> Twilight's Red Velvet
>  by RealityPublishing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1 - Her Letter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

1
“Do you really mean it, Twilight?”
       	“I know she means a lot to you, Spike, but you wanted my honest opinion.”

       	Princess Twilight Sparkle sighed from behind a leather-bound book, eyeing her scaly friend as his expression grew from grim to distraught in a record-breaking time.
       	“Oh, I’m sorry, Spike. I didn’t mean to hurt you, it’s just . . .,” She reached over to offer comfort to the poor dragon, but it was hastily declined.
       	“I know, Twilight, I know. It’s just . . . I thought I’d at least have a chance.”
       	Twilight’s sincerity glowed as she placed the book to her side and embraced the young, weeping dragon.
       	“Oh, Spike, don’t worry about a thing. Rarity’s just like that; I’m sure there are plenty of other dragons, and maybe even ponies, who will take your fancy!”
       	“You think so?”
       	“Of course!” She bounced, shelving her book for later, “In fact, I’m sure there’s somepony right now looking for someone like you!”
       	“Really?” Spike beamed, “I guess I never thought of it that way, Twi. I’m sorry for making such a fuss about it. You always know what to say.”
       	“Don’t worry about it, Spike. It’s only natural! Just remember to be rational when it comes to it, okay?”
       	Spike, standing at the door with a small pail in hand, stood to collect that last nugget of wisdom.
       	“Rational? Uh, okay.”
       	Twilight reserved her doubts on whether or not Spike knew what it meant, but she still giggled as she watched her little friend hobble out the door in search of a special somepony.
       	“Speaking of going, I best head to Applejack’s; I’m sure she’ll need help with something. I don’t want her going crazy again; I know her brother’s been out of town recently.”
       	The newly-appointed Princess spotted her parcel by the bed and quickly filled it with all manner of things. Books, papers, and an assortment of quills just in case she found something interesting. Recently, as she’d soon come to discover, it was simply easier to travel prepared for anything. Although she was a “princess” by law and nature, she still found it comforting to consider herself a “Student of Research” before anything else.
“I think that’s it!” With one hearty hoofstep, she ventured yonder, hoping to reach the apple farmer before noon. Twilight trotted forth, entertaining the thought of Spike reaching out for his first love.
       	It was just that time of year, she exclaimed. The fall leaves were starting to turn on the outskirts of Ponyville, and the date had already been set for the annual “Running of the Leaves”. Everything was starting to be put into place; and as the days consecutively concluded, the autumn finale would be topped with the Fall’s Royal Ball. Anticipation for such an event could be seen even as Twilight strolled through town. Posters began to spot any and all bare walls, accompanied by crowds of giddy ponies looking to attend. It was an expensive occasion, but only because of the tickets’ limited availability. Since the coming years, the Fall’s Royal Ball had become the site for everypony to attend. Once a party exclusive to regales, the recent invitation of the common allowed for anypony to join in the festivities. It had become the highlight of the season, and ponies willing to travel to Canterlot would no doubt be there. Twilight had considered attending the event on multiple occasions; but with the event, she'd discovered a passion for creating dilemmas, anything to misplace her attendance. Still, regardless of how many times she'd muddied dates, misplaced numbers, and simply forgot to RSVP, a constant remained: Who would she go with? Twilight never found herself ready to answer such a question. Rather, all she could recall was the time last spring where Rarity was, by her own accord, put in charge of that same quest: finding suitors her friend should fancy. Twilight should’ve known there’d be an assortment of high-fashion stuck-ups and a thundering cloud of flamboyant mares, all proudly announcing their arrival to anyone within a couple hundred meters of her living space, a humble response to a broadly described advert subtly taped to their front door. Her head began to ache as the pain of trying to pry everyone from her front lawn resurfaced. At least she’d learned one thing from the occasion: Never hire Rarity to be a matchmaker.



As Sweet Apple Acres came into view, so did the aura of the fall season. The ripe leaves carried with them an assortment of hues, already dotting the path with magnificent reds and yellows.
       	“Mornin’, Twilight! How nice of you to drop by!” The cheers of a pleasant farm pony hollering away filled Twilight with a familiar joy.
       	“Good morning, Applejack! How goes the harvest?”
       	“The picking? Bah, same-o same-o,” Applejack heaved at another apple tree, its fruit falling to a thud, “And what are you up to?”
       	“Oh, the usual. I figured with Big Mac out of town, I thought I’d help you with the harvest!” Twilight smiled, levitating one of the apples to her hoof, inspecting it closely. It was ripe and perfectly round; its color bold and bright, a true statement to the Apple Family’s standard. Any less than perfect, she once recalled her friend say to another, and it couldn't be sold. Twilight was thoroughly convinced farming was a craft; she returned the apple to its stock. 
       	“Well, shoot. We could always use a helping hoof, Twi!” Applejack heaved at another tree, “Say, could you carry the baskets and make sure none of them apples are left behind? It’d be a mighty big help, Twi.”
       	“Certainly!”
       	Twilight lifted an empty basket and placed it at the base of another tree, giving Applejack the right away. The farmer nodded and knocked the tree cold, allowing for the bountiful fruits to cascade into the basket. Before moving on to the next tree, Twilight scooped up any of the extra produce and placed it beside the others. The whole ordeal was an arduous task and she found herself amazed year after year the grit earth ponies had toward making their living. Twilight never thought herself to be superior to anypony, but as her recent coronation became the year’s highlight, the question was brought to the forefront of her mind. Having wings, Twilight quickly took advantage of the sky to learn how Pegasi conducted their business. Her findings were unsurprising, for the most part, as pegasi wings acted as claws to grab and operate certain machinery. It abridged the usual “wing power” solution, but it was still a nifty way of contributing to the everyday life. Still, Earth ponies remained a fascination for the princess; a life of mouth and hoof, she couldn’t imagine such a thing. She stood close enough to wonder, but never enough to envy. Twilight eyed Applejack as she moved from tree to tree; it was certainly not her first time helping out her friend, but it continued to amaze her that she was able to do such work, often by herself.
       	“She does it all so effortlessly. Yeesh, I should go outside more,” she sighed, dismissing the thought before it further clouded her mind. The last thing she’d want is to break down from curiosity in front of her friend, a phenomenon she hardly wanted to admit to. The memory of her breaking out quill and pad in front of her friends just to study their behavior was embarrassing enough to silence any further pondering.
       	“What’cha got on yer’ mind there, Twilight?” Applejack called from ahead, “You’ve been mighty quiet this whole time.”
       	“It’s just that-,” She caught herself, swallowing the thought once and for all, “Hah, never mind. It’s nothing, Applejack. How’s your day been?”
       	Applejack bucked another tree, pausing after doing so, “Hmm, mah day’s been fine. I woke up, Granny’s been out with Big Mac, so I made breakfast for me and Bloom, checked the chickens, and now I’m here with you.”
       	“Still more productive than my day,” She laughed, “Granny went with Big Mac?”
       	Twilight grabbed a second basket, harvesting the rest of the fallen apples.
       	“Nah, Granny’s doing one last delivery before heading to Canterlot; we’ve been invited to supply some of the food for the dance there.”
       	“Really? Are you going to Fall’s Royal Ball?”
       	Applejack was taken aback by Twilight’s seemingly suppressed expression. She sounded shocked, but the overall tone was muffled to a low growl. Applejack scratched her ear.
       	“Uh, yeah, but I’m just there to sell apples. Don’t you go on getting the wrong idea, Twi," Applejack winked; the princess’s eye twitched, learning that the consequences of bad ideas lasted longer than she expected.
       	“Do you know if any of the others are going?”
       	“Hmm? Oh, I think Fluttershy is going for her own reasons. Uh, Rarity is going because, of course she is. Hmm, Rainbow Dash . . . I don’t know. I honestly haven’t talked to her in a while . . . and I’m going. Say, are you going too, Twilight?”
       	Twilight had been dreading the question. She knew it’d come up, but her only defense was to hope that it wouldn’t.
       	“I-I haven’t thought too much about it,” she lied, “I guess I got busy, you know, being a princess and all.”
       	Applejack nodded, “That’s alright, you’ve got a whole month to think over it; actually, more like a few weeks now. Speaking of princess duty, how’s that treatin’ you? You haven't beheaded a pony, have you?” She said the last bit with a strange fascination.
       	"What!? No!"
To be honest, life hadn’t changed much since becoming a princess. Other than the paparazzi looking to fabricate another story, bombarding the Golden Oak Library with photographers rather than average readers, life hadn’t changed much. Since the first week of being royal--a day which had been spent entirely filling out regulation paperwork--nothing had really come up. For now, she considered herself a “really formal librarian", even if the public eye saw her in a different, more celebritized light. Still, it was enough to satisfy her needs; organizing books and sorting shelves was her favorite pass-time and she needed it now more than ever.
       	“It’s . . . busy, I suppose,” Twilight swayed behind Applejack, the baskets by her side, “Well, honestly, it’s pretty boring. There hasn’t been enough going on. At least, nothing to write home about.”
       	“Hmm,” Applejack trudged along, wiping a hoof beneath her lock of mane. “Well, if ya say so. Have you heard from Rainbow lately? I saw her yesterday making a fuss with some of the other weather ponies. Does she still work with them? Or am I too outta touch?"
       	Twilight smirked; she had heard about that commotion as well. In fact, some of the townsponies came to her front door looking for a princess to play the judge in the whole affair. She, of course, declined, but it was nice seeing a bit of responsibility leak into her domain, even if the matter was meager.
       	“No, I heard about that. I think they found her sleeping in the middle of their route. It was something crazy like that. Rainbow Dash always knows where to find a good spot, even if it isn't to others' convenience.”
       	Applejack snorted at the thought, shaking her head, “An’ How are those fly’n lessons treat’n you?”
       	“They’re well; I’m getting the hang of it, to say the least,” Applejack opened the door to her apple cellar, “You can go ahead and put them right down there; you’ve been helpful plenty.”
       	Twilight nodded, doing so.
       	“Welp, it was mighty nice of you to stop by, why don’t you come on in for some water or somethin’?”
       	“Oh, no, I couldn’t intrude; it was nice seeing you!"
       	Applejack insisted before waving, watching Twilight take her leave. Although only an hour seemed to pass, the sun had already begun to sink low into the horizon. The alicorn hurried home, passing by ponies as they waved and returned to their hypnotic gazes, fantasizing what a night in Canterlot would be like. Though, as the sun retired to let the night reign supreme, ponies began to wander out of the streets. Lights illuminated amongst the Ponyville homes as husbands returned to their wives and families were reunited by the presence of colts after play, all while a blanket of stars faded into existence. Twilight hurried into the home of her own, marking her library as closed before shutting the door behind her. From amidst the evening light, Twilight ignited a candle by her bedside.
       	“Spike? Where are you, Spike?” She called out, but to no reply. From what she gathered, the library was empty; nopony was home. “Hmm, that’s strange. It’s getting late; I thought he’d be home by now.”
       	Her curiosity took her to the front door, where she peeked out the window, hoping by chance she’d spot him. “Spike? Are you sleeping?” She checked the house one last time before exploring further. Twilight opened the door and crept outside. 
The air was cool, damp, and held a familiar scent; it would rain tonight. Baking in the sky, a bright orange moon beamed down onto the earth, casting shadows as long as the great oak itself. It was like a lantern hanging low in the sky, vibrantly radiating a valiant light, allowing life to continue deep into the night. Twilight peered from side to side, eyeing each home as their lights flickered out one by one.
       	“Where could he be? He’s never this late . . .”
       	“Twilight! Twilight!”
       	Twilight huffed, spotting a silhouette bouncing closer with each call, “Spike!? Is that you?”
       	“Twilight! I’m sorry, Twilight.”
       	“What happened?” Twilight scanned the little dragon, looking him top to bottom, in search of any scrapes or bruises, “You’re never this late.”
       	“Sorry, Twilight, I was at Fluttershy’s house; I guess I lost track of time.”
       	The alicorn sighed, but nodded it off; it was true Fluttershy liked to keep her guests longer than most desired, but even with an iron will, it was hard to deny her unrivalled hospitality. Spike held his claws out, revealing a small parchment. 
       	“Here, I got this letter before I left.”
       	Twilight lifted the letter from her friend, eyeing it skeptically as the two took shelter within the library. “I wasn’t expecting any mail . . .”
       	“Maybe it was sent to the wrong pony, you know there’s a new delivery mare.”
       	Twilight lit another candle, “Probably, but she’s not new, she’s been in town for a while, if anything, longer than we have.”
       	Twilight held the parchment sideways, nearly dropping it once she found the sender’s address.
       	“Well, Twilight? Who’s it from?”
       	It took a moment to cough up the words; had it been that long? Twilight was certain she’d given her the yearly best, was it not enough?
       	“Well?”
       	“Hold on, Spike . . .,” Twilight snagged a calendar from within her shabby study. It glowed bright purple in the grip of her magic.
       	“It can’t be,” Twilight Sparkle flipped through the calendar over and over, scanning the months. It was like a detailed catalog of everything she’d done in the past month, no matter how small; be it a coronation, a birthday, a day at the spa, or even a night of studying, Twilight had penciled it in. On the last day of each catalog's validity, Twilight was always the first at Quills and Sofas for the newest edition. Record keeping wasn't a passion to the alicorn, but rather a vital necessity. 
       	“How long has it been?” Twilight skimmed another calendar, “September, August, May?”
       	“Twilight, are you okay?” Spike sat up in his bed, watching as the purple mare fumed over months of carefully documented weeks. Finally, having uprooted a filthy drawer, she'd found it.
       	“Wrote Letter to Mother”
       	“I-It’s from mom, Spike. She wrote us a letter.”
       	The calendar fell to the floor with the sound of a million pages toppling in violation. Spike was unimpressed. “Well, that’s great! When was the last time we’d heard from her? I’m sure she’d be so proud of you, seeing how you’re an alicorn now!”
       	“Yes, Spike, but that’s just it,” Twilight began to tear the ribbon, “I haven’t spoken to my mother in four years! What will she think of me?!”
       	“Maybe you should just open the letter first.”
       	“Right,” She exhaled, pacing now. “You’re right, let’s see what she says.”
       	Twilight trembled as she separated the sealing from the page, and even more so as she began to unroll the parchment. All she could think of was how disappointed her mother would be and how awful of a daughter she’d been.
       	“Nearly 4 Hearth's Warmings . . . 4! I must be the only pony in Equestria to forget about their parents on the holiday! Even Rarity couldn't have messed up this bad, and I don't think I've ever seen her parents!”
       	“Well? What’s it say?” Spike lazily hung his head over the basket-bed, almost ready to topple over. Twilight took a deep breath before opening her eyes to read the little words that danced across the page with the most perfect hornwriting she had ever seen.

~~~

       	“Dear Twilight Sparkle,
                   	I realize it’s been a while since we’ve written each other, and I know you’re probably beating yourself up over this, but, would you like to meet sometime? It’d be nice to have a little “mother-daughter” time if you’re not too busy. And yes, I heard what happened! We are so proud of you, Twilight!

       	Stay bright!
       	Twilight Velvet~”

~~~


       	“Well, that’s nice of her! See? There’s nothing to worry about!,” Spike rolled back into his basket, tucking himself in as he spoke, “What time are you going to leave? You are going to reply, aren’t you?”
       	“Well, of course, Spike,” Twilight raised her chin, tucking the letter under a nearby book, “it would be rude of me not to. But . . .”
       	“Oh, what now?”
       	“I don’t know if she’d want to really see me. I mean, it’s been so long; I can’t even remember much about us. She was always busy and . . . I was always busy! We were always in our studies and . . . oh, I can’t even remember her as a mother. It was always my brother and I,” Her shivering knees were almost audible as she continued to pace about the library.
       	“Do you hate her for that?” Spike muttered, half asleep.
       	“What?” She halted, “Of course not, I don’t hate her. She’s my mother, I could never. I just . . . feel like I never met her.”
       	“No problem then. Wake me up before you leave,” Spike rolled to his side, excusing himself from further conversation. As the last candle died out, Twilight stood in silence, staring at fleeting memories deep within the darkness of the library. All she could see from her foalhood were pictures of she and her brother; never her mother. Even her father seemed to be out of the picture. Of course, there were events where they’d be logically present, but what if they were there by assumption? By default? The thought haunted her; she was in her life... 

but, if that were true,
       	
Why couldn’t she remember?

