There she stood, in all her glory, her beautiful white coat shining among the crowd of smaller ponies gathered around her as if she herself were a brilliant ray of light among a darkened sky. The exception being, this was no ordinary light, as this was brilliance only one as amazing as Princess Celestia herself could radiant, and it was her doing just that. The princess, too preoccupied to notice at first, quickly became aware of Twilight’s presence. While Twilight stared in awe and excitement, Princess Celestia slowly made her way over to her favorite protégé.
The other ponies around began parting to make way for their leader, bowing before her grace. It was not long before Celestia was upon Twilight, who had quickly realized she had been staring at her with a dumbfounded expression. In a failing attempt, Twilight tried to regain her composure, but it had been too late, and the princess had already seen her less than regal expression and let out a soft giggle.
“Princess Celestia, it’s been so long! How have things been?” the now blushing student asked as she knelt before the majestic princess.
“Oh come now Twilight, we’ve know each other for so long! You already know, you may address me simply as Celestia.” she responded, beckoning her most faithful pupil to rise.
“Ah, as you wish Princess… oh, I mean Celestia.” Twilight rose, averting her eyes and forcing an even more embarrassed smile.
It had been a long time. Ever since Twilight was a filly, and hoof-chosen by Celestia herself to be her personal apprentice, they had spent nearly every waking moment together. Twilight simply never left Celestia’s side, unless the princess had “important grow’d up stuff” to do. In that case, Twilight spent her time in the care of Celestia’s niece, Cadence. It wasn’t that Twilight didn’t absolutely adore her foal-sitter, but rather, she much preferred the company of Celestia instead. Celestia had essentially taken care of Twilight as if she was her own foal, and Twilight had loved every minute of it. She grew up admiring Celestia for the kindness, love, and generosity she had shown not just to her, but to every subject of Equestria as well.
“Twilight… Twilight? How have you been? Are you enjoying your stay in Ponyville? I’ve yet to see the rest of your friends tonight.” Celestia inquired, leaning in closer due to concern for her student’s silence.
“Oh! Well, it’s been quite nice!” the lavender pony replied. She hadn’t realized she was daydreaming in the face of the princess and did her best to snap back to reality.” I’ve been getting along well with everypony. They’re all so kind to me, but I do miss all the time I get to spend with you.”
The two nuzzled each other. It was a sensation Twilight had dearly missed. The warmth radiating from Celestia had brought back several memories which greatly eased and comforted the pony’s disoriented mind. Twilight felt the safety and security she had not felt for quite some time, continuing to enjoy the moment. What she hadn’t realized was that she had gotten so caught up in relishing the feelings that Celestia had already pulled away, leaving her snuggling against thin air.
“Oh… ehehe, sorry about that!” Twilight let out with a discouraged sigh as soon as she came to her senses again.
“Not at all. You must be troubled and have missed me dearly!” Celestia asserted, leaning in to fill the void in which Twilight huddled against once more.
Twilight had missed her. She had missed her much more than she’d ever even know, for over the years twilight had grown very attached to the princess. When the other fillies teased her or harassed her for being Celestia’s student, Celestia was there to comfort her and reassure her of her deserving of the position. Whenever she had a nightmare or couldn’t get to bed, Celestia had left an open chamber door for her. Whenever she was just having a bad day in general, Celestia was always there to remind her to remain strong and persevere, for there were those who loved her. Even when she had perused a rather intimate relationship with a colt that went on to be a Wonderbolt, Celestia had been there to support her, giving her a hot-air balloon that would let her visit him in Cloudsdale. And when that colt had left her broken hearted, Celestia immediately sheltered and cared for the crestfallen pony. No one had ever shown so much love or care to Twilight, and it was all those little moments building up to then that had caused the feelings respect and admiration she had for the princess to blossom into pure love.
After that event, the two grew even closer. Twilight no longer had to ask, as she was simply allowed to stay with the princess in her private chambers. Despite being given her own private residence in the Canterlot library, she still spent most of her nights in that tower. She had given Celestia the chance to unwind and talk about her day, but only sought her company in return. They would chat for hours and hours, until Celestia finally fell asleep from exhaustion. Twilight would often stay up and just watch the princess sleep. Even in the moonlight, Celestia’s body seemed to glow, the soft light of the sky cascading across her spotless white coat. Her typically flowing mane and tail would finally come to a rest, but shone just as well at night too. Her beauty never ceased to amaze Twilight, and how she managed to remain so elegant, even in her sleep had always managed to baffle her.
If only she had the courage to tell her the truth. If only a love between the two of them even had a remote probability of ever working out. Twilight had wracked her brain again and again at the statistics and numbers, but always came to the same conclusion. No matter what she did, they simply could not be. She had simulated every possible situation and outcome in her brain, and they all ended the same. She had read nearly every book available in all of Canterlot, but managed to find nothing about an immortal alicorn ever being in love with a regular unicorn, let alone any other creature. She loved Celestia with every ounce of her being, but had no clue as to how they’d ever manage a relationship. Thus, Twilight always came to the conclusion that it would never work out. She was this close to the immortal, ever-present beauty and radiance of her love and for now, it’d have to do.
