was one of the few rooms within the entire kingdom of Equestria in which she could enter and be completely ignored, a fact in which she took delight in.
“Ah, Princess, what brings you by the crazy house today?” the pony whom she had gazed at greeted her, all the while continuing to shuffle papers around the desk. “It’s quite rare for you to stop by.”
Celestia chuckled at the scene while sidestepping to avoid an earth pony that had his face buried in a document as he nearly walked into her. “I just wanted to inform you that I will be taking the rest of the day off. I have a few forms that will need to be retrieved from my study, as there will be nopony to deliver them to you.”
Without skipping a beat as they continued their work, the pony nodded. “I’ll make sure they are retrieved, Princess. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day, I’ve heard that it is particularly gorgeous outside today…” they trailed off as Celestia nodded her head and turned around to leave. Muttering to themselves, they returned back to their task. “Not that I would know, being cooped up in here.”
Navigating the castle’s halls, Celestia found herself bathed in sunlight as she entered the small and secluded garden. She paused and closed her eyes, deeply breathing in and enjoying the mixed scents of flower pollen and grass that hung in the air. Opening her eyes, she walked over to a small wooden bench and took a seat. Her wings slowly flexed open, each feather swaying gently in the small breeze present in the open-air garden.
Her thoughts began to wonder, subconsciously drifting towards the conundrum ever present in her mind. The only difference is that now Celestia found her thoughts settling on the strained relations between herself, Luna and Twilight. She had made many difficult choices during the thousand years without her sister, the hardest of which was ensuring that Twilight would receive as normal an upbringing as possible.
Once Luna had been freed, the emotion that she had found ruling over all others was one that she had not felt in a long time. Fear. For all the power she held, Celestia realized that everything truly dear to her could be as fragile as a house of cards. It had only taken one secret, although a large one, coming out to potentially bring the entire thing tumbling down. Sighing, she closed her eyes and drank in the sun’s warmth, doing her best to shackle the fear welling up within her once more.
“Aunt Celestia?” a familiar male voice rang out, piercing the relative stillness of the air. She jerked up and looked towards the speaker, spying a familiar face. “Aunt, do you have some time to spare?” Blueblood enquired, walking closer as she composed herself on the bench.
Celestia moved over slightly, patting the bench with a hoof. “Certainly, Blueblood… what is it that’s on your mind?” she politely asked, slightly concerned at his appearance. She had picked this garden for the sole fact that it was completely out of the way, and therefore she could be alone. For Blueblood to come here, it meant that he truly desired to speak to her as soon as possible.
Blueblood slowly walked to the offered spot and took a seat, turning his head to look at Celestia. “It all started yesterday, really,” he began, scrunching his brows in thought. “I felt… something, magical in nature, but I don’t really have a word to put to it. Then when I went to sleep, I had the oddest dream. It seemed more like a memory than a true dream though…” Blueblood trailed off, trying to sort the images in his head.
“Oh? While dreams are typically more of Luna’s area of expertise, I might be able to offer my assistance to you, Nephew,” Celestia warmly spoke, smiling at the welcomed distraction from her thoughts.
He scratched at the ground lightly before looking up to meet Celestia’s eyes. “It’s weird, I didn’t remember any of these… memories,” he hesitantly said, eyes filled with uncertainty, “but the more I think about them, the more that comes to mind. They are all of me and you when I was really, really young. Maybe about this high?” Blueblood brought his hoof out, holding it no more than a foot off the ground.
Celestia let out a small laugh. “Ah, yes. You used to scamper around the halls as if you owned them, guards hot on your hooves. You were quite the little terror when you were young.” She chuckled at the thoughts, and then paused as she remembered what else had occurred during that time.
Blueblood laughed for a few moments, a bright smile on his face. “Yes, I recall how it annoyed Cadance so much. Even though she was only a year older than me, she was already trying to play at being a foalsitter.” Laughing, he wiped a few tears out of his eyes. “But, there are a few memories that I hadn’t recalled until the dreams last night. Ones solely with you, Aunt…” he trailed off, steeling himself for the next words he spoke. “I was too young to know at the time, but you were pregnant, weren’t you?”
