Student of the Night

Chapters

Calm Before
The Storm
The Exam
Welcome Home
Castle Life
Interlude: A Sick Little Student
Castle Life II
A Return
Beginnings and Ends
Politics and Ponies
Meetings
End of an Era
Opening Moves
Throwing the Gauntlet
Closed Circle
Restoration
Unexpected Intelligence
Fluid Dynamics
Compulsory Conversations
Gathering Strength
Things That Linger
Betrayals Over Brunch
Night and Day
A Trip to the Library [E]
Cadance Interlude: A Matter of Love

Calm Before

The morning began like any other -- to no surprise of Twilight’s. It mattered not how the night before progressed, the morning after always started the same. She had a routine; a simple little schedule that did her well. And so, after a mere four hours of sleep, Twilight woke on her own accord. Eight A.M sharp, like every other day. She didn’t need a timepiece, nor the clock on the side of her bed to tell her that. Her internal clock possessed more accuracy, more precision, and more trustworthiness than any physical item. Today, it served her well. The day Twilight Sparkle woke after eight A.M. was the day that the world would end.

Despite the late night, Twilight woke with no headache, no nausea when she roused from her slumber. The first few weeks of her trysts to the library had left her exhausted, a barely moving corpse shambling along her daily life. Those precious beginning weeks had been the most precocious, her life balancing on a razor’s edge. The dangers of the night were not the only menace she competed with; her own awareness had started to dip and wane as well, her body betraying her during those long, quiet nights.

Several times, she had fallen asleep in her place in the library. Those were the most perilous times, the times where she’d nearly been discovered. If she had even slept a few minutes over… well, she didn’t like to think about it that much. Those thoughts only brought memories of Aqua -- memories of a friend long gone. Twilight remembered her, even if the others in the orphanage tried to pretend she never existed.

Not only that, but her brother and the Matron had become eerily suspicious for those weeks. They had noticed her acting strangely, noticed the zombie she had become. How could they not? Anypony who knew her well could tell. Even the other unicorns had made passing comments. But Matron and Shining acted more proactive, more caring than any of the others. They wheedled and pushed, pressing on and on until they got the answers they so desperately craved.

But Twilight was good. Twilight was careful. She would never let those precious secrets slip from her hooves, she would never let them find out. She suspected that her brother had a hint, a hint that she crept out at night, but nothing more. Nopony followed her through the winding passages, never caught her on re-entry. Shining had no clue where she went, other than ‘out'.

And speaking of her nightly visits, the mad dash home had been something of a record. On any other night, Twilight knew the exact pathway to take home, the exact steps to make, the exact stones to avoid. But after the visit from the strange ponies, things were different.

Her way home deviated from the careful, meticulous walk that she was used to. No, it turned into a sprint, a near kamikaze to get to safety, to get to cover. Her normal path meant somepony could follow her, they could figure out where she lived. With the only possible suspects being the mare and her friend, that would be a death stroke for Twilight. Twilight owned the library at night and to see another pony there had been more than terrifying. She had felt violated, like her secrets had been ripped forcefully from her mind. Neither the white mare nor her accomplice had permission to visit her lair, and thusly, they had intruded on her sanctum. Their crime was especially foul since they knew of her teacher, knew of the ones hiding the marks. Perhaps they were fellow students, acolytes in service to the great mare behind the mask, the one behind all of her secret lessons and private studies. She’d been so caught up in that aura, that malaise that stuck to the mare she hadn’t even thought to confront them, to demand how they knew of her teacher. But no, Twilight was much too careful for that. Twilight would find out, but it wouldn’t be today, nor tomorrow, nor did it even need to be within the year. But, she would find out.

Eight o’ five passed with Twilight still in bed. Rarely did it take Twilight longer than a moment or two, but she had been lost in her own thought. With only the smallest of groans, the mare herself sat up on the straw mattress that she called her bed. Their room was sharp contrast after sharp contrast, revealing their caste as orphans obviously. Their positions belied a stigma, a coat of taboo attached to their bodies. No matter what Twilight did with her life, everypony always knew. No matter how they walked, no matter how they carried themselves, no matter where they went, everypony knew. To be an orphan meant being a shame, a shame that no deed could wash away entirely, save for adoption. Ignorance born of superstition fueled the craze.

To be an orphan meant a mark, marred by the plague for the entirety of your life. You were unlucky, you were soiled, ruined for all. To be around one of them invited the misfortunate on your own life; which may as well hang out a ‘welcome’ sign for the plague. It was all foolishness, but the uneducated, unwashed masses believed every word of it, believed it to be absolute and total truth. No amount of intervention from the crown or help from the nobles changed that. No reason would change the blinded eyes of the foolish ponies who believed such things. Twilight couldn’t help but grit her teeth at the thought.

Because, or rather in spite of this, the room showed off the odd mixture of riches that revealed the inhabitants as orphans. In the upper classes, mass sympathy still sputtered on, yet it was a token sympathy, something fashionable and nothing more. The noble ponies used it as nothing more than a way to look ‘good', a way to show how delightfully altruistic they could be, how much they cared about the lesser ponies. Bah.

It manifested its way in the oddest of ways. No noble started a food donation campaign, or book lending, or charity drives. Those pompous fools believed those needs were long taken care of. And besides, what did a pony really want? According to them, ponies could do without all of the above. A pony could live without food, or clean water. But not their gift! No, for some Celestia-forsaken reason, some noble pony had gotten it in their head the orphans needed clothes. Well, clothes and blankets. Thus, there had been a veritable flood of the two into their little orphanage. Every pony had at least ten outfits and five blankets for themselves. Who even needed that many? Twilight wasn’t exactly complaining about the free stuff, but it was such a waste of time, such a misallocation of resources.

Regardless, she would exploit it for whatever she could. Quilts, afghans, and blankets of all types piled onto her bed, overloading it and practically turning it into a nest. The blankets served their purpose well during the winter months, keeping the chill away adequately. But, the warm, comfortable nights of the fall hardly needed them. For those, the blankets were nothing more than padding, extra comfort against the hard, wooden underframes. Shining, her brother’s bed, looked much the same, and each of them had their own little dressers, stocked tight with clothes of their own. Little adornments crested the top of each of their dressers. Each of them had a portrait of their parents, rare, beautiful things in this day and age. Shining had their father, the proud, noble stallion in fully uniform dress overlooking them and keeping them safe at night. Twilight’s was of their mother, her warm, comforting gaze strong enough to ward off even the worst of nightmares.

Next to each of their beds was a nightstand, a few individual items on top. Shining’s clean in an almost spartan fashion, while Twilight’s still held half-burnt candles and books she had long since finished, or started and never finished. During the day, she stuffed her packs under the bed, keeping them hidden as best she could. That, and Shining insisted the room stay clean, already training to be in a guard-house. She didn’t exactly know why she to follow that rule, since she was never going to be in such conditions, but he’d twisted her into it.

It had become part of her routine to pick out an outfit for the day. Twilight didn’t care for superficialities, didn’t care for all the frills and colors. Twilight lived and breathed function over form, but the clothes that were so graciously gifted to them most of the time weren’t. She made do with some modification, and today would be. She tried to plan this kind of thing in weeks, just a few minutes on one of her evenings was enough to plan ahead for several days. Instead of digging through for several minutes every morning, she spent barely fifteen seconds. Just another little time saver.

Twilight dug through the dresser, pulling out a simple green dress that wouldn’t get in the way. Some pony somewhere had set the paradigm long; mares got dresses, stallions got pants and conservative shirts. Culture dictated that mares and fillies absolutely must wear skirts, much to the dismay of Twilight. Wearing pants, rather than the long flowing skirts of a dress made skipping across the streets during the night infinitely easier. Twilight had smuggled a few pairs of her own into the back of her drawers, her little stolen stash of night gear. She only wore them at night, without even having the chance to wash them. Thus, they were disgusting things, stained, broken and cut open in multiple places. But, ultimately, she owned them, alone, and there their importance rose.

Eight ten A.M crested the clock. Twilight had fallen behind schedule, behind by nearly four full minutes now! It seemed introspection dominated today, though with the night she had how could it not be? With one final stretch, she made her way out of her and Shining’s resting place. Like the rooms themselves, the rest of the orphanage had better days. Most of the orphans lived on the upper two floors, both of them nearly exactly the same.

One long hallway split the middle, with a shared bathroom at one end (one toilet and one shower per fifteen foals) and a spiral staircase at the other. Eight doors were interspersed down the length, each leading to a bedroom much like hers. On her own story, there were seven shared rooms and one solo. The lone room held Quarker, the oldest Earth pony in their orphanage. He shared Shining’s age, if she remembered right. The ones on her side of the hall were all unicorns, the only ones that were actually in the orphanage. The upper floor repeated the pattern, with the same layout and all, save with pegasi on the side where the unicorns would be. There were no mixed race rooms after a certain.. Incident. Ponies spoke of it only in whispers, but everypony knew what had happened. There was a reason that Quaker was in a room all by himself, after all.

Twilight sniffed, and the hint of breakfast wafted up to her.

Twilight trotted down the stairs quickly, following the delicious scents gracing her nose. If there was one thing that was as reliable as Twilight, it was their breakfast. Their breakfast was everything you could ever want from a breakfast, everything anypony could eat. Pancakes, waffles, toast, fruits of all kinds, syrup, even bacon due to a few of the residents. The orphanage hardly ever had much money, but Matron always made sure they had something to eat, usually at the expense of herself and a few of the older orphans. The older foals had taken a secret pact long ago. Once you were thirteen, you were in on it. During the winter months, the older foals only ate every other day, to save money for Matron. The young ones needed their strength and ate their fill instead. It was just one of the many ways the orphanage scraped by. But now wasn’t winter, and Twilight felt starving.

Like the rest of the building, the rooms in the ground floor were horribly cramped. A foyer housed the front door, though the room was abandoned now. Hardly anypony ever came to adopt, so there was no point in really waiting. However, everypony’s attention did need to go somewhere, and it went to the playroom. The playroom stretched wide, easily the largest room in the house; it was spacious, wide, and had plenty of toys for little fillies and colts. Sure, many of them were broken, but Shining and others had managed to repair them into a workable state at least. The last two rooms were the kitchen and dining room, the former of which Twilight was no longer allowed into. One little alchemy mishap and Matron had banned her for life. A pity.

Like the rest of the orphanage, the dining area didn’t look like much. It wasn’t big, it wasn’t nice, it wasn’t anything but functional, kind of like the orphanage as a whole. The room centered around the five tables, as dining rooms were wont to do. They were wooden, round style tables that most ponies had gotten a few splinters off at least once in their life. Each of them could seat five, or not so comfortably seat six, as Twilight’s group had started to do. The earth ponies took three of the tables for themselves, pushing them together to make one big table they could all sit at comfortably. The others followed suit, with the six unicorns taking a table and the five pegasi taking one as their own. The non-ponies sorta rotated around. Greta, the griffon, mostly sat at the pegasus table, while Spot the diamond dog took the earth ponies. The race lines were rigidly drawn. No pony crossed them, nor did anypony dare to speak about them. The rivalry remained strong and fierce, despite its silence in the recent years.

Seeing as how it was now eight twelve A.M, only one other pony sat at her table. Shining Armor sat with two plates beside of him. He worked on one, munching away at a stack of pancakes nearly as tall as Twilight’s head, and the other left alone for her. She ambled on over, keeping a close eye out. It seemed like Quaker and his gang hadn’t woken up yet as the earth pony table lay mostly empty. Might mean that her breakfast would remain peaceful for once.

They were hardly ever caught for it, but those earth ponies didn’t particularly like unicorns -- or ‘horn-heads’ as they called them. Naturally, Twilight and Shining being the most unicorn of the unicorns, received some extra ‘special’ attention from Quaker and his boys. Years ago, the bullying had been a brutal affair. Punches and kicks weren’t uncommon, nor were jabs from a horn in revenge. Most of that had stopped once Shining had increased his training to a fevered pitch. All it had taken was one brawl and Shining had knocked Quaker out cold. But the little things still continued.

It continued on in back alleys, or during the nights, or minor irritations, just enough to sting. Gone were the beatings, a campaign much more devious, much more hidden taking their place. In their place was a hoof stuck out when carrying a plate of food, or finding the bathroom door locked in the middle of the night, or maybe a few pages torn from a favorite book. That last one had nearly made Twilight lose control, but she managed, somehow, she managed.

At eight thirteen on the dot, Twilight took her spot at the table, the one right beside Shining himself. “You’re late today, Twily.” Shining commented, in between bites of his pancakes, smothered in syrup. As usual, he sounded calm, cool, and friendly above all else. Shining personified the ideal of a good pony, a paragon of their kind.. Also, an observant one, it seemed. He had noticed her lateness, something that most other ponies would’ve brushed off as nothing, if they even realized. But that was Shining, that was her brother. He cared about her to a fault.

“Didn’t sleep well.” Twilight lied. It was a lie perfected by use, crafted in the fires of necessity, and presented on the pillow of good intent. It was a lie she’d told many times before, a lie that would always serve its purpose. A lie that both of them pretended to believe, despite how obviously untrue. Twilight knew that he knew. It wasn’t like Shining hadn’t woken up before when she was sneaking back in. ‘Going to the bathroom’ was only a good cover when you weren’t lugging twenty pounds of books and covered in rain. Well, unless you had a very messy bathroom trip.

They had had talks about it. Long talks, short talks, angry talks, calm talks. None of them worked, none of them could possibly convince Twilight to stop. Shining couldn’t keep her locked away and goddesses knew he wouldn’t turn her in. Walking the streets at night was a crime after all, a crime punishable by who knows what. Nopony returned from the plague doctors. She could still hear the scream.

“Well, make sure you get a good night’s sleep tonight, tomorrow is an important day!” Shining’s voice broke through her thoughts. And thank the goddesses they did, those were dark thoughts indeed, a pit harder to get out of than into. She nodded at that, plopping down in her chair and working at her food. Shining had gotten her favorites, as he always did. Single pancake, with whatever fruit was in season, and a single apple. Today, it seemed to be strawberries. She absolutely adored strawberries. Twilight honestly didn’t know what she would do without her Shiny.

“Can’t believe it’s already tomorrow.” Shining stated, calmly. He swallowed down the rest of the pancakes and settled down to watch her. Twilight didn’t mind talking while eating with her brother, his conversation nearly always pleasant enough. No wastes of time there. “Seems like it was yesterday for the last one, least you’re finally old enough for this one, right?” He added, with a small chuckle.

Shining spoke, of course, talking about the exam tomorrow. The exam for Luna’s school, the exam that would decide the future of the rest of their lives. That exam.

Naturally, there were age limits to such an exam. Their little clique of unicorns had all agreed to wait until they could take it at the same time, much to Twilight’s chagrin. Any unicorn only had one shot at the test, no matter how close to passing or failing they were. Twilight found that incredibly foolish, but some aristocrat had decided it ‘saved money’. The remaining waste was all the unicorn talent left undiscovered, all the magic that was skipped simply because somepony took the test before they were ready. Their single chance, gone up in flames.

Being the youngest in their group, the rest had been waiting on her. With her being thirteen now, she could finally take the exam. The others had suggested waiting longer, waiting for her to study. Twilight, on the other hoof, felt confident that that wouldn’t matter. She’d ace the test, she’d get it. She worried more about the others in their group than herself.

Except for Sunset. Sunset was another of their group, a unicorn obviously. She was older, nearly Shining’s age and she knew her stuff. It didn’t matter what, from transfiguration to thaumaturgy, to alchemy, to theory and everything in between. She had an impressive control over her magic, able to even pick locks with just her telekinetic field. Sunset learned her master from her extensive use of it. Sunset could move her magic in the most intricate, tiny ways. Twilight honestly couldn’t help but be amazed by her control, her abilities almost astounding. Her magic alone nearly made Twilight like her. Almost.

Unfortunately, Sunset also acted bloody insufferably.

Twilight and her had never really gotten along. Like, ever. Which was strange, since both of them were something of magical prodigies for the orphanage. One would expect that two ponies who love magic would have a lot to talk about. One would also be dead wrong about that.

Sunset acted pushy, overbearing, and arrogant. The thing was, Twilight could look past all of that. Everypony had their flaws. What really made her angry about Sunset was her little crush on Shining. Everypony knew it existed, the fact absolutely and disgustingly obvious, but Shining just pretended to not acknowledge it. And that infuriated Twilight to no end. Especially because that meant that Sunset decided to act like she was Twilight’s mother or something. Twilight hardly needed any coddling, but Ms. Shimmer decided to take it upon herself regardless. And thus, Twilight avoided her like the plague. Yet, with the closeness of their orphanage, avoiding her was nigh impossible.

And speak of the devil, and she shall appear. “Morning, my favorite ponies!” That shrill, way too affectionate voice announced. Sunset sat on the other side of Shining, her own little food tray loaded up with magic clattering to the table. Twilight internally cringed at her voice, breathing out heavily through her nose.

“Careful there, Shimmy!” Shining said, with a wry chuckle. “Somepony didn’t get very much sleep last night.” He elbowed Twilight in the side, as if it point out the exceedingly obvious. She just glared back at them, clearly less than enthused.

Eight twenty five came by and Twilight had already finished her breakfast. Naturally, because every other pony in this house was lazy, Sparkler, Lime, and Citrus weren’t even awake yet. At least Sunset tended to get up early and stay on time. They were supposed to have their magic lessons at eight forty-five every morning, but that hardly ever happened. Usually eight fifty passed, or even as late as nine thirty! It drove Twilight mad.

Her angry thoughts were interrupted viciously by a sweeping hug from behind. “Is my little Twily sweepy?” Sunset asked, in a voice like that’d you talk to a dog with. Twilight’s eyebrow twitched, magic sparking for the absolute briefest of moment before sputtering right back out. Perhaps the lack of sleep did make her a mite bit more volatile.

“I”m fine Sunset. Please stop.” She finally answered, steel in her voice. Of course, that only prompted a giggle from the orange mare, but really, what had she expected?

At least, the others arriving saved her from the she-demon. Sparkler, Citrus and Lime completed their sextet with ponies that Twilight found much more tolerable. Sparkler, while closer to Shining’s age, was nowhere near the flirtatious freak that Sunset was and Citrus and Lime, only a year older than Twilight each, were actually downright tolerable.

Each of them tended to live up to their names, as ponies tended to do. Sparkler was rather bright and sunny most of the time, but not obnoxiously so like Sunset. She was a bright purple color, with a darker purple and blue mane, something even the earth ponies found pretty. Citrus and Lime were more teasing, twins with dual palette colors. The easiest way to describe the two was ‘fun’. Both of them had a penchant for jokes and pranks, the two essentially being all their interests outside of the kitchen. The two did try to prank her before, but that had been quickly rectified with a little of her own magic. Citrus and Lime belong together, to the point of even looking the exact same. One had a yellow mane and light green coat, and the other the opposite. Honestly, Twilight forgot which was which. She thought Lime had a green coat, it made sense after all, didn’t it? She’d never admit that, yet another of her secrets.