> 2 - The Perfect Place
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

2
Twilight Sparkle picked a quill from her drawer and laid it plainly on her usual work desk. Rolling a standard piece of parchment across the surface, she let out a long-awaited sigh. After a night of bumping her head against a wall, she finally felt confident enough to pick up the quill.
  
~~~

“Dear Mother,
                   	Thanks for your letter! It has been a while since we’ve last heard from each other; and perhaps you're right, it is a good time to meet. When do you think we should?”

~~~


       	Twilight held her quill above the page, scanning it up and down, referring to her mother's letter. “No, that’s no good. She already asked me for a time and place. I can’t ask her the same." Twilight wanted the meeting place to be close to her home in Canterlot, but nothing around her house. She wasn't looking for a stay so much as a vacation. With how much she'd changed, she had the feeling it would be awkward to have dinner in her old house. Twilight bit her lip, “Perhaps it would be best if we avoided Canterlot altogether. Maybe something closer to Ponyville?”
       	Twilight leaned back in her seat, staring blankly at the ceiling. “There’s a burger place down the road from here; it isn’t far. Would I be willing to take my mom to such a place?”
       	Twilight shook her head, “No, that’s absurd and disrespectful. I can’t treat her like a complete stranger! What’ll she think of me?”
       	Then where should they go? Ponyville wasn’t known for fine dining in particular. If anything, Ponyville was known for its abundance of casual joints designed as get-together places, not higher eating. No wonder Canterlot ponies looked down upon Ponyville; at face value, Ponyville's residents were no more than farmers and the like. Twilight crumpled her paper, tossing it far behind her.
       	“If I can’t find a restaurant, then maybe I could invite her over. I’m sure I can cook something up.” Twilight cooking was asking for disaster. The last time Twilight cooked anything decent was back in her academy days; but even then, she was a “by the box” chef. “Oooh, what will she think of me? Even with magic school, I don't know any recipe spells! She’ll be so disappointed!”
       	Twilight shuffled through her drawers, her wings flapping involuntarily, “Oh, Spike! Do you know where that map of Canterlot went?” A tiny tail perked up as the head of a purple dragon moaned his existence. “Spike, do you have any idea where I put that? I’m usually so organized!” 	
       	“We have a map?” Spike rolled over once again, embracing a tiny, white, plush unicorn in retaliation, “I don’t remember any map.”
       	“Oh, come on, Spike. You know we do! It’s the complete map of Canterlot; you know, the one we got from the annual Canterlot Magic Festival.”
       	Spike’s tail wilted for a moment, before perking up once again, “You mean the one we got eight years ago? Twilight, we weren’t even in Ponyville at the time; you weren’t even a graduate! I’m going back to bed. . .”
       	Twilight racked her brain, trying to remember the name of any good, high-class restaurants worthy of her mother. The last time she went exploring in Canterlot was when she and her friends celebrated after planning her brother’s wedding. That was also the last time she really saw her mother. Twilight let out a hearty “ugh” before returning to the drawers. Her favorite place to eat in Canterlot was a sandwich shop, she simply wasn't fit for scouring Canterlot's fine dining scene.
       	“AHA!” The alicorn rejoiced, flinging a soggy stack of papers, wedged between drawers, into the air.
       	“Spike, do you know how this got wet?”
       	The dragon threw his faintly audible groan across the library as Twilight pried the pages apart, finding a neatly-placed puddle of ink between them.
       	“Oh, Spike, it’s hopeless. The pages are ruined! How am I going to tell which restaurant to take my mother to if the map is ruined?”
       	“Why don’t you fly to Canterlot ahead of time and find a good place to eat? Or, you could take her to one of the places we have here; she wasn’t really that demanding.”
       	“Spike, what do you know of my mother?” Barked Twilight.
       	“But . . . he does have a point,” The princess glanced behind, worryingly scouting out her wings. She still wasn’t confident in them; it took a little over an hour to fly across town. She knew she wouldn’t become a Rainbow Dash overnight, but it would take longer still to calculate exactly how long it would take her to travel to Canterlot, not to mention finding a suitable place, flying back, and writing a reply. But that wasn’t her only form of transportation; throughout her studies, she’d become increasingly more confident in her magical abilities, “Perhaps I could teleport there?”
       	Teleporting was much more realistic to her, but it took just as much effort as flying. Certainly, at her level of ability, it was much faster than flying. However, it was considered impractical for traversing longer distances and very often dangerous.
       	“The longest distance ever traveled by a teleportation spell was about 4.5 kilometers, roughly the distance between Ponyville and the Castle of the Two Sisters, but I doubt even I could replicate such a feat. The most I’ve ever gone was about half that; the standard is a fourth that distance . . .” Twilight squinted her eyes, trying to make out any sense of the blacked out text. "It's no use, this map is ruined." She flipped it over to see that the ink had bled through both sides. "I really don't want to do it, but the only pony who knows Canterlot about as well as this map is Rarity. I suppose anything is better than showing up empty-hooved, but--" She sighed, dropping the slopping map back into her drawer, “Spike, could you do a favor for me? I know you’re still upset about earlier, but could you go speak to Rarity and see if she knows any good places to eat in Canterlot? I’m sure she’s busy preparing for the ball and everything, but there’s no reason she wouldn’t talk to you.”
       	Spike sat up uneasily in his bed, his poor eyes sinking to look at the doll he clutched so tenderly. “A-Are you sure about that? I-I don’t know if I should be the one to go,” He clutched his head, “Twilight, you have all day, don’t you think it’d be best if you were the one to go instead? I don't think she'd refrain from talking to you either.”
       	“I know, but I don’t want to keep my mother waiting too long; you should never keep your mother waiting.”
       	Twilight looked up at Spike, sluggishly pushing his blanket to the side. She could see in his eyes that he was, indeed, hurt.
       	“Actually, Spike. Don’t worry about it; I’ll take care of it, you’re right. You should get some more rest; you were up late last night and I’m sure you’re going through a lot still.”
       	Twilight fetched her saddlebag hanging by the door and threw it over her.
       	“Thanks, Twilight.”
       	“No problem, Spike.”



       	Twilight Sparkle hurried through the roadside puddles as she made her way to Rarity’s boutique. As predicted, the weather ponies’ storm came through; and luckily, it wasn’t anything too severe and ended before the sun’s first rays. Although it was nearly noontime, not very many ponies were out wandering the streets, performing their daily errands, or even going about their usual shopping routines. The only few ponies seen taking their time out to tend to the day was the occasional mailpony and school-time newspaper colts who were hired for "strict volunteer hours".
       	“Hello, there!”
       	“O-Oh, hi, Princess Twilight! Lovely day we’re having, isn’t it?” A spotted colt added one more to a pile of several newspapers by Rarity’s doorstep. He smiled, giving his salutations. He appeared to be no older than Sweetie Belle.
       	“Why, yes indeed! Are these for Rarity?”
       	The newspaper colt looked down at his work, nodding, “Yes ma’am, it is. Are you going in to see her?”
       	“I’d planned on it. Don’t worry about it, I’ll take them in for you!” Twilight held the ten papers above her head, “Have a great day!”
       	The paperpony waved once again. Twilight knocked on the door, “Rarity? Are you home?”
       	Simultaneously, Rarity’s boutique erupted on queue with an array of crashes and explosions of all dynamics. Twilight took a step back, looking up in horror when the door suddenly cracked open.
       	“Yes? Who is it?” A white muzzle poked out from behind the decorated entryway.
       	“Um, Rarity? It’s Twilight. Working late again?”
       	“Oh! Why didn’t you say so! Come in, darling, come in!” From behind the wood barrier, Rarity heaved audibly, pulling at the door until it made an acceptable path toward the entry. The inside was dimly lit with only a single candle coming from the upstairs. Beneath such darkness was the legend herself among heaping piles of materials and fabrics of all shapes, sizes, and designs. "And yes, darling. This new ball as taken quite the cut from my schedule. Deadlines must be met!" Her voice rang with thirst and sleep deprivation; Twilight stepped lightly, scratching her head. 
“Wow, Rarity, I didn’t know you worked in the dark. I’ve personally never found it to be too effective. You should definitely show me your secret sometime."
       	“Oh, no, darling, I could never. My secrets are mine to keep!" She paused to look around her briefly. "Ehhh, sorry about the mess, darling; I work upstairs,” Rarity tossed a few dozen dresses toward the opposite end of the room and swam her way through a fort of reject gowns.
       	“Hmm . . . If that’s so, how come there’s such a mess downstairs?” Twilight ducked as another piece came flying overhead.
       	“Don’t worry about it, darling, that’s only when the pieces misbehave,” Rarity chucked another yard behind her, muttering beneath her breath, "Aah! That's where I left you!"
       	“Misbehave?” Twilight lifted a perfectly plaid scratch, trying to find the faults in its almost mathematical shape.
       	“Oh, yes, darling, but it’s . . . hard to explain,” Rarity bit her tongue, tossing aside a shining pair of scissors. "Watch your step, darling." 
       	“Hmhm,” she giggled, zigzagging around the hazzard “don’t worry about it, Rarity, I’m sure you have your own ways of running things. Here, I brought your papers in for you.”
       	“Hmm?  Oh, yes, thank you, dear.”
       	The magical aura around the papers swiftly changed from violet to a baby blue color, in doing so, they drooped towards the ground, as though too heavy to carry.
       	“Rarity, if I can ask, how long have you been working?”
       	“Oh you know me, darling. I've been a seamstress for nearly my whole life!" Rarity looked back to catch Twilight's odd gaze. "Oh, right, not long, I assure you. It’s actually been . . .,” the mare squinted her eyes, trying to the make out the funny shapes on the wall behind her friend, “been about . . . a week? I’m not exactly sure.”
       	Twilight shrugged at the suggestion, “Oh, that’s not too bad. I remember studying for a whole twenty-one days, now that was a stretch!" She glowed knowing her record was still firm in place.
       	“That’s nice, darling,” Rarity’s voice echoed from atop the stairs, “but unlike you, I think it’s fair to say the rest of Equestria likes the sunlight, let alone sleep.”
       	“Haha, oh yeah. . .,” a ruby red gloss bloomed over the Twilight's smug expression. The cries of a trembling sewing machine resumed as the artist returned to her craft.
       	“Oh, what am I doing?” Rarity put a stop to her work, returning her attention the guest at hoof, “How can I help you, Twilight?”
       	“Help?” She blinked, still caught in the memory, “Oh, right! You see, it’s a bit of a long story.”
       	“Oh, don’t worry, darling, my dresses aren’t due until tomorrow,” Rarity glared at the five mannequins behind her, four of them taunting her with their bare appearance. She scoffed, “take all the time you need!” Throwing her hooves in the air.
       	“Well, if you insist,” Twilight took a deep breath to recite her quarrels, “Last night, I got a letter from my mother saying she wanted to arrange a meeting for old time’s sake, and I’m worried I won’t be able to find a good place to dine. I've never really been a fan of Canterlot dining, or at least I've never really tried it. While I was there, I was more of a student and stuck to eating, you know, the more . . . common pleasantries. Well, because I haven't exactly seen or heard from my mother in . . . quite a while, I wasn't sure--"
       	“Hmm, that doesn’t sound like too much hassle. What’s the catch?” Rarity raised a brow, snagging a second candlestick from a shelf not far from her workstation, igniting it with the spark of her horn.
       	“Well, that’s just it! I haven’t seen my mother in forever! I don’t even know what she likes, or who she is!”
       	“Posh, Twilight!” Rarity smirked, “That’s nonsense! That’s your mother! Everypony knows their own mother!”
       	“Well . . . I don’t know. She’s just never really been around much, I guess,” Twilight’s head hung low; Rarity’s hoof came to her cheek.
       	“Now, Twilight. Don’t worry about a thing, I’m sure you two will get along just fine. Now, if it’s a new dress you need, I would be more than happy to squeeze you into my schedule . . . so long as it’s after this next two weeks, I am absolutely booked!”
       	Twilight blushed, “Aww, thanks, Rarity, but I don’t need a new dress. I just came to see if you knew any fancy restaurants in Canterlot.”
       	There was a brief moment of silence between the two. Rarity burst with laughter, “Why didn’t you say so, Twilight? I was in Canterlot last week receiving this order, and I will say, I snacked at the most charming little place off by the edge of District Mane; it’s quality, let me tell you!”
       	Rarity paced about the room, almost in trance and all while holding a friendly chuckle, “It had this beautiful view of the palace; not the whole thing, mind you. You’ll have to take your money elsewhere if you want that kind of service; go to the District East or perhaps even out of town for that.”
       	“No, Rarity, that’s fine; what’s the name?”
       	“Oh, it was simply divine, this little palace. I swear, in all my time on Equestria, I have never tasted such magnificent bread rolls! My word, they were delicious! Oh, and everypony was there! At least, everypony I knew from a distance. You see, there was some kind of a party going on at the time; I don’t really know what happening or why I wasn’t invited, but it was a great place to hold a nice get-together.”
       	“And the name is . . .?”
       	“Oh, hold on, dear,” Rarity’s horn sparked as she thought. Never before had Twilight had the opportunity to see Rarity hit her true peak.
       	“Ah! It was called the Petite Pomegranate! Such a quaint, little place!”
       	“Th-The ‘Petite Pomegranate’? Are you sure that’s the one?” Twilight had resorted to pulling out quill and pad, jotting down any useful information she could salvage from the spewed jabber.
       	“Y-Yes! Of course! Oh, wait. Unless I’m thinking of the Royal Robin. Oooh, that place is good too! Such a lively place though. Are you sure you’re going with only your mother? Is your father going to be there too?”
       	Twilight hadn’t thought of it. What if her father showed up? When was the last time she'd heard from her father?
       	“Uh, just assume so,” She rubbed her neck awkwardly as Rarity stared her down.
       	“Very well, the Royal Robin it is!”
       	“Wait, what!? What happened to the Petite Pomegranate?” Twilight shuffled through her notes.
       	“The what? Darling, you aren’t making any sense. The Petite Pomegranate is an old drinking stable I happened to come across during my last trip to Vanhoover.”
       	In an instant, Twilight’s notepad became half its weight, “So are you sure it’s called the ‘Royal Robin’ and NOT the Petite Pomegranate?”
       	“Mmm, yes!” Rarity hit a high note as she cut into a piece of untouched fabric.
"And you're SURE the Royal Robin is in Canterlot?"
"Mhmm! Of course darling."
       	“Well, if you say so,” Twilight strolled to the bedroom door. “Thanks for your help, Rarity, I hope your work goes well.”
       	“Thank you, darling!” And at once, the machines were at a sprint: the sounds of mechanical mayhem revved up to a maximum. From the bottom of the stairs, if Twilight listened hard enough, she could almost hear the maniacal laughs of a madmare.
       	“She’s not crazy, I’m sure,” Twilight tip-toed through a moat of material and looked back from the front door, avoiding the hazardous stack of daily news and staying watchful of the stairs leading to the busy mare’s bedroom, “err, I hope.”