She briefly closed her eyes, recalling the memories in question. There were actually quite a few of them, as Celestia had spent a lot of time around Blueblood when he was young. “Yes, I was.” Even with her mood spiraling downward, she had to suppress a chuckle at the sight of Blueblood’s jaw hanging wide open, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. “Now now, Nephew. You should compose yourself, your look is quite unbecoming of a prince of Equestria.”
He violently shook his head to kickstart his mind, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. “That’s… why didn’t I remember any of those memories until last night? Do you… have any reason for that, Aunt?” Blueblood hesitantly questioned her, a look of confusion evident in his eyes.
Celestia internally sighed and came to the conclusion that it would be good to talk to somepony outside of those directly affected about this issue. “Yes, I do, and it seems like a fine time to explain why as well. It really began, oh, in the years leading up to Luna’s return.” She closed her eyes and spoke from her memory, the turmoil coming up alongside them. “I knew that the Elements of Harmony would be needed, and I was beginning to look for potential candidates for bearers. However, they truly are a finicky thing, and I had to pay particularly close attention as to who could potentially bear the Element of Magic.
“Aunt Celestia, what does this have to do with these memories being forgotten for so long though? I mean, for anypony who has truly thought on the matter, it is obvious that you would have to do that, otherwise who knows what Nightmare Moon would’ve done…” Blueblood shivered slightly as his mind drifted to the possible scenarios.
“Life finds a way to surprise everypony… even me, Nephew.” Celestia calmly stated, dryly chuckling. “I had taken a guard to my quarters a few times,” she paused, noticing the look on Blueblood’s face. “Oh, relax. No matter my power, I am still a pony with my own wants and needs, Blueblood.” she dryly stated, a small smirk on her face. “And this leads into the problem I faced.
“At the time, I was essentially married to Equestria. There was an enormous amount of weight on my shoulders, and I knew of Nightmare Moon’s inevitable return. I knew that my having a child would turn into a political storm, with the foal centered directly in the middle of it. So, I took measures that many would consider to be… drastic.” She stopped to rest her throat for a moment.
Blueblood sat there, processing what had been said thus far. After a period of silence, he finally spoke, quietly. “So… you have a kid, then? Where are they? What about their father?” he shot off the questions in rapid succession, the glint of curiosity in his eyes.
Celestia raised her hoof, stopping him from firing off any more questions. “Let’s take them one at a time, Nephew. For starters, her father passed away in the line of duty before she was even born. As for her birth, I used magic to hide it from everypony possible, and only had a single doctor who I fully trusted look over the pregnancy. You and Cadance were really the only ponies who found out about it, and that was unintentional.
“The drastic measures I took came into play shortly before the birth. There was a unicorn couple also expecting within weeks of myself who I had grown close to. After the birth, I made my daughter look like a normal unicorn, and then cast a geas.” Celestia coughed and licked her lips, the warm air and talking having dried them out. “That is why you had forgotten any memories associated with my pregnancy, I used old and powerful magic to block any memories associated with it or the birth to ensure she would have as normal an upbringing as possible, free of the trappings of the nobles and politics associated with them.”
Silence lingered as Celestia inwardly sighed, an invisible weight being lifted from her shoulders. “Why would you do that, though? Would the nobles and politics truly have been such a large impact on her life?”
Celestia let out a hearty, deep laugh, surprising Blueblood. “Let me ask you this, Nephew. Do you remember the events of the Grand Galloping Gala some five years ago? When a particularly snobby and high-class younger prince insulted certain ponies crucial to Equestria’s defense, and ended the night with copious amounts of cake on him?” Blueblood’s face turned even whiter than usual as he thought back to that dreadful night. She laughed, seeing that her point had been made. “Indeed. While you are a much more responsible stallion than that night, you had a long period of time where you believed you were truly superior than everypony else. I did not want that for my child, no matter how it might cost me in the long run.”