“Morning you three!” Sunset said cheerily, giving Sparkler a light hug and thankfully releasing Twilight from her grasp. Apparently, Sunset had enough affection, and she practically danced back to her chair and waiting food. Lime (or was it Citrus?) took the seat beside Twilight, the other two falling in line after, finishing up and filling up their table.The group gathered fully for their breakfast.

The table fell into a comfortable silence. Sunset busied herself with eating, and the twins were still groggy from the early morning. Only Shining and Sparkler would really talk this early, and both seemed content to let silence reign. All the while, Twilight’s hoof tapped in annoyance. Eight thirty now, and they all had to eat.

With a little groan of her own, Twilight laid her head on the table. If they were going to be slow, she could at least get a little sleep in. Today would be busy, and Twilight could use all the sleep she could, especially after last night. It was the last day before the exam after all, mess this up and she had basically no chance. Or, even worse, imagine if she fell asleep during the test tomorrow. Gone would be her chance, nothing more than dust in the wind. Gone would be any hope of getting out of this wretched place, of making a future for herself. Gone would be the possibility of saving her fellow orphans. She didn’t like all of them, but they deserved better.

This wasn’t just for her; she could not mess the exam up.

The sound of a fork against a glass interrupted her sleep. Twilight jolted awake, her sleep head raising off the table. That shrill noise could wake anypony up, and it could definitely wake her up. She blinked away the fatigue, noticing that she’d actually fallen asleep. Her eyes glanced over to the window, trying to judge the time by the light. Luckily, their table sat right by the room’s only window. Eight fifty. That late already? At least the others seemed to be done eating, if not done talking. Then again, were they ever done talking? Who knew?

Twilight looked up towards the front of the assemblage, trying to find the source of that glass. She suspected Quaker, or one of his goons. The few that were close to Quaker seemed to always need to be the center of attention, no matter the circumstances. That, or they just noticed she was asleep and wanted to rudely wake her up. One day, one day she’d be able to get back at them. When the Queen took her as a student, she’d know exactly what to do. She’d find a way to get her revenge, one way or the other. Her eyes fell onto Quaker and his little gang.

Only to notice it was not him with the glass. Instead, her eyes were drawn to the center of the room, where a little griffon stood. She had clearly just rang the glass, as she was just now landing back on all fours, glass being returned to its own with a thanks. The griffon was white coated, with black around her blue eyes, her crest a dark, abyssal black as well. The rest of her was pure white, with only little flecks of black to break up the relative monotony of her coat. The gryphoness was wrapped in an old, half tattered dress. It used to be something grand, the bodice layered and feathered out. There had definitely been lace before as well, but it was mostly torn off by now, long sold for something or another. The skirts used to be flared out, but now hung limply with a few holes near the tail end of it. In a way, it spoke of the orphanage itself. Once something high class, now run-down, beaten down, and broken. This was their matron, this was their leader and caretaker. And despite how brusque, how blunt she could be, every single one of them loved her.

Matron was a griffon that nopony could really get their hooves around. She was sweet, and caring, and nice beyond belief. If you were hurt, she’d kiss it better, if you were hurt emotionally, she could be the balm for any of your woes. She would much rather go hungry herself, or sell the very last of her jewelry just to put food on the table during the winter. She only cared for the orphan’s well-being and nothing more. But anypony who’d lived there long enough could tell you of her other side.

You didn’t cross Matron. That wasn’t to say she was some badass warrior griffin or something; nay, that was a silly idea. Life wasn’t some fairy tale, where everypony had a dark, secret past. But, the gryphoness was fierce and protective beyond belief of her little foals. Not a single harm would come to their little heads under her watch. Matron would go to incredible lengths to safeguard each and every one of them.

There were stories about her, told in the halls at night, or in the backyard, away from her prying ears. Shining told her long ago of when an alchemist had come to the orphanage. He was looking to adopt a few foals, though he wouldn’t say his reason why other than trying to improve their life. On the outside, he was the picture of an altruistic, middle class stallion. His wife had passed away before she bore him any foals of his own and he wanted a few of his own to love on and take care of.

Matron later said she didn’t know how she felt something wrong, just the hint of danger. It was a nasty feeling, a feeling of sleaziness and malice from the stallion. And Matron latched onto it like a cat with a fish. Without him knowing, she stalked him home, the untrained gryphon somehow making it completely unspotted. She snuck inside after him, abusing an open window to ferret her way in. Her steps were careful, guarded, and she even managed to sneak her way out, all without him seeing a single trace of her.

He wanted to test the potions on the foals. Matron found one dead, one dying foal already in his home that had the misfortune of being adopted by him. Not from their orphanage mind, but one of the innumerable others in the city. Naturally, Matron was a little less than pleased with the turn of events. To have the hope that some stallion would finally give a home to one of her precious babies ripped away ate at her core, fury replacing her hope instead.

Nopony really knew what happened after that and Matron obviously wouldn’t tell anypony, but there were whispers. All anypony knew was that the potion maker mysteriously disappeared that night. Some said that Matron killed him herself, ripping him to absolute shreds with her talon. Others say that she poisoned him with his own potions, forcing him to drink one after another down until he was dead in his own home. Still others hold out that she terrified him so much he fled from the town.

The constables probably just arrested him.

Still, logic hardly ever prevailed around these parts, and thus the rumors propagated. If you believed every one of them, you’d probably think Matron was some sort of secret Griffon commando. Or some kind of James Bond-esque super spy, who got all the ladies as well. As if that last one made even the least lick of sense.

Regardless, nopony could completely ignore Matron’s attitude. Even if all the rumors were false, you didn’t cross Matron. And if Matron was standing up in front of the room? You turned your attention to her. So, Twilight tilted her head, blinking back sleep and keeping a close eye on the gryphoness. Her companions followed suit and even the rowdy table of the earth ponies had turned their attention to her. That was an impressive feat, considering that just before they’d been launching berries at Sparkler with a spoon. She didn’t even notice there was one in her mane still. Sunset’s magic dug it out, albeit slowly and carefully.

“Good morning everyone!” Matron said, her voice a little gravelly but as enthusiastic as ever. Her words were met with a chorus of ‘Good morning Matron’ from the assembled ponies (and griffon and diamond dog) with various excitement. Quaker and his gang were exceptionally loud, except their voices were falsely eager. Sunset’s voice was just as happy but much more honest. Who was that enthusiastic this early?

None of that bothered Matron in the least bit. She was used to their little quirks and eccentricities to the point where she mostly ignored them. Her smile never left her beak when dealing with her little ponies and it seemed exceptionally true this morning. “Thank you very much, everyone! Today is a very special day, because today is the last day we may see some of our little friends!” Matron dipped her head towards the unicorn’s table.

“As everyone probably knows, tomorrow is the day our unicorn companions will take their exam! So I want everypony to wish them the best of luck!” Matron continued. Her gaze lingered on the Earth Ponies table, an implicit request to behave obvious behind her eyes.

“Good luck!” The chorus rang out again. The excitement wasn’t there, the eagerness gone. The earth ponies were alright for the most part, but there were a select few troublesome individuals who remained silent.

“Now, that wasn’t very good, was it?” Matron asked. Her gaze went disapproving, lingering on the usual suspects. “Can we get another good luck for our special friends today?” She asked. Her beak just barely turned towards a frown, just the very edges of it hinted at disappointment. Nopony had ever seen her frown fully. Apparently, it was a terrifying sight to behold.

“Good luck unicorns!” No slacking this time. Matron was the only one in the orphanage to get Quaker to behave and she could do it with just a stern look and a veiled threat. Twilight still wanted to know how she did that at least.

Sparkler and Sunset were beaming in pride, but the rest of them seemed to just want to be left alone. Twilight hardly payed attention anymore, Shining almost completely focused on Twilight, and Lime and Citrus were alternating between dying from tiredness and struggling to somehow pry their eyes back open.

“Thank you everypony!” Sunset called out. Twilight just barely glanced over her way, seeing the chipper pony actually smiling wide. How Sunset managed to always be genuinely happy, always excited, always ready baffled Twilight. Such a waste of energy.

“Now, today’s a busy day like any other! Lunch will be at one today, little ones. I hope to see you all then!” Matron added, flashing the room one more brilliant smile. With that, she left the room in relative silence, taking her own seat at the pegasus table.

Matron actually switched tables every day. She hardly wanted anypony to feel left out, so she made sure to eat breakfast with a different table as much as possible. Some days, she even switched by meal. Nopony wanted to see her switch by meal; those were the days when there wasn’t much, or there was bad news.

Really, Twilight wasn’t sure when Matron got to sleep. Some nights when she snuck out, Matron was still awake and she was oft already awake by the time Twilight returned. She was probably the only pony --well, gryphon-- that had less time to sleep than Twilight herself, though it didn’t show. Twilight knew her real secret though. The one that nopony else even suspected, the one she guarded more than anything, that not even any rumors existed of.

Matron was not a happy griffon. Twilight knew this, Shining suspected it, but most of the orphans had no clue. She cried at night, sometimes. It was rare, but Twilight had heard it. It wasn’t just crying either, it was bawling, sobbing, wailing, whatever you wanted to call it. Matron put up a brave front, but something in her hurt, and that something gave her a great deal of agony. After all the kindness the gryphoness had given Twilight, she hoped to one day find out what plagued her and fix it if she could. It would likely never happen, really. If Matron hid even her tears that hard, how much must she hide the source of them? But Twilight was nothing if not persistent.

A hoof tapped her shoulder. “Twily, you ready?” Shining asked from behind her. Twilight finally managed to break her sight away from the griffon, turning back to her brother. All told, even with Matrons’ speech, it was only eight fifty-five. Surprisingly, they weren’t actually that far behind schedule. The others must’ve not been very hungry today, possibly from nerves. Today would be their last day of practice.

Twilight nodded and jumped out of her seat, stretching herself out with a tiny groan. Sunset darted past her, leaving her with a smile and a few words: “Meet ya outside, silly!” The older mare’s tail even flicked across her muzzle, gesturing Twilight to follow her on out.

“Come on everypony, let’s get warmed up.” Shining ordered towards the rest of the table. He was almost like a drill sergeant for them, a leader and an example to look up to. He took his role of guard seriously, incorporating it in nearly all aspects of his life, from his training to even his bedroom. That kind of control was probably good for the others, it really kept them on track. Who knew where Sparkler, Lime and Citrus would be without her brother? Probably still struggling with basic telekinesis if Twilight had to guess. Unicorns in the lower city didn’t exactly have much of an opportunity to use their magic.

In the town proper, it would get you all sort of looks. The shopkeeps would believe you to be stealing, the constables would expect the same. Any sort of tingle or spark in a bar would get you a swift hoof to the jaw. It was a prejudice born over time, a fear of the unknown and an unhealthy dose of xenophobia. Such were the lower cities, bastions of ponykind’s greatest.

Nine A.M crawled on by and all six of them were assembled in the backyard. Shockingly, the backyard actually had quite a bit of room. A tall, brown picket fence even surrounded the yard, enclosing it. The fence had probably once been something upscale. Once. Sometime in the distant past it had been painted white, with a few chips of the paint still sticking to the marred wood in their futility. The grass, once overgrown and unkempt, had been beaten down by repeated use, almost to the point of a rough mat. The edges, near the fence, still stuck straight up, nearly a foot tall and polluted with weeds. This early, the sun was already up and ready, though her heat had not yet seeped its way into the earth, not yet made their practice miserably hot. The chill of the night remained, every step across the grass, still soaked with its morning dew, cooling Twilight’s warm hooves.

The five were already split into their own groups, leaving Twilight off on her own and still near the orphanage proper. It was strange, seeing the little pairings that had formed with their already diminutive clique. Shining and Sparkler were almost nearly always together, by virtue of being the same age if nothing else. Twilight at least approved of that, Sparkler really needed all the help she could get. The other purple-coated mare was good at very few things; namely, light shows. But what kind of job would that get her? How on Equus would that help her pass any sort of test? It was a specialization, for sure, but not a particularly useful one. Shining’s instruction would probably be the only thing that got her through the theoretical part, but goddesses only knew how she’d get through the practical exam. Shining tried, her really did, but there was only so much he could do.

Lime and Citrus meanwhile, were coached by Miss Sunset. The younger pair seemed to have absolutely no interest in magic at all. Not that Twilight really blamed them for that, she was no unicorn elitist. Unfortunately, that meant they were doomed to the toils of the lower city, few options indeed letting them out. The two wanted to be some kind of cooking duo, as obvious as their names and cutie marks probably made that. Funny how all of that worked out actually. Sunset’s instructions were inevitably wasted to the absolute void of emotion the two held, but that didn’t stop her from trying. Eventually their teachings changed into practical things. Levitating forks and knives, chopping onions with just magic, burn wards for the kitchen. Spells and incantations that were applicable to their chosen craft. To Sunset’s credit, she had done an excellent job with it. Neither of the two was going to pass the test, but at least they might be able to make a living. Yet, a decent living in the lower city was still a poor one indeed.

The others often left Twilight on her own. But really, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Who else would be as efficient, as quick, as flawless as her? She could do it better than anypony else. She alone kept to her schedule, the rigors of her training far beyond what the rest of them could handle. Perhaps that wasn’t doing justice to Sunset and Shining. Their training was just different.

It totally didn’t have to do with her hurting another pony in practice before.

Nope, absolutely, definitely not. Her accident only happened once, a little fire spell gone wrong, really all in the past now! Little mistakes like that were just a side effect of Twilight’s magic, an aberration. Pony magic was a weird, eccentric beast. Nopony really understood it, despite how some pompous blowhards tried to claim they did. Everypony’s magic was intrinsically a little different. Sparkler’s light spells were a good example. Try as she might, even Sunset couldn’t imitate some of them. These kind of signature spells were nearly always unique to their pony. As far as she knew, the only other pony who had one was Shiny with his ‘famous’ shield spell. Not even Twilight could scratch or dent the outer shell of it, and the inner shell was barely touchable.

Spells themselves were complicated enough, and that didn’t even touch on wellsprings. Each pony had a different wellspring size and thaumic channel width, both of which influenced what kind of spells you could cast. Sunset had a smaller wellspring, and her thaumic channel was quite narrow. Which almost made her absolute precision even more impressive. With so little magic available to her, Sunset had had to learn an incredible amount of control for her magic. Twilight couldn’t do half the things she could do, though they were certainly focused. She could pick a lock with just magic, light a candle from across the house, and even add the exact grains of salt to a stew. Her magic could even pull a single strand from your mane, all things that required a level of exactness most unicorns could never reach. All because she had such a small wellspring.

Twilight was the exact opposite, as was her brother. Both of them had massive wellsprings, especially Twilight. Her horn was able to glow bright with exertion, enough to truly blind those who were too close. Her channel was significantly wider than any of the other ponies, allowing her to output a huge amount of magic at once. Unfortunately, that limited her mostly to big things and big things only. Teleportation was one of them, even if she hadn’t managed that yet. Some of her uses included mass lifting or ritualistic spells, in addition to a few baseline spells that every unicorn could do, like levitation. Twilight’s class were the ones to call down storms and tornadoes, or part the sea, or hold a shell over an entire city. Twilight couldn’t do any of that.. Yet.

Coincidentally, she had the same type of wellspring as Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever, perhaps the most famous unicorns. That didn’t necessarily mean they were more important. Nay, sometimes it was the other way around. Control often trumped raw power, more necessary than just throwing your energy around. When spells weren’t wrong for her type, spells went wrong.

Last time she had tried to light a candle, Twilight had blown it up entirely. The wax exploded across the room, some of it still on fire or smoking. The fire had spread quickly, flames fueled by magic particularly voracious. It mattered not what the material was made from. Magic flames could eat it all; metal, wood, books, even pony flesh all succumbed to the burn. Only quick intervention from Shining had stopped the entire orphanage from burning down, or from any harm falling to another pony. Ever since then, she hadn’t been allowed to practice in doors. Matron had given her the earful after that.

Most ponies tended to fall in between the spectrum. Levitation was the only thing that all of them had in common, which was thankfully one of the most useful spells. Their levitation field strength did tend to vary, but not by huge margins. Each pony also had a certain affinity, with Twilight’s being arcane based, Sunset’s fire, and so on.

Twilight felt nearly sure something like that would be on the test tomorrow. The schools of magic were nearly always mentioned as a part of the curriculum. They were as follows: Defense, Healing, Alteration, Arcane, Thaumatic, and Alchemy. Many ponies didn’t really consider the last one a school of magic, but she’d definitely get extra credit for mentioning all of them. Not many ponies even knew about it, especially down here in the lower city. That didn’t stop those like the potion seller or snake oil salesman from making ridiculous claims. Claims that were so easily dismissed if you knew anything about alchemy. A single potion for all your ails? As if. The earth pony dominated lower city had a sorry excuse for magical education, as was to be expected.

“You gonna do anything, Twily?” Shining called out, interrupting her ‘review’. Twilight frowned. Nine fifteen? She’d been caught up in her own thoughts that long? Well she had to give something a try before the day ended, right? Really all she had left to do was actually use her teleportation spell, but risk remained. Well, she supposed it was riskier doing it for the first time tomorrow, in front of all the judges.

The worst she could do now was lose herself in the ether and die. So really, no big deal.

Okay, no pressure. Twilight took a breath and nodded in response to her brother. This was easy, it would be easy, right? She’d studied the theory a hundred times at the least, possibly even a thousand.

First things first, Twilight’s horn started to light up, charging with her wellspring’s magic. Teleportation took a lot. There were no exacts in magic, not in terms of ‘charging your horn’, but there were plenty of guidelines. For a well-endowed -- oh goddesses, not that kind of endowed -- unicorn, the books had proposed charging your horn with roughly a quarter of your magical energy.

What did that even mean? A quarter. What was a quarter of a lot of magic? The lack of measurements and specifics bothered her probably more than it should have. Regardless, she let her magic trickle in. Slowly at first, before it started to turn into a veritable flood of energy. The lilac magic had already started to tint the air around her horn, making her mane stand on end.

With enough energy, things around your horn started to get kinda broken. Light was already spilling forth from her horn, enough to almost make her look like a second sun, except the different color. Within a foot of her, the air was thick, almost as if you were standing in molasses. Anymore and the veil could break entirely, creating a portal to the ether. Nopony wanted to do that. Even if they didn’t last long, the effects of the unicorn in question were always catastrophic. Twilight didn’t particularly have time to be infinitely tortured by demons or something like that.

Easy part done. Despite how alien the aether, the mare or stallion who was teleporting still had to force their way through it. From there, the pony had to concentrate on their exit point. The other side of the yard would have to do. Short range teleports were still teleports, right?

Distantly, she could hear somepony yelling her name.

Unfortunately, the hardest step would be the last. The endpoints had to be created. It wasn’t a portal to the ether in this case, but a slit. Just a tiny gap in the real world that ferried you through to the other side. Runes for protection and timing had to be added, lest you get lost forever, or get consumed while inside. The slits had to be made on both ends, and the further away the endpoint, the harder it was to do.