       	Twilight marched through town with a trail of papers behind her.
       	“No, this one’s no good. Ugh, I’ll have to buy a new notepad at this point,” She huffed, tearing out yet another page vandalized with illegible chicken scratch. She turned the book sideways, trying to make out anything she could.
       	“STEP RIGHT UP, EVERYPONY!!!”
       	“Huh?” Twilight’s noggin shot up, dumbfounded.
       	“STEP RIGHT UP AND BUY YOUR VERY OWN PRINCESS!!!”
       	“What in the wide, wide world of Equestria is going on over there?” Twilight picked up the pace. Ahead was a large crowd of shoppers holding bits high in the air, nearly tripping over each other hoping to get whatever product was being advertised.
       	“Pinkie?! What are you doing?”
       	Pinkie Pie, Ponyville’s own party planner pony, was standing on three boxes while holding up a sign in one hoof and shouting through a megaphone with the other. At the sight of the very princess they were advertising, the salesmare quickly silenced for the first time in her career.
       	“T-Twilight! There you are, now you can help us sell these!”
       	In her hooves, she held up a tiny, stuffed plushie representing the newly appointed alicorn princess in near split image accuracy. A stallion jumped from the crowd, attempting to snatch the toy from her hoof before he was smacked down to size.
       	“OH, WAIT YOUR TURN!”
       	Twilight frowned at the sight, “Pinkie, I don’t think this is legal. Besides, how did you find the time to make all of those?”
       	She hadn’t noticed at first, but when the stallion jumped forward, she was made aware of the massive stock they were handling. At least twelve dozen of those plushies were made, each with hoof-stitched precision; the likeness between each one was almost too perfect for it to be Pinkie’s own mastery. Not to mention, Pinkie didn’t sew.
       	“What, these?” Pinkie took a step back, revealing the stock.
       	“Yes, Pinkie, those,” a brow was raised.
       	“Oh, Fluttershy is helping me, help you! Isn’t it great? Come on out Fluttershy!” The party pony turned salesmare waved her hooves in the air, nearly dragging Fluttershy from her cover.
       	“Oh . . . um, hi, everypony.”
       	The sudden roar that’d been hushed by Twilight’s entry was suddenly reignited as attention turned toward the pegasi. "I WANT A PLUSHIE OF HER!" 
Fluttershy ducked.
       	“Ugh, Pinkie, can we talk?” She waved toward the mare. It took a second for her to get the message.
       	“OoooOoooOoooOh, I see what you’re saying. FLUTTERSHY, TAKE OVER!” Pinkie Pie hauled Fluttershy onto the stage, patting her shoulders as if an antique.
       	“What? Why me? I-I don’t know what to do. . .”
       	“Talk to them! It’s easy!” Pinkie Pie threw a doll into the crowd as its equivalence in bits came right back into her hoof.
       	“Um . . . okay, if you say so.”
       	“So, how’s it going?” Pinkie Pie cooed, near grinning as she did. Unamused, Twilight returned her attention to the crowd chanting her name, frightening Fluttershy to a standstill.
       	“Mind explaining what exactly is going on here?” She huffed.
       	“Merchandising, Twilight, Merchandising,” She wrapped a hoof around her friend, waving the other toward an invisible horizon.
       	“Merchandising? We don’t need merchandising, Pinkie.”
       	“Well, of course we do! You’re going to need a lot of funds if you plan to . . .” Pinkie Pie stood back for dramatic effect, standing on her hind legs to appear intimidating, “RULE EQUESTRIA!”
       	“Pinkie Pie! I don’t plan on ruling Equestria!”
       	“Of course not!” The pink puff bounced back to her usual stance before making an exaggerated claim, “NoT yEt At LeAsT.”
       	“Oh, please, Pinkie; why would I need to conquer my home?”
       	“Good point! Why would you need to conquer your home?” Pinkie giggled, adding more wood to the fire.
       	“I don’t. Now, if you’d please move your business somewhere else, or cease it entirely, that’d be great.”
       	“Okidokiloki! FLUTTERSHY!”
       	“Nyaah!” Fluttershy clung onto the boxes as she near fell off.
       	“WRAP IT UP! ANYPONY WHO FOLLOWS GETS A FREE PRINCESS!!!”
       	And within minutes, the commotion had evacuated, leaving behind old fliers and a multitude of hoofprints from where the customers had been.
       	“Ugh, glad that’s over. At least now I can see my house,” Twilight trotted forth, hoping to wipe the idea of “merchandising” and “world domination” from her mind before supper.
> 3 - The Station
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

3
“Spike, is it alright if I leave for Canterlot in a few days?” Twilight called from her desk, tapping a quill against its surface; she had all the information she needed. Despite her title, time management was hardly a challenge. She hadn’t had any real royal duties since coronation and even then, she wasn’t tasked with anything other than showing up for the sake of attendance. As such, Twilight chose the day following tomorrow, so she’d have at least a little time to plan and pack accordingly. The only things that really worried her were: her mother’s approval and the location's validity. Though, she made sure not to think too hard about the location at hoof; she still doubted Rarity’s workload sanity long after her visit.
       	“I guess. I mean, it’s not the first time I’d be home alone; I do the cooking around here anyway. Did you finally choose a day?” Spike wandered closer, looking over Twilight’s shoulder to check her letter thus far. There was little progress.
       	“I did,” Twilight jotted down her premeditated time on a separate piece of paper, “I was just seeing if it was alright with you; I know you have a schedule of your own.”
       	“I do?”
       	“Well, sure, Spike! I see you off doing things all the time.”
       	“Really?”
       	“I would think so,” she nodded off the idea, “Now, could you get my bags from upstairs? And find my clothes. Come to think of it, I don’t know what I’m going to wear.”
       	“What you’re wearing is fine, Twilight.”
       	“Nothing?” Twilight gawked at the idea, “You want me to wear nothing?”
       	“Why not?” Spike held his breath before digging into one of Twilight’s dresser drawers. As put by the expert, the task of locating Twilight’s evening outfits was more akin to an underwater expedition; it would be dark and dangerous.
       	“I’m sure that’s what she’s going to be wearing.”
       	“I’ll just wear my ribbon, just to be safe,” Twilight thoughtfully tickled her chin with the plume of her pen. "It's cutesy, right? Is that the look I should go for? What do you think, Spike?"
Like the heroes in one of his comic books, Spike dramatically raised an arm from the dresser, brandishing a lone red ribbon, untied and without fancy.
       	“Oh, Spike. My dressers aren’t that bad, are they?”
       	Gasping for air, Spike could hardly make a reply. Twilight giggled, turning away from her desk for the first time in hours.
       	“Mm, that’ll do, Spike. Good work, sailor!”
       	Spike saluted before bursting into laughter; Twilight rolled her eyes.
       	“Would you like me to do the rest of your packing, Twi? I know you have a hard time with that.”
       	“Eh heh,” the violet mare returned to her work, looking away ashamed, “Thanks, Spike. Not sure what I’d do without you.”
       	He bowed and the two returned to their work.
       	“Alright, Twilight. Think. How should I reply?” She stared down her paper, a freshly unrolled piece of parchment spanning her desk; she’d have to cut it later, “How about something like this?”
       	She picked up the quill and placed it at the top of the paper, beginning with:

~~~


       	“Dear Mother,
                   	Thanks for your letter! It’s been so long since I’d heard from you, I almost forgot you were still around!”

~~~


       	In an instant, she lifted the paper and cleanly tore off the top, crumpling the tiny piece of scrap and launching it toward Spike, “No, Twilight, No! That’s harsh! Not to mention, disrespectful, she's still my mother!”
       	She took a deep breath, “Okay, how about this.

~~~

       	“Dear Mother,
                   	Thank you for your letter! I’m so glad to have finally heard from you! How are things in Canterlot?”

~~~


       	Twilight hissed at the paper, tearing it off and repeating punishment. It was better, she admitted, but still a little cold. After all, this was her mother.

~~~

       	“Dear Mother,
                   	Thank you for your letter! I’m so glad to hear from you! How are things in Canterlot? Were you at the coronation?”

~~~


       	She stared at the question for a moment. As she was being crowned, Twilight was debating the same thing. She scrapped yet another slip of paper from the top.

~~~

       	“Dear Mother,
                   	Thank you for your letter! I’m so glad to hear from you! How are things in Canterlot? I’ve set up a reservasion—”

~~~


       	“AAAGH!” In one fell swoop, Twilight craned down and rid the parchment of another slip of paper, launching it into orbit before it could demoralize her further. “LEARN TO SPELL!” She shouted, returning to the page. There would only be room for one more attempt before she’d have to gallop down the road and pick up another roll.

~~~

       	“Dear Mother,
                   	Thank you for your letter! I’m so glad to hear from you! How are things in Canterlot? I’ve set up a reservation for three at the “Royal Robin” three days from this letter (Saturday) at 8PM. I look forward to seeing you there!

       	Your daughter,
       	Twilight Sparkle”

~~~


       	She let out a victory sigh before wrapping it up and passing the note to Spike. He kept his giggles to himself this time, knowing Twilight was but an inch away from being deemed “hazardous”. In a bright green glow, the letter had evaporated into blowing ash and smoke.
       	“Off it goes! See? That wasn’t so hard, Twilight! I’m sure you two will have a blast.”
       	And with that, Spike wandered to mind his own.
       	“I’m sure it’ll be fine. At least, when I get a reply,” Twilight brushed herself off, her knees cracking as she stood from her seat, “Let me know if I get anything, Spike!”

---

       	“Nnngh,” she moaned, “I hope everything goes okay.”
The thud of head on wood sounded throughout the library. Twilight looked about her, "What was that?" She called out to Spike. He made a waking grunt.  
         	*THOOMP*
       	“AAAH!” The princess jumped from her seat; she looked up toward one of the library windows, finding nothing suspicious, “Hmm.”
       	*THOOMP*
       	Her head snapped toward the window once again, too slow to catch anything. Shaking her head, she stood and marched toward the door, peeking out its window hoping to spot the violators.
       	“Oh, it’s just them,” She sighed, “bouncing a ball against my house. I’ve seen worse.”
       	The door to the Golden Oak Library creaked open softly, “Girls? Could you please not do that here.”
       	“Sorry, Twilight,” a yellow farm pony bowed her head with shame, “we didn’t think you were home.”
       	“Applebloom, that doesn’t mean you should hit things against my house; you know I live here. Scootaloo, you too.”
       	She was being strangely quiet, but Scootaloo was present.
       	“Where’s Sweetie Belle?” Twilight shut the library door behind her, taking a step outside to further immerse herself in the morning air.
       	“Sweetie’s been gone lately. I heard she went to her parents’ house while Rarity was taking care of business,” Scootaloo inspected her wings, flapping them for kicks.
     		Twilight shooed the thought of Rarity for the time being; only Celestia knew what fared within that mare’s tampered mind.
       	“Right,” she agreed, “that makes sense.”
       	In recent days, Twilight had become somewhat of a role model to the young fillies and colts whom dropped by on occasions, more specifically to the children of the schoolhouse across town. While the members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders were the most regular customers to the Golden Oak Library, other ponies traveled to either seek advice from the Princess or obtain an autograph.
       	“Well, now you know,” Twilight chuckled, finding humor in the mistakes of the young. Scootaloo stared into space as the ball that once offended Twilight’s home had become Applebloom’s seat.
       	“I’m bored,” Applebloom announced.
       	Twilight blinked, watching the two dissolve into colored mush. She knew this game well; as soon as she turn’d her head, they would return to their “malicious” activities. In order to protect her windows, she’d have to suggest something else to do. That was easy enough, but the hard part was finding a replacement activity suitable to their standards of engagement.
       	“How about I find some books for you? I know of a few responsible for some of my fondest memories,” Twilight opened the library door, stepping inside, but keeping a close eye on the fillies.
       	“Nah,” the two said in unison.
       	“I’ve never heard of a cutie mark for reading books,” Applebloom finished off their distaste for the idea. Twilight cocked her head trying to counter their claim, but to no avail.
       	“Hmm, well,” She thought harder now, “Don’t you have things to do in your clubhouse?”
       	“Hah, no way,” Scootaloo snapped out of her trance, growling at the proposition, “The second we walk into Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack is going to put us to work. There’s no way I’m going back there.”
       	“Okay, why don’t you two come inside and I’ll get you a glass of orange juice for the road.”
       	The two fillies looked at each other then glanced toward Twilight with suspicion. There was nothing harmful about orange juice; in fact, it was hard to turn down. Though it was autumn, the mornings were still rather heated; the weather had not yet become too chilly for a drink.
       	“Alright, Twilight,” Applebloom gave in first, taking her first steps into the library. As expected, Scootaloo was not far behind.
       	“Great!” Twilight remarked, “Spike! Could you make three glasses of orange juice for Applebloom, Scootaloo, and I?”
       	There was a distant acknowledgment, but an acknowledgment nonetheless.
       	“Please excuse the mess, girls,”The scrap papers from earlier flew across the room, making their way into the wastebasket, “I was in a little trouble this morning.”
       	“Trouble?” Scootaloo jumped on it first, “Can we help?”
       	“Oh, no, Scootaloo, it’s alright.”
       	“What was the problem?” Applebloom clung onto Twilight’s leg.
       	“Uh, it was just a letter. I was writing a letter.”
       	“Oh please, you used to write letters all the time! How could that be a problem?” Scootaloo took a more aggressive approach to the situation, picking a crumpled wad from the trash. Luckily, Twilight was able to snatch it out of her hooves before it was unrolled.
       	“It’s been a while, Scootaloo. You shouldn’t worry about it.”
       	“Here we are!” Spike called out, holding above his head a tray with three neatly crafted glasses of orange juice, “enjoy.”
       	“Thank you, Spike.”
       	“Thanks, Spike,” the two smiled, grabbing hold of their glass and quickly gulping it down. Twilight sighed as she took the occasional sip from her glass. It was a nicely chilled glass of orange juice for sure.
       	“Welp, I guess we better get going,” Applebloom was the leader of the pack today, “See you around, Twilight! Thanks for everything!”
       	As the two fillies marched out the door in a surprisingly straight single-file line, Twilight waved to them.
       	“Goodbye, girls! Come back if you ever need anything!”
       	Scootaloo broke her formation to turn and wave again.
       	“How does Fluttershy do it?” Twilight shut the door behind her.



       	The reply came later in the afternoon while Twilight was reading through her own copy of “The World of Business and You”. Since the incident with Pinkie Pie, she’d become increasingly more interested in the topic. Personally, she couldn’t believe Pinkie Pie was more keen about something than she was. Of course, baking wasn’t always her forte, but it was something she knew a little bit about; there was a difference between talent and knowledge, and Twilight had no issue settling to be the victor of the latter.
       	“Twilight, special delivery for you,” Spike did a fancy bow, revealing a letter addressed to hers truly.
       	“Mm, put it on my desk,” Twilight muttered, turning the page to analyze a pie chart, “Did you know that success in the business world is based on the idea of supply and demand? If there’s too much supply, but not enough demand, the owner loses money.”
       	Spike coughed, “It’s from your mom.”
       	“And that if the demand is too high- WHAT?” Twilight ripped the letter from his claws, unrolling it hastily.

~~~

       	“Twilight,
                   	I think this weekend is going to be great! I’ll see you there.
       	
       	Love,
       	Twilight Velvet”

~~~


“B-But,” Twilight’s expression melted.
       	“But what? Isn’t that the response you wanted?” Spike scratched the side of his head.
       	“But what did she think of the restaurant choice? She didn’t say anything about it!” Twilight’s book fell from her bed as the alicorn clutched the paper.
       	“Did you get your ticket from the station?” Spike reached down to collect the book, placing it on a shelf not far away.
       	“No, Spike, not yet. I’ll have to get that tonight before they close.”
       	“Better hurry, it’s getting late. You don’t want to have to fly to Canterlot,” Spike hobbled down the ladder to return to business of his own. The dreaded thought of having to fly to Canterlot returned in an instant; it still seemed like an impossible task. Twilight rolled out of her bed.
       	“You’re right, Spike. I’ll be right back. I’ll leave tomorrow for the train and hopefully find a place close by to book a hotel.”
       	“Good luck, Twilight!”
       	“Thanks, Spike,” Twilight tightened her saddlebag, “I just hope she still remembers me.”
       	Laughter echoed from the opposite end of the library, “Don’t worry about it, Twi. I’m sure she still remembers you. If not, then you’ll see her first. Besides, I don't think moms forget who their children are.”
       	There was some logic to that. Twilight shrugged, opening the door to witness the last hour of sunlight.
       	“I’ll see you in a little bit, Spike.”
       	“See ya.”



       	For as long as she’d lived in Ponyville, she’d always observed the later hours of the day to be the quieter ones. Nopony wandered the streets in the golden sunlight, and the few that did spoke less. It was a peaceful time of day, as if the whole world was reflecting that day’s events, determining its importance by a tally. Yet, though the sun was most beautiful at this hour, the time was humble. Save for a few bench-sitters curling in each other’s lap, the hour was to be observed like a special event. The warmth shared sent chills down the backs of ponies whom bathed in it. It was already a golden time of year, but the time of day was what really set the mood. Twilight took a deep breath, the air was starting to become chilly, but that didn’t abridge the beauty of the evening. Few ponies waved, even for courtesy; it was like an unwritten rule not to wander the streets in the evening, unless without reason. The time was completely reserved for couples.
       	“Ticket for one, please.”
       	“Will that be round-trip, or one-way?”
       	“Round-trip, please.”
       	“When’s your return date?”
       	“October 24th, 1473 A.F.D”
       	“Hmm, that’s a busy time. I’m going to check to see if there are any availabilities.”
       	“Okay.”
       	. . .
       	“Well, princess, you are one lucky mare. With so many ponies leaving town for the ball, I’m surprised there are three more seats left! Are you going to attend?”
       	“I . . . haven’t decided yet.”
       	“Hmm, well, you’d best hurry. I hear they’re selling like hot cakes, but I suppose that won't be a problem for you, Princess. Here’s your ticket, ma’am. I’m sure it won’t be as crowded on the way back.”
       	“Thank you. . ."
       	Twilight clutched the tiny paper in her hooves, reading the date over and over to make sure her plan was flawless. A few more days in Canterlot would give her enough time to spend with her mother. She knew the trip would last longer than just the dinner; at least two days longer would suffice. She’d leave tomorrow, the twenty-first and make it there just in time for dinner. She could sleep on the train if it was necessary. From there, Twilight was certain she and her mother would be able to come up with something to do. After all, they hardly knew each other; there was no reason they wouldn’t be busy trying to fix that little mishap.
       	“I’m sure she won’t mind. If I remember correctly, she hasn’t been in school for at least six years; I’m sure she’ll have time to entertain.”
       	Regardless of how sure she was, the thought still remained: What if she didn’t like her mother? What if they met, but had little to say? What if they simply didn’t get along? It was all very possible; mothers were like that, but would hers be? For all she knew, Twilight Velvet could become her greatest enemy and perhaps threaten Equestria. The idea was ludicrous, but still a possibility to keep note of. Guilt had become a welcome guest in the past few days. No matter how many times Twilight dismissed the emotion, it kept coming back; how could she neglect her mother’s existence? How could her mother neglect her existence? It was a two-way fault; but there was one question that reigned supreme: Did her mother feel as guilty as she did? 
She’d have to find out for herself.
       	“Spike, I’m home,” A monotone voice echoed throughout the library. It wouldn’t be hard to meet her mother. Simply put, if they didn’t like each other, they didn’t have to meet any more. It wasn’t a healthy idea, but it was one worth taking a look at. Twilight placed her ticket on the library’s center table. The train left later in the afternoon, but she hardly ever received company on a weekday. Twilight laid back in her bed. Now it was up to mental preparation. She considered her social abilities to be just fine when it came to meeting new ponies; but this time, it was different. This time, it was family, but not like meeting a lost cousin or relative. It was close family, something to be weary of for future relations. Twilight yawned, blinking twice before rolling over to one side and closing her eyes for the rest of the night. She’d have to think on it tomorrow. If it kept her up any later, she might have to post-pone the trip.
       	“Good night, Spike.”
       	“Good night, Twilight.”
> 4 - Trains and Dates
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

4
Twilight Sparkle tapped her hooves against the cold, wood bench that allowed her a seat. She wouldn’t be waiting long, but she had come prepared with an assortment of items to entertain her throughout the day. Tucked safely in an easily accessible compartment of her bag, Twilight stashed a tiny, blank notepad. Hidden further into the bag, she’d find a book on Canterlot Royal Tradition, something she’d been reading as of late, as well as her aforementioned book on business. Her satchel was lightly packed, as clothing wasn’t too much of an issue; she wouldn't be gone longer than  a weekend. No more than a few quills, papers, a toothbrush, a hairpin, a couple red ribbons in case she lost or forgot another one, and at least thirty bits in coin, just in case the road called for it. And of course, she had her ticket, a token of her commitment to the whole ordeal. It was a small price to pay, but she understood the costs and paid them willingly. Twilight checked the ticket, then turned to the clock to compare the time. It would be another fifteen minutes before the train even arrived at the station. It wasn’t a connecting route either; this train came from Ponyville. Twilight spotted a stallion across from her pulling a pocket watch from his own satchel; he seemed just as aggravated as she was.
       	“No worries,” she thought, pulling out the first book on tradition from her bag, “I’m sure there’s a ton of good information in here. Plenty to pass the time.”
       	Twilight flipped through the pages, finding her place in a few seconds time. She began reading. Then, she began lowering the book to stare at the tracks. Eventually, she dropped the book entirely and packed it away in her bags. There was too much to think about, she concluded, pulling out a quill and pad from her bag.
       	“Let’s try to go over the plan,” she wrote down the day’s schedule carefully, “We’ll meet at the restaurant, eat dinner, catch up. . . then, tomorrow, we’ll probably go shopping; I have a good a mount of bits set aside for that,” Twilight patted the left saddlebag, “After that, it’s more likely we’ll go to the house, but if things go wrong during either the dinner or the house, I discovered there’s a hotel down the road from the restaurant to stay until my ticket out of there. Lucky me, the diner Rarity recommended is a mere ten minutes from the station. It should be no problem. If things do go well, I’ll probably stay at my parents’ house for the remainder of the trip, perhaps go see some old places I haven’t in a while, then go home. It’s easy.”
       	The train arrived on time with a vast number of ponies waiting for their spot on board. There wasn’t much pushing or shoving, a good thing to account for, though there was still a little trouble getting on board. As Twilight entered her coach, a mare and her filly dropped a piece of luggage, scattering its contents all over the floor of the train. Ponies groaned as they attempted to step over the young foal and their belongings.
       	“Here, need some help?” Twilight approached the two, lifting the bag and the majority of the contents, packing it neatly.
       	“Oh, thank you so much!” The mother bowed her head, taking her seat by a nearby window.
       	“No need to thank me! I know how crowded these trains can get.”
       	“Say, would you like to sit with us?” The mare offered, scooting her son closer to make room.
       	“I don’t want to be too much trouble, miss.”
       	“Oh, no trouble at all! It’s the least we could do.”
       	“Thank you so much!” Twilight took her seat across from the mare, leaving her son enough room to stretch his hooves.
       	Once everypony had gathered their things, packing them neatly in the compartments above the seats, the journey began. The sun was resting upon the horizon, lighting the horizon ablaze; a wonderful sight to behold.
       	“What takes you to Canterlot?” The mare watched as the princess pushed her bag underneath her seat.
       	“Hmm?” Twilight hadn’t noticed the mother’s gaze until just then, “Oh! Sorry, I thought you were talking to somepony else.”
       	“No, no,” she laughed, “are you going to that Ball? I imagine a fine young mare such as yourself gets asked on dates all the time.”
       	“What?!” Twilight gasped, taken aback the by the notion. To be honest, Twilight hadn’t been asked on a date since her second year of Magic School, and even then, it didn’t even go through, “Sorry, no, I haven’t been asked in a long time.”
       	“Oh? Is that so?” The passenger took another look at the princess. Spotting a faint blush, she refrained from asking any other bold questions. Twilight stared out to the horizon, trying to clear her mind from the sudden assertion. For now, she’d have to get used to such questions, especially now that she was a princess.
       	“So, where are you from?” Twilight broke gaze from the window, making eye contact with the mare, “I don’t think I’ve seen you around Ponyville.”
       	“We’re from Vanhoover,” the young mother brushed a hoof through her boy’s mane, “I’m here on account of business. My name’s Fairsworth, Cherry Fairsworth.”
       	“Wow, it’s nice to meet you . . . Miss Fairsworth?”
       	She looked down at her child for a moment before answering.
       	“Yes, it’s Miss Fairsworth. Have you been to Vanhoover?”
       	“No, I can’t say I have,” Twilight directed her full attention to the pair of ponies. She’d been just about everywhere in Equestria, save for a few spots on the map. From what she’d read, Vanhoover was a great city off the western coast of Equestria; a nice place to live and with buildings as tall as the sky. Unfortunately, crime was an issue. As she remembered, Celestia had offered her services, but the city insisted on governing itself, making the district almost independent from the rest of the land. It was a scary thought to live in Vanhoover, but the idea of being immersed in an entirely new culture fascinated the princess.
       	“What’s it like?” She beamed, “In Vanhoover, that is.”
       	It had been so long since she’d read any material on Equestria’s “Private City”, if it weren’t on the map, she would’ve forgotten about it. Regardless, she was deeply intrigued. Miss Fairsworth, however, seemed less than enthusiastic to entertain the thought.
       	“It’s . . . alright,” she sighed, “but it’s home, you know? I’ve lived there my whole life.”
       	Twilight didn’t back down; unsatisfied with the answer, she kept up her stare.
       	“Well, it’s a big city, but the ponies are nice. Not nice like they are here, but they’re nice every once in a while. Businesses are really good, you could say, but there’s been a lot of trouble with city management lately.”
       	The pony shuffled her hooves, keeping an eye out the window rather than keeping contact, “Vanhoover’s like a competition. Unlike here, everypony fights to be noticed; it’s all about attention. Here, ponies mind their own business and work to live happily. In Vanhoover, ponies work to excel, no matter the cost . . .”  She trailed off.
       	Twilight thought about it for a moment; it was an interesting philosophy that she’d never heard of before. What she was saying was true: the ponies here, in fact, did work to live happily. There wasn’t a need to be the center of attention; ponies had each other and that was enough.
       	“You mentioned management problems, what’s up with that?” Twilight scratched her mane, utterly confused with how a city could fall into such a shape; it seemed to abandon everything she’d learnt to that point.
       	“Oh, I don’t keep up with that. For what I know, the ponies of that kin are debating if they should go with a mayor or a king. It’s insane what they’re doing over there. That’s why I’m glad to be over here. It’s nice to see humble ponies for a change. Even Manehattan isn’t that rambunctious. It’s a race to own the world, I tell you.”
       	Twilight kept her thoughts to herself at that point. Though she swore to visit the town to see what was happening and to find a solution, she wanted to prevent herself from burning through the second notepad in a week. Canterlot was arriving quickly and the train’s company would be at their destination in a short while; she thought it’d be best to keep further questions to herself. However, she couldn’t help wondering what the mare’s story was and why she’d come to Canterlot. She could always just ask her, but she felt she’d asked enough questions for the evening. If she was lucky, perhaps she’d see them on the way back to Ponyville. An unlikely sequence of events, but it was still possible. Twilight leaned back in her booth, happy to have been able to take her mother off her mind for a good hour. But for the remainder of the journey to Canterlot, she couldn’t help but wonder what they’d talk about over dinner. The lack of royal duties meant she had little to show in terms of being a princess and to ask about the extended absence of her mother brought Twilight to cold hooves. She glanced toward Miss Fairsworth and her foal, setting an appointment to see one’s daughter was a strange phenomenon. Family simply showed up, regardless of occasion. Whether it be an inconvenience or not was up to the host, but usually seeing family was a pleasant surprise. As the thought struck her, Twilight grew curious on whether or not she should present a gift. Twilight checked her bag, neatly placed beside her, for anything she could give her mother as some kind of peace offering. 
       	“Maybe I’m reading a little too much ‘Canterlot Royal Tradition’" Twilight shook her head, "I’m sure she’ll be fine without something for the road.”



       	When the train finally touched the platform, the race had officially begun. The alicorn checked the time: 7:34PM. If Twilight wished to make it on time, she'd have no choice other than to use her wings.
       	“Excuse me! Important appointment to go to!” Twilight announced, shoving her way past the crowd of ponies all simultaneously trying to make their way out of the tiny coach doors.
       	“Wait your turn!” A pony called from behind. Luckily, Twilight had already snuck her way past the line and had begun running down the platform. As she sprinted through the station, she pulled the red ribbon from her saddlebag and hastily tied a knot around her flowing mane. It’d form a nice bow if done correctly; Twilight gritted her teeth as the first touch of moonlight accompanied an evening gust.
       	“Time to fly!” She gasped, stretching her wingspan with all her might, trying to gain air, “I hope my things don’t fall mid-flight”
       	The weather was nice for a change. After the night of rain and the murky day after that, it was nice to have a cool, dry night to succeed it. Twilight gasped as she lost her balance, taking a dip and nearly landing in someone’s backyard fountain. She apologized, but nopony was there to hear the good word. Twilight’s head swung around as she flew, desperately looking for the location she mentioned. She only knew the general area of the restaurant; she had hoped it would’ve been easy to spot.
       	“Oh, Rarity, help me out here,” Twilight outstretched her hooves, hoping it would help gain balance as she flew. Rather, it exhausted her.
       	“Come on, where are you?”
       	Though she herself didn’t have a watch, a sinking feeling was enough to tell her she’d be late in a few seconds.
       	“Come on, come on. Royal Robin, where are you?” Twilight scanned the city, looking for any kind of signs that might point to the place. It was amazing exactly how many ponies still wandered the streets at night; most appeared to be fancy partygoers and even wore suits.
       	“That’s Canterlot for you,” Twilight stumbled as she lowered herself to the ground, “I’m in District Mane, now where are-”
       	“AHA!” She shouted from the heavens, taking a nose dive at one particular business establishment. It was a two-story facility with a fancy pillared entryway. Along the sides of the building was a similarly crafted balcony having several bunches of vines down the sides. Engraved along the front of the establishment were the words, “The Royal Robin”. Twilight shut her eyes as the wind blew in resistance; she didn’t care if she’d have to crash through the roof if it meant avoiding the guilt of showing up late. She already had enough on her plate as it were.
       	“Nnngh!” Twilight shrieked as she declined in altitude, finally opening her wings like a parachute at the last minute. Her hooves left skid marks across the concrete as the ear-piercing cries of “hoof-on-stone-at-100-miles-per-hour” resonated throughout the district. Twilight panted as she let herself into the restaurant, at last announcing.
       	“I’M HERE!”
       	Rarity happened to be right; the diner was a fancy place to eat. The floor was clothed with a fine red carpet. Tables donned clean white tablecloths and even waiters dressed with elegance. The service mares all wore a distinct dress with a shiny red color and the stallions wore black suits to match the theme. As such, guests were expected to wear the same kind of attire: gentlecolts were requested they wear suits and mares wore a high-time dress. Twilight’s eyes widened as she noticed that little detail; she wasn’t dressed for the part, a small miscalculation that she deemed could have serious consequence. Worst part about it all, everypony was now staring directly at her, taking note of her appearance and scoffing at the idea. Of course, it was hard to hide an alicorn, but the attention wasn’t requested at the moment.
       	“I-I . . .” Twilight gagged on her words as they came through. She tried to check her hair as the ponies of Canterlot looked her top to bottom. Each one of the guests wore a look of disgust to contrast their well-groomed outfits. The golden light that shone down from the marble ceiling only seemed to make the princess sweat more; it was like a big stage, but she was the one performing naked.
       	“There you are, Twilight. I was worried you wouldn’t make it.”
       	“Huh?”
       	Everything around her melted in an instant; for a moment, there were only two ponies that existed in that room. She approached wearing a flowing white top that draped like a toga. Her ears were decorated with beads of an open lake blue, matching her shimmering aqua eyes. Her gait was orderly, and complimented her dress. The mane she had was strangely familiar, but had been groomed to the point of reflection. Her tail was braided especially for the occasion, a rare practice to impress the rarest of hearts.
       	“Are you talking to me?” The violet mare took a step back, suddenly feeling more bare than before. Though she was naturally older, this mare looked as though she was no more than a week older than Twilight. Her skin was perfectly rounded; her shape undeniably flawless. The way the light fell upon her shaded her figure with a soft, glamour-like glow; and just like that, everything in the room managed to flee as she stepped forth.
“Hmhm, I think I know my own daughter.”
       	Her voice was smooth, her smile smoother. She sounded mature, deep and lustrous; but hidden beneath a thousand layers of charm, was the act of innermost mischief. She had the presence of desire and Twilight could feel it.
       	“I’m so happy to finally see you again, Twilight,” She spoke softly, pulling close to her daughter, “how long has it been?”
       	She was warm and every touch only burned hotter as the two were together.
       	“T-Too long, Mom,” Twilight stammered, her hoof held rather passionately. Save for the wings, the two looked like twins; a picture-perfect couple.
       	“Oh, nonsense,” the powdered mare nodded to the reservations desk, “I saw you at the coronation!”
       	“Y-You did?” Twilight blushed as the mare showed her to their table. As they walked, Twilight caught scent of her perfume. It was rosy and strong, something that could sweep a pony off her hooves. Twilight’s heart raced as she followed close behind. 
       	“Of course! I wouldn’t miss that for the world,” She spoke a few words before waving off a waiter, insisting she spend time with her daughter, “I’m surprised you didn’t see me.”
       	The two were seated at a small table, fitted with a clean white tablecloth. In the middle was an unlit candle and at her ready was a thirsting wine glass, one per pony. Twilight rubbed the back of her head, trying to suppress the guilt by looking even guiltier, “Sorry about that; i-it was a long week.”
       	Twilight tried to pass the subject; she had already made several noteworthy miscalculations since entering the restaurant. A waiter filled each glass with a ruby ale. 
       	“So how’s Dad?” Twilight picked up her glass, taking note to the empty seat beside the shining mare. Her face fell down at the thought, she could tell, but she answered regardless.
       	“Your father hasn’t been around in a while; I suppose it’s complicated.”
       	“I-Is that why you wanted to see me?”
       	“What? Oh, no. Deary me, no. I wanted to see you for you. It’s been such a long time; I thought it’d be . . . healthy,” She chuckled, hiding behind a raised glass of her own, “Do you remember much of me?”
       	Twilight shook her head, a surprise to her guest.
       	“Oh, that’s a shame. I’m sorry to hear that,” She took a long pause to recover, “Now, how have you been? You’re still living in Ponyville, right?”
       	A second waiter came before Twilight could answer the question; the two agreed it’d be best to place their orders, otherwise they’d be waiting all night for a meal.
       	“I am; same place for quite a few years now,” Twilight neatly placed her glass beside her plate, “It’s nice there; I like it.”
       	“That’s great, sweetie! I still remember the day you left Canterlot for Ponyville. We were all so proud of you," She took the moment to smile, "Carving your own path, Twilight, that's so like you!"
       	Twilight blushed at her mother's praise, “What about you, Mom? What have you been up to?"
       	“Oh, Canterlot’s been about the same; sometimes it’s hard to catch up with how much goes on here,” She giggled to herself as a recollection of all the last year’s mishaps came to mind.
       	“How are things without Dad? That must be pretty hard for you. When did that happen?”
       	Twilight’s mother dropped her smirk; her expression melted into a state of longing, “Well, I can’t say it’s been easy, but it’s not too bad. I do miss him, but I’ve found satisfaction in the success of my children. I heard Shining Armor is living up north now; how is that working out? Have you visited him lately?”
       	“Yeah! I have, actually,” Twilight smiled, calmed by the thought of her brother, “He’s doing great; he’s a king now that he’s married!”
       	“That’s great!" She took another sip of wine, "I’m glad to hear you two are holding your own. How did the schooling go? I never got to ask.”
       	Twilight looked toward the ceiling for a moment, as though taking a second to recall, “It was good; I liked it. I’m very fond of studying. I even brought some books for the road. There’s always a time for learning.”
       	“Oh, you sound just like me when I was at the university.”
       	“Huh?” Twilight put a hoof on the table.
       	“Well, you know I made it to ‘Advanced Level’ Magical Academics, didn’t you?”
       	Twilight shook her head, unsure of what that even meant. For the longest time, Twilight thought university school was all one level, “No, actually, I didn’t. What is that?”
       	Taken by surprise, Twilight’s mother explained the differences, “Well, ‘Advanced Level’ is more of a scholarly study of magic. While most of the other levels are for basic function and advantage, the higher levels are for more prototype spells and pre-historic studies. It’s very interesting! I think you’d like it!”
       	Twilight stared into space; her mother laughed, “Well, you probably already knew way beyond what we were learning in the university. I’ve heard stories that Celestia’s School is actually all of that combined into one course. That’s rigorous! It must’ve been tough for you, Twilight, but you got through it like the champ you are!”
       	“Mom, how do you know so much about me?”
       	“Huh?”
       	The food arrived as soon as their silence began. Twilight’s mother ordered a steaming plate of spaghetti topped with basil and cherry tomatoes. Twilight, going for the more humble approach, settled for a bowl of soup. As soon as they touched the plates, the two mares began digging in. The soup was good, for the most part, but very salty. Twilight had never been a soup-expert, but she knew what she liked. Though her motives for learning were broadly applicable, they didn’t apply for foods she wasn’t familiar with. As Twilight downed the tenth spoonful, her mother cleared her throat, retiring her fork.
       	

“So, Twilight, are you seeing anypony?”

       
> 5 - Tears and Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

5
       	“Glad you could make it, Rarity!”
       	“Well, of course I was happy to help; it’ll be no problem at all.”
       	“Oh, how wonderful!”        	
       	Rarity peered deep into her coffee, using her magic and a coffee straw to manipulate a cube of sugar floating aimlessly in the black puddle. Rarity had started the business of matchmaking about two or three weeks earlier to her current meeting; however, she never expected her friends to be knocking on her door so soon. Her mother, Betty Bouffant, worked as a word-of-mouth matchmaker alongside her Equestria-wide spa business; Rarity figured she could do the same in Ponyville. Though her mother’s matchmaking name never took off, Rarity was certain that with a little more love and attention given to the peculiar profession, she could grow much bigger than her predecessor ever could. Betty Bouffant had first given the idea to Rarity after sending her a postcard bragging about the tropics of an island on the Eastern borders of Equestria, a future site for yet another spa resort branding her name. However, instead of taking it as a friendly gesture, Rarity found a dueling hint in her mother’s words and thus took them in full.
       	“Did you know it’d be this packed, Rarity? I had trouble just finding you amidst the crowd!” Twilight took her seat in front of Rarity, checking her cup of coffee to make sure it hadn’t cooled, “I thought you said this meeting would be private.”
       	Rarity looked up from the glass for a moment before returning to its hypnotizing state, “Yes, well, it turns out the most humble café in Ponyville accepts reservations on a holiday weekend. I thought this would be the ideal place for this kind of meeting, but apparently, I was wrong.”
       	“Rarity, are you alright?” Twilight’s concern emanated from her voice, “You don’t sound too well, should I go?”
       	“No, no, darling, it’s quite alright,” Rarity dropped another cube of sugar into her coffee. When she first began looking into the business of formulating couples, Rarity figured it would consist mostly of mathematics and chemistry; but upon checking out, and abandoning, a variety of books on the subject matter, she discovered that it was more about whom you knew, rather than what. Unfortunately, no library in Ponyville offered such advice on how to start a matchmaking business, so instead she followed Pinkie’s example, if not for a week, and made it her goal to greet every living soul that passed her by, a tip given by her current client, Twilight Sparkle. As Rarity could recall, the first few days went swell, she would wave, spark up a conversation, and the two would part ways. By the third and fourth days, however, Rarity came to the realization that due to her fame, everypony in Ponyville already knew everything about Rarity; recent success in the fashion business had led Rarity down a road of popularity, leaving conversations a whole lot shorter than they should’ve from a friendship standpoint. On day six, Rarity spend her time acquiring blueprints for Sugar Cube Corner and writing a plan on how to rob Pinkie’s underground vault, a supposed basement containing profiles of everypony in Ponyville. That night, she dressed in the darkest, most fashionable ghillie suit in hopes to avoid detection while infiltrating her local bakery. As Rarity soon discovered, Pinkie Pie hatched that rumor to catch a notorious robber whom she described as “sugary goodness”; Rarity spent the rest of that night strapped to a metal table, counting the number of times Pinkie said the word of the day: “ka-blooie”. On day 7, Rarity spent her day at home with a cup of tea, staring out her window trying to forget the week; she never really picked up the matchmaking name since. Why Twilight had decided to give her a shot regardless was up for interpretation.
       	Twilight blankly gazed at her host, a bit confused by her lack of expression. Twilight being new to the dating scene was an understatement; in fact, the number of sexual partners she’d had in the last ten years could be counted on a single hoof, but even that was giving her a little too much to work with. As such, Rarity had always been interested in Twilight’s “special” case. For what it was worth, Twilight was considered a “very attractive mare” with a few minor quirks. Still, if that were the case, Twilight should’ve had several potential mates knocking on her door. Rarity knew there must’ve been something she’s been doing to keep them away and she had doubts whether an obsession with books was that big of a turn-off. If she could only advise her to do certain things a particular way, then her job of finding the local librarian a lover would do itself. Unfortunately, her job description wasn’t about helping ponies find lovers, but rather finding lovers for them.
       	“So, how should we begin?” Twilight Sparkle pulled a quill and pad from a saddlebag, ready for her mentor’s instructions. Though Rarity had agreed to start the meeting under the banner of a “consultation”, the complexity of her wannabe business was so ridiculously redundant, she found it better to figure everything out over a single coffee break.
       	“Hm?” Rarity awoke from her daze, feeling a little flustered by the whole situation, “Oh, uh, tell me about . . . what kind of mare you’re looking for.”
       	“Huh?” Twilight appeared shocked by the question, “Oh, sorry, Rarity. I’m not into mares. I’ve never really been that kind of girl, you know? I’m sure you understand.”
       	Rarity blinked, feeling off-put by the response, “You’re not into mares?”
       	“Uh, no.”
       	Though the question should’ve felt like routine, something about it hit her internally, “Very well then . . . what kind of . . . stallion, are you interested in?”
       	Rarity gave it her all trying not to choke by the end of the sentence. Twilight glanced toward the skies for an answer, “Well, I’m looking for somepony smart, but nothing to outsmart me. But you know, I’ve heard it’s good to learn from your partner, at least, that’s what I’ve read,” she shook her head, returning to the topic, “Oh, somepony brave, outgoing, defensive, but doesn’t pick fights. I’d like somepony talkative, but no one to keep me up past eight.”
       	“Any kind of pony you’d like in particular? Pegasus? Earth pony? Unicorn?” Rarity began to cross out all the contradictions in her client’s description.
       	“Hmm, I don’t know, that’s a tough question. Naturally, I’d go for a unicorn. My brother always told me to keep it in the family . . . because unicorns are like blood. Not because . . . well.”
       	Rarity dodged the increasingly more interesting subtopic so she could attempt to stay professional and return home early. For whatever happened today, she knew that a fainting couch would be waiting for her back home, “What kind of pony, darling?”
       	“Well, obviously, unicorn, because that’s me; but I’ve always found a fondness for earth ponies. They’re always so hardworking; I can’t help but adore them!”
       	“Perhaps it’d be best to date Applejack,” Rarity bit her lip, downing the steaming hot cup of coffee only to inflict more pain.
       	“Oh, dear, no I couldn’t. One, I don’t date mares, and two, that goes against my personal cannon,” Twilight twiddled her hooves, rubbing them against the table uncomfortably, “But, do you think she’d like that?”
Rarity shot a look, silencing the violet mare before explore that genre any further, “Yes, darling, and why is you don’t date mares again? Is there . . . something wrong with us as ponies?” Rarity began counting the seconds she was allowed in the “danger zone”; though she was well aware of the consequences, she was more concerned with getting an answer she could appreciate.
       	“Huh? N-No, Rarity, not at all. I-It’s just . . . not my thing, you know?”
       	Rarity could hear the clock ticking louder; she had to turn things around, if only she wasn’t obsessed, “Maybe it’s because you haven’t tried it, Twilight. I’m sure you’ll find a bit to boast about if you did.”
       	It was a bold move, but Rarity was done playing games. She’d done everything she could to garner the mare’s attention and with little success; she was ready to go all in.
       	“Rarity . . . I,” Twilight appeared speechless. Rarity spotted a luscious red blush starting to form over her client’s cheek; she was winning, “I don’t want to get entangled, that’s all.”
       	“Entangled, darling,” Rarity whipped her mane behind her, confident in her success, “what makes you say that? It’s quite alright.”
       	“Well, you see, I just don’t think it’s right. There are plenty of stallions who would want to date me. Isn’t the meaning of our existence to create spawn?”
       	“If there are so many stallions, why did you come to me?” Rarity threw her hooves onto the table, “Entangled? Hah! I’ve never heard of such balderdash. I am perfectly fine!”
       	A panel of eyes had redirected their attention toward the two mares in the middles; Twilight dropped a tear in the dirt beneath her seat.
       	“Oh, um,” Twilight began to peer down at her own cup of coffee; Rarity covered her mouth, instantly realizing the full-effect of her words, “Sorry, Rarity. I-I didn’t know you were into that. I guess I should’ve known, you being a fashion pony and all.”
       	“What? What does that have to do with anything?”
       	“Listen, Rarity,” Twilight stood from her chair, realizing her meeting was going nowhere, “I think I’m going to go now, but . . . if you’re up for it, we’ll meet again in a few days. I’d still like your business. Let’s just . . . keep it professional from now on, okay?”
       	Rarity slumped her shoulders as low as they could possibly go, watching the bright purple mare trot out of her sight, “The most perfect hoof . . .,” she muttered, taking leave of her own before she collapsed, “it was in my reach and I blew it.”
       	Rarity pushed herself through the crowd of ponies with faint hopes she could reunite with Twilight. Rarity had waited a year for that moment. The number of times she’d dreamed of making Twilight’s fancy were beyond the stars. She’d already begun to plan outfits and ceremonies for the momentous occasion at hoof. It would be like a ball every day for her. Through the taste of coffee in her mouth, Rarity could still imagine the vanilla icing cake she’d planned for their anniversary as a couple. They’d eat it in bed beside a pile of books, no doubt; but at least they could be together for the whole day. Rarity could remember the extensive thought she’d put into her fantasies. It would take a few strings to be pulled, but she wanted that whole day to be spent beside and inside her.
       	As Rarity lingered through the streets, she could do nothing but curse the world around her for her misfortunes. All around her were reminders of what she could’ve done; Twilight was more innocent than a bunny in one of Fluttershy’s baby-baskets, so all she had to do was lure her in.
       	“Damned order,” She spat, digging her hoof in the dirt. It was a busy week for Rarity. As the Spring Dance in Canterlot had begun to pick up traction with an approaching deadline, ponies from all over Ponyville had already begun to send in their orders. Rarity figured she’d have enough time to finish a fourth dress later in the night, but got caught up as she soon discovered the struggle of trying to manage her magic under the influence of a fifth cup of coffee.
       	“Damned sewing machine,” Rarity gagged, spotting her home not far from where she stood. During her night of work, Rarity began to have troubles with the threading. With her heightened magical sensitivities, Rarity fought with her sewing machine, as well as her horn, to thread the machine. Within no longer than an hour’s time, she found herself wrestling the red beastie amongst piles of fallen fabrics.
       	“Damned coffee,” she hacked, inserting a key into the boutique’s front entrance. It was true she’d been making attempts toward cutting coffee from her life. Time after time again, she convinced herself it would be more sophisticated if she merely stuck with tea; but after a week of trial and error with several tea brands, she could never replicate the “kick” given by coffee. It wouldn’t take much for Rarity to admit to her addiction to coffee in recent days; sometimes, it was all she ran on. Though, she couldn’t help but feel guilty after a long night of drinking the stuff and crashing beside her bed, not quite making it to the covers. It was shameful, she recognized, abhorrent and utterly disgraceful from her stance as the sophisticated Canterlot mare she so posed to be. She wanted to make changes, but Twilight’s favor had ended up being the greatest, and undoubtedly lost, ultimatum.
       	Though it was true Rarity’s lack of coherency was due to chemicals and machine complexities, ultimately, all of the faults rested on Rarity’s shoulders. She had been the one responsible for taking that fourth order, drinking all those cups of coffee knowing fully the impact it’d have on her performance, and still sticking with her meeting times. Rarity always felt herself to be more blunt than benign, but she never knew herself to be such a quitter until now. As she fell upon her fainting couch, she did nothing to wipe the tears from her face. Rather, she let them fall upon the ground as though they were Twilight’s tender touch and the moments they would’ve shared if the world worked the way she wanted it to.
       	“Perhaps I could imagine Twilight being here with me now. Perhaps I could . . . live in my imagination, with all my creations,” She sobbed, petting a pillow as though it was her disobedient cat, Opal, “Oh, what am I saying . . . I’d probably mess that up too.”
       	And as the tears kept falling, Rarity officially reserved her spot at rock-bottom.



-
       	Twilight’s spoon screeched as it fell into her bowl of shabby soup. She never imagined her mother to be one for bold questions; perhaps that was the reason she really wanted to meet, to update her database of insecurities.
       	“Well, of course,” Twilight lied, only making herself feel more transparent than before. The way her mother was near glaring at her, it made her uncomfortable; she felt naked. Twilight entered the diner believing she was eating with a complete stranger, but as though a mechanic, her mother, Twilight Velvet, seemed to know every little nook and cranny to her mental being. Down to the way she was sitting in her chair, there was something far too peculiar for Twilight Sparkle to comprehend.
       	“Really? Tell me about him,” Twilight’s lie did nothing, as her mother seemed to take a keener interest in her daughter’s case. Any wrong word and she’d be found out. Twilight struggled to recall every book she’d ever read, anything to help her in the situation. Fantasy, romance, mystery; Twilight tried utilizing absolutely everything to help make her story seem more believable. Still, no matter what she threaded together, there was no beating the glint in her mother’s eye. It spoke to Twilight’s quivering subconscious, telling her to watch her step; she was as dangerous as a mother could be, “What’s he like?”
       	“Oh, well, we actually broke up a few months ago,” Twilight slurred, hoping to buy some time, and if she were lucky enough, avoid talking about the conversation altogether. Twilight Velvet leaned back; it seemed like she bought it, but still, nopony could be sure just by looking at her.
       	“Oh, now, that’s a shame,” She pressed her hoof against her lip, “I hope it wasn’t too harsh on you, Twilight; but I know you’re a very strong mare.”
       	“Th-Thanks, mom,” Twilight could feel the pressure alleviating from the situation, only to be replaced with an awkward rose-red blush forming along the ends of her cheeks. Regardless, she was beginning to shake her, “In fact, I’m the one who broke up with him.”
       	Wrong move, Twilight soon deduced as once again, the fire in her mother’s eye ignited once again. She lifted her glass of water, taking her second sip of the evening. “I hope he wasn’t too bad of a young colt; how long were you two together?” Velvet watched her daughter rearrange her silverware.
       	“Only about six months,” Twilight avoided making eye-contact, “It was nothing.”
       	“Ah, I see,” Velvet took another bite from her meal, “were you two serious?”
       	Twilight couldn’t believe the nerve, “I think it’s fair to say we were.”
       	Based on her expression, Twilight Velvet wasn’t amused, “Where did you two meet? Was he a unicorn?”
       	Twilight never imagined her mother to be the racist type either, but she nodded, playing along with her mother’s fantasies, “Yes, he was a unicorn,” she managed to cough on her soup; clearly, her mother was working on something as her eyes continued to peer deep into the young mare’s inner truth. Twilight began to pull scenes from her favorite novels, “We met on a train headed to Canterlot; we happened to sit together when he asked my name. I didn’t think anything of him at the time; it was during finals week and I knew Celestia would be planning to test me on everything I knew. I figured he was just being polite, but it turns out he was a really nice guy. We started talking and eventually he asked for my address in hopes he could send letters. I asked him his instead; I wanted to be the one to send the letters.”
       	Twilight took a deep breath, paying close attention to her story. Evidentially, it sounded nothing like something Twilight would do, but seeing how her mother was the least likely pony to catch on to something of the sort, she considered herself safe. Were she in the situation, twilight would’ve told the young colt her name, but then continued to either ignore him due to already knowing his motives and simply being shy, or goof the entire conversation up by being herself. Regardless, it’d be a minor catch, but crucial to unravelling her scheme. Unless her mother was the stalker type, nopony could truly justify her characteristics.
       	“That’s interesting,” Velvet traced the rim of her plate. Twilight could see her story beginning to fall into havoc, “I knew you were strong, but I always found assertive to be your . . . weaker suit. You were always . . . submissive.”
       	“Huh?” Twilight shook her head, trying to stay in the game, “Oh, well, it was all impulse; I’m glad I did that because we ended up having a very nice relationship together.”
       	“Lying wasn’t your strong suit either . . .,” Velvet dug her fork into the plate of spaghetti, “‘Ride Me Home to Canterlot’ by Horseshoe Davidspurs was the book of the month last fall. An odd choice, but now I’m glad I read it; I didn’t know you were into such saucy fantasies, Twilight. As your mother, I think it’s fair to say I disapprove of you reading such materials. Though, since you are an adult, I can’t dictate you on such matters.”
       	Twilight blushed, watching as her mother compromised her innocence as well as debunking her fattest lie yet. Velvet took a bite from a cherry tomato; far from through, she spoke with a venomously low mumble; she went for the kill, “And based on the fact that you’re into such things, I can imagine most of your winter nights are spent huddled next to a sweat-stained pillow. Who knows what other objects you’ve soiled due to obsession; it can’t be healthy for a mare your age to . . .”
       	Like a steam pipe, Twilight exploded, her pieces in the matter falling from the table, “YOU DON’T KNOW ME!” An audience of ponies drew their attention toward the two mares in the middle of the diner. Twilight had slammed her hoof hard against the table, nearly spilling her glass onto the rug below, “And I don’t know you . . .,” Twilight’s voice trailed off as she burst into tears, “I thought this meeting would be good because then I could get to know my mother. I never imagined she’d be as dense as you.”
       	A line of spectators began paying close attention to Velvet as her opportunity to reply required a very specific set of words in order for she and her daughter to be in good relations. Velvet sighed, shaking her head, “I’m sorry, Twilight. I know I wasn’t around for you most of the time . . . but I thought,” she paused, placing her fork on the napkin beside her, “I thought I could make it up to you. Look at where you are now, Twilight! I knew enough about you to know that you were a very special unicorn; now you’re the newly appointed princess of Equestria!”
       	The audience nodded with agreement; Twilight Velvet removed herself from her chair to comfort her daughter as she placed her hooves upon the weeping mare’s shoulder and gently lifted her chin. Twilight Sparkle, with tears in eyes, listened to her mother’s words: “I wanted to meet with you so I could finish what I started all those years ago; I wanted to know you for who you were, Twilight. I know you’ve been suspicious of me; I know what you’re like.” Velvet glanced about her environment, “This place brings back memories, Twilight.”
       	Through sniffles, Twilight whimpered, “Wh-Why’s that?”
       	“You know, before your father and I got married, he was quite an accomplished musician. He traveled all throughout Canterlot performing for various restaurants and diners and the like; his career was really quite impressive. I remember sitting in that exact spot,” Twilight Velvet pointed toward her empty seat, “when he came to me and offered to buy me a drink; what a smooth talker he was. I, of course, agreed, but something happened. I could see he wasn’t all he was stuck up to be; so I dug a little personal. We did get into a little argument, but seven months later, we were married. I suppose that’s fate,” she laughed, watching her daughter’s expression slowly brighten.
       	“R-Really? Is that really what happened?”
       	“Mhmm, now come on,” Velvet gestured Twilight to stand, “I’ve booked a hotel down the road from here; I don’t want you sleeping alone in some dangerous hotel on the other side of the city.” Twilight Sparkle nodded, following her mother’s instruction. Then, for what seemed like the first time in her life, 