“I suppose I can understand that, Aunt. Those years were… well, pretty dreadful, to be honest.” It was Blueblood’s time to dryly chuckle, lightly shaking his head. “I was quite the idiot at the time, it took a lot for me to realize that. I can see why…” trailing off, he gulped once and asked the obvious question. “So, who is your daughter then?”
“Someone who you know quite well, actually. Twilight Sparkle.”
Spike opened the library door for the four ponies trailing behind him, grandiosely motioning with a claw inside. “Well, I don’t hear anything breaking or crashing, so after you guys,” he cheerily spoke, a smile on his face. As Shining entered the library, Spike chose that moment to yell inside. “Twilight, Luna, got some company!”
Shining shook his head as his ears rang, shooting a mirthful glare at Spike. He waited for him to enter and then briefly tossed a hoof over Spike’s shoulder, leaning in. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you back.” He pulled back and smiled as Luna came down the stairs.
“Thank you, Spike,” Luna warmly said before turning her attention towards the other four ponies. “Cadance, Shining, Velvet and Crescent… thank you for coming by. Twilight should be downstairs soon, woe to any who disrupt her while reading.” They all shared a laugh, which was interrupted moments later by a loud harrumph from the stairs.
“What, you can’t walk away from a book in the middle of a chapter! Especially when it’s the last one,” Twilight paused, taking in the gathered ponies and dragon in the entrance. “Uh… hi, everypony,” she quietly spoke, an uncertain look on her face.
Moments later she found herself surrounded on all sides by family, their faces overflowing with warmth and comfort. “Hey there, Twily,” Shining warmly said with a stupid grin on his face before wrapping his hooves around her neck. “Glad to see you looking good, Sis.”
Almost as soon as Shining’s hooves were removed from her neck, they were replaced with two pink ones as Cadance nuzzled Twilight’s cheek. “Hey, Twilight,” she quietly spoke, warmth filling every syllable. She giggled, speaking rather loudly this time. “I see that Luna has been helpful… very glad to see that.”
“Cadance,” Twilight whined as they pulled apart. “Using your love magic is cheating, you know that!” Everypony laughed as Spike just rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. Twilight looked at her parents, both of whom had a hopeful look in their eyes. “Mom… Dad…” she hesitantly spoke, staring at both of them.
Crescent turned towards Cadance and Shining. “Would you two possibly keep Luna and Spike company for a few? Velvet and I would really appreciate having some time alone with Twilight.” Without any hesitation Shining nodded, although Luna raised a brow at his request. He turned and addressed her, a smile on his face. “Princess Luna, we’d just enjoy a chance to have some parent-daughter time and catch up on a few things, that’s all.”
“I see, very well then. We shall remain down here, you should have more than sufficient room in the bedroom upstairs,” Luna spoke, approval evident in her words. A hoof striking the floor drew everypony’s attention to Twilight, who had an annoyed expression on her face.
“Come on!” Twilight exclaimed as she rolled her eyes. “Can we please not talk as if I’m not here, just maybe? I got more than enough of that during school to last a lifetime,” Twilight finished, grumbling to herself. Luna laughed, an almost musical sound, as she leaned down and chastely kissed Twilight on the cheek. “Oh, fine then, I forgive you.” Twilight turned to Crescent and Velvet, a small smile stretched on her face. “Upstairs then?”
Velvet was the last to go up the stairs, pausing as she took the first step. Turning, she looked over to Luna. “Thank you for keeping an eye out for my daughter, Princess. It really means a lot to us.” She turned back around and followed Crescent to Twilight’s room. After she entered the room, a brief thought brought her magic to close the door.
Twilight saw down on the bed and let out a long and drawn out sigh. “Oh, Twilight,” Crescent started, slowly walking to the side of her bed as Velvet looked at the various books and items carefully placed on shelves. “Your mom and I love you, you know that?”
She moved over on the bed to allow Crescent room to hop up next to her. “Yeah, I know…” she drew out her words, understanding underneath them. He wrapped a hoof over her shoulder and nuzzled her. “Dad… why didn’t you or Mom tell me? All this time, and…”
Velvet’s attention shifted towards Twilight’s question. “Honey, you know better than us why,” she playfully chided as she continued to glance at the items and books from the corners of her eyes. “We tried, we truly did, but we couldn’t figure out any way around the geas. We tried to talk to Celestia about it, but she refused to remove it or tell you,” Velvet sadly chuckled, shaking her head. “It sounds silly, but I think she was afraid of the truth.” Before Twilight could question her, Velvet shook her head gently. “That’s just my thought, it’s up to her to tell you exactly why, Twilight. Besides, that’s not why we’re here.”
“Your mother is right, Twilight,” Crescent spoke as he began to rub her shoulder. “We came here to make sure you didn’t get any silly ideas in your head about us not being your parents or anything.” He mussed with her mane, lightly laughing as she squirmed under his hoof.
Twilight finally managed to knock his hoof away by jumping off the bed, glaring at Crescent the entire time. He retorted by sticking out his tongue and blowing a raspberry, then laughed. “Dad,” she whined, drawing out the single word. “You know I hate it when you do that to me!”
Velvet laughed, gently pulling a book off one of the shelves. “I think that’s the point, Twily.” She chuckled this time as Twilight whined again. “Knowing those things is only one part of being a parent, after all.” Velvet opened the book, smiling widely as she moved it in front of Twilight. “Remember when you got this?”
Her eyes darted over the title page of the book hovering in the air in front of her. Twilight quickly read the words aloud, a small, gleeful smile coming to her face. “To Twilight Sparkle, my number one fan. May every book be a new adventure! Signed, A. K. Yearling.” She took the book in her own magic, staring at the letters on the paper. “I remember when you gave me this!”
“Yes, it was your,” Velvet paused as she briefly closed her eyes, remembering the memory in question, “seventh birthday. While working, I got the chance to talk with her, and I remembered how much you enjoyed Daring Do. Imagine my surprise when I was able to get her to sign a first edition copy of the first novel.” She warmly smiled as Twilight put the book back on its shelf.
Crescent motioned for both of them to come and sit down on the bed. “We,” He began, briefly glancing at Velvet, “just wanted to let you know that no matter what, you are our daughter. No. Matter. What,” he heavily emphasized the last three words, strong conviction underlying each syllable.
Twilight sighed as her parents sandwiched her between them, memories of many evenings coming to mind as they spent time as a family, even after she had moved into the castle. She relaxed and rested her head on her mom’s side, sighing as the stress left her body. “Mom, Dad… thank you,” she weakly muttered, closing her eyes. “I’m just so scared about everything changing, and I don’t want it to.” Twilight opened her eyes and looked at the necklace hanging from her neck.
Velvet and Crescent both wrapped a hoof around her shoulders, turning to her and warmly smiling. “Change is a part of life, Honey,” Velvet mentioned, waving her free hoof in the air. “Things are always changing, although maybe not quite as much as this, but you just need to remember that no matter what, you’ll always have friends and family ready to support you. We’re not going anywhere.”
They sat there on the bed, snuggled up to each other and quietly talking, the important bonds of family being firmly established once more.
In the darker, less traveled sections of Canterlot, a single pony walked along a street underneath the pale moonlight. He was covered in a dark cloak, the only prominent feature visible the spiral horn emanating from his forehead. Pale blue eyes reflected what little light there was as he turned down into a little used alley.
Eyes filled with paranoia and disgust darted back and forth, concerned about the possibility that somepony unwelcoming might be lurking in one of the many shadows. He paused halfway into the alley, examining every nook and cranny. Satisfied that there were no prying eyes, a brief pale blue glow illuminated his horn as a lock clicked open. Shifting the focus of his magic, a door opened inward, and he disappeared inside.
The interior was much like the alleyway outside. Signs of obvious disrepair ran rampant, cracks in the walls, dust covering every surface within. The air had a musty smell to it, causing the pony to sneeze twice as they found a staircase leading into a basement. Using his pale blue magic as a light, he descended downwards, pausing at another door. Raising a hoof, he knocked twice, paused, then knocked another four times in rapid succession.