Twilight opened her ‘magical’ eyes. Any unicorn could do this sort of thing. The world tinted violet, and Twilight could intimately see the ethereal currents through the yard. She mentally marked an X on the other side, her exit. Twilight could feel sweat start to streak across her brow as she ‘ripped’ the exit open, quickly spelling it with her runes as well. Bright white lights in patterns marked the edges around it, signaling that her runes had taken well. They were in the old alphabet, of Unicornia, yet they still worked today. She repeated the task for her entrance, opening the slit right in front of her muzzle. Brief terror flashed through her as she glimpsed the ether, a limitless, foreign thing. A place that no unicorn could live for long, and a place that would eat any other race alive.

You know, that book had been about longer range teleports than a short jaunt across the yard. Perhaps she was putting too much magic into it. That would really only hurt her by taking more of her magic, so it was probably fine. Everything was double and triple checked and her magic was primed. Nothing would go wrong. With a last grunt of effort, she let the magic fly.

“Twily!” Twilight managed to hear in that moment before. It was clearly her brother, worry obvious in his voice. But why was it there? Everything was amazing. Her body felt light, lighter than ever before, almost floating. A giddiness filled her body like no other, almost making her want to dance and sing all at once. She even felt a rush of affection towards the earth ponies, how silly was that? Her horn was so fuzzy, so buzzing she could barely even think straight.

“Yes broth--?”

Author's Note

Sorry for being a little late! But better late than never, right? Please let me know what you guys like/don't like or whatever else! I love feedback, even if it's "You suck!".

The Storm

Her body entered the flow, a great and terrible noise filling her ears. Blackness --no, not blackness, void!-- dominated her sight all at once. The darkness blinded and deafened her, even her screams disappearing into the nightmarish emptiness. From somewhere, she could hear a “Twily!” echoing. And that was it from the real world, potentially for the rest of her admittedly now short life. The giddiness had already faded away from her, replaced with a sickly dread. She knew where she was: Knew what was going on. Something was wrong, and only the pit of her stomach realized it.

Despite the blackness, silence did not dominate the aether. The aether did not resemble a void, as various tomes suggested. Nor did sound and light deafen and blind. Nay, things came quick and unexpectedly, blinding her with their brilliance. No gradual progression accompanied the sights, no slow transitions, just abrupt and utter precipices. The aether did not go easy, nor did it care for her wellbeing; it simply assaulted her mind, over and over, vision after vision.

All the while, bells rang against the background. The noise reached Twilight’s ears, somehow both incredible and nearly non-existent at once, both oppressive and soothing. The bells had no tune, no rhyme or reason. It was a crashing melody, if it could even be called that; a nearly tortured chime, robbing her of any sort of hearing.

Somewhere within her mind, Twilight realized it had been naught but a moment.

Twilight recognized some of the sights. Queen Luna perched high above the city, sitting and looking out on a high up balcony, mane waving in the wind behind her. Blink. Fire raged in the lower city leaving not a single structure untouched: From the smallest hovel, to the largest warehouse, each building blazed as they burned into nothing but ashes. Blink. Pegasi fought, struggling with thunderclouds and rainstorms of all types, but nothing made even the slightest difference. One bucked wildly at the nearby clouds and showering below, tears ever-present in his gaze. Blink. Ponies screamed. Screams full of rage, full of despair, devoid of hope. No being could dream of stopping this. None. The Queen herself watched the city go to ground. Blink. Barely, just barely, Twilight could make out the orphanage. Even her home, her refuge fell against the fire’s fury.

Just as quickly as it had come, the burning city faded from her mind. Luna disappeared, and in her place -- in the place of the city-- was a hallway.

Smell pushed out against Twilight’s nose as well, the smell of wet stone and scented candles. The hallway had great, arched windows letting in the natural light of the sun, brilliantly illuminating the opposite wall. Paintings and portraits of all kinds dotted the walls, yet the vision chose to focus on two ponies instead. The first was nothing special; he was a unicorn, blue coated, silver mane with a light, white streak through it. Twilight guessed him to be a noble, or if he wasn’t, he at least looked the part. Yet, despite how elegant and downright cultured he seemed, the stallion was clearly angry. He talked, nearly shouting in the face of the other pony. The stallion talked actively rather than passively, hooves gesticulating all around, even going as far to get in the face of his companion.

It was only then that Twilight got a good glance of the pony across from him. With a start, Twilight realized that she knew who the pony was; the pony from the library. Not the worker, but the mare. The one who had the aura about her, the one who radiated the hatred, radiated the malice. She was here, and her visage was just as impassive as it had been that night. She cared not for what her opposite had to say, despite his passion. The mare clearly didn’t care for his words, more interested in the wall behind him than whatever he spoke of.

Twilight couldn’t hear them, just barely out of her range. Bare whispers filled her ears along with the bells, but nothing more.

Once again, the vision disappeared. This time, the aether granted Twilight a moment of peace, a sweet, merciful peace. Though it only lasted a moment, Twilight basked in the simple joy of nothing, the happiness of just relaxing with nothing building on her headache. Nothing else screamed through her ears, and only the darkness greeted her sight. Despite the calm, the dread didn’t leave her stomach, questions taking the place of the sensation. How long would she waited here? How long would she be trapped in this in-between dimension? Was she doomed? Had she put in too much power? Too little? There were an innumerable way things could’ve gone wrong, and she hadn’t the faintest which it was.

Her thoughts were viciously ripped away by yet another one of those torturous visions. The aether learned, learned how best to hurt her. Instead of strange ponies, or a fevered dream of a dying city, this vision honed in on her personal life, going straight for the throat. Shining Armor stood in the forefront, bleeding from dozens of cuts. His body heaved with each breath, lungs working hard just to keep himself going. Each limb shook from exertion, and the blade that he levitated wobbled in the air. Sweat dripped from his brow, his coat shining with a sheen from it.

Somehow, behind him turned infinitely worse.. The stallion guarded an alleyway with his life, for a very good reason. Behind him, in a crumpled mess of broken bodies were two others. One, she didn’t recognize. The unrecognizable mare had a coat of a gentle pink, her unconscious expression one of tranquil peace despite the situation. At some point, her mane likely had different colors, but by now the filth darkened it into mottled shades of brown. Her dress, once some brilliant lilac thing, had been torn and ripped to shreds, dark, ugly red staining the edges. Her body laid atop the other, the one she recognized.

Matron lay beneath the still-breathing mare. Blood stained Matron’s coat and feathers, one of her wings barely hanging on by sinew alone. The gryphon lay nude for now, her usual dress gone. Matron didn’t move, not a single muscle. Her head didn’t move, nor did her chest have the tell-tale rise and fall of a breathing being. Nausea swelled up inside of Twilight’s stomach, bile threatening to make it’s way out. Matron lay dead, and nothing could be done about it. Matron lay dead, and Twilight took the blame. She should’ve been there, should’ve been helping, should’ve done something. She sh--

What? She shouldn’t done what? It wasn’t true, none of this was true, yet Twilight couldn’t help but feel a pang of..regret? Was that this strange emotion? She’d done nothing wrong, but the emotion lingered regardless.

Twilight fell away, just slowly enough to watch Shining get stabbed through the chest.

Tears sprang unbidden to her cheeks, wetting her even as they instantly sublimated and floated away. It wasn’t real, it wasn’t real. The words became her mantra, repeated over and over, the only thing keeping her calm.

The void cared not for your normal physics, nor did it care for her emotions. Even after the visions, Twilight wasn’t released. More sprang before her. A gleaming city. A far away desert. The warm embrace of a mother she had never felt. A soft lover beneath the sheets, and a much more rough one outside of them. A dark bar at night, and the gentle calmness of a park.

More and more filtered across, none given to her long enough to get a good grasp of them. Not a single one lasted more than an instant, yet they filled Twilight with a near lifetime of experience, an eternity of emotion. Exhaustion flared through her, followed instantly by a well of energy so vast she’d never get tired.

And just as it all had began, everything unceremoniously stopped.

Of all things, grass dominated her sight. Why was it grass? Oh wait, it was because she was about to faceplant. Right.

And faceplant she did. Twilight’s muzzle smacked into the ground, a massive dome of explosive magic radiating out around her. Thankfully, a shimmering, pink shield wrapped around her form, keeping the worst of the magic inside and away from any vulnerable others. Unfortunately, the rest of her body decided to follow her plummeting muzzle, slamming hard into the ground and forcibly ejecting the air from her body. She groaned, her ribs aching with pain that very politely let her know they may be broken. Her muzzle was definitely bruised, her teeth even feeling a little loose in her skull. It’d be quite the surprise if all of them remained intact and in her mouth. She blinked once, twice, only dirt and grass visible. She rolled, looking up at the sky and breathing for the first time, eyes scanning around herself painfully. Flames of the magical variety scorched her dress, leaving it frayed and blackened in parts.

Distantly, she heard the pink shield slowly dissolve, almost like a popping bubble. Her vision started to un-blur, letting her stare at the blue sky above her. Only for the mare to slam her eyes close as the pain filtered in with it. The violet mare panted, breaths coming in short, pained gasps. Nausea raised within her, Twilight barely managing to stop the vomit from expelling itself violently.

“T-twily?” A voice asked. A familiar, but very painful voice. In fact, her ears picked up any noise as a grating, screeching sound, sending shockwaves of pain through her mind. It was so dreadfully close too, nearly right beside her ear, so invasive, so strong. After the hours and hours of time alone in the aether, her body was too sensitive, too ready for any stimulus. Noise just happened to be the first one.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Twilight cracked an eyelid open. The sun practically scorched her retina, her dilated pupil taking in way too much light all at once. She whimpered silently, the pony shaped shadow above her saving her from the sun’s deadly rays. “Twily? Are you okay?” The voice prompted again. The voice grew softer, gentle, almost like the mother’s embrace she’d felt in the visions. The voice belonged to somepony she knew and trusted. It welcomed her back into the world of the living, the aether long gone yet it’s hold on her mind seemingly unrelenting.

Twilight only groaned in response, nodding her head slowly. The aether had left her a mess, but the mess wouldn’t last. A bad headache, some bruised ribs, and an oversensitivity to light were essentially it. She’d gotten off light. A learning experience, really. Not so much magic next time, for sure. The teleport was supposed to last nowhere near that long…

Speaking of. Twilight couldn’t exactly get a measure of the time like this, even her internal clock needing a rest after such a harrowing journey. “H-how long?” She managed to rasp out. Her older brother would know. He knew of her obsession with the time, and coincidentally had learned to tell it as well.

For some reason, he chuckled at her question, the pony-blur shaking it’s shadow lightly. “Seven seconds.” Shining answered. Seven seconds. All the visions, all the sounds, everything and she’d only been in there for seven seconds? What would a day be like? Or a week? Or a year? How could anypony keep their mind in such a place? She’d read about it before, what unicorn hadn’t? But to experience it for herself was entirely different. She suddenly didn’t feel that enthused about going back, fixed spell or not.

Twilight swallowed hard, getting some much needed liquid down her sore throat. “T-the others?” she asked, voice quiet. She’d been aiming near them, her entry point mere feet away from Sunset and the twins. That kind of magical discharge so close would injure, if not maim or even kill. Despite her rough exterior, Twilight cared.

“Fine. I could feel the build-up. Got a shield around the area before you poofed back in.” Shining answered back. How many times was this? How many times had Shining saved her from disaster? If it kept happening, she’d be in his debt for the rest of her life, if she wasn’t already. Oh, she could just kiss him right now!

But that’d be gross. Bad thought, Twilight, bad thought. “Is my little Twilight okay?” The sickeningly sweet voice of Sunset once more called out. If Twilight had needed an extra reason to crawl her way back into the world of the living, it would be to get her way out of Sunset’s coddling. Oh goddesses, Sunset’s coddling could get bad.

In fact, once she had even-- a shot of pain went through Twilight’s head. Reminiscing later, sitting up and getting water now, thank you very much! “W-water. Sunset, water.” She mumbled out. Dual purpose for that request; gets the crazy mare away from her, and gets her that sweet nectar of life. Oh goddesses, her throat practically crackled like a desert.

Shining hovered over her, seemingly worried. The stallion placed a hoof behind her back, supporting her as she sat up, despite the creaking of her bones. Now that her eyes were nearly fully open, Twilight could see her brother for the first time. Shining Armor also looked a mess; brow twisted together in a line, eyes clearly empathetic, hoof almost shaking. Shining loved her, this she knew, but with such a short amount of time, where had the worry come from? It had been seven second! It was hardly logical to get upset when things were over and done that quick.

“S-so what happened?” Twilight asked, noticing Sunset’s retreating tail. The rest of their little clique kept their distance, the twins actually huddled behind Sparkler. How did they think that would be a good idea? How in Equestria was Sparkler going to protect them? That mare couldn’t conjure a shield if she had a real one right in front of her hooves.

Shining followed her gaze, before gently pressing his hoof under her chin, turning her to look back at him. “What happened? Twilight, the entire city probably felt that build-up. Well, at least all the unicorns. Luna herself probably got a damn headache from that spell!” Shining said, exasperation etched both in his voice and his face. Hrm, it really hadn’t been that much, had it? Her mind from earlier said a quarter, but the headache still clearly entrenched behind her horn screamed half. How did she even lose control over that kind of thing? Twilight’s casting tended to be controlled, and while she lacked the finesse that Sunset had, she wasn’t suicidal. A pony that couldn’t tell the difference in her magic power like that doomed herself to an early grave.

“W-wasn’t that much.” Twilight protested, shaking her head. Even the movement sent a shock of agony through her skull, causing her to grit her teeth and let out the smallest “nngh” of pain. The violet mare settled against her brother’s hooves, just trying to get her hooves back under her. Oh goddesses, recovering from this hurt.

“Take it easy, Twily.” Shining urged, his hooves gently guiding her back down. “And it really was that much. I felt it hit against my shield. There was a lot of magic behind your little spell. I know I can’t stop you, but slow down with it okay? And don’t you dare do that tomorrow unless you can figure out went wrong.”

Euch, his reasoning made sense, almost too much sense. Make no mistake, Twilight prided herself on being perfectly reasonable, but what on Equestria was she supposed to do tomorrow without teleporting? She had other spells, but none so impressive, none so big, none that showed more mastery than her teleporting. If she really wanted to ‘wow’ the judges, she had to do it. Which meant a night of studying. The mare would isolate the problem, fix it before using it tomorrow. There had to be something she skipped, something she’d forgotten. No teleport spell she’d seen had ever caused that sort of disaster. Then again, she hadn’t really seen any in real life.

Perhaps the Queen could teach her if--

Twilight couldn’t hope for Luna’s tutelage right now, not when it remained unlikely. Luna would never pick her as her chosen, not if she botched a spell like this. Nay, studying first, hope later. Well, if she could study with this Luna damned headache pounding away, over and over.

A shadow crested over the downed siblings as Sunset returned to the scene. Twilight must’ve been really out of it actually if she didn’t notice. Normally, she would’ve picked up on the mare getting even within spitting distance, but with how much her head hurt she missed the soft crunch of her hooves, the impeding shadow, the flicker of movement, all of it. Her headache had transitioned from an annoyance to a safety issue.

“I’m back sweetie.” Sunset cooed. Before Twilight could even blink enough to see the mare, Sunset pressed a glass against her lips, magically keeping it still. Twilight closed her eyes back again, gently sipping down the cool liquid. A shudder trialed through her body, feeling the ice-y coldness trail down her throat and body. Oh goddesses, that felt amazing to the mare. What had Sunset put in this stuff? It cleared her mind up better than any potion she’d ever had, the clear, life-giving liquid staving away that dreadful headache.

Twilight seemed to be recovering, but recovery happened slowly. An awkward feeling hung in the air, with two of their oldest crowded around their youngest, nursing her and ensuring she was fine. Twilight loathed to think about how much worse it could’ve been. Between the headache, the massive rib pain, and being kept on the ground for an extended period of time, her mistake already punished her enough.

Yet, it could’ve been nearly infinitely worse. She’d miscalculated the amount of power needed for the spell, feeding in way too much. To a laypony, that may sound like a critical error, and it was, but not a disaster tier one. There were much worse mistakes to make; like not setting an endpoint, or not warding your slits well enough, or failing the cast. Those wouldn’t leave her with a little pain. Those sort of mistakes would leave her with nothing left to even feel the hurt. Those mistakes were the ones that kept unicorns up at night, the ones that ended your life and usually all of those around you as well.

Thankfully, Twilight made a severe mistake, but not the critical one. “I-I’m fine.” She finally spoke. She managed to say it somewhat convincingly as well. Twilight was really no foreigner to pain. Nay, they were old friends, friends that had gone through much together. They weren't equals, but Twilight was privy to many of it’s secrets. She and pain knew each other through years of close contact. Twilight knew burning, Twilight knew cuts, Twilight knew the aching, tearing pain of the plague. Twilight knew pain, and this pain? This pain was next to nothing now that she’d gotten her hooves back under her.

“If you’re sure…” Shining said, though he hardly sounded convinced. Twilight doubted he would be until she acted like there was nothing different. He’d probably check on her throughout the day, coddling her, watching over her like a hawk. She definitely couldn’t practice again today, not if she wanted to keep her horn safe from his wrath. After the morning, not a chance existed that Shining would let her back out, which meant they’d need to do something else instead of their sessions. Perhaps they could keep up the practical bits and Twilight could go study more for theory? It wasn’t like she didn’t know it, but there was no such thing as too much studying.

Regardless, Twilight struggled her way to her hooves, her two protectors helping her up. Her stance wobbled, uneven, and hooves altogether unsteady, but she managed to stay on her own four hooves. She gave Shining a small, almost not there, smile and the two older ponies left her to stand on her own. Yet, they remained close by, ready to dart close and keep her steady at any sign of fatigue.

Twilight’s eyes roamed around the yard. Unsurprisingly, a fair amount had changed after her crash landing, especially with the absence of their companions. Where she had landed had turned into a crater. The grass was scorched away, only black and brown ugly refuse remaining. All around, her explosion had blown the grass back away from the epicenter, some of it charred to the point of crunchiness. It looked like small fires had developed in patches as well, but most of it had been long since burned out. Well, long as in the few minutes she rested.

“Why don’t you go get cleaned up? We’ll go into town for lunch.” Shining suggested. “Sunny, you mind taking care of the others? I think Twilight needs a little break.” For a moment, the joy of going into town had nearly been overwhelmed by the pain of being with Sunset. Once again, her brother took care of everything.

“Mmkay! I’ll see you two for dinner!” Sunset chimed in, giving Twilight the tiniest peck on the cheek before skipping away. At least she looked sympathetic. The mare cared for Twilight, just the way she showed it and how Twilight wanted it differed. Naturally, Twilight’s eyes locked on her tail as she left, making sure her dreaded pony actually left them alone. Wouldn’t it be just like her to dance her way back behind them? To eavesdrop? Oh, that fit Sunset to a T.