“Is smmming tromminng ou…?” a mumbling voice called out, once again breaking Twilight’s daydream.
“Huh? What?!” Twilight blurted out.
“I said, is something bothering you?” Celestia asked again.
“Ah, sorry! I just got really caught up in seeing you again. I guess I got lost in memories of our times together!” the worried pony yelped, forcing a smile. She realized she’d been daydreaming again.
“Not to worry, it happens to us all.” The cheery alicorn softly smiled back. “Now then, why don’t you go get comfortable and enjoy the gala? I must apologize, as I will be very busy tonight greeting guests. It seems this will be a majority of my duties tonight.”
“Oh no, that’s quite alright. If you don’t mind, I’d much rather spend the night here by your side!” Twilight quickly replied with an eager smile.
“Oh, well if you insist!” the shimmering alicorn replied, at first vexed by her apprentice’s request, but quickly regaining her composure.
Hours flew by as wave upon wave of ponies from all over Equestria came into the brightly lit main hall of Canterlot Castle. Celestia gracefully greeted each pony with the same kindness and sincerity, which amazed Twilight. Occasionally, she’d pass a glance at her faithful pupil, who had grown weary from what seemed like an eternity of exchanging respects with an endless sea of guests. When their eyes would meet, she’d pass Twilight a gentle, warm smile, and Twilight would force a smile back, hiding her boredom and exhaustion. The princess could see through her façade, but Twilight did her best to reassure Celestia she was enjoying her time anyways.
Twilights thoughts were elsewhere though. In truth, she had been too busy admiring how beautiful the princess was to even care about who else she met. Celestia had always been lovely, but tonight she had to look magnificent for her guests, and to Twilight she looked divine. The light brilliantly reflected across the gems and jewels adorning the princess’ crown. Her mane shone just as brightly under the hanging chandelier, her beautiful pastel mane flew gracefully to and fro as it always had, and her voice was as delicate and beautiful as ever. Twilight admired her beautiful, majestic wings that remained gently folded at her sides, and how her tall, slender body would maintain its regal posture, even when craning her neck to meet her guests’ eye line. In fact, at least to Twilight, the entire room seemed to be significantly lit from Celestia’s brilliance alone.
After countless ponies, including a certain Wonderbolt Twilight didn’t care to greet, had made their way in and been properly greeted, the pair had finally found a lull in the line. Celestia’s eyes darted across the room to check for others as she let out a deep sigh of relief. “Thank goodness that’s over for now!” she let out with her deep sigh. “How about we make a break for my quarters before even more ponies begin to arrive?” Celestia had been crooking her neck, urging the slightly droopy-eyed Twilight to move as fast as she could.
“Certainly, that sounds delightful!” Twilight exclaimed as a huge smile beamed across her face. It had been what felt like ages since she had been there, and it would be just like old times she assured herself.
The two made their way to the largest tower at the far side of the castle and ascended the stairs to the private chamber. As the door flung open, Twilight’s eyes slowly began to adjust to the darkness of the unlit room. As they wandered in, she could make out that nearly everything had been kept the way she had remembered it.
The furniture seemingly hadn’t moved an inch since she was a filly. In the far corner, Celestia’s massive bed lay invitingly. Next to the bed was a dresser, containing many things personal and precious to Celestia. Twilight had often wondered of its contents, but never dared to ask of it. Further back was a massive glass door which led onto a moonlit balcony. From here, Celestia would raise the Sun and Moon themselves, as well as watch over her beloved land of Equestria. Often, Twilight would wake up early with Celestia, to watch as she began the day, and even when she brought about the darkness of the night. Those moments had never ceased to amaze Twilight, due to the visions of Celestia raw, untamed power being put to work. It was something few ponies ever got to see, save the Summer Sun Celebration. A couch lay next to an unlit fireplace where the princess typically received and read her letters, and a bookshelf sat nearby, full of scrolls Twilight had sent over the months, the sheer amount causing her to blush.
Something in particular that had always caught Twilight’s eye, and used to bother her curiosity greatly, now brought a great smile to her face. What used to be an old, dusty painting frame lying face down in the corner of the room now proudly sat above the fireplace’s mantle. Previously, Celestia had insisted to Twilight that it was simply “A memory I cannot let go of.” Now Twilight understood why. She could barely make out the picture in the moonlight at first, but once her eyes had adjusted further, it had become obvious what it was. In the luxuriously decorated frame was an exquisitely painted portrait of Celestia and her younger sister, Luna. The two were elegantly posed facing away from each other, one forehoof regally lifted each, and were adorned what she decided were beautiful ceremonial robes. However, rather than each sister having a serious look on their faces, both of their necks had been craned around so that they were both heartily smiling at each other. Twilight could never imagine how close they were, or how hard it had been on Celestia to banish her one and only beloved sister, but now that Luna was back and was no longer Nightmare Moon, harmony could be restored between the two.