Moments later the door clicked, unlocked from the inside. It swung open, granting passage to the unknown unicorn. The interior of the basement was a stark contrast to the rest of the house, well-kept and faintly illuminated by candlelight.
“Why did you call me here, and at this time of the night?” the mysterious unicorn asked, his smooth voice filled with annoyance. “I detest this location as well, I hope that this is worth it.” He tapped his hoof on the ground, looking over at another, equally clothed unicorn.
“Oh, it truly is,” a female voice spoke, her tone a harsh, grating sound. “Word has already spread that Nox will be absent from Canterlot for the foreseeable future, at least a month. The official claim is that she is teaching Harmonia, whom she has taken under her wing, however…” she trailed off, humming slightly.
He scratched at his chin, humming in sync with his partner. “Yes, I can see why this might be important, however I do not think that it warranted such a last minute meeting,” he annoying replied, glaring at her. “However, since we are already here, we might as well discuss it.
“I have heard much of the same myself today, starting earlier this afternoon. That does seem to be the official reason being passed around, however,” he paused, letting his voice linger in the still air. “There are also rumors in the dark that there has been some sort of division between Lux and Nox, although I have been unable to find any firm evidence one way or the other.”
“Hmm, if this is true, it may present us with a unique opportunity,” she conspiratorially mentioned. “We will have to be careful, of course, so as not to be exposed, but many of our long-term plans could greatly benefit from this division if it proves to be true.”
“Indeed. Word is already spreading that Nox will be with Harmonia, leaving Lux alone. While it will be relatively easy to try and gain ground with Lux, we need more information on the Nox’s situation.” He clicked his hoof on the ground, clicking his tongue.
She nodded, absentmindedly playing with the hem of the cloak. “Indeed. It would be best to send an agent or two to further illuminate the situation. I’ll ensure that it happens,” she paused, scrunching her brows in thought. “I have just the two in mind. They’ll be dispatched first thing in the morning. Was there anything else?”
As she turned to leave, his voice halted her steps. “Wait,” he briskly ordered, a thoughtful sigh escaping from his muzzle, “there have been… rumors surrounding supposed events from roughly twenty years ago, maybe even more. There’s no more than a muted whisper, but it might be something big. If it’s proven true, it would greatly aid our cause with a little bit of… creative thought and action.”
The mare raised a brow and looked at him with curiosity-filled eyes. “Oh? Pray, do tell.”
“Well, I would have to say that it sounds like things are going quite well for those three,” Luna cheerily spoke with a large smile gracing her face. Another faint round of laughter emanated from upstairs, reaching the ears of the ponies gathered below. Spike walked in with a tray of refreshments, setting it down on the table. “Thank you for the refreshments, Spike.”
He nodded his head and grabbed a gem from the platter. “No problem at all. I figure with Twi and them upstairs laughing like that, they’re gonna be talking for a long time. Like, a really long time.” Spike rolled his eyes, although the knowing smirk on his face betrayed his true feelings.
“They can take the rest of the day if they really want to,” Cadance quipped at Spike, blowing a raspberry his way. “I’m just very, very glad that I don’t have to fall back to Plan B. That would have been a bit awkward to explain to Twily later on.”
Shining was mid-reach for a pastry when he paused and turned to gaze at Cadance. “Cady, you don’t mean—” Cadance cut him off with a raised hoof and smirked before he could finish asking the question.
“Yes, Shiny, I do mean that. Love for one’s family is still love, after all. Therefore, the spell would work on Twily and Mom and Dad.” She hesitantly smiled, awkwardly rubbing her two hooves together for a moment. “There’s no way I would let that bond be broken over anything. Luckily, I didn’t have to!”
Groaning, Spike shook his head and looked at Shining. “Man… mares. I swear I’m going to go crazy cause of them before I even hit puberty.” He screwed his face up in disgust and shuddered. “Hey, Bro, you want to go do something? You know, outside of the library?”
Shining noticed the pleading glimmer in Spike’s eyes as he considered the request. A quick glance towards Cadance was met with the nod of her head and a small smile. He turned towards Spike, smiling. “You know, that sounds like a good idea. What exactly did you have in mind?”
“I was thinking that it’d be a good time to go ahead and take care of an errand or two for Twi, and then stop by Sugarcube Corner and get some more of those diamond sprinkled cupcakes. Pinkie usually makes one batch a week for me, and I just ran out.” He helplessly shrugged and walked over to Shining. “I just want out of here for a bit, y’know?” he pleadingly whispered to him.
Laughing, Shining hooked a hoof around Spike’s shoulder briefly. “Sounds good to me, go on ahead, I’ll be out in a minute.” He removed his hoof and watched Spike walk towards the door. Turning towards Cadance, he walked over to her and briefly kissed her. “We’ll be back in a bit, Cady. You and Luna enjoy the rest of the morning and I’ll make sure we’re not out for too long.”
Cadance watched him and Spike leave, chuckling quietly to herself. Sipping at her tea, she sighed, sinking into the cushioned seat. “Ah, Spike really knows how to brew some good tea.” Cadance set the cup down on the table and smugly smiled at Luna. “So do you any idea what you’re going to do next?”
“Well, at the moment I will be staying in the library with Twilight. Celestia is taking care of the necessary paperwork for me to remain here, under the pretense of training Twilight. At least, I presume that is the reason she is giving them.” Luna sneered, disgust on her face. “That bureaucratic monster she made in my absence is beyond annoying. She still refuses to let me dismantle it with my own bare hooves.”
Laughing, Cadance gently shook her head. “I know what you mean from having to deal with matters in the Empire. Shining is a military stallion through and through, so I always have to deal with the paperwork. It truly is a nightmare.” Her laughter intensified as tears began to pour from her eyes. “Just imagine it… if some hapless stallion pisses you off, all you’d need to do is throw his dream right into the middle of the bureaucratic machine, and just make sure they can’t wake up. A few hours of dealing with that should set anypony straight!”
“Nay, for that is a fate that I would not wish on anypony,” Luna stated in disgust. “It truly is a vile thing; I could almost believe that it was a last curse given to us by Discord.” Snorting, she took a bite out of a pastry, taking out her anger on the hapless baked good. “Anyhoof, let us move back to the original question of yours. In truth, I have no idea what exactly is next beyond spending my days here. I will continue tending to my moon, but everything else falls to my sister once again.
Cadance nodded, slightly humming to herself. She unconsciously smiled as another peal of laughter drifted downstairs, reminding them both of the occupants still above them. An idea came to mind, bringing a large smile to her face. “You know, Aunty, I have an idea that you might just like.”
Luna questioningly tilted her head as a curious look crossed her face. “Oh? I had been thinking on something to do for Twilight given recent events, but I had yet to come up with anything that satisfied me,” she remarked, shrugging her shoulders as she nibbled on a cookie.
A mocking look of shock came to Cadance’s face as she flared her wings for extra emphasis. “What’s this, the pony that is often attributed to heated nighttime events at a loss when it comes to doing something simple for her new love?” Smiling, Cadance got up and seated herself next to Luna, who was busy patting her chest and coughing due to trying to inhale her food.
As she recovered, Luna nudged Cadance with a hoof. “While some ponies may still attribute nighttime… liasons to me, that is something that I have yet to pick back up since my return.” Crimson tinted her normally blue fur an even darker shade bordering on purple as she peered into her cup. “Besides, even were I current on such things, it is much too early to consider such a thing. I mean, propositioning Twilight this early—”
Cadance’s throaty laughter cut Luna off as the smaller mare was unable to control herself. Luna’s glare went unnoticed as she rocked back and forth, her hooves holding onto her sides. Once she regained control, she turned to Luna. “Oh, Aunty, that was just too precious! I certainly did not mean that, although I admit it would definitely take her by surprise! Could you imagine that?
“I was more referring to a simple date or something along those lines,” Cadance explained with a warm smile, slightly nudging Luna with a hoof. “I mean, I figure you and Twi could use some alone time, you know? I wouldn’t exactly call your relationship so far a normal one.”
Humming quietly, Luna’s expression brightened at the suggestion. “Yes, that would actually be quite nice. We have had a chance to do one or two things at most, but rarely have we been alone.” She paused, a thoughtful look on her face. “Perhaps I could find some place away from town, somewhere new for both of us… I shall think on it for a short time, thank you for the idea. It should prove to be most enjoyable,” Luna thankfully spoke as she hugged Cadance.
Cadance returned the embraced and nuzzled Luna. “No problem at all, I’m glad that I could help,” she warmly replied, turning her attention back towards the refreshments on the table. “Just don’t spend too long thinking about it, otherwise you might not have enough time to pull it off for tonight. Besides, sometimes the simplest approach is the best one.”
Luna nodded, pursing her lips in thought as she briefly closed her eyes. “In that case, I do believe that I have something in mind.” She conspiratorially smiled, leaning in even closer to Cadance. “While I go and find a spot, I’ll need your help to procure a few items so I can have it set up for this evening. Here’s what I need you to do for me…”
Twilight had a large, beaming smile adorning her face as she, Crescent, and Velvet descended the stairs back into the library proper. Hours had passed by, and the only reason they had come back down was that their rumbling stomachs demanded a ransom be paid to them.
Luna pulled her gaze from the window, where the sun hung low on the horizon, and addressed the trio with a smile. “Welcome back down, I trust that you three managed to clear the air amongst yourselves quite thoroughly?” she asked with an amused smirk, care twinkling in her eyes.
Nodding, Velvet briefly nuzzled Twilight before replying. “Indeed we did, Princess Luna. We also heard some rather… heartwarming things about you and our Twilight. I must say, I don’t think anypony else in all of Equestria could go and give their marefriend their own star, it is quite romantic!”
Coughing slightly and fighting to hide the small blush that was forming on her cheeks, Luna simply smiled in return, nodding her head. “Well, I am most glad to hear that. However, I must insist that I steal Twilight from you for the next few hours before any more… stories may be told amongst us all. Spike and Shining Armor should be returning shortly, and I believe Twilight will not mind if you stay as long as you would like.”
Breaking his hug with Twilight, Crescent smiled. “I think right now the only thing we’re concerned about is getting some food, we were pretty lucky that Spike ran up some up for us around lunchtime. Just take care of her for us, Princess. That’s all we ask.” He leaned in a little closer, whispering slightly. “Also, I apologize about yesterday. Twilight explained quite a lot about you and her, as well as Princess Celestia. Just know that Velvet and I simply hope you make our Twilight as happy as possible.”
He moved back as Twilight walked towards them, Velvet veering for the kitchen. “So, what is it that you have planned, Luna?” Twilight asked as her father left the room as well, the aroma of cooking food drawing him away. “Think it can wait until after dinner? I’m absolutely starving right now.”
Laughing, Luna held out her hoof for Twilight to take. “Never fear, you shall sate your hunger shortly, just not here. Any more than that, I cannot say, else it will be ruined.” She smiled when their hooves met, and Luna called upon her magic, whisking them away from Ponyville entirely.
They reappeared in a small clearing with a pond within a heavily wooded area. After a moment to regain their bearing, Luna let go of Twilight’s hoof so that she could wave her own, pointing at the area around them. “Welcome to the Whitetail Woods, Twilight,” she warmly spoke, the only other audible sounds that of the wind lightly blowing through the canopy around them and the occasional animal.
“What are we doing h—” Twilight began to ask before noticing that Luna was levitating a large picnic basket from a nearby bush, a neatly folded blanket on top of it that moved closer to the pond. Her eyes filled with happiness as the blanket unfolded itself neatly on the grassy edge of the water, the basket landing on the center of it. Luna conjured two pillows side by side and gestured towards one with a hoof.
Twilight quickly bounded over and nuzzled Luna before sitting down, a large smile plastered across her face. “Cadance helped me set this up on short notice. I believed that you could use a nice, quiet evening away from everything weighing on your mind, and so here we are, out in the middle of the woods,” Luna explained as she took a seat next to Twilight, opening the lid of the basket.
“Wow, that looks good,” Twilight remarked as Luna revealed a small container filled with slices of bread that appeared to have been soaked in butter and garlic before being toasted. As the lid was removed, both of their stomachs growled as the aroma of the garlic bread reached their noses. “It smells good, too.” Twilight reached out with her magic and took a slice as Luna pulled out two plates and set them side by side.
Luna noticed how quickly the bread Twilight had taken disappeared and laughed as she continued to empty the basket’s contents. “Now, Twilight, take your time and enjoy it. It has been quite some time since I last made this meal, so I would like to know what you think of it,” she playfully quipped as two wrapped objects floated over to settle down on the plates. With a small flourish of her magic, two calzones were revealed, the dough baked to golden, crispy perfection.
Setting down another piece of bread on her plate, Twilight took one look at the food before her and widely beamed, taking a small bite from it. She chewed a few times, closing her eyes and enjoying the rich mixture of flavors that assaulted her senses, sending her to nirvana. Finally swallowing, she smiled and turned towards Luna. “Cadance told you about these, didn’t she?”
Laughing, Luna nodded her head as she set down two glasses. “Indeed, she mentioned how you had a particularly soft spot for a five cheese calzone with tulips and daisies.” Luna smirked, a playful twinkle coming into her eyes as she filled both glasses with some cider that had been freshly procured from Applejack just hours prior. “I learned quite a bit about you from her, I must say. So many things about you that I had not known yet, why she even told me a certain song that you enjoyed singing as a filly, I think it was—”
Twilight heavily blushed from embarrassment as she managed to cover Luna’s mouth with her hoof before the name of the song could be uttered. “Please, not that. Anything but that, Luna!” She was caught off guard as Luna lightly kissed her hoof and smiled, finally noticing the playful look hidden in Luna’s eyes. Blushing, she drew her hoof back and looked down at the food.
“I did a lot of things growing up I’d rather forget, thank you very much. Cadance is so going to get it,” Twilight began, still looking down. A thought came to her mind as she looked back up, mirroring the same expression Luna had shown moments prior. “You know, back before she began dating Shining, she had a journal that she kept on her. Let’s just say the next time you see her, just casually ask her about the night she fell asleep foal-sitting me, and how she was calling out for my brother. That should be good enough,” Twilight finished with a grin on her face that was not even wiped away as she took another bite of food.
Finally done with the preparation work, Luna took a bite of her own, sighing lightly in satisfaction. Her ears perked up at the mention of Cadance’s diary, and she looked at Twilight quizzically. “Oh? You cannot tell me just that and leave it alone. Tell me the whole story, please?” she asked, leaning towards Twilight with eyes full of curiosity.
“Well,” Twilight hesitantly began, drawing out the single word. She nearly broke out into laughter as a pleading expression crossed Luna’s face, and she dove in. “When she was foal-sitting me, she fell asleep on the sofa with her journal wide open on the floor next to her. I got to read first-hoof about how she was crushing on Shining, but didn’t have the confidence to ask him out. When I went to go wake her up, she started calling out his name. Well, more like she was moaning his name.” She stopped, making a small gagging noise. “That night resulted in one of the best-kept secrets in our family. At the age of seven, I hooked them up, because Shining didn’t have the confidence to ask her out.”
Both of them succumbed to laughter as Twilight finished, their meal momentarily forgotten as tears streaked down both their faces. Luna was the first to recover, her laughs turning into something more akin to a chuckle. “You are the reason they finally came together, and at seven no less? I can see why that might embarrass the Princess of Love… Oh, ‘tis a perfect prank to play!” Luna lightly nuzzled Twilight’s cheek, returning her gaze back towards their plates.
Raising her glass with magic, Luna brought it before her and motioned for Twilight to do the same. With a playful smile she brought her glass to Twilight’s and brought them together, briefly mingling their magical auras. “To a good meal, and a good evening.”