Shining watched too, but once out of earshot, he dropped his gaze, bringing his head close to Twilight’s. “Now that the others are gone… Are you actually okay? Twilight… that was a lot.” He nearly whispered. Concern still stayed etched onto his face, his eyes seemingly boring their way right through Twilight. She’d seen her brother like this; when he worried about something, he wouldn’t let it go, grasping on like a dog with a steak. Shining had been like this before, most notably when he first learned Twilight snuck out. Better to tell him the truth at this point, rather than try and lie her way out of it. Twilight’s lies were mediocre at best, anyways.

“No.” Twilight admitted. And she wasn’t, not really. The physical pain faded slowly, but the mental malaise remained, clinging on like a poisoned fog. The visions were not so easily shaken from her mind, nor so easily cast away into a deep, dark corner of it. They remained at the forefront, nearly all that she could think about. Who could claim them false?

Seers weren’t a hidden profession. A pony could hardly walk down a street without hitting some kind of fortune teller. They were mostly bunk; tarot cards, crystal balls, and the like. None of that stuff actually worked, but that didn’t place seeing the future in the realm of the impossible. Nopony that could do that would be hanging around the lower districts. The ones that toiled their lives down here lived as con artists, desperately preying on the weak and mindless, stealing the bits for a little false hope. Anypony could see it if they paid attention. What were the prophecies those swindlers made? That you’d find a great love? That somepony close to you would pass on? All these things would come to pass. And to know how to stop them, they’d need another fifty bits.

The real seers, the real clairvoyants lived elsewhere, mostly residing in the temple districts or the palace itself. Contrary to popular belief, seeing the future required no innate talent. Any unicorn could do it. More specifically, any unicorn with sufficient control of their magic or raw power could pull it off. That didn’t make it easy. All those warnings about the void? All those terrors in the abyss? That was what a unicorn had to deal with each and every time they glimpsed through the veil. While Twilight had never tried to do such things, she knew the process.

And what she’d seen? It fit the bill nearly to a T. Prophets didn’t actually teleport into the aether when they searched for the future, but they did something similar. The unicorns opened a tear instead, a tear that they must keep open. A single slip up alone was enough to consume them, just like teleporting. A single missed rune, or a lapse in concentration would be enough to melt them to ash. These ponies received incredible amounts of money, all the benefits they could imagine, and any lover they wanted. Really, who could afford to pay them? She knew the Queen often asked for their portents, but other than her and nobles, nopony could get close. Perhaps if an entire half of the lower district pooled their funds together, they could book a fifteen minute session.

Which why what Twilight had seen terrified her so much. Her fear stemmed from dual sources, each as terrifying as the last. The first was the obvious one; her consciousness had come so close to oblivion, nearly unmaking herself in the process. Perhaps a little more power or a little less and she wouldn’t be standing here to think about it any longer. Twilight Sparkle enjoyed her youth, and like any young pony, the thought of losing her life so early perturbed her to the very core. Imagine if you would, a young mare erased at the smallest mistake. A young mare gone, her life vanished into the after because of the slightest error. It was a tale as old as time and one that had very nearly happened to Twilight. She would not be a statistic. She would not be a lesson to others. She refused to become just another gravestone, if her brother could even afford one. Nay, Twilight could never make such a mistake again.

And this was not even considering the second fear that still nestled tight against her heart. The visions weighed on her mind, making her reflect on each and every one of them. They were visions of doom and gloom, not of any happily-ever-after. The void had no reason to lie to her, nor did it have a motive of its own. It wasn’t a being, but a force of nature after all. No future was set in stone, but how in Equus was a single unicorn supposed to avoid any of them? Some were easier than others. Shining wouldn’t die. She refused to let that happen, even if it meant she’d hide him away. But how could a unicorn like Twilight stop a city from burning when an alicorn sat powerless? And what was the purpose of showing an argument between two nobles? Twilight moved in circles so far removed from that sort of discourse that it was irrelevant.

None of that stopped these visions from becoming true. Without Twilight’s or another’s intervention, the city would burn, Shining would pass, and.. Well, she didn’t really know the consequences of the last one. And now, they fell to Twilight’s responsibility. She could tell others, that much held truth, but anypony in power would simply dismiss her as a madmare. Shining would definitely follow her to the ends of Equus, but even the other unicorns here would write her off as some filly crazed and nervous.

So no, Twilight did not feel alright.

“Well, what’s the issue?” Shining asked. He moved close, letting Twilight rest her body against his in case she still felt weak. “Head aching? Horn sore? What’s up?” He pressed on. He had to know something went deeper than just the physical pain, but he gave her an out. An out, that for once in her life, she wouldn’t take.

“Visions.” Twilight confessed, getting the generalities out of the way before continuing. “The aether was.. Kind enough to grace me with visions. I saw you and Sunset, but things weren’t good. Matron w-was.. Matron was dead.” She went on. Despite how hard and logical she presented, just the thought of the gryphoness passing on brought a tear to her eye. Was it just her or was everything suddenly fuzzy as well? “You were joining her shortly.” Twilight dropped her head down, angling it towards the ground. Thank the goddesses that Sunset had taken the others away, as if she needed another reason to be treated like a child by them.

“Is that all?” Shining asked. Twilight looked up, face screwed up in consternation. What did he mean ‘was that all’? Her fears weren’t some small, trifling matter! They were literally life or death! How could he be so flippant about it? “Twily, don’t worry about that kind of thing.” He pressed on. Shining’s magic lit for a second, pressing up on her chin and tilting her head back up. “Visions are visions, they aren’t real. We can still stop it, and you have enough to worry about for now. Promise me you won’t worry about it, okay?”

As if she could just forget. A pony couldn’t simply not worry about something, least of all Twilight. Yet, her brother had asked, and for him, she’d try her best. “I’ll try. Promise.” She agreed. Shining’s magic flickered back out, yet her head stayed up. “No more visions, just exam tomorrow. Okay.” She breathed in and out slowly, the little exercise doing her well. Her heart rate slowed, mind focused in, and the panic ever so slowly pushed itself away. She’d been taught that once, taught how much her breathing could help her concentrate and hone in on what was important. Yet another thing to thank her mysterious teacher for.

“Go get cleaned up, alright? I’ll meet you out front, let’s go into town and get a bite to eat. My treat.” Shining patted her head once and left her behind. Where he would get the money, she never knew. Shining always seemed to have a few bits stored up for a ‘rainy day’ or an excessively magical one in this case. Going into town hardly happened. Really, that meant going to the closest market, which the Queen had named the Rising Moon market. Put simply, it had everything a pony could need.

The market couldn’t be called a grand bazaar, like the upper district markets. The area was filthy, downtrodden, and ridden with thievery. Yet, despite that, the stalls flourished. Anything that legal to own, and a few things that weren’t, proliferated their way through the market. Food of all kinds, clothing, ingredients, jewlery, even illicit drugs were openly on display. Guards patrolled it, yes, but a little ‘sample’ of the wares and nearly anything could be overlooked. Twilight’s ‘treats’ were these trips to the markets, all she could really hope for in a day. It was their entertainment, their lifeblood, and the heart of the lower cities.

Which actually made Twilight realize how worried Shining was. Sometimes, they’d go just to browse, but ponies frown upon that. Ponies went to a market to buy. Whatever made Shining willing to part with his hard earned and oft-hidden bits weight on his mind indeed. He had to worry for her, didn’t he?

Twilight started to move through their house, taking her time in the bathroom and ensuring that she cleaned herself well. Her little ‘nap’ in the grass had made her filthy, but a quick shower proved enough to fix that. Well, ‘shower’ being a bucket of water over Twilight’s mane, as well as some light brushing and scrubbing on her coat. They didn’t really have much soap; Matron made their soap in house, just enough to clean them and leave them without fragrance and no more.

As Twilight made her way back downstairs, she heard the others. Sparkler sat in her room, the one she shared with Sunset. The two were talking, though Twilight couldn’t make out the words. But, while the words couldn’t be heard, the tone and feelings could. Anxiety and concern, two hideous beasts, filtered their way out. Sparkler worried, and Sunset worried for her.

Something about that interaction made it all click in Twilight’s mind. As she plodded down the stairs, Twilight realized what Shining’s true intentions were. His worries, his fears extended beyond Twilight; no, he loved his sister, but the world did not revolve around her. Twilight did not struggle in solitude, many others fought with her. This morning may have been exceptionally difficult for her, but all the others in the house fought their own battles. The others had to have the exam on their minds, the others had to worry about their futures. Perhaps not Sunset, because seemingly nothing kept her down, but what about Lime, or Sparkler, or Citrus? What would be going through their heads right now?

Tomorrow was their day, the day they’d spent their entire life training for. Yet, they barely had a ghost of a chance. They’d seen what real unicorns did to pass, they’d seen the past year’s exams. They’d even seen Twilight, Sunset, and Shining. No pony could doubt that those three were strong or concentrated enough, but how did their own chances compare? Well, truth was, they didn’t. And Twilight couldn’t imagine how that felt. To think, all the work, all the struggles for your entire life boiled away to nothing. To think, despite your best effort, years of training, and continued support, they couldn’t even think about passing. How did they even make it through the day anymore? How did they even get out of bed? Twilight could only imagine.

Thus, she realized. Shining wasn’t just worried for her. Perhaps he was the most worried for her, but the others had to weigh heavily on his mind. Their trip to the market would surely be good for them both.

Speak of the stallion. Shining already waited by the front door, changed into something much ‘nicer’. Each of the orphans had a few clothes for going out, Shining’s consisting of well-put together brown pants and a white tunic, both of which were well-made and sturdy. Belatedly, Twilight realized she had ruined her own dress and hadn’t even bothered to change out of it. Hopefully, that would be fine for today at least. Nopony cared that much.

Shining looked away from the entrance, giving Twilight the perfect opportunity to sneak up. Twilight darted forward, surprising him with a nuzzle and a smile. Shining’s head whipped around, but relaxed once he realized it was, returning her nuzzle. “Ready Twily?” He asked. Twilight responded with a quick nod and the two set off through the streets.

The streets of the day were much different than their counterparts in the night. The sewers didn’t run during the day, and thus the travel became much safer. No plumes of smoke rose through the cracks, no whirring filled the air, and no plague doctors crept in the shadows. The day was the time of Celestia, the time of peace and prosperity. Though, one probably couldn’t tell with the look of the lower cities.

That wasn’t to say the devastation of the night was not evident during the day. There were rents torn in the streets, cracks in the cobbled stone and even pitfalls leading into the depths. At least, none of the plagued water spurted from those depths during the day. The old, worn down store and house fronts were eaten away by the acidic effluence, the rushing waters sometimes marring the world above the ground as well. Twilight had rarely heard horrors stories of what happened to those caught in such a spray. With how the wood and stone looked after catching the blast, Twilight didn’t want to think about the end result. Flesh and bone weren’t much more difficult to eat through, after all.

For now, the sewers were off, clogged and back loaded until the night. Not a single drop of liquid would run through those pipes, not for many hours yet. The valves were locked safe away, no pony having access except for a select few. The sewers must remain closed lest disaster strike.

The areas they trotted on through were not the cities best. There used to be storefronts and homes here, but most of them were boarded up, with some even collapsed. Ever since the plague became prolific in the streets, nopony dared to sell outside of the markets. They were spelled for protection, both from magical means and medical ones. Originally, those sort of wards were created for anti-thievery, but they’d gotten a new purpose during the epidemic. Twilight considered it a more noble usage than just stopping petty thieves, but the local constables would probably disagree with that. Regardless, few ponies wanted to set up shop outside of those wards, whether they feared thieves or the plague itself mattered not.

The pair walked in a comfortable silence born of a closeness not many ponies shared with another. They’d done this route so many times, few topics remained unspoken of. And really, what would two ponies like them speak about? The exam tomorrow? Her injuries from a botched teleport? Those were the things this type of journey was made to ignore, the siblings chose silence due to familiarity and ease, something hardly ever gifted to them.

Their gait even belied who they were. The two walked close enough to nearly have their coats touch, their familiarity obvious to anypony on the street. Yet, not many walked through here. By their orphanage the town changed to a near ghost town, by dint of unluck. As they neared the market, the crowd started to populate, a few ponies passing by them. The townsponies gave the two a wide berth, a few ponies even crossing the street rather than walk by them. Silly, old mares, nothing more. Such glances and actions no longer bothered the two. Unicorns growing up here became used to it.

Like usual, ponies packed the market. The market itself was in the direct opposite direction of the library, the area around it the most open in the city. This district had clearly been planned around it, with a large square forming the market itself. Not that anypony could tell where the open area started anymore. Stalls polluted the center, creating aisles that were just wide enough for a cart to go through. Vendors scattered everywhere, nearly all of them worth their salt.

Twilight and Shining entered from the east gate, where most of the fresh food centered. The moment a pony stepped inside, ponies of all types assailed them. “Watches, get your watches!” A stallion called, right next to the gate. He started to walk over, but a stern, nearly threatening glance from Shining sent him right back to his post.

Yet, others, hundred of others, hawked their goods as well. “Fresh gourds! Gourds here! Can’t beat the prices!” Yelled another stallion from a stall. Only to be followed by a dozen more shouts, the sounds almost blending together.

“Strawberries! Fresh picked from right outside the city!”

“Dumplings for the little filly?”

“Meat pies! Meat pies!” That one honestly made Twilight a little sick.

“Warm, tasty bread! Right here, don’t pass on by without your bread!”

On and on it went, ponies crowding around each and every one of the stalls, getting their shopping done and getting out. Despite the enchantments and the lurking constables, no place bred thieves and pickpockets like the market. When not just ‘hanging out’, most ponies quickly made their way to their favorite stalls, then hurried their little tails on out. Everypony had their favorites, after all.

Shining and Twilight kept close to the edge, where the storefronts used to be. Long ago, or rather, around ten years ago, stores used to fill out the edges of the market. Neither Twilight nor Shining knew exactly what had spurred the change, but no pony used them any longer. The guard had boarded up the fronts, any glass left over lay in shattered heaps. The doors were boarded up as well, the entryways at least secured. Occassionaly, they’d pass one of the constables. Every few doorways, one stood at attention, uniform crisp and nightstick ready. Shining had felt that bite before and he didn’t look forward to ever feeling it again. Most took a minute to give them a long, mean look. Twilight didn’t dare light her horn for fear of retribution, such fear propagated through the lower classes. She had never even considered stealing, but the stigma remained.

The ‘bright’ side shown through; their favorite cook set up close by. Their favorite stall sat near the end of a row, manned by an elder stallion who went only by Dr. Bread. The good doctor never acted quite the same way, yet at the same time, he would always treat a pony with respect. It mattered not to him whether his customer happened to be an earth pony or an alicorn. The customer got the same service, and the same goods regardless. It helped that those two nearly always ended up being flawless, despite Bread’s enigmatic persona. Dr. Bread was quite the cook; anything from grilled vegetables, to pies, even to baked bread. Where he got all the equipment, Twilight would never know. Today, it seemed to be kebabs.

Today, another visitor had their usual spot in line as well. With a little thrill, Twilight realized she had seen this pony before. Not from the library, but also recent. Twilight could hardly be sure, but was he not the one from her vision? Blue body, silver mane, even the streak through his mane. He wore a full tuxedo as well, golden watch around his forehoof. He had money, but what purpose could a money bag have here?

Twilight stopped as they neared, grabbing onto her brother’s tunic and jerking it back. “Psst! He’s from one of the visions!” She tugged harder, trying to get Shining to hold back and observe. Perhaps she could figure out at least a little bit of her frighteningly complicated life now.

“Over here.” Shining urged, pulling the pair between two stalls. The two ponies pressed into the gap, the siblings’ bodies pressed uncomfortably close to each other. “Mind the horn.” Shining wheezed, Twilight’s horn pointedly poking into his side. She gently moved her head, angling her ears towards the fancy pony. The gap spread no more than a foot or two wide, and a few feet deep. The spot offered a cramped, uncomfortable space, but it afforded a good vantage to creep in on the pony’s conversation.

“--always thought it was quite nice down here!” The stallion said. His words sounded clipped, refined and perfectly manicured. Twilight didn’t exactly know how the word manicured applied to his tone, but for some odd reason it fit nicely. “I do have to say, these kebabs are excellent! You wouldn’t find anything like this up in the upper city, oh no! It’d be ‘barbaric’ or some tripe like that! I simply must come down here more often!” The stallion raved. His genial expression didn’t fall off for a single moment during the conversation, seemingly entranced with the ‘quaint’ food.

The good doctor however…

Bread grit his teeth, tail lashing out behind him. He snorted at the last few words, eyes narrowing. “Well perhaps you should try more of it!” He practically shouted, nearly shoving a few more of the kebabs across the counter. His eyebrow twitched again. That certainly couldn’t be healthy for him.

Twilight didn’t know whether the other stallion was oblivious, or if he actually just wanted more of the food, but his magic lit and one of the kebabs flittered over to his mouth. Twilight’s heart stopped for the briefest of moments. If she could see the cyan magic glow around the stick, others could too. Her eyes darted over to the closest constable, whose hoof crept towards his nightstick. Without even knowing it, the noble had put himself in danger. Without even knowing it, he’d already put himself on the wrong side of the law. It didn’t even matter that he truly hadn’t done anything wrong; just using magic around here was enough for a beating.

And beating a noble pony? That’d be a crackdown. Perhaps the exam wouldn’t even happen tomorrow… Twilight jumped from the gap, snaking her way between Shining’s legs and darting up towards the noble. She couldn’t sit idly by and let something like that happen, not while she could make a difference. Yesterday’s Twilight may have ignored it, but after her visions, she knew this pony held importance in some way. She dare not let them come to pass.

Twilight purposefully stood between the constable and the noble pony, positioning her back to the constable but not enough so she couldn’t see him. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched his hoof land on the stick, idly tracing a circle on the handle. “S-sir!” Twilight quickly squeaked out. How did one address a pony such as this one? How did anypony talk to a noble? Speaking would be dangerous, an impossible game. If this stupid noble took offense to what she said, what would happen to her? Then again, he had absolutely no clue who she was. “Your magic!” Her eyes rotated back and forth between the constable and his flickering magic, hoping that he’d get the hint.

The noble turned his body, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. Thankfully, or perhaps luckily, he seemed to get the hint. His magic flared once and died, the treat landing back on the stall’s counter uneaten. Bread grumbled something Twilight couldn’t hear and swiped at it with a hoof, knocking the ‘tainted’ food onto the ground. As if the market didn’t already have a rat and pest problem.

“Thanks for the hint, young lady!” Did everything he say have to be so loud? It was as if everypony in a fifteen meter square had to be privy to what he said. Self-important ass. “May I have your name? I’m Duke Silverhorn!” He introduced himself. A chill went through Twilight’s spine at the words. A duke? A duke in the lower city? Why? What purpose could he possibly have here?

Shining Armor finally seemed to be coming to her rescue. Her knight in Shining Armor, as if that pun hadn’t been made a hundred thousand times. “Your lordship.” He started, bowing his head low. “I’m Shining Armor, this is my sister Twilight Sparkle. It’s truly an honor to meet you.” He glanced sideways at Twilight, the mare fortunately getting the hint enough to bow her own head low.