Celestia drearily crawled to her bed and fell over onto it instantly with a hard thud. The small lavender pony followed after her, gingerly trotting over and hopping on much more quietly. As they lay in bed together, Twilight couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Celestia was in the moonlight again. The moon’s bright rays caused Celestia’s sleek coat to glow, just as it did when she had remembered it. She hadn’t the opportunity to gaze upon Celestia’s beauty in the moonlight in what seemed like ages, and had been readily enjoying the moment now. As Twilight’s eyes met Celestia’s, both let out a soft smile, Celestia pleased to see her beloved student, and Twilight enchanted by the beauty before her.
Heavy silence fell upon the room, gracefully guided down by the moon and stars sparing rays of light. While she stared off into the moonlight sky, enjoy the company of her beloved one, time began to fly by. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours, and before she’d realized, Twilight had lost all track of time. Eventually, small mutterings broke the silence, directing Twilight’s attention to the massive alicorn she lay by. Poor Celestia had fallen asleep, exhausted from her night’s duties.
Twilight softly giggled, continuing to gaze upon the beauty of the princess. Celestia continued to mumble in her sleep, bringing her long, slender hooves around Twilight and dragging her in. Celestia forcibly curled up to her, causing the small unicorn’s heart to race. Twilight quickly became overwhelmed with warmth and comfort. Memories and emotions from the past washed over her, causing her to lose control of herself and just sink in to enjoy the moment they were sharing. Twilight whimpered softly as a single tear rolled down her cheek and off her chin. She cuddled closer to her love and let out a content sigh.
Twilight basked in the tenderness of the moment. The night had been far better than she could have ever imagined. If only she could admit her true feelings to the one she cared so much for. Why couldn’t they be together? What would happen if she were to ever reveal the truth? Weren’t things already perfect? Why should she risk all this over what could never be? Many questions troubled the aching mare, none of them to ever be answered.
“I love you Celestia.” Twilight let out with a soft whimper, her lips quivering at the pain she had felt at that moment. “I’ll always love you so much, and you may never know that. But being by your side, being so close to you in ways like this, well, I suppose it’s enough.”
Twilight had said it was enough, but she knew she was only lying in a failed attempt to comfort herself. Her heart yearned for the love she had felt from Celestia before, but to a much larger extent than ever before. It yearned for a love she feared she’d never know. It ached constantly when they were apart, and Twilight knew that once she returned to Ponyville, it would ache once again as it had before.
“It is enough.” Twilight shakily attempted to reassure herself, only failing to believe it further. They continued to lay in the darkness; Twilight doing her best to enjoy what she’d assumed was going to become a fleeting moment at any given second. Shortly, Celestia broke off into a soft, quiet snore as she hugged the small mare even tighter. Things were almost perfect.
“This is enough…”
Suddenly, a clamorous uproar came from the rest of the castle, disturbing the silence. Celestia violently jerked out of her slumber, accidentally flinging the mare in her arms across the room. Celestia exchanged a groggy, disoriented, and apologetic glace with her now shaken and roughed up pupil, doing her best to hold back her laughter. The two both giggled a bit, but quickly snapped back to reality and immediately made their way for the main hall of the castle.
“What in the name of Celestia is going on?!” Twilight shouted in dismay.
“I haven’t the faintest!” Celestia panted out at first, and then let out a slight laugh at irony of Twilight’s utterance, causing the pony to turn red yet again.
The two bust down the door to the ballroom to stumble upon the chaos. A massive, priceless statue of Princess Celestia, along with its accompanying marble pillars, lay in ruins and several guests were covered in apple cake, many seemingly focused on four ponies in particular.
“Oh no, it couldn’t be…” Twilight thought to herself. The horrified expression on Princess Celestia’s face made her own face cringe, completely shutting her eyes. She prayed to the alicorn standing next to her that her suspicions were wrong. As she opened them, she confirmed her dismal notions. Four of her friends stared back at her with equally dejected expressions. “Well, it can’t get any worse…”
At that very same moment, the doors leading to the royal garden burst open and several animals rushed in, causing chaos and panic among the party ponies. Behind them, a bruised and batter Fluttershy, Twilight’s fifth friend from Ponyville who had been attending the Gala with her, stomped into the ball room.
“You’re going to LOVE ME!!!” Fluttershy screamed at who she intended to be all the garden’s animals, causing the guests to panic even further. The ballroom broke had broken out into utter chaos. There was rubble and cake everywhere, and ponies and critters fled in all directions, hoping to escape. The Gala had been ruined, all thanks to Twilight’s friends.
She turned to Celestia, horrified and embarrassed. “Uh… umm… errr… guh… ehhhh… huuuu” Twilight fought to get any sensible words out, failing utterly. As Celestia leaned in closer to her, she expected to receive the scolding of a lifetime. Instead, the princess only uttered one word to her.
“…run.”