Twilight Sparkle hugged her mother.

> 6 - Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

6

Twilight Sparkle looked herself in the mirror, hoping something positive would shine through; but as she soon discovered, each passing second seemed to add more distaste to her opinion. She appeared awful, tired, disgusted, and utterly humiliated after that evening’s debacle. No matter what she thought she could do to dismiss the earlier events, the fact would always remain. Twilight’s first impression on her mother was crying at her hooves in front of a large crowd of high-class ponies. No matter how many times she reassured herself, “It could’ve been worse,” she simply couldn’t ignore her faults. Twilight wiped a loose strand of hair from her face; she was miserable. It was as if she’d been left on the curb waiting out the rain with nopony to shelter her. She felt like a dog that spent too much time in the mud and was now trying to overcome an illness. From the very beginning, Twilight was certain she was a step ahead of everything; but as she reflected on the evening’s events, she was far behind. “Stupid ribbon,” She tore the dash of red color from her head, throwing it the carpet in disgust. Even the smallest things were beginning to bug her.
       	Her mother had been generous enough to provide a couple nights at a hotel. They each had their own rooms; and upon arriving, she could see that, they too, were in high fashion. Elaborate crown molding lined the walls as bright orange spot lights dotted the ceiling. Though the carpet wasn’t too much to glamour over, the rest of the interior design was spot on. Doors and their frames were made from a stained oak, making for a deep, earthy red in color. Beds were decorated with elegant swirls and sometimes featured murals on the headboards. In the lobby, she could recall, a grand chandelier welcomed their guests, shimmering with the light of diamonds.
       	Since arriving at the hotel, Twilight couldn’t help but feel out of place. Everywhere she looked, she could see ponies accompanied by their loved ones, each of them wearing fancy attire boasting more zeros than Celestia’s crown. Everypony walked in pairs, as did she and her mother. Traveling to the hotel from the restaurant was not an eventful task; but as she played through the images, Twilight could sense a moment where there seemed to be nothing else that mattered.
       	The two didn’t talk much after the conflict in the restaurant, but they’d continued to keep each other’s company despite the differences. As they departed, Velvet, her mother, had kept a keen eye on her. Twilight was still shell-shocked by the whole breakdown; but when her mother wrapped a hoof around her daughter, Twilight began to embrace the warmth accompanied with it. There was a time when she leaned her head against Velvet’s, but she didn’t back off or gawk or do anything. She simply smiled and continued to gently pet her, holding her closer than any other pony had before. Twilight’s heart fluttered as the two walked into the hotel lobby, not breaking the contact that’d been established a mere five minutes prior. She didn’t want to stop; Twilight insisted the two stay paired until the end of the evening. But as hotel lobby couples began to stare, Twilight retreated, knowing her stance on the matter. Velvet hummed to herself, engaging in a chat with the information mare holding her reservation.
       	“I have a two-room reservation under the name, ‘Velvet’,” she spoke with the same deep tone as earlier in the restaurant. The lobby mare smiled and pulled two keys from the back, wishing her a pleasant stay. Then Velvet turned to her alicorn daughter, smiled, and once again wrapped an arm over her. The two were conjoined for a second time.
       	Twilight sighed as she paced about her room; the replay of everything leading up to that moment did no less than haunt her. She wanted to talk to her mother, say something to hopefully ease her subconscious about dinner. She wanted to ask forgiveness, but the more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t resist. Of all things she really wanted, she wanted to return to the loving comfort her mother provided. She wanted to continue what she started; she wanted Velvet for herself. “What am I thinking?” Twilight slammed her hooves against the vanity, pounding the reflected image of herself as she watched it smile. She knew what she wanted, but over and over again, she wished to deny it, “That’s so absurd. There was nothing there. There was nothing between us!” Twilight growled, tossing her saddlebag from one end of the room to the other. “It’s over, Twilight,” She confronted herself, “It’s all over. End of discussion, there was nothing to speak of, and now there’s nothing to think of.” Twilight held an imaginary key and threw it across the room. Twilight shook her head, “There’s no reason to apologize. I was right, after all. She was the one who hasn’t been in my life, why should I have feelings for her if that’s the case? Why would I have feelings for her to begin with? She’s my mother! That’s absurd. I’m absurd! I have a stomach ache.” Twilight fell to the floor, clutching her stomach. Ideas of forgiveness and an everlasting grudge orbited her concept of romantic tensions. It’d been so long since she’d felt that way about anypony; she couldn’t just shrug it off. But, she couldn’t accept it either, more or less because the entire concept is ridiculous. Twilight took a deep breath, but breaking under the pressure of an upset stomach. “Perhaps it’d be best if she apologized. Maybe . . . it’ll make everything better. Maybe . . . we’ll get along and I can ignore this . . . development.” Twilight stood on her hoof, just in time to catch the knocking door.
       	“Twilight? Twilight, are you in there?” A voice arose from her room’s door; it could be nopony other than her mother. Twilight panicked, quickly checking her hair, her muzzle, any makeup that might have rubbed off on her.
       	“Yeah, just a second!” She hastily grabbed the door, nearly missing a step and falling flat on her face in the process. Twilight opened the door to find a powder-white mare waiting at the entrance.
       	“Hey, I was hoping we could talk a bit,” Velvet’s eyes fell down, “About . . . well, you know.” She was wearing a sheer white nightgown laced with a fine gold trim and her face remained perfect, almost as if she never wore makeup to begin with. Her hooves boasted a fuzzy pair of striped snow and violet socks that reached her thighs, but she stood with confidence. It appeared obvious to Twilight she’d lowered some kind of defense, she seemed sincere and upset. Though Twilight’s internal voice was screaming at her to hurry up and welcome her, Twilight hesitated, awestruck by the turn of events. “I-If you’re too busy, I could come back later. Maybe this was a bad idea,” she trailed off, “It’s late, I guess I should’ve considered that. We’ll talk in the morning.”
       	“No, no, it’s okay!” Twilight let out a broad hoof, “It’s fine, I wanted to say something too.” Velvet slowly trotted into the hotel room; though she looked as emotionally compromised as Twilight, her gait remained a staple of her elegance. “I’ll go first, if you want.”
       	Velvet shook her head, “No, that’s fine. I think I should.” When Twilight closed the door, her mother pressed a heated hoof on her daughter’s cheek, “I shouldn’t have dug so deep at the dinner. I know it was supposed to be a casual get together; I didn’t mean for you to feel so out of touch.” Velvet took a step back, “And, I know your sexual experience is none of my business. I was just trying to start a good conversation. I’ve always known you to be as beautiful as a flower in spring; I thought you’d be all the more welcoming to the topic, but I never meant for it to be a competition between us.”
       	Twilight smiled, touching her cheek for her mother’s warmth still lingered. “I’m sorry too, mom.” She began, “I didn’t mean to turn it into a competition as well. I thought you were just trying to get more information; I didn’t know what your motives were. I don’t know why I found you so hostile. I guess it was because I hadn’t heard from you in a while, I suppose it caught me off guard. I’m sorry for breaking down on you; I don’t usually do that, but I’m sure Spike has some stories. Anyway, I’m glad I could say something, it’s been bugging me all night.”
       	“Yeah, me too,” The corners of her mother’s lips folded up, revealing the same perfect smile as before. With one swift move, Twilight’s mother embraced her daughter. Her gentle grasp was as warm as it could be, like sleeping by a fire on a cold winter night. Twilight began to wonder how else she could obtain such a pleasant experience; Twilight pecked at her mother’s neck, hoping she wouldn’t mind.
       	“Twilight, I’m so sorry this had to end the way it did,” Velvet continued, not seeming to even notice Twilight’s advancement, “It’s a shame things couldn’t have gone the way I’d hoped.”
       	“Mhmm,” Twilight continued her crusade, rubbing her cheek against the soft mare’s own. Before long, Twilight could feel her mother’s grasp loosen; in an instant, Twilight had to react with something. She’d become addicted to whatever feeling came with her mother and she didn’t want to leave now.
       	“Well, Twilight, I best be go- Mmm~?”
       	Before she’d realized what had been done, Twilight had fully committed to her act. In a fifth-floor hotel room in Canterlot at the dead of night, Twilight Sparkle managed to find her lips interlocking with her mother’s. Her eyes were closed, but she didn’t want to imagine the look her mother was giving her. It was all too good to pass up, she concluded, thus, she would take advantage of all she could while the moment was hot. In the heat of things, Twilight could almost feel herself turning her head, hoping for a deeper kiss. However, as the rush of adrenaline took its leave, Twilight began to touch down to the earth, pushing herself away from the mare in her arms. Gasping and afraid, she blurted whatever her mouth would allow. “Oh my Celestia, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me . . . there was this feeling and I didn’t think it’d come back . . . I wasn’t sure if I could ever tell you or if I’d ever return, so I just kept going and now we’re here and . . . oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, mom!”
       	Twilight Velvet pressed a hoof on her lips, tracing the places her daughter’s had been. It was true, the whole scenario had taken her aback; but having been without a sexual partner in so long, if not for Twilight’s obtuse reactions, she would’ve considered letting her daughter continue. For if it was one noteworthy thing to take from the evening, it was that her daughter was a good kisser and a bad liar. As her hoof reached the opposite end of her lip, Velvet weighed her options. Based on the violet mare’s expression, in panic, on the floor, and with tears budding in her eyes: she could be the one re-initiate the kiss; but would it be right? Twilight Sparkle appeared helpless in the situation, as if she’d committed an unspeakable crime. To some households, it would definitely seem that way; but seeing how the times in Equestria were changing for the worst, would there ever be a second chance for her?



       	Twilight Velvet’s husband left in spite. The two had been living alone ever since Twilight left for magic school and her brother became head of the royal guard; things were slow in the household. At first, all was fine, she and her husband would chat, make a few jokes, then go to bed and wait for the next day. Her husband was always good at making the breakfast for if she ever woke up late, and in turn, she’d see him off for work an hour later. He always worked late, but she liked staying up for him, for she knew his job was hard. Then, by the third month away from both of their children, she noticed her husband’s schedule had become warped. Instead of coming home at the usual 10 pm, she’d find him staggering into the front door by 11 or 12. When confronting him about the change in an otherwise stable schedule, he simply nodded it off with a casual, “it got busy in the office yesterday.” However, it wasn’t until Hearth’s Warming Eve that same year, when Velvet began to feel the true impact of a broken marriage. Her husband returned even later than usual, finding himself wrapped in his blankets by 2 in the morning. For the first time, Velvet didn’t wait up for him and found it hard to sleep, but as her husband rolled into bed, she could smell the poison stench from his breath, the potent vapor he exhaled caused by only one real source. In the morning, she packed his things, finding a letter from a “co-worker”. It appeared harmless enough, but no employee would ever sign their name next to a kiss. Distraught, she confronted him about it, but he refused to justify it. Instead, he simply left, leaving her alone for the next few years. Since then, Velvet found herself a new life through involvement. She joined a book club and refreshed her studies. She went through Twilight’s room and reminisced about old times she’d wished she had while her daughter was still young. Twilight Velvet began to pay attention to the news, keeping an eye on anything that involved her son, Shining Armor. Regardless of how it all ended, Velvet knew her husband would return eventually; and when he did, she’d be waiting, with more than enough stories to tell. Her romance was born from an argument, and no matter how many more would arise, she knew they’d be able to get through it.



       	Twilight Velvet took note of her daughter’s affection, and regardless of how many faults she found within her own judgment, it was something she’d have to pass herself. “Twilight,” She spoke up at last, noticing a single tear run down the young mare’s face; Velvet lowered herself to her daughter’s level and gave the mare the kiss she had went so far to get. Twilight, in shock and awe, closed her eyes as she herself never thought something so far off plan could be so wonderful. Twilight reached over her mother and brought her closer, forcing the elegant mare to a dirty tumble; the pressure of Velvet’s body over her own was enough to die for.
       	“Mom, this is . . .,” Twilight stammered between kisses.
       	“I know; please, call me Velvet,” Her mother attempted to silence her daughter, turning her head to intensify the moment. Their tongues crossed like swords, but swam together like the dolphins in the sea. Twilight struggled to speak between breaths and only managed to spit out few syllables before being overpowered by the wave of emotions crashing down on her and drowning the young mare in ecstasy.
       	“V-Velvet, I~,” calling her mother by her surname felt foreign to her, but still, in the power of the moment, it only seemed right. Twilight opened her eyes to find her mother in just as much of a trance as she was. The perfection she boasted as she walked, the grace she composed as she conversed, and the lust that radiated from her voice as she spoke, it had all broken under the wave; Twilight could see now her mother in a raw form. Her eyelids could not carry the burden she’d been put under, her cheeks were stained red with the color of a thousand pomegranates, and her eyes, as deep as the ocean, now seemed as shallow as a puddle on the road. Velvet seemed moldable and only operated on pure instinct, as power-driven as it may have been.
       	“Twilight,” Velvet dove into another kiss, but her hooves seemed to wander elsewhere. Once pinning Twilight down to the carpet, as though acting on their own, Velvet’s hooves descended down the alicorn’s torso, brushing past her wings and gently groping her rear. Twilight squinted as this welcome touch proceeded to make the advancements she’d secretly hoped for. Twilight attempted to roll over, hoping to be the one to pin her mother, but she found the rear-squeezing culprits to be faster than she thought. “You’re not going anywhere,” Velvet grinned, breaking from the kiss to deny her daughter’s wishes. Battling with the overwhelming emotions, Twilight didn’t find herself in a position to argue; she nodded, left only with the strength to nod and surrender, for at her hooves was an immeasurable puddle of fluids and atop her the mare in charge.
       	Twilight Sparkle’s wings were fully erect since the moment she’d decided to kiss her mother, but as the scene progressed, she could feel them throbbing, begging for release of some sort. Never before had Twilight experienced such a phenomena, but now that Velvet, pinning her down against a hotel mattress, wrapped in a number of blankets, had found the key to her everlasting lust, the answer to solving her newfound issue may be closer than she thought. As Velvet dug into her daughter’s neck, Twilight reached up, nibbling cautiously on the unicorn’s ear. It was soft and well pampered, as expected, but unfortunately wouldn’t be finding any other uses than spotting out the moans, screams, and occasional yelps for the rest of the evening. Velvet’s hoof once again ventured toward Twilight’s southern border as she tickled the throbbing red berry that awaited her on the other side. Twilight flexed reactively, but her mother had no intentions of halting the stimuli. At first, it was a quick dabble, a gentle tap to see just how sensitive her daughter was, but as Velvet’s hoof lowered to the general area, she could feel exactly how excited her daughter was. With that, she ignited her horn, taking a firm grip on Twilight’s clitoris, signaling a “yelp!” from the receiving party.
       	“C-Careful down there~,” Twilight whimpered, uncomfortable by the assertion, “I’m already wet enough as it is. . .” Velvet took notice to the grand amount of liquids that had already begun collecting in the sheets, a combination of both their juices, but Velvet was a professional at making her contributions minimal. She chuckled; taking advantage of the small window of opportunity, Twilight licked Velvet’s cheek, feeling the gentle textures of her mother’s skin against her tongue.
       	“Y’know, Twilight,” Velvet chuckled, the shine of her daughter’s kiss reflecting from her cheek. “I think you give me too much of a hard time; just because I’m an older mare doesn’t mean I don’t know young tricks.” The air held a note of uncertainty for Twilight Sparkle, pinned to a hotel bed with a clashing desire greater than that of the ocean’s waves. She perked up, but was swiftly denied. “I remember this one night in college, a couple of friends and I decided to dig into a few spells buried in the back of the campus library,” her horn illuminated a bright blue color as a bright spark ignited from her crotch. It looked as if it were on fire, and had the situation been any different, Twilight would’ve notified the towering mare. “we found this one spell that we all raved about for months.” The glow grew closer, focusing, and assembling into an organized structure. Before her very eyes, Twilight witnessed the creation of flesh and magic; a stream of energy igniting from her horn, travelling through her body like veins of illuminated platinum. It started from the base, small blood vessels grew into larger ones, followed by a casing of hard skin. From there, it towered with more layers than she could count. It kept growing, like a tree born in a meadow. Once the light-show had concluded, Twilight faced her greatest challenge of the evening: a bold, violet cock as solid as stone, and as eager as its bearer. It had a face flat like a stallion’s, yet it had an inherent curvature that seemed to be implemented on purpose. The color was only fitting for pecker, perched elegantly above the mare’s own gash; a pair of impressively sized testes dangled heavily, curtaining her marehood. “Impressive, hm?” Twilight eyed the beast as it stared back with its one intimidating eye, already leaking some kind of half-baked semen. “I can’t wait to see your face when it’s so deep inside you.” Her mother had a veil of lust and excitement Twilight couldn’t match. Without warning, Velvet pressed the head of the cock against Twilight’s vagina.
       	“Careful with that!” Twilight squealed, her poor cunt hardly making an effort to compensate for the thing.
       	“Oh, don’t worry, it’ll fit just fine!” Velvet persisted, squeezing its girth into the tiny gap, “I’ve seen stallions twice this size.” An image of Applejack came to mind; how did she do it? Both the mares began to grunt as Twilight’s stubborn mother reassured her daughter. Twilight Sparkle, in near tears, stretched her hind leg to either side, hoping to contribute to her role model’s endeavor. Finally, with much effort, sweat, and moans, the head of Velvet’s massive shaft popped into the mare’s pussy, a small lining of blood rimmed the crown. With one quick swoop, Velvet pushed herself into the mare’s body, finding it much easier now that the head was shaping the way. Twilight wouldn’t be able to say the same; she was speechless, gripping the sheets as furiously as possible, trying everything in her might to endure the pain of entry as well as the rapid progression her mother insisted was beneficial. Her head fell light as small droplets budded at the corners of the mare’s vibrant, violet eyes.
       	“It’s not going to fit, it’s not going to fit, it’s not going to fit, it’s not going to fit, it’s not going to fit,” Twilight gasped with every breath and with every inch of progress. Of the massive eight, there were four to go and a speed bump along the way. Twilight screamed without restraint. The rose blush that stained her cheeks were contagious. The flare in her mother’s eyes refused to die down. And the cock, burning her insides, managed to tunnel to the base. Twilight, in shock and horror, came to the realization that within her orifice, a massive, eight-inch hunk of meat stretched her hole. Her mother had dug deep inside her; there was no backing off now. Without a word, Velvet began to withdraw, only to return in entry, each time pressing against her daughter with more force than the last. At first it was easy to take (for as easy as eight inches gets), but began to demand more and more from the alicorn mare. Within her unders, a monster rolled, pulling back and forth from inside her. Her mouth drooled without reason; and her mother, who’s eyes glowed brighter every step of the way, was in love with the process. Her head swung back as she thrusted faster and faster into her daughter’s virgin cunt. A little blood wouldn’t bother her, not when she was in control. Who would’ve known burrowing deep inside her daughter could be the best activity in her life? The way her flesh rubbed with Velvet’s and the sensations accompanied with it, it was surreal and beyond pleasurable. It was heavenly. Tight to the point of near discomfort, yet it were the howls that added to the lust and passion. The expression the pinned down alicorn made was priceless. Such a beautiful portrait of excellency, skewed by deep, internal love that’d managed to rot her to the core. Her mane was a mess, her hooves occupied with both the burning clitoris and the white sheets, soon to be stained with a particular scent. Her pampered hooves, touched with perfection, dangled and kicked in the air the faster she strode. Those rear cheeks, once presenting a mark of pride hailed from all branches of their family, now carried a red tarnish matching her lover’s hips. The royal pussy, once sealed like a zipper, had become stretched to the size of a tennis ball. Her body, molded and clean, displayed a bulge along her lower abdomen that vanished and reanimated at will. It was a deep bulge, monstrously deep and dangerous, yet she loved every second of it. And based on the scarlet face of her alicorn daughter, she loved it as well. As soon as she could find the words, Velvet was certain a  “thanks” was in order.
The clack of flesh on flesh livened the hotel room. The wails from beyond the wood door added color to the hallways. Unrelenting and unrestrained, Twilight cried, taking her mother in full was not an easy task. “Tell me how much you love this,” Velvet huffed, working harder as her daughter’s lack of response continued, “Oh come on, baby~, you know you like this.” Twilight peered at her mother through squinting eyes, unable to mutter any sign of compliance. Rather, she breathed a series of faint wails spoke under her breath. “Aahng!” Velvet cried as the cock grew harder with peaking. Twilight’s wheezes stopped for a moment as she realized what was going on mere milliseconds before the happening. In an instant, a weighty, warm, viscous liquid shot from Velvet. Seed, Twilight’s sex-intoxicated mind recalled. She howled once again as the liquid breached her cervix, overflowing from out her vagina. Then Velvet let out a lengthy expiration, withdrawing the device from her daughter, a gaping crevasse left from her daughter’s genitals along with a downstream of a pearly white liquid, seeping without end. Lacking explanation or time to breathe, Velvet climbed atop her daughter and watched the violet alicorn scarf down the eight inches of meat, swallowing it flawlessly. “You’re even better at this than I!” Velvet remarked, discovering a sense of pride in her daughter’s ability to flawlessly deep throat abnormally large cocks. “Are you sure you’re a virgin?” When the part was pulled from the depths of her esophagus, Twilight Sparkle climbed for air. Cum dripped from the tip of the purple beast, streamers teasing the alicorn mare. But, as quickly as it’d come, the cock disassembled in fibrous strands, blowing away in the wind effectively, but painlessly. Twilight’s eyes widened throughout the process, but more so because of her mother, towering over her with her next great leap. “Hungry?” Her mother laughed, finding Twilight’s controlled responses rather pathetic considering the turn of events she deemed “definitely in her favor”, “I’ve got something you might recognize~”
       	Velvet stood on the bed, exposing her lower-abdomen, featuring all-but-humble breasts plump and ready to be suckled. She didn’t wait for permission; as soon as Velvet presented her gifts, Twilight dove in, grabbing hold of her mother’s tit, and suckling it like a baby, kissing it tenderly with all the compassion in the world. Though the moment could’ve been nostalgic for Velvet, this time she was making all the noise. “Aaah~,” She whinnied, “Now- mmm~ you keep that up~” Velvet began to make use of her strong grip on Twilight’s genitalia, vibrating the nub slowly at first; but as Twilight began to be more aggressive, so did she, nearly pinching the throbbing clitoris until Twilight moaned aloud. Once Velvet could bear no more, without warning, she turned around and raised her rear onto the young alicorn’s face, calling out her name as Twilight’s muzzle ventured deeper into her mother’s vagina. “Oh, Twilight,” she called out, grinding her posterior rough against the mare as her tongue became part of the equation. Velvet began to feel herself become wrapped up in the whole situation. She could feel her daughter’s tongue move inside her, left to right, cleaning the walls of her vagina as she passed. Her muzzle, though it was a tight fit, only proved to stretch her insides; Velvet finally reached her breaking point, falling into a pair of Twilight’s own, well-developed tits, where she found comfort in nibbling an alicorn’s erected nipples. With every half-inch Twilight dug deeper into her mother’s vagina, Velvet could feel her insides closing up, collapsing from shock. The powdered-white mare wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead as she once again ignited the blue-glow from her horn and targeted her daughter’s own entry. “I’ve got a surprise for you, dear~,” Velvet ignored the murmuring from behind her. With one carefully recited spell, Velvet conjured a bright-blue dildo made entirely of focused magic. Peering behind her, Velvet’s daughter hadn’t noticed the object, as her senses tended greater matters. Without warning and with a single, progressive motion, Velvet lodged the object deep within her daughter’s anus, spreading her open faster than she could react. When she did, however, it came with a gasp and a scream: the sounds of success to the dominant party.
       	“V-Velv~et!” Twilight cried as the object spelunked deeper within her colon, managing to grow longer in size by the distance traveled, “I-I can’t do this! Th-This is too much!” Twilight spoke out, her words instantly overruled by the shining blue dildo. A tail raised before her eyes, introducing Velvet’s deliciously swollen anus.
       	“Shut up and dig in,” she chuckled, returning to the business of entertaining her daughter’s underutilized sex.
       	Twilight squinted her eyes as the object within her continued its exploration, finally stopping at the peak of her ascending colon, only to change into a vibrator of seismic abilities. Hesitantly, whilst juggling the pressure of having a tongue in her vagina, a toy the size of her large intestines mutilating her insides, and her mother’s ass presented in bold color before her very eyes, Twilight poked her tongue out to trace the textured rim of Velvet’s anus. Teasingly, Velvet flexed it, again inviting her daughter to explore the regions of her body once forbidden. Conjuring whatever magic she had left, Twilight stretched her mother’s anus to either side, inserting her tongue to clean it, discovering the satisfaction of hearing her mother moan.
       	“D-Do think you can handle this?” Velvet spotted her daughter’s miserable expression. She was sweating profusely, having been barely able to keep up with her mother’s teasing; among other things, Twilight was clearly struggling to manage the magic dildo that caved her insides. Still, drenched in fluids and breathing the savory scent that they both produced, Velvet remained determined to push her daughter to the limits.
       	“Ready?” Velvet panted, a wide, mischievous smile creeping across her face. She halted the dildo, vanishing in mid-air, leaving Twilight’s insides a gaping mess. Nevertheless, it did little change the fact that Twilight was doing all she could to raise a brow, anything to express confusion other than the proposed:
       	“Huh?”
       	Like the sound of the bell, Twilight had initiated the most mind-numbingly intense form of lovemaking she’d ever experienced. Despite the dildos and tongue action she and her mother had played with, nothing could compare to the sheer voltage Velvet’s “new trick” provided.
       	“I learned this one in college,” She explained, watching as her daughter’s mouth shot open. Velvet beamed a bright blue light toward her daughter’s vagina, near blinding Twilight with a shell-shocking amount of ecstasy. It was as if her entire body was vibrating, breaking up nerves in every muscle group, yet, she was not in pain. Instead, every millisecond offered a head rush the size of a tidal wave, using every last unit of energy she had within her body, be it magic or natural strength, and converting it into copious amounts of raw, unadulterated pleasure. Had she been able to think, she would’ve assumed herself fallen dead by her mother.