Yet, for some reason, the Duke frowned. Had they already done something wrong? Had they already committed some kind of faux pas? He held up a hoof and Twilight braced to be hit. It didn’t come. “None of that, please! While here, I’m just like one of you! Please, call me Silverhorn!”

Twilight and Shining’s heads slowly tilted up, none too quickly. Shining had dealt with a noble before, but Twilight never had. She couldn’t help but wonder if something like this became the norm. Shining hadn’t made it seem like that in his past stories. He had always gone on about how stuck up they were, how hung up on protocol and obsessed with their titles. Silverhorn didn’t seem that way, but then again, they’d just met. But really, like one of them? Hardly. Not with those clothes, not with that watch, not with that money. He didn’t even skirt the edge. Just the location alone did not make him part of their world.

“Yes your lordship.” Shining answered, regardless. It seemed he thought similar things to Twilight, always worried.

"Hrm, are you two going to be performing in the test tomorrow?” Two nods answered him. “Well, I believe I shall see you there, then!” He announced. “Until then, Lady Sparkle, Lord Shining.” He turned on a hoof, his clothes fluttering in the light breeze.

“What a strange stallion.” Twilight mumbled, wondering what he meant. Nobles often came to the exam, but rarely were they allowed inside. The nobles honestly saw it as a sport, watching the lower class toil away and daring to rise above their station. Perhaps he was a judge?

“Yea, that kin--”

“You two gonna buy something?” Bread interrupted, glaring at the two. His hooves pressed onto the stall’s table, leaning up and leering down at the brother and sister. His mane was a frazzled mess, irritation clear. The duke and the doctor clearly did not get along.

Shining bought them both two kebabs, and the two walked away from the stall. Dr Bread’s company tended to be unpleasant when he got into a mood, and Twilight would rather walk along in silence with her brother than deal with all of that. Especially with that constable keeping a close eye on the two, ready on a hair trigger. The food, as expected, was good, the grilled vegetables practically popping with flavor. For all his flaws, the doctor truly could cook.

Despite the interesting trip to the market, Twilight’s stepped lightly. With delicious food, pleasant company, and a beautiful day, how could they not be? The morning may have been rougher than most, but the afternoon had been nothing but perfect so far. The two finished their kebabs in silence on more, ruminating on their experiences in the market. Or rather, Twilight reflected, at least.

Just who was Duke Silverhorn? She’d almost swore she’d heard the name before and as eye-catching as he was, she’d definitely remember him. Between seeing him in the vision and seeing him in the real world, Twilight already had her suspicions. He clearly wasn’t her teacher, and if the vision was to be believed, him and the white mare didn’t exactly get along either. The stallion had a dukedom, which meant he held an important position. Perhaps she’d caught sight of the name in a paper? Or a speech? Sometimes, the orphans would get to see a newspaper. The opportunity happened rarely, but it did happen. After all, the newspapers only printed in the upper class areas, where ponies could actually read. Twilight and Shining were lucky in that regard, lucky that Matron had insisted all of them knew how to read at least a passable level. Regardless, she’d seen his name somewhere, she’d just have to remember where.

Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by, of all things, a rock.

More specifically, the rock was a large rock, at least the size of her hoof. Yet, that was hardly the most interesting thing about it. That particular award would go to the fact that it was hurtling directly towards her muzzle. Generally speaking, that was not where you wanted a rock flying towards you at. Unsurprisingly, this turn of events was unexpected for Twilight and she could only stare wide eyed as it tumbled end over end in the air towards her.

Fortunately, her brother on the other hoof, paid attention. A brilliant pink shield flashed into being, the rock bouncing off and falling back to the ground. Twilight fell back to her rump, shock evident in her face as Shining moved in front of her. The stallion took up a defensive stance, head darting left and right, looking for the culprit. Here seemed almost destined for an ambush. Alleys were clear on each side, though nearly impossible to see into with the darkness. The broken down, abandoned buildings weren’t even boarded up, easily enough hiding more assailants. Shining had trained for this, Shining knew what to do. All Twilight could do boiled down to cowering behind him, her own magic sparking but no useful spell coming to mind. If only she could teleport safely…

“Good luck unicorns!” A falsely cheery, falsely high voice called. Shining and Twilight’s heads whipped around instantly towards the sound, directing their gaze towards one of the alleyways. Who else? What other pony would go so far out of their way to antagonize the pair? What other pony would attempt to hurt the impoverished pair? Who else had that sort of hate in them?

Out stepped Quaker from the alley, out stepped the source of many of their woes. Quaker, as an earth pony, was no ordinary pony. Quaker more accurately compared to a behemoth than a pony; he stood a full head taller than Shining Armor, with broad shoulders and a well-muscled form. He was slate gray, with a black mane and a fissure as a cutie mark. More importantly, the earth pony had the disposition of a rattlesnake, and made a black widow look like a perfect princess. More than anypony else, his harbored hatred of unicorns only grew year by year. His ire especially fell upon Twilight and Shining, two bastions of unicorn strength, two that were stereotypes of the unicorn way. And by the goddesses, he couldn’t stand it. Couldn’t stand them one bit, and everypony knew it.

Flanked on either side of him were his two cronies, Tanner and Jack. The two stood more subdued. Neither of the two stood out as perfect ponies, yet they stayed loyal till the end. They were no fans of unicorns, but they didn’t have the inane hatred that Quaker did. They at least kept his worst impulses in, but with how the two shifted from hoof to hoof, it was quite clear they failed their job this time. Tanner kept his eyes down, hoofing at the ground uncomfortably. Twilight knew enough about him to know the kicking didn’t mean to be threatening, but a nervous tic that Tanner had displayed for years. Jack didn’t look much better, what with the stallion biting his lip and all.

“What do you want, Quaker?” Shining asked, voice neutral. He stood in front of his sister, standing proudly despite the extra height and weight the earth pony had on him. The two had tussled before and it nearly always turned ugly. For the last few fights, however, Shining near inevitably came out on top. Years upon years of disciplined training had done him well, while Quaker’s muscle mass from working in the quarry did poorly in fighting.

Quaker barked out a laugh, a deranged, unstable laugh. “You damn unicorns to get the fuck out of my town.” He answered back, an eerie calm in his voice. Then again, the siblings had heard this a hundred times before. Normally, Quaker didn’t act this direct. Quaker, despite his brawn, actually played the shadows well. He managed to play his dirty little tricks carefully enough to avoid being caught, so there had to be some measure of brains within that thick skull of his. Probably just wasn’t developed enough.

“Go ahead and try.” Shining’s voice stayed light, not a single wisp of anxiety betraying the storm raging inside. This dance had been done before, and Shining knew the steps well. Shining knew his tells, knew his moves, knew his thoughts. The two were enemies, rivals, plain and simple. Perhaps for only one day more.

“Come on, Quaker. They ain’t worth it.” Tanner’s hoof tugged at Quaker’s arm, eyes worried and glancing between Shining and Quaker. He even cast a sympathetic glance Twilight’s way, but only for the briefest second.

Silence reigned. The two parties stared each other down. Shining against Quaker, the two’s companions doing their best to keep the peace. Twilight hardly had to do much, she trusted her brother enough to not escalate the situation. It was the earth pony brute she worried about. Perhaps she should ready a spell just in case.

After felt like an hour, Quaker jerked his arm away, a disparaging glare replacing the calm, except towards Tanner. “Whatever.” He growled. Mercifully, the stallion turned away, stalking down the street. The tension melted away under the sun’s rays, leaving the two unicorns to watch the others trot away, towards the market.

“Well, that’s.. Certainly something. I’ll keep an eye out for him, alright? We best get ready for tomorrow.” Shining finally said, once the earth ponies were far enough away.

Twilight nodded and the two made their way back. For tomorrow was their day, no more Quaker to bother them. Tomorrow would be their day, the day they finished the exam. Tomorrow would be their day, the day they escaped this place, changed their fate once and for all. The Queen would be there along with their examiners and many other nobles, just for them.

Tomorrow.

The Exam

Eight A.M. Twilight woke with a jolt, sitting directly upright in her bed. Despite her brother’s best efforts, sleep had still come uneasily for the mare. Nightmares plagued her dreams, infesting the far reaches of her mind and keeping her from the peaceful night of rest she so greatly desired. Nightmares of the visions, of the exam, of the plague, and of everything in between stalked her mindscape, unrelenting until the end. Twilight had grown used to nightmares; nopony who lived through the plague remained unscathed from their icy touch. But these fresh horrors, those of the visions, had woken her up in a cold sweat. Mercifully, she still managed her eight hours of sleep. Her exam wouldn’t be sabotaged from fatigue, at least.

Nightmares, like pain, rode with Twilight often. Ever since she could remember, she’d had them. Shining helped in his own ways. Some nights, he’d cuddle next to her on the bed, others he’d leave a candle. Twilight could hardly lie and say the companionship didn’t help. She held no such pride that prevented her from admitting her own weaknesses, and her fear of the dark and the night presided as chief among them. Shining’s presence and love helped her, but all of that had to end. It had to end when she went to the library, as even his kindness had limits. She always had to wait for him to sleep before going out, so cuddling dropped out as an option.

Twilight noticed her brother had kept to his own bed last night, which, to be honest, mildly disappointed the young mare. His form next to hers would’ve been greatly comforting. Maybe not enough to stave off the nightmares, but enough to help at the very least. She missed their closeness, missed the bond the two shared back before her trips to the library had begun. Maybe someday they’d get it back. Maybe someday very soon.

The exam. Today.

Shining had already awoken. He sat in his bed, a light sheen of sweat already over his coat and the smell of exertion clinging tight. It seemed like somepony else had their fair share of sleeping troubles, but he had taken his out with training instead of fitfully rolling over and going back to sleep. Probably a wise move; productive, rather than wasteful. He had already dressed as well, wearing the same clothes that he wore for their ill-fated market visit.

“Morning Twily.” Shining spoke first, breaking the silence of their room and the orphanage. “Assume you’re not going for breakfast today?” Twilight shook her head, slowly scooting her way out from underneath the sheets. With a rub to wipe the sleep away, she sat up in her bed, trying to wake herself. No, no breakfast today. Too many thoughts swam in her head to even think about eating. She’d always read that eating before tests helped, but for the life of her it just made her sick. Twilight wouldn’t waste her time with breakfast this morning. She needed to keep herself calm, and breakfast would do the opposite. Food could come later, much later. If she was lucky, it’d be for lunch, if not, dinner.

“Alright, um… I’ll be downstairs if you need me. Remember, be at the door by eight thirty.” Shining mentioned. The stallion jumped from the bed, landing on four confident hooves. He needed not remind her. Who else would know the time as well as Twilight Sparkle? She’d be there. Shining shouldn’t worry about her. No, he should worry about Lime and Citrus instead. Those two were late for damn near everything. Normally that could be excused, but not today.

“See ya in a bit, BBBFF.” Twilight whispered. She used a pet name, one that neither of them had heard for quite some time. Big Brother, best friend forever. A phrase that came from better days, from days with long, close evenings, from a closeness no other pony could ever match.

Shining paused at her words, half in and half out of the door. He looked over his shoulder, a faint smile on his muzzle. Twilight could almost make out a small sparkle in his eye. Almost. “See ya soon, LSBFF.” He answered. Shining gave her one last nod, and out he went.

No matter what, the two would have each other. No matter what, Shining would be at her side. It may not always be the same, but their bond remained.

First things first, the mare hurried through her shower then retreated back to her room to dress again. The water did well to wake her up, replenishing the energy lost from her broken sleep. Today’s morning would be a simple ritual, a ritual of pushing fear from her mind. She didn’t allow herself to worry about what would come, didn’t allow herself to stress out about it. Any other normal day and she would’ve been a nervous wreck, but today Twilight focused. Today Twilight honed in on what was important and that meant staying calm no matter what. Her breathing exercises certainly helped. Even a few years prior and she would’ve devolved into a gibbering, thoughtless mess of anxiety.

Twilight had long since grown out of all that!

From the drawers, Twilight pulled out her ‘fancy’ dress, the thoughts of the past gone from her mind. Despite her relative dislike of skirts, Twilight loved this dress. Somepony had made it with care-- with something bordering on love. The entire thing shrouded itself in shades of blue from the top to the bottom. The bodice sported a rippling pattern, almost looking like a cloudy sky. It darkened gradually as it went on, until the skirts themselves, which were an almost navy blue, flared out behind her so wonderfully. The dress even had long sleeves, though they were made nearly entirely of a nearly translucent, robin’s egg blue lace.

Something like this would fetch a high price on the markets, but no matter how desperate they got, Twilight could never bring herself to sell this. No, this dress was special. No matter how many presents from the nobility they received, no matter how many donations, none could top it.

It was her mother’s dress, her last gift to the fledgling siblings.

Eight fifteen. Everything for her morning had finished already. Nothing remained but to wait, and wait Twilight would. She sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to mess up her dress. She’d been careful to not wrinkle it for months, it would be quite a shame to trip over the finish line, wouldn’t it?

Twilight breathed in and out, focusing on absolutely nothing at all. No thoughts would seep into her mind, no matter their context. No thoughts of the visions, no thoughts of the exam, no thoughts of the Queen, her brother, or anypony else. For now, Twilight sat with an empty mind. She could hardly keep it up, but before an exam, nothing relaxed her more. Her breathing slowed as time went on, as her relaxation enveloped her mind and body. Very few times afforded her the chance to just sit and rest like this. Twilight always felt so busy, so rushed. If it wasn’t studying for the exam, it was going to the library. Or studying the books she brought back. Or speculating on her mentor. Or just trying to survive. Still, she did her best to keep herself calm, lest she go entirely crazy. Once a month at the minimum she’d sit like this, usually two or three times when things became rougher. Shining always pushed her towards it if the need arose.

Eight twenty-five. What a wonderful session of doing absolutely nothing. But, the time grew late, and Twilight grew restless. The mare stood, shaking herself out and chasing away the last vestiges of sleep. Twilight breathed one last, deep breath, stretching herself out from mane to tail.

With that, down the stairs and out the door she went, meeting the assembled ponies there. As expected, Matron waited right near the doorstop, practically ambushing Twilight with a truly massive hug. While the gryphoness barely stood as tall as Twilight, her wings stretched wide around the mare, enveloping her fully and gifting her with a cocoon of feathers as protection from the outside world. It wouldn’t last, not for long, but the isolation proved valuable in keeping Twilight calm and collected. She missed the days would Matron would cuddle a few of them under her wings and read to them, even though she’d long since grown past them.

After a few seconds, Matron drew back, giving her one more kiss on the forehead. Perhaps the last contact the two would ever have. “Be good, you hear? I expect to see you back tonight, then no more after that, alright?” She asked, her raspy voice cloaked with sadness. A flicker of regret covered Twilight’s visage. To pass meant to leave all this behind. For the most part, that boded well. Life here could be suffering.

But on the other hoof, there were always bright points. Matron being the biggest example, or the long nights at the library. Even the simple interactions with the other unicorns would be sorely missed; she didn’t expect all of them to pass after all. But perhaps Twilight drew ahead of herself. Perhaps she thought too far in the future.

Twilight could always fail the exam.

Suddenly, the mare’s calm dissipated. She sucked in a deep air of breath, even as Matron held her at arm’s length, face full of concern. Twilight’s body started to tremble, the old worries coming back in a growing maelstrom of anxiety and insecurity. She was Twilight Sparkle, the best of them, the most studious, the fastest learner, but what if it wasn’t enough? What if it would never be enough? She’d never amount to anything, never meet her teac--

“Sweetie. It’ll be fine.” Matron whispered, shaking her lightly. Twilight snapped from her reverie, doing her best to give Matron a wobbling, little smile.

“R-right.. Sorry.” The two hugged once more before Matron released her entirely, small, crooked wings retreating back to her side. Eight Twenty Nine. The six of them needed to be off, needed to leave all of this behind one more time. They’d be back, that much was certain, but for how long? Some a day, others the rest of their lives. Only time would tell.

The two parted with soft goodbyes, letting Twilight’s gaze fall on the rest of the unicorns for the first time. Shining led their group, as he tended to do, flanked by the two older mares. The twins sat, scuffing their hooves at the dirt occasionally. Seemed like their normal trend of not being morning ponies wouldn’t break now. Yet, even Sunset stayed silent. All of them knew the gravity of the situation, knew how much rested on the next eight hours of the time. The time for levity had passed in a flash, and now the somber tone remained over them like a gray pallor.

“Let’s go, everypony.” Shining announced, voice strong and confident as if this day didn’t differ from any other. If their idol failed, their idol wavered in his strong confidence, who could they trust? Twilight could only imagine the rolling emotions that stirred throughout her brother, couldn’t dare to think about what he had to deal with. Only he knew what went through his head, but she’d help as much as she could. Just.. later.

Shining set a pace that all of them could keep up with, a slow, meandering pace that would please the twins but keep Twilight engaged enough to not complain about wasting time. Such was the compromise they had to make with such a diverse group. It wouldn’t be far from them; just a couple of blocks. Even on the worst of days, the walk stretched no more than twenty minutes. They’d arrive well in advance of the nine A.M cutoff, none of their number would be turned away this year.

The walk itself felt rather boring, yet full of apprehension at the same time. None of them actually wanted to take the test, yet it remained something they must do. She knew it was like a bandage -- the sooner finished, the sooner her anxiety would end -- but the road stretched forward into infinity. Based just on how much Lime and Citrus lagged behind, she could guess they felt hesitance; yet she couldn’t blame them. How pleasant would it be just to walk on with these same ponies forever? T’would be better than taking the test, for sure.

Finally, the testing center appeared in their sight. The building sat at the top of a hill, a great monolith of some old mansion. Surely, back before the plague, some noble had lived here. Now, it had been reappropriated, a purpose that likely would send that noble rolling in his grave. Whatever architect had made it shaped the building into a single line. Hallways split off from the main entryway, rooms that were converted into classrooms darting off on each side. Nowadays, the insides felt much like a school building, not that any of her type went to a real school anymore. That cost bits.

The long backyards that once were gardens now served as the practice field. Large expanses of grass stretched out, letting new and training unicorns cast their spells with impunity. The danger of hitting anypony else or damaging a building at least mitigated in this sort of space. Surprisingly, no lines led into the belly of the beast, the ponies this year seemingly much better at processing such a volume of applicants. Then again, there were never truly that many unicorns in the lower districts.

As the group approached, the mare at the forefront perked up. A single desk manned the entrance, held down steady by a unicorn mare, dressed like your typical secretary. She looked professional, an image only re-affirmed by the two armed pegasi off to her side, Equestrian Navy badges clear and center on their uniforms. Their wings fluffed as the unicorns approached, revealing deadly wing blades for the briefest of moments. Well, good thing Twilight hadn’t planned on misbehaving anyways…

“Good morning, ponies!” The mare behind the desk greeted them, shuffling and stacking papers with her hooves. She gave them a wide smile and gestured them forward, closer up. “Single file line! Give your name and age please so I can log you, and step inside for your assignment!” Oh, well wasn’t she a little chipper thing? Her smile seemed to never leave her face, and just the little movements at her desk had a little bounce in them. She reminded her strikingly of a more sincere Sunset Shimmer, one who actually cared. Why else would a pony volunteer for duty like this? What other educated unicorn would come to the lower cities?

Regardless of who checked them, Shining split their group up. He went with the twins first, leaving Twilight with the two older mares. She intentionally placed Sparkler between herself and Sunset, just to be extra careful with it. Up stepped each pony, Shining letting the two twins go first. They spoke quietly, keeping their voices low, but the mare’s smile still didn’t wobble.

“Excellent!” The mare exclaimed, gently ushering them onwards. Yet, they milled around off to the desk, at least until Shining gave his name and age as well. Once he joined them, the trio marched on in, disappearing behind the great, wooden doors that served as the building's entrance. The last bit she saw was a flick of Shining’s tail.

She didn’t know it yet, but that would be the last she saw of her dear brother that day.

Finally, Twilight’s turn came. “Good morning, miss! You’re quite young!” Twilight twitched. Yes, she knew by now that she was the youngest. She’d always been the youngest, and always would be that. Years worked that way.

Somehow, she managed to smile back. “Mhm. I’m Twilight Sparkle, thirteen.” She spoke with a voice beyond her years, hardened by her upbringing. Her voice diverged from her youthful, nearly innocent appearance enough to make the chipper pony blink confusedly for a second. The smile even lessened, but only a millimeter, if that.

“Oh. Um, well good luck to you, little one! Take a left inside!” The mare pushed her forward with a light touch of magic, urging her through the doors and past those navy pegasi.

Twilight glared back, the magic hardly needed. She could’ve walked through those doors on her own power, thank you very much. She took the first left, leaving her face to face with another unicorn, this one a pink and blonde one who didn’t look anywhere near as happy. That’s better. Morning ponies were weird.

“You’re in theory first. Down the hall, fifth door on the left. Classroom should be empty, you’re the first.” The unicorn intoned, voice nearly devoid of emotion.

With a swift nod, Twilight trotted on down the hall, just barely getting a peek of Sunset taking the fourth door on the right. She really dodged a bullet there; Sunset and her would not share a room for the theory part at least. Good, Twilight could most definitely concentrate more without the bacon-haired distraction next to her. Unfortunately, that meant Sparkler would also be in that room. Twilight would be well and truly alone for her test. Other ponies would be there, but that meant nothing. She knew none of them.

Twilight took a deep breath, turning her way into the designated room. She could handle it, Twilight Sparkle was strong. At least the room stayed empty; if she needed a breakdown... Well, she had a few minutes. She wouldn’t need them, however.

Twilight chose a seat near the back, right beside the window. The room truly had the feel of one of the study rooms back at the library. Neat, orderly rows of desks took up most of the space, making a five by five square in the middle of the room. Up front, a chalkboard perched behind a larger desk, though it lay empty for now. The sides were devoid of anything for now, just wood, wood, and more wood. At least Twilight could snag a window seat now - it would give her something to look at when she sat bored after finishing early.

Twilight took her seat carefully, balancing in the wooden, uncomfortable desk. Deep breaths, in and out, in and out, everything would be fine. Ponies started to filter into the room, all unicorns of course. Thankfully, the unicorn that sat beside her, an auburn stallion, chose not to speak. Blissful silence held for a while longer, until some of the new ponies started to speak amongst themselves. Fine, whatever. It wouldn’t last long anyways, and Twilight honed her laser like focus to the center of the room.

Eight fifty seven. In stepped the proctor, two saddlebags, both clearly loaded with papers and the like. Like everypony else here, she was a unicorn, an azure mare to be exact. Her horn split her two-tone mane down the center, already sparkling with cyan magic as a thick sheaf of papers levitated out to each seated pony along with a pencil. “No starting, no peeking, don’t even pick up the pencils. I’ll know if you try anything.” The unicorn spoke in a clearly no-nonsense sort of way. She knew what to do, and she’d execute her duty well. For some reason, Twilight felt a rush of gratitude for such a proctor. Better than the inexperienced who could muck it up.

Yet, as her own copy floated onto her desk, Twilight nearly couldn’t resist. She stared at the papers, the top having a few words.

Unicorn Competency Test

Fifteenth Edition

Editors: Midnight, Snow Haze, and Glow

Valid for: 1103 AD

For such a lauded, stressful test, the cover was absolutely unremarkable. Midnight she’d heard of at least, one of Luna’s former students of the night. Hardly the most successful, but even her contributions were something of note. She started the whole thing after all, started the tests. The other two were lesser knowns, Twilight having not heard hide nor hair of the two. That didn’t say much, but it ruled out the most well-known of unicorn researches.

Her hooves itched to pick up that pencil and start writing. Eight Fifty Nine. So close, she could very nearly taste it. So close, she almost started sweating. So close, she could almost jump for joy. The torment of waiting neared its end, and the torment of worry crested the horizon once again.

Twilight felt overjoyed, reveling in her worry.

That should not have been possible, but here she was. On one hoof, she longed to finish the test, to get it over with and have the guillotine over her head gone for good. On the other… what if she failed? Yet, she couldn’t let herself fall into that mindset. To consider failure an option meant inviting it into your life. If she kept her distance from it, it would remain a distant neighbor. Twilight had studied, toiled, sweat, cried, about all of it. She couldn’t be more ready, the confidence must remain.

Nine. “You may begin.” The proctor’s smooth voice rang out, like the final nail in her coffin. With one last deep breath and a scribble of her name at the top, Twilight’s magic flicked the front page open.

Name three of the Six Schools of Magic:

Three? Just three? Well.. That was easy, wasn’t it?

Defense, Healing, Alteration, Arcane, Thaumatic, and Alchemy.

Couldn’t hurt writing more than just the three, right? Okay, well, first question easy enough, that had to be a warm-up, right? Something to get everypony into it? That made sense. This test wanted to find the best unicorn candidates, getting them comfortable just made sense. No point in being needlessly hard!

Second question.

Name three of Starswirls’ theorems.

That.. was it?

Okay.

Preservation of magic, Theory of distances, and Thoughts on time.

Maybe the warm-up went on?

True or False:

Alteration deals with the changing of an object.

Obviously true!

On and on it went for Twilight. Despite the ease of each question, the test still went on for pages and pages, and Twilight didn’t want to mess it up. Even with her extreme care for each question, the mare finished the test after barely an hour. Of the four hours given, Twilight only took a quarter of them. The test, after all the hype, all the tension, everything, ultimately felt like nothing.

To think, something like this had kept her up at night. To think, something like this had worried her and the others. To think, she’d cried over this. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So much wasted time, but yet it all paid off. If the test just based success on the written portion, no doubt remained that Twilight would pass.

Elation won out, tickling her from her head to her hooves. A near frantic grin took over her face, and she shook her head very slowly. She was done! The test was done! She still had the practical part to go through as well, but after this easiness? How could she worry? The world sat in her hoof, ready for her to take! She could do anything, absolutely and positively anything! The test, the test that everypony dreaded so much was nothing to her! Absolutely nothing!

Okay, perhaps she got a little out of hoof with it. Somehow, she managed to calm herself down, realizing now she had quite the time to wait. Briefly, she wondered how the others were doing. The test felt easy enough, but how much did Sunset and Sparkler know? Okay, right off, Sunset would be fine. Twilight had no doubt of that whatsoever.

Sparkler, on the other hoof… She’d never done well in their mocked tests. She’d never done well in their surprise quizzes. She couldn’t be considered studious by any stretch of the word, and quite frankly had never shown an interest beyond her little light tricks. The material was easy but Twilight still held no faith for the other mare. Sparkler might be able to do something amazing with her magic, but she simply didn’t try. That fact frustrated Twilight to no end; she could truly have a talent, but she squandered it. And for what? Chasing after a stallion? Gallivanting across the town? Twilight honestly had no clue, and she doubted that Sparkler did either.

Perhaps Twilight judged too harshly. Perhaps she had a plan that Twilight had not learned. Those didn’t really fit with her idea of Sparkler however.

Her thoughts drifted to the ponies in the practical exam. Shining would be doing well, she knew that much. Twilight still had yet to see anything of the practical exams - her window faced back towards the street. That mattered not, Shining would still be doing well. Everything Shining did gleamed of perfection, from the smallest meal, to the largest training session. He drove himself into the fire over and over, and always came out on top. He’d do well for himself, no doubt making it into the guard, if that was what he wanted.

Lime and Citrus just needed to not set the field on fire. Those two clearly had no hope as well, but they could make something with their life. A good apprenticeship at a restaurant, even a lower class one, would go a long way. Even if they could turn a few heads here, it would help. Doubtless, Matron would aid the two as well as she could, hopefully getting them a stable job in some kitchen. The two would do well for themselves, Twilight had hope.

With those thoughts out of the way, Twilight’s mind wandered. Primary among her thoughts were ‘what-ifs’. What if she became the prized ‘Student of the Night’? What if she didn’t quite make it? What if the Sun Goddess chose her instead? What would she do once gone from the orphanage? What would happen to her home?

What would happen to Matron?

That foolish thought came without warning. Matron had lived fine without her long ago, and she’d live fine now. Twilight would simply have to find a way to continue and check on her. There had to be ways, right?

Wait, what time was it? More and more ponies seemed to be putting down their tests, more and more seemed done. She checked out the window. Twelve Fifty Five already? Five minutes until the end.

Those five minutes passed faster than any she had ever experienced. It seemed nearly instantly the proctor stood from her chair. “Tests in, everypony.” She announced, magic grasping at each and yanking it forward. It seemed that they’d hardly get a chance to cheat at the time limit. Magic made these sorts of things so much easier.

“Lunch will be along in a minute.” The proctor didn’t even look at them as she spoke, instead stacking the tests up nicely together. The tests fell into her saddlebags and the mare got up to leave, pushing through the door just as another mare tried to slide in. In any other day, that probably would’ve been funny - the two met snout to snout, barely avoiding running into each other.

One flustered apology later, and the new mare scrambled in, levitating out covered plates. Lunch would be served right here? Convenient, she supposed. The plate top levitated off with the mare’s magic still wrapped around.

A hay sandwich and an apple.

Twilight didn’t really expect much, so this fit her expectations. The others? The others seemed to grumble about it, but they couldn’t do anything about it. “Thirty minutes, little ones.” The food-mare called. “Just leave the plates on the table. Another will come for you.”

Plenty of time. In fact, Twilight could take it slow, really enjoy the meal. Well, enjoy it as much as she could. There was really only so much that a pony could enjoy a hay sandwich. Something of a classic, sure, but nothing special. And with how droopy it looked, it likely wasn’t fresh either. So a hay sandwich that had sat out for a few hours.

Free food was still free food, though Twilight’s first bite didn’t exactly reinforce her positive thoughts. She ate as quickly as she could - if she ate fast enough, she could barely taste the food. At the least, it filled her up quite nicely. She’d have no rumbly tummy during the practical part of the exam.

For how long the night had gone on, the morning so far had moved incredibly fast. Lunch kept that trend, and as she finished yet another unicorn mare came to collect them. Unicorn mares, unicorn mares everywhere. Were all the instructors and proctors mares? It certainly seemed like it.

“Orderly line, ponies. Fall in.” This pony reminded Twilight of Shining Armor; the gruffness, the almost military style orders. It fit. She might be one of the guard? But she wasn’t wearing a uniform. Perhaps she was off-duty? Guard ponies didn’t have to wear their uniforms when volunteering or on their off-days. At this point, Twilight could probably pass a test to get into the guard. She’d learned enough simply by being in the same room as Shining.

Regardless, Twilight fell into line, the ponies following the guard in a single file line back down the hallway. The mare lead them from whence they came, except she took a left, towards the backyard, instead of a right towards the street again. Unfortunately, by the time her class reached the outside, the field lay mostly empty. It seemed she truly wouldn’t see Shining or the twins until much later. With luck, she wouldn’t see Sunset either.

Very few ponies stood on the grass. Those that remained outside seemed to be instructors, or guard. A fair amount of military unicorns waited on standby, ready for any sort of spell to go wrong. Just in case disaster happened, they watched on, ready to jump into the action. Very few young unicorns could do enough to actually challenge one of them, so the twenty or so that ringed the back yard were probably overkill.

The back lawn itself seemed to be perfectly molded for this sort of thing. It stretched for yards and yards, just free, open space. Plenty of room to maneuver, plenty of room to cast spells, plenty of room to fuck up. Most of the instructors at least had clustered in the middle, talking, comparing notes and the like. They must be reviewing the first class, weeding out the weak, and keeping the strong. Shining would easily be on the list of the strong.

The mare herded on the group of youthful unicorns on, towards the bunched up instructors. They drew close, Twilight barely able to see around the crowd in front of her. What she did see, however, nearly made her heart stop.

Queen Luna.

Right in the middle of the grounds.

She looked on the process serenely, listening to each and every report without a word. Her judgements passed internally, only a flicker on her facial features giving any hint of her mood. In real life, the Queen looked even more beautiful than Twilight could’ve ever imagined. She’d heard stories of her mane in the past, but seeing it now made her realize not one had done them justice. It flowed, on and on, the night sky seemingly contained within each lock. Stars and twinkling comets floated through her mane even as she stood still, the background to it nearly pitch black. Her mane drifted in some unseeable, unfeelable wind, the mane itself nearly reaching down to her mid leg. Like all alicorns, she stood tall among normal ponies, easily twice the size of any near her, and possibly three times the height of Twilight Sparkle. Her coat matched her mane, a deep, luxurious purple that contrasted near perfectly with her marvelous mane.

As usual, she’d walked out with her accoutrements. Her black crown, bearing a silver moon, made from a diamond, perched high on her head, held back by her sharp, lengthy horn. A peytral covered her chest, made of onyx or some black metal, she couldn’t be sure. Amethysts and peacock topazes covering the front with designs of the night sky. Even now, the mare wore armor under her finery. It covered her undercarriage, her sides, and the inner parts of her legs with black metal, simple but elegant at the same time.

Her presence terrified Twilight. Even from this distance, she could feel the power. Even from this far, she could feel the oppressive aura, radiating out from the Queen. Her magic.. She held nothing back. Everypony here would be able to feel it, from the lowliest of them to the mightiest. None of the unicorns would dare protest anything she might say, not with such might lording over them at any step. Even the pegasus guards off the side seem to be affected; they kept shuffling their wings, as if uncomfortable. But what pony wouldn’t be? What pony would dare to stand against a goddess, a conqueror, a lady?

A Queen.

Belatedly, Twilight realized she’d fallen behind the others. Twilight stared at the Queen, stared at her unabashedly, her attention stuck fascinated on the mare. Somehow, the Queen knew, and her head turned, slowly, ever so slowly, giving her the smallest, most secret wink.

Most ponies wouldn’t even know it had happened. Most ponies wouldn’t be able to tell. But Twilight, Twilight knew. The Queen herself.. The Queen had winked at her? The Queen had acknowledged her! Her heart swam, bounding forward to catch up to the group. This practical part would be easy, so easy! She’d smash right through it, her confidence hit new heights. She would not be denied, not be stopped, not be contained. The Queen herself watched her!

Queen Luna watched her.

Twilight’s blood chilled within her veins. She’d have the attention of a goddess on her. Any little mistake, any fuck-up, even the smallest of things and she’d be done. Chances snuffed right out, gone forever. The stakes had raised again, somehow making the test even more tense. All of her earlier confidence plummeted, replaced by a cold, hard anxiety.

Twilight worked well under pressure, right?

No, she did not.

Finally, she joined the group, interrupting the conversation from who she expected to be the lead instructor. “-will be split off with an examiner. Wait in your places for one to come to you.” She explained. “With that being said, please wait patiently. We’ll have plenty of time for all of you.” With that, the mare stepped down from the podium, standing on the ground once more.

Excited murmurs broke out throughout the crowd, partially from the start of the exam and partially from the presence of the Queen herself. No other pony had seen the Queen’s look, as Twilight stayed ignored the entire time. That was fine, however. Really, she wanted it that way. The less attention the better. In fact, she stared down at her hooves, trying to zone everypony else out. It remained the only way to calm herself down.

Yet, she wouldn’t be afforded even that mercy. “Twilight Sparkle?” A stiff, formal sounding voice asked. Twilight’s head tilted up, falling on two ponies. One, the head instructor from earlier, a ruby-coated mare, and the other, the Queen herself. Instantly, she bowed low, pressing her body down to the ground. Ponies showed deference, ponies showed respect. She’d heard tales, tales that weren’t worth repeating of what happened to those who didn’t bow. Who knew how many were true, but Twilight didn’t want to become just another rumor.

“Please rise. I’m here to observe, nothing more.” The Queen spoke, her voice a powerful wondrous thing. The words left her mind quaking, struggling to catch up. Even the little speech had sent her reeling, her stomach going all a flutter at the words. How could anypony stand in her presence like this? Despite the words, Twilight ducked her head lower for a moment, overwhelmed by her mere presence.

Finally, she managed to rise on wobbling hooves. Luna had started to look out over the pairs, watching the others as she waited, but the instructor started right at her. And the instructor did not seem pleased. “Her highness wishes to see your performance. You will show off right here.” Right here? But, they were in the dead center. Everypony could see here.

And Luna wanted exactly that.

Yet again, the Queen spoke. “Do not be alarmed, simply show us your best. We can feel your energy from here.” She explained. So her power was the reason. Why else would somepony like the Queen take special interest in her? It always came down to power, always came down to her ability. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

At least the explanation was nothing uncouth. Luna held no interest in her body, held no special love for her. She’d have no special treatment besides what she’d deserved. Her task grew to heroic proportions, but if Luna had taken an interest in her, Twilight felt confident she could meet each and every one of them. The only question that remained? What spells to use.

The obvious came to mind first. Teleporting was, by and far, her most impressive spell. But after yesterday, she didn’t dare risk it, especially not with such an important pony close by. If she lived from such a mishap, the terror that would be thrust upon her would not be light. Nay, they’d probably see it as some kind of assassination attempt, some try to take the crown from the Queen’s head. Teleporting fell right out, but that hardly remained her only impressive spell. Perhaps a warm-up would serve her well, something to get the proverbial muscles flexing. Fire felt easy, and fire felt very warm indeed.

Twilight turned her back to the ponies; out of sight, out of mind.The expanse between their position and the manor stretched far enough, more than enough to bust out her more impressive spells. Fire, one of the four elements, didn’t even try to behave most of the time. Controlling it spoke not only to the unicorn’s pure firepower -heh- but also to their control over their magic. Somepony like Sunset could control small, candle-like flames much more carefully than her. But nopony that she’d met could make the same blaze she could.

With one last look over her shoulder, she channeled magic into her horn. Fire felt different than going into the aether. The aether had a chill to it, not a coldness, but a void of temperature. Fire, on the other hoof, roared with each cast. The familiar screaming intensity filled her mind as she fed more and more magic into her horn. Well knowing the problems from yesterday, she let it loose.

A jet of fire erupted in a tsunami out of her horn. Strangely, fire elements mixed with enough magic actually acted as a liquid for a while. It landed nearly twenty feet away, a bonfire that sailed nearly forty feet high erupting from the ground. Twilight sweated, but not from the heat, her dress starting to wilt under her body’s exertions. Strangely, the fire burned nothing around it, and even the strongest orange part of the flames were tinted a very slight purple. Every unicorn’s flame had at least a little bit of the pony in it.

Twilight panted with the effort, holding the flames high for several seconds. Amethyst magic swirled around her horn in a tempest, letting all those around seeing how much she put into it.

Eventually, she let the spell drop, magic winking out slowly. The flame died down, as if doused by some great rainstorm. Once done, nothing remained, nothing stayed behind. The fire hadn’t even scorched the grass, much less turned into that ugly refuse that her teleport had. Magical fire behaved differently than normal, only burning the exact things you wanted it to. And Twilight had wanted all to remain whole, a testament to her magical control.

Twilight tilted her head over her shoulder, looking at princess and her instructor. The judge, at the very least, looked quite impressed, though there was no jaw dropping, no amazement. She didn’t really expect anything like that for her first spell. Nearly any unicorn could make a fire after all. What she didn’t expect was the Queen’s reaction: none.

Okay, time to ramp it up, she supposed. Her head whipped back around, focusing on the patch of grass where her flame had scorched. First, she swept a flame across it. A real one this time, scorching the grass and instantly killing every living thing within it. The patch she roasted ended up being five feet by five feet, just the amount of area she’d practiced with. She banished the thought of fire from her mind then, transitioning it to the earth, the greens of new growth, and the fresh rains of spring. Creating life, at least plant life, from a dead patch wasn’t entirely difficult. Nay, what was difficult was the how and the when.

Typically, a unicorn would add just a drop or two of magic to an earth pony’s garden. The magic warded off diseases and vermin, though it rarely made them grow faster save extreme cases. But few earth ponies knew the true extent of unicorn powers in regards to earth magic. Few realizes how deep some of them could go. Twilight, however? Twilight knew exactly what to do with it.

Vines, thick, clinging, thorn ridden vines erupted from the patch of earth, reaching out towards the sky. The amethyst glow around her horn had tinted a light green, though her purple still shown through most of all. She grit her teeth, holding the growth, coaxing the vines on. At the end of them, flowers started to sprout, great, red flowers the size of Twilight’s head, some bigger. Offshoots split from each, every single one ending in their own bloom. Sweat streaked Twilight’s brow now, and she had actually started to shake with the effort. Rarely did she power this much magic in such a short amount of time. But, the Queen watched on and Twilight had to impress her.

Her magic finally stopped as the plant growth reached as high as the Queen herself. She turned back again, panting even more, her hooves sunken into the ground beneath her. Such magical flow had disrupted the ground next to her, creating little ripples of dirt on the ground. And yet, all of this, all of it amounted to nothing compared to the power the Queen still radiated passively. This time, unfortunately, dirt marred the sleeves of her mother’s dress, a little rip even in the middle of the bodice. She frowned mentally; that’d have to be fixed.

Once again, the instructor looked incredibly pleased, but the Queen had not yet changed.

What in Equestria did Twilight need to do? What did Twilight have to do in order to make her smile, to make her look anything over than entirely impassive? The task had to be impossible. Other students even looked on at the commotion, clearly impressed. Frustration flared through Twilight’s chest. She didn’t want a student, did she? She had came just to watch, watch their little ponies gloat. Well, not Twilight, Twilight would show her.

Twilight could put on quite the show. She stalked forward, brushing her way deep into her patch of vines, deep into the ‘forest’. She stopped in the dead center, taking a deep breath. Her head ached, her horn twitched, and the vines had covered her dress in little scratches, picking at the fabric. Another casualty for her little display, another thing to be repaired. If all went well, she’d have the bits to, at least. Yet, none of that mattered, none of that bothered her one bit. The show had started, and Twilight would see it to the end.

All at once, her horn began to grow, the earth beneath her trembled, and the her familiar magic encased the vines. Slowly, ever so slowly, they raised her into the air, borne in the middle of a bubble of defensive magic, a safety cloak around herself. The vines pushed on, raising her far above what she’d left them at. She passed her instructor’s head, then the Queen’s. Slowly, she raised on, ascending to the heavens.

Only once, she had tried this in a single garden pot. Like everything else small she touched, it shattered, ruining her investment and destroying any remaining life in the seeds. She learned from that mistake, from that one and many like it. Go big, or go home.

With a single grunt, she stopped the growth, now at least thirty feet in the air. From her vantage, she could see everypony in the field. Some looked up at her, like they would like at Luna herself. Some seemed dejected, barely able to concentrate on anything, least of all her. Those ponies no longer had their instructors with them, already failed out. Still others fought on against the practical exam, casting all they knew, all they could ever know.

Belatedly, she spotted Sunset and Sparkler off to the side. Sunset worked on, engrossed in her task levitating a series of objects, shrinking them, growing them and really showing off her fine control. She juggled, ten, fifteen, twenty of those small objects at the same time, though Twilight could hardly see what they were. She barely even seemed to put in an effort, even walking around and talking to her teacher as she worked. And that wasn’t all either. As she stepped, she left little hoofmarks in the grass, growing a fluorescent green, each step leaving tiny little flowers in her wake. Sunset’s magic continued on, plucking individual blades of grass, tucking them, tying them and making them into little balls. Each one joined her floating circus, adding to the complexity.

Twilight couldn’t let herself get distracted. She turned back down, eyes locking on the Queen’s body. Now, she had her attention, now she had her full gaze.

Twilight had not finished yet.

Under her, the vines all bloomed at once, creating a perfect platform of flowers for her. Her magic dropped the shield, letting her stand entirely on her plant abomination. Her magic flickered again, touching at her own vocal chords. A little alteration never hurt anypony. Lights flared around her, and she cleared her throat. Now, she had even Sunset’s attention. “I am Twilight Sparkle. Sister to Shining Armor, daughter of Twilight Velvet and Night Light. I have worked for thirteen years for this, and I will not be denied!” Her voice carried on, amplified by her magic to an almost thunderous tone.

For a brief second, all eyes were on her. Some were split wide open, ponies’ jaws even dropping open. Even Sunset’s spell had wobbled for a second, though she quickly recovered, even going as far to increase the speed of her juggling. Twilight reveled in the attention in the moment, high on her magic, high on the energies coursing, flowing through her, taking her to heights she’d never felt before.

The mare stepped forward, reaching the edge of the platform. She glanced down towards the Queen, recognizing the hint of emotion for the first time. The very corner of Luna’s mouth had tilted up, the smallest smile gracing her flawless features.

With one last breath, Twilight stepped off her platform, plummeting through the air below. Her horn flashed so bright it seemed white, hurtling her into the aether once more. Yesterday, she had promised Shining, swore she wouldn’t try and teleport again. Twilight didn’t like to break her oaths, didn’t like the uneasy feeling it left in her. But sometimes, it felt necessary.

For once, Twilight had lied.

Something, whether it be the situation or her earlier attempt, had made her change the spell. The setup stayed the same, but the extra power went into another layer. Twilight wrapped herself in a shield as she thrust herself through the slit, protecting her from the visions. She had no idea if it would work, but she let her theory be tested by the fires of necessity. Thankfully, mercifully, her shield stayed intact, though it drained her magic at an alarming rate.

How long had Shining said it took her? Seven seconds? A normal teleport should be milliseconds. And now, in the time of do or die, fight or flight, Twilight cracked the code. As soon as she entered, she was out again, landing with a bang right in front of her majesty Queen Luna, spear of the night, Nightmare to the enemies of Equestria, and the sword of Equestrian might. She landed within inches, close enough to see each individual gem on her armor, enough to smell Luna’s perfume even. Lilac.

“Your highness.” Twilight spoke, bowing her head. Sweat dripped into her mane, her body shook from the effort, and her vision had mostly blackened. Somehow, with her lowered muzzle, Twilight noticed her gown had miraculous been repaired. The cuts were gone, the fabric softened and even cleaned, and the rip? Disappeared. Yet, Twilight still stood, still stood after all that. She dare not lift her head back up.

Silence reigned. Twilight felt like any moment a pegasus guard would take her down. Or maybe the Queen herself would smite the young mare. Such insolence wouldn’t be taken lightly, not so close to the Queen. The alicorn was infinitely more important than some self-righteous mare, and if Twilight had hurt her, she’d never see the light of day again.

But her doom didn’t come. Instead, a soft, silver-shoed hoof lifted her chin up, forcing her to stare right into the eyes of Luna. And what fantastic eyes they were. For once, the Queen smiled, fully this time.

“You’ll do.”

Welcome Home

The rest of exam day passed in a blur. The Queen had taken her leave quickly, abandoning Twilight practically swamped with other ponies. Instructors, aides, and guards of all sorts surrounded her, getting her name, age, where she lived, dress size of all things, and a million other pieces of information. To be honest, it seemed like it would never end, each interview going on longer and longer. Becoming the student of the night needed more than a few background checks, it required a damned interrogation. But what would they really find? Nothing but an orphan that had mastered at least a little bit of magic.

Even other students tried to pry their way in. Occasionally, other students would nose past the testers, though they’d be quickly shoved back by the guards. Only Sunset kept trying, only Sunset desperately tried to make her way through. For once, her actions touched Twilight. Yes, there could be any number of ulterior motives that would spur Sunset to stay close, but Twilight didn’t see any of that in her eyes. She only saw care and concern, a genuine worry for her younger unicorn friend. Perhaps she wasn’t that bad.

Eventually, a guard had to pull the sunny mare aside, speaking to her and Twilight’s brother. At least the situation would be explained, even while Twilight continued to be interrogated. Their questions lasted long into the night, eventually forcing them under the cover of the manor. Sunset had long since lead the rest of their group home, leaving just Shining waiting for his sister.

Alone. Worried. Scared.

The other group only knew an inkling of what had occurred. Sunset had seen her display, seen how much she had walked the line. And worst of all, she had seen the ending of it. She had seen Twilight’s disrespect of the Queen. For all they knew, Twilight would be executed. For all they knew, she would lose her head that night. And she didn’t have a single way of letting them know that everything would be fine. Twilight had no idea what the guards told her, though it couldn’t be that in-depth judging by the panic that had remained etched on Sunset’s face.

Thankfully, the interrogation ended after many hours, Shining took her home, though everybody but Sunset and Matron had long since fallen asleep. Twilight couldn’t blame them, not truly. She hadn’t walked back into the orphanage until near one in the morning, and after the day they had, everypony needed sleep.

At least, explaining what had happened had been easy enough. Matron didn’t seem surprised at all, but her two fellow unicorns practically danced with joy. Not only would she get off, but to be the Queen’s student too? The whole situation sounded like something out of a fairy tale, something that nobles told their kids. Not something that would happen to one of them, nothing like that ever happened to an orphan.

Twilight was lucky.

The night passed as well, leading them to the morning. Not even seven in the morning and Matron already shook Twilight awake; the last few days had been very rough on her sleep schedule indeed. “Sh-sh, don’t wake the others.” Matron whispered, placing a gentle talon in front of her muzzle. “Shining and Sunny are already downstairs. Seems like somepony here was important enough to warrant a chariot pickup.” She teased.

Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise, her fatigue nearly instantly melting away. Luna herself had sent a chariot to pick them up, something that was nearly unheard of. Seems like yesterday hadn’t been a dream after all. Matron backed up, allowing Twilight to stand and shake herself out. Her eyes glanced around the room, noting that Shining’s belongings were already packed away. Just her half of the room remained decorated, if it could be called that. Just her half of the room let anypony know that two ponies had lived there for their entire lives.

“I’ll give you a minute. If you’re not down by six ten, I’ll send the boy up. I’m going to miss you.” Matron embraced her lightly, leaving before Twilight could even formulate a response. Just for a moment, Twilight had thought she’d seen a tear in Matron’s eye.

But no, that was silly, and there was so much to do in so little time! Twilight frantically worked at her room. All her life, every single one of her belongings needed to be packed away. Such a small, terribly small room to hold so much. Out came the luggage cases from under her bed. On came a brown, cotton dress with white sleeves. Into a suitcase the rest of her clothes went. Small keepsakes followed them, bits and bobs she’d accumulated over the years. In went her picture fram--

Her picture frame. Twilight magic hesitated for a second, bringing it close. Her eyes flickered over the sight of her mother, a lump suddenly forming in her throat. She whimpered out loud, unable to stop the vocalization from making it out. Her magic shook the picture, suddenly feeling so weak, so out of place. Her parents needed to be here to see this. Her parents should be here, here to congratulate her. They should be here to listen to her complaints, to her worries. They should be here -

No, don’t think like that. Her parents wouldn’t come back, no matter how much she wanted them to. Her parents couldn’t come back, and thinking like that only invited danger. Too many unicorns had tried to pierce the veil. Too many unicorns had failed and lose their own lives. Nopony really knew what had brought about Starswirl’s downfall, but many suspected that to be it. Twilight wouldn’t fall for the same trick.

No matter how much it hurt.

The picture frame finally floated down into her luggage, joining her soft dresses. Her saddlebags came on next, her secret books and hidden things still inside. They may prove useful in the castle. One never knew when they’d need to sneak around somewhere, and Twilight did not like to be unprepared. Really, what else did she have? The blankets would not come with her. She would be given a room near Luna’s, any palace room would be well equipped in that regard. None of them had any sentimental value either, what use did she have for the nobles’ paltry gifts?

She stepped towards the door, taking one more look at the room. This was it. The last time she’d ever stay here. This room had been her home for twelve years now; it had been her refuge, her light in the darkness, And now, now she’d be living it for good. Despite her mental maturity, Twilight was still a filly, and a filly moving from her home couldn’t keep it together. Not perfectly, at least. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she looked on, memories flashing through her mind.

She remembered. She remembered Shining taking care of her when she was sick. He brought her soup right into bed, even carrying her into the bathroom if she needed it. He had worried that she caught the plague, worried that she’d share the same fate as their parents. She had been so young, so weak against the ravages of disease. Not many had thought she would make it, but somehow her young body came through.

She remembered. She remembered coming to her room as shelter after a long day. Back during the days when Quaker’s gang roamed free, her room remained a safe haven. Even they wouldn’t intrude on a pony’s inner sanctum like that. She came in here crying from a push down the stairs, or from a trip while carrying her food tray. Such had been the life before Shining had matured.

She remembered. She remembered the younger unicorns huddling in here during a storm. Remembered how scared they’d all been, how Sunset had managed to calm them down by telling funny stories. The night had somehow turned pleasant, even after all of them had succumbed to their fears.

She would never forget this place. How could she, when it had taken so utterly much of her life? Some part of her would remain here after she left, some important piece of her soul. No matter what happened after she left these walls, this was the place that had formed her. Nowhere else would have made the same pony, and with the results of her exam, she wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Twilight would miss it all. Miss their quiet nights before her sprints to the library. She’d miss her times with Shining. Sure, they’d see each other still, but it wouldn’t be the same, it couldn’t be the same. She’d even miss Sunset talking to her way too early in the morning, her optimism annoying but almost endearing at the same time. Life would certainly be different now. She’d have to remember to visit, lest she lose touch with who she really was. Twilight couldn’t just leave Matron behind like that, not after all she had done for her. There would be no way, no true way, to repair the gryphoness, but Twilight would be remiss if she didn’t at least try, it was her duty.

A light knock on the door frame jolted her from her thoughts. Matron stood still in it, clearly having watched her for the past few minutes. “Got something for ya, filly.” She spoke, her rasp especially bad this morning. Yet another reason to come back. Now that she had power, now that she could learn more, she could fix Matron’s throat, despite the injury long festering. Surely some palace healer, some well paid and trained cleric could find a way to turn back the ravages of infection. And yet, that wasn’t all. Perhaps more importantly, Twilight could find a way to fix her mind, find a way to fix whatever plagued her on those long, sad nights. She could never truly repair her, not for giving her life, but she could sure as hell try.

“W-what is it?” Twilight asked. The last time Matron had given her something, it was her mother’s dress. She never gave them gifts, not unless they had some intrinsic meaning or value to them. Matron didn’t have the bits to spare.

“One last gift of your mom’s. She wanted me to give it to you when you left the home.” Matron hesitated for a moment, shaking her head and sighing. “I had hoped it’d be earlier to this, and some other pony’s home, but still…” One of her talons rummaged under her wing, reaching up where it met her body. She grabbed something and pulled it out, holding it on a single talon in front of Twilight.

Her mother’s last gift amazed her. Her heart stirred, pulsing and skipping a beat as her eyes welled up with tears. Twilight had never owned much jewelry. The bits weren’t there, the excuse they used nearly every day. Her mother, bless her soul, had left her her first piece, the first thing to add to her collection. What kind of lady, what kind of Student of the Night, wouldn’t have something to decorate her body with? Twilight would stick out like a sore hoof against the beauties of the court, but with her mother’s last gift, the different wouldn’t be as great, wouldn’t be as obvious.

Suspended on Matron’s talon was a silver chain, the links so tiny she could barely see them. A single clasp kept it closed, the silver chain somehow shimmering in the darkness. Yet, the prize of the piece lay on the bottom. A six pointed star stayed suspended in the air, three of the points a brilliant silver, the other three the deep purple of her eyes. Something like this could’ve never been for her mother - the colors didn’t match. It had always been made for her. It had been created for her, lovingly designed by her mother, picked out just to suit her.

But how had they known? How had they known what her cutie mark would be? They’d died long before, died before she even turned two. Yet, here was her mother’s last gift, the perfect replica. Matron could’ve never afforded it, nor could anypony else in the orphanage. And really, the only pony who would’ve bought it would have been Shining. She would’ve known if he had done it - those bits didn’t come from nowhere.

“H-how?” Twilight croaked out, her throat feeling as if it was going to close up. She sniffed back tears, a wobbling hoof gently taking the chain from her Matron, her guardian. Her magic flicked the clasp open, hurrying to hang it around her neck. The cool silver felt brilliant against her coat, a reminder that it was always there, that her mother was always with her no matter what. Her trembling hoof lifted the star, taking a better look at it and bringing it close enough for her muzzle to blow hot air across the surface. Not a single flaw marred its surface, not a single bit of tarnish, not a single scratch. Nothing could be more complete, nothing could be more perfect, nothing could be so utterly and fully her.

“I can’t tell you that, little one.” Matron mumbled, voice lowering into nearly a whisper. “All I know is that she left it with the dress and a single letter explaining what to do with them. Your brother has a similar gift, though a bit different in focus.” Her father had given Shining a gift as well? Curiouser and curiouser. She had never known much about her parents, but now would be as good as any time to start researching.

Her hoof finally let go of the pendant, letting it settle again her chest. The weight felt right against her, like it had meant to always be there. Something electric pulsed through her body as it finally touched against the outside of the dress, almost as if magic shot through her like a lightning bolt. Her vision cleared of the gray shadows of sleep, the cobwebs in her mind disappearing in a flash and the soreness in her limbs melting away as if she’d slept for days instead of hours. The sliver of exhaustion she had got swept away, like all the ponies in the plague, like tiny castles in the sand. Now much closer to her, Twilight could feel the raging torrent of energy inside of the gems, barely contained within its prison. Made well, each and every gem could hold energy, energy that could readily be used for magic or enchantments. And this thing, this little inconspicuous gem was absolutely slammed with it.

Just what had Matron given her?

Twilight swept forward, this time hugging Matron instead of the other way around. Her hooves wrapped tight around the griffoness’s neck, holding her close as the tears started to come more eagerly. There would be no shame in crying, not on this day of all days. Twilight swore deep inside that she would see Matron again, she had to, had to make the promise to herself lest the goodbyes become too powerful. Her surrogate mother always believed in her, and Twilight needed to return the favor or she risked betraying thirteen years of love and affection. Matron’s talons brushed lightly at her mane, almost petting her, consoling her like a lost little puppy, or like a mare with her foal.

“I-I’m gonna miss you too.” Twilight mumbled out, muzzle buried against Matron’s feathers. Her voice broke under her worry. The future, whilst bright, remained uncertain. At least in the orphanage she knew her day to day life, knew the ins and outs. She travelled now to a foreign place, not by distance, but by culture. She didn’t fit with the nobles of the court, didn’t fit among the cultured students of the upper class. Her only life links, Shining and Sunset, would be far away at all times. Her isolation with Luna proved to be a double edged sword; her closeness with the Queen would undoubtedly lead to great opportunities, yet at the same time it separated her from even her other students. No more would Twilight exist under the shadow of the other orphans, no more would she stay hidden beneath Quaker’s ferocity, or Shining’s discipline. Twilight had become her own mare, her own agent of change, finally emancipated at the much too young age of thirteen.

“It’ll be alright.” Matron cooed, normally raspy, neutral voice going soft for the first time Twilight could remember. Her talons continued to stroke gently, letting Twilight simply cry it out for the time being. The little bundle of nerves that Twilight had become needed time to unravel, and what better way to do it than crying in the arms of one who loved her?

She hugged all the tighter as she started to calm down, her frantic mind finally finding some relief. She’d visit. She’d visit all the time. Once a week at the least; she’d do her absolute best to see Matron as much as possible! She could even bring Matron up to the castle, wouldn’t that be amazing? Matron would love to see that, and maybe she could donate some of her bits to the orphanage! Yes, everything would work out. It had to.

“Come on sweetie.” Matron whispered, patting her mane one last time. “Let’s go, they’re waiting for you.” Twilight finally, hesitantly released Matron from her grasp, though her movements could only be described as sluggish at best. Her magic lifted up her luggage, letting it trail behind her. To think, one luggage bin and two saddlebags held her entire life, to think that somepony could be so easily packed up into a little box. Her life had perhaps not been the best one, though undoubtedly the future looked bright and hopeful. “Lemme see that smile of yours.” Matron coaxed on, her own beak twisting up the tiniest bit.

Twilight gave her best. She really did, but the most she could manage was a wobbling, half smile, but the smile was there regardless. “Good girl.” Matron nodded, approvingly. Slowly, the gryphon led Twilight down the winding stairs, through the play room and out the doors for the last time.

Despite having seen it a million times before, Twilight couldn’t help but do her best to absorb the sights. No little detail escaped her gaze today, nothing. She saw it all, from the wooden blocks, half built into a castle, to the plush dolls strewn around in a corner. She could almost imagine the others playing with them, could almost imagine herself very long ago. She once had a doll of her own, a donkey if she remembered right. Briefly, Twilight tried to remember what happened to it, but she couldn’t for the life of her remember. Something bad had happened, but Twilight’s mind fought it down, leaving only the good, happy memories left over.

Her eyes even lingered on the front desk. How many times had she waited there, waited, just for a chance to be adopted? In a weird way, Twilight felt happy that it had never come to pass. Where would she have ended up if she had been adopted? Some noble family’s pet? Twilight would honestly rather die.

Finally, the pair passed through those front doors and out into the cool morning air. Matron had not lied. A chariot awaited them, decked out in the colors of the night. Opulence didn’t do it justice; the wheels were housed in obsidian cases, the chariot itself made of some dark, nearly pitch black metal. It didn’t just sit in the light, it seemed to suck it in. In the night’s sky, something like this would be nearly impossible to see, camouflaged against the cool darkness of the air. The interior seemed to be inlaid with silk, or some other soft fabric to stand on, colored in a light blue, the color of a night’s sky during a full moon. Reins led to the two stallion’s strapped to the front, both thestrals, bat winged ponies.

Even from this distance, Twilight could feel all sorts of layered spells on it. Spells for upkeep, spells to keep rust away, even security spells. What pony would be foolish to try and steal the chariot of the night? Twilight could only guess. Some serious spellwork had gone into this thing, some spells even Twilight couldn’t recognize. Actually, considering who’s it was, that didn’t mean much at all.

Shining and Sunset already waited, both standing in passenger area of the chariot. While clearly made for two ponies quite a bit bigger than any of them, the three had their luggage as well. They would fit, but it wouldn’t be the spacious ride that the chariot had been designed for. They’d only be flying for a few scant minutes, so it didn’t particularly matter, but it almost worried her. She may have had foolish thoughts, but what if one of them fell out?

Despite her rather morbid ideas, Matron lead Twilight close to the chariot, Sunset and Shining’s conversation dying out as she got close. Shining’s smile tilted down as she approached, his eyes almost scanning over her for injury. His eyes finally rested on her new pendant, finally stopping on her mother’s final gift. “Twily… it’s beautiful.” He whispered. He beckoned her close, pulling her into yet another hug. It seemed like the entire morning had been like that: soft words and close contact. Not that she complained about it, mind.

Twilight felt her luggage get enveloped by new magic, magic she recognized quite well. Sunset had taken her bags, gently guiding them into the chariot along with the two other ponies’ bags. As soon as the final goodbyes were said, they’d be off. Nothing here remained for them.

“Matron said you got something too.” She whispered back, their embrace slowly breaking. To her surprise, Shining’s face broke into a grimace. Ever the observant one, he even noticed the tell-tale signs of her shock: the widening eyes, the little worried glance.

“It’s fine, really. Just… unexpected.” Shining turned his body as much as he could in the chariot. A sheath was buckled to his waist, made of the finest quality leather she had ever seen. Their family’s crest was engraved on the side, clearly showing the Sparkle namesake and coat of arms. Of the sword itself, only the pommel and hilt could be seen. Like her necklace, the hilt consisted entirely of wrapped silver, culminating in easily the largest sapphire she had ever seen on the pommel. Even that had their coat of arms engraved into it. “It was dad’s.” Shining explained. “He wanted me to have it, just like Ma wanted you to have that necklace.”

A perfect gift for a budding guard. Just like as hers was for a mage.

“A matching set then.” Matron chuckled. Twilight nearly jumped against her brother, Matron somehow approaching without her noticing. The gryphon stared at them with an appraising eye, looking over their new gear. “You two have made me so proud. I’m sure I’ll see you both soon.”

Twilight’s heart swelled once again. She had heard it before, but she could never get tired of hearing it. Matron was proud of her. Somehow, she’d manage to succeed. Somehow, dreams did come true. “Now, if either of you two get homesick, you know where to find me. Boys, why don’t you take them off?” She asked, cracking a smile and a nod towards the stallions.

One huffed out a whinny of acknowledgement and they started to thunder down the street, putting an early end to their goodbyes. The sudden momentum nearly made Twilight fall out the back, but the strong hooves of her brother kept her in and in tight. “Are you excited, Twily?” Sunset asked, her own voice oddly subdued. The yellow mare barely peeked around her brother, her visage soft, caring. Perhaps the display had changed her yesterday. Perhaps her own magical might had finally broken through. Perhaps Sunset actually saw her as her own mare now, and not just Shining’s younger sister.

She heavily doubted it.

“Sure am.” Twilight admitted, shifting from hoof to hoof. Despite the tonal shift, she couldn’t force herself to look up at Sunset. Almost as if meeting her eyes would revert her back to that normal, annoying Sunset. “Lot to take in. But.. the Queen’s going to see me today, isn’t that amazing?” Just the thought of seeing that opulent, astounding mare again made Twilight’s resolve. Luna would be there to guide her every step of the way. The Queen herself would teach Twilight all that she knew. How could she go wrong with such a perfect mentor?

Somewhere, deep inside herself, Twilight had a niggling feeling as to why Luna had paid such attention to her. Yes, Luna could have likely felt her raw power, but that didn’t mean much in a unicorn. Any bumbling unicorn could walk around with magic to spare under their horn, but few could use it as it needed to be used. Few unicorns had the dedication and drive to accomplish what she had. Teleportation, with all its difficulties, all its risk, was not something that just any magic user would accomplish in their life. Yet, Luna couldn’t have known she would do that.

Unless…

One option presented itself. It might be foolish, arrogant, pretentious and a dozen other things, but an option nonetheless. Her mentor could have played her hoof yesterday, revealed herself after all these years. Who else would’ve had access to the library so often? It had to be Luna didn’t it? She knew that Twilight would teleport, that was why she kept such a close eye on her. She wanted to gauge how far she’d come after all these years. She wanted to talk to her in person. It made total sense! Twilight would have to bring it up the minute they were alone.

“Yeah, lucky you!” Sunset finally answered back, just a slight giggle accompanying her words. Her gentle smile remained, eyes looking rather comforting and accommodating rather than bitter. “I think it’ll be good for you Twily, just like the guard will be good for this lump.” She added, with more than a little nudge to Shining.

“Hey! Right here ya know.” Shining said, a teasing frown taking over his face. He batted a hoof at Sunset’s muzzle, gently pressing her back from his side. Still, his false anger was clearly nothing more than a ruse, nothing more than gentle teasing between long-time friends. “And I’m sure the school will be good for you Sunny. Perhaps you might meet a mare?” He added on, eyes narrowing slyly at the mare.

Honestly, Twilight didn’t know that a yellow mare’s cheeks could go so red. She ducked her head, nearly hiding entirely behind Shining again. Sunset sputtered, trying to speak, trying to protest yet failing miserably. To Twilight at least, Sunset’s actions seemed more than a little silly; she quite obviously liked stallions, after all. Anypony that had seen the way she looked at Shining would know that. Of course, it would only be him that didn’t realize it. Perhaps coming from him made it all the more embarrassing.

Or perhaps Twilight had misjudged Sunset. Nah.

“H-hey, look!” Sunset yelped, pointing a still shaking hoof over the carriage. Twilight’s eyes finally left her brother for the first time. Somehow, in their conversation, she had managed to forget the fact that they flew. The night guard thestrals had taken to the air at the end of the street, bringing them high above the city. Below them, the lower districts sprawled. Everywhere she looked, Twilight say buildings. She saw everything; churches, houses, the markets, even her library, her precious, precious library. From her, it looked so small, so.. Insignificant. But that was everything; everything seemed like it could fit in the frog of her hoof, almost miniscule from that perspective.

And then she turned towards the upper districts. Her jaw dropped.

Twilight once thought the library massive. Three stories with cavernous roofs, nearly a cathedral instead of a library. At the time, she had felt tiny against it. How could she not? Each floor dwarfed her, each floor extended into the heavens. The staircases took her a while to ascend, showing just how truly large the building was. She had thought the same about the exam building yesterday. Once a manor, now changed, but still large.

Once her eyes fell on the palace, she realized how irrelevant those structures truly were. The castle stretched towards the sky, easily ten times taller than the library. Spires pierced the air, reaching even higher than they had done. The base of the castle stretched wide, made of pure stone, the entire structure white and spotless despite its age. The base itself easily supported the upper bits, shaped like an oval as far as Twilight could tell and easily a thousand yards across. The entryway stood several stories tall, great wooden doors made of some rich, lacquered wood. Twilight could only imagine the cost, the effort required to install such beasts. The roof, or what little there was that didn’t have towers, shone bright like the sun, a golden metal covering the entirety of the marvel.

Golden encrusted balconies perched on each tower every few floors, though there were three that had none except for the very top. There were, perhaps, seven spires in total, though they should more likely be called towers. Every tower cut through the air like a razor, shoring their own space in the air and staking their claim to the sky. Each extended wide enough to house the orphanage and rose dozens of stories into the sky. Twilight couldn’t particularly tell what they were for, to be honest. What would the purpose of having such massive towers be? They didn’t hold any intrinsic military or economic value, though one did seem to hold a telescope at the top. That at least, could prove useful for spells and studies.

A low wall surrounded the palace itself, though low in this case was entirely relative. It stood at least four stories tall, but the castle still dwarfed it regardless. It stretched around the castle grounds, the grounds themselves covering nearly as much land as Twilight’s entire district. Gardens spread across the earth below her, fantastical things, plants imported from all around. Ballrooms, entertainment pavilions, even greenhouses dotted the land as well, interspersed throughout the gardens and other fixtures. In one corner, Twilight could even make out a hedge maze, with the hedges at least twenty feet tall. Nothing grew like that without magic, right? Yet, Twilight couldn’t even imagine what sort of power would be needed, or even what sort of spell would use all of it.

Simply put: Wow.

Sunset had chosen quite the useful distraction.

Shining whistled, breaking Twilight’s reverie. “Quite the sight.” All three of them stared quite openly at the castle. Anypony could see the spires from the ground, from the lower districts, but to see it from the air? The perspective changed everything. The perspective made it impressive, took it beyond a castle and turned it into something extraordinary.

“Y-yeah.” Twilight answered, for once her voice sounding shaken. She had thought she knew something of magic, only to have her expectations shattered once again. Maybe she’d feel right at home here after all. Luna, her mentor, would teach her and she’d grow into a great mage. The greatest that ever lived probably. And she’d be able to help Matron and her other orphans… Twilight felt hopeful, oddly enough. She wasn’t really used to that feeling.

The stallions flew the trio ever closer, all three of them rendered speechless by the sight. The trip lasted naught but a few minutes total. To think, a trip that would take them hour and hours by hoof could be accomplished by the average pegasus in mere minutes. No small wonder that a great amount of them simply up and left during the start of the plague. Why risk it when you could easily get out of town? Many had retreated back, back to their ancestral hideaways of Cloudsdale, or Vanhoover. The Queen and Celestia had begged, bargained for them to stay and help, but they could only do so much.

The chariot landed in a cobblestone courtyard, right in the midst of the castle grounds. They hadn’t been brought to the main entrance, avoiding the mass of ponies struggling to seek entrance and audience with the Queen. Nay, their party had been taken to a side entrance, where they apparently were expected.

Guards formed a perimeter around the courtyard, some even posted up on a smaller internal wall, giving them leverage in case of disaster. Most seemed to be unicorns, but Twilight could spot a few pegasi and earth ponies as well. Really, she didn’t know why they were here, Three students were being escorted in and they needed an entire company of guards for it? That didn’t seem really necessary.

The reasoning made itself perfectly clear as soon as their chariot touched the ground. The door they faced was a simple one; a much smaller wooden door leading into a side hallway in the castle. The pony that waited inside it however…

Luna herself had come to greet them. In some ways, Twilight had expected that. Twilight’s new position meant she’d be seeing a lot of her in much more intimate ways than any other pony would. It should be no surprise that Luna had come to welcome them to the castle.

Today, the Queen had abandoned her armor. In its place, she had worn a wonderful silver dress, glimmering in the sun’s light like a jewel on the earth. The bodice split open, though the split was decorated with a light blue lace. The dress covered each of her limbs as well, ending with more of the blue lace trimming each of them. It went long, long enough for the skirts to drift against the ground as she walked, the end of it also trimmed with that familiar lace. Just the hint of silver shoes peeked out from underneath the front of her sleeves as well. Today, she had worn little extra, just two silver loops pierced through the tip of her ears.

Luna smiled as they landed, stepping forward into the cool morning sun. The light hit her mane just right, flashing off her earrings and making her somehow appear more brilliant than ever. She radiated majesty, radiated regality. Nopony could dare to look upon her and not see the image of a Queen.

The three stepped out from the carriage, each of them falling into a deep bow. Twilight learned after yesterday; everypony needed to bow before the goddess, even her. After her stunt yesterday, she’d received quite the scathing from Luna’s aide after the fact. Some decorum needed to be kept in tact, some pomp and circumstance there for a reason. When the pony in question happened to hold the power of a celestial body and could crush you like an ant, respect was more than deserved. Twilight could always respect power.

“My dear student, we are most pleased to see you.” Luna spoke. Despite popular belief, the Lunar Queen did not shout her words. She didn’t need to. Each word, each sentence oozed power on its own. Twilight could feel the might, the unrestrained strength behind each and every one. Shouting might be more impressive for those who lacked subtlety, but the Queen had that in spades. Her voice alone made Twilight want to prostrate herself before her ruler. To the unicorns, the power it exudes felt nigh-undeniable. She barely knew her, and Twilight already felt that she would die for her Queen.

“Guards, please escort my student’s companions to their quarters. Take her bags to her rooms as well, there are things we need to discuss.” The surrounded guards hurried to obey, each movement disciplined and direct. They knew what they were doing, clearly drilled to perfection. But, this also meant that Twilight would be split from her friends. She expected it, but never this soon. She needed more time, needed time with Shining. She couldn’t spend hours with the Queen alone, what if she messed something up? What if she offended her? What if-

Shining wrapped his hooves around her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead and bringing her back into a standing position. “Calm down. It’ll be fine, go with the Queen alright? I’ll see you later. Let’s try for dinner.” He said, softly. Twilight numbly nodded and her brother released her, his gentle smile staying plastered on his face. Right, okay, everything would be fine.

“Okay. Later.” Twilight promised, giving a little nod of her head. She turned towards the Queen, affixing her own smile back on tight. “Your highness, thank you for having me.” She dipped her head once more, never for an instant dropping her respect.

“Walk with me, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna instructed. She turned back to the doorway, clearly expecting Twilight to follow. Really, there couldn’t be a single spark of doubt in her mind. Twilight darted forward, falling in line a few steps behind her new mentor. Her eyes locked onto the much larger mare, following her into the castle itself.

Instantly, Twilight felt the opulence around her. The two had entered into what would probably be a normal hallway in the castle, yet it held more value, more worth than the entire orphanage combined. It might’ve even been two or three times! The door dumped them right into the midst of a hallway, clearly this port designed to be one relatively hidden. Two guards stood stationed on each side of the door, ensuring that no common ponies would find their secret entrance.

The hallway itself seemed brilliant, at least to Twilight. It wasn’t too wide, just wide enough for Twilight and Luna to walk side by side with a few feet to spare. From the inside, the arching windows were more clearly seen, more easily distinguished against the stone of the outside wall. The architect of the castle had spaced them evenly, letting natural light flood in through the clear glass. The windows themselves were square at the base, meeting at points at the very top, easily extended high into the walls. The ceiling arched up, going high above Twilight, easily two stories rather than one. The outside wall curved in slowly, meeting the interior. Doors scattered down the hall, not so evenly spaced down the right side.

Paintings, portraits of famous ponies throughout the ages, hung on the walls opposite the windows. The light from the windows shone directly onto them, providing a perfect illumination of the works of art. Twilight could already recognize a few of them from her position by the door: Starswirl, