Storm Walker, Dream Step, and Eclipse Touch have made their escape from Bridleton to Equestria. Why? That and more will be answered. Also be prepared for magic lessons and life lessons for both teachers and students.
This is my second go at the story, as is evident by the new title. I am trying for a revised version of the story, give input on how the changes are coming. As always, I don't have any problems with you using my OCs for your own projects and just give me a heads up they will be used.
Storm Walker trotted through the dusty, winding hidden, passages of the old stone manor with the only light being the low lit hooded oil lantern in his muzzle. The electric green pegasus came to the secret door hidden with the hidden passage and kicked the right lower left corn with his left fore-hoof six times before tapping the area on the right just above his head with his right just above his head three times with his right fore-hoof, the door slid to his right, and he entered the passage. The new tunnel was so tight that his saddlebags were half squeezing him and giving him a sense of claustrophobia. Finally he came to newer, far much obvious door composed of what looked and smelled like old oak.
After taking a deep breath he rapped on the right side of the door with his left fore-hoof three times before doing the same on opposite side of the door with his right fore-hoof then clopping his hind legs six times. A soft, almost airy, cool voice said, “Enter.”
He did just that. Inside was a room that was 60 feet to the ceiling with somewhere between 40 and 50 feet between all the walls, there were no windows. The only things in the room were a what looked like a pure white griffon with a hindquarters like a pony and a set of pure white griffon armor that looked like it had been redesigned for a female griffon, with gold trim next to all the digits. There were also a series of 12 magical light producing orbs floating around the room in a manner that looked like it was meant to not interfere with movements of the room's occupants.
“Hey Snow,” said Storm Walker as he closed the door behind him, “I got that thing I promised you.”
The griffon fronted mare looked at him with her piercing dark blue eyes and said, “you found an image of,” she paused for a few seconds, “the one my mother said is my father.”
“Yeah,” said Storm Walker tousling his sky blue mane, “took some work, especially since I had to keep it a secret from everypony,” He reached into his right saddlebag and pulled out a parcel that had been gingerly wrapped in brown cloth, “it took some doing since I had to find one that wasn't him in his iconic armor doing something.”
The mare reared griffon took the parcel from the electric green pegasus. Carefully pulling the coverings from the parcel, almost as if she was afraid she was having a dream and would wake up soon. After several minutes that felt like days to her she finally reached the point where she removed the cloth covering the item inside. She beheld a paw sized painting of a dark brown griffon male standing proudly next to a set of pure white armor. She gave a smile before saying, “it's nice to finally see my father, I never got to know him.”
“From what I read about him,” said Storm Walker, “Razor Wind was a griffon with an inner nobility that is rare these days, there are a few cases of him defying rules only to explain that those rules were getting in the way of doing his job effectively. Remind you of somepony?”
Snow laughed before smiling and saying, “thanks Storm, this means a lot to me. Mom hasn't been doing so well, it's a shame I can't bring this to her. She would like to see him just one more time, even if it was just a painting.”
“I'll tell Gentle Wind I brought you the painting,” said Storm Walker, “oh and Snow Feather, the twins are making preparations for that thing we were talking about, we'll be ready to go next month.”
“I'll see about making things easier for you,” said Snow Feather, “I just wish I was going with you, I want to go somewhere I can actually practice my special talent,” she turned a lamenting gaze to her flank which showed a red paintbrush overlaying a black book that was in the state of mending and both were next to a brown cracked statue that looked like it was being mended.
“I know what you mean,” said Storm Walker taking a look at his cutie mark of three platinum pendant shields that were next to each other, the right shield held the silhouette of unicorn lifting it's leg in an elegant manner, the center shield held the silhouette of a pegasus taking a defensive stance, and the the left shield held the silhouette of an earth pony bucking, “the two of you really do deserve to come with us, but you know why you can't.”
“Yeah,” said Snow Feather, “after waiting a few months I'll arrange for us to follow you, when the three of us meet up again we can go and do what we're meant to do. I want to go out and actually show my talent, not hide here and pretend to be somepony else out of fear for everypony I care about. Are you going to see Forge later?”
“Yeah,” said Storm Walker, “after I run some errands for her ladyship,” saying 'errands' and 'ladyship' with contempt.
“She still won't officially acknowledge you as her foal I see,” said Snow Feather as Storm Walker turned to leave, “at least you don't have to hide yourself away for fear of everypony you know being executed the moment you step outside a wall.”
“The mare is more concerned with her own image and that of the clan than anything resembling maternal intent or concern,” said Storm Walker with huff before opening the door, “I'll see you a week before we leave, same with Forge, you both deserve that much, and Snow, at least you know your mother genuinely loves you with everything she is,” with that he closed the door behind him.
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Two hours later Storm Walker was escorting a black unicorn filly with a white mane and tail that had an emerald streak through them and White unicorn filly with a black mane and tail that had an indigo streak through them. Storm Walker liked these moments, even if they were brief, since it meant he could spend time with his little sisters. After arriving in manor's library, which was expansive enough to host a party and still have room to find a place of seclusion, he walked over to the window and watched as the earth pony servants outside tended to the yard.
Storm liked observing the other ponies when they were at work, it made him feel like he was watching for dangers to keep them safe. As he was watching a bright yellow unicorn mare with a dark orange mane and magenta eyes came over to sit next him. The two just sat there, the only sound being that of the twins as they leafed through the books before them.
After a half hour of the two hour mandate Storm Walker heard the unicorn say in a sweet and friendly voice that was trying to emulate a joyful tone and failing (hard), “I know you care for them, but when mother finds out what you've been discussing with your 'friend' she'll throw her in the dungeon for a few months with strict orders to only feed you a single meal a week.”
“I appreciate the concern Sunshine Bottle,” said Storm Walker, “you're a good sister, even if you do get wrapped up in your attempts for genuine praise of who you are from her.”
“And I'll keep at it for a few more months, my birthday is in four months and if she hasn't legitimately acknowledged me as an individual I'll stop, I'm not a little filly desperate for attention anymore, in fact that mindset started to change when you came along. She might not acknowledge you as her son, but the twins and I acknowledge you as our brother and in my opinion that's all matters now. Hopefully that will change before her life nears its end.”
“I seriously have my doubts about that,” said Storm Walker, “this nation hasn't changed how anything is done in thousands of years. Earth ponies still make up the hoof-soldiers, griffons get no respect despite being the main power of the aerial forces, pegasi are nothing more than scouts in the military, and the unicorns command despite have little to no combat experience and maybe a small hoofful of spells designed for a battlefield. And that's just the military. Earth ponies that aren't in the military are forced to either work agriculture, the mines, the smithies or produce clothing. And among those mares are only allowed to make cloth and clothing. Pegasi are only permitted to be messengers when not serving in the military, and only the stallions then, if they're lucky the mares are permitted to tend a unicorn noble's garden. Unicorns that weren't born to a noble house are only permitted be cooks or gardeners. Seriously, why do we even have cutie marks anymore in this country, they're supposed to be our way telling ourselves and everypony else what we're meant to do. My best friend is a mare and her cutie mark shows that she's meant to do something mares are barred from doing. Where's the justice in that?”
“So you've said a few times before,” said Sunshine Bottle, “but everypony that's pushed for even the slightest change of policy has been executed, I'm just glad you haven't tried.”
“I've entertained the thought a few times,” said Storm Walker, “but then I remember if I'm gone nopony will be around to keep the twins safe, I may not be able to do things for the greater good in this nation, like my cutie mark has told me I should, but doing things for their greater good is just as important to me. Do you even know what that is supposed to mean?” They both looked at her insignia of a smiling sun in crystal blue bottle.
“I don't know anymore what it was supposed to signify, grandmother doesn't like me or the twins, she keeps saying we aren't what she needs.”
“That old mare would only be happy with somepony that's exactly like her, I've heard he saying that our mother isn't what she needs a few times.”
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After escorting the twins to the in manor classroom at the end of his 2 hours looking after the two he made his way to the manor smithy. Once he arrived he came to the sight of mare that towered over the others (she was almost twice the size of the largest stallion in the manor) and smiled as she approached with her dark blue fur gleaming and her docked copper colored mane and tail giving a little sway and a cutie mark that looked like a metallic purple anvil with a jade hammer striking sending up golden sparks from where it was hitting. “Hey, Storm,” she said in a deep, ringing feminine voice, “what brings you here?”
“Hey, Forge Hammer,” said Storm Walker, “I just came to for a personal reason,” with that he reached into his left saddlebag and pulled out a small platinum orb before saying, “no matter what anypony does this thing keeps returning to an orb, nopony thought to bring it to the forge, let your dad work on it for a few days and if it returns to being an orb maybe you should give it a try. Your special talent is creating things nopony else can after all.”
“Yeah, I'm the creator while Snow's the restorer and your the protector. You're still planning that thing with the twins, right?” Storm Walker nodded, “I wish you luck, and wish I could join wish I could join you, but if I disappear they might be on you faster.”
“And if Snow were to join us none of us would make it before we were executed,” said Storm Walker, “she's working on a way for you both to follow us without raising suspicion.”
“I wish you luck.”
********************************************
It was a month later and Storm Walker and the twins had just spent two weeks at sea only to come to port in the one place where four nations had their boarders (he wondered why Eclipse Touch, the black filly, had decided to come with a set of old large saddlebags that were clearly too big and looked like they were loaded on both sides). They began the trudge towards what they were told was the boarder of Equestria. When they arrived a the boarder an ivory alicorn and umbra alicorn were waiting for them and greeted them before the twins collapsed at the umbra alicorn's hooves. The white alicorn smiled warmly and said in a gentle motherly voice, “welcome to Equestria, we were aware of your arrival and I have seen fit to preparing everything for you and the fillies.” The black alicorn just smiled with the gentle radiance of a full moon at the fillies sleeping at her hooves.
Twilight Sparkle sat in the Canterlot throne room and groaned to herself, day court had just ended and she was happy that the kind of court she held in Ponyville was much more informal than the displays of what passed for formalities amongst the nobility in Canterlot. It had been seven years since she had ascended to the ranks of the Alicorns and after the first year she found the she was getting used to being treated like royalty at almost the same point she found the novelty of being an alicorn was wearing thin on her. Celestia and Luna had told her that somepony needed to operate in Canterlot castle and keep the court running while they attended to a matter near one of Equestria's boarders, fortunately they were still maintaining their duties over the sun and moon (to which Twilight was truly greatful, after having to manage the sun and moon during the “Tirek Crisis” as many ponies were now calling she decided she did not want to handle the celestial bodies again without assistance.
Although the princesses had said it was for few days it had been almost two weeks, the only thing that kept her stable during this time was Spike's daily updates, reports, and notes on what she had to do in the day (and sometimes night). Spike himself had grown to almost half her size and grown longer limbs along with a pair short stubs near his shoulder blades that were obviously going to grow into wings in the coming years. Twilight found the reports surprisingly soothing, however she found her days feeling empty without interaction with at least one of her friends over the past two week. “Some princess of friendship I am,” Twilight muttered to herself as Spike made his way out from passing her the reports, all he did was pat her shoulder supportivly and give assurances that her time as a temporary stand-in/proxy for Celestia and Luna would probably be ending soon.
All of her friends were busy with their lives The only ones she saw regularly now were Fluttershy and Applejack. The castle had been big and lonely when her friends started having less and less time to spend with her, in an effort to make it feel more lived in she made it so that she now had a castle staff of her own only a couple of years prior. She was also working on establishing her own Royal Guard (but that project was still having problems, despite being started up three years prior).
The lives of her friends were more demanding now. Rainbow was finally a Wonderbolt, and had been for the past four years. Rarity finally got her Canterlot boutique, and was being overwhelmed with orders for the past three years despite having a highly competent staff to help her with most of the orders. Pinkie had been given a party planning business only four years prior, she called the place Party Palace Deluxe, and was busy planning and executing parties all over Equestria. Fluttershy had begun an massive animal housing and medical facility, and would be opening it later that month if the reports on the project Twilight had been reading were accurate. Of course Applejack had an increase in her responsibilities on the farm, despite the fact that she had Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom to help she was still getting buried in her work every couple of months when winter wasn't happening.
Twilight started flipping through the requests with a pen and ink floating next her, she kept them on the table by throne, and habitually crossed out requests from half the Canterlot nobility before writing down the responses (that unfortunately had also become habitual in her time of tending the thrones of Celestia and Luna). She was in the middle of yet another letter to Prince Blueblood when Spike rushed in with a big grin on his face.
“Spike wha...” the rest of Twilight's question evaporated when she saw Princess Celestia stroll in, the ivory alicorn's four color layered mane was beyond the most magnificent thing Twilight thought she would ever see at that moment. Her eyes went wide when she saw Luna stroll in with a white filly with a black mane and tail on her back, when she returned her gaze to Celestia she saw the alabaster alicorn had a black filly with a white mane and tail on her back.
“It is good to see you too, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia in the caring maternal voice the lavender alicorn remembered fondly, “before you ask, yes these fillies are part of the reason we have been absent from Canterlot for so long and yes they are part something I wish to discuss with you.”
Luna smiled at Twilight before saying in her own gentle voice, “if it is any consolation she hasn't told us about the arrangements she's made either,” after she finished an electric green pegasus stallion carefully trotted in and gave the lavender mare a bow of respect, it was at this point Twilight noticed not only his sky blue mane but also his cutie mark of three pendant shields that each bore a representation of each of the pony tribes.
“Who are these three?” asked Twilight carefully, “they are unfamiliar to me, and those fillies look no older than 7 or 8 years old.”
“6 years actually,” said the stallion with a respectful tone, “they're my little sisters, my name is Storm Walker. I would prefer the two them introduce themselves.”
After the stallion introduced himself Twilight began examining the fillies more closely as the princesses lowered them gently to the ground, one of first thing's noticed was the saddlebags next to the black filly that were clearly too big for her, yet were clearly too small for the stallion or the princess. The saddlebags were a dark, almost black, red that sent a shiver down Twilight's spine when she looked at them. The next thing she noticed about the black filly was her indigo stripe going down her mane and tail. Inspecting the white filly she found an emerald stripe going down her mane and tail where and indigo one went down the black filly's.
Just as she was about to turn to the stallion for questions a bright pink mare with dark pink mane and tail with blue eyes popped up in her vision and whispered, “hi Twilight, it's been ages since we saw each other, I don't want disturb the sleep of the little darlings since that wouldn't be nice.”
Before anypony could say anything else the fillies stirred and immediately showed an interesting reaction. The white filly immediately retreated behind Princess Luna while the black filly, in act that seemed defy logic (including that of Pinkie, surprisingly enough) rushed over to the saddlebags where they had fallen on the floor when she had been placed down and dragged them by her hoof with her until she and the bags were securely hiding behind Twilight. Celestia just smiled and gave a curt nod. Storm Walker made a quick groan before face-hoofing.
“I am deeply sorry your majesties,” he said, “the twins haven't had much proper interaction with other ponies, and as such are quite easily frightened when seeing a new pony. Go ahead and introduce yourselves girls, it's alright,” he said in a calm voice that reminded Twilight of her brother.
The white filly went first and said in a voice that was uncertain and very concerned, “My name is Dream Step, my sister and I have rare abilities yet still haven't gotten our cutie marks yet. I... I...I can't continue with this it's just so...” she went back to hiding behind Princess Luna, an act that only made the ebony alicorn smile a bit more.
Everypony heard a loud gulp as the black filly took a few frightened steps out from behind Twilight, before she could speak Spike entered her vision and she took a few panicked looks around the room before settling on Twilight with her big emerald eyes pleading for an assurance of safety. Twilight gave the filly an assuring smile before saying, “that's just Spike, my number one assistant. He's really very nice.”
The black filly said, in a timid voice that reminded Twilight of when she first met Fluttershy, “my name is Eclipse Touch. My brother helped get us away from the terrible place we were told was our home,” she then flipped open the saddlebag flap closest to her and reached in with an scared hoof before pulling out a large dark maroon book that read The Tome of Mind Magics: the book for reading minds, and dominating those of lesser force, Eclipse Touch visibly gulped and began forming genuine sad tears in her eyes before she said, “there's a spell in here that will let you see our memories, there's also one for telling you how to do a dream walk, but most of it is a detestable volume that tells a pony how to use magic to exert their influence over others. I took this from that place's private library to prevent somepony from using it for questionable means. Am I in trouble because I took the books from that place's library without permission with the intent to not retu...” the rest was cut off by Twilight embracing the filly in a hug, at this point Eclipse broke down and cried into Twilight's coat.
Storm Walker and Dream Step just stared in surprise for a few minutes before Storm Walker said, “that's the first time she's ever run to somepony new and the bravest I've ever seen her. She's always had a love of literature, even though our parents and grandmother have done all they can to limit her reading.” At this moment the other flap on the saddlebags fell open and large dark green, almost black, book fell out with the words Ancient Curses and Hexes: for those occasions where standard punishment spells are not enough, Everypony just stared at the book.
After a few minutes Eclipse Touch said, “I didn't want them using these books on anypony when we left so I took them along with all the liberated journals."
Twilight's ears perked up and she said in both excitement and surprise, “Journals? Who's?”
“A great unicorn from a long time ago,” said Eclipse Touch," who are you? Everything about you makes me feel safe. I know we've never met before today, so, why do I feel safe around you? Your voice makes me feel secure, your scent makes it easier for me to calm down, and the feel of your body against mine feels more than comforting!”
“I suppose that's a good thing then,” said Princes Celestia, “because I have decided it was time Twilight Sparkle had a personal student of her own, and You Eclipse Touch are just the pony I had in mind for such a task. Twilight, you've learned many things, but some things can only be learned through the act of teaching and instructing. So it is with a pleasure I would like to announce that in light of your lack of decision to choose and apprentice I am appointing you the mentor of Eclipse Touch.”
“You're going to love Twilight as a teacher,” chimed Pinkie Pie, “she'll take foal-steps with your for as long as needed, and she's just as much into books as you are if not more,” Pinkie took a deep gasp before saying, “we need to get you three a 'Welcome to Equestria Party', I'll get on that right away, but before I do,” she reached into her mane and pulled out two lollipops with a mass of colors swirling all through them and and passed one to both of fillies before bouncing off in excitement.” Twilight took a quick surprised look at her former mentor before looking back at the filly that had decided to use her as a safe haven.
Both fillies took questioning sniffs at the strange confections, but it was Eclipse Touch who took an experimental nibble on the sweet (much to the surprise of her siblings) before chewing it a bit and swallowing it and saying in a much sweeter voice than before, “it's tasty, we never had anything like this in Bridleton.”
“Maybe you should start at the beginning,” said Twilight turning to Storm Walker.
“Of course,” said the green pegasus, “but first you'll need to know a bit about the nation we come from. You see Bridleton is a nation that is ruled by a long line of unicorn kings and...”
**********************************
Four hours, and many questions, later Storm Walker finished explaining about their home nation and what their home lives were like. During the course of the story Celestia and Luna's smiles went from mildly intrigued to condemning frowns. Twilight had a similar reaction due to her scholarly nature.
“When I told my sister about the vision I had of you three arriving, and how I felt it was quite close, she set to work making some arrangements. However the only arrangements I was aware of were for him,” Luna said gesturing with a wing to Storm Walker, “from Twilight's surprise I can tell you wanted her having a personal student to be just that, a surprise. But what about the other?”
“Dream Step will take on the roll of your personal student Luna,” said Celestia with a smile, “you've been trying catch up with everything that has changed while you were... away, and have only recently caught up on everything. I was confused as to what to do in terms of instructing ponies without you for the first decade or so, after all we had always paired up together when instructing other ponies.”
“Until the...incident,” Luna finished.
“Yes, and it is time that you began instructing in your own way, part of my arrangements was filling one of the larger empty rooms in your private wing of the castle with a variety of art supplies and musical instruments. Also I wanted to take the liberty of turning one of the rooms next to yours into your new student's bedroom, but it looks like you took care of most of that one yourself. So I just had a few minor adjustments made to the room.”
The umbra alicorn smiled at the ivory one and said, “I'm actually okay with you meddling with my private wing of the castle, but you know this still means our agreement is in affect, because you didn't inform me you would be doing something in my wing before-hoof.”
Celestia gave an almost convincing fake confused look while Twilight giggled before the alabaster alicorn said, “I assure you I have no idea what you are talking about, sister.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and said, “Princess Luna told me about the arrangement you two have regarding your private wings of the castle, I think you should stop playing pretend Celestia.” The three newcomers just stared at the three alicorns with a sense of confusion. Seeing the confusion on their faces Twilight decided to ask Eclipse Touch a question turning to the black filly she said, “your sister said you both have rare abilities, what's your ability?”
Eclipse Touch visibly gulped and said, “I can cancel out any spell no matter how strong or complex, but I can't control it all that well, please don't hate me,” the filly's ears drooped and her whole body made a sullen look.
Twilight just pulled her into a hug and said in a gentle soothing voice, “I could never hate you, in fact over the years I've learned it's better for everypony if you don't even let hate into your thoughts about others. Disapproval, disappointment and anger at other ponies are all fine if you have a proper justification, but hatred should never be something you let in. Even if you think it can be justified you should never let hatred in, it has a way turning your intentions against you and twisting everything around you to the point it's doing nothing but hurt you and others. I am the Princess of Friendship, and this is one of the most important lessons I've come to realize when it comes time to advise others.”
Celestia and Luna smiled at the display, noting how almost maternal Twilight had become in her interactions with the filly she was told was now her new student. It was at this point Dream Step drew Luna's attention and said in a more confident voice, “will this mean that I'll be separated from Eclipse? We've never been apart like this before. I don't want to be kept away from...” tears were starting form in her eyes when Luna stopped her with wing to the muzzle.
After cutting off Dream Step's plea Luna said, “you two might have different mentors and might be taught in different places, but I can assure you that the two of you will not be separated. Yes you two will be kept separate, but you will not be separated. The only time that happens is when you intentionally sever your connection to each other. That almost happened to me, but my sister and I managed to repair that connection before it was potentially lost forever. Twilight can attest to something similar.”
Twilight nodded and said, “that's right, I almost ruined my relationship with my big brother to the point he would willingly cut off one of the connections I held most dear. It all turned out all right in the end, but I still feel bad about what I did even though my actions turned out right. No matter how far you are physically that won't mean your hearts will be far from each other as long as you keep the love and compassion you hold for each other.”
“That last part sounded a bit like something Cadance would say,” said Celestia, “which reminds me, how are you going to introduce your new student when she next comes to visit?”
“I'll think of something,” said Twilight, “but it looks like Spike, Eclipse and I will need to catch a train to Ponyville since her natural ability might cut my teleportation spell short.”
“Is that place far from here?” asked Dream Step.
“What's a train?” asked Eclipse touch, “everypony flew here after we met the princesses.”
Twilight turned her attention to Filly in surprise before saying, “you don't have trains in Bridelton?”
“The most advanced piece of technology in Bridleton are the roads and coaches the the nobility travel in,” said Storm Walker, “well that a few siege weapons and running water, but only the nobility have access to running water.”
“Why didn't this come up when you were explaining what that nation was like?” asked Luna.
“He thought it was a given fact,” said Eclipse Touch, “as wonderful as our big brother is he has a tendency to believe that the nobility have access to all the common knowledge he has, even if it's not the same nation he's used to.”
Twilight looked at the black filly for few minutes before saying, “those saddlebags give me the creeps, I suggest you empty them into a new set of saddlebags before we head out to buy our tickets for the train.”
“We might need more than one new set,” said Eclipse Touch before going over and tipping the bags up with her hoof so they faced down then gave few quick pats at the bottom of the bags before becoming buried it what looked like a little over a hundred journals or diaries with old wooden covers. Twilight gasped and quickly dug through the books before finding Eclipse's face and clearing a space so the filly could better breathe.
“The saddlebags were enchanted to hold more than they should, that's amazing," said Twilight, "but why do they creep me out so much.”
“Probably because they're made from the hide of another living creature,” said Eclipse pulling herself out, “I felt filthy just being near those bags, but they were the only ones I knew had the enchantment. They're made from the hide of a deer and dyed the color you see. The book on hexes and curses also creeps me out because I was told its cover binding was the hide of a real pony.”
Everypony looked at the book before Celestia said, “such affronts must be destroyed no matter what we could learn from them.”
“Not that easy,” said Eclipse Touch, “I tried burning it in the fireplace when nopony was looking once, all that happened was it got ash that could be easily scraped off on its cover and pages. I suggest you put it somewhere where nopony will ever find it and strike all mention of the book from official and unofficial records. The book of mind magics isn't as bad, but when you open it you can hear somepony whispering in your ear temptations to use all each spell and how the spell could benefit you. I was told the spirit of the pony who wrote it was bound to the book.”
“We have to free that pony then,” said Twilight.
“The spirit has been bound for centuries, whatever the kind of pony it used to be has probably been lost to madness because of how the book was used before I liberated it from our family collection. Only those with a strong will can withstand the spirit's influence.”
“Then you must have a strong will,” said Twilight.
“My canceling ability is what safeguarded me, it acts as a defense mechanism most of the time.”
“That just means you have a very special ability," said Twilight, "it doesn't mean you don't have a strong will. Can you tell me what pages the spells that may prove most useful.”
Eclipse Touch took a deep breath before saying, “you might want to get some blank sheets of paper and a writing utensil.”
Twilight nodded to Spike who rushed of and came back with some quills, ink pots and a blank notebook. “Okay,” said Twilight, “let's limit my exposure,” Celestia, Luna, Dream Step and Storm Walker all gave her concerned looks, when Twilight looked up at her former mentor the ivory alicorn smiled at her with a deep knowing in her lavender eyes.
“Okay,” said Eclipse Touch, “if you're sure, page 317 has a four page spell for dream walking and page 742 has a 7 page spell for experiencing another pony's memories.”
“That works just fine for me,” said Twilight, “I know a spell for sharing memories, so I think those two will compliment each other. Princess Luna has the ability to walk in another pony's dreams, I'm looking forward simulating the experience.”
At this Dream Step's eyes grew wide and she stared up at Luna before saying, “you can do it to? You can teach me how to manage it! I keep going into another pony's dreams when I try to sleep, the only exception is Eclipse because her ability blocks me out.”
It was Luna's turn to show surprise before she said, “dream walking is dangerous for those that are inexperienced, we'll have to teach you how to manage your magic before your dream walking lessons. Twilight, I suggest, no decree, that you tell me when you intend to practice the spell for dream walking so that I may assist you. It will also give the twins a chance to see each other again and compare notes on their experiences.”
“This is the most open Eclipse has been to anypony,” said Storm Walker, “she's only about half as friendly with me as she is with Princess Twilight Sparkle, and I'm the her trusted big brother.”
“I'm her twin and she's not nearly this open with me,” said Dream Step, “it's almost like she trusts Princess Twilight unconditionally like a... true mother.”
“But why would she latch on to Twilight so much?” inquired Luna.
“She's always seemed to have an intuitive knowledge of a pony's true nature from time to time,” said Storm Walker, “it's why she was so scared of Great Spell, Great Seal, and Grand Charm.”
“You mentioned them in the back story you gave, they're the lords of the manor you're from.”
“Great Spell is our our mother, Great Seal is our father, and Grand Charm is our grandmother,” said Storm Walker, “none of them are very pleasant, in fact Grand Charm is about as far from charming as you can get.”
“Well, she doesn't sound all that fun,” said Pinkie seeming to pop up out of nowhere, “okay Twilight, Eclipse's welcome to Equestria, and Ponyville, party is set to go at your palace, I wanted to make it a surprise party but then I noticed how uncomfortable she is with new ponies so it's just some close friends from around Ponyville, and I'll be there too. In fact I'm moving my party central control to Ponyville in a couple of weeks, I really miss my friends in Ponyville.”
“We miss you too Pinkie,” said Twilight, “and Rarity and Rainbow Dash. In fact everypony cleared up their schedules last month for us to have a few days next week to get together and catch up, you're the only one who hasn't confirmed yet.” with that Twilight floated a sheet of paper from under her left wing, “here's everything you need to know, I would have gotten it to you sooner, but your hectic travel made it difficult.”
Pinkie grabbed the floating, sheet with her mane, yes her mane, and looked over it and smiled before saying, “I'll be there Twili, I hope she'll be joining,” said Pinkie pointing with a hoof at Eclipse before bouncing off.
“I'll get the spells transcribed then we can go and buy our tickets,” said Twilight, “I'm eager to get back home, hopefully nothing urgent comes up while we're on our way to Ponyville.” With that Twilight opened the maroon book and felt like she was assaulted by malevolent force the moment the book was open, even Celestia and Luna could feel the presence of the malicious force from where they stood. Twilight quickly flipped to the pages and copied them into her notebook before slamming the book shut and saying, “this thing isn't a book, it's somepony's idea of a sick joke. I never thought I would say anything like this, but, that thing that pretends to be a book needs to be destroyed. You tried and ordinary fire, let's see how it does against a fire with magical properties. Spike, this is something you never thought you would here me say, but burn this horrendous maroon book so that it can never affect another pony ever again.”
“Are you sure, Twilight,” said Spike in his new deep rumbling fiery voice, “it's not like you to say something like that!”
“I would normally agree with you, but I just glimpsed a spell for effectively turning another pony into a mindless puppet and almost contemplated using it, which is against not just my nature but the teachings of Equestria. This book needs to be destroyed so the temptations it presents are never present for anypony to use it ever.”
“On it Twilight,” said Spike before taking in a deep breath and belching fire on the maroon tome. To everypony's horror the book didn't even look like it had been touched while telltale signs of dragon's fire left a scorched circle around it on the throne room floor.
“There's only one place to send these terrible tomes,” said Celestia with weighted words, “For your piece of mind, Twilight, Luna and I can not name where the books are going, so even if it is found you are aware of the existence of these books you can honestly say you do not know where they are if somepony were to force you with a truth spell. I suggest you go now.”
Twilight nodded and said, “Spike gather our things and meet us at the station, I'm taking Eclipse to the station to buy our tickets home.” Spike nodded and scampered off.
*****************
Ten minutes later Twilight, Spike and Eclipse were riding the train. Eclipse sat next to Twilight looking out on the passing countryside with fascination. After her watching of the passing countryside for a few minutes Eclipse Touch curled up next to Twilight and fell asleep. “You just sleep,” said Twilight as she petted the filly's mane affectionately, Spike just smiling at her the whole time, “you've had a busy day, we'll take care of everything we need tomorrow. But once we get home you'll have something to worry about before you're encouraged to have fun.”
Eclipse Gets an Introduction to Ponyville and Twilight Learns About Bridleton
Eclipse Gets an Introduction to Ponyville and Twilight Learns About Bridleton
Twilight carried the sleeping Eclipse on her back while floating some of her luggage, Spike was lumbering along behind her with the majority of the things she was bringing back from Canterlot. After they had walked a few minutes from the train station spike said, “Twilight, why can't you just teleport our stuff? I mean in addition to those old journals, which I know you're going to bury yourself in, we've added at least three times as much stuff as when we went to Canterlot, I remember when things were simpler.”
“Because my new sleeping student might cut it out,” said Twilight.
“The way she worded it sounded like a spell had to target her or something close to her,” retorted Spike, “and I really don't want to be trying to help you calm down a startled filly while handling the majority of our luggage.”
“You make an excellent point Spike,” said Twilight, “I'll give it a try, I'll send our luggage to my room because most of it is mine anyway.” A magenta glow surrounded Twilight's horn, then the luggage Spike was hauling and it all disappeared, “well, what do ya know,” said Twilight, “her ability does have the distinction you noted, good catch Spike.”
“I wouldn't be much of an assistant if I didn't catch on to that kind of stuff by this point,” Spike stated with a snarky undertone.
********************************
It took a little over an hour to get to the Ponyville Palace, most of which Eclipse Touch slept through. Just as Eclipse Touch was waking up from her nap they were nearing the castle's doors. The moment Twilight was in the building after Spike closed the door and the lights came on and a mass of ponies yelled, “surprise,” which in turn caused Eclipse Touch to be so surprised she made a motion to hide behind Spike, who was further from the crowd at the time. Spike smiled to himself because this meant that on some level Eclipse Touch was comfortable with him.
“Wh-h-h-ho are all these ponies,” squeaked Eclipse Touch in a timid voice, “they scare me, I just want to be with Miss Twilight and learn what she wants to teach me.”
“Oh my,” came a gentle voice that Eclipse hadn't picked up in the crowd, “she's not comfortable with large groups everypony, spread out into smaller groups on all the levels of the castle to help ease her transition. Pinkie, why didn't you tell anypony she was worse with large groups of ponies than I was when I first got here.”
“I didn't have to, Fluttershy, this is a small group. It's just a few friends from aro... I invited too many ponies, oh no I ruined the her welcome party, this one of my worst parties. But I can't throw her a proper makeup party until next month, why do I have so many parties planned for this month?”
Twilight chuckled as a demure yellow pegasus with a long pink mane slipped from the crowd and said right to Eclipse in the sweetest and kindest voice she had ever heard, “I'm sorry about Pinkie sometimes her... eccentricity gets the better of her. What is your name? Everypony knows because as Pinkie insists it's your party, but I want to her it in your own voice.”
“Eclipse Touch,” said the filly with a shy smile and voice, “who are you?”
“My name is Fluttershy,” said the yellow pegasus, “I live in Ponyville, just like Twilight, you'll get to see my cottage when you're feeling safer here. Maybe I'll even be able to help pick out a pet that's just for you, would you like that?”
Eclipse gave Twilight a questioning look to which the lavender alicorn said, “we might do that after she gets used to her magic, she has rare ability. Care to tell her what it is?”
“Um,” said Eclipse Touch with a shy voice that reminded Fluttershy of how she was before meeting Twilight, “I can cancel out another pony's magic, mostly this is unicorn spells that have been targeted at or near me, but it might also affect other pony tribes. Please don't hate me,” the moment she finished she tried to hid herself in Twilight's mane which had grown long enough to rival Cadances as the alicorn had continued to grow over the years (she was now between the size of Cadance and Luna).
“I could never hate anypony,” said Fluttershy.
“Well it would take a lot for that,” said Twilight as she dropped her haunches and caused Eclipse Touch to slide down her back onto the floor before getting up so the filly couldn't climb back on to her back, “Fluttershy is one the sweetest and most caring ponies you'll ever meet, but when she gets mad you better not be the target of her anger. Especially since she won a staring contest with a cockatrice and chastised a dragon into finding a new resting place.”
Eclipse just looked at the yellow pegasus with amazement, that was until they heard a country mare's call say, “Pinkie, Ah ya'll were gonna make this ah small party, wuh part uh this is small? Where'd Flutters go? Last Ah saw 'er she was with ya.”
“She's with Twilight and the guest of honor, AJ,” came Pinkie's voice, “think you could bring them some cake, I'm getting some punch for them to drink.”
“Now see 'ere I 'aven't agreed to, Pinkie why am Ah balancing a Banana-Apple upsidedown cake on mah hat? Take it off and save et fer another time, Ah want 'er to experience Apple clan apples tha Apple way.”
“Oki, Dokie, Loki,” said Pinkie with the sound of a plate being removed from fabric.
A few minutes later an orange earth pony mare emerged from the crowd balancing five plates of violet fluffy cake with a black creamy frosting. With a practiced hoof the mare passed out four of cake pieces before moving the last piece to in front of her before saying, “Pinkie's rules are the guest uh honor 'as ta 'ave the firs' bite ah the cake.”
Eclipse took a timid sniff of the cake before giving it a nibble, then huge bite that took a chunk that would do Pinkie proud with the only sound escaping her muzzle being, “mmmmmmmmmmmm,” before her eyes went big and she collapsed and began going into a sugar coma.
As she began to black out she heard Pinkie's voice going, “no she's not supposed to pass out until after the piñata , I checked the script for this story. Oh wait, that's a rejected copy, still she shouldn't be passing out this far into the chapter, that's just wrong, she just woke up for Celestia's sake. I've done the whole party wrong, why can't I do this over!?”
“Pinkie,” said Twilight, “It's just a sugar coma, she should come out of it in a few minutes. She seemed fine when she tested the lollipop,” Twilight floated the multicolored confection from out of her bag, and Pinkie freaked out even more. Eclipse's eyes closed entirely after that.
“She only had a nibbly bite, oh this is bad , that bite of cake she ate had a tinsy bit more sugar than than half the lollipop, you should have told me this earlier Twilight I could have made a cake that wouldn't cause her to pass out...” it was at this point she stopped perceiving sounds around her and seemed drift into slumber.
********************
Twenty minutes later the only ones still at the castle were Twilight's staff, who had been more than willing to move the filly on to a couch in the living area, and her friends, with the addition of Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh (Granny Smith was visiting an old friend out of town for few days at the time).
“So this tha the filly Princess Celestia tol' ya is yer first uhfficial student?” came a younger voice that sounded like it had the same accent as Applejack.
“That's right,” said Twilight, “I've been having so much trouble getting my Royal Guard up and running that I haven't been focusing on getting an actual personal student, the closest I've come is Twilight Time with some of the fillies and colts around Ponyville over the years here.”
“Ah remember whe' mah friends and Ah had our Twilight Time lessons,” came the voice again.
Eclipse cracked her emerald eyes open and saw yellow earth mare with a mane that was colored somewhere between pink and straight red, the mare's mane also held a green bow with a red apple, but her cutie mark was obscured by towering red stallion with a green apple cuite mark.
“Sorry for the overload,” said Twilight, “sometimes Pinkie gets so caught up with getting ponies to a party that she forgets how big it's supposed to be. The party should have just been us, Pinkie, Fluttershy, the Cakes and the Apples.”
“The Cakes couldn't make it,” said Pinkie as she seemed to pop out of nowhere, “they had a really big delivery to make, and since they couldn't find a foal-sitter they took Pound and Pumpkin with them. We're so busy with our new lives that we don't have time for what's left of our old ones. Their note didn't says how long they'd be out, looking after Pound and Pumpkin was one of the greater joys of my life.”
“Even if it was exasperating for you the first year,” said Twilight.
“I could have watched Pound and Pumpkin while they were out of town,” said Fluttershy in her soft voice.
“Their departure day was when you were out of town learning about some new creatures,” said Pinkie, “you didn't get back until a few days after they left.”
“While they're gone Sugurcube Corner is closed for an extended period time,” said Twilight with a sense of loss, “I wanted to take Eclipse there tomorrow so she could get used to groups more gradually and meet the Cakes. The twins might make her feel better, plus the twins or only a few years older than her.”
“What kind of ponies are the Cakes,” asked Eclipse Touch, catching most of the ponies by surprise.
“They're earth ponies like Pinkie and the Apples,” said Twilight, “they're the bakers of some really good confections. The twins, Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake, are some really wonderful foals. Pumpkin is a unicorn and Pound is a pegasus, I've been giving Pumpkin magic lessons for the past few months now, but as a strictly advisory role and not her official teacher.”
“Why is that?” asked Eclipse, “you probably know some really amazing magic.”
“Yeah,” said Twilight, “but Pumpkin wants to go to an official magic school for education for magic, like I did.”
“Great Spell insisted all aspects of our magic were superior,” said Eclipse with sullen words and drooping ears, “she didn't even bother giving us separate lessons from our sister, she just dropped us in the middle of Sunshine Bottle's lessons and didn't bother even reviewing the basics of magic with her for our sake. She just jumped right into the Sunshine's next lesson.”
“That's a terrible teaching method,” said Twilight, “everything starts with basics, and you must always review them regardless of circumstances. What was the lesson you first sat in on?”
Eclipse gulped and said, “an item transformation spell, she wanted us to turn a pebble into a tome that exceeded a hundred pages.”
Twilight's eyes shot open as wide as possible before she said, “that mare is insane.”
“Yeah, especially since Sunshine could only get about twelve pages out of her attempts, mine just hummed for a few seconds before deciding it didn't want to do anything.”
“Your sister got a twelve page book from a pebble?” Eclipse nodded.
After a few seconds of silence she said, “she managed to extend the page number to thirty-four by the end of the exercise.”
Twilight sputtered and said, “that's an advanced spell that operates on a number of highly advanced magical principles. Not to mention magic has to follow some of the natural rules, that's what a spell that requires a tremendous amount of magic is like I have to even try to pull off something like that properly.”
“My canceling ability makes it hard to cast spells,” said Eclipse with a dejected voice.
“No,” said Fluttershy, “it makes you special, Twilight was a unicorn with a tremendous amount of magical power and potential until she ascended to being an alicorn. Her special talent also is magic, so no matter what you're in the best hooves possible for working through your problems.”
Eclipse stared at the lavender alicorn with surprise. “Alright everypony,” said Twilight, “time to go, she needs to get acclimated to living here, and if you're all here that could be a problem. We'll see most of you tomorrow, see you next week Pinkie.” With that all the ponies left, leaving only Twilight and Spike with the black filly.
“I just want to get some sleep,” said Eclipse Touch with a yawn.
“That can be arranged,” said Twilight, “we'll see about getting you an official room, but until that's all squared away I think it would be best if you and I shared a room. You're not all that used to others yet, and you seem to feel a strong sense of attachment to me,” the lavender alicorn looked down at the filly with her violet eyes with a smile before saying, “it's like you've attached to me as some sort of maternal figure, perhaps you even considered me a surrogate mother when we first met.”
“I've always gotten flashes of what other ponies are really like from time to time,” said Eclipse with a yawn, “when I first saw you I got a flash of the aspects I associated with a real mother. Great Spell always felt like somepony that was just raising us because she had to, she was never as nice you've been so far.”
“If she was your mother then she's officially lost all claims to that title and the benefits and privileges that go with it,” said Twilight with a touch of displeasure in her voice.
“It's not that simple in Bridleton,” said Eclipse Touch, “she's an official representative of one of the seven major houses, they're the powers that have the most political presence in Bridleton. The system of a central king with the seven major houses hasn't changed in over twelve thousand years, in fact the seven major houses have no record of changing. It wasn't always that way, the journals tell the story of the nation of Bridletonia. Ruled by a good king, Bridleton's current king has claimed that king's name but the two couldn't be more different. The original Artanus was much more like Celetia and Luna in mindset, but he was an earth pony that managed to bring warring factions together under the banner of true peace and built a kingdom that was founded on a similar philosophy as Equestria. Harmony and equality for all, it was a philosophy he held hard to. His mentor was a unicorn, that unicorn is somepony I want to aspire to be like.”
“I was much the same way, I'll tell you the pony I aspired to be like, but only if you tell the one you look up to and what they were like,” said Twilight as she carried the filly on her back to her bed chambers.
Shaking tiredness from her head best she could Eclipse said, “his name was Myrraldin, he was later referred to as Myrraldin the Great. He was unicorn with a talent for magic, he created thousands of spells and perfected even more already exiting spells in his time. He was a pony that held no delusions the way things were. He had a vision of what the world could be like, but knew he wasn't suited to the task and instead chose to instruct one he knew from the earliest age, and remained as trusted adviser during that pony's adulthood. The pony he taught was none other than the original Artanus, Artanus had a talent for leading and something from his lessons that he always quoted was that a true leader knows how to listen to their citizens.”
Twilight smiled and said, “the pony I looked up to most was Starswirl the Bearded, he was an amazing that unicorn created a number of spells that didn't exist. There's a whole wing in Canterlot named after him, and it holds many of the spells he crafted. He created quite a few time travel spells, but those spells are very limited in their scope. He was an adviser to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna a long time ago.”
A yawn from Eclipse reached the alicorn's ears and when she turned her head to look at the filly she saw Eclipse curled up between her wings. “Good night, little Eclipse,” said Twilight as she carefully opened the door her bedroom.
As she was placing Eclipse on a bed near her own Twilight heard Eclipse say in distress, “no mommy, I tried the spell like you asked, please no. I don't want to go to the punishment study room, you always give me a hard spell I've never... mommy please, no... you're not a mother, you're not worthy of the honor that duty means... no please.”
In a panicked moment Twilight shook Eclipse awake, when the filly was up Twilight said, “you were having a bad dream, I wanted to get you out of it quickly. If it happens again I'll ask Princess Luna to help you deal with your bad dreams.”
“It wasn't a dream,” said Eclipse with drooping ears, “not all of it, it was built around one of my memories. I don't think I'm ready to sleep alone, can I sleep with you? I want to feel safe, and you make me feel like nothing can hurt me.”
“Nothing will as long as I'm looking after you,” said Twilight, “come on let's get some sleep.” With that Eclipse snuggled up next to Twilight in the alicorn's bed and fell into a new sleeping pattern.
Twilight heard Eclipse beside her giggling and saying, “the pages tickle, you want me to read you that sounds, like fun. I've never read this story, the pages are blank. You must be sad that nopony can read the story, I'll find you when I'm awake, I promise and when I do I'll read you cover to cover.”
Twilight smiled and fell asleep with her horn to Eclipse's, casting a magic linking spell that would only last a small hoofful of hours. She wanted to make sure any magic fluctuations had their effects minimized. She was slightly surprised to find that Eclipse's sleeping form accepted the spell without question.
******************************
The next morning there was knocking on the castle door, Spike got the door just as Twilight was raising her head to start the morning. Pumpkin Cake's voice carried through the palace in an accent that was somewhere between her mother and that of Pinkie Pie with a, “hi Spike, we're back. Sorry 'bout not telling you or Twilight, it kind of came up on us. Where is Twilight anyway, I wanted to learn some new spells.”
“She's upstairs sleeping, at least she was last I checked,” said Spike, “Princess Celestia thought it was time for Twilight to have her own personal student, since you're just being tutored by Twilight Celestia thought a full time student might be good for Twilight. She's a little filly about your age, but she's really uncomfortable around most new ponies. She's kind of attached herself to Twilight, I think she sees Twilight as the mother she never really had.”
"What else is she like," said Pumpkin.
“The only two ponies that can answer that question are upstairs, have you had breakfast yet,” said Spike then you could hear him say to the kitchen staff, “could you get Pumpkin Cake a morning snack while I get Princess Twilight Sparkle?” With that the sound of Spike climbing the stairs could be heard.
Twilight turned her head to sleeping filly next to her and heard whispering coming from the filly, bringing her ear closer to the filly she heard her saying, “your the best mommy ever, miss Twilight, I never want to go back to that place. Please, that place never felt like it was supposed to be my home, it felt like...” her voice got so quiet Twilight barely heard the filly say, “a dungeon!”
The door opened and Spike strolled through the door, upon seeing the still sleeping filly whispered, “how long have you been up?”
“Long enough to know Pumpkin is back,” whispered Twilight, “I'll wake Eclipse, then we'll go have breakfast.”
Spike just nodded and gave a questioning look before going to turn towards the door.
“I want something tastier than lemon grass and mineral water,” said Eclipse as she got up.
Spike chuckled and said, “Strawberry with pancakes and blueberry juice coming up, you'll get something really tasty. Oh Twilight, before she left Applejack wanted me to remind you that she thinks she left a small crate here a few months ago. Since I have errands to run for you today, again, maybe you and Eclipse could head down to the basement to look for it. I know Pumpkin will most likely invite herself to join when the two of you in that. She'll be elated about the prospect of a new friend.”
“True,” said Twilight crawling out of bed, which Eclipse noticed was big enough to put a king's to shame, and yet the alicorn seemed to treat it like nothing more than what it was intended to be (a place to sleep).
“Um,” said Eclipse, “is Pumpkin nice?”
“She's a real sweetheart,” said Twilight, “I told you I've been acting as magic tutor to her so you know she's a unicorn.”
“But you said her parents are earth ponies and her brother is a pegasus,” said Eclipse as she crawled out of the bed.
“You heard that much during your nap on the train, huh” said Twilight, “he's also her twin.”
Eclipse's eyes shot completely open before she said, “in Bridleton that would cause every noble house to go through all official and unofficial records to see if anypony was related to them through some sort of elicit activity. Bridleton is a nation that does its best to keep the tribes separated politically and socially as much as possible. Real alicorn's are said to be just a myth and the term is used as a title for the highest ranking ponies in the nation, the official title of the current Artanus, whom has no relation to the original, is his King Artanus Alicorn of Bridleton. Grand Charm, a mare I have serious doubts is actually my grandmother, holds the title Lady Alicorn Grand Charm.”
“Why does she have a title like that?” inquired Twilight.
“She's the family's current matriarch, and the house we belonged to before running to Equestria was one of the Seven Noble Houses,” said Eclipse with drooping ears and disgust evident in her voice when she mentioned where she came from.
“You have a good heart,” said Twilight as the two made their way down the stares. Before they reached the foot of stairs they spotted Pumpkin, the blue eyed light orange filly was munching on a lemon poppyseed muffin which she held aloft with her cyan magic, Eclipse quickly made a motion to hide behind Twilight.
“Who's that hiding behind ya?” asked Pumpkin in a voice that sounded like it was somewhere between Cupcake and Pinkie Pie, “I wanna meet her!”
After getting to the foot of the stairs Twilight moved away to reveal Eclipse and said, “this is Eclipse Touch, my new personal student.”
Eclipse looked between the alicorn and filly before giving a shy wave. “She kind of acts like miss Fluttershy,” said Pumpkin as she noticed Eclipse try to hide behind the couch next to the library, Twilight smiled when she saw a little black hoof reach up and grab a book on beginner's magic.
“I'll be busy seeing her grasp of the basics for a few days, so I can't give you any lessons for a while,” said Twilight, “but I think you making an effort to be friends with her every now and then might do wonders for her social skills, just be sure to take it slow since she is a bit skittish.”
“Oh yeah, Spike said something about her seeing you as a kind of mom!”
“Yes, well,” said Twilight trying to think of what she needed to with the filly without inducing a panic.
“The mare who calls herself my mother never acted very maternal,” said Eclipse with a shy quiet voice, “my sister and miss Twilight have been more maternal to me, miss Twilight has been the most maternal towards me. And... when I saw her for the first time I immediately felt that she was a mare that would keep me safe.”
“Yes, well I wasn't always this way,” said Twilight, “before I became an alicorn I was just an ordinary unicorn.”
“Why tell me that?” inquired Eclipse Touch as she came from behind her hiding place, “wait, unicorns become alicorns?”
“Anypony can become an alicorn, they just have to come to an understanding of a certain kind of magic that nopony has before. My old foal-sitter, Cadance, was a pegasus before she came to an understanding of the magic of love that nopony before her did and ascended to being and alicorn. I came to an understanding of the magic of friendship that nopony before had before seven years ago and became an alicorn because of it. It was one crazy year my friends and I had.”
Pumpkin giggled and said, “I was born that year, along with Pound. Although it was after Twilight came to live in Ponyville, so I've always imagined Twilight being somepony that was always here. It took a few months to wrap my head around the fact that Twilight came to Ponyville from Canterlot.”
“Yes, that's where my parents live and it's where I grew up. You might get a chance to meet them someday in the near future. Mom and dad will say something about how they're grandparents now, despite you being just my student.”
“My lessons haven't even started and I already see you as... my mother,” said Eclipse with despondent voice.
Pumpkin giggled and Twilight said, “that's sweet, but are you sure you're telling me the truth?”
“If you want you can study the memory spell you copied and see why I'm so attached to you,” responded Eclipse.
“That's something for another time, I sometimes get over zealous with new spells so I'm trying to temper my eagerness by resisting the urge to try the spells as much as possible,” said Twilight, “besides Princess Luna is right, Dream related spells are not something anypony should attempt without somepony to guide your the first few times. Memory spells are tricky, I've memorized a few, but none as complex as the one in that creepy book. Thank goodness Princess Celestia is the only one who knows what's happening to the two books in the whole world, I actually wanted to destroy it on principle, I usually feel the need to chastise ponies for trying to destroy literature.”
“Whoa, if Princess Twilight Sparkle says a book needs to be destroyed you know it's serious,” said Pumpkin.
“I'm of the same mindset as miss Twilight,” said Eclipse, “books, scrolls and tablets are amazing, but those two books I brought with me are abominations to their very pages and words, in fact everything in them is an affront to decent texts.”
Pumpkin smiled and said, “you're a perfect pick for Twilight's personal student, I hope you come out of your shell and act more like Twilight by the time school starts. You'll like it, it begins at the end of summer. Ponyville Elementary got some massive improvements after the whole...”
“Let's let her learn about historical events distant and recent another time, “ said Twilight cutting Pumpkin off, “she still needs acclimate to Ponyville and a number of other things. Come on, let's have breakfast.”
The three sat down at the dining room table and the moment they did a light green unicorn mare with cyan mane, brown eyes and a cutie mark in form of a fine tea set floated out several mahogany trays, a pitcher of blue liquid and four glasses. A tray was placed in front of each, plus near the center of the table. She then placed a glass in front of each and poured some of the liquid from the pitcher into each glass before a pony before setting the pitcher next to the center platter. She gave curt nod before pulling the lids of the trays and floated them beside her as she made her way back to the kitchen.
Looking down Eclipse saw discs of baked dough with little red triangles in them on her plate, next to the plate was a small sugar bowl filled with a brown sugar that had a wild sent that invigorated her like nothing before and small plate with a soft yellow substance (she left a noticeable indent in it with her hoof when she gently poked it, the act made Twilight give her a concerned look) that smelled fatty, on the other other side of her plate was a what looked like a cream pitcher her mother used when adding milk to her tea but instead of milk in the creamer pitcher was a dark amber liquid that smelled sticky and sweet along with reminding her of the maple tree in her mother's garden. “What are the red triangles?” she asked, “what is all of this? I'm not familiar with these liquids and that soft yellow stuff, I don't know what any of these are! All I know is the silverware, and that's only because of what Great Spell was feeding me.”
“You said something about lemon grass and mineral water,” said Twilight finally, “I'll tell you about each of the food items after you tell me what your diet usually was.”
“Every meal was lemon grass and mineral water,” said Eclipse as she drooped her ears, “it hardly had a taste, it had an okay scent, and it was the only thing Great Spell had me and Dream eating until we improved in our lessons.”
“That seems a little counterproductive,” said Pumpkin as she slathered the five pancakes on her plate with butter before sprinkling the wild smelling sugar on each of the pancakes before taking a bite and after chewing and swallowing she said, “good work starts with good food, my parents say something like that when they hear somepony hasn't been eating much.”
Eclipse took a sniff of her top pancake before nibbling it and giving a happy, “mmmmmmmmm, this is yummy.”
Twilight smiled and said, “I'm the same way, I don't really like to adorn my pancakes either, I think that pancakes are fine as they are. The first thing you tried is the pancake,so I'll start with that. Pancakes are basically batter that's been cooked on a pan or griddle. The red triangles in the pancakes are called strawberries, they're a kind of fruit. The soft yellow stuff is called butter, it's milk fat that's been churned. The dark amber liquid is called maple syrup, it's made from the sap of a maple tree. The brown powdery stuff is called sugar, in particular this is raw sugar which much healthier for you and it is unprocessed. The blue liquid is called blueberry juice, it's the juice from blueberries and a little sugar mixed together.”
Eclipse brought her hooves to the glass in front of her and gently picked it up before taking a testing sip, she then immediately chugged the glass afterward. The black filly gave a look of shame before she went back to nibbling her pancake. She had six flapjacks to finish and Twilight noted that at the rate the filly was going they would get cold and it would most likely be noon when she finished. "Eclipse it's okay to take big bites if you like it," said Twilight, "and that little gulp of your juice was fine. While there is an etiquette to these things, it changes depending who is there with you to eat with and where you are.”
“Who was the pony that served us the meal?” inquired Eclipse.
“Her name is Jasmine Tea, she was trained in the art of service since she was a little filly. She accords herself with a lot of control and refinement, she's actually the daughter of one of Rarity's best clients. In fact all the staff in the castle are connected to my friends in one way or another.”
“Who's Rarity?” inquired Eclipse.
“One of my best friends,” said Twilight, “she's a unicorn like you and Pumpkin.”
“She's a really pretty white mare,” said Pumpkin, “with a curly purple mane and tail.”
“Great Spell is a white mare,” said Eclipse with a dejected voice, “of course her hooves are black and her mane is a dark green. She's a physically beautiful mare, but she doesn't have the personality to maintain the illusion.”
Twilight smiled and said, “Rarity is one of the most generous ponies you could ever meet. When you meet her it'll be wonderful, After you get over your little quirk of being afraid of every new pony you meet. No doubt Pinkie has told everypony in my group of friends who hasn't met you about what you're like. You met Applejack and her siblings. You also met Fluttershy. The only ponies you still need to meet in my close circle of friends are Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Rarity's busy with her boutique in Canterlot, the Fashionable Gem, and Rainbow Dash is busy with her Wonderbolt duties, it was Rainbow's dream to become a Wonderbolt since she was a little filly.”
“In fact Twilight and her friends are some of Equestria's greatest heroes,” said Pumpkin, “they're known as the Elements of Harmony.”
“Not quite, Pumpkin,” said Twilight, “we're known by that title because we were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, we gave the Elements up to the Tree of Harmony at the beginning of my second year in Ponyville. Although some ponies do know us as our Elements of Harmony, mostly high ranking ponies in Equestria's government and our closest family and friends.”
“How many are there?” asked Eclipse, “what are they?”
Twilight smiled and said, “there are 6, just like me and my first true friends. The six are Laughter, Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, Loyalty and Magic. I'm the bearer of Magic and Pinkie is the bearer of Laughter.”
“Applejack is Honesty, and Rarity is Generosity,” said Pumpkin.
“Fluttershy is Kindness, and that means...” said Twilight.
“Rainbow Dash is Loyalty,” said Eclipse picking up where Twilight left off, “what do the Elements do?”
“They keep things in Harmony,” said Twilight.
“That means they maintain a balance,” said Eclipse, “in Bridleton order is imposed, and any attempts to bring change is met with a hostile force.”
“How hostile?” asked Twilight.
Eclipse looked over at Pumpkin with sad eyes before looking Twilight straight in the eye with coldly serious face, that Twilight noted didn't feel right on the filly, before saying, “those charged with making attempts towards instigating a change in the nation are publicly executed. Griffons are part of our military, but any romantic relations between them and ponies is strictly forbidden. In fact if a pony hybrid of any kind is found in a manor a public execution of all those in the manor is made. My brother says his best friend is hippogriff named Snow Feather, he hasn't said if Snow Feather is a stallion or mare.”
“Hippogriff?” inquired Twilight and Pumpkin in unison.
“a product of a pony and griffon mating,” said Eclipse, “they are said to have front that resembles a griffon and their hind end is that of a pony, they also have wings regardless what kind of pony their parent was.”
“That sounds cool,” said Pumpkin, “I want to meet a hippogriff.”
“Did you not hear the part about my birth nation murdering everyone suspected of associating with them?” said Eclipse sadly.
“We did,” said Twilight, "and it's a horrific practice, but we can't be sure how much of what you're saying is the honest truth, after all you just arrived in Equestria a few days ago. How do we know that you're not making up parts, for one reason or another?”
“The journals, Myrraldin's journals,” said Eclipse, “I've read them, not cover to cover like I have genuinely wanted to, but I have read through many of their pages. And there is an expression in those journals that I resolved to build my life around when we were no longer in Bridleton.”
“And what expression is that?” inquired Twilight.
“My favorite expression Myrraldin is, 'an honest statement will win you countless true companions where a lie can earn you a hofful of allies,' I have always intended to have the beginnings of my life away from Bridleton to be as far from the deceit and treachery that seem to be a primary nature of the nobles of that nation.”
Twilight smiled and said, “I knew you were being honest with us the whole time, it comes from having the unique connection my friends and I have to the elements. You see even though Applejack is the bearer of honesty and my connection to the element of magic allows me to tap into the other elements for short periods of time, it's only for a few minutes so I had to be careful when I started it. The reason why I asked that question is because I can feel my temporary connection to honesty fading away and I won't be able to tap into the other elements for a few days. It's what is referred to as an all or nothing gambit.”
“Each element doesn't just mean we show it in ourselves, but we can also spread and feel it in others. I wanted to know if you were being honest about your 'birth nation', as you put it a short time ago. Why did you say it like that?”
Because the moment we set hoof in Equestria it felt like I was on my way home,” said Eclipse Touch, “and when I met you that first time at the castle I felt like I was truly home for the first time in my life. My heart, my bones, my mind, my soul all of them said this is where my home is.”
“I like the way she said it,” said Pumpkin, “it's like she was saying she was always Equestrian, she was just born in the wrong place.” Eclipse nodded at the other unicorn filly.
“Pumpkin,” you should be heading home now, we don't want to worry your parents too much. Eclipse and I have a task that needs to be dealt with. Now everypony finish up the food in front of you and we can get on with the rest of our day,” at the last part Twilight poured a new glass of juice for her and Eclipse. The three ate for the rest of the meal in silence, Eclipse had a look of joy on her face (despite not adorning her pancakes with anything, just like Twilight who liked to not waste time on condiments to her food out of sense of practicality). After Pumpkin said her farewells to the alicorn mare and unicorn filly she was out the door.
After a pegasus stallion got the dishes and the two said their thanks to him and to pass on their thanks to kitchen staff Twilight lead Eclipse to a door which lead t theo castle basement. “This is where I put most of my storage of items,” said Twilight as they descended (enchanted crystals coming into a soft glow as they approached and dimming after they had gone a ways passed them). After a couple of minutes they reached the foot of the stairs and Twilight cast a light spell to illuminate the room, “the light crystals in here should have come alight when we reached the bottom of the stairs,” stated Twilight, “I'll have to speak with Rarity and Princess Luna about this.”
Eclipse tapped her horn to one of the dead crystals and spark jumped to her horn as it neared, she seemed to do it instinctually with her eyes closed when she opened her eyes she said, “sorry I thought I could... sense the aspects of the gem like I do with ponies sometimes, I'm sorry.”
“No that's good said Twilight, we'll start your lessons after we run this errand for Applejack, so maybe you should tell me what you got from the gem as we look.”
“Okay,” said Eclipse beginning to look around, “soon as you tell me what we're looking for.”
“a wooden box or crate with a red apple on it, the apple is how you identify something of the Apple clan's.”
“Right,” said Eclipse, “I got nothing from the gems other than three swirling colors.”
“What were they?” asked Twilight as she continued her search.
“Cyan, lavender, and yellow,” said Eclipse, “I don't know what that...”
“Those are the coat colors of Rainbow Dash, me and Fluttershy,” said Twilight cutting of Eclipse with a smile as she said it.
“Rarity said she infused emotional memories in the gems down here as a test to see if it would have any effect on the magic in the gems. You saw the essence of the emotions she infused. I saw them too when I looked into some of the gems, seeing those means that you have something very special about you. The only other ponies that can do that are my fellow alicorns, maybe your natural ability is connected to it. It's impossible to produce a canceling spell as widely effective as your ability, but with the right application to a counter-spell could exceed it's normal limits and become something more.”
“A sort of metacounter-spell,” said Eclipse pulling at dust covered old looking wooden box with her hooves.
“Exactly,” said Twilight, “wait if you were able to grasp magical principles easily...”
“I would have an understanding of magical theory and possible advanced magical theory,” said Elcipse, “when I was little I would read anything I could get my hooves on, I might have read a few of Bridleton's standing texts on magical theory at different levels. I think I found what we're looking for, it's all dusty and I don't want blow on it for fear of getting a lung full of dust.”
“Be right there,” said Twilight as she headed for the filly. When she got to where Eclipse was she lifted the box in her magic and cast a cleaning spell on it. When the dust was washed away the small wooden crate bore the insignia of a red apple, “you found it, Eclipse,” she said with a smile, “good job job. Let's get this to Sweet Apple Acres. On the way there I can tell you about the town.”
**************************************
A half hour later they were approaching the center of town and Twilight was still pointing out the more notable places in Ponyville, “over there is Sugarcube Corner,” said Twilight gesturing with a wing towards a building that looked like it was a giant gingerbread house as she carried the small crate in her magic. Eclipse looked over, “That's where the cakes work and live, Pinkie used to live with them until she got her business center in Canterlot.”
They continued for another forty minutes before they reached Sweet Apple Acres. “Howdy Twi, Eclipse,” came Applejack's voice as they neared the farm after getting closer said in an elated voice when the two arrived at the gate, “Twi ya foun' et!”
“Actually it was Eclipse,” said Twilight, “but it was a team effort, she just managed find it covered in dust.”
“It must have been down there for months,” said Eclipse with a shy smile, “when did you put it down their miss Twilight?”
“I honestly don't know,” said Twilight.
“She's still stuck on callin' ya that, Ah see,” said Applejack.
“I figured I'd let her do it for a few weeks before insisting she drop the miss part,” said Twilight.
“I-i-i-if your unc-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-comfortable with it then I can stop,” said Eclipse Touch.
“I'm fine with it,” said Twilight, “I just would like you to be a bit less formal, I always referred to Princess Celestia as her name and title or just Princess. Even when I was comfortable around her, I want you to have a more informal relationship with me. You adopted me as a sort of surrogate mother almost as soon as we met, and from what I've read and seen children are usually highly informal with their parents and I would like a similar dynamic for us if you insist on thinking of me as a maternal figure.”
Applejack chuckled before saying, “She's ahn interestin' one, she's got yer love uh books and tha kind of confidence we all saw wi' Fluttershy durin' tha early years wi' yuh, Twi.”
“And to an extent I feel like I have to be her mother,” said Twilight, “say hi for me, I have to get Eclipse back to the castle for training.”
“Sure thang,” said Applejack as they two headed back the Friendship Palace.
When they got back to the library they went straight to the library. In the library were a variety of chalk boards at on one side of the room with a desk facing it and notebooks with quills and ink and freshly sharpened pencils next to said desk. “Well,” said Twilight with a smile, “looks like Spike finished his errands, which means your designated room should be all ready for you. Before we get to that, it's lesson time. Go to the desk and sit quietly while I decide on what lesson to start with.”
Eclipse Touch gave an excited nod and rushed to the desk, earning an even bigger smile form Twilight. The filly didn't just share her love of books, she had the same eagerness to learn that Twilight had. Thinking things over quickly Twilight decided to start with the basics.
“So where we starting?” asked Eclipse with an eager voice.
“The basics,” said Twilight.
Anticipating a groan, which she always got from Pumpkin when she said they would be reviewing the basics she was pleasantly surprised when Eclipse said, “yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay,” and clapped her fore-hooves together in excitement, “I've read up on all manner of magical theory in Bridleton, but I never got a lesson on the practical use of everyday magic.”
Twilight stared at the filly trying to fully process what she had just been told. If Eclipse had read up on varying levels of magical theory, but hadn't even managed to get the basics of magic as an actual practice down that would mean she had a scholarly mind that had no chances to exercise those theories. Twilight was immediately worried about what kind of harm those texts could have done to Eclipse's perceptions of how magic operates. “Okay the first step to learning the basics, at least for you,” she said, “is to forget everything you ever learned about magic and magical theory. No offense to the top minds for magic in Bridleton, but I'm worried that those texts might contradict the understanding of magic we have in Equestria. So your first task is to forget everything you ever learned about magic, I know how counter-intuitive that might sound.”
“That,” said Eclipse with a pause as if thinking over her next words carefully, “actually makes sense. Do you have a spell for removing those memories from my mind? I don't think I'll be able to get them out of my head.”
“No,” said Twilight, “such spells are viewed as taboo in Equestria. Wait a moment, the mind magic spell book had a spell for memory removal, I am not removing your memories. You just have to lock those memories away until you've become familiar with the Equestrian philosophies regarding magic. Then after you've learned the Equestrian equivalents of those theories you can open the vault and pull them out for comparison. Actually, when you do I insist you write as much as you are comfortable within a comparative essay for me to read, and I might pass it on to my fellow princesses. Oh what am I saying? I'll share everything with everypony willing to listen. You're a sweet filly, you just need to get past a few things.”
“Thank you, Miss Twilight,” said Eclipse with a bright blush, “so, what's the first lesson?”
“The basics,” said Twilight, “we need to establish a baseline for your lesson plans, otherwise it'll be a big problem for both of us,” with that Twilight floated a feather, a wooden block the size of Eclipse's horn and a small crystal square pyramid about the size her own hoof. “The block and the feather are for levitation and the crystal is for testing a light spell, you can choose where to start. Most unicorns go for a levitation exercise, but it's still up to you to decide. I decided that you could choose between those two because they're both the easiest to learn, even if they are a bit difficult to fully master. Everything has a balancing factor, there is no ultimate spell.”
Eclipse stared at the items before saying, “I want to try the light spell, it could be more useful than I've been lead to believe.”
“What do you mean by that?” inquired Twilight.
“Great Spell, that mare that calls herself my mother, stated that anything like a light spell or detection spell is next to useless,” said Eclipse with drooping ears and a sad voice.
“Detection spells are a bit more complex than most ponies think,” said Twilight, “we might get to them by the this time next week if you show a great level of progress. Now to start things off I would like you to first imagine the whole room is pitch black and look for a light inside yourself, once you've found it try to send it to the tip of your horn as comfortably as you can, don't try to rush it. If you try going to fast the first few times without a little practice you might end up with a headache or blackout from the strain, that's true with all spells. Place the tip of your horn on the crystal ”
“Alright, I'll try the spell now,” said Eclipse as she placed her horn's tip on the side of the crystal pyramid closest to her and started doing the practice that Twilight told her, she gasped when the room went dark and she saw her inner light and Twilight's as well, the loss of focus caused the crystal to emit a blinding flash in the room.
Twilight blinked a few times to return her vision to normal before saying, “and that is what happens when we lose focus prematurely. What caused you to lose your focus?”
“I saw the light inside me like you said it would be, but I also saw the light in you and it overwhelmed me,” said Eclipse with a disheartened tone.
Twilight just smiled and said, “you were sensing my magical energy, it's rare to find a pony so sensitive to something like... your ability isn't a canceler type magic,” said Twilight with excitement, “it's a meta counter-spell, a lot of great ponies have been trying to figure out how do that. Starswirl and me included, you have a natural talent that has alluded many great spell casters for a very long time. I doubt even Princess Luna or Princess Celestia has been able to achieve something like that yet, you're ability is,” Twilight noticed the uncomfortable fidgeting that Eclipse was doing, “only part of what makes you special, it's what you do with your gifts that defines you and not the gifts themselves. A powerful spell can be learned, but a powerful friendship has to be earned and nurtured. I've learned time and time again that friendship is the kind of magic that can overcome any other kind of magic. It's stopped a lot of dangers to Equestria. It freed Princess Luna from the hold of Nightmare Moon, it bested Discord on more than one occasion in more than one way, it defeated Tirek and a host of other dangers to Ponykind.”
“But will such accomplishments be enough against...her?” whispered Eclipse to herself as she stared at the desk she was sitting in.
“Your mother, or Grandmother?” said Twilight, “I'm sure things won't come to that.”
Eclipse stared at Twilight before saying in a disapproving voice, “that mare lost all right to me calling her any variation of the word mother and lost all right to calling me any variation of daughter before I was even born,” then in a worried tone said, “I was talking about Great Spell or Grand Charm, I was talking about... Still!”
“Who's that?” inquired Twilight than with a worried look and voice said, “somepony dangerous?”
“To everything,” said Eclipse as she fidgeted with the pyramid and block in her hooves, “she's... the spirit of stagnation and she...”
“Ooh, another aspect creature,” came Discord's voice, “do go on, I want to hear about this! Forgive me, It's been a long time since I heard of any other aspect entities beyond myself or the Princesses here,” with that he flashed into the room in his own little desk (which looked more like a toddler's play area if the clutter of completely random items on it).
Eclipse stared at the draconequus for several minutes, she had never seen such a mishmash of body parts before she continued by saying, “Still makes it so a nation never changes. Everything is made to remain as something she can regulate. No new spells are devised or written down, no new dishes are created, fashion and technology don't even move past a certain era It's horrible, and the worst part she got her hooves on the place I just ran from. This nation is incredible, it's so vibrant and full of changes that...” the sound of something popping and a nose blowing caused her and Twilight to look over at Discord whom was now holding bunch of balloons with the faces of Twilight, her friends and his (one of the balloons of with his face had popped) and in addition a silk handkerchief with the sun, moon, a crystal heart and six pointed star was to his nose with what looked like the most unappealing mucus that she or Twilight had ever seen.
“Is there something you want to say?” inquired Twilight to Discord.
“Yes,” said Discord, “that is one individual I have no intention on meeting, she's my polar opposite. I like causing chaos, granted my antics have gotten a bit more subdued in recent years, but...”
“Your turned the homes of me and my friends into one of the most disorienting maze last week,” snorted Twilight, “thank Celestia the effects of your little...stunt were gone the following day. What part of that is subdued.”
“It could have lasted much longer,” said Discord with a smile, “honestly miss Sparkle you and your friends stopped being interesting almost a two years ago now, your new little pupil and you are the most interesting thing I've seen since you and your friends got all boring. Why this little tyro pulled off something amazing and you haven't even properly congratulated her. In fact,” he snapped his lion paw only to have Eclipse's horn glow in response, also Twilight's began to light up. What followed was Discord's magic failing, which surprised the draconequus greatly just before he was hit with a ranged teleport via Twilight and deposited outside the at the train station.
“Well, it looks like your ability works on Discord's magic, that's nice to know. Sorry if that came out sounding like I was taking advantage of your ability, it's just...”
“That was very rude,” came an amused Discord's voice before he flashed into the room, “now as I was saying,” he snapped his talons and Eclipse's horn glowed again and a mug in the shape of Twilight's cutie mark filled with a warm green tea appeared in front of Eclipse, “that's odd I was going for an award ribbon on her horn,” came a surprised Discord.
“I think that my ability adjusted the spell somehow,” said Eclipse in a timid voice with worry, please don't do something like that again.”
“And she just went from you to Fluttershy in the blink of an eye,” said Discord, “that's the most interesting thing about her I've seen yet. Of course adjusting my spell is a close second.”
“I met miss Fluttershy, she's a nice pony.”
“And my best friend in a very long time,” said Discord, “now what she needs is something to show she's officially your student, Twilight.” With that he snapped his taloned hand, Eclipse's horn reacting again. This time a throw pillow with Fluttershy's cutie mark dropped onto the fillies back, “not what I was going for,” the draconequus mused, “but it works too. You my dear are a wonderful agent of chaos,” with that he materialized a blue ribbon with his face on it, without moving anything, and slapped on Eclipse's chest, “congratulations, you've managed to converge aspects of Twilight, Fluttershy, and myself into who you are.”
“M-m-m-my ab-b-bility is supposed to neutralize other magics,” said Eclipse, who then had a thought dawn on her, “but maybe the way ability reacts with his chaos magic...”
“restructures the spell to something that is potentially less imposing,” completed Twilight, “you are a smart girl.”
“And pretty,” said Discord before disappearing.
Eclipse just stared at where Discord had been for moment before saying, “I'm familiar with being complimented, I've been called smart before, but that was only because I ended up solving problems faster than my siblings.”
“Who's idea was it to make a run for Equestria?” inquired Twilight.
“Mine,” said Eclipse, “a few months ago something caused me to believe in the existence of Equestria. I've known about Equestria for the past 3 years, but I kept on being told a nation like it was nothing more than an ideal. Then a few months ago I got it into my head that Equestria really was real, and somehow I had a feeling of what the geographic coordinates were to the boarder we met the Princesses at.”
“That's something we can look into at a later date, for now I think we should get back to the lesson plan. You showed some wonderful magical ability with the exercise, let's continue.”
“Okay,” said Eclipse getting back to her desk.”
“We'll break for a snack in an hour, trying new spells can be exhausting. Now, back to practice.”
Half an hour later Eclipse was floating a little ball of light around her head and giggling with glee, despite the look of minor exhaustion that her body displayed. Twilight just smiled and told her they would be taking a break earlier than she had planned. There snack, as prepared by the castle staff, was daisy-daffodil sandwiches with a glass of strawberry lemonade. After giving the food a cautious sniff and bite Eclipse grasped one of the sandwiches with her mouth and chewed it with delight (she spent a full three minutes, and 64 chews of the piece she bit off before swallowing), much to the amusement of Twilight. Before taking another bite Eclipse said, “all the food here is yummy.”
“I'm glad you think so,” said Twilight, “but there has to be some dish from your parent nation that you enjoy.”
Eclipse's ears went flat and she looked longingly at her sandwiches and lemonade before saying sullenly, “all Dream and I were given was lemon grass and mineral water. It's good for maintaining your magic levels, but bad for helping your magical abilities develop. Sunshine Bottle, our elder sister got more options from the manor kitchen. We could only have lemon grass and mineral water until we improved in our lessons.”
“Where'd you learn that tidbit about lemon grass and mineral water?” inquired Twilight, deliberately choosing to not bring up many of the other less than favorable cultural points Eclipse had mentioned.
Eclipse gave a weak smile to Twilight before saying, “a book on dietary supplements and practices in the manor library, it was a few weeks after I formed the resolve to make preparations for our escape to Equestria. It was almost like a fire hungry for any kind of knowledge I had ignored because I was told not to pursue it burned up from my core. I... I felt like I was breaking down a wall somepony decided to put inside me. Great Spell and Great Seal don't like it when somepony has questions. And Grand Charm doesn't like it when anypony tries to change how things are, not just in magic or scholarly pursuits, but when I say anything I do mean anything. Bridleton hasn't advanced at all because that's also the nation's policy.”
“That's a terrible policy,” said Twilight, “you make amazing discoveries when you ask questions then follow through on them, I mean those journals you brought are practically begging me to read them,” at that last part she used a giddy voice, “so many questions that can be answered.”
“Not about the present Bridleton,” said Eclipse as she gingerly sipped a portion of her lemonade, “Myrraldin was a pony from around five thousand year ago, the only reason those journals are in such amazing condition is because of the spells he placed on them to prevent damage or aging effects. As far as I can tell he never wrote down the spells he used for preserving the journals themselves within said journals, but I've only read snippets of some of the journals.”
“I do enjoy a good puzzle every once in a while,” said Twilight, “keeps the mind fresh and encourages you to reexamine what you're looking at, I'll do some light reading of them tonight.”
“I suggest you check the spines first,” said Eclipse, “Myrraldin left marks on the spines for all the journals. I think it's a numbering system, but I'm unfamiliar with how it operates.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” said Twilgiht as she sipped her lemonade, “we'll leave the light spell for later, I think it would be good idea if you got some levitation spell practice in.”
“Okay,” said Eclipse as she grabbed another sandwich piece with her mouth.
*************************************
Snack time had ended almost two hours prior and Twilight was staring in astonishment, all she did was explain the basic principles behind levitation magic to Eclipse and in just a few minutes the filly had picked up on some executable applications for the spell, she was going on a full half hour of orbiting all the practice items (the crystal pyramid included) around Twilight and was once again giggling with joy. After a full minute of surprise she just smiled at Eclipse, whom was taking a great amount of joy in something so simple, and couldn't help thinking about how nice it was that this was her first official student. Other young unicorns like Sweetie Belle and Pumpkin Cake she had been acting as a sort of tutor, this was a case her taking a full teaching role. She was enjoying the feeling being an official instructor for a moment before she asked Eclipse to gentle put everything down.
Eclipse gave a tired yawn which prompted Twilight to say, “Alright that's enough practice today, how about you go take a nap.”
“Will you be close by?” inquired Eclipse.
“Of course,” said Twilight as she floated some of the journals over to her from where Spike and decided to organize them. Taking a quick look at the spines she saw what Eclipse had meant, each was marked with an old unicorn numerical symbol from a system that Twilight knew predated Equestria. Thinking back in her studies for a moment Twilight recalled what the symbol for one was (a spiraling line that mimicked the spiral like pattern of a unicorn horn). After grabbing volumes two and three as well (a pair of intersecting spirals that made a stylized X formation and three straight lines making a cross with a diagonal through it respectively) the lavender alicorn mare and black unicorn filly made their way up to the sleeping chambers.
Eclipse was still preferred sharing a bed with Twilight, the lavender mare didn't mind it so much and settled down to start reading, before she cracked open the cover of the first journal Eclipse was fast asleep against her and what the filly said in her sleep surprised, warmed her heart and worried her. While fast asleep Eclipse was saying things like, “mommy is soft, gentle and warm. Don't leave me mommy.”
Not sure of what to do Twilight quickly thought, this could be a sign that she's emotionally immature, she did latch on to me like sort of surrogate mother. Looks like I'm going to be getting to those journals a bit later than I hoped, I suppose I should play along with this to see just how far can go, in her best maternal sounding voice (she tried emulating her mother's tone from her younger days) she said, “why do you think mommy is so nice?”
“You're better than my other momma, she's not nice. No, momma I've been a good girl please let me be with my sister,” at this point she started crying in her sleep, “Dream's on the other side of the wall, we're so close yet so far. I promise you Dream we'll never be separated like this again, we're going to get out this horrible place, all of us,” Eclipse's demeanor returned to the happy filly on Twilight's upper torso and she said (while still asleep), “mommy treats me right, I don't ever want anypony to say she's wrong for me, she's more like a mother than momma that's why I call her mommy.”
She's showing signs of being emotionally stunted, thought Twilight, that's why she's been treating me as surrogate mother, she calls me Miss Twilight when she says my name while awake, but when she's asleep she calls me mommy. I'm not just some second maternal figure, like Celestia was to me, I'm the legitimate maternal figure she wants to gain approval from. Something just doesn't add up, her ability hasn't acted up since Discord's unannounced arrival, it didn't seem to affect our lessons in any way, maybe she can control it but on a subconscious level. Maybe the Journals hold more answers than she thinks, the way Myrraldin was described he's a unicorn with magical prowess akin to Starswirl the Bearded. With that she floated the first journal up to her face again and cracked it open.
Twilight's eyes almost popped because the first words she read were, “To ensure the safety of my knowledge there is an enchantment on my journals that ensures they are kept safe. For those who lust for power they read what they need to know, but are unwilling to fully accept; for those that are still innocent, but alone with maybe one other nearby, they read what they need to in order to keep their inner strength; but when the magic of all three pony tribes is close enough what is truly written in these journals will be revealed. Since I highly doubt a true alicorn will ever end up reading these journals after my time has passed I believe this to be an effective safeguard,” Twilight quietly giggled to herself thinking that if she hadn't ascended in the years prior to reading the journal she would have read something quite different, “I have only written a single spell in these journals, a spell for allowing a pony to summon me from the place in which I have placed myself in an enchanted slumber that exists in a place outside of time as we know it. The spell is powerful, and potentially dangerous and should not be attempted without assistance. I have placed these safeguards on my personal accounts because a potentially dangerous force will one day destroy all the work Artanus and I have done to build up Bridletonia, a nation built on the principles that all beings are equal. Artanus is a fine Earth Pony, with his talent for leadership he has shown what a true leader can accomplish. My mother was a pegasus, and to be honest Myrraldin is merely a pseudonym I took to using to make my name sound more imposing than it really is. My wife is a pegasus our daughter is an Earth Pony, my little sapling is one of the most beautiful and charming fillies I have ever encountered (of course that could just be my parental instincts swaying my thoughts). I chose to name her after the most sacred of lands, the mystical island I visited many a time in my youth. I have all my journals after devising the safeguard spell, with this opening for those who hold a truly united power.”
Twilight smiled to herself, even if she hadn't become an alicorn she would still have wanted to share these journals with her friends and mentor. She took a double take then reread the opener and gave quiet gasp, she didn't want to wake the sleeping filly next to her. He came up with spell for hiding his works in plain sight, he probably used himself and his family as the test for the fail safe, after all he said he had an Earth filly with a pegasus. Wait a minute he called her his sapling, that could be a clue. I'll ask Eclipse Touch about this mystical island mentioned in the journal, after I gather everypony up for a meeting about this. It might be something minor, but I want everypony to be present for the discussion. Twilight read through the rest of the journal, learning things that even the ponies of Bridletonia were unaware of.
***********************************
It was almost four hours since Eclipse ended up taking her nap, Twilight was almost an eighth of the way through the second journal (despite their appearance the journals were actually quite dense with material and more pages than could be seen at first glance, Twilight figured it was a spell on the journals that allowed their author to keep writing without running out pages when he was in the middle writing what he intended. “Come on, time for lessons,” said Twilight as the filly roused herself from slumber.
“Okay, miss Twilight,” said Eclipse as she slid from the bed.
“Eclipse,” the filly stopped short of the door, “do you think of me as a maternal figure or a mother proper?”
Eclipse was caught a bit off kilter by the question and thought about it a few minutes longer than she intended before saying, “both, but I don't want to call you any variation of mom, it wouldn't be proper.”
Twilight blinked a few times before saying, “were you aware you talk in your sleep?”
Eclipse shook her head and said, “I was not prone to that quirk before arriving in Equestia, as far as I knew I was a very quiet sleeper.”
Twilight just nodded before getting out of the bed and setting the journals on her nightstand before saying, “sometimes ponies develop new quirks when they experience a big shift in their lifestyle, you probably developed it after arriving here. You didn't show signs of that quirk on the train ride after you fell asleep en route to Ponyville.”
“We should be going now, miss Twilight,” said Eclipse, “you must have other duties to attend to.”
“Not for a few days,” said Twilight, “but the sooner we get back to your lessons the more spells you could end up learning.”
A smile showed on Eclipse's face before she said, “learning spells is nice, but I just like learning unto itself.”
This caused Twilight to smile as she followed Eclipse down the stairs. Once Eclipse was situated in her desk chair Twilight said, “since you got a good grasp on both levitation and basic light magic I want you to practice them as much as possible, we'll try tracking and location spells next, while quite simple in theory they do require a bit more focus than most other spells, a considerable ignition to start things off and a just hints of a bit of the magic to maintain the spell. Once you completely lose focus you usually lose the spell, with practice that stops being as much of an issue. I've used these kind of spells numerous times, although admittedly it was usually to find a book I was having trouble locating. After Rainbow Dash gets back to Ponyville we can start practice on cloud walking, or something else if you prefer.”
Eclipse's eyes went wide then she said, “we don't have spells for walking on clouds in Bridleton, miss Twilight,” Twilight had a feeling this would be a trend with Eclipse, not that such a thing was bad (Rarity would definitely enjoy the formality of Eclipse when addressing other ponies), “I actually asked if we had any a few months before setting out away from Bridleton. Great Spell said that a spell that enables a unicorn to emulate a lower class of pony has no business existing, granted she said in a far more condescending manner with a bit more aristocratic flair, but...”
“It's fine Eclipse,” Twilight said cutting her off, “I'm sensing a pattern here. You need some fresh air, so after these next exercises we'll head on over to Sweet Apple Acres, I also have something to talk to Applejack about.”
“Really?” inquired Eclipse as she took a look at the chalk board, “so what will I be doing today, miss Twilight?”
“Taking notes,” said Twilight with a bright smile, “you need to get a better handle on your levitation magic, and taking notes will help you with some of the finer details of the magic. It is a basic skill for unicorns. I hate saying it, but a unicorn that can't do basic levitation is like pegasus with a broken wing or earth pony with two broken legs. They can still do things, it's just a lot harder for them than it would if they were in a much healthier looking condition.”
“Oh,” said Eclipse, “you don't mind me calling you 'miss Twilight' do you? I feel like it's appropriate.”
“It's fine,” said Twilight, “but I would prefer if you just called me Twilight, calling me miss makes feel very formal and I would prefer you refer to me in an informal manner.”
“Okay, I'll try,” said Eclipse as she floated some quills, ink bottles and parchment from where Twilight had placed them and started to copy what was on the chalkboards down (of the stack of 30 or so pages she had grabbed the first twelve were rather sloppy in terms of penmareship). Twilight smiled and summoned the journal she had been reading before and settled down on the floor to begin reading.
A couple of hours later Twilight pulled herself away from her reading, something that is very rare and difficult for her, to check on Eclipse's progress. What greeted her was some very beautiful writing and Eclipse Touch mumbling to herself about how she hadn't copied Twilight's writing properly. “You know,” said Twilight, prompting Eclipse to look at her only to see a set of sparkling violet eyes on a smiling mulberry face, “you don't have to copy me exactly, in fact you should never try to exactly copy anypony at anything. Everypony has their own style, flair, and way of doing things. Your writing is beautiful, not the same way I think of when I look at Princess Celestia's letter work, but beautiful in its own right. Your Cs look a bit like crescent moons, the only other pony I'm aware of that does that is Princess Luna; your Ys end with what look like little dragon tails, no other pony does it that way; and your Ts have little curls at the tips, just like me.”
“You also make Cs that look like crescent moons,” said Eclipse after a moment of staring at her new mentor, I've always imagined doing my Ys that way. This is my first time actually writing.”
“I noticed,” said Twilight looking at boards before looking through the pile of neatly sorted pages that amounted to almost half of the pile she started with, “So does Princess Celestia, I was her student some years ago and I tried to copy her writing exactly, just like you're doing with me, and I told you what she told me when she saw that. Of course,” Twilight gave Eclipse a soft smile, “I couldn't provide any other examples and just pointed that she did that in her writing, like you just did.”
“Miss Twilight,” I said Eclipse, “You mentioned a meeting with your friends next week, is it really okay if I'm there with you?”
“Of course,” said Twilight as she looked through the sheets of written work, “you know, despite not having done this sort of thing before today you have really beautiful penmareship. Now, let's get you in on one of my little habits.”
“What's that?” inquired Eclipse.
“Checklists,” said Twilight with a smile “you write down a list of everything you have to do for the day or task and check it off when it's completed.”
“That sounds fun,” said Eclipse with a hint of excitement in her voice, “but I haven't seen you doing any of that, miss Twilight.”
“I've mostly gotten to the point where I can properly run through the simple tasks with just visualizing a checklist in my mind,” said Twilight, “but the really big or pressing matters I write a physical one. Since you're such a big part of my routine now I have a checklist written up just for the lesson plans, you really have a talent for magic. Okay, first part of a checklist is a piece parchment and a writing utensil,” Eclipse floated a blank sheet and quill with ink bottle in front of her (with a great level of ease Twilight noticed with smile), “then write each task you have before you in a descending order, remember to give yourself enough space on either the right or left to place a check mark.” Twilight smiled when she saw Eclipse write up a short checklist, then raise her hoof. “Yes, what is it Eclipse?”
“What's a check mark?” asked Eclipse with a voice that indicated she really was not sure.
Twilight cleared one of the boards and said, “this,” before drawing big check mark on the board with one of the chalk pieces. Turning back she saw Eclipse make two checks on her list. Twilight trotted over to see what had been written.
Twilight saw, “ask about check marks, practice check marks,” both with little checks to their right, “have lunch, ?” Twilight assumed the question mark meant Eclipse wanted to ask something, but didn't know what the question was or how to ask it.
“Not bad for a first list,” said Twilight, startling Eclipse, “I had the opposite problem my first time, my list took up both sides of my practice sheet. When my mother saw that she gave a little giggle, I got my passion for checklists from her. Dad was always the more practical one, my brother got that from him.”
“You sound close to your family,” said Eclipse, “I wish I had that, if we had that I wouldn't have devised a plan for making our escape. I wanted my sister to come, but she decided to stay behind. Storm said that she did it to run interference. I'm not sure about it, he seems to have faith in Sunshine Bottle, so I'll trust his judgement on it.”
“I thought your sister's name was Dream Step,” said Twilight with a hint of confusion.
“Dream's my twin sister, Sunshine Bottle is a little older than Storm Walker. She's a unicorn, and Great Spell keeps calling Sunshine her little prodigy, to her muzzle anyway. Behind Sunshine's back she calls my sister an empty headed mare that will never amount to anything more than a pretty face.”
“A parent has no right to say that about their child! Wait,” said Twilight, “how do you know this?”
“That mare doesn't know how to put a filter on her insults when around my siblings or me, I heard her say that more than once the very moment Sunshine was out of earshot,” replied Eclipse, “at least I try to regulate what I have to say; and I never try to speak ill of anypony, even if they deserve every mean word I'm aware of.”
“You're already a better pony than most of Canterlot's nobility,” said Twilight, “ugh, I'm going to have to attend the Gala this year, they made my presence mandatory somehow, and the worst part is now that you're my student they'll be tacking on that you attend as well.”
“I don't feel comfortable at formal events, Great Spell always had my siblings and I attend the functions as nothing more than set pieces. We weren't allowed to talk, move past a set point or even write a note to the waiting staff to bring us so much as a glass of water.”
Twilight stared at Eclipse in a horrified surprise, which only deepened when she realized how her quick complaint about the Gala had just come off. She quickly amended it all by stating, “you'll be able to move around and get refreshments when needed, but I recommend you remain close to me because the moment you leave my side you'll be practically mobbed by Canterlot nobles that want your input on truly frivolous things. Yes, you'll be expected to talk and when you speak it would be best to try and minimize your apparent ignorance of politics.”
“But, I could care less about political climates,” said Eclipse, “what I was able to catch about them back in Bridleton told me it was something I wouldn't want to get involved in. A great philosopher from an ancient civilization in the far west once said that 'politics is game for idiots and fools', that is not a game I wish to be involved in.”
“Same here,” said Twilight, “who said that, I'd like to read up on their works.”
“Socsrates, (author's note: pronounced Socks-Ra-tees)” said Eclipse, “I read some of his collected works a few months before the events that lead me to my planning to escape from Bridleton.”
“And I'm kind of glad you did come,” said Twilight, “even if I don't like the circumstances that lead to you being dropped in my lap, well all the parts before you met the Princesses.”
“I don't like those parts either, I really wish we hadn't been exposed to circumstances that would lead to the decisions I made. The plans for escaping to Equestria were all me, I found the works that lead me to charting our courses for the each day, I'm the one who begged the manor's kitchen staff for their assistance in providing the provisions that would spoil slower than other foods, I'm the one who had to convince my siblings,” she started breaking down before saying, “why did momma have to be so mean? She treated us more like tools than ponies, that's wrong she treated tools better than us, more than once she said straight to my muzzle that I was just a means to an end and a tool for the advancement of the family's political aspirations. From this point on I will no longer associate her with anything motherly, she lost that right a long time ago and it is time I stopped diluting myself with false hope that she might become truly motherly. From this point on she will only be called Great Spell, and my father will only be called Great Seal.”
“Don't you think you're being a little harsh on them?” said Twilight.
“I love my sisters and brother,” said Eclipse, “we all feel like family, but the ponies that are supposed to be our parents the only thing I've felt from them is contempt for my lack of magical application. I could barely turn the pages in books with my magic, but now I can lift a variety of things and do things with my magic I only dreamed about until today, that is when I didn't have bad dreams.”
“Your sister is a dream walker,” said Twilight, “she could have helped.”
“Dream is untrained in the art, a novice dream walker can end up doing more harm to themself than they know possible without the proper guidance. At least that's what I read.”
“Well, Princess Luna basically told me the same thing when I asked about dream spells,” said Twilight, “where'd you read that?”
“An old tome called Dreams: How to Exert Your Magic Through Them, I hid the book someplace nopony would think to look after I read the introduction, for some reason it felt the right thing to do. That was... a little over a year ago... it was reading that book's introduction that started my forming a resolve to leave Bridleton, before that moment I was to scared to even consider doing anything that would take me outside the manor. Why was it the introduction chapter of that book that started all this? It's like somepony gave me a nudge in the direction of the path that lead me here.”
“One of the mysteries of the world,” said Twilight, “let's get lunch. We can talk about this more when you meet your sister and Princess Luna again, by that time they might not recognize you.”
“What do you mean, miss Twilight?” responded Eclipse with confusion.
“You were really shy when we met, and when Discord dropped in and we visited the Apples, but now you're being very forthcoming.”
“That's because... you make me feel safe,” said Eclipse as they sat down a the table.
A pink unicorn mare with a the image of a white clay teapot came out to take their orders. “So, what do want today?” asked Twilight.
“Um, if they have it a daffodil and rose petal sandwich with mint tea, I would like that,” said Eclipse, “I read that it's very good for helping with what we're doing.”
“That sounds good,” said Twilight, “two of the sandwiches that Eclipse mentioned and two mint teas, miss White Tea, if you please.”
“Of course your highness,” said the unicorn, “anything else while I'm here?”
“Yes, have the staff on break try some of newer recipes that were brought in or requested in the past month or so, we really don't want quality to suffer and I'm sure they would appreciate being able to try some of the refreshments that are served in the castle, I would like to hear their input on such things when they are able to speak with me.”
“Very good ma'am,” said White Tea, “your meals should be out shortly."
“Miss Twilight, you're so nice to your staff,” said Eclipse, “Great Spell, Great Seal, and Grand Charm were all rather mean to their staff, rather abusive in some cases. The only reason they still worked for the manor was because of the threat that loomed if they disobeyed.”
“I take it they had a rather harsh punishment for staff that stepped a little far out of line, or what they perceived as to out of line anyway,” said Twilight.
“The punishment was execution,” said Eclipse in almost hushed tone with a her ears flat against her head.
Twilight was silent for a moment before saying quite loudly, “that's horrible! Why would anypony ever consider such a thing.”
“I don't know,” said Eclipse, “Dream and I will probably get a punishment far worse than death when they drag us back to Bridleton. There are things far worse than death, and Grand Charm is a fan of many of them.”
“That... sounds horrible,” said Twilight in a much more subdued tone with a look that said she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Eclipse gave a drawn out breath before saying, “as the saying goes, 'you would be surprised what you can live through' and Great Seal has a particular level of expertise in executing such punishments,” she lowered her head with a sad face before saying, “I don't want to think about it anymore, that place has all of my worst memories. My only good memories of that place involve my siblings.”
“I've already met Dream Step and Storm Walker,” said Twilight, “I can talk with them about those sorts of things later, maybe you could tell me about Sunshine Bottle.”
“Sunshine Bottle is a unicorn like Dream and I,” said Eclipse, “she tries to be genuinely nice, but Great Spell and Grand Charm deliberately prevent her attempts from going anywhere. She has a spell that's supposed to filly you up with happiness and joy, but since she doesn't fully understand those much the result you get is a false version of those emotions.”
“Why do you say that?” inquired Twilight.
“Because when the spell fades all that's left is what feels like a hollow pit where the the emotions felt like they were coming from. I felt it once, my ability nullified it after a few seconds and that's what I felt when I removed the spell. I've been immune to it since then, Dream and Storm have a resistance to the spell and can shake it off after a few seconds when it's cast on them. We're the only three with a known resistance to the spell, Great Seal and Great Spell don't seem to have that property. I've tried using that as proof that they aren't our real parents, but I can't explain why I've been doing that, I never tried to rationalize why they aren't my parents until the moment I started planning and preparing for our escape from Bridleton.”
Shortly after their less than uplifting conversation White Tea brought out a tray with their orders. Just as Eclipse was about to take a bite into her sandwich a knock sounded at the door. “I'll get, ma'am,” said White Tea as she headed for the door.
After a few a minutes, their meal temporarily forgotten, Twilight and Eclipse heard a prim and caring voice say, “Oh, Miss Tea, is Twilight in?”
“Yes, lady Rarity,” came White Tea's voice, “she's having lunch with her new student at the moment.”
“Oh, I didn't mean to intrude,” came Rarity's voice, “but since I'm here would you mind getting me what Twilight is having, I think would like to join them for their meal.”
“Of course ma'am,” said White Tea, the sound of the two coming to the dining area was heard as she said, “I'll inform the kitchen right away.”
A rumble from her stomach had Eclipse decide to return to her sandwich, as the black filly was in midst of her third delicate bite of her food a white unicorn with purple mane and tail trotted in gave a smile and sat down next to Twilight before saying, “looks like I'm joining you a few days early darling, who's this lovely young filly?”
Eclipse had set her sandwich down and ran to hide behind Twilight the moment Rarity had taken a more noticeable glance at her. “This is Eclipse Touch,” said Twilight, “she's my new student, a request from Princess Celestia is what brought her into my life. The poor dear has some social issues, I think her upbringing before arriving here could have stunted her emotional development. It's good to see you Rarity, how did you end up getting to be early? I thought you were backlogged at your Canterlot boutique.”
“As did I,” said Rarity, “but the strangest thing happened, all of my remaining orders were completed and ready to go yesterday. Before you say anything there were so many that it would have run into the middle of next week if I got into not getting much sleep. I asked Discord when he came for a visit yesterday and...”
“You too,” said Twilight, “He dropped in on us earlier today.”
“Well, he was brutally honest with me in stating that he did nothing fashion related the whole month.”
“That's interesting,” said Twilight, “well, since you are earlier than expected you can get to work on our Gala dresses, they made my participation mandatory this year and I'm expecting they'll send me an amendment stating Eclipse has to join me at the Gala.”
“She's a little filly,” said Rarity, “does she have her cutie mark yet?”
“No,” said Eclipse in a timid voice, “I'm still learning, and I...” she ducked under one of Twilight's wings.
“She's been like that with all the new ponies she meets,” said Twilight, “Applejack, Fluttershy, and half the castle staff here all had her using me as some kind of cover.”
“As adorable as that is,” said Rarity, “what is it you're having for lunch today?” After her statement her sandwich and tea were set down in front of her by a unicorn's hazel colored aura levitation spell before the sound of somepony trotting away was heard.
“Eclipse's request,” said Twilight with smile, “daffodil and rose petal sandwiches with mint tea.”
“I, um, don't really know proper tea etiquette all that well,” said Eclipse, “Great Spell always went on about how it was important, but she never taught it to me. Even though she kept drinking tea in front of me with her meals, mine weren't as appetizing as hers looked.”
“She and her sister were only permitted to have lemon grass and mineral water until they improved in their studies. It's great for maintaining magic levels, but terrible for improving your abilities.”
“A proper mare should always take as duty to pass on proper etiquette to others,” said Rarity, “I'll give you a few lessons on being proper tomorrow, for now don't worry about how you eat or drink. We'll address those matters, then they become part of the lesson plan. I gave lessons to Sweetie Belle on proper etiquette, of course the dear didn't pay them much mind until she had gotten her cutie mark. You might do better.”
“Of course I will,” said Eclipse, “I want to know the proper way to behave around other ponies, then maybe I'll feel better about being in social situations.”
“Eclipse,” said Twilight, “Rarity and I need to discuss a few things in private, so as soon as you're done with lunch go and find a book on beginner's magic and take notes on it. I left a few notebooks in the area we're using as a classroom, you should be fine with all that.” Eclipse nodded and returned to her sandwich. After Eclipse was finished with the sandwich she floated her tea over and took a few faint sips before gulping the the warm liquid down and giving a nervous smile to Rarity before apologizing for any actions that might have offended the alabaster mare as she got out of her seat and trotted away.
“There's a good chance she'll take to her lessons well,” said Rarity, “she has enough decorum to apologize for her lack of knowledge regarding etiquette. So, what is it you meant when you said you thought she might be emotionally stunted?”
“She's treating me like a surrogate mother,” said Twilight, “while it is endearing it's also a bit disconcerting. She called me mommy in her sleep last night and this morning before waking up, when she's wide awake she just calls me 'miss Twilight' and I'm worried that she might do it again if that's the case it might indicate that her emotional development is stunted. I'm aware that I might not be able to teach her much beyond magic, I really appreciate your offer to instruct her.”
“No problem darling,” said Rarity, “and if she is as underdeveloped as you fear I think the best cure would be some proper education.”
“You're right,” said Twilight with a smile, “a good education can clear a lot out.”
The two giggled and went to check on Eclipse, what they saw was a small stack of books with a stack of notebooks forming a sort of nest around Eclipse. Eclipse herself looked like she was close to nodding off. I think she's on a good start to emulating you,” said Rarity with a playful giggle, “she looks like you after a long study session, minus the crazy ranting of course.”
“So... many books I want to... read,” said Eclipse as she fell asleep with a small forelegful of books.”
“Actually, I think she is becoming like me,” said Twilight in a hushed voice, “I used to do that in the library, mom had to carry me home after check out the books I had curled up with. But that makes no sense why would she...”
“No, give me back my sister, leave Dream alone,” came a shout of fear from a sleeping Eclipse. Twilight rushed over and scooped her up in her forelegs and held the filly close, Eclipse smiled and said, “Dream is back, thank you mommy.”
“This is...” Rarity said in a hushed whisper, “probably just as you feared. I wouldn't say she's emotionally underdeveloped, but she is indeed seeming to lack something that helps distinguish between you and a mother while she sleeps. Maybe the Apples, Fluttershy or Princess Celestia can help with that.”
“Applejack and her family most definitely,” whispered Twilight, “they're big enough that they probably have experience with similar problems. I'm not sure about Fluttershy, she may be good with foals, but she's not so good with dreams. Princess Celestia would probably have some words of advice. However, the one to consult on this is Princess Luna, but she's busy with teaching Eclipse's sister Dream Step. I don't want to send Princess Luna a note with a mixed message, Eclipse is a wonderful student, but she's developed a new quirk that tells us her dreams are problematic. She seems to have good dreams when she's in close proximity to me, I'm finding this very disconcerting.”
“To her you're a safety blanket, maybe if she had facsimile of you to comfort her she would be able to... idea,” Rarity practically sang the last word, nearly waking the sleeping filly.
Twilight gave the white mare a stern gaze before whisper shouting to her, “she needs her sleep, she keeps pushing her magic far too close to the burnout point than I like, it's a wonder she hasn't been having magic bursts yet with the way she seems confused about some of the more advanced basic terms.”
“She's young, and confused about what is being asked of her,” whispered back Rarity, “what has she told you about her lessons prior to you.”
“She had nothing asked of her,” whispered back Twilight, “she says that everything was demanded of her.”
“Well,” whispered Rarity, “we're both in agreement that is a method terrible for instructing in magic. That might work with training guards, but there is no way such a method can prove effective in the training of magic.”
“Mommy,” murmured Eclipse Touch as she affectionately nuzzled Twilight while sleeping.
“And to think,” said Twilight, “I thought hardest part of all this would be teaching her magic.”
After Twilight, Spike and Eclipse were officially out the door Luna turned to Dream Step and in her usual starry gentle voice said, “we should get to know each other, but I want to know what you want to do first.”
Dream's stomach gave a light rumble causing her to give a sheepish smile at the umbra alicorn. “And that's my cue to leave,” said Storm Walker, “Princess Celestia, would you be kind enough to show me to where I'll be staying and explain the preparations you've mad in regards to me?”
Sensing what Storm was playing at the moment he spoke the ivory alicorn nodded and said in her usual mother-like voice, “of course, follow me,” with that she lead the green pegasus out of the room.
Giggling a bit after her sister and Storm Walker had left Luna said, “there's a small dining hall near the throne room, I'll take you there and you can ask anything you want of the kitchen staff.”
Dream's eyes went wide as she looked up at the night princess and said, “I can decide what I get eat? That's never happened before, maybe a menu would be a good idea.”
“I'm still acclimating to modern Equestria myself,” said Luna, “I often ask the serving staff to bring me a menu of the dishes available.”
“You're getting used to Equestria?” inquired Dream as they made their way to the dining hall, “I thought you were a ruler of the nation!”
“I am one of Equestria's diarchs,” said Luna, “but there was a period where I was... absent from Equestria.”
“How long? The way you said 'modern Equestria' implies that you were not present in the nation for a few decades.”
the black coated alicorn gave a deep sigh before saying, “you'll learn about it someday, so I guess it's best I tell you,” after a pause in the conversation as they trotted into the dining hall she said, “but I'll have you wait until you've had something to eat, it's not the kind of story that should be told to somepony on an empty stomach, especially when she's going to be learning from me.”
After they were seated Luna asked one of the nearby guards to have a waiting pony bring her and Dream a pair of menus, the guard nodded and gave a salute and trotted off towards the kitchen area. A few minutes later a fancily dressed metallic yellow unicorn colt of around five years trotted into the room with a pair of six page cloth menus and set them down in front of Luna and Dream before he said in a slightly posh accent, “take your time, my kind mares, call when you are ready to order,” with that he gave curt bow and trotted out of the room.
“It would seem Blueblood took our suggestion seriously,” said Luna with a knowing smirk, “that was his son, Gold Standard.”
“He didn't seem to have a mark,” said Dream, “I noticed when he turned to leave.”
“Yes, well, we can discuss such things later,” said Luna, “for now choose what you want for lunch.”
Dream flipped through the pages of the menu, each page dedicated to something different. A page salads, sandwiches, soups, beverages, pastas, and pizzas. The word menu was posted in small font at the tops of each page. Dream gave a little giggle as the cloth of the menu brushed he hooves and forelegs. After looking over everything carefully she told Luna she was ready, Luna called for the waiter and lime pegasus mare trotted in with a pad and smile, her auburn eyes twinkling with delight.
“What is you like today?” she said with a chipper agrarian accent.
“Hello, Lime Ring,” said Luna, “Dream Step has decided on what she wants from the menu, go ahead sweetheart.”
Dream Step looked at the pegasus mare then back to her menu for a few seconds before saying, “um, a dandelion and orchid salad, a strawberry and lemon pizza, and a glass of blueberry limeade, please,” said Dream Step in a timid voice.
“Make that a double order,” said Luna, “I fully intend to try what she is having. And if you could bring the dishes out in stages I think would be better for her, I fear all of the dishes coming out at once might overwhelm her.”
“Of course your majesty,” said Lime Ring, “if it's not to presumptuous of me, what are doing with a a filly at the dining table?”
Luna smiled at the green mare and said, “my sister arranged for her to be my new protege, I'm going to get her back for messing with my personal space at a later date.”
Lime Ring nodded and said, “you're orders will be out soon as they are ready,” with that she left the room.
“Um, Lady Luna,” said Dream Step, a few minutes after Lime Ring had left the room, “I noticed you are not using the royal 'we' when you speak, I thought all rulers were supposed to do that.”
“I used to,” said Luna with a smile, “I grew out of it after a few years, mostly because I noticed my sister didn't use it when talking to anypony. That said, I usually slip into that mannerism when I'm angry or distraught, the castle staff quickly learned not approach me when I'm in such states.”
“Great Spell and Grand Charm will find yet another thing to show displeasure towards when they make an arrival in Equestria,” said Dream Step with a deflating voice and her ears pulling back.
“Care to elaborate, Dream,” came a soft and gentle, almost maternal, voice from Luna.
Dream Step let out a deep sigh before saying, “I've been keeping a mental score of things that the influential ponies in Bridleton would find distasteful. They'd probably be amused by the train, but state that such a thing is nothing more than a passing fad. They would say something about it being offensive that royals would not show their 'superiority' to the 'common ponies',” she made little what motions with her hooves when she stated her quotes, stopped looked at them and realized she had been talking with her hooves and voice, “I've... never done anything like that before, I've never even seen or heard of anypony doing the motion I just did. Where did I pick that up?”
Luna just smiled and said, “sometimes when a pony experiences a dramatic change in their lifestyle they develop new quirks. As for where you picked it up, you didn't have to since such actions just come natural to some ponies. I will admit I do that when talking about nobles I can't stand myself. I initially thought Blueblood to be one such pony worthy of mocking, that is until I learned it was a carefully crafted act to make the majority of the nobility think he was living up to their standards. He's really quite good at it, he missed his calling as an actor in my opinion. Then again I'm always thinking that ponies would do better in the arts, I myself am an artist and that's why I had the training room being filled with artistic tools.”
Dream looked around seeing a few paintings carefully set into the room. After looking at them for a moment she said, “I always liked admiring the art of ages past, but Bridleton's style has remained unchanged for a few thousand years now. No new pieces will ever be truly made, everything has a standard to conform to and you aren't allowed to add your own personal touch, not even your name on the back where nopony will see it. I tried a simple painting once, with my brother and sister playing lookout, it was just some crushed plant dyes and water along with my hoof prints on a blank parchment,” her ears went flat before she continued with, “Grand Charm caught us before I could finish the simple foal's painting with my hooves and unceremoniously set it on fire. The tears that Eclipse and I had over the ashes lasted a good two minutes, all the while Grand Charm was giving us a speech about how we were only supposed to be using our magic for everything other than walking. We were fortunate that I was doing it on a stone floor, I tried to make the impressions match with the feel of the stone under my hooves.”
“I think you'll do well, but you've moved past the age for such things now,” said Luna, “it's time you learned how to use proper art materials.”
“That example I gave was three months ago,” said Dream Step, “I don't know why, but nine months ago I felt the urge to do that, and have been trying do so every three months since. I don't know what's wrong with me.”
“Absolutely nothing,” said Luna with a smile and nurturing tone, “your creative side just wants to express itself.”
“I'm glad to see you two are getting along so well,” came Celestia's voice before the ivory alicorn took a seat across from Luna, “you'll be heading to bed after this I presume, sister,” she continued.
“After seeing to Dream Step's getting to bed,” said Luna, “since my duties pertain to the night I thought it would be a good idea that she learn to be active after the moon rise.”
Dream's eyes went wide, “I've always felt more at ease at night, but I kept on being told go to sleep during that time. The only ones who didn't have a problem with it were my siblings.”
“Yes Storm Walker and Eclipse do seem to be supportive siblings,” said Celestia with a smile.
“Sunshine Bottle too, when she wasn't around our mother or grandmother,” said Dream with a light smile.
“Who is Sunshine Bottle?” said both the royal sisters at once, with notable surprise.
“My eldest sister, and sibling,” said Dream Step, “remember what we told you about our brother?”
Luna nodded before saying, “he has a tendency to omit information because he thinks that because it is common knowledge to him it must be known by nobility, even if he has never encountered their culture before.”
“Hopefully his training in the Royal Guard will lessen that tendency, I think it admirable that he keeps such things tucked firmly under his wings,” said Celestia, “but he has to know when to provide information as well on the off chance that the pony he's talking too doesn't know what he is talking about.”
“It was a good choice, sister,” said Luna, “I noticed his mark. Dream, do you know what it represents.”
“My brother keeps saying he's a guardian, and that it his duty to protect ponies that have earned the right to his protection.”
Luna and Celestia smiled at this, Luna then asked, “what was your brother's duty before you began your trek to Equestria?”
“Whatever Great Spell, Great Seal and Grand Charm demanded of him,” said Dream, “he was mostly a messenger pony or specifically ordered to watch Eclipse and I between our lesson plan periods. Pegasi were never really permitted to serve militarily. Earth Ponies were forced into it, and the griffons were held into their roles by contracts that were maintained and held by most of the nobility, they also had amendments forced onto the contracts that made it so that things that were not favorable to them were part of the deal. None of the ponies in the army wanted to be there if they weren't the commanding unicorn.”
“That's just wrong, surely you are permitted to discover your true talents,” said Luna.
Dream shook her head and said, “mares aren't permitted to take part in most of the jobs or duties of the nation. No mare is permitted to be part of a standing military force if she is not there for provide meals for the troops. A mare isn't permitted to take part in crafting of any goods if it isn't pottery or clothing. The fact of the matter is that Bridleton is stuck in mentality that the original Artanus deliberately avoided, the Artanus that rules now has no legitimate links to the original. That said, one of my brother's best friends is a mare that helps out at the forge.”
“What's her name?” inquired Luna deciding to start things out on a good note in light of the newly given information.
“Forge Hammer,” said Dream Step, “her father decided deny convention because every time he tried to get an apprentice the colt he had his eye on was assigned to somewhere else by Grand Charm, and to make matters worse she would send him a note to hurry up on getting an apprentice. If you want to know more you're going to have to ask my brother, that's all he's told me on the subject.”
“I'll be checking up on him in a few weeks,” said Celestia, “I'll be asking him about such matters then.”
It was after this line of conversation that a pair of silverware and salads floated to their place in front of Dream and Luna. Dream stared her silverware before Luna without a word picked up Dream's salad fork, took a light stab and brought the salad's contents to Dream's muzzle before saying, “come on say 'ah', you can eat the rest yourself, but I want you to try a bite of it first.” Celestia quietly smiled at her sister's actions, Luna had always had a soft spot for foals and this moment was no exception. But instead of asking Luna to stop she witnessed Dream Step motion for the dark alicorn to bring herself closer (which wasn't hard since the two were sitting next to each other) and whisper something into Luna's ear. When Luna leaned back to a proper sitting position Celestia noticed a smile on the faces of both her and Dream Step. What Celestia witnessed next looked more like a mother feeding her daughter more than a mentor helping their student with a meal, Celestia decided to not think much of it considering it was her sister and Luna still had to find an instructional method that worked for her.
The lessons would wait 'til Luna had raised the moon once again, until then it was just two ponies enjoying a meal before heading off to sleep. “Not that we are happy to see you sister, but why are you here? We thought you would be occupied with the court at this hour.”
“I see you have a little annoyance at my presence, Luna,” said Celestia with a teasing tone.
“Of course I am annoyed with your presence, this is the time I must spend for the initial bonding with my student so as to develop a proper lesson plan for her,” said Luna punctuating the part of her statement about having a student with overly hard pounds of her hoof on the table that rattled the dishes that were currently on it. “I want to spend a few hours alone with the filly before bed, mostly so that I can help keep any potential bad dreams away.”
“Um,” said Dream Step with a concerned voice, “I accidentally enter another pony's dreams when I'm not feeling calm, that was almost constant back in Bridleton. The number of times I was actually calm enough to experience my own dreams totals to about a week. Fortunately I usually ended up in Storm Walker's dreams or Sunshine Bottle's dreams. Both of their dreams were pleasant. However around the time I felt a need to express my artistic side I ended up in the dreams of Great Spell and Great Seal, those dreams were scary and what prompted me to follow through on Eclipse's plan for escape. She's way smarter than anypony thought, we all thought she was the scaredest of us all, but she was the most fearless.”
“Actually she was probably the most scared of you all,” said Celestia with a smile, “she just chose to use it in a more constructive way than cowering in fear.”
“But, we still ran from the problem and left some of the ponies that meant more to us than anything,” said Dream with a sorrowful tone and drooping ears and downcast eyes, “I feel guilty for enjoying this meal when my sister and brother's friends are still back in that place.”
“That just shows you have a good heart,” said Luna, who also shot her sister a look that told her that it was time to leave, Celestia took the hint and left with a comment that she would try to see the two at another time. After Celestia had left Luna said, “there's nothing you can do for them as you are now, but once you reach a certain point in your studies you might be able to help them. Don't let your darker side take hold, hold it back with your inner light. I know personally what it means to let your darker aspects take control.”
“Does this have to do with the story you said you need to tell me, but don't want to?” inquired Dream Step.
“Yes,” said Luna, taking deep breath she said, “are you aware of tale about a mare and the moon?” Dream shook her head, “very well,” said Luna with resignation, “a little over a thousand years ago I let my darkness run unchecked and became a being known as Nightmare Moon, what caused it wasn't instantaneous and that part of the story was never explored. Before Twilight Sparkle and her friends banded together and reclaimed the Elements of Harmony and purged me of the darkness that had nearly consumed me they were wielded by Celestia and myself. The six are honesty, kindness, laughter, loyalty, generosity and magic. My sister wielded honesty, kindness and magic while I wielded laughter, generosity and loyalty. It was a few hundred years after we used the elements upon Discord and turned him into stone. My own generosity and loyalty, my two greatest virtues, opened up a chink in my armor. The ponies I considered my dearest friends were lost to me and it was those very virtues I had called on for strength that began to become twisted and invert causing me to see their loss as a betrayal of everything. I blamed my sister for the loss, although looking back with a clearer head now she never had anything to do with my loss. My anger and jealousy at my sister for not experiencing the same loss as me grew until the darker aspects became so strong they caused my personality and form to change into something more menacing. I became Nightmare Moon and almost brought the whole of Equestria into a cataclysm with a never ending night. But that was only part of it, I just didn't want to bring night eternal. I also wanted the respect and admiration that Celestia had with the majority of our subjects. There were a few pegasus clans that had showed a great deal of admiration for me so I granted them the gift of the night, I transformed them from simple pegasi into what are known as the Bat Ponies by most of Equestria, but many of the the ponies that more knowledgeable about such things call them Thestrals.”
“That's a pretty word... did you say bat? I've always had an admiration for bats, but we were never permitted to have pets. I really wanted a bat to share my nights with, especially the past five months.”
Luna smiled and said, “after enough progress has been made for you to keep your ability in check we shall travel to Ponville, there is a pony there that will help you to find the perfect companion, she is one of the sweetest mares you will ever meet, and she is also one of Twilight's best friends. That means you might see your sister during the visit. I know you feel like you were separated, but that's only true if you believe it. You may be apart physically, but if you keep the ponies you care for most in your mind and heart you will never be apart. Thinking of the good times with my sister while trapped in the Nightmare after she banished Nightmare Moon to the moon for a thousand years helped me gain some measure of influence over her actions. I managed to make it possible for Twilight and her friends to first use the elements. If Nightmare had been in full control she would have been very violent and most likely killed Twilight and her friends.”
“You're thousands of years old? Bridleton was established a little over three thousand years ago, the last anypony saw the original Artanus or Myrraldin was a little over six thousand years ago.”
“Equestria was founded a little over five thousand years ago,” said Luna with a smile, “my sister and I didn't take over leading the nation until the nation was a little under a thousand years old. Of course that was after we bested Discord, before then we just maintained simple duties. For me that meant raising and lowering the moon in addition to watching over the dreams of ponies at night. For my amusement, and that of a few others, I would brighten the stars of the constellations I had found as a filly.”
“If you were just separated from the Nightmare doesn't that mean the essence is still out there? Sorry it's just a thought, I'm worried that the power that took you over will find me... and maybe turn me into a being calling herself Fallen Dream or something equally as dreary.”
“No worries the remnants of Nightmare Moon were handled by Celestia herself, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Now, let's finish your appetizer before the main course gets here.”
“What about your salad?” inquired Dream Step.
“I'll get to it after I've been assured you won't mope about circumstances you have no control over,” said Luna with a smile.
“You don't understand, I'm the elder twin it's my duty to...”
“Keep your sister safe,” finished Luna, “and it's her duty to do the same, do you trust your sister?”
“I trust in all my siblings,” said Dream as the fork lifted to her mouth in Luna's magic and the filly took another bite of the salad making slow deliberate chews for a minute before swallowing and saying, “I just never trusted the influence that seemed to govern my elder sister. I cowered in fear of her, so did Eclipse. But then one day she changed, she started sneaking off to the library and pouring through books in sections of the personal library we had never even approached before, everything she did wasn't like she had been before, it's like she had become a different pony.”
“No, she just figured out how to use what she had to an advantage,” said Luna as she lifted another morsel of the salad to the filly's mouth, Dream opened up and bit it off the fork and began chewing before Luna continued, “she just found her courage. Courage is having the power to act in spite of your fear, the fear is still there, you just use it to motivate you differently than most other ponies would. It's unhealthy to deny your fear, so you see...” Dream Step took a quick gulp of her food.
“But Eclipse kept hiding the fact she was afraid during the entire planning for the escape and the escape itself.”
“What were the first she things she did when she came to Equestria?” asked Luna in a gentle voice that was free of condescension.
“She fell asleep at your hooves next to me, then after we arrived here she ran to Lady Twilight,” said Dream Step with concern evident in her voice, she's only shown an immediate feeling of safety around a few ponies, but never to to that extent it's like she...”
“Wanted Twilight Sparkle to be her maternal figure,” finished Luna, “your brother mentioned something about her occasionally being able to sense the true personality of other ponies.”
Dream Step nodded before saying, “every time she encountered a new pony she would show fear or comfort, but it only seems to happen during the summer months, that's why he said occasionally, if she could get a handle on that ability it could help us with deciding who to trust.”
“You should never put so much faith in a singular ability,” said Luna with a serious tone, lifting a large portion of Dream's salad that was almost too much for her mouth.
“Um, Lady Luna,” said Dream timidly, “I think you are trying to give me a little too much.”
“Oh, sorry sweetheart,” said Luna as she pulled some salad off the fork with her magic and set it back on the dish, “there we go, I want you to chew this slowly, I have something very important to tell you.”
Dream Step made an “aaaaahhhhhhhhh,” sound and bit down on the downsized morsel.
“Good girl,” said Luna as she saw the filly taking very slow chews, “I was the same way with my Dream Walking ability after I learned it had another property. You see, I could look into the pasts and possible futures of ponies by entering their dreams and the dreams of those close to them. I still can, but I'm not as reckless as I was back then. There was a time when I would rely entirely on the ability to glimpse a pony's future in my decision making. When my sister found that I was doing amazing work, but seeming to be deprived of my rest she confronted me at one of my weakest, and admittedly more embarrassing, moments and confronted me about it all. I was too tired to try and evade her and just blurted out the truth, that was the first time my sister had heard of that property of my dream walking. Do you know what she did after that?”
Dream just shook her head, seeing as she still had a mouth full of food, this caused Luna to chuckle before saying, “she scolded me with one of her infamous, 'you are such an idiot' stares before she pulled me into one of her warm hugs. I only use the ability while helping guide ponies every once and a while. I also used it to write a very special book, the same book that Twilight read the tale of Nightmare Moon's return within in fact. I created a book of prophecies before I fell to my inner darkness, at the time I didn't realize I was fated to be Nightmare Moon.”
“Really?” asked Dream Step with surprise, “how come?”
“Divining into the future can be tricky,” said Luna as she lifted the last of Dream's salad to her muzzle, “now eat up while I tell you about it, chances are that you might be able to do the same once you have finer control over your magic,” Dream took the last of the salad without a word and nodded curtly after pulling the food off the floating fork, Luna smiled and said, “There was a pony a few centuries before my turning to Nightmare Moon, she showed all of what my sister believed would be the signs of Nightmare Moon. Remember this, those watching for signs of heroes and villains as well as prophecies can be lead astray by decoys. That mare, her name was Night Mask and she was an actress that was down on her luck and was being manipulated through a series of spells a group of less than friendly unicorns had created to amuse themselves, one of those unicorns happened to have access to the archive where Celestia and I kept the prophecies I had managed to divine.” Dream Step stared at he dark alicorn in awe, her food being chewed much more thoroughly than any of the other bites she had taken with her mouth still closed, she looked like she had forgotten to swallow, “you can swallow your food now, Dream,” the white filly gave a big gulp that indicated she was swallowing, “very good, we managed to free her, had all guilty parties arrested, and passed a new set of laws to curtail such unscrupulous behavior. One of the first things I did after my return was Track the career and Night Mask, as well as the rest of her life. She became an actress of incredible standing, and had seven foals with a good stallion. Night Mask was a unicorn, and her husband was as well. And you actually met one of her descendants.”
“Who?” said Dream with excitement.
“Your sister's new mentor,” said Luna matter-of-factually.
“Lady Twilight! Did she have a role in the Prophecy of Nightmare Moon?”
“Yes, she was the inheritor of the element of Magic.”
“One of the Elements of Harmony? She was a successor?”
“Yes, the element of magic is a key, without it nopony can fully access the other elements.”
Silence reined in room for several minutes. A pair of glasses with the requested beverage floated in carried by a topaz aura, Dream's plate and silverware floated out, a large pizza of the requested type floated in and came down between the two ponies before a new set of plates positioned themselves on the table so as to not disturb the drinking glasses, then two triangular slices floated out from the large disc and set themselves on the plates of the two ponies before the sound of hooves retreating was heard. Luna smiled and started to slowly eat her salad and sip her beverage.
“Why are you just now starting on your salad?” inquired Dream Step, sniffing her slice and staring at the triangle with interest.
“You've never seen pizza before,” said Luna with a smirk, “I reacted the same way when I first encountered it. Go ahead, take a bite of the slice.” Dream took a bite and her eyes lit up before she scarfed the rest down and gave a sheepish smile. “I did the same thing,” said Luna with warm smile, “I have always had a love of foals, I would like to think that if I had any they would be very much like you are, only a little better adapted to life here.”
“I would want to have a mother like you,” said Dream as she tugged at a piece, which broke prematurely causing the filly's eyes to water in preparation for crying.
“Your sister seems to already have decided that Twilight is her new mom,” said Luna, “you might not recognize her at your next meeting, she'll probably have a number of Twilight's quirks and nuances, and you might adopt a few of mine by then as well,” she took another bite of her salad, then a nibble of her pizza, “there is something off about this pizza, but since you've never had it before you probably...”
“The dough it a little too rich and we need another set of fruits as toppings since these two don't seem to play nice with the cheese... how did I know that? I've never encountered any of this, it's like I'm recalling somepony else's memories.”
“Actually, everything you said was of suspicions that I had. The kitchen staff here is wonderfully competent, but they have a tendency to get over zealous of components to the dishes they make or throw things together so as to surprise the 'royal pallets' without regard to how it actually is. All that said, it is a bit odd that you would able to discern all that from your first time of eating the dish. Are you sure you've never had pizza before?”
“I had never heard the word before today,” said Dream Step, “in fact I'm not sure how I managed to properly read the word properly, seeing as it is quite foreign to me. Something isn't adding up, wait I remember Eclipse said something during the last week before we made to Equestria that got her and us confused.”
“What was that?” said Luna.
“She said something about being hungry enough to down her weight in 'hayburgers', the thing is before that moment none of us had heard that word before. It's almost like...”
“Something else was deciding your words,” finished Luna.
“Now that I think about it,” said Dream Step as she took a big bite and quick chew of her new slice before swallowing, “the three of us have picked aspects that we never had prior, and didn't have a chance to really learn. Strom Walker called us both 'little honeysuckle' a few times in the week before we made our escape, he never used that word in reference to ponies before. Even Sunshine Bottle said things that she hadn't before, it's almost like... something was crawling through cracks in a barrier. Maybe when I have enough control over my magic we can use our Dream Walking abilities to try and find it within me.”
“Your reactions to normal expressions here in Equestria does seem a bit odd, a look at some of your aspects through your dream region would be a good idea.”
“A bit of warning Lady Luna,” said Dream Step, “I can tell when somepony enters and is looking around my dreams. I caught Great Spell doing it once, I forced her out ten seconds after I became aware of her presence.”
“You can also tell who is invading your dreams?” said Luna with surprise.
“Only if I've encountered them before,” said Dream Step, “if it's somepony I've never seen or heard before then their identity is a mystery to me.”
“I never encountered anything like that before,” said Luna, “I wonder if I'm the same way, we can look into it once you have a bit more control or I can get some assistance from Twilight Sparkle.”
“Oh right,” said Dream snapping out of the deep thought at Luna's words had put her into, “Lady Twilight copied the dream walking spell from one of those books that's being sent somewhere I don't want to know about.”
“That might change one day,” said Luna, “you or your sister might think that one of you might have found away to finally destroy them, or research them in a way that can benefit other ponies. That bag your sister brought is having its magic matrix studied by some of the best magical minds in Equestria, when they're done it'll be sent to Twilight for her to study and your sister to pass final judgment on what is to be done about it. It was she who brought that bag with improved storage to Equestria, we think it only fair she decide what is to be done about it afterwards.”
“I already know what she'll say, she said that if it was ever given back to her she would 'treat it with the respect it deserves', she had no malice in her voice when she said that, she sounded sad when she said that. It was like she regretted not being able to... mourn the creature from whom the bag was made. One of the last lessons before our escape we had was an item enchanting lesson, we each were given a random item to enchant. Eclipse asked something when she received her item.”
“What items did you all have to enchant?”
“Sunshine Bottle had to enchant a flower pot, I got stone shield, and Eclipse had a... fox hide placed in front of her. She... looked like she was going to cry when she saw what she was given to work with, she hid the pelt somewhere nopony would find it after the class, neither of us could get an enchantment going.”
“I think I know what your sister did,” said Luna with a smile, “she wanted to give poor creature its last rites and respect its sacrifice, in other words she buried it and sent up a small prayer for its soul. I can not be sure about such things, I was just making an educated guess, we will have ask for confirmation from your sister when we see her next. Your sister said the bag was made from the hide of a deer, why would they use the hide of another living creature? Especially in such a disrespectful manner. Deer are a people with their own culture and language.”
“The unicorns that rule over Bridleton have a massive sense of superiority, one that makes the nobles here in Canterlot look like foals playing at nobility. They believe that everything is beneath them, be they be pony or something else entirely. The deer are a wild people that have rejected most technological advancements, many of the high standing unicorns think it 'fashionable' to hunt foxes, deer and various birds. Eclipse, Sunshine Bottle, Storm Walker and I didn't think much of it. That is, until about a year ago. Around a year ago Eclipse suddenly made the motions of feeling ill when she heard that ponies were going on their monthly hunt, it wasn't until a few months ago that my brother, elder sister and I showed signs of being disgusted at the act. Every time after that day Eclipse looked at anything that was made with animal hide she would start shaking say how much the leather-works were creeping her out. I will admit the deer skin bags did make mefeel uneasy, but I didn't know how much those bags made my sister feel like she was going to be ill.”
After finishing her slice Luna said, “I noticed you talk more about your siblings than yourself, is there a reason why?”
“There's nothing special about me other than my ability, and I can't even control it. I'm less likely to jump into somepony's dreams when I'm near my sister, there's absolutely nothing I'm worthy of saying about myself.”
“Except that you have a natural humility that very few ponies ever find when they look all their lives for it, you are just as amazing as your siblings. Your elder sister may be better at magic, but she's been learning longer and actually was taught the basics; your brother might be tough and strong, but that's because he's spent years working at it; and your twin might be very knowledgeable, but that's because she spent so many hours reading what she could. You, on the other hoof, looked at what others were doing and made the choice to not put forth the effort because you were afraid to work your talent. You said you've felt the fires of an artistic soul burn within you recently, who is to say it wasn't always there? You just resigned yourself to a position where you would continue to feel useless.”
“Art hasn't changed in Bridleton for thousands of years,” said Dream Step with a resigned sigh, “Great Spell kept on saying artists don't amount to anything more than somepony who makes decorative pieces.”
“That's another problem I see,” said Luna with a gently prodding voice, “you're letting others dictate what is possible for you, they can't really know what you're capable of. You shouldn't let anypony other than you dictate what is possible for you. Remember You are no longer in Bridleton, Equestria is much different. Anypony, regardless of the standing they were born into can become whatever their talent says they are special at. Can you guess what the talents of the alicorns you've encountered are?”
Dream just stared at the unfinished pizza, with slices pulled out of it, for a few minutes before saying, “Lady Celestia's talent is raising the sun, yours is raising the moon and I think Lady Twilight's talent has something to do with stars.”
“Not quite,” said Luna with a little giggle in her voice, “you're taking images literally without considering their symbolism. My talent isn't just raising the moon, it's being the Guardian of the Night. I can trot through the dreams of my subjects to ensure that their dreams are not too dangerous or traumatic, raise the moon, adjust the brightness of stars in the sky, influence or adjust the dreams of myself and others, and I don't like bragging, but when it comes to combat I was always more flexible than my sister. All of these mean I'm meant to be the Guardian of the Night. My sister's skills are raising the sun, being analytical, being able to read the true intentions of others, and giving a warm encouragements when she sees the are needed, nurturing of others and releasing immense power on revealed threats in a fairly direct manner. That all means she is meant to be the Guardian of the Day. Twilight Sparkle's talent is magic in and of itself, in all of Equestria's history only one other had that talent. There is a fourth Alicorn, Princess Cadance. Since you haven't met her yet you couldn't possibly guess what her talent is.”
Dream looked at the umbra alicorn for a moment that to both felt like hours before saying, “we were told it was impossible for anypony to have a special talent for magic. Since I can visit the dreams of other ponies naturally does that mean that I have a talent similar to yours?”
“Something my sister and I have learned over our time is that nothing is really impossible,” giving a smirk and giggle she said, “it might be true that you have talent similar to me, but remember even if two ponies claim to have the same talent it will vary in its meaning between them. Now, let us get you to bed. I will see you tonight after I have seen to my duties.”
***********************************
A few minutes later the two of them were trotting through the Night Wing of the castle towards the sleeping chambers. They stopped with a large door that bore a crescent moon on it, “That is my room,” said Luna indicating the door with the moon on it, then gesturing to door to its immediate right, a door with the constellation of a bat winged pony, “this is yours,” she threw open the door. Dream was met with a huge trot-in-closet adorned with various constellations immediately across from the door, to her right a bed that would make any king or queen in Bridleton feel like they were sleeping in a bed for foals adorned with nigh themed sheets that were topped with a crescent moon dominated quilt, the floor was covered in a series of 6 rugs that were placed in such a way that they appeared almost seamlessly one making the imposing image of a crescent moon dominate the space next to bed where one would enter and exit the sleeping apparatus, across the room from the room was stain glass window that took up half the wall showing Princess Luna raising the moon. “Really, my sister's decorating staff went overboard when they renovated this room last! What do you think?”
Dream Step just stood their awestruck for a few minutes before saying, “This is going to be my room? It looks like it is meant for royalty, it's too much... I can't explain it, but it feels right, almost like I finally realized I've come home.”
“That's nice to hear,” said Luna, “but I think that might be an exaggeration, I always intended for this room to belong to my first official personal student.”
“It feels more like it was intended for your daughter,” said Dream absentmindedly, realizing what she just said Dream quickly said, “I hope I wasn't being presumptuous.”
“No,” said Luna with gentle smile, “I just never really thought about something like that. Get to bed, I will see you in the night when we are both properly rested.
Dream just nodded and headed to the bed, Luna used her magic to neatly pull the covers back and place the filly into the bed before pulling the covers around her, “good dream time Miss Luna,” said Dream Step before falling asleep with a yawn.
“Good night,” said Luna, noticing that Dream looked like a comet of white across the sky that presented itself in the covers of the bed, “little comet.” With that Luna left the room, noiselessly shutting the door behind her. After shutting the door to her room silently behind her she removed her royal vestments and slipped into her bed, a genuine smile across her muzzle as she drifted off to sleep. The Night Princess had always had a love of foals, and now she had one that would be turning to her for guidance. Maybe she would go a little easy on Celestia with her payback, just a little. Just as she was drifting off to sleep a plan she had never considered entered her mind, and would eventually come to dominate her thoughts and dreams for a few hours.
Luna woke three hours before Moon Rise was due, she felt proud of herself for being able to have a little extra free time. Giving a very unrefined yawn with awakening Luna gently pulled herself out of her lavish bed that was a little over twice the size of the one Dream was sleeping in (Why it had to be so big was beyond her, if it were for her sister she could understand given the proportions Celestia has to other ponies). The bed was adorned with midnight blue sheets that had her insignia emblazoned on them and topped with a midnight black quilt that had her mark dominating it. The bed itself was solid oak and carved with immense detail so as to have one see her crescent moon every few inches when looking close, but at the same time formed larger crescent moons the further you got from the bed. The Headboard had an imposing crescent moon with a well cut white diamond being in a groove that was specifically made to hold the gem perfectly, a matching well held monstrous pearl that gave the impression of being the mate for the head was dominating the site at her footrest in a hold that did not damage the gem while maintaining the illusion without the aid of magic.
Looking about her equally lavish room, she once again wondered why her room had to have such pointlessly opulent decadence seeing as she was the only pony that used it regularly. A perfectly smooth silver mirror with a cherry wood frame was attached to the dresser that held her vestments, each drawer holding a piece of her regalia and shoes with her crown in a special hold just behind the mirror. The piece of furniture was decorated similar to the Lunar Princess's bed. With a practiced hoof Luna used her magic to throw on her vestments, several years ago she had forbade anypony to enter her room and “aid” in dressing her, she much preferred putting her attire on herself, it helped her feel like she was actually able to accomplish something. The floor and trot-in-closet could easily be mistaken for the ones in Dream's room at first glance. The stained glass windows across from her bed depicted her and the moon during each of it's various phases.
Luna gave a deep sigh and headed out of her midnight blue painted door, why it was painted only on this side while maintaining its natural color on the other side was beyond her, into the hall. After she carefully closed the door behind her with nary a sound she cracked open the door to the room that Dream Step was using to check on the filly quick. She gave a smile at the sight of the little filly still sleeping, and still giving off the impression of being a comet in the night sky. Leaving the door ajar the umbra alicorn made her way down the hall.
After twenty or so minutes Luna came into the throne room, and saw that it was devoid of anypony save her sister, two guards were at the exterior of the throne room entrances and was it. Smiling to herself Luna gave the guards a curt nod before entering the throne room and sitting down in the throne designated as hers next to Celestia's with a small table between the two. On the table was Celestia's favorite mane brush, a mane comb and a small pile of neatly stacked papers.
“Still trying to keep organized, sister,” said Luna with a hint of amusement as she sat into her throne.
“Luna,” said Celestia with obvious surprise, “I didn't expect to be up for another hour and a half.”
“I had a sleep that more restful than I thought,” said Luna with smirk, “it also gives a chance to talk like we used to.”
“So, how's our guest?” Celestia started off.
“Still sleeping,” said Luna, “I told her about my other self, and a few other things. She shared a few things about herself, but she talked more about her siblings than herself. She has a very low opinion of her self worth it seems, she was never allowed to peruse a course that would make her feel like she could stand on equal footing to her siblings.”
“Well, that's all changing now,” said Celestia with amusement, “anything else I should know.”
“Talk to the pony responsible for making dough in the kitchen,” said Luna with a more serious tone, “the pizza crust for our presleep meal was a little rich. Also I'm unsure if what they said about their home was completely true, Dream said she had never heard of pizza before today, but she read the menu perfectly, and pronounced everything properly. She had a minor freak out when she came to the full realization. She claimed she had never seen the word before today, maybe that spell Twilight copied down might help.”
“The future will tell us of their intents,” said Celestia, “as for everything else, you said you saw their arrival.”
“And I saw them standing beside us and Twilight proclaiming to be truly children of Equestria. But you know how imprecise visions of the future can be, I've told you Enough times, Tia.”
Celestia mentally giggled at the pet name her sister had used for her when they were just fillies, Luna had stopped using it for some time now, but it seemed that having a filly for her to watch over had brought out the playful little Lulu that Celestia hadn't seen in centuries. “Nice to have you back too, Lulu.”
Luna blushed to the point of having a deep shade of purple on her cheeks, “you haven't called me that since before we first encountered Discord,” said the umbra alicorn, “why would you call me that now of all times?”
“Because you used the pet name you gave when we were fillies just now,” said Celestia with a teasing voice, “I missed my playful little Lulu.”
“I haven't missed the mischievous Tia that somehow never got us into trouble with all the things she got us into,” retorted Luna. Quickly picking up the mane brush with her magic in desperate attempt to change the subject Luna began gently, yet a little too aggressively, brushing her sister's four toned mane while saying, “I think I found a knot in your mane, you've been skipping brushing your mane and tail again, sister.”
“With how our duties have gotten I've taken skipping my grooming every couple of days.”
Luna gave her sister some playful tuts while brushing her sister's mane before saying, “you were the one who told me that grooming is among the most important things for mares of any age, I'll go take care of my grooming before moon rise and then it's off to lessons with my new student. I think Night Court can do with a break for a few nights,” she gave her sister a playful wink before setting the brush down and trotting out.
When did my sister get so interesting? thought Celestia as she watched her sister leave the room
Giggling to herself as she made her way to her room Luna wondered when she had gotten so mischievous, she wasn't quite this way before, during or after her duties before this coming night. After spending an hour making sure her mane and tail were free of tangles and knots Luna exited her room. What met her was a nervous looking Dream peering out of the crack to her room with what looked like wonder and confusion.
“Good evening, little comet,” said Luna without really thinking about what she was saying.
Dream Step looked at the umbra alicorn with surprise before saying timidly, “do you mean me?”
Luna nodded with a slight look of embarrassment on her face before saying, “you sleeping under the covers made me think of a comet shooting across the night sky. I hope I didn't make you feel uneasy.”
“No, it's just that... nopony's called me anything other than my name before now. It feels... weird, but in a good way. That's an expression I've heard others say, but never thought I would ever say myself.”
“Come, my student,” said Luna, “I shall raise the moon in a little under an hour, then your first lessons with me will start.”
“Um, Lady Luna,” said Dream as they walked the halls of the Night Wing, “this may sound strange to you, but this is more comforting than any interaction I ever had with my mother. I'm not even sure I should be calling Great Spell my mother anymore. The definition I was given for a mother is somepony who gave birth to you and made sure you had a proper education growing up.”
“That's a very sterile definition,” responded Luna, “a mother is a mare that is there for another pony in a nurturing manner. They are there to comfort younger ponies under their care when they are scared, they are there to encourage them to express themselves in any way they want so long as it isn't too dangerous. In short a mother is the pony that protects and guides a pony, they don't have to be a blood relation. Your sister's reaction to Twilight Sparkle was like that of a filly running to her mother, and yours was much like that of a filly wanting her mother to protect her from the dangers that they just became aware of. As it currently stands I am your caretaker and Twilight is your sister's, who's to say when you might decide we are something more than your mentors and caretakers.”
“Great Spell was of the opinion we didn't need such things because we have rare abilities. I don't want to be defined as pony who can visit the dreams of others. I'm going to tell you something I haven't told my siblings,” Luna leaned closer and the filly whispered, “I would have probably cracked and become nothing more than an emotionless doll for my family to treat as a puppet in a few months, if Eclipse hadn't told me of her escape plan that would have been it. I would have resigned myself to being someopony's puppet, danced on the strings as they told me too without a thought or contradiction of my own.”
“You can't mean that,” said Luna as they made their way to the tower that she used for her lunar duties.
“More than you know,” said Dream, “we were treated like tools that were intended to be thrown away the moment they got too damaged. Even the best craftspony respects their tools, we were treated as something that was to serve a purpose then get thrown aside when there was no more use for us,” Luna opened her mouth to retort, but Dream cut her off by saying, “before you say anything I know all this because Great Spell and Grand Charm didn't even bother to keep this line of thinking hidden from their conversations right in front me and my sisters, all three of us were nothing more than objects to be used in the political barter system.”
Luna's eyes went wide before she said, “at least the Canterlot nobility have enough tact to modify their wording when they are aware foals are present, I assure you if this was merely a story to garner sympathy from me there will be consequences.”
“Even if all the memories that lead to this point prove to be nothing more than a carefully crafted lie I will gladly accept whatever punishment you feel I deserve without complaint. Eclipse brought those cursed books, the one that talked about mind magic has spells for implanting memories and even one for replacing them entirely. None of use have ever been sure our memories are real or something somepony crafted to ensure we would act a certain way. I want you to enter my dreams on a future night and use them as a gateway to seeing my true past, you said that's what your ability allows your to do.”
“Well yes,” said Luna, “but I do my best to use it sparingly, but if you are certain I will go use it, and take to see the truth. We both have to face the truth. Of what your past is and what our futures could be.”
“I am curious about the future,” said Dream Step, “but if I am also capable of such things I do not wish to use such a power if it is unneeded. I want to be able to tell needing to know from wanting to know. I want know the difference between truly knowing and think you know, mys sister seems better at knowing such things.”
“No,” said Luna as they continued through the halls, “she just has an intuition that is not seen by most, a devotion to her beliefs that is rarely seen these days and most importantly genuine emotions towards her family that are always preferred.”
*************************************
It was time for the moon rise and what Dream captivated her in a way she didn't think was possible, she felt a need to share her emotions about watching the majestic dark alicorn raising a white orb with the impression of a purity that was hard to notice without witnessing some kind of taint.
As they walked to the arts room that had been prepared Dream said with a shy certainty, “it was like watching you lift a force that could purify the land before us, I never thought I would witness such true majesty.”
Luna stopped at a door that looked like it was adorned with constellations of a unicorn, pegasus and earth pony playing together before saying, “you are far too young to be thinking such things, does the constellation on this door look familiar?”
“The pegasus and unicorn, yes, but shouldn't they they be on opposing sides of the sky?”
“Different cultures, different constellations,” said Luna, “why did you say that?”
“Night time is my favorite time,” said Dream Step, “on nights when I was feeling braver, when Eclipse was sneaking out to the manor library I would look out the window and try to find stars that made me feel warm inside. One night Eclipse found and astronomy book and showed me the constellations that were recorded in it, we spent the next night looking for some of the constellations in that book, that was... a year ago, why did it take me so long to remember one of my happiest memories?”
“The mysteries of memory,” said Luna as she swung open the door, “we'll discuss that at length another night, for now we have a lesson to get to.”
What greeted Dream step was something that made her stop and make her heart race. She saw a mass of musical instruments by the far wall on shelves or the floor if they proved to large for shelves, a painting easel by the door that looked like it had been craft from ebony and almost seemed to be telling her to adorn it with images, on the shelves on the other side of the door were a collection of pencils, paintbrushes, paints, unblemished papers of varying sizes, small circular containers with glittering specks and various other items; all in a variety of colors, another thing that struck her was the walls were not adorned with anything were instead a blank stone that seemed to be begging her to leave her mark on them. The first words out her muzzle surprised her as much as Luna, “is this what paradise is like? I've never seen a room that's made me feel so... happy,” tears of joy flowed down the white filly's face. The sincerity in her voice and actions made Luna smile a bit.
“I was quite the artist when I was a little older than you, but at your age I could only do some simple art pieces. We'll be seeing your skill level in a moment,” she tore one of the larger blank white sheets out of the shelf and placed it on the easel then floated over an assortment of colored pencils and laid them on the lip of the easel. Almost as soon as the pencils had been set on the easel Dream Step was in front of it, “now to get a baseline I would like you to try floating the pencils that speak to you loudest to draw the first thing that comes to mind.” Dream gave a nod and spent almost five minutes trying lift the yellow pencil in front of her, something that Luna noticed and showed concern over, after finally lifting the pencil off the easel rather shakily in her indigo aura.
For a full ten minutes she worked a wobbling yellow color pencil over the paper, before putting it down and just shakily moving the orange across the paper; this was followed with the light green, sky blue, black, dark green and indigo. When Luna trotted over to see what the filly had drawn with the pencils she had to restrain a giggle as nostalgic memories flooded her eyes. “Well,” said the umbra alicorn, “it seems your skill is as good as mine was at your age,” what she saw on the paper were masses squiggles that if she squinted just barely looked like ponies, just like when she was little, “you'll improve with practice, don't worry. Let me guess, it's... you and your siblings.”
“Um yes, how did you know? I can tell it's not very good, if I hadn't made it I wouldn't know what I was looking at.”
“I made a few pieces like this that were of me and my sister. I see you care for your siblings a lot, I also did the same for our parents.”
“After what you told me what your interpretation of what a mother is I started having doubts about the ponies I called my parents and grandmother being just that. They could have used magic to make us think that.”
“But you have a sister with corresponding memories,” said Luna, “she's your twin, you both grew up next to each other. And considering her natural ability is to make other spells not work...”
“I trust her with all the love and faith I can send her way,” said Dream bringing her ears back, “but Great Spell, Great Seal, and Grand Charm kept saying things like 'love is an emotion that serves no practical purpose' and 'faith is not something that serves much more than a means for keeping ponies in line', the truth is that everything I can remember about the place we came from makes Equestria look like a foal's tale come to life, self-righteous nobles included. Fear and intimidation are used to control the populace, stabbing others in the back is seen as just something you do in politics, a caste system that is shown to be pointless and archaic when compared to the way Equestria operates, and host of other problems are present,” she started crying, “laws in place that restrict the names of ponies are the most atrocious I can think of.”
“Laws that restrict the names of ponies?” said Luna with confusion.
Taking a deep sigh and looking at her work with a sad smile Dream Step said, “only colts born into the royal family can be named Artanus, nopony can have a name that references apples in anyway, all names beginning with an M Y R or M E R are prohibited to anypony that is not of a confirmed mage family, all names that reference islands must be approved by the king before being given to the foal they are intended for. There are others, but those are the ones I can recall most readily.”
Luna just shook her head and said, “I can think of one family that would feel offended that such laws are in place, and frankly I can't blame them,” she floated the sheet away and placed another blank in front of Dream before motioning for the filly to repeat the exercise.
*****************************
four hours, and forty sheets of art paper, Dream had not only managed to make a drawing that looked the way she intended, but also colored in with a level of detail Luna hadn't expected in such a short period of time. Dream Step was now laying at Luna's hooves exhausted from her practice, but a genuine smile of accomplishment, “can I keep this one in my room?” asked the filly with a groggy tone.
“You can keep any works you make during our sessions, I will not stop thee,” said Luna in a playful tone, “dost thou have anything else to ask of us.”
“Just spend time with...” Dream gave a deep yawn, that Luna thought of being rather cute, “me like this more often,” with that she fell asleep.
“Forty two sheets in four hours before collapsing,” Luna mused to herself, “I expected her to last two more hours than this with half as many sheets,” she smiled as she carried the filly out of the room in her magic, “she has the dedication to her work I did when my sister said she wanted to see the best art I could make for her.”
After tucking Dream in Luna headed back to the art room, she took a look simple colored pencil art picture that Dream had drawn, it showed the filly and her siblings all standing and smiling at each other. Luna figured who Sunshine Bottle was by the fact her image was the only unfamiliar muzzle she glimpsed. Then she gasped after taking a quick closer look to see what kind of imperfections she could help Dream improve upon. Dream Step had included the cutie marks of her elder siblings in the image. She was familiar with Storm Walker's mark, but the mark she saw on Sunshine Bottle made her feel like she had to do something, Luna quickly cast a duplication spell (reminding herself that the duplicate would be gone in 12 hours, just enough time to show the piece to her sister) before taking the original and laying it on the foot of Dream's bed before rushing back to her magically crafted duplicate and carried into the throne room to wait for her sister.
*******************************
A hour and a half before sunrise was due Celestia trotted into the throne room to see her sister staring at a large sheet of paper. “I sincerely hope you aren't reading yesterday's paper,” she said with a teasing voice, “it was rather bland.”
Instead of giving the comedic embarrassed response she normally made at such statements Luna floated over the sheet, Celestia saw four ponies smiling at each other (three that she recognized). “The cutie mark on the yellow one,” said Luna in a tired voice.
Celestia gave a confused look before giving a gasp when she looked at the image. “Luna this one of the most detailed pencil art pieces I've ever seen, did your student do this?” Luna just gave tired nod accompanied by an unintelligible grunt. “This is,” Celestia continued, “the exact same image I sported as my mark for three days when you found that illusion spell that targeted cutie marks and decided to test it on me, if memory serves right you kept calling me 'Happy Rays' for the whole three days. To think a pony would naturally develop that as a mark. Speaking of old times, what ever happened to that spell?”
“I put in my personal vault in my special place,” said Luna tiredly, “let's lower the moon and raise the sun a little early today, “I very much want to sleep now.”
“I understand,” said Celestia making her way to the palaces outside.
“We thank thee sister,” said Luna, “our student did not catch our slip.”
“Like you're doing now?” responded Celestia, “You slip back into the old speak when your emotions are running high, what is troubling you?”
“My feelings for Dream Step feel like they're changing, when she told me what she was raised to think was a mother and I told what I believed a mother to be and she told me she preferred my version better. I started thinking about what it would be like if she was truly my foal. She wants me to use my abilities to show the truth of her past, apparently that cursed book that is filled with spells for influencing minds holds spells for altering memories and creating pseudo memories which are then implanted in the target. That book needs to be destroyed.”
“Do not fret, those abominations of literature are in the one place in Equestria nopony would think to look and the most secure archive in all of Equestria.”
“I certainly hope so,” said Luna, “because the next time I see that book I am channeling all the magic I can spare into the most destructive spell I have and sending it all at that book. A book like that should never have been made in the first place, it defiles the very materials used to make it with. I will not let something like that threaten any in my charge.” With that Luna huffed and trotted out of the room.
“Oh Luna,” said Celestia to herself, “you always wanted to have a foal of your own, now you have a filly to play the role of your daughter. It's not making things easier that she's fast coming to see you as a mother.”
**************************************
After taking care of lowering the moon and watching her sister raise the sun along with the usual exchange of pleasantries Luna was back in her room removing her vestments. She thought back to her outburst and said to herself, “that's not like me to be so riled up, I did always want to experience the joys of being a mother. I think I'm starting to see Dream Step as a sort of surrogate daughter. She told me she loves the night, she's just as promising an artist as I was at her age, and she feels comfortable around me. No, I can't let such thoughts take hold in my mind yet. I will allow such things after a few weeks of getting know her, after that I will start entertaining such things in the realm of my mind. I hope Twilight isn't going through something like this as well, my maternal instincts are starting to rise up and I need to find a way to manage them.”
************************************
Luna slept through the entirety of the following day and woke at three hours to moon rise, she went through her nightly waking ritual while thinking how a filly she had only met a few hours ago was coming to mean so much to her, also if Celestia had gone through having similar feelings. Now that she thought about it Luna had given the filly a nickname, which while initially met with confusion was very much liked by her new student.
On her way from raising the Moon to raise her student she was met by a little white head peering out from her room giving the umbra alicorn a look of deep thought. “I don't know what to think or feel regarding you,” said Dream Step as she timidly pulled herself from her room, “you make me feel safe, secure and comfortable. I don't know if I'll be able to properly focus on my work.”
“I think I know something," said Luna gesturing the filly close, “you need to be near me for this, I'm going to teleport us,” Dream slipped up next to the dark alicorn and gave a confused look to her. Before another word could be said the two disappeared in a burst of midnight blue.
A few seconds later reappeared in an outside region, it was at this point Dream Step noticed they were in a massive crevice. Smiling Luna said, “welcome to Might Canyon, my most personal place in all of Equestria, this place and the surrounding area are off limits to anypony to develop. My sister has a place that's similarly protected called the Noon Glade. They're our personal places and intended only for us to share with ponies we have a great level of trust in.”
“How can you trust me with knowledge of this place when I don't know if I can trust myself?” said Dream with a sad tone that was mixed with excitement as she looked around them.
“You said you needed to calm your mind, and if you truly had malicious intentions for me you wouldn't look around this place with a sense of wonder. One of the first things I did when I found this places was cover the walls with paintings of lots of things, that was oh... almost two thousand years ago now.”
“What?” responded Dream, “I thought that talk about Celestia ruling for a thousand years alone was just a story.”
“No, Celestia and I faced Discord when he was less friendly a little over a thousand years ago, then around a century later I fell to being Nightmare Moon,” said Luna with a reflective tone in her voice, “we had been in Equestria for quite a few centuries prior to that, but we had much simpler duties before we stood before Discord with the Elements of Harmony. Celestia just had to raise and lower the sun and offer advice to ponies that sought it, and I just raised and lower the moon and made works of art for anypony that asked, but after Discord began his reign things changed. At first we just let him do as he pleased, mostly because we thought the ponies of the time could handle his actions. However as time went on Equestria continued to slip further into the depths of a physical madness. My sister poured through the protected archives in our old home, which now resides in the Everfree Forest, and her research lead us to the Tree of Harmony, which is the source of the Elements of Harmony, I voiced my concerns about using pieces of such a powerful force of nature and my sister assured me all would work out for the best. After we used the elements on Discord and restored Equestria we were officially crowned the highest rulers in Equestria. There are times I wish such things hadn't come to pass, I have always wanted the joy of having foals and raising them, but I always stopped myself because I didn't want suffer the pain of outliving the family I built. What have we learned this night?”
Dream went into deep thought before saying, “sometimes a pony just needs their own space, Eclipse was always afraid to be apart from me and she needs to learn what it means to do things without me there to watch over her. We all have regrets, but we shouldn't let them define us. And, my teacher is a real sweetheart who deserves to have a little more happiness.”
Luna gave a light blush before saying, “yes, well... very good. Let us be off, it's time we resumed your other lessons.”
“Okay,” said Dream Step, “let us go.”
Luna smiled and in a flash of midnight blue the two were in the classroom. Luna floated a blank sheet over to the easel along with a small bundle of paintbrushes and small set of watercolor paints. “Tonight you'll be practicing with paints, you should know that when it comes to paint there are three primary colors, that means that a certain mixes of each of the colors produce other colors. The three primary pigments are red, blue and yellow. Mixing each in certain qualities, or having an absence of one while calling on others can produce certain colors. If you just heap them all on each other you'll end up with black.”
Dream Step stared at the items on the easel ledge before saying, “I thank you for explaining all that, but, um, is there something you want in particular from me in this exercise? I figured out that you just let me do my own thing last night to gauge just how much work is ahead of you and help me with my levitation magic. So What is this exercise for? What is it you ask of me? I prefer that over the demands that Great Spell made of me.”
Luna blinked a few times before saying in a gentle and supportive voice, “first of all I appreciate that you have been thinking about what the exercises mean, but the truth is I just want see what you want to make, we'll worry about my asking you to do pieces at a later date. So, I would appreciate it if you could stop thinking of things so clinically. While I'm sure Celestia or Twilight would appreciate the approach, I find the approach stifling. Yes these exercises serve a purpose, the exercises of this first week all serve the purpose of freeing up your thinking. What I am asking of you is to show me something new, that is all there is to it.”
“Asking of me? You mean you don't have anything you want from me? It would be nice if we had been asked, but all we got were demands to meet expectations we didn't know about and punishment when we failed to meet them. Eclipse was my shield when that mare that called herself our mother said she would issue punishment for me, she was willing to take on that mare. It wasn't always the case, we just believed that's how it had to be. We went along with her demands as best we could so long as we could have each other to lean on. Then two years ago Eclipse started to bear the brunt of Great Spell's punishments. When it came time for me to be punished half the time Grand Charm would use a punishment spell on me, but with Eclipse taking the blame for the bulk of my mistakes that wasn't an option because of her ability. I don't want to go back there, now that I've just had a few hours worth of Equestria I don't want to go back to Bridleton, it's a place that's filled with horrible memories that keep trying to hide the... box of good memories I have there. Here I can feel good memories, old and new, forming a comfortable blanket around me.” Looking up at the white sheet that was once blank Dream saw her siblings and her at the top of a white castle in heroic poses with smiles on everypony's faces.” The image itself was actually quite sloppy, with several colors running into each other and creating unintentional colors that clearly had no place in the image. “I wasn't even paying attention to what I as doing, what did I just make?”
Luna trotted over and looked the image over before saying, “I think you just did a piece that shows your siblings and you as you wish you could be.”
“But if we tried this, we would be put on trial for treason and found guilty. There's only 2 punishments for that, neither is good. Either we spend the rest of our lives in a dungeon designed to disable magic or we are turned into a public spectacle that ends with us dying. Eclipse and I would get the life in the dungeons, but our brother and sister would...” the white filly started sobbing in front of the painting, “why didn't she come with us? She should have come with us, she was more than her name implied. She saw us as ponies, she saw every individual she interacted with as the individual they were. Every pony, griffon, even the animals. I want my big sister, I need my siblings to all be safe here. She knew how to put on a show for the nobility, we didn't know she was playing at her persona until our brother told us. What really threw us off was her talent.”
“What was that?” inquire Luna as she moved piece off the easel and replaced it with a fresh sheet.
“Her talent is filling you up with a sense of false joy or happiness with her magic, but now that I think about it that ability might be incomplete because none of us knew what either of those were before coming to Equestria. I think I'm starting to realize what they are, but I'm not there yet. Doing things like this feels like... I should have been doing them long before this, almost like I'm trying to catch up to a whisper of who I used to be. I know it doesn't make sense, but that's really how I'm seeing all this.” The filly gave a long drawn out sigh before saying, “we all started talking different the moment we left Bridleton's shores, but not in a bad way. Tis difficult to explain to thou just what it means to feel everything about what you thought you were change into something that thee never thought possible to foresee. What woulds thou do unto me if she were to see the horrors that I let happen unto me,” tears started to fall onto the floor, “I want my sisters to all be safe, I want my brother to be happy, but most of all I want a mare I can truly call 'mommy' without feeling like my love for her has a price. We were just pieces on a chess board to Great Spell, and she a piece on the board for Grand Charm. We were nothing more than pawns, something that could only move in a limited manner and easily expendable.”
“Yes,” said Luna, “but a pawn can be promoted to be any piece its commander desires, to me they are precious friends that are willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of their friends. I never really liked that game, to restricting. Well that, and my sister always seemed to win. I preferred games that were much more open with your options, and still do. Games of tactics are all in good fun, but you restrict yourself when you play them. The arts are different, you can imitate somepony, put your own spin on another's work, or create a completely original piece that nopony has ever seen before. Try doing a piece again, but this time put your focus into, you might work your way up to the oil paints before you know it, such works are majestic and your control will be more evident. Of course we only have three hours before I need to lower the moon.”
*******************************
A half hour later charcoal pencils and paintbrushes were whirling and assisting Dream Step in her watercolor painting. Luna just smiled, she hadn't even shown the filly the art resource and she had somehow managed to use her magic to summon four of the art tools to assist her. Dream Step was only focusing on her painting. She smiled to herself and nodded before ushering Luna over. What greeted the umbra alicorn saw what looked like a family portrait. What surprised the alicorn was the little black filly in her hooves (not even a month old from what she could tell) and what appeared to be a well behaved Discord next to a Celestia with a hoof on a white filly that had a black pegasus wing and red bat wing in addition to what appeared to be a griffon talon where her left hoof should have been and a pair of horns that matched those of the draconequus only a few years old; in addition a proud looking Big Macintosh was next the dark alicorn and next to them was a very happy looking Twilight Sparkle with a little fuchsia bundle in her hooves next to a proud looking dark violet thestral stallion with orange eyes and a captain's helmet the same shade of violet as Twilight's eyes, next to them were Cadance and Shining Armor with a white pegasus colt around the same age as the filly near Celestia bearing a mane of pink and blue along with eyes that were almost identical to those of Cadance and all three were smiling with pride. But what surprised the alicorn was the level of craftsmareship, it looked like it had been done in oil or ink medium.
“How did you do this? What is this? From where did you see this image?” said Luna as she took the painting in her magic as if it were a precious treasure, “and why do I feel like crying in sorrow and joy just holding this my own magic?”
“I don't know,” said Dream Step, “I was trying for another family portrait and everything just, sort of, did its own thing. I just wanted a better looking image of my siblings and me, but that came out instead,” the filly gave a big yawn.
“Looks like somepony needs to get to bed,” said Luna with a giggle, “come along I shalt tuck thee in,” Dream Step sluggishly followed Luna into the her room and once she was firmly under the covers Luna gave the filly a gentle kiss just above the horn and said, “good night, little comet,” with that the umbra alicorn left the room, Dream's latest work still in her magic, and gently closed the door behind her.
An hour and a half before Sunrise was do Celestia trotted into the throne room to see Luna staring at yet another painting from Dream Step. “Found another odd occurrence in the work of your student,” said the ivory alicorn teasingly, Luna just floated the paint over to Celestia who took in her magic and made her own surprised motions, “Discord...behaving, me...a foal, you...a foal...” the Solar alicorn looked from the work to Luna and back again before saying, “this is a good trick Lulu, definitely the quality I'd expect from you, and you used good ink and oil paints to great affect.”
“No,” said Luna, “that's a watercolor and charcoal pencil piece that Dream Step did a few hours ago, she doesn't even know it happened since she was focusing on making different piece when this piece was made,” said the umbra alicorn in a serious tone, with no hint of the playfulness or teasing Celestia expected from her sister.
“But this looks like a family portrait with...”
“Ponies she has yet to meet,” said Luna, “and there's no sign of her or siblings in the picture. There are two older ponies, and one looks to be part Discord, and two little bundles that appear to be ponies that have yet complete their first month after birth. What confuses me most is that the pony next Twilight is a pony I do not ever recall ever seeing before this night, something strange is going on sister, and when strange things happen I think it best to consult somepony that knows odd better than any other.”
“I will bring this piece to Discord after my duties for court have concluded this coming day,” said Celestia, “we might get lucky and learn he had a hoof in this interesting piece.”
“I'm sorry sister,” said Luna gently pulling the piece back and waving her horn before the piece and creating a duplicate, she floated the copy over to Celestia, “but I feel like I need this piece close at hoof, the double I gave you will last two sundowns, I pray that is enough time learn what you can.”
Celestia nodded as Luna trotted out of the room with the original piece.
“Finally,” came Discord's voice from a mane comb next to Celestia before flashing to reveal the draconequus before Celestia, “I thought your sister would take longer to leave. I got a good look at that piece before you even got here, even did my own little magic scan on it, and get this its actually a piece from an art pony that specializes in ink paintings named Stain Brush, the thing is Stain Brush has never done anything for the royal family, yet that piece clearly has her hallmarks. It's from another timeline, I think your sister's student is tapping into something that should not be possible.”
“But, what about Twilight's student?” said the solar alicorn.
“Oh I met her,” said Discord, “she's a bright girl, has many of Twilight's mannerisms, and her horn reeks of an ability that counters other magics, why it canceled out my magic the first time and completely altered all other spells I tried to cast around her. There's no telling what that ability could do if she could do more than using it reflexively in an instinctual manner. Your acting is superb by the way my dear, she still hasn't caught on to us.”
“If you'll excuse me, I see the moon dropping that means I have a sun to raise,” said Celestia.
“You can't use that excuse forever Celi,” said Discord teasingly, “hopefully you'll have a new excuse by the end of the week,” with that Discord had disappeared in a flash.
Celestia huffed and made her way to the nearest balcony with plenty of time to spare.
******************************
Five minutes after sunrise Celestia said to herself, as she settled into the throne to away partitioners, “just what are these things we're witnessing?” she said to herself.
_____________________________________________
At the same time Luna was having a dream of her wedding Bic Macintosh, one that she could not seem to control however hard she tried. It was almost as if she were witnessing a real event while asleep.
Eclipse woke up like she had the past few days, curled up next Twilight, and yawned a bit before crawling out of the bed without waking the the lavender alicorn. The past few days had been some the happiest she could recall, even if she had noticed her speaking mannerisms weren't what they were when she was “in the care of” Great Spell. She was fine with it though, the further she got from anything related to that place, or those two mares, the better. The filly was used having her stomach rumble, more to do with refusing to continue an unappealing diet while the ones that called themselves her parents and grandmother ate much hardier looking meals without so much as offering a bite to the fillies across the able from them, so she didn't even notice that she was feeling a bit hungry when she got up. Eclipse made her way to the main library and settled down with a small stack of beginner's magic books.
Twilight awoke almost a half hour after Eclipse had left the room. After several days of testing the filly regarding her sleep talking the lavender mare had confirmed that Eclipse was unaware of just what she was saying when asleep, while a fascinating study in itself Twilight found herself actually reeling back from such actions when she reminded herself she was supposed be mentor to somepony now and regardless she'd have to ask permission from the pony in question to actually research why her newly acquired quirk was the way it was. Twilight smiled to herself when she thought of the lessons she had given to the filly thus far. Eclipse wasn't a prodigy of magic, that much was for certain, but she was a very quick at learning and study. When Twilight had pulled out a star chart to discuss the constellations Eclipse was skimming the book the moment it cracked open and pointed out constellations that were very different and similar to what she had found before coming to Equestria.
In other matters the journals of Myrraldin were such marvelous reads, while there were no spells written in the pages Twilight had analyzed the spells that were practically embedded in the ancient tomes. After jotting down the formulas for each of the spells she could identify and had a professional that they were expertly woven into the books she had checked through her entire archive for any spells with similar principles or effects behind and to them. She found that some of the spells were in fact similar to Starswirl's work. What fascinated the Twilight the most though was the tremendous time and distance the two great unicorns had despite having very compatible magical philosophies. What clenched it for Twilight in regards of sharing the journals with her friends was when she read that the name was an alias he had assumed to make himself more mysterious and the fact that he had a name and hinted it could be indicative of something that could probably surprise her new student, she also resolved to ask Eclipse what the sacred island he referred to was at around the same time.
“Four days,” said Twilight to herself making her way towards the kitchen, “that's how long she's been learning here, and 2 for getting together like we used to. I wonder what she'll think of Saturdays? The way she described her days before she never had a day she wasn't forced into lessons that were too advanced in regards to her knowledge base,” Twilight was just getting to the threshold of the kitchen when she was stopped by Spike.
“Oh, thank Celestia you're up,” said Spike, quickly catching her attention, “Eclipse is in the library reading, that wouldn't be much of a problem in and of itself, but...”
“But what? Spike? What's wrong?”
“She's mumbling about having lessons, quiz's and tests regarding things that haven't come up yet, than and her stomach growls every few minutes. Instead of doing the sensible thing when she notices, which thankfully you always do, and put down her reading material she just massages her belly and keeps at it.”
“What?” Twilight yelled, “but I told her when lessons were over yesterday that we wouldn't have any magic lessons today, in fact I told her any lessons today and tomorrow would be rather impromptu.”
“Which is why only half of her pile is beginner's magic,” said Spike as he pulled his claws over his face in a facepalm, “the rest are geography, geology, biology, history, mythology and biographies. I checked, double checked and triple checked, she didn't have any fiction or fantasy books in the lot, heck she said something about the Daring Do book I offered her not being appropriate for an academic mind, I tried again with one of the foal friendly romances Rarity seems to enjoy every now and then only to get a similar response. When I asked her where she got such concepts she exposited something about how that's how it's always done in Bridleton and books of such genres aren't ever seen in the family manor so they must very little importance.”
Twilight moved to facehoof before getting a rather mischievous smile then saying, “if she wants lessons, we'll give her lessons, but not the kind she's expecting.”
“Care to share with the rest of the staff what you're planning,” said Spike teasingly.
“Make sure the kitchen is clean, once that's done go find Fluttershy and tell her get as many of her younger animals out for us as possible, after that find Rarity and tell her that Eclipse will be taking her up on that thing she was promised sooner than I anticipated.”
Spike started sporting a similar grin before saying, “by your command Princess Twilight,” and headed for the kitchen.
Twilight trotted into the library and found that Spike had be for more accurate than she had thought. The books lay in three stacks on table with simple signs written before each the two to the right of Eclipse said “to read later” and were within hoof's reach of the filly and “unrelated to studies” further off and in the pile were a number of stories that Twilight and her friends had said they enjoy reading in their spare time, to the left of the filly was sign with a growing pile of books that read “already read”, the alicorn's amused look changed to serious when she saw this, which now that she thought about it would help “sell” the ploy she had surprisingly cooked up on the fly. Twilight chuckled quietly to herself when she thought about what she and Eclipse were doing first.
“Young filly,” she said in the best imitation of her brother's authoritative voice, this also got Eclipse to stop her reading and look at Twilight before pulling her ears back and position her body as if it were ready for a horrifying punishment, Twilight knew she had to keep up the ruse, so she continued, “I specifically told you we were not having magic lessons today, I actually intended for today and tomorrow to be a time for you to digest all that you learned, but since you're so keen on keeping lessons going,” she dropped the charade and said, “I don't see any harm in a few non-magic lessons for today only, but I think you should take my advice and just relax tomorrow, maybe try reading some of the books Spike suggested.”
“But a good academic knows all their formulas and spell principles,” responded Eclipse with a confused voice.
“And good magic user knows how to adapt and be creative with the spells they know,” said Twilight with a gentle voice as she beckoned the filly over.
Eclipse showed apprehension all the way during her trot over to Twilight, which melted when the alicorn gave her an affectionate nuzzle before saying how silly the filly was. The alicorn beckoned the filly to follow, which she did (almost shuffling her hooves in the process, she wasn't sure if Twilight really was displeased with her or not. She had done such an amazing job the past few days, Twilight had even praised her for her accomplishments, but now she didn't feel like she could actually know what the lavender mare wanted from her).
“Everything's ready in the kitchen Twilight,” said Spike as he came out drying his claws on a white cloth towel, “after I get this to laundry I'll run those errands you asked me to do.”
“Thanks Spike,” said Twilight with a smile, Eclipse was surprised by how fast she had gotten used to the dragon, considering how she first reacted upon seeing him. Spike left the eyes and ears of the two shortly after. The alicorn turned to Eclipse and said, “You are probably wondering where the castle staff is right now,” the black filly nodded carefully, “well, I gave them weekend off, in fact I give them every weekend and official holidays off. That works out fine for us, do you know why?” Eclipse shook her head slowly, the filly didn't want to say anything for fear of angering the alicorn and genuinely wanted to know where the conversation was headed, “you're going to have your first cooking lesson,” said Twilight with a smile, “so we're going to start with something easy,” the alicorn waited a few seconds for dramatic emphasis, thank Celestia Rainbow Dash wasn't there to ruin it, but if Pinkie were here then she would be finding a way to overly excite filly, “waffles,” said Twilight after a few seconds had lapsed.
“Um, I've never heard that word before today,” said Eclipse.
“They're kind of like pancakes, but” said Twilight as she floated out checkered griddle, “you use things like one of these to cook them. First we'll mix the batter, then pour some it on to the heated griddle. You have to be careful because if you make the mix too light it pours out like water and is rather bland when cooked, make it to thick and it's more like your working with some kind of dough mix that you're trying to cook wrong,” Eclipse gulped, she thought this had to be a test of some kind (and if she failed they would send her back to where all her worst dreams and source of nightmares resided, she would pass the test no matter what).
*************************************
It had been almost half hour and Eclipse had shown a great deal of care with each of the ingredients, turning to Twilight for approval before each one was added and was mixed, her delicate mixing style told Twilight very clearly the filly didn't want to mess anything up. The first six made were a beautiful golden brown with a rather generic, but not bland, flavor to them. Twilight had asked Eclipse what she thought they needed. With Twilight's assistance she added some lightly chopped apple peel, cinnamon and a little honey to the mix and lightly stirred the new ingredients into the batter. That all went fine and the next four were far more enjoyable. Then came the dreaded moment, while enjoying the next to last waffle before going to make more (Eclipse decided that pending any new developments that making food with Twilight was her new favorite past time, books were nice, but the chance to take a formula that existed and revise it made her feel like she had been missing out on something for far too long) the remaining batter randomly exploded from bowel (while the bowel remained unscathed) and took the form of collection of carnation petals falling around the two.
Almost in perfect sync the two yelled, “Discord,” this was highly amusing considering the draconequus had only bugged the two twice since Eclipse's arrival.
“Just trying to make breakfast more memorable for the two of you,” said Discord as he faded in from nowhere in particular, “by the way it looks like Dream Step recreated a piece that doesn't exist.”
“Wouldn't that mean she just made her own original piece,” said Twilight with notable irritation in her voice.
“Normally yes,” said Discord, “but it seems the piece she 'made' has the hallmarks of another pony and has an image that hasn't happened at all. You were in it by the way, as was I, the amusing part is you were actually happy to be there despite my presence.”
“Now I know you're trying to pull one over on...” Twilight stopped short when the image of a painting that showed her next to thestral stallion appeared, taking a few steps back Twilight saw the rest and her jaw dropped, not only was she smiling at a little bundle in her hooves but Luna was also doing the same and standing next to a very proud looking Big Mac.”
Twilight immediately teleported the two (along with the picture) to another point far from the area from the castle Eclipse was in before saying, “before you ask about any abnormalities I've encountered thus far I'll just come out and say it, every night she calls me 'mommy', after her second night here she stopped asking me to save her sister and giggled something about a Heart Guard tickling her and a Sola singing silly songs, I don't know of any ponies by that name and when I brought the names up in casual conversation as a test of her knowing what her dreams are like she had no clue either, I hope you tell Princess Celestia about this, I'm concerned. Also, Luna is a little more blind to romance than I am, I figured it out about you two three years ago.”
“Well you took all the fun out of that,” said Discord before disappearing in a flash of light.
“Well,” said Twilight to herself, “he's gotten a little less random, don't know if that's a good thing or not.” She teleported back be next to Eclipse and said to her, “sorry, I needed a private conversation with Discord, some the things I thought I would end up saying wouldn't be suitable for a filly to hear at your age.”
“I'm fine with that,” said Eclipse with a smile before finishing off the rest of her waffles.
“You're... not going to press me for more than that?” inquired Twilight with confusion.
“Great Spell, Great Seal, and Grand Charm would talk about things I shouldn't hear right in front of me and right next to me,” said Eclipse, “using terms that a filly my age should never have to hear. They treated me and my siblings like we were decorations more than individuals.”
“You're brother said your age when we met, I just wanted to hear you say your age in your own voice. How is it you made this far?” said Twilight with shock, “just how old are you?”
Eclipse gave a sigh before saying, “six years, last I checked, I wouldn't really know if it weren't for Storm Walker and Sunshine Bottle. The closest Dream and I came to celebrating the anniversary of our birth was being told to perform summoning spells we never learned and be told how useless we were,” the filly started to break down crying, “it never,” sniffle, “hurt like this, it was just something we thought was the w...” she just gave out desperate cry of despair.
Twilight was at the filly's side in an instant and said in a soothing voice, “those are are all painful memories you can leave behind now, we better get going. I had Spike make some arrangements with Fluttershy, come on let's see what she has for us.”
************************
A good fifty minutes (it should have taken a half hour at most) of trotting, which unsurprisingly had little affect on Eclipse's mood since the filly was so sullen that she dragged her hooves so low and slow she was making a set of grooves in the dirt roads of Ponyville. The filly didn't even look up when Twilight said they had arrived at Fluttershy's cottage.
“Are you okay, sweetie,” came Fluttershy's soft voice next to Eclipse, this snapped the filly out of her sullen thoughts.
“Sorry,” said Eclipse, “I got caught in bad memories,” she immediately looked around and saw a menagerie of baby animals with concerned looks on their faces, “um, miss Twilight, why are we at miss Fluttershy's place? Why are there so many baby animals around me?”
“You're here to learn the meaning of responsibility,” said Twilight with a smile, “Fluttershy is going to help you pick the right animal to be your companion. She has Angel and I have Owlwicious, I think you deserve an animal friend to help you in these hard times.”
“All of these cute little guys volunteered when they heard you were a pony in need of a lot more love,” said Fluttershy as she gestured to all the animals, “you just have to find the one that feels right,” said yellow pegaus with a smile, “not with your hooves or wings or magic, but here,” she place a hoof on Eclipse's chest, “let your heart be your guide in this endeavor, your head can help, but it's your heart that will tell you that you're making the right choice. Just because Twilight has an owl doesn't mean you need one too, Spike looked after a baby phoenix for a few weeks before he returned the little guy to his rightful parents. We all miss Pewee, and Owlwicious is starting show his age rather aggressively. Rarity has a cat named Opalessence, Applejack and her family have Winona the boarder collie, Pinkie has her alligator Gummy and Rainbow Dash has her tortoise named Tank. You don't need any pets like theirs, just look around and see which of the little furry friends I have here feel like the best choice.”
Eclipse looked to Twilight with confusion and a need for confirmation it was okay, Twilight nodded and gave the filly a little scooch forward. Taking a deep sigh Eclipse carefully trotted around the cottage and stopped at a little black otter pup with a golden tip on its tail with silver boots on its feet and a silver stripe next a gold one going down its face from the base of the nose to the base of the skull. She brought a cautious hoof forward for the little creature to sniff. The pup sniffed her hoof with caution of its own then ran down her outstretched hoof and started nuzzling her face. Twilight watched with curiosity and Fluttershy looked on with surprise.
“That's one of the newer animals from outside of Equestria I received in a shipment a couple years ago, they're all very smart, but it took almost a week to earn their trust, they were wary of me and unsure of my intentions. I found out the ponies responsible crated them up against their will and I received them as mailing error, fortunately the cute little critters that were supposed to be the shipment supposed to come in arrived the following week. The ponies responsible were arrested for smuggling, poaching and potential endangering who knows how many communities. The fact that this one is taking a liking to her so fast is surprising.”
“I'll say,” said a very cunning and wily female voice behind the two, both Twilight and Fluttershy turned to see a pony sized white fox with golden boots, a silver tail tip and gold crown mark on her forehead. The fox smiled and said, “that little one is still wary of others, but she still wants to make friends. She doesn't even have a name yet, and she barely understands anything outside her native tongue. I have a talent for picking up new languages quite quickly.”
“They can talk in our language?” said Twilight in surprise, “but that would mean you potentially have your own culture and technically aren't animals at all.”
“Our kind have never had a formal governmental structure,” said the vixen, “my name is Ina, and I'm the closest my kind have ever gotten to having a ruler. Truth be told we are becoming fewer and fewer, we need a new place to call home and raise our numbers. Lady Fluttershy is helping is to that end, we are doing our best to manage ourselves in the Everfree Forest. Our magical prowess is great, if a bit limited. That young one,” she gestured with her head towards the the pup that Eclipse was now cuddling and crying tears of joy over, “lost her parents in the event that started her journey to this land, she was so young. I have done everything I could think of to help her understand who I believe her kind are. I have a feeling that she will be the one to help bring something amazing to our futures.”
Trotting over to Eclipse and the pub Twilight said, “I was told she doesn't have a name yet, you can give her any name you want.”
A brief flicker flashed through her eye before Eclipse said, “Abal, her name is Abal.”
“That's a pretty name,” said Fluttershy, “does it have any meaning?”
“Well,” Eclipse shifted uneasily, “I didn't know how your friend or her family would take it if I told them that names containing or referencing Apples in Bridleton are forbidden. Abal is the old tongue word for Apple.”
Fluttershy and Twilight looked at each other before Twilight said to Fluttershy, “send word to Spike my plans for today just took an interesting turn, also see about contacting Applejack and have her gather all the Apples at Sweet Apple Acres, Eclipse has some explaining to do to them after we visit Rarity, I'll be seeing Applejack during the time Eclipse spends with Rarity.”
Eclipse drew her new pet in closer for comfort, and act that was made all the cuter by the big eyes both were giving, and said in shaky voice, “am I... in trouble?”
“No,” said Twilight in a gentle tone, “I just think you need to explain a few things to Applejack and her family. Why did you decide to call her Abal anyway?”
“The apple in the time before Bridleton was a sacred plant, it was said to hold mystical properties and...”
“Save it for when you talk to the Apples,�said Twilight, 的 have a feeling they'll want to hear this.”
“Okay,” said Eclipse easing up on Abal. The cub nuzzled her again.
*******************************************
Fifteen minutes later they had waved goodbye to Fluttershy and Ina and were coming up on Carousel Boutique. The moment they entered Rarity was there to greet them and saying, “so, what can I do for you darlings?”
“I thought Eclipse could start taking you up on the etiquette lessons you offered, also I hope you don't mind that we stopped by Fluttershy's and got her a pet,” Twilight indicated the sleeping black bundle on Eclipse's back.”
“What's your little companion's name?” Inquired Rarity.
“Abal,” said Eclipse with pride, “I'm going to be explaining the meaning of her name and a few other things to the Apple family after my lessons with you today.”
Rarity looked over at Twilight who silently motioned she would explain later, “well in the interest of understanding the culture you came from I think I'll join them for your lecture,” said Rarity, “oh and I made you a new little bedtime companion,” she floated over an expertly made plush doll in likeness of Twilight, down to the finest detail.
Eclipse took the doll in her magic and gently trotted up to Rarity before hugging the mare like she was a precious treasure. “I think she likes your gift,” said Twilight with a smile towards the white unicorn mare.
“She's far more reserved than I anticipated,” said Rarity, “that might play well into her lessons on being a proper mare. Come along darling,” she motioned for Eclipse to follow her, “you'll begin your lessons immediately, and your first two are no pets at the table without permission, which I am providing today and expect you to leave your furry friend in Twilight's care during during future dates, and a proper mare always treats everything and everypony with courtesy and respect in company of others, even if they don't always deserve it.”
Twilight just nodded to the two and trotted out the door saying, “now, to see Applejack about what Eclipse said.”
As Twilight made her way out of the store Rarity lead Eclipse to the kitchen. After getting out some jasmine tea and setting to brew for a bit Rarity said, “first rule of having a pet at the table is they must never actually be on the table, they to remain by your side if they wish to be in the same room as a table. If they wish they may leave the room. If you wish to leave you ask to be excused and wait for your host to allow it.”
Eclipse gave a curt nod before saying, “I suppose I'm also never supposed to act to eager and instead I'm to act the part of delicate flower, right?”
“Oh heavens no,” said Rarity with surprise, “yes you must never act to eager, interested, uninterested or bored with what happens around you, that much is true. However you must never liken yourself to 'a delicate flower' as you put it, you need to show a sense of strong assertion that is not brutish or aggressive. Let those colts and fillies know you mean business, but be accepting of the views of others. You can debate with them over conflicting views, but only do so when they invite you to do so.”
“I... really haven't had practice at that sort of thing,” said Eclipse, “back in Bridleton it was either be forced to read books that in my hindsight usually are very disagreeable with the philosophies of Equestria or have to try advanced spells without knowing my basics and be told I was expected to get the spell right on my first go.” Eclipse dropped her view towards the table before stealing a glance at her new pet, “but by far the worst part of the experience was being told what was expected of me without being told how to execute such behaviors. Granted, standing around like a set piece for the majority of ball sounds easy enough, but what happens when nature calls or my tummy rumbles so hard I can't ignore it?”
“You must never ignore the needs of your body,” said Rarity, “to do so is akin to scandalous, you just discreetly ask somepony to retrieve you a refreshment or discreetly tell somepony you need to powder your nose, you never want to tell anypony at a formal event you need to use the little filly's room.”
“When I said I was made a set piece it wasn't metaphorical, I really was just there for display purposes and was specifically instructed to not draw attention to myself or move a hoof, I was only allowed to move my head, but I was forbidden from talking. I heard miss Twilight yesterday going on about the gala ball Princess Celestia throws every year, and how I would probably be required to attend it with her. Will I be expected to be a decoration? I don't want to be a fixture for the crowd to enjoy!”
“Oh heavens no,” said Rarity, “that kind of thing is just dreadful, you'll just be greeting other ponies, shaking their hooves and making an excuse when you need something else to do. That's the way a proper mare does things.”
“I don't know,” said Eclipse with a sullen voice, “I don't feel comfortable around large groups. It sometimes makes my second innate ability flare, and that makes me get scared.”
“Second innate ability? Darling, I was under the impression your only innate ability was canceling out magics.”
“Sometimes I can... sense a pony's true nature,” said Eclipse with tears swelling in her eyes, “I've always had it, but I ignored it until about a year ago. Why would I ignore my own instincts, the answer is simple, I hoped they were wrong about the ponies I called my parents and grandmother. They weren't the way I needed them to be, I saw their true selves and it scared me. Sunshine Bottle, Storm Walker and Dream Step were beautifully shining stars when my ability flared up near them; but around Great Spell, Great Seal and Grand Charm I kept seeing this horrifying dark pit that gobbled up all light that tried to illuminate it, it was the same for all the nobility that attended their parties. The staff in the manner were varying degrees between the two. One of the brightest stars I ever met was a wounded pegasus maid named Gentle Wind, she would talk about her daughter and what her filly could have been.”
“Could have been?” said Rarity, “Oh no, no, no,” she took a deep gulp, “that means she had to bury her filly.”
“The ruling caste of Bridleton wouldn't allow a non-noble to bury their dead, they wouldn't allow them the decency of a funeral pyre. The body would have been thrown unceremoniously, much to the horror of the parents of the prematurely passed foals, into the catacombs. That's the best somepony not born into a 'noble' house could hope for.”
“That's just morbid,” said Rarity, “I suppose I brought it on myself by indulging that line of conversation. Has your ability ever 'flared' around me?”
Eclipse smiled and said, “yes, the only star brighter than you is miss Twilight, you both have beautiful souls, the kind of souls that shine so bright they can strongly resist whatever corruptive force tries to change them. Miss Fluttershy shines with same brilliance you do, so does miss Applejack. It hasn't happened around the rest of your friends, but I think they might all be a collection of beautiful stars that can shine through anything.”
“Sweetheart,” said Rarity with tears of joy in her eyes, “that is one of the most beautiful things anypony has ever said about us,” she gave a smile and used a hoofkerchief to dry her eyes delicately before giving a smile that filled Eclipse with hope and joy, “that wasn't always the case. When we faced Discord after he broke free of his seal he used his powers to manipulate us into becoming the opposite of our elements and more importantly the opposite of who we really were. The way you said it says that if somepony tried something similar that could never happen again, I thank you for your faith in our bonds,” she got up and found the water for the tea to be at the right temperature and added the materials for the tea itself and stirred it delicately into the hot water with her magic. Afterwards she set the cap back on the teapot and set it down on the tables center, “we need to let it brew a few minutes,” she said with a curt nod, “and once it has cooled after brewing we will begin to drink. Every tea has a proper temperature at which it is to be brewed and proper temperature to drink it at, it will still be a while. When somepony makes an inquiry about something you are uncomfortable about you either try to divert the conversation or excuse yourself from the conversation, if neither is possible you merely tell them it is something you are uncomfortable with and hope they leave it at that, but if they don't take a hint your last chance is hope somepony comes along to either distract them or give an avenue out from the individual you are entertaining.”
“I... think I understand,” said Eclipse hesitantly, “now that I think about it, all the things I was told about social interactions before coming to Equestria hadn't changed in centuries, in fact the only things that changed were which ponies were around and names. The rest... never changed, no new art, no new culture, nothing to inspire ponies to new future. It's like it was all being blocked, I don't know how that's possible. I read about something that could explain it, but I never found sort of proof.”
“So, in short,” said Rarity as she trotted over to the fridge and brought out a small plate of tea cookies then set the plat next to the teapot, then places one cookie each on the saucers next to the cups, “that place hasn't had any sort of advancements in centuries, it must have been simply horrid to live there. Certainly the lesson policies must have at least been done in a way to allow the student to acquire the knowledge they were intended.”
“No,” said Eclipse folding her ears back for few seconds, “the lesson plans were the same regardless of your age, and if advanced lessons were going on for one student who had the same teacher as new students those new students were just dropped into the advanced course instead of having a separate lesson plan. At least that's the way it was for us, Dream and I were dropped into Sunshine Bottle's lessons without even an introduction to the basics. I like the basics, they're fun. I read the tale of Equestria's founding, I don't know why Bridleton hasn't been assaulted by Wendigoes considering how everything there is. Maybe the nation is kept safe from them with some kind of spell.”
“It's sounds like a dreadful place, I'm not surprised to see you made your escape. It's a shame your sister and your brother's friends didn't join you,” she poured some tea into the cups.”
“He says they did it give us a better chance of escape, we might see them in a few months,” her ears pulled back in fear, “along with Great Spell and Grand Charm, those two called themselves my mother and grandmother, but the more I look back at my time around them the more I realize how much they lost the right to those claims a long time ago. A mother is supposed to be their for her foals in times of need and comfort them when they're scared, sad or confused, Great Spell never did that, she treated us all like a means to an end that could be tossed aside when we were no longer of use to her, Grand Charm was the same way, a grandmother shouldn't be like that, we were supposed to be the family babies, they were supposed be keeping us safe from the horrors of the outside world, instead we were dangled like a hunter's bait and used as a shield for their ambitions. What kind of ponies do that? I don't know if I can call them ponies anymore,” tears started to well up in her eyes, she sniffled her next words “what is the proper course of action for dealing with... individuals like that?”
“I don't know, dear,” said Rarity, “I think the best course of action is begin talking to them with the respect you know you deserve before transitioning to the respect you know they deserve.”
“So, no matter what it important remain courteous and... civil,” said Eclipse.
“Indeed, darling,” said Rarity as she took dainty sip of her tea, “you better drink up, tea is best when warm.”
Eclipse took hesitant sip before making a motion for larger sip, but was stopped by Rarity before that could happen, “oh, so I'm supposed to take light sips of my drink,” said Eclipse as the teacup lowered to the saucer in Rarity's magical aura.
“that's right dear,” said Rarity, “you need to always conduct yourself with poise and grace, it better helps show your refinement.”
Eclipse's ears folded back before she said, “why did nopony teach me any of this before, up until we made our escape I genuinely wanted to please Great Spell and Grand Charm, but now I find myself wondering why they inhibited my education in how social interactions are meant to go, especially how much they talked about it in front of me, and at me.”
“You mean they talked about it's importance to you, don't you dear?”
Eclipse shook her head before saying, “they never wanted my input or verbal response, just a firm nod that understood what they expected from me. I was never given an opportunity to practice anything like this, I was only given a sub par meal and told that I had to earn the right to better food. What kind of ponies do that?”
“The wrong kind for foals,” said Rarity primly, “you're a lot kinder than your environment should have made you! Is there a reason for that?”
Eclipse smiled and said, “Storm Walker and Sunshine Bottle mostly, and the journals I brought with me. I feel real bad that I had to bring a bag made from a living creature as their mode transit, I want to treat that unknown creature with the respect it truly deserved.”
“The fact you feel that way makes you a better pony than the ponies that kept it for other uses,” said Rarity, “take solace in the fact you already have the right mindset for a proper mare. I think that's enough of a lesson for today, you can finish this at your leisure. Just remember, take your drinks and food delicately, at least in public or around guests, you can eat however you want in private,” the white mare gave Eclipse wink as the filly delicately lifted the cookie to her mouth and took a small nibble before having her eyes light up with enjoyment. This caused her to take larger, yet still dainty, bites of the cookie and gently sip her tea. Rarity smiled at how quickly the filly had taken to proper tea etiquette. After a careful half hour of refined silence Eclipse asked Rarity for a napkin and delicately wiped her mouth with it when the mare passed her a white cloth napkin before thanking the alabaster unicorn mare and asking to be excused.
“You already seem to know all the important bits,” said Rarity. The unicorn mare walked the filly to the door, the moment the door opened Eclipse started hyperventilating. “Darling,” came a concerned voice from Rarity, “what's wrong?” She started to gently stroke the filly's mane, which surprisingly calmed Eclipse down.
“The moment it all stopped I started getting really scared,” said Eclipse with shame, “the moment you opened the door a bunch of memories best left forgotten assaulted me, I feel really scared. Abal! Where's Abal?” Rarity floated the sleeping otter onto Eclipse's back, this caused the filly to visibly relax. “Thanks,” said Eclipse with a gentle hug to the white mare before trotting out of the door.
That filly needs more guidance than I originally thought, it's good thing her new guide in life is Twilight thought Rarity as she closed the door behind her and helped guide the filly to the farm. Eclipse had a big grin on her face when she saw the mass of apples before her, one had admitted to Twilight on their way to Rarity's that she had done her best to hide her first time there.
***************************************
A few minutes later Eclipse was standing in front of Applejack, Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, a surprisingly spry Granny Smith, Twilight (whom was keeping the filly's new pet otter near her until it was time to leave, said mare also had a mass of notebooks and writing materials next to her) and Rarity (whom was lamenting about not bringing a sun hat).
Eclipse took a big gulp, she had admitted to Twilight about being uncomfortable with large groups (but it seemed standing before a small group was just as frightening to her), “um, would anypony like to suggest where I should start?”
“Yeah,” said Applejack, “Twi showed us all uh passage in one uh the tha books ya brough' with ya that mentioned tha autor havin' an earth filly named for tha 'Sacred Island', whut's the tha' exactly?”
“Digging a deep trench for the canal I see,” said Eclipse under her breath before giving a deep sigh, both of which were heard by the whole Apple clan and caused them all to give little chuckles, “the 'sacred island' is Abalonia,” said Eclipse, “roughly translated to the modern tongue it means Island of Apples or Apple Isle,” this caused all the Apples to smile, “according to Bridleton's old legends the island is swarming with magics that are said to be as old as the world itself, and apples are the only trees to ever grow on the island. It is said that apples from different regions of the island have different magical effects. The only only known ponies to travel to the island are the original Artanus and Myrraldin himself, it is said that the Original Artanus is in an enchanted sleep within a hollow hill upon the island and waiting for the day where he is awakened because he is needed once more. Unfortunately nopony today knows how to get to the island. If Myrraldin named his daughter after the island it could only mean one thing.”
“And whut woul' tha' be?” said Apple Bloom.
“He wanted to say just how special she was to his life, in modern Bridleton it is against the law to have apple related names, I don't know why that's a reigning law though. Apples are rather easy to get a hoof on, but why you can't name any foals after them is beyond me,” said Eclipse.
“He said he cast some spells on her to keep her safe,” said Twilight, “AJ ever since Pinkie thought she discovered a common ancestor to her and Apples you said you've been taking a closer look at the Apple family records.”
“Tha's right Twi,” said Applejack, “whatcha getting' et?”
“Have you ever encountered a reference to a pony named Abalonia?” inquired the purple mare.
“Tha's a name ya don' rightful ferget on account uh et bein' so unusual,” said Applejack, “sorry Twi I've gone as far back as tha family records allow and tha's wun name Ah never saw.”
“What about names that are rough translations?” said Eclipse with interest, “what about Apple Isle? Or Apple Island?”
Applejack's eyes went big, as did Big Mac's and Granny Smith's when they all said in unison, “Apple Island was the first great Matron uh tha Apple Clan, she appeared in Equestria shortly after et was founded, many uh the traditions we 'ave stem from her.”
“That was a little creepy,” said Twilight.
Eclipse suddenly acted like something clicked, “that's it,” she hollered, “he said his name was an assumed name to make himself more mysterious, but he also reportedly said 'the key to my true name is in my mother's words to me and the generations I leave in the hooves of the most beautiful filly in the world'. Every good father thinks their daughter is the most beautiful filly in the world, and his mother supposedly said he was the seed for a new age. His name, his real one, was probably Appleseed. One of the spells he placed on his daughter probably blocked off unicorns from appearing in the bloodline, and Twilight said his daughter was an Earth filly. In short the entire Apple Clan can be considered his successors, especially considering their dedication to Apples. Apples are the sacred plant of the age Myrraldin is from, the most mystical fruit of his day is cultivated by a clan with direct blood link to him. Knowing how his magic worked the Apples probably won't produce any unicorns until a magic stronger than Myrraldin's joins the bloodline, it's the only way he could ensure the safety of his descendants since those that took over would be looking for potentially powerful unicorns and assume they were his direct descendants only to find out during the course of the unicorn's training that wasn't the case. The Apple clan holds the keys to Abalonia, they just need to try and figure out where the keys were left by Apple Island. She was probably a bit like her father and placed the clues to uncovering the location of the keys in a place only the most trusted ponies would be allowed to go.”
“Did she jus' ramble on about how we're tha' ones that are directly descended from a unicorn on par wi' Starswirl tha Bearded and have access ta means of travelin' ta an island that would make any member uh the clan giddy?” said Apple Bloom with confusion.
“Ah believe tha's wha' 'er ramblin' was abou',” said Big Macintosh.
“Well bless mah bones,” said Granny Smith, “tha doctors kep tellin' me thar's no way Ah can be able ta keep goin' as long as Ah have wi'ou' some extra means, maybe uh bi' uh thaut unicorn heritage she thinks we got is 'elping me ou' uh bit. An' Ah like her little theory, mostly 'cause she rambled abou' us havin' tha keys ta go ta tha greatest Apple Orchard in tha world.”
“About that,” said Eclipse rubbing her neck, “Abalonia hasn't had anypony tending it for centuries, or so I've been lead to believe, so it might be a little haphazard when you do finally get there.”
“If we ever do get ta visit this place ya told us abou' and et's the way ya described et that jus' means et needs a uh bit of tha lovin' care we Apples provide all thar trees,” said Appejack.
“Please don't tell me you'll name every tree on island,” said Twilight with exasperation, “it's bad enough when every tree in the orchard has a name.”
“Now Twi,” said Big Macintosh, “just because you haven't com ta accept sum of tha more unique eccentricities uh tha Apple clan don't mean ya have to groan about somethin' aint happened yet.”
“Well that confirms it,” said Eclipse, “they're going to try naming potentially thousands of trees that have grown wild for who knows how long on an island that is potentially teaming with so much magic it could cause the internal magics of anypony to either grow out of control or cause magics related to their talents to become so strong they're on a whole other level.”
“Wait, back that up a bit,” said Twilight, “it can make our inherent magics more powerful?”
“From what I've read about the island, yes” said Eclipse, “Artanus's magics aren't running wild because he's in an enchanted sleep within the Hollow Hill, Myrraldin didn't have a much of a problem because magic was his talent and he frequented the island so often that he developed an adaptation to the island's magic, it's possible his daughter was born on the island granting her unique properties nopony else could have.”
“Magic is my talent,” said Twilight with pride, “so by your calculations the island will have very little effect on me.”
“Yes, well the island is said to have time pass different than the rest of the world. Some of the texts I read speculated that only few hours on the island could translate to a few days in world outside, others speculated that time was inconsistent for those visiting with some spending few hours to find days or weeks had passed them by while others spent months on the island to find barely a week had slipped by. These are all speculations, seeing as all the ponies that wrote those theories never visited the island.”
“Really? That's interesting,” said Twilight, “if I was able to study the magics of the island I could provide a conclusive decision regarding temporal transition theories, the study could revolutionize magic as a whole, most notably age spells and time travel spells, can you imagine the ability to...”
“Gonna have ta cut ya off thar Twi,” said Applejack, “if ya keep et up we might lose ya ta tha theory fervor beast again, and what would that do ta yer student here?”
“Oh, I'd probably be helping her with all the theories,” said Eclipse, “creating and altering formulas is fun, exciting, and feels very rewarding. Back in Bridleton we couldn't do any of that, the newest magical theories and formulas are over seven centuries old, and we're not allowed to even think about altering or tweaking them.”
“She's made fer Twi alright,” said Apple Bloom, “wait, watcha mean yer not allowed ta mess with existing magical theories an' formulas, Ah thought that was part uh tha whole magic centered unicorn deal.”
“Bridleton has been frozen in all its policies for thousands of years,” said Eclipse, “I didn't realize that until I actually got a good look at Equestrian technologies and formulas. Making waffles with miss Twilight was fun, as far as I know we don't have anything like them in Bridleton,” her ears drooped, “that place is full of bad memories for me, I don't ever want to think about it again, but I'll catch glimpses of my bad memories when miss Twilight finally uses that memory spell on me, I don't want to fight. I feel like I need her to do it, she's the first pony I've felt I should never keep anything from, I just now realized it and don't want to keep anything from her no matter what. She's what my new definition of a mother should be, and you should never keep anything from your mother.”
“That's sweet, Eclipse,” said Twilight, “but you should know that it's okay to keep some things from your mother, but you're right in believing whatever is in your memories is best left as an open book for me to read when I finally get around to using that memory observation spell. You were right with your instincts on that one, it's a very benign spell and is exactly the kind of spell I would expect from a unicorn here in Equestria, in fact I might have even devised a similar spell in a few few years.”
After answering some minor questions from the Apples Eclipses thanked them for their time and asked Twilight if they could go. They walked back to the castle in silence, not the uneasy silence one usually has but instead the more content silence. When they were back at the palace Twilight said, “I'm proud of you, you looked like you were really uncomfortable with all that, but you did well. Now I want you to remember you don't have any lessons for tomorrow, so instead I want you to go out and interact with other foals around your age. You already met one, and she really wants to get to know you. Just like my mentor wanted me to make some friends years ago I want you to try making friends as well. You need to get out of the mindset Bridleton put you in, the best way to do that is to get as far away from that line of thinking as possible. Friends have a way of making all those old worries seem almost insignificant if you take the time to listen to them.”
“I'll try,” said Eclipse as they walked into the castle.
Owlwicious (looking like he was getting elderly) was on a perch watching the door, “don' you give me that look mister, you could have been introduced to her proper days ago, but you decided to keep yourself out of sight,” said Twilight.
“Hoo, hhoo,” said the owl.
“You really are getting a faulty memory,” said Twilight, “I don't need to be in Canterlot since the princesses got back days ago. How is it you didn't hear the party for Eclipse when we got back?”
“Hoo, hoooo hoo,” said the owl.
“I'm aware Pinkie might have thrown a few parties here in the past couple of weeks, she does have a spare key to the castle. However, the part four days ago was for Eclipse Touch. The filly you just asked about. And Before you ask, the little thing curled up on her back is an otter that she's decided be her new pet. Now say hello to her.”
“Hoot, hahoo,” said the elderly looking owl with a curt bow before flying off.
“You... can understand him?” inquired Eclipse.
“Oh, yes,” said Twilight, “I learned how from Fluttershy, her special talent allows her to understand animals. I learned how to understand owls from her, although it's only owls. Trying learn how to understand all the creatures she does would take up far too much of my time and I have a lot of responsibilities now. I made sure to make next week clear for me so my friends and I could have our meet and greet. You'll be joining us, mostly because we don't mind. In fact I think everypony would want to meet you. The only one you haven't met yet is Rainbow, I think she'll like you.”
“I'm really tired,” said Eclipse.
“I think you should sleep in your own room this time,” said Twilight, “its preparations were finished days ago, since it is your personal space you can do with it whatever you want. That means that Abal and your new doll will fit in there nicely, I'll ask Fluttershy about the dietary needs of the kind of otter Abal is while you get some rest. It is a weekend and you need to start getting into some weekend habits.”
****************
Twilight watched as Eclipse was curled up in her new bed with the Twilight doll drawn in close and Abal curled up near the foot of her bed on top of the sheets. After looking over the sleeping filly for a few minutes she smiled and gently closed the door before making her way to the stairs and door so she could make her way to Fluttershy's.
As soon as she opened the door she was greeted to the sight of her old mentor. “Princess Celestia,” said Twilight with surprise, “to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”
“I just wanted to check up on how you were doing,” said the ivory alicorn, “how has it gone with your new student?”
“Well she definitely is like me when I was learning from you, she's really focused on reading up on spells that she doesn't consider any other options. Part of it is how she was raised, but I think it mostly has to do with some kind of sense that she needs to control her ability so she can deal with whatever she considers a threat. She's so focused on academics that she doesn't even consider any sort of method for winding down.”
“Twilight,” said Celestia with a smile, “you were the same way during your first year with me, it wasn't until half way through your second year under my wing that you started reading books that weren't of any substantial academic value. Where is your student now?”
“Sleeping,” said Twilight as she let the taller alicorn in. The two headed for the sitting room and settled into seats they considered appropriate, “I told her we wouldn't be having any lessons today, it's mostly so that she could rest properly from pushing herself the past few days. The first thing she did when she got up head for the library and load up with academic books, about a quarter of which were magic related.”
Celestia gave a little giggle before saying, “you were the same way Twilight, you were so eager about advancing my magic you didn't take time off during weekends either.”
“Yes, well I at least made requests of the castle staff when I got hungry enough to notice and took short meal breaks,” said Twilight, “she was completely ignoring the needs of her body in order to continue her studies. I think it has something to do with what she had to deal with before she arrived. Her diet was highly controlled, and not in a way that is meant to ensure her abilities performed at optimum efficiency. She was made to endure a diet designed to keep her magic levels maintained, she was told that when her performance improved she could have more substantial foods.”
“That is definitely not the best way to encourage magical capabilities,” said Celestia, “has she said anything else of substance that explanins her birth nation?”
“She said something about an entity named Still, she says Still is the spirit of stagnation. I'm not really sure what that's supposed to mean, Discord is often referred to as the spirit of chaos, but I'm not sure what kind of relation the two could have. When I looked over the journals she brought they also talked about this Still, what had to say wasn't pleasant. From what I've read so far Still has an inablity to enter a stable nation she wishes to exert her influence over, she needs to find a way to sow the seeds of civil war upon those nations and then when that's been done she trots right in and waits for the dust to start clearing before establishing a system of government that she can better manipulate. She uses the foundations of the prior nation as scaffold and erects a sort of twisted version of what was once there.”
“That's horrible,” said Celestia, “it worse I assume.”
“Yes,” said Twilight, “she instates herself as a key advisor to the rulers of the nations she's reconstructed to her specifications, never the ruler though. Then when a revolution is unavoidable she selects a new nation to twist around her hoof and sets things in motion for her move. Myrraldin was very clear about this, he seemed to have done a tremendous study on her and other entities he coined 'Supreme Supernatural Forces'. He has some references to an entity that sounds an awful lot like a much younger Discord, but it seems he focused mainly on Still. He theorized she created some kind of method that began the process of slowing the development of her target nation, his two most prevailing theories was she sent ponies in under the guise of ambassadors to begin slowing the progression of the other nation or some kind of spell that influenced the development of her target nation. He didn't have any sort of proof either way, but those were the most likely methods he could think of.”
“Discord showed you the art piece?” said Celestia, seeming to change the conversation.
“Yes,” said Twilight, “I don't understand much, and some of the image didn't make sense because...”
“I've been dating Discord for the past five years,” said Celestia, which caught Twilight completely by surprise, “we've been very good at hiding it, but if that image is in fact something from how things are supposed to be that would mean Myrraldin's theory about a spell was closer to the mark than he thought.”
Twilight suddenly realized what her former mentor was getting at and said, “Still somehow has managed to have one of the unicorns of the nation she has influence over that makes it so that ponies with the potential to bring about some the greatest changes are prevented from being born at the proper time and probably born before their appointed time and placed in a surrogate she had some measure of control over. But going off that theory Eclipse and Dream would probably be one of the foals in the image we saw. If that is the case the question of which foal she is would come up. Is she the one I was holding in the picture? Or was she Luna's? Also it probably cause a temporal ripple effect, like what Starswirl theorized if a time travel spell was big enough, one that caused events that would lead to the births of those foals to happen in ways that did not lead to their births.”
A yawn came from the top of the stairs and Eclipse's tired voice said, “you're failing to account for fixed temporal points, if a spell like that were to occur a fixed point in the nation's history would prevent it from progressing further.”
The two alicorns turned to see a sleep trotting Eclipse, “an event like the defeats of Discord and Tirek would act as break walls for the temporal ripples which in turn would prevent their effects from going further and only cause minor changes that had no real influence on the events as a whole. If we take into account the temporal fixed points then that means...” Eclipse suddenly woke up, “um, miss Twilight what am I doing down here? I thought I was sleeping in my bed, it was wonderful feeling to sleep without fears keeping me fixed to the bed.”
“You just gave input on a discussion Princess Celestia and I were having, while you were sleeping. You talked about time influencing spells.”
“But I,” Eclipse looked at the two alicorns with a confused look, “I've never read up on any time spells or formulas.”
“But you were talking in a way that stated you actually had appropriate input to the conversation,” said Celestia.
“She was also literally asleep when she did it,” said Twilight, “something is up and I'm going to find out about it soon, I've been preoccupied with the journals, but I think I'll give that memory spell a thorough reading.”
“Can somepony explain what is going on, please?” said Eclipse, “I'm really confused. And sleepy,” she collapsed on the ground between the two mares.”
“That was odd,” whispered Celestia as Twilight lifted the filly in her magic, this caused Eclipse to give a couple of little giggles of delight while remaining asleep.
“I know what you mean,” whispered Twilight back, “there are a lot of things that seem a bit random with her, but not in the same way Pinkie is random.”
“Is she still insisting on sleeping with you,” whispered the ivory mare.
Twilight ascended the steps with Eclipse in her magic and half way to the sleeping filly's room said, “no, Rarity gave her plush doll in my likeness and that seems to make her comfortable enough to sleep by herself, and her new pet is probably helping as well, she actually got them both today.”
“And the two new additions to the household are making her more comfortable,” whispred Celestia as she watched Twilight tuck the filly back into bed, with almost a motherly touch, before gently closing the door behind her.
Once the two were downstairs in the library, because Twilight just loved having all that space for her books, and seated Twilight said, “so, why are you here? Don't you have court duties to attend to?”
“I decided to end court early today,” said Celestia, “you can only take so much repetition before you begin to decide to try changing things up, and besides the same thirty petitions every month can grate on even my nerves. I wanted to see how you were coming along with your new student, and see the kind of relationship you two have.”
“She's very formal with me,” said Twilight, “much the way I was my first few months with you, I'm trying get her to be a bit more informal.”
“With limited success I suppose,” said Celestia with smirk remembering her first few years with Twilight.
“I suppose,” said Twilight, “I told her we would have the weekend off, at the very least I listened to you when you said that and read some recreational books.”
Celestia chuckled at the memory of what Twilight had called recreational in their early years together, after a while she snapped her attention on her former student and said, “why did you word it that way?”
“None of the books Spike or I caught her reading were for recreational purposes, every single one was academic in nature. In fact the recreational books Spike suggested to her were all in a neat little pile labeling them as not being useful. If I catch her doing something similar tomorrow I'm going to stage an intervention, in the best way for a filly!”
“And,” Celestia inquired, “what would that be exactly?”
Twilight's face lit up with big, goofy grin as she said, “Story time! When I catch her doing the academic approach only I'm going to pull her aside and read one of the foal friendly story books in this library, and maybe I'll do the same for a few nights.”
“Careful Twilight,” Celestia said in a mock chastisement, “you're starting to sound more like a mother than a teacher.”
“Truth be told, Princess,” said Twilight, “I think she might be scared of her mother, the definition of a mother she gave me yesterday when I asked her give the definition of a mother was far to cold and clinical for my tastes.”
“So you compared your lexicons with each other yesterday? I suppose it's a good start Twilight.”
“Yes, but everything she's been told about magic feels wrong, the societal structure she describes her home as is something that Equestria could have become if the tribes hadn't banded together and formed the foundations of the nations we live in today. The foundations of Bridleton seem to be specifically designed to keep the tribes as far apart as possible, and it even seems like ponies that are of one tribe that have foals that are of different tribe are treated worse with their foals being treated like some kind of disgrace. Their brother is treated like the family's dirty little secret they decided to sweep under the rug and forget about, that is except during events that mandate that all living members of the family be present.”
“They really did go the way Equestria could have if events played out a bit differently in the past,” said Celestia with a sad tone, “how long have they had a nation like that.”
“It's hard to say,” said Twilight, “I've been reading Myrraldin's journals in my free time, they're a fascinating read,” Celestia stifled a chuckle while think how some things would never really change, “and it seems that under Myrraldin's guidance a colt named Artanus founded a kingdom under a similar prospect to Equestia. Artanus's kingdom was safeguarded by knights, the greatest of whom were his most trusted advisors and best friends. Together with him they formed what were known as the Circle Knights, an order dedicated to ensuring equality to all across the lands of the kingdom.”
“They must have been some amazing ponies,” said Celestia with a renewed interest.
“They weren't just ponies,” said Twilight with excitement, “the circle knights had earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, griffins, dragons, hippogriffs and even kirins among them. I had look up what hippogriffs and kirins were since I was unfamiliar with the words, but you must know what they are princess!”
“Indeed I do,” said Celestia with a smile, she knew Twilight could often slip into old habits when she got really excited, “it's been a long time since I encountered one of either. In a way the Circle Knights could be considered much like you and your friends these days.”
Twilight sat thought for a bit and then nodded vigorously, “I've been thinking too hard on what I want my possible royal guard to look like, I think it's time I started looking at what I need it to be like, the journals and this talk helped me remember that lesson from way back when.”
Celestia smiled and made her way to the door, “oh and Twilight, try to keep an open mind about things, just be careful because you never who who or what could trot in when you do that.”
“Sure thing, I hope your next rendezvous with Discord doesn't get interrupted before you can actually get to the kissing stage.”
Celestia stopped just sort of the door and said, “How long have you known? Have you told anypony about it yet?”
“Three years,” said Twilight with a smirk, “I figured out on my own, this is made more incredible when you take into account how I'm usually oblivious to such things. The only pony I've told is Cadance, and that was only last year. She's agreed to keep it a secret until you two are willing to come admit to the relationship.”
“Well,” said Celestia, “that's going to make our annual princess meeting this coming fall a little awkward.”
“I suggest you come clean with Luna by then,” said Twilight, “you still have a few months to do so, if you don't tell her your fiancée will.”
“How long have you known about the horn ring he made for me?”
“About a year, at our last meeting before you rushed off to pick up those three you were showing twitch with your wings touching your horn when you were starting to show a sense worry when we were in private.”
“Thank you, Twilight, for not spreading this to those in Equestria that would possibly ruin what we have going on.”
“The way I see it, one or both of you deserves to share with Equestria instead of somepony with a blabber mouth or access to a well-read news publication finds out. The populace might feel less betrayed, they might even be understanding of your secret relationship up to that point.”
“Thanks for not overreacting Twilight.”
“Oh, I did that after I first came to the realization, I had three rooms dedicated to the formulas I personally created from scratch to try and explain how you could even consider entertaining a relationship with Discord, I spent three months not talking to anypony when not in court, it worried my friends.”
“It rightfully should,” said Celestia, “out of curiosity, is Eclipse now spending time in one of those rooms?”
“No, I made sure to put her in a room that hadn't been used for anything other than storage.”
“Well, we'll see just how you both develop in a few years,” with that she was out the door.
Twilight trotted back to the hall just outside the filly's room as she cracked open the door to peek she thought, I've never really felt this maternal before, not even with Spike. She peered in and smiled at the sleeping filly, who was cuddling the plush doll in her likeness. Maybe I'll ask Rarity to make one in the likeness of each of us, it might help her feel safer.
Eclipse was sleeping soundly in her bed and said, “Mommy is the best, ever,” before going quiet again. Twilight smiled a bit wider and headed to her room.
Now, thought Twilight, to get back to those journals.
****************************
It was almost noon when Twilight heard Eclipse giggling outside her room, the lavender alicorn closed the journal she was reading through after marking the page with a feather from Owlwicious. It was at this point she noticed the feather shimmer for a bit before its age reversed to the age she knew the owl had been around when he had become a part of the life she and Spike shared. “So, that's how the books have managed to remain in such good condition,” mused Twilight as she placed the book on her nightstand, “they have a restoration spell that maintains them, a truly ingenious method.” Twilight opened her door to find the sight of Eclipse cuddling the doll in her likeness and sleeping next to the mare's door, she giggled and picked the filly up in her magic, this in turn caused said filly to giggle as she was carried in the lavender mare's magic. This caused Twilight to smile as she took the Eclipse back to the bed she was meant to be in and tucked her in, before leaving the filly Twilight kissed her just above her horn. Why am I feeling so...maternal? Thought Twilight, it's almost as if I really do want her to be my foal. But why would I want to be the mother of a filly I only just met a few days ago. This requires study, I also need an establishing baseline so I'll have talk to mom and dad about all the parenting stuff... They are definitely going to take it the wrong way.
Twilight returned to her reading of the journals when the sound of giggling came from Eclipse's a few hours room, she once again marked her place and peered in on the filly. This time her otter was cuddling up in a way that was tickling the filly, while surprisingly not waking her. First thing's first, I need to read up on parenting, the books are more readily available and my parents can inform me which components of the information in the books is actually viable and which pieces are next to worhtless. I wonder what it feels like to be real mom, not just a mother figure or storybook mom. She probably thinks of me as her storybook mom, as cute as that is I think it best I set her straight before it goes to far, if it hasn't already. My friends and I will all start catching up tomorrow, I think it best Eclipse and I get some things squared away before that happens.
*************************************************
It was almost three in the afternoon when Eclipse came down and saw Twilight making sandwiches and Wraps in the kitchen with Spike. “How long was I out? Did I do anything you didn't approve of? I hope not,” said Eclipse in a tired voice that was scared and looking for approval.
“You were out for most of the day,” said Twilight, “a little sleeptrotting, and giggling, but nothing more beyond that, I got a chance to read through quite a few of those journals you brought. I'm making lunch for my friends and I for our get together later this week, six days of getting together and reliving a bit of how things used to be, I'm looking forward to it.”
“Will I...”
“Of course not, if anything you'll help remind some of us of how we envisioned the future. I've had musings about being a mother, and in a way you've been helping me get a taste of what it would like to be a mother, especially since you call me mommy when you're sleeping.”
Eclipse looked around like she was in trouble and searching for a place to mitigate her punishment before saying, “I hope I wasn't being inappropriate Miss Twilight, I don't want to be responsible for something that is too problematic for you.”
“As if,” sad Spike, “if anything you've dong something very right, I haven't seen Twilight so happy to be around anypony like she is with you in a long time, you've made Twilight feel like she's more than your mentor, and that is something she was hoping for from the start.”
“She's not like how I was told a magic instructor should be,” said Eclipse.
“Take that as a good thing,” said Spike as he headed out the door.
“I'm not just your magic instructor,” said Twilight as she gestured for the filly to join her, “I'm your mentor, that means it is my duty and privilege to help guide you to being a better pony and learning about more than just magic. That's why when the summer has come to an end you'll be enrolling in Ponyville's public school, there are things that I am unable to teach you that the school can, and it will great place to meet new ponies.”
“I'm scared,” said Eclipse, “not just about meeting new ponies, but for anypony that I develop an attachment to.”
“Worried what Great Spell and Grand Charm will do if they see you willingly interacting with ponies they don't approve of?” The filly nodded, “don't worry, they don't have any jurisdiction here, and besides as my student you are under the full breadth of my protection.”
“They won't believe any of you are genuine alicorns, even if you prove everything they claim they believe wrong. Rhetoric and propaganda are very powerful in shaping the minds of others, or at least that's something I read a month ago while making preparations for our escape. I don't know why I suddenly started resisting all of it, especially considering how forcefully and often it was jammed down my throat.”
“That's an easy enough answer,” said Twilight with a smile, “you're an academic, you kept on saying you were before and during our first lessons. A true academic takes the facts and looks at things objectively, that's how you managed to free yourself from the claims that have kept your birth nation stuck in a mindset that is extremely outdated. You have the kind of mind that could become a great scholar, we just need to get your head, mind, heart and soul pointed in the right direction. I was a lot like you are now before I met my friends, and the majority of our first adventure together. Do you remember what I said about Pumpkin Cake?”
“She has twin brother, her parents run and operate the town bakery, her parents are earth ponies and she's only being tutored by you.”
“Well yes, but you missed some very important pieces of information.”
“What would those be?”
“Her twin brother is a pegasus, she's only having me tutor her in the use of magic, she and her brother need a good friend, and this town was founded by Earth ponies only a few hundred years ago.”
“But this castle must have been here as reminder of the imposing power of unicorns over the populace!”
“No, that's not what it symbolizes and it's only been here about seven years now. I used to live in the Golden Oaks library for my first year here. The new town library was finished just a couple of years ago, along with some extensions onto the Ponyville schoolhouse, I personally funded both as much as I could while also helping out in whatever way I could.”
“Learning all this feels like it would be easier with a mark of my own,” said Eclipse with despondent look at her flank.
“It could help,” said Twilight.
“Wait, you said you funded and aided the construction of the new town library and additions to the schoolhouse. You're royalty, you should think ponies seeing you work do manual labor should be beneath you.”
“That's your old culture talking,” said Twilight with a disapproving stare, which turned into a soft smile, “the higher your station, the greater your responsibilities. Some ponies think that means the greater their responsibilities to 'show superiority' over everypony else, that's not what it means. It means the higher your station is the greater your responsibilities to help ponies in any way you can. Somepony could see you and your siblings making an escape as running from your responsibilities, seeing as how high you keep saying your family stands politically in Bridelton.”
“But you think it's something else,” said Eclipse, “what exactly?”
“You all ran to responsibility, on some level you noticed how your family wasn't living up to its responsibilities. Even if you do end up going back there you will always want to live up to the responsibilities your station entails.”
“If only it were that easy,” said Eclipse as she pulled her ears back in shame, “anypony who's tried to change things has been executed, one of the responsibilities we've been told we have as nobles is to 'ensure all other ponies know their place, by any means we see fit', Great Spell and Great Seal have found ways to abuse the ponies under their jurisdiction. I have truly mean parents, and a despicable grandmare, I'm afraid of what it will mean for me to have family like that.”
“They were guided by rhetoric, you broke free of that when you decided to try looking at Bridleton as if an observer untouched by the rhetoric of the nation. Now, you need to follow three simple rules when you're in the kitchen.”
“But weren't you raised on something similar in Equestria? What are the rules for the kitchen?”
Twilight gave the black filly a smile before saying, “Equestria may have rhetoric of its own, but my friends and I never really took much stock in, mostly because some aspect of who we are. As for the rules of the kitchen, listen closely.”
Eclipse leaned so close her ear was up against the lavender mare, this caused Twilight to chuckle and say, “not that close,” the filly moved a few inches out, “better. The rules of the kitchen are always clean up after you are done, this includes putting everything away; talking about sad things in the kitchen, it ruins the kind of atmosphere the kitchen is supposed to have; and, as Pinkie would phrase it, 'no sad stuff, it ruins the food you made and are working on'. Those are the three rules of the kitchen I try to follow, and expect you to as well.”
“Sure thing, miss Mom... that's not what I meant say.”
Twilight gave another chuckle and said, “you call me mommy in your sleep, I don't mind if you refer to me like a mom.”
“I really don't know why, maybe if you look at my dream and memories it could help.”
“We need to know you have your magic under control before trying either of those spells, we've been fortunate you didn't have any magic surges.”
“My surges aren't like other unicorns, my canceling effect reaches out pretty far when I have surges, at least I think it does.”
“We'll look into that later, right now I would like to assist me in making lunch for tomorrow.”
“Why are we making it?”
“It's been a long time since my friends and I saw each other, I want as much as I can to be a bit more personal.”
“Oh, I don't really know what friends are. I've read the dictionary meaning, and even asked if I could try forming that kind of connection. I made two efforts both failed. Great Spell, Great Seal, and Grand Charm said that,” she made her mocking aristocratic voice again, “'friends are beneath one of our station'” she returned to her usual voice, “but I felt something was wrong when they said that the second time around.”
“Nopony is above having friends, just as nopony is above or beyond the law. Remember, your station never makes you better than anypony else, it just defines your responsibilities. You'll be making friends once you're in school, as much as I know and can teach I have to concede that there are just some things I'm not equipped to teach you. Well, that and you really need to socialize with more than the ponies in this castle, you need to meet and interact with as many ponies as possible, and having you go around town a few times a week is a good way to do that.”
“I'm more scared of what could happen if Great Spell sees me wandering about with ponies that she deems 'below my station',” she folded her ears back, “I don't want to endanger anypony if I have a choice.”
“That already makes you a better pony, and don't worry we will get to see just what your memories say in time, but for now let's focus on making you some happy memories to ward of the not so happy ones. I really do want you to meet all my friends.”
Eclipse took two slices of bread and started making an exacting slather of spread over the pieces, this caused Twilight giggle a bit, “What you want expect of me?” Said Eclipse as she placed some white flower petals with care on one of the spread slices and brought the other piece to it with utmost care before carefully moving to spot she believed it would be out of the way and started on the next one.
“Just for you to succeed,” said Twilight as she placed sandwich spread and a dissected crocus flower on a tortilla and rolled it all up in a neat a tidy fashion. “You know, nopony here has any expectations of you beyond seeing you discover your talents and passions then living your life according to what you think you need to do.”
“It's not that easy for ponies in Bridleton, a mess of archaic mindsets dictate how everypony is live their lives. Equestria is filled with a cornucopia of things that Bridelton's static approach wouldn't be able to fully process.”
“Well,” that's just horrible,” came Rarity's voice.
“We're in the kitchen, Rarity,” said Twilight, “I thought Spike was helping you today!”
“He is,” said the pearly unicorn as the sound of her ascending the steps reached the ears of the two, “it turns out Sweetie decided to turn my auxiliary storage was more a mess, I practically fainted, Spike's clearing out for me to see the full extent of the damage. Sweetie promised she'd check on that once a month, it looked like the place hadn't been touched since I left, I'm going to have a word with my sister about it next time I see her.”
“She doesn't sound too disappointed,” said Eclipse looking at Twilight just as the ivory unicorn appeared at the kitchen door.”
“That's because I'm not, she's family after all. You just can't feel mad them for long, I see you're preparing for tomorrow.”
It was at this moment that Eclipse was caught a bit off guard and dropped the spreading knife she had in her magic on her face, which left a little bit of the spread on her coat, “I'll go get a bath going,” said Eclipse, “I really haven't cleaned myself up in the past three days, it should be one of my daily routines at all times.”
The two mares chuckled before Twilight said, “You're actually more like me than most would think, I can sometimes get the same way when I'm absorbed in study or projects.”
“She's gotten a bit better about it,” said Rarity, “you two look so cute working together in the kitchen.”
“I like being able to adjust things,” said Eclipse, “when I diverge from the expressed formula nopony gets mad at me.”
“Why would anypony get get mad over something so trivial? That makes no sense,” said Twilight, “although to be fair, I do know some high ranking Canterlot families that are a bit like that.”
“You're lucky it's just some,” said Eclipse as she tried to divert her attention to the sandwiches.
“Care to elaborate, darling,” said Rarity.
Eclipse set the sandwich materials, which she was holding rather awkwardly in her magic, down before saying, “Every, single, family amongst the nobility in Bridelton I encountered was like that.”
“How many?” Inquired Twilight.
Taking a deep sigh Eclipse said, “Of the fifty-three noble houses of Bridleton,” her ears pulled back in shame, “Great Spell would invite representatives of all of them every three months without fail, every single representative would show displeasure at the slightest change if they were not notified of it before their arrival at the main gates of the manor.”
“Oh,” Twilight blinking a bit, “I read about this sort of thing, it's usually a sign of a stagnant culture that likes to play at its own importance because it doesn't want to realize the world around it is changing.”
“How long has it been going on?” Inquired Rarity.
“Well,” said Twilight, “according the the journals and Eclipse Bridleton...”
Eclipse was up early and eying the tub wondering how many buckets it would take to fill the tub to the level she needed, while she was familiar with running water her only experience with it before arriving in Equestria was sinks and toilets only, she was also looking at the shower stall with a sense of confusion. A half awake Twilight wandered in and started her morning ritual of prepping her toothbrush for after breakfast, she thought a little counterproductive to clean ones teeth before a meal, when she spotted the black unicorn filly looking about the restroom as somepony trying to make sense of an archaeological site. It seemed Eclipse had yet to see the lavender mare, she was too busy inspecting the tub and shower stall without actually touching them.
After chuckling to herself Twilight said, “trying to decide on a bath or a shower?”
“Shower? I'm only familiar with that term when it applies to rain, it doesn't seem appropriate for this setting. Also, how many buckets would it take to fill the tub?”
Twilight blinked a few times before realizing that Eclipse had been completely honest in her response to the mare, this in turn jolted the mare into full awake mode. After mentally kicking herself, and then going over some of her memorized facts, Twilight said, “The knobs on wall in the shower stall make it poor a small stream of water of varying intensity and water temperature from a the spigot further up,” she gestured to each in the shower stall. The faucet for the tub pours water out when you turn the knobs, both have two kinds of knobs. One for cold water and one for hot water. Any questions?”
“Um,” said Eclipse nervously, “you don't need a heating spell for the water in the tub?”
“It's that way for everything thing in the palace,” said Twilight, “and Everypony's home as well. I take it this is another thing you never moved passed in Bridleton?”
Eclipse nodded before saying, “I never encountered a bath that didn't need a heating spell for the water before coming here,” Twilight stared at the filly for a moment, she had taken all running water she saw everywhere as one who takes something on a regular basis, in other words she suddenly realized just how much of her life in Equestria she had taken for granted.
“Bridleton really is behind, especially considering all your maps are pre-Equestria,” she blinked a few times at her sudden realization, “how did you know where Equestria was if none of the maps showed it? And don't say you just got a feeling.”
“No, none of us got one of those,” said Eclipse as she propped herself up to look into the tub, “I suddenly started saying Equestria like it was location to go, I literally had never heard the name of the nation before I first said its name almost a year ago, once we were free of the manor grounds Dream's horn started to glow and it was like she had a location finding spell that lead us to all the ports that eventually got us to Equestria, I don't know how or why. Dream and I had a strong feeling we needed to travel to here.”
“Oh, well that's different! Has she displayed the ability at any point other than when when you were traveling to Equestria?” Eclipse shook her head, “okay, well Princess Luna is responsible for her now so they'll figure something out.”
“Can I get cleaned up now? It would help when we meet your friends later today,” said Eclipse, “Oh, and one more thing, what kind of lesson will today have?”
“That,” said Twilight pausing a few seconds for dramatic effect, Rainbow had rubbed off on her a bit too much, “is a question nopony can answer, the lesson you take away from the meeting with my friends will be all your work and nopony elses.”
Eclipses eyes went wide with surprise, set the bath plug and started drawing a bath. The lavender mare smiled when the filly lightly dipped the tip of her hoof into the faucet's running water to test the temperature and found mad surprised face at finding the water was already warm. Twilight then started routing through the bath supply shelf while the water was still running and returned with a bottle of bubble bath which she added a small drizzle of when it came to the bath before returning the cap to the bottle and the bottle to shelf. She returned and stopped the water's flow, she was proud of her timing and calculations because it looked almost exactly like the bubble baths she remembered her mother had given her as a filly. Eclipse stared at the bubble laden water with perplexed look before giving the lavender mare a confused look.
Twilight unceremoniously picked Eclipse up with her magic, which caused the filly to give a little giggle and a slight smile to form on the mare's face, before gently dropping the filly into the water so as to not make a splash. “Miss Twilight,” said Eclipse with only her shoulders and head above the bubbles, which caused Twilight to giggle at the cute scene before her, “what is this? I don't understand why the bath is all filled with bubbles,” she said in a tone that was very serious and caused the mare to outright chuckle at the situation.
“Sorry for the laughing,” said Twilight as she quickly regained her composure, “but you look so cute in the bubble bath it struck me as amusing enough to find it funny to look at. You don't really need to get any soap out since the bubbles are the soap, just splash around until your done, I'll be taking my morning shower now,” with that she trotted over to the shower stall.
After looking at the bubbles like they were some strange entity for a few seconds Eclipse swatted some of the bubbles and started giggling like the little filly she was. Twilight smiled and just thought Sometimes you just have let foals be foals, she's been so busy trying to be a little mare she, deserves this at least.
Around ten minutes Twilight stepped out of the shower stall and started toweling off, the sight of a happy filly splashing around in the tub completely wet greeted her. “Alright,” said Twilight, “it's time to get out of the bath and dry off,” when she finished saying it she used her magic to unplug the bath and drain the water tub, “if you want we can clean the tub afterwards, it looks like there's a a few soap rings at the edge of the tub,” she lifted Eclipse in her magic, which caused the filly to giggle again, and floated her on to the bath mat before floating a towel over to the filly to dry herself. “Now dry off, we'll see about breakfast after we're all clean.”
Eclipse had used towels before, but had never used one to dry herself, Great Spell and Great Seal had insisted that one of the ponies that “served” the family dry off her, Dream and Sunshine. She giggled a bit as she dried herself off, in the most adorable yet haphazard way Twilight had seen. When the filly was finished she looked more like a black puffball with a horn than a pony, Twilight brought a hoof to her muzzle to help stifle a giggle before floating a comb and brush over to Eclipse to help smooth out the filly's coat.
“I see you're having fun,” said Twilight with a smile as she finished smoothing the filly's coat out.
“I was never allowed to dry myself off before, in fact I was always supposed to sit still in my bath as the servant ponies scrubbed me clean, I thought that something similar to that would happen, but once I noticed you were trusting me in the bath by myself I decided to see how far I could test my limits.”
“If you mean the playing the tub, which I found absolutely delightful to watch by the way, that's what foals are supposed to do. You never really were given a chance to just be a foal, were you? No chance to run around and just laugh at the joys of life? Sit down and just read a book that sounded interesting? Just try something new?”
Eclipse shook her head a bit before saying, “We were always expected to adhere to a strict schedule with no divinations, all foals around our age were not permitted to approach us without the say so of Great Spell, Great Seal or Grand Charm. The only time we deviated was when we couldn't find the pull of sleep at night when nopony was there to watch us. Those times were few and far between, up until a year ago I didn't care for such things, but then something inside me just clicked and I felt the needs that lead to the events that brought us here. I miss my siblings, but at the same time I don't. Does that make any sense?”
“I know the feeling,” said Twilight with a smile as she lead the filly out of the bathroom and down the stairs to the dining hall, “I felt much the same way when my brother first left to train as a guard, and the same way about my parents when I was given my own room to study under Princess Celestia when I was just a little older than you. While the lessons I can teach your are going well, I know there are just things I can't teach you, that's why I'm going to be enrolling you in classes at Ponyville Elementary, I also want you to make friends while you're there, you're already off to a good start with Pumpkin Cake in that regard.”
“Um, what do the Cakes do again? I think you told me, but I might of forgotten.”
“The Cakes run Sugarcube Corner, the local bakery, it's also a popular gathering place for many of the ponies in town from time to time. Oh, that reminds me, Bon Bon has been trying to get a candy store up and running in Ponyville since before I moved here, no luck so far though.”
“I... still have the candy on a stick that miss Pinkie Pie gave me,” said Eclipse, “is it bad I don't want to finish it?”
“No, but Pinkie might want an explanation when you say that,” said Twilight, “you can tell us all later if you want, for now we need to eat breakfast and get ready to go meet my friends.”
The moment they sat at the table, as if on cue, White Tea came out and said, “And what would you both like this fine morning?”
“We'll be having a potentially big lunch outside of the castle today,” said Twilight, “something simple will be all we really need,” turning to Eclipse she said with a smile, “you can go first.”
“Um,” said Eclipse as she twiddled her hooves, “would it be alright if I had a bowl of oatmeal with a drizzle of honey and a dash of cinnamon?”
“That sounds lovely for the morning,” said Twilight, “I'll have that as well. Eclipse, what would you like to drink it with?”
“I don't know,” said the filly meekly, “maybe glass of orange juice.”
“Yes, sometimes simplicity is best” said Twilight with a curt nod, “I think I'll have the same.”
“Very good,” said White Tea, “two honey and cinnamon oatmeals and two glasses of orange juice, your orders should be out shortly, would you like anything else to go with that.”
“Um, if it's not too much trouble could you have some fish taken up to my room, I'm sure the otter up there is feeling displeased with the dry food miss Fluttershy gave me to feed her, she was still sleeping when I got up today.”
White Tea gave a curt nod and headed back to the kitchen. Twilight smiled at the filly as she said, “So, you have been feeding her.”
“Um, yes,” said Eclipse, “I fill up her bowels in the morning after I get out of bed, but I only did it to her water before heading to the restroom today. To tell the truth she's been sleeping while I'm up, I think she might be active when I'm asleep, I guess that means I don't get the chance to bond with her.”
“She's still young, like you,” said Twilight, “she probably just needs more rest to get used to everything around here, you'll probably be running around and having fun with her before you know it.”
After breakfast Eclipse had dashed up to her room and grabbed her Twilight doll, she really felt it might be needed in case she started to feel uncomfortable. Looking over at the far corner that had the basket with a sleeping otter in it she smiled a bit at the sight, something about having the otter in her room felt right. She rushed back down to pick up one of the baskets in her mouth while keeping her doll on her back, after making sure the doll was secure in its place she nodded to Twilight, who had set of saddlebags on with something Eclipse assumed the lavender mare wanted to share with her friends, and two made their way out the door.
“I know you've met most of my friends,” said Twilight as they made their way to the park, “but there's still one more pony that you need to meet, and trust me when I say she's somepony you'll recognize for the rest of your life, hopefully fondly. Just remember this is a picnic, try not to overeat, I don't want you getting sick on anypony's conscience. Is their a reason you have your doll of me with you?”
“I figured I'd need something to help me feel safe if I started feeling scared, and you make me feel more safe than anything,” said Eclipse after bringing the basket to float a little unevenly next to her, “even more than my siblings, and I've known them my entire life and you only a few days.”
“Some ponies just have that kind of effect on other ponies,” said Twilight with a smile, “it makes me happy that you told me all that, now,” they were coming up on the park grounds, “let's find a good place to set up.
**********************************************
It was seven minutes after the two had arrived at a clearing in the park that met all of Twilight's criteria when they saw Rarity trotting towards them with an elegant looking picnic blanket, “Twilight,” said the white mare with surprise, “you're usually not this early, it looks like having little Eclipse there is making you more punctual.”
“Yes, well there's something I wanted to show everypony and just felt like it couldn't wait.”
“Really,” came Fluttershy's voice as she came up meet the three already there, as Rarity was setting the blanket down and and Twilight floated the basket on to the the blanket. “Hello Eclipse, how are you today? How's Abal doing?”
“I'm fine,” said Eclipse as she floated the Twilight doll from her back to her forehooves, “and Abal sleeps all day, she seems to clear her bowels out while I'm sleeping.”
“Well, she is very young, just like you,” said Fluttershy, “it's just nice to hear you're doing what you can to look after her.”
The four ponies settled down on the blanket with their legs tucked under them, Eclipse seemed a little uncomfortable in position and was noticeably trying to imitate Twilight's positioning. It was at this point they heard Applejack's voice say, “Ah'm gussin' yer not used ta sittin' like that, little filly.”
Looking over the two the orange farm mare coming over while pulling a small cart with several crates of apple juice and apple cider.
Twilight looked over and saw the black filly's discomfort despite all attempts to not show it. “I... I never sat like this before,” said Eclipse with shame in her voice and pulled her ears back in shame as she said it.
“It's okay,” said Twilight, “we can work on finding a position that's comfortable for you when you're ready,” her violet eyes took in the sight of the filly relaxing and pulling her forelegs out to wrap around the Twilight doll just in front of her.
“It's her favorite thing in the whole world,” said Twilight as she smiled at Rarity, “she doesn't like leaving the palace without it, it makes her feel safe just having it nearby.”
“Hey everypony,” said Pinkie as she hopped up with a mass of cupcakes, muffins and a really big six layered circular cake that had their cutie marks covering each layer, on her back, Eclipse noticed a cloud with a tricolored lightning bolt, which was the only mark she didn't recognize.
“Um,” said Eclipse as she pointed the mark, “whose mark is that?”
“The one the most awesome mare in Equestria,” came a brash female voice, a cyan mare with a prismatic mane and tail landed next her, which startled the filly so much that she gave gasp before suckling one of her Twilight doll's wings, “name's Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow gave a confused look at the filly, “Um, Twilight, why is their a filly here with us?”
“She's my new student said Twilight, “did you decide to bring something to our get together picnic?”
“Already took care of it,” said Rainbow with a cocky smile, “I arranged for the weather team to make it a partly cloudy day, and made sure there were a few clouds around this area so we could enjoy the sun without it being to hard on us. It's the least I could do for my best friends. So, who's the filly that's cutely suckling on a doll that looks like ya?”
“Alright girls now that we're all here let's get to catching up, who'd like to start?”
“Well,” said Rainbow, “you know that new flight school attached to the Wonderbolts I've been trying to work on?” They all nodded, “looks like...”
*******************************************
It was a few minutes after they had all met up for the catchup picnic, Eclipse was fast asleep against Twilight's side, the lavender alicorn was smiling at the sight.
“I can't believe all of our major projects are being delayed,” said Pinkie in a voice at a tone to not wake the filly. “I'm also super happy why she said she didn't finish the lollipop I gave her, that's the best reason to never finish any sweet, ever.”
“It's nice she's getting into healthy habits,” said Twilight in her own soft voice, “she called me mom this morning, it felt nice.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” said Rainbow in an energetic low voice, “you said she calls you 'mommy' when she's asleep near you, and now she's calling you mom in broad daylight. Are you sure she's not really your daughter?”
“I don't remember adopting any foals, or the joys of pregnancy anytime since I last saw you girls,” responded Twilight, “although there have been some odd instances that started popping up when she and Dream arrived in Equestria, which reminds me,” she floated the first journal out from her saddlebag, “I want you to read this, together, what you read should explain everything.”
“Alright,” said Rainbow as she pulled it towards her and the five other mares. Once the five of them opened the book a warm and insightful magic flowed over them like a gentle wave.
After reading the first ten pages Rarity said, “Oh my, Twilight, where did you get his book. The lavender alicorn just smiled at the sleeping filly at her side.
“So, Rainbow,” said Applejack, “is yer old place still open ta ya or do ya need a place ta stay fer the night.”
“I've been making sure I still have the deed to my old place here in Ponyville, I've been having Twi look after it while I'm away, we'll be moving it back to a good place in the Ponville skies later today.”
“Nice to hear, darling,” said Rarity, “I'll be taking some measurements of Twilight and Eclipse tomorrow, we need start working on their Gala dresses.”
“Ugh,” said Twilight, “how did they force me into having no choice in attending one of Celestia's major social event? Luna's been trying to devise her own event to be the equivalent of the Gala, but only support she's seems to be getting so far is coming from Celestia, Cadance and Me.”
“You haven't had an official appearance for Equestria in over four years,” said Rarity, “Canterlot's nobility want their princesses to be more visible to them, if it makes you feel any better...”
“Luna's being forced into it as well,” said Twilight with a hint of pity to her voice, “which means Dream will be forced to attend as well, these fillies need a chance to be foals for a bit before they're thrown into the political spotlight,” she started stroking Eclipse's mane, “I just hope whatever social anxieties they have aren't exasperated by Gala, Eclipse has told me a few times how social events similar to the gala worked in Bridleton, it wasn't pleasant to hear.”
“Um, what are they like? Just so we know a bit more about her fears and can help her through it,” said Pinkie with concern and interest in her voice.
“Well,” said Twilight before taking a deep breath, “Eclipse and her siblings her forced to attend all the ones her parents hosted, which happened a few times each month from what I've been able to decipher from what she's said. And by attend I mean stand on a platform like a set piece for an extended period, without breaks or so much as being able to ask for a small glass of water.”
“Oh,” said Rarity, “I can see how she would be afraid of attending the Gala, did you dispel her fears about that?”
“As best as I could,” said Twilight as she continued petting Eclipse's mane, “here's to hoping she doesn't develop a whole new set of fears from the experience. Rarity, I'm sure whatever you come up with will be beyond perfect for her and me.”
Luna smiled at the picture she had hanging on the wall across from her bed, in full view when she awoke. The image was rather simple, with the colors bleeding together at some points, but she didn't care, this was her favorite original piece from Dream Step. The painting in question was a watercolor and ink piece that showed the midnight blue alicorn and white filly standing next to each other on a grassy hill, that looked more like it was becoming a mass of rock because of the color bleeding, overlooking a nigh sky with a full moon off to the right of Luna while the filly was to her left in a sitting position and staring at the moon with interest.
A maid knocked on the door and gave a gentle reminder to the Luna, through the door, that it was getting close to her time to raise the moon, which meant that Luna would be getting back to her Night Court later tonight. She detested the bickering nobles, fighting over the most trivial things, but her duty as princess meant she had to listen to their grievances. She hoped a high proportion of more common ponies with more practical concerns would be making attempts to ask for her aid. However to her the most exciting time of the night was seeing her new student's shining face, and the sooner she got to heading to her more well known official duties the sooner she could spend time with Dream Step.
After going through the routine of washing herself, donning her regalia, and brushing out the tangles in her mane and tail, a process that only took about a half hour, Luna almost threw the door open and trotted through it energetically before closing and locking it behind her. She spotted Dream sitting expectantly in the open door to her own room waiting for the umbra alicorn to pass her so that she could follow behind. Dream's concerns had manifested in the castle as a filly who was polite to the staff and acting in a less than positive manner to the nobles she encountered. Luna was happy that she was so considerate, and she was secretly proud the filly was skittish around the nobles she hadn't gotten to know or just felt uncomfortable around.
As the midnight blue alicorn mare passed by the filly's room Dream fell into step a few steps to right and behind, Luna noted that it was a very faithful imitation of standard guard protocol. She just rolled her eyes and and motioned for the filly to walk at her side with her right wing. Dream sped up her pace until she was at the mare's side and slowed down so that she was keeping pace with the alicorn.
“So,” said Luna as they approached the doorway to the balcony she performed moon risings at, “I see you've grown accustomed to life here in castle, even if you're still afraid to leave my private wing without my company. That will all go through a bit of change when this summer comes to an end, you will be attending a school here in Canterlot that I have chosen as what I believe to be of the best environment for you flourish, dost thou protest?”
Dream said nothing for a few seconds, making it a bit of an awkward silence for a few that period of time, “No, miss Luna, thine must do what thee believes is best. Will you be the one to drop me off at the school, or will you delegate that to somepony else?
“I will be attending to both your transit to and from the hall of learning I decided you will attend, at least for the first couple of weeks. Worry not, my dear apprentice, all precautions have been addressed. I have been busy making adjustments to the Canterlot school system to both improve it for all and make your transition less rough than I have been fearing these past few weeks,” she paused to go on to the balcony and due her primary duty, when the sun was down and the moon was high in the sky she returned and said, “it was a big decision as whether or not to enroll you in the school system or have you attend classes with a tutor that was not myself, We came to the decision that it was better for thee to attend an academic hall that had foals around thine age, you must make some friends while you are here. When the ones that claim to your parents finally meet us we will see how capable they truly are ourselves, but until then Our sister has entrusted you to us so we will see to your needs.”
Dream's stomach gave a light gurgle, causing Luna to give a light giggle before saying, “Which means right now we both must have ourselves a some breakfast, the chefs can make anything you request so try ordering the first thing that come to mind this time around, we grow tired of scanning menus.”
“Um, okay, I'll try,” said Dream with a little apprehension, “I'll try ordering something from off the top of my head, since you requested I do so.”
Luna facewinged, which was something she was prone instead of the traditional facehoof of other ponies, it was a quirk that was only known to her sister, her closest guards, and was something that Dream had picked up on her fifth night with the dark coated alicorn. It was near the end of their third week as mentor and apprentice. “It would seem you need to learn something about being more assertive, you are talking and acting like a pony that is not accustomed to asserting herself. Amongst siblings it is usually the elder that is more assertive, it is something I learned to do before my first time on the throne.”
“Eclipse and I are the youngest among the four of us, neither of us has ever been all that assertive.”
“That is before your sister started making preparations to come to Equestria,” said Luna with a smile, “something in her made her find a little bit of assertion in order to motivate you and your brother. I have seen your art, it has grown far more bold as of late. You have assertive tendencies, it will just take the right circumstances to help bring those out more effectively.” They came upon the nearest dining room and a black unicorn mare with a bright orange mane and florescent green tail came up greeting them by saying, “Good evening, my ladies, I am Triple Tone. What is you desire this night for your meal?”
Dream looked a little unsure, mostly by making a few discreet looks at Luna for assistance, Luna said, “I will leave the decision of our meal to Dream Step, I will be having whatever she decides to order up.” The alicorn mare gave the filly a warm, yet sly, smile.
“Um,” said Dream Step, “I would like a fresh garden salad with a peanut salad dressing, some rice pudding with extra cinnamon, and to drink would it be too much trouble to ask for some huckleberry lemonade?”
“All fine choices said Triple Tone, I believe all you have ordered is still very much in season.”
When Triple Tone had left the room Luna inquired, “Where did you get the inspiration to order all that.”
Dream shifted in her seat a bit before saying, “I read in some of the books you put in my room last week, and among the ones I read they described ponies having the items I asked for, the descriptions were a bit vague when it came to eating and drinking the food and beverages. I wanted to see for myself what it was like to have those things.”
Luna smiled and said, “Curiosity is good in cases like this, you would do well to remember that the asking for some kinds of food or beverage are considered an insult to ponies of certain regions, in Equestria and abroad. But for now, we can enjoy whatever you desire, we will go through proper etiquette when entertaining guests, and being a guest, later.”
“Yes miss Luna, I understand,” said Dream with an unsure voice.
“Are you worried you might be forced into a similar process to what you told me about when you lived in Bridleton?” Dream just nodded slowly, “fear not, our etiquette is far more elegant and accommodating than what you described as what passes for etiquette in Bridleton.”
“All I've really been doing since you took me as your student is things like drawing, painting, and that thing with the clay you called 'sculpting', I really enjoy it, but why am I doing it all if you said you would be teaching me magic?”
Luna just smiled and said, “You need to get a good grasp of the basics, doing art pieces has helped you to cultivate your levitation to a point it isn't so wobbly, as for the sculpting, I just wanted you to try something that you could do with your hooves more than your magic. You must always learn to do things outside of what you think you are meant to be learning. You never know when you might experience a magical burnout, or some sort of artifact could disable your spell casting. So to help you get used to not completely relying on your magic I had you sculpt the clay with your hooves and forelegs.”
“Oh,” said Dream, “I like doing those sorts of things, creating something new wasn't all that well received back in Bridleton.”
“Why was that? We would think artistic expression would be more evident in a culture, no matter what their standing beliefs.”
“Eclipse noticed it during her initial preparations to escape, the newest pieces of, well, everything are only five thousand years old. Architecture hasn't undergone any changes since then, technological innovation was halted a little longer ago than that, the progress of fashion came to an abrupt end around that time, and the arts were halted in the creation of new or original pieces a little before then. Everything is has been done in the same way for a very long time, every 'new' family portrait is done the exact same way.”
“How long ago has the one your sister mentioned wrote those journals be gone?”
“Almost ten thousand years now,” said Dream with a sigh, “How old is Equestria?”
“A little over four thousand years ago now,” said Luna with a distinct smile on her face, “Tia and I didn't take over rulership of the nation until a little after its fourth Centennial celebration, we had lived in the nation for a good century before then.”
“Oh, your history tells of an incident a little over a thousand years ago that resulted in a thousand years where Celestia was the sole monarch, Bridleton itself is a monarchy so it's a little strange for me to fully comprehend that Equestria has more than one ruler, that and the highest authority in the land is one who bares the title princess or prince, although it seems it's also an aesthetic title when referring to the high ranking nobility. I really didn't want to be caught off guard when I realized how big of a social event this 'Gala' is, to tell the truth just reading the most basic things for more than a few minutes gives me headache, but Eclipse is different, if left alone with a large volume of reading materials I have the feeling she'd spend hours upon hours just reading. But art,” she gave a sigh of content, “if you were to leave me alone with just piece of charcoal in a blank room I'd probably forget the world as I tried crafting my own on the walls, floor, door and ceiling.”
Luna gave a chuckle as their food floated in a light blue aura on to the table in front of them, she waited until Dream was busying herself eating her salad, in a manner that the alicorn found both amusing and adorable before saying, “art is more than pictures and paints, it merely the act of creation and evoking emotions upon those who experience its existence. The acts of cooking, baking, and preparation of food in any other way are all referred to as the culinary arts, to an extent combat is its own art, even the act of writing is an art unto itself. In the case of writing these days, an artist known as a painter will usually craft an image for the front cover to evoke the essence of the novel and in doing so also entice somepony to want to read it.”
The sound of enthusiastic munching at her salad was the only response the umbra alicorn got from the filly, “Your majesty,” came a deep masculine voice the right and behind of the mare, the new voice surprised Dream so much she stopped eating and looked to the dark coated mare for something to ease her sense of fear.
“What is it Major Rune Wing?” Replied the mare, “It had best be important, as I am spending some bonding time with mine student.”
“Of course, my princess,” said Rune Wing, “your court is due to resume in two hours, my superiors believed it best that you were given a reminder this night at regular half hour intervals starting at two hours before the appointed time while outside the the throne room.”
“We thank thee,” said Luna as she made half lidded eye gesture and turned around, Dream followed the motion. What was standing behind them was bat winged pony that had a dark brown coat, dark gray mane, dark blue wings and the armor that signified he was part of the the Lunar Guard, complete with a helmet that effectively hid his ears. “We would also like to remind thee that any acts to direct our actions will reflect poorly on thine commanding officers, immensely. Deliver the message that if they try anything beyond simple reminders and notes for when WE would ask of them that they can look forward to demotion and notice that if they ever put another hoof out of line beyond that point they can look forward to a dishonorable discharge.”
“At once your majesty,” said Rune Wing with a salute before taking flight out the window above.
“I've... never seen a pony like that before,” said Dream.
“The thestrals are my exclusive guards,” said Luna, “they take up the entirety of my wing of the Equestrian royal guard and a little over seventy percent make up my House Guard, they are indeed ponies like no other. Back when Celestia and I were first ruling together several pegasus clans swore fealty to me, as a reward I blessed them with the appearance and abilities they have now.”
“How many pegasus clans made the oath?”
“Seventy-Three, but when Nightmare Moon was banished they went into hiding, there are now over seventy different hidden thestral colonies around Equestia, and each hold at least two or three clans.”
“I'm not that good at math, but wouldn't that mean there are more clans than when you first graced them with your magic?”
“Yes,” said the umbra alicorn with a curt nod, which dream took as a sign to return to her food, she dipped her spoon into still warm pudding, it was at this point Luna noticed some traces of the salad dressing on the filly's muzzle and began to giggle.
“What is it?” Inquired Dream, stopping her slightly overloaded spoon of rice pudding a little over a foot from her muzzle.
Instead of answering Luna floated the napkin from the seat in front of Dream and wiped the muzzle of the filly gently before saying, “I think we need a bath, we have the time,” she looked at the uneaten food and floated a small bell that was cleverly hidden in the aesthetic of the night themed table they were sitting at and rang it.
A pegasus mare with a dark green coat and bright blue mane and tail trotted in and said, “Of how can I be of service your majesty?”
“We were notified of an urgent matter that has made our meal be cut short, if you would so kind as to take all the appropriate short term preservation steps and send the containers to the private greeting room in my wing, my student and I would like to finish our meal there,” she gestured for Dream to take her bite and set the spoon down, which the filly did, “also we would like to have all provisions for our private bathing area checked on in the next three hours, but for the moment we will be attending to frehening up for court, which tonight will include making this young filly presentable.”
“Understood your highness,” said the mare and trotted out.
“It pains me say it, but” Luna rose from her seat and gestured for Dream to follow her, which the filly did, once they were half way to the entrance to Luna's private wing, she said, “It would seem some of the etiquette forced on you Bridleton must be put to use soon, by that I mean that you will accompany me to the throne room and sit quietly as best you can at my side, if you must excuse yourself just say the expression 'if you would be so kind as to excuse me' and one of my guards will assist in leading you from the room.”
“Okay, but don't you need to wash up too,” said Dream, mostly trying to change subjects.
“I took care of that during my regular routine,” replied Luna, “but I am still looking forward to assisting you cleaning up.
**************************************
It was a few minutes later in Luna's private bathing area, which looked more like a private indoor pool than a place to get a quick shower. Dream just stared at the sight with awe, her ears flicked when heard the echoing sound of Luna trotting a short ways off before the sound of a knob being slightly turned was heard, this was followed by the sound of a small waterfall. Looking over at the bathing area Dream saw six light waterfalls near the middle of the bathing area, which had a raised area she hadn't really been able to figure out until the water started flowing. It was all made to look like one was trotting through the night sky.
The sound magic lifting something was followed by a small bottle of something that said 'coat wash' on the side and and slightly larger bottle that said 'mane cleanser and conditioner', Dream wondered what that was all about. Luna motioned for Dream to get into the 'pool', which the filly did, up to just a little beyond her chest.
Dream waited patiently, then was surprised when a mass of warm bath water fell over her followed by Luna's chuckling at the filly's surprised look, which was made more adorable by her reaction to Luna's magic picking her up entirely into the air and lathering her coat and mane with small blobs of yellow and blue goo. Once the filly was fulled covered in suds, so much that she looked like she was turning into a bubble monster, much to Luna's amusement, she was floated in Luna's magic to stand under one of the waterfalls.
Ten minutes later, while Luna was drying the filly off with a towel, that bore the mare's emblem, Dream said with mock anger, “That wasn't funny, but,” she changed to a genuinely cheery voice, “I enjoyed anyway.”
“Yes, well,” said Luna with a smile you barely bathe, and I really wanted to do that.” A few seconds after Luna finished drying Dream off the filly's coat suddenly puffed up to point she looked like some kind of fluff ball, her mane and tail did the same, this caused Luna to burst out in a loud, and very obvious, laugh of amusement.
Trotting up to one of the door sized mirrors she had noticed on her gawking Dream looked at her reflection and followed Luna's example. The two laughed for a good four minutes before their laughter died down to slight chuckles and Luna motioned for Dream to follow her, the filly did as she was beckoned. They left the bathing room and entered a well hidden room across hall before Luna closed the disguised door. Inside was a room that would make the greatest styling room or dressing room to shame. This was done in an aesthetic more appealing to Luna, that is to say it looked like a mass of dreams had been woven into massive tapestry before being laid in the room in such a way to make it look as if those that stepped in were walking amongst dreams, it was much brighter and cheerier feeling than all the other places that adorned Luna's wing.
“This is our private preparation room, which is reserved for important formal events,” said Luna, “I did the whole place up myself, everywhere else in my wing things were delegated by Our sister.”
“It's like we stepped into the realm of dreams,” said Dream Step with excitement, “when will you teach me about doing so? I haven't had any slips of stepping into anypony's dreams since I got here, it's nice having my own dreams!”
Luna chuckled a bit before saying, “I remember when I discovered my talent for moving amongst the dreams of others, I was a bit like you in the regard I had difficulty controlling it, that's how I found out about Tia's immense sweet tooth.”
Dream giggled a bit, she then went to sit in front of one of the mirrors, with a menagerie of mane, coat, and tail care products. Luna expertly started brushing the unruly fur and hair with a pair of brushes. “You know,” said Luna with a smile, “I've often imagined myself doing something like this with my daughter once I had her, I just know my first foal is going to be a filly, and she'll be as beautiful as the night with a heart just as pretty, she'd have my sense of aesthetics and her father's sensibilities I suspect.” Luna smiled when she was done, all the unruly fluff was accounted for, “Come, let us head to the throne room to make ready for court, no doubt our guard is looking for us at this point, it's a good hour until We must attend to the court.”
******************************************
It was a half hour until Court was do start when the two made it to the throne room doors, most of the time the mare and filly could have spent playing games in the throne room, something Luna said she had intended on the way out of her secret room, because Luna had seen fit to argue with her guards that had found them and berate them for treating her like an irresponsible foal. Therefore Luna and a slightly amused Dream were just now entering the throne room. Looking about to ensure nopony had decided to enter the throne room without permission Luna motioned to a place near the throne for Dream to make herself comfortable.
“Pinkie's been really busy, she hasn't been able to throw you the party she promised just yet,” said Luna as she looked over at Dream. Dream for her part was looking like she was mildly comfortable sitting in the spot Luna had indicated, “are you worried about what the festivties might be like?”
Dream just lightly nodded, Luna's attention was returned to the the doors when one of her attendents, a thestral mare in full armor with a dark indigo orange coat that that was almost black. “Your majesty,” her voice had a bit of a slight screech to it, “not many have come to you for the night, however some are acting as if the allotted time we set is a mere guideline and attempting to have us open the entryway for them.”
Luna gave a deep sigh before saying under her breath, just barely loud enough for Dream to hear, “It would seem the worst of Equestrian nobility is at the front of the line again,” she sat up and made a stoic pose, after gesturing for Dream to do the same, then after preparing herself she said, “send in the first partitioner, and let us pray that what they bring before us is worthy of our time.”
The mare nodded and opened the door as she said, “Presenting his great lordship, Prince High Hold,” an near inaudible groan escaped Luna while she held her position.
A light green unicorn stallion in an overly flamboyant coat of colors that were a wonderful example of what not to wear stepped in, the clashing bright colors assailed the eye of Luna and Dream, she was thankful the filly had enough sense to shut her eyes and await the stallion's departure, Luna herself was not as fortunate due to long standing royal protocols. “Your majesty,” said the unicorn in a a self-important tone, “I am currently working on a project to improve the culture of this city.”
“I have heard of this project of yours,” said Luna with a hint of disinterest, “and I can most as how much you have poured into this project of yours and what its nature really is. Rumors and hearsay are not a good place to begin something such as this.”
“Of course your majesty,” said High Hold, “my project involves placing a new pool with gorgeous statues of all four princesses, and as of this night I have personally sunk forty-thousand bits into an account for the project, for ones such as us that is closer to a drop in the bucket and it is my hope that the seven million bits are in the account by this time next week.”
“I see,” said Luna eying the flamboyant stallion with disinterest, “have you run this project by our sister? What did she have to say?”
“Well do to the fact you are the greater patron of the arts, oh mare of night, I thought it best to run this by you before anypony else.”
“Is that so,” said Luna evenly, “I am sorry to say, but your project will have to be denied, and I want you to take all those bits you've sunk into the project and put them to reinforcing the infrastructure of our nation. We can not afford to waste resources on improving the capitol of our great nation when there is a chance that a well traveled bridge is in need of repairs, leave now. I will inform all relevant parties of my decision, and it is my hope that next I see you that you are not trying to flatter us for the opportunity to have something that is meant to be public erected only to place a notice that it is intended for 'exclusive use', we have read up on your projects before this one and know full well that the projects on the surface seem to intended for everypony's use only to have the majority of the citizenry barred from entry. We are not to be made fools of, and if you attempt to circumvent the more official channels we will see that thou is given an appropriate sentence.”
The flamboyant stallion stared at the night alicorn in horror, he had chosen his wording carefully. It was then that he noticed a white unicorn filly next to the mare make gesture and whisper something into Luna's ear, she kept her look impassive through the entire exchange and nodded once. “I suggest you leave now, sir,” said the mare that had introduced him and gestured to the door that was intended for ponies to exit.
The stallion begrudgingly left the room.
After whispering that the stallion had left into Dream's ear, causing the filly to once again open her eyes and look around the throne room, Luna said, “Send in the next Pony.”
Much to her delight was an earth pony mare that had no gaudy dress on, all she seemed to be wearing was a wicker hat and a gray cloak that obscured her cutie mark in addition to set of diving goggles around her neck, the mare herself was a dull blue with a sea green mane.
“Presenting, miss Sea Observer,” said the thestral mare.
Sea Observer gave a simple bow and said, “Your majesty, I have been doing research on the sea life near Equestria for several years now, my funding is well within the bounds of what I would like. The reason I am here to see you this night is because of the forty years I have dedicated to the my research I have noticed a discrepancy, that is to say I found a case that does not match the records I have.”
“And what would that be miss Observer? We would like to remind you that our sister is a greater patron of the sciences than us, so why would you come to us with this matter?”
Sea Observer said, “I sent a notice to Princess Celestia a few weeks ago, I just arrived in Canterlot this afternoon and heard your court would be opening again tonight, I figured since this matter has to do with a nocturnal sea creature at the very least you would like to hear me out.”
Luna nodded and said, “Sound reasoning, what is the issue that troubles you?”
“The migration of the great Algae Squids,” said Sea Observer, “they're squids that grow as large as Celestia herself and feed entirely on algae. Once every decade there is an explosion of florescent algae on the banks of Equestria, while mostly harmless the florescent algae can make swimming a bit more difficult at the coast, escpecially since some of the aquatic predators can use as cover. My concern is this, the algae arrived and multiplied as usual as of this night two weeks ago, but squids never arrived to feed on it. I fear something may have happened to them, I have charts that show their migration patterns from the last three decades with me,” she started reaching under her cloak.
Luna raised her hoof and said, “that will not be necessary, we will inform our sister of what you have said to us and arrange for a private meeting of you and her leading specialists in the fields that are of the greatest relevence to this matter,” she turned to the aid near dais, a thestral mare with a midnight green coat and dark blue mane, “make the appropriate notes, send them to be duplicated and send a copy of the transcription of this meeting to our sister posthaste.” The thestral nodded and began looking over her notes from the meeting and began copying them. Sea Observer gave graceful bow and left the room.
“Um, how many more are there tonight?” Inquired Dream.
“An excellent question,” said Luna, turning to the pony that made the declartions she said, “pray tell, how many more wish to see us this night?”
The mare in question looked at a chart she had and said, “It would seem, Princess, only two more this night, I am sorry to say, but it seems your sister is more popular when it comes time for requests.”
“No matter,” said Luna, “things like this usually take more time than we would like, next pony if you would.”
The mare nodded and said, “Presenting his regal grandness,” Luna let out another groan, “Prince Lasting Pinnacle.”
A unicorn stallion with an air of self-importance trotted in. The stallion had a bright azure coat with a nectarine colored mane, “Greetings, your majesty, I would like too...”
“If this is about renovations to the streets and building around your domicile then leave now,” said Luna with great authority, and more irritation bleeding through than she intended, “our sister has already turned down thy request, and if you seek to circumvent her decisions through us then you are sorely misguided in your decisions, we bid thee a good night.”
The stallion grumbled and made his way out. “I didn't do anything and that felt glorious,” said Dream.
Luna smiled for a moment before returning to her neutral look and said, “send in the next, and apparently final pony for tonight.”
The mare nodded and said, “Presenting her greatness,” Luna prepared for another groan, “Princess High Step,” and halted, of all the Canterlot Elite High Step was one of the few ponies who actually practiced what she preached. High Step was the head of the Equestrian Foal Safety Ministry, and while those under her purview were subject to corruption it was usually High Step that ended up filing the documentation that got those ponies fired for failure to comprehend certain details.
In walked a sunny orange mare with a nocturnal blue mane with a cutie mark that looked like an apple, banana and mango with big green check next them. Luna was confused, High Step usually discussed things with Celestia. So, why was she here? She got her answer when she heard High Step said in her maternal sounding squeaky voice, “I heard you were looking after a foal, and I just had come and see her.” Looking over she saw the filly in question, “So, this must be Dream Step? She's very cute, and pretty.” Dream looked around like she didn't know what to do, Luna facewinged before saying, “Guards, this mare is harmless please leave the room until otherwise instructed and close the doors behind you. And whatever you hear do not enter without my expressed order.” The Guards nodded and left, and closed the door behind them.
The moment the doors were closed High Step gave loud, “Sqeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,” before coming a more reasonable tone and said, “she is so adorable! Can I cuddle her? Please.”
Luna rolled her eyes just as Dream said, “Please don't ask questions about me when I'm right in front of you, I had those done in the demeaning way before I came under her care,” she motioned to Luna, “my name is Dream Step, what does 'cuddle' mean?”
“She just wants to hug you close and fuss over you,” Luna with a chuckle, “sort of like... a doting aunt.”
“Oh,” said Dream, “my mother never allowed anything like that, in fact my grandmother didn't even do anything like that. I had very few happy dreams in those days, but one of the good dreams I had I was being doted on by a pair of mares, trying to remember now I can't remember their voices or even what they look like, it's like I was being pampered by silent silhouettes.”
Every filly deserves to be doted on or pampered, preferably both,” said High Step, “it's one of the reasons I do extensive background checks on all ponies seeking to foster a foal. Although,” she gave a disapproving look at Luna, “the princesses did circumvent me on this one.”
“Um, what dos she do?”
“Oh, me” said High Step, “I'm the head of the Ministry of Foal safety, bureaucracy is far from my talent,” she indicated to her cutie mark, “I started out making foal foods, that's what my cutie mark means, quality control on foods that were made for foals. There were a lot of problems with government organizations that were supposed to oversee the wellbeing of foals, so a few years ago the princesses formed a new ministry to oversee them all.”
“And High Step was chosen to be its head, she was also given the honorary title of princess to help reinforce that she was of the same social rank as any of Canterlot's nobility. We chose her specifically because of her interest in the wellbeing of foals, although she usual reports to my sister.”
“Oh,” said Dream, she trotted down to the foot of the dais, “I want to feel what it's like to be cuddled, just once.”
High Step took it as an invitations and glomp tackled the filly before pulling her into a cuddle, it took a lot of effort for Luna to not laugh at the scene before falling over at the ensuing cuteness of the filly showing a happy, yet confused, face while in the midst of being cuddled. The scene of happy confusion was just so cute to Luna, she'd always had a soft spot for foals, but seeing a foal but cute in this way was almost too much for her. The scene was made far more precious by the fact that after her initial confusion Dream was giving a big grin and showed every sign she liked it.
“Is this the only reason you're here? Or is there actually something you have to discuss with us?”
“Oh, right,” said High Step giving Dream a quick mane ruffle before releasing the filly from her embrace, “it seems that some of orphanages in Canterlot have been closed down without so much as a warning, and by that I haven't gotten so much as a memo or invoice before the news that the facilities had been shut down. Every time I try to contact Princess Celestia or Prince Blueblood about it the message never gets through, or something prevents my impromptu meetings with them. Frankly, I'm surprised that I was able to see you tonight. I guess some influential ponies are still of the mind that you aren't as influential as you should be.”
“This requires careful investigation,” said Luna, “we will tell our sister and have members of every guard accompany whomever is decided to transit to your office for a copy of everything you have. We will also call for a meeting with Blueblood to ensure he is aware a copy of your files on the matter is intended for your office. It is troubling that somepony would go through so much trouble to keep the royal family in the dark.”
“It might turn into a meeting that takes up a considerable amount of your time,” said Dream, “what will we do about it?”
“Worry about it when the time comes,” said Luna, “however we will look into finding somepony to keep our charge secure during such times.”
“Miss Luna, we still have breakfast to finish,” said Dream.
“Quite right,” said Luna, “we hope our next meeting is more favorable, High Step, good evening. Guards, you may return, and please escort miss Step to where she needs to be.”
The doors opened and the guards entered, High Step gave a bow and thanked Luna for her time before heading out.
**************************************
It was almost a half hour after the two had departed from the throne room and were now in the room Luna had designated. Instead of the general nighttime aesthetic that seemed to dominate her wing, which seemed a little excessive to Luna at times, this room was much more subtle. While the walls, floor and ceiling were a general night black, the room itself was decorated with a variety of nocturnal flowers that were arranged in such a way that they appeared to form the constellations all throughout the room.
Luna was enjoying the night air as it flowed into the room, what made this all the more wonderful for her was the fact that Dream was enjoying a meal with her in the room. Dream had emptied her salad bowl, was mostly finished with the pudding and was currently on her fifth cup of juice. Luna by comparison was only half done with both her pudding and salad, with her second glass only a third finished.
“I take it you enjoyed your meal,” said Luna with a grin.
Dream nodded before saying, “I found beyond satisfying, I don't understand why we were forced to have the diet we did in Bridleton.”
“Perhaps it was means of controlling you,” said Luna, “we've had this discussion a few time already, why are you so fixated on the part of your life that seems to have stunted your ability to grow into something more than you are? I know you feel bad about leaving your big sister behind, but it was her choice and for good or bad choices are always something to be respected, they are show that the ones who made them has the ability to decide for themselves.”
“I know, we've discussed this a few times already, doesn't make my missing her any more distressing that it already was. She's so bright and beautiful, but never gets her chance to really shine.”
“The shadow of of expectations can sometimes be daunting.”
“It's not expectations when it comes to Great Spell and Grand Charm, it's more like demands from on high with them.”
“I'm sure it wasn't that bad, you said you had some good times.”
“When my parents and grandmother were not imposing their sense of order on me, you'll understand when you see my dreams. I'm ashamed to say it, especially since I'm pretty sure it isn't very healthy, but every bad memory and nightmare I've ever had is in a vault I created to hold them back. I'll lead you to it when you're ready.”
“You are right to believe that something such as that is unhealthy, when did craft it?”
“The first night we were away from the the manor, it is my eternal shame that I thought that something such as that was a good idea.”
“Sometimes the best way to learn something is to make a mistake, the important thing is that you know it was a bad thing to do. I'm a little hurt that you would only now be telling me this, but I understand and together we'll work on making it so that when we let all of that out it is a much healthier manner. Actually I think it might work out better for us this way?”
“How?”
“That will become evident in time, for now let us merely enjoy the night before I have to lower the moon for my sister's sun.”
Luna Learns About Dream Step, and Sees Some Things That...
Dream woke up and looked around, the sparse room that had been done up in the default aesthetic of Luna now had it's walls covered in some of the simplest art pieces possible, but she didn't care because every piece was an original from her. There was a charcoal drawing of her in one of the castle's many hallways, a few watercolor paintings that with bleeding colors that were of her with her siblings, in the corner next to the closet was an overly lopsided clay statue of an earth pony holding a bowel that (the bowel was meant to be an apple), a variety of other pieces littered the room as well. She smiled when she turned to the door.
The door had a massive, and very faulty looking, ink painting of her and Princess Luna on the balcony the alicorn always seemed to use just enjoying the night sky, as it stood she considered that one piece on the door her master piece. Dream hoped her skill would refine enough to a point that she could craft a revised version that was much more publicly presentable for the night alicorn. She still had social anxieties, but at the very least she was actually comfortable enough for social obligations like the night court she had witnessed the night before. It was at this point she noticed it was still light out, she had gone to bed at around sunup and she was sure she should have still been sleeping at this point.
Yawning a bit she decided to get out of the bed and have a “late” snack before heading back to her bed. Luna had told her to try getting outside her wing when she wasn't with the dark coated mare, Luna was her safety blanket outside the private chambers of the Lunar Wing. Making sure all of her things were okay she carefully opened the door with her magic, an act that brought her a great sense of glee, and carefully made her way out before closing the door gently behind her. The star covered halls made feel like she was trotting through the night sky, she liked that since it made feel almost like she was flying with invisible wings.
She slowly trotted out of the Lunar Wing and into the nearest dining hall, what she was met with was the sight of Princess Celestia sliding into place at the table. The ivory alicorn noticed the filly and smiled before gesturing for her to join. Dream looked around before going to take a seat near the ivory alicorn. Celestia gave the filly a warm maternal smile, something the filly had only come known under her care from Luna.
“How are your lessons with my sister coming?” Inquired the white mare, she also gestured for the server to just get the filly the items she had ordered. The server was blue coated unicorn mare with dark orange mane and tail, she left without a word.
“They're more enjoyable than the lessons I had under Great Spell,” said Dream Step, “that mare reminded me a bit about my sister.”
“Oh, which one? My sister explained that you have an older sister.”
“Um, yes, her name is Sunshine Bottle, and she has dark orange mane like that mare that just left, although her coat is a sunny yellow. Can we not talk about my family right now, it hurts more than I thought.”
Celestia nodded before saying, “would you like to discuss the nature of your lessons with Luna?”
Dream smiled and just as she was about say what she thought about her lessons she noticed reflection in the lavender orbs that that were Celestia's eyes and said in a confused voice, “Does the name Sola mean anything to you?”
“What brought this on?”
“The moment I saw my reflection in your eyes that name popped into my head, I don't know why. I haven't had as many terrifying dreams since coming here, but I've also been having these flashes in my dreams of events that are very unusual. I... I see you trotting with a filly that seems to be treated more like your daughter than a student, I'm a little foal that doesn't want to be away from her mother, it's like I'm watching from outside myself yet not.”
“Have you told Luna about these dreams? She knows their ways better than anypony.”
Dream shook her head, “Every time I try to mention them to her something stops me,” her ears pulled back flat over her head, “I'm not a bad student for telling something so personal to you instead of her, am I?”
“I don't like to think so, before her banishment the two of us would teach ponies together, the idea of a personal student never crossed our minds in those days. I'll tell her what you told me, now how about you tell me about your lessons with her, I want to her about how she's doing.”
Dream looked at the pearly alicorn with confusion, “What do you mean her progress?”
“You're teaching her a few things, even if it's unintentional, as she teaches you. A truly great teacher learns from their students, I learned a lot from my time as Twilight's mentor.”
Dream sat there thinking about her words carefully before saying, “All of my lessons with her have been art related so far. Painting is my favorite, although I enjoyed sculpting too, I just love everything about art,” the filly started beaming as she got excited, “creating my own pieces is so... invigorating, I'm not imitating someponey, or doing something in a forced style, I'm finding my own way, that is what is so wonderful about it.”
“Oh, care to tell me about that? My sister didn't tell me about this aspect of the culture you came from.” A plate of dark chocolate coffee cake floated down in front of the filly and alicorn along with a tall glass of chilled milk and warm cup of black tea. “You've been eating pretty healthy, I know because I've been checking your orders. You're foal, you deserve to down sweets every once and a while, which reminds me, whatever happened to that lollipop that Pinkie Pie gave you?”
“It's... sitting on my nightstand, untouched,” she floated the mug of tea and daintily sipped it a few time, in a rather awkward imitation of the ivory alicorn's manner, something that made Celestia give a little smile to the filly, before setting it back on its saucer, “I watched you do that, I thought that since that's the way you do it that it's the best way to drink tea.”
“Well, I'm honored, but I think it best you pick up your habits from Luna, she might feel offended that you're imitating me.”
“Maybe,” said Dream dejectedly, “but I want to believe she'd feel proud that I'm trying imitate you.”
“And you would be right in that belief,” came Luna's voice, “I'm just happy you're getting out of my wing of the castle without my assistance, but I'm even more proud of you for what you've said to my sister, how about you finish your snack of and get back to bed, my sister and I have things to discuss in private.” Dream gave a nod and grabbed the milk and plate of cake in her magic and briskly trotted from room.
Once the sound of filly's room closing was confirmed Luna turned her attention to Celestia, “What did she tell you before I came in?”
“That she's been having dreams that have me being a mother to a filly, you being a mother to a young foal and that every time she's tried to tell you about her dreams something has stopped her, she says they're happy dreams.”
Luna smiled and said, “I'm just glad she's opening up to somepony other than me, remember the first week she was here?”
“She didn't know whether she should be accepting of me or skittish around me, given that I was there with you to receive them it's perfectly reasonable. She's still skittish around the nobility?”
“Yes, they remind her of the pompous nobles in Bridleton, from what she's imparted to me about that place it looks like it took a path that went the opposite of Equestria, they haven't even allowed the simplest innovations to form, let alone flourish in way Equestria has. There maps haven't even been updated in centuries, at the very least we try to keep ours up to date every decade or so!”
Celestia nodded and said, “It would be best if we didn't take everything at face values, these are foals from a foreign nation that are frightened of it and their family, but we shouldn't disregard their fears either, those fears have some kind of source and if we can discern the source of some of them we might be able to uncover the truth. Your ability allows you to be an outside observer in matters of the past of ponies, why haven't you taken to visiting her dreams to garner a gateway to her past?”
“She openly stated she has the same ability, it's possible that she may notice me visiting her. She has continued to ask me to visit her dreams, and give her lessons in the art, it will be a few months before she even close to ready for the lessons, but...”
“You're concerned about entering the dreamscape of another natural user of your gift,” Luna solemnly nodded, “you can't let your fears dictate your actions again sister, the last time caused the emergence of Nightmare Moon, an event we are both deeply saddened by.”
“I know, I'll see what I can do later. Have you had any visions about either of them? I know you had the one that lead us to meeting them and making the preparations, maybe you should check up on their brother when you have the time.”
“I caught a glimpse of Eclipse stepping forward and confronting somepony with statement that she and her sister were both more of Equestria than Bridleton, but when I tried to take a look at who she was speaking to my vision was filled with the image of a pony figure with no signs of a face and statement in a mare's voice that was devoid of any sense of emotion or region stating that her plans would not be disrupted, I'll be looking into the figure later, maybe Twilight can assist with that.”
“On to less disturbing topics, how is research on the bag progressing?”
“I pulled in several of Equestria's best artificers and experts on enchanted items to study it, the spell is incredible, the material chosen is as detestable as we were lead to believe. From the reports I've been given the spell seems to cling to materials that came from living creatures better than plant matter, they have theorized spider silk would be far better material for weaving the spell into a product, in addition to far more preferable. As for those less than favorable pieces of literature Eclipse brought us, I have heard word that the package containing them is in the secure location I selected, I've also ensured the courier did not know just what was being transported, which was far trickier than it sounds.”
“From what is contained with in them, what we learned of Twilight's experience the fewer ponies that know the whereabouts of those dark magic saturated tomes was a wise decision.”
“Yes, but I fear it was not entirely the smartest choice, the best place for them is place that very few are aware of and has ponies experienced with them that have the ability to neutralize their effects. The only ponies we know that come close to meeting that criteria are Eclipse and Twilight, but leaving those detestable works in their care is far too dangerous.”
“I know sister, sometimes we must chose between the smartest thing and wisest thing, you made that same decision when you banished me in my madness.”
“And I didn't stop thinking about how I might have made the wrong choice, I missed your company and strength with you gone.”
“You doubting your decision I knew already, you haven't stopped telling me about that, what you didn't was missing my strength, I only hope that whatever comes for those foals is something that you, I, Twilight, and her friends can handle.”
“What has your ability been able to show you? I know you can see possible futures as well as the past with it.”
“Focusing on the course of an alicorn's path is more difficult than any other kind of pony, there far more possibility convergence points than with even the most promising of unicorns, pegasi or earth ponies.”
“Then what about those around them? Like Spike.”
“Dragons are just as troubling as alicorns,” the night alicorn shook her head, “I'm afraid we'll have to wait the time that Twilight and I visit the dreams of our students.”
“I wonder if Twilight has made any progress in her study of the spells she copied down.”
“She probably was more focused on the journals, after all she was told they were written by a unicorn comparable to Starswirl.”
Celestia gave a little chuckle and said, “I think you might be right, but she's not one shirk her duties, or leave a spell unstudied or tested. That might have been what she did the first week, but by the end of the second she would have remembered to study the spells she jotted down, and gone to study them.”
“Why did you make them our students, anyway? I was not informed of this beforehoof.”
“I'm truly sorry about that, I really wanted it to be a bit of a pleasant surprise. The month before they came I was bombarded with visions of you and Twilight teaching them, and you were at one of your happiest than I had seen in a very long time, I also saw the two of you being highly protective of them when you perceived threats to them. The truth is, I wanted those visions to come true, because I wanted you two to be happy. When you're with Dream Step there are times you seem maternal, it's a side of you enjoy seeing.”
“I will admit there are times I think I'm more of a mother to her than just a mentor. Have you ever experienced that?”
Celestia gave her sister a smile before saying, “Yes, there were a few times where I felt more like a mother with some of my students, the most recent was Twilight actually.”
Luna gave an amused look at her sister and got up without a word and headed back to her room, she had some proper preparations for the coming night to make.
While the sisters were doing that Dream was eating her snack on the small table she had found in the far corner of the room her sixth night with the princess. She was carefully chewing the cake, savoring the flavor and texture of the sweet, before carefully downing her glass of milk, she left the tea untouched this time around. After she had finished her snack she gave a small yawn, licked her lips (in a way that Luna was known to do from time to time, but she had yet to notice), groggily rose to her hooves and headed for her bed. When she arrived at the bed instead of getting under the covers she just flopped asleep atop them.
It was after her discussion with her sister Luna was heading back to her room, she decided to check on Dream on her way, after all the filly's room was close to hers. Peering in Luna couldn't help giving a smile similar to the one that she had given the CMC when she had them all meet within the dream world after she had helped Apple Bloom with her problems. Alright, thought Luna, I might as well do this now, I've been avoiding it long enough, with that she gently made her way into the room and quietly shut the door behind her. Lighting up her horn after positioning herself next to her charge, she was unsure how it would go with a dream walker entering the dreams of another dream walker.
When she entered Dream Step's dream she was surprised to find herself in an astounding imitation of the Canterlot throne room, she felt what felt like something soft and plush beneath her hooves. Looking down Luna saw that she was standing on satin carpet walkway with velvet stuffing, she made a mental note about how such a thing was pointless waste of materials and resources. Looking up and around she noticed how the all the light seemed to come from the castle's internal lighting and seemed to be blocked out by different materials, along with the throne being far more ornate than it was in reality. Moving to open the castle doors she felt a small hoof move to stop her. Looking in the direction of the hoof she saw Dream Step, not sure how aware the filly was her presence she decided to act as if she were some sort of entity in the dream.
“Please don't” said Dream in a sorrowful voice, “it's all wonderful here, in the your home.”
“I'm not going to leave you,” said Luna, “I just want to see what it's like outside, it seems somepony found a way to block all the windows here.”
“I'm scared of what's out there, please don't open it.”
“If we let our fears dictate our actions we have no true control over ourselves, the best way to deal with fears is to face them.”
“But I don't want them to get in here.”
“You don't always have to face them alone, I'll be here for your support.” Dream Step removed her hoof from Luna and nodded.
“I trust you, I always have.”
Luna turned back to the door and smiled to herself. She threw open the doors and instead of the iconic view of Canterlot an imposing old styled stone keep-like manor was outside the door. Dream kept close to Luna she stepped outside the doors, the moment her hoof left the castle Luna found herself in hallway made from the material as the carpet path she had found herself on when she entered the dream. Looking about she found imposing paintings of mares with coats that were blue, wearing regalia far more ornate than those she Celestia wore.
“I didn't want to come back here,” said Dream in sorrowful tone in an accent that reminded Luna of how Equestrians spoke before she had become Nightmare Moon.
Before Luna could say anything she heard a pretentious mare's voice coming from down the hall. As she trotted the hall carefully with Dream she noticed a variety of pegasi moving about with messages. She came to pair overly ornate oak doors and threw them open to see an exquisite dining hall, that had overly ornate furniture.
She heard the mare's voice again and turned to see her, focusing in on the voice she heard the mare say, “You are a disappointment as a servant, if your appearance didn't make this manor look more presentable I would have you removed from this place, for the rest of your life.” The mare in question was white with black hooves and a dark blue mane with dark orange eyes that boarded on a deep brown. She was belittling a dark blue unicorn colt with a dirt brown mane and tail.
“Yes, your ladyship,” said the colt with fear, “may I go to relay the message you gave for my parents now?”
“At least you remembered your manners, but your bumbling will have you see the noose if I learn of another mishap, leave my sight, you insolent cur.” The colt rushed from the room, Luna noticed he had tears in his eyes. Turning her attention to the mare's flank she saw an old style magic seal that glowed a florescent green. “Now, as for you,” said the mare, Luna turned her attention to the table, she saw a younger Dream Step and Eclipse Touch (they looked a year or two younger), “You're lessons are failing, I know it's not my teaching, our teaching is superior to all others, even the royal family can not boast the level of quality we produce. You will not get a higher quality of food until your lessons improve.”
“Yes, mother,” said the fillies in unison with voices that had no resistance. Looking at what was on the table before them Luna saw a small patch of lemon grass and a glass half full of what appeared to be some kind of low quality mineral water.
“I see this sight every time I get sent here,” said the Dream Step next Luna, “Can we leave now?”
“What was it that got that colt in trouble? Why was treated so poorly?”
“I don't know his name, he messed up in his cleaning duties by missing a spot, she treats him poorly because his mother is one of the earth ponies of the manor and his father is one of the minor unicorns.”
“Minor unicorns?”
The dining hall faded away and they were back in the castle throne room with the doors tightly shut. Dream took a deep breath before saying, “That's the term for unicorns that serve as servants for the unicorn nobles, it's their lot in life, their families aren't pure unicorn.”
“That's a terrible way of doing things. I take it pegasi are forced to act as messengers if they are not told what weather to bring.” Dream nodded, “What are the roles of the earth ponies?”
The castle faded to an small open air garden surrounded by the manor, Dream said, “If they aren't working the crops the unicorns tell them to they are either working as unappreciated gardeners for unicorn nobles,” a earth mare came out with with a couple of foals to tend the garden, “working the kitchen as the cooks for the manor, or some kind of manual labor like working the forge or building whatever they're told to.”
“You keep saying they're told to do things, is there a reason?”
“In Bridleton the only decisions that matter are those of the nobility, everpony else is of little consequence.” The garden faded to the throne room again, “I don't want to go back there because...”
“Dream Step,” came the mare's voice, “I told you you are not allowed near the garden, you will be sullied by the lower castes if you get to close.” Luna looked over to see the younger Dream Step and Eclipse Touch watching the mare and foals from a window, “And you Eclipse Touch, you are even more of a disappointment, you actually tried to talk with one of those lesser foals. Where is your guardian, I told him to watch you carefully.”
“Grand Charm told him all other duties were unimportant for a task she said he had, we were not assigned another pony to watch over us or remind us of your schedule,” said Eclipse with despondent voice.
“How is that possible?”
“The pony that relayed the message said all he was told and left,” said Eclipse.”
The mare gave the fillies an angry look, “You two, room, now, no lessons or meals for the day's remainder.”
The image faded, Luna could still hear the mare berating the fillies. Now or never, she thought. She halted the image and used her power to be an objective observer, what she was met with as a set of scenes that were far worse than the dream versions. The colt had been crying because the mare had used her magic to smack him in the head and flank with a very large wooden paddle. The meager portions on the table before the fillies was half the size she had seen. As she wandered through the past world of the filly she found everything had been lightened by her mind. After seeing how things truly were for a bit, ending with Eclipse and Dream being smacked harshly by the mare's hoof before being sent of to their room. Luna pulled herself from the filly's dreamscape after making sure that she would have a much more pleasant dreams when the dark coated alicorn left the room.
Entering her room and practically tearing off her regalia she flopped on the bed and said to herself, “How could such hardships have produced such sweet foals?” With that she closed her eyes and entered into an uneasy slumber.
*************************************************
Luna awoke at three hours to moon rise, as she passed Dream's room she peered in to see the filly still sleeping and her table hosting an empty plate and glass, the mug of tea had surely gone cold, she would warm that up for the filly later. As she left the doorway to the room Dream rustled in her covers, but had yet to awake. Luna chuckled silently to herself, she figured that a night or two that was lesson free would do the filly good, especially since she had just visited the filly's dreamscape. She quickly went over what she had witnessed, Dream had actually tried softening her memories of everything in the manor of her family and to Luna that was a little odd, usually foals would over dramatize everything, so why was it that Dream Step was making the experiences lighter than they were. Also, Canterlot castle, especially the throne room and her wing of the castle, seemed to be Dream's safety zone. Dream had overly luxurized aspects of the throne room in the dreamscape, probably her mind trying to conform things to what she had been lead to believe represented a place of authority.
What surprised the dark alicorn mare the most was that the fears of the filly were situated just outside the doors to the castle, and possibly even surrounded the castle, that is if the blocked out windows were any indication. Luna had hopes that Dream traversing the city would help to alleviate some those fears, and if not that then keep the fears at bay a bit more effectively. She made her way to the throne room and spotted a sight that gave her pause, Celestia was intimately kissing Discord.
“It's rude to stare at ponies like that,” came Discord's voice from above her, “then again spying on a private moment like this is quite rude as well.”
“The doors were unlocked, and open,” retorted Luna, “you should have been more careful, as should my sister.”
This snapped Celestia out of her supposedly private romantic moment, “Oh, Luna,” said the ivory alicorn mare, “please don't tell anypony.”
“That you're in secret rendezvouses with somepony you openly showed dislike for in the past during your freetime, parish the thought sister,” said Luna with a knowing grin, “I figured it out a months ago, that picture Dream accidentally made just added on to my confirmation. Don't feel to bad, you were both excellent at hiding things, but you seem to have forgotten I was always the better of us at unearthing secrets without anypony noticing. The only thing that surprised me was that you were partaking of the act in a public place instead of a location a bit more private.”
“Oh,” said Celestia, “Discord, if you would please afford us some privacy.”
Discord gave courteous bow and was gone in a flash of white light. “Learn anything new since last we spoke?” Inquired Celestia.
“Yes, actually,” said Luna, “I finally took a look at her dreamscape, and used it as a gateway to observer her past. It seems she's be subconsciously lightening the severity of what she witnessed in Bridleton, I saw a mare that I'm assuming was her mother acting a way most unbecoming.”
“How bad was it?”
“She abused ponies in every way she could, mostly verbally. She did everything she could to demean her servants, the staff of other ponies and even her own foals. In short, sister, she was the kind of pony that the unicorns were in Equestria's earliest days.”
“It's not surprising other nations have yet to move past the system we grew out of.”
“Yes, well in a way from what I saw and heard their home is a dark reflection of our nation. It's what the nations could have been had circumstances not forced the ponies to seek harmony with each other, it appears the unicorns have situated themselves as the dominant power and the other tribes are treated more lesser castes than potential equals.”
“I see,” said Celestia, “Twilight sent me notes on Eclipse's progress, the filly took her studies seriously and actively avoided recreational literature her first few days with Twilight. I am happy to say she's become the kind of filly that's much more of a joy to be around since then.”
“I'm sure that Dream will be happy to hear that her sister is doing well, it's been almost a month since this all started for Twilight and I, maybe we should arrange a meeting in the coming weeks.”
“An Excellent idea,” said Celestia. With that the two just sat in silence waiting or the duty of one to begin and another to close, as was their regular cycle.
Getting to Better Know Rainbow and Pinkie, Also other Stuff
Eclipse was digging into a breakfast banquet with fervor, Twilight had told the filly to slow down and consume her food at a more reasonable pace at least five times already. The lavender mare had read over the two spells she had copied, but not pleased with how they were designed, the spells assumed the pony casting them would be asserting a level dominance over the ponies the spell was being cast on, she was currently rewriting the memory spell to fall more in line with her understanding of magic.
It had been two days since Twilight and her friends had started their get together, Rainbow was coming over for a personal visit. Fluttershy had come over the day after their meet and greet to say hi to Eclipse and check up on Abal, much to the yellow mare's delight Eclipse was genuinely putting in what effort she could despite the otter's insistence on having a separate schedule than the filly she had showed interest in days prior. Twilight had high hopes for Eclipse and Rainbow forming some kind of positive connection, but she also knew that the filly had trouble with new ponies. Eclipse had been very apprehensive towards Rainbow and Pinkie, which Twilight accurately guessed was do to the filly's limited amount of time around the two mares, she was also aware the personalities of the two could be a little off putting for some ponies.
Just as Eclipse was about try her third guzzle of apple juice at the table a cyan blur flew in and landed next to Twilight revealing itself to be Rainbow Dash. Eclipse gave a startled yelp, that reminded both of the mares of Fluttershy, and dove under the table. “Oh, come on I'm not that scary,” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, “well, maybe on Nightmare Night, but that's it.”
“Rainbow,” said Twilight with a disapproving tone and glare, “she was uncomfortable around you and Pinkie when you met her, the only reason she seemed so calm is because of the rest of us there, she feels comfortable around us, especially me.”
“Oh,” said Rainbow with genuine surprise, “so, she's a unicorn with an early Flutters personality.”
“Can you blame me for being so timid?” Said Eclipse as she crawled back into her seat from under the table, “When my my mother turned me into display piece for her social events, and I wasn't given single break until there was nopony else in th room, but one they started returning it was back to being component of the centerpiece, I wasn't even allowed to talk to anypony.”
“She's exagerating, right?” Said Rainbow.
“She gave us access to a spell for viewing another pony's memories,” said Twilight with a quick glance at the academic materials on the table next her, thankfully she had cast a spell on all of her work pieces beforehoof to make sure they didn't go go flying about when Rainbow made and entrance. “I was just writing out an adjusted version that was more in line with Equestrian magical understandings, once I'm done with that I'll transcribe a copy and send it to some of Equestria's top magical minds for testing, A spell like this could beneficial if it works out, think about it actually seeing somepony else's memories instead of needing a spell like the one I used to snap you out it when Discord got free.
“Gonna stop you right there before you go super geek on me, Twi,” said Rainbow, “but what's the cautious approach? You usually can't wait to try a new spell out once you discover it.”
“The book I got the spell from tried to make me turn against the very principles I believe in,” said Twilight with a stern look at her friend, “I want to make sure a spell derived from one of the spells in that loathsome tome doesn't have similar effects when you cast it.”
“Whoa, did I just cross into some freaky alternate world?” Said Rainbow, “Twilight actually said something negative about a book.”
“No, you head me right,” said Twilight, “whatever enchantment was wrapped around the book I got the spell from was so foul it actually made me feel revolted to just look at it, fortuneately Princess Celestia had a solution for dealing with it.”
“You didn't try to destroy it yourself?” Said Rainbow with a smirk.
“We... we both did,” said Eclipse apprehensively, “I tried throwing into burning fireplace, it didn't affect the book at all. She had Spike try to burn it, his flames did noting to it.”
Rainbow stared from the filly to Twilight and back again several times before saying, “Wow, that means you weren't exaggerating about it attacking your mind. Those journals your brought with you didn't seem too bad.”
“Different author than the mind magic tome,” said Eclipse, “also from an era much further back than the mind magic book.”
“Did she just say 'mind magic'?” Inquired Rainbow, “That's a thing? How bad was it?”
“There was a spell for dominating the will of another pony,” said Twilight, “the book almost convinced me I needed a spell like that, there's some sort of twisted soul with an immense malevolence to it bound to the book that tries to corrupt you when you try reading the book. Eclipse's natural ability protects her, my understanding of magic could only ward it off a bit.”
“Oh, yikes,” said Rainbow, “to think that there were ponies all that time with access to a spell like that, makes me glad its out the hooves of whoever was the one who had it, it almost sounds like something out of Daring Do, which reminds me I have some errands to run after breakfast,” the cyan mare started piling a mass of breakfast items on to her plate. “So, did read any of the books each of us suggested to Spike?”
“I'm not entirely sure,” said Twilight, “last time I check she had them all in a pile that stated she wouldn't be reading them.”
“What?” Said Rainbow quite loudly as she flared her wings, which in turn caused the filly to dive back under the table, this caused Rainbow Dash to drop her voice to a much or acceptable level and say, “Oh, I'm sorry, Eclipse. Why didn't you want to read any of the books we suggested when Spike asked what kind of books we would recommend for a filly to read?”
Eclipse slid carefully back to her seat, and stared at the food before her a moment before saying, “It was how I was told academics are supposed to be,” she shook her head before timidly saying, “I haven't even been here full week and miss Twilight's shown me what being an academic means to her, I really do want to be like her.”
“No slips in calling you some form of 'mom' again,” said Rainbow under her breath to Twilight.
“Only in her sleep,” said Twilight back in the same level, with a soft smile. Turning her attention to Eclipse, and at a level intended for the filly to hear, “I'm glad I've set such a good example, but I would like to point out to you that I read all the books that Spike had tried to get you to read, some which when I was around your age. Besides academics add to existing knowledge, not just memorize what's there.”
“That's... not the way in Bridleton,” said Eclipse with a forlorn look at her plate, “I was completely accepting of it all until last year, same with Dream. If we had stayed there we couldn't have experienced any pieces of what we have, I really don't want to go back.”
“Do they at least have cider or pegasus air shows?” Asked Rainbow Dash.
Eclipse shook her head before saying, “To my knowledge, which very limited I'm afraid, Cider can only be made within a noble's manor and can only be consumed by unicorn nobles, I've never heard of an air show before today, what are they like?”
“Totally awesome,” said Rainbow with pride in her voice, “I'm a Wonderbolt, and they're totally the best and most awesome when it comes to putting on a show.”
“You're not one of the mains though, you're just a backup flier,” said Twilight.
“Yeah, well that could change at any time,” said Rainbow, “I got recognized for the awesome pony I am, and that's good enough for me these days.”
“Nice to see you're finally pacing yourself,” said Twilight with a smile, “how's Tank?”
“The usual,” said Rainbow, “I dropped him off at Fluttershy's place before heading over here, he seemed happy to see her again.”
“Who's Tank?” Said Eclipse.
“Rainbow's pet tortoise,” said Twilight, “she has a very strong attachment to him, in fact her first winter after getting him she...”
“Whoa, Twilight,” said Rainbow Dash, “I thought we agreed to not speak of that, I'm still pretty embarrassed about it.”
“You just wanted to spend more time with him, we aren't going to fault you for that,” said Twilight.
“So, Eclipse,” said Rainbow turning her attention towards the filly, “why are ya so nervous around me? I'm not that scary, usually.”
“Your boldness... is unfamiliar, I'm not very good around ponies with traits I haven't really encountered all that often. I never really got to know other ponies before now.”
“Why was that?” Said Twilight.
“I told that was the way of things, I didn't question it until last year,” she pulled her ears back in shame, “to be honest, I'm surprised that I did at all. I was told all ruling ponies, and future ruling ponies were not to form any connections with the servants, mostly because it would cause social problems. But here, miss Twilight is maintaining a close relationship with the ponies that work here, they're all glad be doing their jobs. In Bridleton ponies are told what jobs they have available to them and are forced into them, we're even told what jobs are best suited for stallions and mares. You'd never see a pegasus stallion as a gardener or grounds keeper there, for example.”
“Oh it couldn't be that bad, could it,” said Rainbow with dismissive wave of her hoof.
“Only pegasus stallions are allowed to serve in the military, and only as scouts and messengers,” said Eclipse, “just think about all that again unsettles my stomach.”
“What?” said both mares in unison.
“Do you have any sort of entertainment?” Said Rainbow.
“Only plays, as far as I know,” said Eclipse, “and even then all the actors can only be unicorns. Looking at what little I've gathered on Equestria I can still say with great certainty that Bridleton is archaic, and actually does everything it can to remain in the state it does. I don't really know whey, but seeing all this,” she gestured to all around and the mares themselves, “I can honestly say that I believe it's very unhealthy for a nation to intentionally halt its own progress.”
“And a very good assessment,” said Twilight, “you have a very good mind, it just needed the right conditions to start reaching its potential. I have some things I need to take care of, they came up rather suddenly,” she got out of her chair and made her way out, “you two see if there's something that can help establish some kind of connection between you,” with that she was gone, the book and papers floating with her, in addition to a variety of breakfast foods and a large glass and pitcher of orange juice.
“So, where do we start?” Asked Rainbow nervously.
Eclipse gave a nervous smile before saying, “My brother is a pegasus, Princess Celestia made some arrangements for him.”
“Oh, but you said you were from a family that rules over the nation, and you took great care to state that only unicorns are within the ruling class,” said Rainbow.
“That's been nothing other than unicorns for over a hundred generations,” said Eclipse with despondent look, “he's seen as nothing more than a stain on the family lineage, they do everything they can to keep others from learning he has the same parents as my sisters and I.”
“Whoa, holdup,” said Rainbow, “did you say sisters? You have more than one?”
“Dream's my twin, she's the elder of the two of us, we have an older sister named Sunshine Bottle. She's spent most of her life trying get Great Spell's approval, but it wasn't until a few years ago that she realized she'd never get the kind of approval she was after.”
“I remember Twi saying that is the name of your mother, why do refer to her by name.”
“Because,” Eclipse had the look being afraid, guilty and sad at the same time, “from what I've learned is a mother she lost the right to that title and role a long time ago.”
“That's kind of cold,” said Rainbow, “I was the bearer of loyalty, and now I'm the voice loyalty when Twilight needs hold her friendship court, and as loyalty I have to say turning your back on your mother is pretty bad.”
“I know,” said Eclipse, “I wanted to believe in the best when comes to her, but sitting back and looking at everything I remember of her with the eyes of an observer I can honestly say that she is not good pony, she's not even a teeny bit nice. I wanted to be loyal to all my family, but I just can't see her as family anymore, the same holds true with my grandmother and father. My siblings I can still feel are good ponies, but something just tells me that the adult of my life before coming here were just the most awful ponies to encounter.”
“You said were treated as a set piece for the fancy parties your folks threw, I doubt it was that bad. I know you're scared of what you ran from, but sometimes we make things worse in our minds about what we are most afraid of, Twilight and the rest of us are all guilty of that a few times over.”
“I... I'm afraid of the truth if that's the case, but at the same time I want to know the honest truth of my past. I... I want to be strong like you, and all your friends. I'm weak, I let my life be treated as somepony's personal war game and then the one moment I started to experience a clarity of mind I chose to run as far away from the place I thought was my home. Miss Dash, I don't want to go back to the place that holds all my painful memories.”
“It's your fear of those memories that makes them painful, stay loyal to who want to be when you face them and they won't have as great a power over you.”
“That's just it, I don't know what kind of pony I want to be. My entire life up to leaving those shores had been planned out, I wasn't just told what was expected of me, I was told what was demanded of me. I was told certain things were mandatory, my only freedom to do what I wanted came during very short period of time at night. All I wanted to do was read the journals, and when I read them I was fascinated by the life of the pony that wrote them.”
“Did they make you want to be like the pony that wrote those journals?”
“A little, but the desire to be like him flickered in and out in my mind. The first pony I've ever wanted to be like, genuinely, I honestly don't know. There are times the day I find my self wishing I was like miss Twilight, other I was like miss Fluttershy or Miss Rarity. I feel something like a desire to be like you by just hearing about your accomplishments, and I there are even things that make wish I was like miss Pinkie sometimes. In short I want to be like all of you, but at the same time I don't. I don't honestly know how to be my own pony, and I keep thinking that if I emulated you or any of your other friends I might find myself, but the same time I end telling myself that mimicking another pony won't help find something about me.”
“You're just like Twi, and bit like Rares too, in that you over think things. I'll admit the way you put yourself down is by giving yourself a dose of reality, something that not a lot of ponies can do, but sometimes you just have stop listening to your head and let your desires set the course.”
“I don't really know what my wants or desires are? Other than to be in situations that make feel safe and genuinely wanted by other ponies. The moment I saw miss Twilight my mind went blank and I felt something in me call her a sanctuary.”
“That's a beautiful sentiment,” said Twilight as she trotted back into the room, “referring to somepony as a sanctuary. Only two ponies in my young life have made me think that, my mother and Princess Celestia, when I realized that my friends were my friends that's also a thought that entered my mind, that these ponies are in fact a safe haven for me in some way.”
“You're the first to make me feel that way, Miss Twilight,” said Eclipse, “I'm sorry to say it's the honest truth, but it is. The mare I called my mother always felt like a cold tower I could never approach, the stallion I called my father was the same way, and the mare I called my grandmother was a frigid fortress that made me want to run the other way. My siblings were warm hearths that made afraid when the flames would die. But you, miss Twilight, you make me feel like I'm in wide open, inviting, summer meadow with the sun high in the sky and a gentle wind coursing all over my body, you make feel more than needed, you make me feel... I don't know what word I'm looking for.”
“You're saying I make you feel loved,” said Twilight with a smile, “you're siblings love you too, besides I just care about you and your needs.”
“My most basic needs were saw too back in Bridleton, that just means food, shelter, and a place to sleep,” said Eclipse, “you don't just see to my needs, you indulge my senses with sensations they haven't experienced before.”
“I doubt what you ate before coming here was actually food,” said Twilight, “it's clear that whatever you were told to eat before arriving in Equestria wasn't able to meet your body's needs. When you arrived were a little smaller than the average filly your age, at first I surmised you just had an inherited condition that limited your growth, but the rapid growth you showed over the past week tells me you really weren't eating what you needed to.”
“Um, Twi,” said Rainbow, “this getting kind of awkward, I'm just gonna leave now.”
“Oh, sorry, Rainbow,” said Twilight, “go ahead, I'm sure you have some plans for today that don't involve me.”
“Um, yeah,” said Rainbow, “I'll be by again before I have to head out back to Cloudsdale. Have a good day you two.” After that she was gone.
“Um, miss Twilight, that was weird. I felt comfortable around her, but not. Does that... does that make any sense?”
“A little, you said you had a second innate ability, was it acting up on you?”
“I think that... I think that my canceling ability and ability sense intentions of other ponies are actually pieces of the same ability, the canceling is more noticeable because it's been forced to be more active in the past, but recently it hasn't been acting up as much, and my ability to sense intents has been flaring up more frequently. I'm... I'm scared, excited, nervous, happy and confused at the same time over it.”
“Well, I'd be worried if you didn't feel any of those regarding yourself,” said Twilight with a gentle smile, “it just means you're making realizations about yourself, and sometimes that sort of thing can be any one of those things. What's your take on Rainbow Dash, now that you've had some private time with her?”
“She has a lot of confidence, but in a good way,” said Eclipse, “her confidence isn't overbearing or imposing, unlike some ponies I thought I knew.”
“Your mother and grandmare?” Inquired Twilight. Eclipse just nodded. “It can't be that bad, can it?”
“Miss Dash's confidence comes from her understanding of herself, those two have confidence that comes from an unfounded superiority complex.”
“Oh,” said Twilight, “so they're like Canterlot nobility to the extreme?”
“If the Canterlot nobility is entirely composed of unicorns that like to boast about having a lineage that has consistently been unicorns for hundreds of generations in addition to treating their servants as tools of amusement in addition to their defined role at the nobility's places of residence and work, then yes,” said Eclipse with a guilty look, “I thought that was the way things has to be, but last year I started thinking that everything that I had been told was a certain could change.”
“That's not so bad,” said Twilight with a smile, “change is good, it's one of the few universal constants that chaos can't truly mess with, it's as if it is a law of the cosmos.”
“You don't understand,” said Eclipse in voice that kept getting quieter and quieter with each word, “in Bridleton change is seen as something bad, exceedingly bad.”
“It can't be that bad, can it?” Said Twilight with concern.
“They...they,” said Eclipse with tears in her eyes and face that was as scared as it was sad, she then shouted so loud she startled everyone that could hear her, “they publicly execute ponies for the crime of trying of trying to change any aspect of the nation,” then in a quieter sobbing voice said, “all ponies that publicly state something needs to change are denounced as enemy's of the state, it's like the nation wants to stay locked in certain mindset and point in time. I...I can't think of any reason why a nation would do that.”
Twilight stared at the filly before carefully saying, “did you see any of these?” Eclipse nodded, “how... how many did you see? What were the crimes of the ponies? How did they meet their end? I know you don't want to think about this, but I need to know how you know this.”
“It's part of our basic education,” said Eclipse with shame, “everypony was hung from a gallows, our family had one on the estates in full view of everything. One pony was executed for the crime of 'performing art in a style that is not endorsed by the state', another was executed for the crime of 'baking a bread style not recognized by the crown' and the third was executed for the crime of 'publicly suggesting changes in how the crown accords its business', just be glad no hippogriffs have been found.”
“Why? I've read up on them, they're rare and magnificent to behold.”
“Because the facility found housing one has all of its residents executed, the owners, the workers, and the foals in addition to the hippogriff. It's a standing law that ponies can not interbreed with anything that is not within their demographic. Unicorns can only be with unicorns, pegasi can only be with pegasi and earth ponies can only be with earth ponies.”
“That's... That's nuts,” said Twilight a bit louder than she intended, “why would your parent nation have so many rules to restrict ponies to such an extent?”
“I don't know,” said Eclipse with a forlorn voice, “I was even told I should be ashamed of the sight, I was told it was just the state dulling out justice on ponies that had earned their punishment. I... I always felt sick when I saw or heard anything related it all. I... I can't even look at rope without feeling like someopony is going to die.” It was at this point she just broke down and started crying.
All Twilight did was comfort her and kept on thinking about how to prove what she had just been told was the honest truth, she wanted believe Eclipse, but at the same time she wanted to believe that such horrific acts were not the work of a pony nation. “Are... are you sure about all this?”
Eclipse nodded her head a bit before saying, “I am very sure about it, but at the same time I'm sure I can genuinely trust my memories.”
“Or memories are always fallable,” said Twilight in comforting voice, “but I don't think that's what you meant.”
Eclipse just gave her a sorrowful look before saying in desondently downtrodden voice, “the mind magic book has spells or manipulating memories,” she gave the lavender mare a worried look before continuing, “and I'm not entirely sure my ability for disabling other magics can completely halt those kinds of spells. What if... what if all the deciding factors for our escape were fabricated? What if this was all planned? What if... something they say causes me to hurt the ponies I'm growing to care about? I know not everything is what it seems, I just want to know the honest truth about the place I came from.”
“I understand,” said Twilight, “I'm just having a hard time believing a place ruled by ponies could have such terrible, and sickening, practices.”
“I... I didn't want to believe such things either,” said Eclipse in a whisper barely heard to the mare, “but three months before planning our escape Grand Charm announced that a public execution of three ponies would be on our manor grounds, while Dream and I weren't allowed outside the manor we were forced to near windows that allowed us to witness the event. Frankly I'm surprised the two of us stayed as nice as we have because of that.”
“I... I need to send a note to Celestia and Luna, I'll be right back.”
Just as Twilight was getting up to leave Eclipse said, “could you wait a few weeks for that note.”
Twilight stopped and stared at the filly before saying, “Why should I hold off on something so potentially important?”
Eclipse gulped and said, “Because you should confirm that such a memory exists in my mind, also you need to be able to tell the difference between genuine and false memories before sending that message. I know it sounds cold, but...”
“We need more than your word on the subject for an accusation that intense,” finished Twilight. She looked over at Eclipse and said, “Can you tell me what an academic is?”
Eclipse was noticeably shocked at the question, but she answered with an uneasy, “Somepony who studies the works of other ponies and memorizes everything so that they can provide the information when needed,” she had an unsure confidence in what she said, mostly from not understanding why she had been asked the question.
“That's only part of it,” said Twilight as she noticed Eclipse relax a bit, “they also build off of the existing knowledge, sometimes even applying in ways others didn't consider.” Eclipse looked like she was ready ask questions Twilight said, “you insisted on being a true academic during our first few days, but you disregarded materials that were presented to you. You also seemed to have been lead to believe that the books Spike tried to get you to read were not academically valid. All books, no matter what their genre, are academically valid.”
“Oh, does that make me a bad scholar?”
“No, it makes you a confused aspiring scholar. There's nothing wrong with any of that. You should read some of the books Spike suggested, after all we will be having shorter classes this week. Oh, and Pinkie's going to be by tomorrow.”
*************************************
It was almost two hours since Rainbow Dash had left. Eclipse was getting ready to jot down notes from the board. “Today we'll be learning about the different kind of pony magic,” said Twilight as she drew outlines of a unicorn, pegasus, earth pony, and alicorn. Each different kind of pony has its own distinct kind of magic. We'll start with unicorns since they're the easiest for you to understand.”
The three hours saw Twilight's giddy teaching compounded with Eclipse's fervorous note taking. By the time it was over Eclipse had enough notes to write a book that could easily exceed a thousand pages, not that either was complaining.
“Eclipse,” said Twilight after the filly had amassed her small hoard of notes, “you didn't have to copy all of it, didn't you learn any of this before coming here?”
Eclipse just shook her head and looked guiltily at her notes.
After a few minutes Twilight said, “I still doubt things are as you said, but I'm willing to wait for the proof.”
Eclipse just looked over at the lavender mare and said in an unsure voice, “Do... Do you remember what I said my life policy after leaving Bridleton is?”
Twilight nodded and said, “You said you would be honest no matter what, or something to that effect. However, I still have doubts a nation could be so hostile, especially towards change, change is an inevitability in our world.”
“I don't know how else to describe it,” said Eclipse, “the most up to date maps are reprints of charts that predate Equestria. I don't know how or why, but when I was planning our escape to Equestria I noticed it all, it's more evident if you compare a Bridleton world map to one of Equestria's.”
“Which piece was that? I know you brought more than those books, but most of them are in care of Celestia and Luna.”
“There are two maps in my room,” said Eclipse, “they're both cloth and in my bottom drawer, Abble's care book is in the drawer just above them.”
Twilight dashed up stairs and came down a few seconds later with two cloth scrolls in her magic, “These are well maintained,” she said, “now let's see what you thought the world looked like.” Fortuneatly for the purple alicorn the first one she opened was the world map, she frowned and called out, “Mahogany Platter, I need a pre-Equestrian map, would you please fetch it.”
“At once princess,” came a bell like stallion's voice. A few minutes later a scroll floated into the room, stopping just in front of Twilight, in a pine tinted amber glow.
“Thank you,” said Twilight as she took the scroll in her own magic and the sound of hooves was heard leaving. She put the map she was staring at up on the board, then unfurled the map that she had been given by the staff and placed it on the board just below the other one. “Well, this is ominous,” she said with an unamused voice.
“The map she had requested looked similar, but had some minor differences from the world map that she had retrieved from Eclipse's room, “the one you had squirreled away in your room, which we'll discus in depth later, seems older than the one I requested from the castle library.
“Look at the dates they were printed,” said Eclipse.
Twilight knew exactly where to look, the date on her requested was a mere score before Equestria was founded, looking at the Bridleton world map she gasped when she realized what it said, “Copied from RB 159, this map was printed RA12 13,” I'm familiar with the Roaming Battle era, we studied it as a history of conflicts outside Equestria, that was eight thousand years ago, but I'm not familiar with the other date. Actually we don't know what happened after the Roaming Battle era, anything before, just that it was time that the world watched a major conflict. But the Roaming Battle Era ended a hundred and thirty years, this doesn't make sense.”
Eclipse gave a sorrowful, slow, drawn out breath, “No, it lasted a hundred and seventy-five years according Bridleton's history, the date it shows has is when the nation claims it was barely a decade old.”
“But our research didn't indicate the any new nations were formed during th conflicts,” said Twilight, “of course all research is incomplete.”
“This isn't about history,” said Twilight with sudden realization, “you're not scared of what that spell could have done to you, we both know that it couldn't have affected you. What's the real reason.”
Eclipse started to tremble in her seat before saying, “They did something to Dream's memories, I don't know what kind of spell they used, but whatever it was made so that she remembered an event differently than me, that around two years ago now. Now I'm not sure what I remember is real, what if somehow I ended up making my memories lineup with Dream's.”
“That's when you started making your realizations,” said Twilight, “you only came to a new sense of clarity last year,” Eclipse nodded, “but we still need to discuss this map, what is this date I don't understand?”
“The thirteenth year of the Reign of Artanus the twelfth. He's our current monarch, only the royal family is allowed to give their foals names like that.”
“My friends brought up a good point, and hearing you talk about it a bit helps really drive it home, laws that dictate how somepony can be named are frivolous and ultimately pointless. So, why have those laws never been repealed?”
“Those laws have been in place since the founding of the nation, and the country has a strong aversion to change. It needs to change, but there is a high level of safeguards in place within the governmental structure that make next to impossible for change to be brought on the level the nation needs. The nobility freaks out when there's an unscheduled delay in, well, everything. The nobility has control over everything, and I know I told you they're all unicorns.” Twilight nodded to the filly, also floating several notepads and writing materials around her in anticipation of what came next, she figured it would be important to have notes for comparison of what she found.
“Please continue.”
Eclipse took another sigh and said, “All the towns and cities are under the jurisdiction of the nobility, as are facilities, stores and farms. They don't really understand how to tend to plants, but they still have the authority to judge and berate ponies that have been told it is their job how to do the job. It's a system that now that I look back should have never happened to begin with. All the weather factories are in major cities and housed within the grounds of nobles, I've been told that learning spells that pertain to weather is pointless, we can't even learn a cloud walking spell.”
“How do you know?”
“I asked, and for my curiosity I a hoof wave on the matter three days of being locked in a small room with Grand Charm enjoying regular meals as he lectured me on why my curiosity was bad, I only got a half filled small glass of regular water once every six hours, but I was allowed to drink two glasses over the course of a day, and make matters worse Grand Charm would gulp down the glasses I left after five minutes before she crushed the glass in her magic next me. She... she tried to brainwash me when I started to act like a real scholar, but somehow I resisted what she was trying to do, it's almost like my ears would only be willing to hear the honest truth, I never showed signs of that ability after that, I told nopony about that experience until now, I just shared one of my most dire secrets with you. It all happened when things were starting to clear in my mind, why did I start notice all this last year? Why couldn't I have let myself be guided wander under the false sense of security? What was so special about the past five hundred days?”
“All good questions, but...”
“Your majesty,” came a young limerick type of female voice, “it sounded as if your student was distressed, is everything alright?”
“Yes, White Sonnet, everything is fine. Eclipse was just caught up in some bad memories, I think that she's calmed down now, hopefully she won't give the palace a fright like that again.”
“I don't want to do anything like that again,” said Eclipse with shame that was evident on her whole body.”
Quickly changing subjects Twilight said, “Sonnet, I hear you'll be the Equine languages aid this coming school term, I'm proud of you.”
“Thank you princess,” said Sonnet, “and I am appreciative that you afforded me the chance to work here, all those delegates two months ago visiting was a good chance to put my lessons, and talent to practice.” The sound of hooves leaving met the ears of the two, Eclipse hadn't even seen the pony.
After a long awkward silence Eclipse said, “I don't know why; but you, this place, everything I've experienced about Equestria has felt familiar... it has since we got here, but you've felt the most familiar and comfortable, you remember what I said when I first met you?”
Twilight gave a little giggle and said, “yes, and you ended with asking why I made you feel comfortable and safe despite having never encountered me before. I never told you what my title is, have I?”
Eclipse shook her head, “They all call you 'princess', but the highest power in land is princess.”
“That's right,” said Twilight with a smile, “Celestia and Luna jointly rule over the whole of Equestria as the princesses of the sun and moon, Cadance looks over the Crystal Empire and my duty is helping spread friendship across the nation and beyond. Cadance is the princess of love and I'm the princess of friendship.”
Eclipse began sniffling before getting up and going over to hug the lavender mare and said, “When I asked about love and friendship Great Spell, Great Seal and Grand Charm all said they were pointless and frivelous things that served no real purpose,” happy tears were flowing down her face, “I wanted for friends more than anything, I genuinely love my siblings, but sometimes you need somepony who isn't family to help you out.”
“That's not entirely true,” said Twilight before a tome like purple journal with six differently colored bookmarks over to in front of the filly, “Pinkie wrote an entry about how good friends can feel like family, this journal contains entries from me and all my best friends, and some of our family members as well. We call it the 'Friendship Journal' and it contains many of the lessons in friendship we learned, we haven't made any entries in years, but maybe it will get some entries from some new ponies when the time comes, I put a charm on it to make sure there are always enough pages for new entries. The rest of your lesson plan is to read some of the entries and try to gain a better understand what friendship means.”
“How many entries should I read and learn from? If it has more than one author where do I start?”
“That's all up to you!” Twilight gave the filly a little nuzzle, “I have some research you gave me to look over.”
It was few minutes to dinner, Twilight had been given the reminder, in a not so subtle manner, by one of her maids. She came down the stairs and looked in the library, inside she found Eclipse curled up next to the massive journal with a smaller, purple, notebook next her. Looking at the front it she saw the words “Diary” scrawled across it in a manner that she recognized as Eclipse's emerging writing style, the filly seemed to not be able to resist putting a bit of a flourish at the end of her name. Gingerly opening the notebook she saw a note on the first page that said, “This is a place for my private thoughts and special secrets only three ponies are allowed to read it and those are Me, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and my closest friend. — Eclipse Touch
Twilight gave a little smile, despite having known her for less than a week Eclipse had enough faith in the mare to allow her to read her diary, for now at least, she knew that could change at any point. She leafed to the first page expecting to start with the filly's first day in Equestria or with her, but was surprised to see the first page open with, “I don't know what the date was, but it was last year when I started questioning everything, they don't like when you ask questions in any form. That day I began making preparations for our escape, I know that looking back over an extended period of time means that the connection to the events isn't as tangible as it is that same day, but I have to say this if I'm to continue. The ponies that called themselves my parents and grandmother never showed me love or concern, all they were concerned about was their status and the rank the family held in society, it's been that way as long as anypony can remember. I've seen our family tree, almost two-hundred generations of unicorns stretching to the present. They believe in keeping the bloodline pure, which is their way of saying no lineages with non-unicorns are allowed to enter the lineage, which is why they have such disdain for my big brother. I just accepted it all before I started questioning it all, I don't know why I did. I've been nothing, but honest since coming here, even if it hurts to say it I'd tell my teacher the truth regardless of the consequnces, I read in one Myrraldin's journals that honesty will always show who are true friends and allies, that's why I've been nothing but honest with everypony here. I could see that whatever they did to Dream when they tried to alter her memories didn't go as planned, they hate it when that happens, I see glimmers of the memory that we truly share, almost like they laid their version of things over it like some kind of sheet, but what if I tried to make the memory be more like the falsehood they put on her memory, that day a year ago was when questions didn't bring confusion, the first time in my life questions brought a sense of enlightenment, which is odd because none of my questions were answered. I guess I just realized that the question is more important than the answer, I know that sounds silly and stupid. I hope nopony other than me sees what's in here for at least a week. After this first entry I'm never going to discuss Bridleton again, it's not that Bridleton makes me feel hurt and afraid now that I think about it, it's because I want to leave it's mindset behind me and embrace some of the mindsets in Equestria. I want to have something like the kind of inner strength Miss Twilight and her friends have.”
Twilight closed the book and looked at the filly wondering if Eclipse had really written that as something she truly thought or something for Twilight's benefit, considering the spell on the journals mentioned she decided to look through them again, after dinner. She nudged Eclipse, the filly shuffled a bit and gave the kind of cute yawn that all fillies will from time to time. “Come on,” said Twilight, “it's time to eat, what do you want to have for dinner?”
Eclipse's eyes snapped open before she said something incomprehensible, this caused Twilight to giggle a little before she said, “Come on, let's go have our evening meal,” Eclipse just groggily nodded and followed the mare to the dining table.
The staff placed a collection salads and vegetable paninis before the two, along with bowls for the salad and glasses with a large pitcher of a purple sloshing liquid with mucky consistency. Eclipse immediately seemed to be more alert and when the collection of various ponies of different tribes had left with a bidding a good evening Eclipse said, “What's the purple stuff?”
Twilight chuckled as she placed some salad in the filly's bowl and a couple of the sandwiches on the plate before the filly, “It's called a smoothie, in particular a blueberry and cranberry smoothie,” she poured some into Eclipse's glass before serving herself, “it's really yummy.”
“That hardly seems a proper objective term,” said Eclipse.
“We can't always be objective,” said Twilight, “sometimes we need to let our personal investments dictate our actions.”
Eclipse tested the food and drink before her with care, but quickly sped up her consumption of the food, while keeping a level of refinement in her mannerisms that clearly showed to have been carried over from Rarity's lessons. The two just enjoyed their meal in silence, Twilight mulling over everything she was told, but recalling what Eclipse had said and what she had read when she started reading the journals, after taking care of some things the time to test a theory would come.
After dinner Eclipse gave her condolences to the staff and excused herself, instead of heading back to the library the filly made her way to her room. Twilight followed out of curiosity. When she peered in she saw a little black otter curled up in a corner sleeping in a basket with bowls of food and water on opposing sides of the filly's bed, a neatly made bed with her doll self carefully set at the head near the pillow, she gave a little smile before looking to her side as she watched Eclipse check the food levels in its dish before going to a bag of dried food that Fluttershy had provided and carefully measured out a set level of food in the cup that had been in the food container. When that was done Twilight watched Eclipse move over to the desk she had been provided and levitated a checklist and pen and took a careful look at it before placing a check on it and setting the materials back down on the desk.
With a little smile Twilight withdrew from the room and carefully closed it behind her. And headed for her room, she had some reading of her own to do. Once in her room she levitated the first of the journals she had read and opened it, the words that were on that page were still there. “Alright, Myrraldin,” she said to herself, “if you were able to put an encryption spell as powerful and tribally sensitive as you said then you can answer a few of my questions.”
A set of glowing white letters floated above the pages saying, “It would seem you figured that much out, but information related to event far more recent can't be accessed through these works.”
“I'm fine with that,” said Twilight, “what were the words regarding honesty that Eclipse Touch read in these pages.”
“Sweet little filly,” said the rearranged words before reforming to say, “she read that 'honesty might hurt you if you use it, but it will also be the force that helps everypony willing to listen because it has a way of giving true freedom.”
“Okay,” said Twilight, “has she lied or omitted anything since coming into my care? Or is that beyond your extent?”
“Things tied to you and that filly are watched closely by the magic that maintains these journals, as why it is not entirely clear,” said the words, “as far as the magic here can tell she has been giving you honest truth no matter what, there are times she feels like it is hurting her, but she intends give you the genuine truth as she knows it regardless of the risks to her, she looks to you for guidance that is more than the role of a mentor. Eclipse can sense that there is something wrong, as a great event you know quite well draws ever closer her power will show you a truth that even she is not fully aware of. You have glimpsed at least one piece of it.”
“It would seem you were a pony with the ability to glimpse the future.”
“Only at intermittent points,” said the words, “I never did figure out how control it, visions I was shown were more abstract than anything else, it took me a while decipher them. I saw the image of one dragon's victory over another, among other sights I witnessed through my visions. The last vision I saw was an apple among a star, butterfly, lightning bolt, balloon, and a diamond. Truth be told, I never managed figure that one out.” Twilight smiled and looked to her cutie mark.
“It would seem you were a great unicorn in your time,” said Twilight, “possibly as great, or greater than Starswirl the bearded, he was a unicorn that advanced our understanding of magic. But I now have to ask, who was this Artanus that Eclipse mentioned?”
“An earth pony with a talent for governing that I tutored so that he would be a ruler that reigned with compassion, intelligence and justice. Those with his name that followed never had a connection to him, and those that claim me as part of their lineage are deluding themselves since my child was removed from the nation before they began their quest. I feel ashamed for what I did to my own daughter, my little filly, I cast a spell on her that make so that no unicorns would be born unto her descendants, a curse I am ashamed to have invoked upon anypony and especially saddened that I did it to my own daughter, the curse will be lifted when a power greater than mine is brought into the bloodline.”
Twilight stared at the floating letters before saying, “Was her name Abalonia?”
“Yes,” said the letters.
“Where did you send her?”
“I know not, the only destination I set was beyond the boarders of all the nations I knew, I am unsure of how long she lasted, she just gotten her cutie mark,” Twilight stared at the last words, an idea of proving a theory formed in her mind.
“What was it?” She said with the full intent of using as a guideline for her search, if she could compare known cutie marks to ponies of the pre-Equestrian and early Equestrian eras she might be able to prove the theory that had been exposited by Eclipse days earlier.
The letters just said, “Journal 72,” and were gone. Twilight closed the book, she wen over a mental checklist of the Journals she read, she realized she had only read on through journal 53, and had barely started journal 54. She really didn't like reading sets out of order, it usually meant you would end up missing an important piece from a prior volume, and sometimes context was everything. She could wait, with the rate she read the journals she calculated she'd be at her intended journal by the end of the month, and probably through the whole set by the Gala.
The fact alone that she was able to get the journals to use their adaptive spell to answer some of her questions was an accomplishment, but what surprised her the most was the fact that the spell had some minor ability to observe events in the present. This revelation added a whole new dimension to things, the enchantment on the journals not only had a way of reading a pony's character, but also had the power to observe their character changes. A special security spell like that was still being investigated by some of Equestria's top magical minds, her included. Despite being a princess Twilight had found herself doing mostly superficial things.
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Twilight woke up to the sight of Pinkie staring at her in a way that was clearly violating her personal space. “Pinkie when I said today would your day for extended vising of me I didn't mean the crack of midnight or sunrise,” her voice was surprisingly calm, she took a look at the clock on her nightstand next to the small stack of journals she had been investigating, “It's three in the morning, what couldn't wait until after sunrise.”
“Well, you see,” said Pinkie, “I wanted to start the day with you and Eclipse off early, I'm gonna make some pies in the kitchen with her. Oh by the way that otter she got from Fluttershy is swimming in the bathtub.”
“I was wondering why she set up a pair ramps at the bathtub and filled it a twelfth the way up before calling it a night,” said Twilight, “she probably figured her new little friend could use more exercise than running around the palace.”
“Oh yeah, that otter's also snuggled up in her mane right now.”
Twilight gave a little giggle, “she was worried that Abal was starting to not like her.”
“Nah,” said Pinkie, “just getting used to all the new stuff.”
“Then why is Abal running around when Ecslipse is sleeping?”
“Plot convenience,” said Pinkie as she bounced out of the room.
Twilight just rolled her eyes and followed her friend out of the room. She stopped when she saw the form of Abal scurrying from the bathroom to Eclipse's room, the otter looked like she had spent some time getting soaked in the tub. Instead of following Pinkie to the kitchen she headed to the bathroom, what she saw when she poked her head in put a little smile on her face. The tub was partially filled with water in addition to having ramps at an optimal angle for a creature of Abal's size to scale the tub, the ramps had little grips every few inches to assist in their scaling. She also spotted a small bowl with a bit of the dry food Fluttershy had provided for Abal to eat.
Twilight moved out of the bathroom and did a quick check on Eclipse, the sight she saw brought a bigger smile to her face. The filly and otter were cuddled up next each other, the slumbering filly showed no signs of being concerned her sleeping space was being made wet by otter's post-swim coat, fortuneatly for Eclipse her Twilight plush doll was watching over her from the head rest, a sight that widened Twilight's smile for little bit. She trotted in to the room and looked at the work desk she had provided for the filly, she gave a little internal giggle when she saw what was on the desk.
An array of checklists covered the surface of the desk, with simple reminders like, “Eat Breakfast,” and “Check/Fill Abal's bowls” along with questions that Twilight recognized the filly had asked over their lessons, she saw the question, “What is a Mother?” with multiple check marks and a simple sketch of a smiling face. Just under it she spotted the question, “Why do I always want to call Princess Twilight Sparkle some variation of mother?— Don't ask this question if she doesn't specifically bring it up, have to find out why I don't feel this phantom pain in my chest when I don't think of Great Spell and Great Seal as my parents, but do at the thought of being separated from Miss Twilight, why does it hurt more than the thought of being separated from Dream?”
Twilight left the lists where she found them and headed down to the kitchen after gently, and silently, closing the door to Eclipse's door behind her. Once she was down the stairs and in the kitchen, which save Pinkie was empty. “So, how's our filly?” Said Pinkie in a happy, yet serious tone (it's Pinkie, don't question how it's possible).
“More confused than I thought,” said Twilight as she seemed to wander through the kitchen lost in thought, “I spotted a question on one of her checklists, it gave me mixed feelings. On one hoof she really wants to call me mom, but tries not to because of her insistence of sticking to the facts. And on the other hoof she doesn't know why she doesn't feel guilty over ceasing to consider her parents as just that. She's unsure of not just herself, but the world around her. I think that...”
“Something is making her doubt reality,” finished Pinkie, “I've had those moments, but then seeing my friends with genuine smiles on their faces makes it so that sort of thing doesn't really matter.”
“But that's just it, Pinkie, she hasn't had a sense of that assurance that everything is fine, I think she doesn't even know how to recognize something like that. Whatever she and her siblings ran from seems to have deliberately stunted pieces of their development. Eclipse is emotionally confused, was academically misinformed and floundering in her understanding of what we take as basic things that everypony just knows.”
“Oh,” said the pink mare seeming to understand, and then, “where do you keep the baking sugar?”
Twilight was actually thankful for the topic change, she gave a sigh and a smile before saying, “We use raw sugar here, it's healthier, even if it is harder to get our hooves on than other kinds of sugar. The staff will routinely move it around several times a week, I honestly don't where in the kitchen it is right now.”
“Well there go my plans for pies, cupcakes and muffins in the morning. So, what ya see in her room?”
“Her cuddled up with a still dripping wet otter, her favorite toy within foreleg's reach, and a bunch of practice checklists,” she gave a smile at the last one, “but there was something on one of the checklists that has me concerned.”
“Is it the reason you talked about her development?”
The lavender mare only nodded. Twilight was now caught in thinking what it would could possibly trigger a similar journey for herself or any one of her friends. She was snapped out of it by Pinkie waving a hoof in front of her.
“You were lost in thought again,” said the pink mare, “what can we make for Eclipse to enjoy.”
Twilight smiled and said, “She seems to enjoy everything we put before her. Some low sugar apple strudel should do the trick, I know you memorized the kitchen, so get all the ingredients for the dough, I'll get the apples and slice them, you can do the rest.”
“That sounds great, but we still need some kind of sugar.”
“Substitute it with cinnamon.”
“Ooh good idea, maybe something gooey.”
“Let's save that for a different dish.”
“Okie, dokie, Loki.”
******************************************
When Eclipse finally came down the dining table was loaded with apple and cinnamon strudels, lemon stuffed Prench Toast, and chocolate chip waffles with whipped cream and caramel dipped fruits. She rubbed her nose and eyes with her foreleg to make sure she was taking the sights and smells before her. “Um, I think the health book I read the night before last said this sort of thing was a bad idea,” said eclipse with an unsure voice.
“Just enjoy your super sweet breakfast,” came Pinkie's voice from the kitchen, “Twilight probably didn't tell this, but she gave the kitchen staff the morning off, they won't be in until after noon.”
“Why did she do that?” Inquired the dark coated filly.
“Because Pinkie likes spending time in the kitchen and I didn't want the staff getting into a fight with her,” came Twilight's voice from the table.
Eclipse stared at the empty chairs as Twilight seemed to materialize at one of the chairs. She gave a little gasp and said, “I thought invisibility spells were impossible!”
“No, they're actually quite a simple illusion spell,” said Twilight gesturing to the table, Eclipse took a seat next her and Pinkie bounced out of the kitchen with what looked like little biscuits modeled after the cutie marks of Twilight and her on a wooden tray that also held a little green teapot and teacups, the teapot had steam coming out of it.
Seeing the biscuits caused Eclipse to temporarily look at the flanks of the two mares and give her plate a sad face as she was was clearly failing to load it up. “Is some something wrong, sweetie?” Came Twilight's voice with concern.
“I just want to have one too,” said Eclipse with a forlorn glance at her own flank.
“I can understand that,” said Twilight, “but having a cutie mark doesn't always mean you know what your special talent really is. I went a few years of having mine before realizing that magic is my talent. Your mark comes from realizing just what it is you want to do with your life, understanding your passions drive, it's your way of showing what you believe you're put in the world to do.”
“I kept being told it shows what you're meant to do?”
“Well in a way both those descriptions are right, but we'll discuss that at a later date, in honor of Pinkie spending the day with us we'll be playing some games. That means I'm going to give you a brief lesson in some spells that can be applied to just having fun, then we'll do just that. You're not quite ready for invisibility, but you should be ready for simpler illusions.”
Pinkie slid the tray on to the table, without disturbing anything else on the table. Twilight floated the cups to each of their seats as Pinkie took a seat across from Eclipse and produced her own plate from her mane. Once the plate was on the table the pink mare said, “You're so focused on the academic side of things you don't really take a break from it, that could easily lead to burnout. Twilight knows that better than anypony, but at least she takes time out of her research these days, it was a lot worse a few years ago.”
Twilight gave a sheepish look and said, “True, I have gotten better about that. Eclipse, you need some sort of recreation to give yourself a breather or two, while passing out in the middle research sounds like a hoot I can assure you it isn't, I've done so quite few times in the past and can assure you that I don't want to see such behavior from a filly your age. I'd rather see you passing out from exhaustion playing games with other foals,” she levitated some of the overly sweet breakfast items on to the filly's plate then poured a sweet smelling liquid into the cup, Eclipse wasn't looking so she didn't see it. Looking up she saw the pinkish amber of peach tea reflecting her downtrodden face.
The filly gave a sigh and started at her meal with slow care and didn't even seem to notice her near sloshing of her drink as she sipped daintily.
Both mares looked at each other and silently agreed it would be like watching a distraught Rarity if it weren't for the fact the filly stopped trying to eat or drink after a few bites or sips. “Why are you distraught about getting a cutie mark? It'll happen at the right moment, you at least have faith in that.”
“I feel a gnawing in my chest now,” said Eclipse without looking up.
“Have you ever felt it before?” Said Twilight. The filly shook her head, “That's called guilt,” she continued, it means you feel bad about something. Is it because of you not seeing your parents as just that?”
Eclipse gave the lavender mare a surprised look, shakily she said, “No, it's because... because I feel bad about the not being able to see them as my family anymore,” she took a deep sigh, “it happened the week before we arrived at Equestria's border. I probably would feel better about it if I knew why I'm feeling that way about them.”
“We'll figure something out,” said Twilight, “taking a look at your past with eyes that haven't experienced might give us some answers, but first I would like you to eat breakfast and report to the learning room for a quick lesson on some cantrips that should be simple, sometimes parlor tricks are all you really need because when you have ponies that trust in you you're using a magic more powerful than any other.”
“What's that?” Asked Eclipse with a less sorrowful voice.
“Friendship silly,” said Pinkie, “we all learned how powerful it can be.”
“Could it really be greater than anything Great Spell or Grand Charm use?” said Eclipse.
“It was so great a magic that it defeated a foe that had stolen all the magic of Equestria for himself,” said Twilight, “that includes the magic of four alicorns.”
“Oh,” said Eclipse as she started taking careful bites of her food.
“I know just what needs to be done,” said Pinkie all of a sudden with a big goofy smile.
“Will it make me feel better?” Asked Eclipse.
“Oh, most definitely,” said Twilight, “if it's one of Pinkie's plans then it's hard to feel sad, mad or bad.”
“Yuppers,” said Pinkie, “but first you need to finish your food, you'll your energy,” with that she just gulped what was left of the food on her plate with a single motion and gave a loud belch.
Twilight shot her friend an annoyed look, and Eclipse giggled a little before settling in to actually finish her food.
*************************************************
It had been a half hour since breakfast and Eclipse couldn't help but smile. For the past fifteen minutes she had been hiding in random places for this game she was told was called 'Hide and Seek Tag', a game Pinkie explained was a fusion of the games 'Hide and Seek' and 'Tag', the problem was she had never even heard of, much less played, either game and a result she needed a rundown of the rules for all three games. Which Pinkie provided, in one breath. Twilight decided to take over and explained each game in such detail that Pinkie had literally wandered off and made sandwiches for them all then came back and hoofed said sandwiches to the unicorn filly and alicorn mare while Twilight had continued the explanation, Eclipse didn't seem to mind, in fact she was fascinated with all the little details.
The whole town had been brought in for the game, much to everypony's delight. She had also gotten the chance to finally meet Pound Cake, whom she felt amazingly comfortable around. Mr and Mrs Cake had volunteered to be some of score keeping/referee ponies for the game, as did Twilight. It was disturbingly quiet in the town, last she had heard a pony named Scootaloo was it, what's worse is that she had no idea what this Scootaloo pony looked like and had yet to be told anything about her.
The game would break for lunch at noon, but that was hours away, the only way she knew that was because of a simple timekeeping spell Twilight had taught her in addition to the simple illusions.
“Found you,” came a prim sounding melodic voice that slightly reminded Eclipse of Rarity.
“Ah mare, came the voice a colt around her age with a bit of a dry edge to it, “you got me Sweetie Belle, I thought scoots was it.”
“She tagged me into being it five minutes ago,” came Sweetie's voice, “I'm off to get a drink now, have fun Dusty Rail.” Why anypony would think that's a good name for a pony was beyond Eclipse, and to be honest she wanted to keep it that way.
Eclipse didn't dare move, that would give away her position. She dare not giggle, that would give away her position. She really hoped her stomach or throat wouldn't decide to play against her. A few minutes after Dusty had left her general area the brash voice of Pound Cake sounded above her, “Hey, how's it going? You got yourself a nice hiding spot.”
“You can have it,” said Eclipse Eclipse said to the brown haired colt with a tan coat, “I'm moving on to the next optimal hiding spot.” She hopped out of the tree hole she'd been hiding in and made her way to Sugarcube Corner.
“Why are you heading for my home?”
“It houses the next optimal hiding place,” said Eclipse before galloping into the sweet shop and disappearing from the colt's sight. Once inside she quickly dived behind a loose board next to the register, her horn lit up just enough to light her new hiding cubbyhole without giving away her position.
Once she was settled into her new hiding spot she heard the distinct hoof falls of Pumpkin Cake and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie was also one of the score keeping referees, to keep her from being a player the citizens of Ponyville actually had a rule that stated that Pinkie specifically had to be a referee, the pink party mare didn't seem to mind that though.
“Okay Pumpkin,” said Pinkie, “it's already ten, that means Sugarcube Corner is a safe zone for an hour, Twilight's castle is the safe zone at eleven, last time we played this game the reverse was true.”
“Yeah, but Pound doesn't want to leave his hiding place,” said Pumpkin with worry in her voice, “he always seems to take his games seriously, sorry I had to miss the last game.”
“Hey, your mom had business in Canterlot and wanted you to be there with her,” said Pinkie, “I think that was sweet.”
“Well, that's what we thought,” said Pumpkin, “turns out somepony decided to prank us in that regard, at least they paid for our train tickets and all the train expenses.”
“And they arranged for your tickets to be the evening train,” said Pinkie with a giggle, “I wonder who did all that.”
Eclipse crawled out of her hiding place, “Oh, wow,” said Pumpkin, “I didn't think of hiding there, actually I didn't know about that hiding place. Did you Pinkie?”
The pink party pony shook her head and said, “Nopers, how did you know about that, Eclipse?”
“I don't know, I just sort of noticed it when I was here with Miss Twilight,” said Eclipse.
“You're gonna have to stop calling her that,” said Pinkie, “her mom has the same first part in her name, Twilight Velvet is such a nice pony.”
“But calling her Miss Sparkle doesn't feel right,” said Eclipse, “actually, a lot of things haven't felt right the past year.”
“We'll discuss all that after the game, with Twilight,” said Pinkie, “but how about you show Pumpkin how to optimize that hiding place, don't worry she's not it, last I checked that was Featherweight.”
“While I was hiding someone named Sweetie made Dusty Rail the one who's It,” said Eclipse.
“Yup and he got Featherweight a few minutes ago,” said Pinkie.
It was noon and Everypony was eating lunch in an open field near Twilight's castle. During their eating Twilight suggested they do a quick score tally, after all it was time to decide which players were the one to beat.
“Okay,” said Rainbow, who also happened to be one of the refs, the players to take down by sundown are the Cake twins,” the two have a high hoof, “Scootaloo,” the orange pegasus gave a grin to the white unicorn and yellow earth mare next her, “Apple Bloom,” said yellow mare smirked, “and our newest player, Eclipse Touch,” Everypony looked over at the unicorn filly, who happened to be in the middle of a salad sandwich that Twilight had helped her make. “I have to say,” continued Rainbow, “I expected some of the vets of the game to get these kinds of titles, but for a newbie to get this far, I have to say I'm impressed.”
“Too be fair, I've only been cycling through the same five hiding spaces all game,” said Eclipse, “I'm just lucky nopony thinks to look where I am.”
“So, she's hide and seek prodigy or something,” said Pinkie with excitement.
“Um, no, I've just been applying the principle of actively being more observant,” said Eclipse, “it's a practice I've doing my best to practice for the past year,” she gave a little shiver, “it's how I managed to notice little things that just didn't feel like they were right. This place is so warm and inviting,” everypony gave a smile at this, “where I came from is cold and oppressive, I really don't want to return there.”
“Yikes, she's starting to bring down the mood,” said Pinkie, “we need a Super Smile Surprise, now!”
As if on cue a massive line of party cannons appeared of seemingly nowhere and fired all at once causing fireworks show to happen all around picnic, this caused Eclipse to start giggling, “They're so pretty, I've never seen anything like them before. There's only one thing I've seen more beautiful than them.”
“What's that?” Said Rarity.
“Everypony here,” said Eclipse with a Smile.
“That's one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard,” said Twilight and her friends at the same time.