BIRDS OF A FEATHER
“No, I said I needed Crosswind’s Guide to Constellations. This is Knack’s Primer on Nebulae. They aren’t even shelved near each other!” Twilight winced as a little bit of the frustration she’d been feeling all night managed to slip into her voice at last.
Owlowiscious shrank back from her, his head retreating into his billowy feathers as he tried to make himself as small as he could. “Hoo.”
Twilight sighed, and closed her eyes against the growing headache she was fighting back. She was going to pay for pulling an all-nighter like this. It took all she had not to fall asleep listening to the petitions of earls and dukes who seemed to love listening to the sound of their own voices droning on and on, and that was when she was operating on a full night’s sleep. At this rate, all of Equestria would soon know her as Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Narcolepsy. Still, Marey’s Comet wouldn’t return for decades. She certainly wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to observe it, and from the Royal Observatory, no less!
But her nocturnal assistant, usually so on the ball, was making that very difficult.
“Look, I’m not mad, okay?” said Twilight, trying to make herself sound comforting. “I’m kinda starting to worry about you though. Are you feeling alright?”
Owlowiscious nodded vigorously. “Hoo!”
“It’s just that you’ve seemed really, I don’t know, off these last couple of nights. Next time we get back to Ponyville, maybe I should have Fluttershy take a look at you. Wouldn’t want you coming down with anything because you were working too hard.”
He shook his head. “Hoo.”
Twilight sighed. “Well, if you’re sure. Could you go get me the book I asked for, please?”
Twilight watched him fly away into the stacks, her mind turning as she tried to figure out what could be bothering him. When had the changes in his behavior started? Thinking back, the first time she had noticed anything had been when they’d spent the fortnight after her coronation in the palace. It had gone by in a whirlwind of dress fittings, briefings, and formal events at all hours of the day and night. His help had been indispensable, but more and more she had noticed that he seemed... distracted.
He’s probably as tired as I am, she eventually concluded. With a shrug, she turned her attention back to her notes as she scribbled down observations on the comet’s passing, pausing here and there to check the calibrations of her telescope. It was nearly dawn, and there wasn’t much time left before...
Less time than she thought, it seemed. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Princess Luna stepping out onto the balcony of the tower across the broad courtyard. Twilight redoubled her efforts to take advantage of every second of night remaining, writing down her thoughts as quickly as she could. There would be time to go back and restructure them later on.
Even though she was pressed for time, she allowed herself to be distracted as Luna’s horn began to glow. Little shivers ran through her body as she felt the pull of magic lowering the moon towards the horizon to bring the night to an end. She wondered if she would ever really get used to it.
As Owlowiscious returned with the book she needed (too late to do any good now but she wasn’t going to mention that) Twilight waved at the princess, catching her attention after a moment. Luna waved back, and with a toss of her mane she leapt from the balcony and glided over to the observatory. She disappeared from sight for a moment, and then entered from the side door that lead out to the observatory's deck. “Twilight! Good morning to you. May the dawn bring you a day full of excitement and joy.”
“Thank you, Princess. I think it’s more likely to bring meetings and work, but I appreciate the sentiment. And I very much enjoyed the comet last night.”
“Grand! It was beautiful, was it not?” asked Luna, an undisguised grin spreading over her face.
“Hoo!”
“Ah, and a good morning to you too, Owlowiscious. Did you enjoy the comet as well?”
“Hoo.”
Luna shook her head. “How I wish I could. But such events are all the more special for how rarely they come about.”
Twilight frowned, and looked back and forth from Owlowiscious to Luna. “Princess, do you... do you speak owl?”
Luna tilted her head. “Do you not?”
“Um... no...” said Twilight, fidgeting in her seat.
“It should come as no surprise that I can commune with the creatures of the night, after all.”
Twilight brightened right up. “That makes sense. You’ll have to teach me sometime. It would really make things easier for Owlowiscious if he could just tell me if something was bothering him.”
“Nothing would delight me more.” Her smile slipped into a concerned frown as she turned to Owlowiscious. “But is there something that troubles you, master owl? Would you like to discuss it?”
“Hoo...”
Luna waved a dismissive hoof through the air. “Oh, pish posh. If it weighs on your mind it is no trouble at all. Now come here.” She held out a foreleg, and after a moment’s hesitation Owlowiscious flapped his wings and flew up to perch upon it. He fluttered his wings and settled himself, then looked away. “No need to be ashamed. What is the matter?”
“Hoo.”
Luna grew solemn. “Owlowiscious, listen to me. I most certainly will not laugh at you. I am your Princess, as much as I am everypony’s, and your concerns are my concerns. My subjects’ worries are never a laughing matter.”
“Hoo.”
“Really?” asked Luna, glancing over at Twilight. “I’m sure she only wants to help. If you’d let me pass on whatever you tell me I’m sure she’d—”
“Hoo!”
Twilight furrowed her brow, her notes placed off to the side and forgotten. “So there is something wrong? What is it?”
“Forgive me Twilight,” said Luna, shaking her head. “He wishes for this to remain a private matter between us, and I intend to respect that wish.”
“Private matter?” Twilight frowned, a little hurt at the idea of her assistant not trusting her with something that was obviously upsetting him. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice.”
“That you do not,” agreed Luna. She returned her attention to Owlowiscious. “I agree to your terms. Now, what is it?”
“Hoo.”
“Ah... I should have guessed,” said Luna. A sly grin spread over her face. “Well, that’s not such a terrible thing. In fact, it’s rather wonderful. Still, it must be asked...” she trailed off for just a moment, considering her words. “Well, to put it simply, who?”
“Hoo.”
“Who?”
“Hoo.”
“Ooh...”
“I’m so lost right now,” said Twilight.
The others ignored her. “Well, I understand how you could feel intimidated,” said Luna. “Still, there’s nothing to be gained by pining. What is it, specifically, that has drawn your eye?”
“Hoo. Hoo hoo, hoo.”
Luna gasped, and turned to Twilight. “Why, Twilight, you never told me that your assistant was such a poet.”
Twilight cocked her head, trying to follow the conversation unfolding in front of her. “He is?”
“I should say so,” she replied. “Trust me, Owlowiscious, simply repeat such words, and I think you’ll find her receptive. Very receptive, if you catch my meaning.”
“Hoo!”
Luna scoffed. “This is the root of the problem. You have her perched on a pedestal. She has needs too, you know. No one will think you less of a gentlebird for noticing the physical.”
“Hoo.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “Oh, don’t be so coy. She’s radiant. Beautiful plumage. Now come, I want to hear you say it. I swear I will not repeat it to a soul, but it will do you a world of good to come to terms with your baser nature. It is a part of us all.”
“Hoo.”
Luna tsked. “Come now, I’m sure you can be more creative than that. Why don’t you tell me what you’d really like to do?”
“...Hoo. Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo, hoo, hoo hoo, hoo! Hoo! HOO!” Owlowiscious’ long trail of hoots and squawks died down, leaving a stunned, slack-jawed Princess Luna staring at him. A deep blush began to spread across her face. For a long time, the only sound in the observatory was the ticking of the clock. A stray breeze coming through the open window caught Twilight’s telescope, and the tiny creek of it shifting was clearly audible through the silence. “...Hoo?”
That broke the spell. “No, I just... I mean I did ask. Still, I can’t believe you even know that can be done with a weather vane.” She cleared her throat. “Well, as long as she’s open to the idea. There is nothing to be lost by asking, at least.”
“Hoo.”
“Well, if it isn’t that, then what is it?”
“Hoo.”
Luna’s face grew serious, and a little bit sad. “Indeed, I can see how that complicates matters. I have been on the other side of such things in the past, and... I will not tell you that it does not hurt, or that the loss is not sharper than it might have been if one had never allowed oneself the joy in the first place.”
“Hoo.”
She burst into laughter. “Yes, it really is, isn’t it? You are wise beyond your years, master owl.” Luna looked over where Twilight was still seated at the desk, listening quietly. “Twilight.” The voice shocked Twilight back to alertness. “You read quite a bit, do you not?”
“That’s probably an understatement,” she replied, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof and looking away, embarrassed.
“Indeed. And when you finish a story, a story that you truly loved with all your heart, how do you feel?”
“Well...” Twilight pondered the question for a little bit. She had the sneaking suspicion that this had turned into a test of some sort or another. “If it was really wonderful, then I guess I feel a little sad and disappointed that there isn’t any more of it. But it’s... a good kind of hurt, I guess? I mean, the only reason it hurts is because it was so engaging and wonderful.”
“And when a story is over, when you’ve returned the book to the library or given it away to someone else, is it gone?”
“Of course not!” said Twilight. “If it was that good, I’m going to remember it for a long time. And maybe someday, there’ll be a sequel or another story that’s good too. Maybe better for having read that first story.”
Luna smiled, and something told Twilight that if this was a test, it was one she’d just passed. “You see, Owlowiscious? Such is the way of things for those like us. We shed tears for those we have lost, but in the end they are happy tears. After all, they spring from the happiest memories.”
“Hoo?”
“Many times. And I have never once regretted any of them.” Luna placed the owl back on the table, and smiled. “I do hope you found this helpful, in some small way. Is there anything else I can do?”
“Hoo.”
Luna gaped, then broke into a happy smile. “How bold! Yes, I agree. Seize the day, and make the most of the time you have. If you are certain you are ready, then I will make that happen. You are certain?”
“Hoo!”
“That’s the spirit!” Luna rose to her hooves, and Owlowiscious fluttered over to her back. “Come along, Twilight.”
“Huh?” asked Twilight, getting up from her seat. “Where are we going?”
“Breakfast,” answered Luna, the hint of a barely-suppressed grin twitching at the corner of her mouth.
The trio walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle, as Twilight suppressed another yawn. Thick carpets absorbed the sound of their hoofsteps, and they walked on in silence. On Luna’s back, Owlowiscious had started pacing and shifting his talons, though Luna pressed on as if oblivious. Finally, with one last shake of his head, he grew still. Eventually, they all approached a great door at the end of a hallway, and the two guards saluted their princesses as they opened it ahead of them.
The doors opened to a great banquet hall, mostly absent of guests save for one pony at the head of the table, the golden aura of her magic wrapped around a half-eaten bran muffin as she absentmindedly scanned the newspaper.
“Good morning, sister,” said Luna, trotting through the dining room past a cornucopia of breakfast foods laid out for the princesses. It was far too much for them to ever finish, and Twilight had initially refused to attend out of sheer embarrassment until Celestia had let her in on the fact that the ‘Royal Breakfast’ was picked at over the course of the morning by hungry bureaucrats and servants working in the palace, and little of it ended up going to waste. Twilight was relieved to hear this, if only because the palace kitchen made damn good blueberry pancakes and she had secretly been dreading being forced to take a moral stand that would have deprived her of them.
Celestia looked up at them and smiled. “Good morning Luna, and you as well, Twilight. Care to join me for breakfast?”
“In a moment. Before we do, it occurs to me that two of us have never been formally introduced. I mean to correct that.”
Celestia frowned, puzzled, and opened her mouth to protest. But Luna walked right past her, towards the corner of the room where a phoenix was perched on a golden stand, happily munching away on a bowlful of seeds. She looked up as Princess Luna approached.
“Owlowiscious,” she said, turning to regard her passenger with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, “allow me to present to you the Lady Philomena.”
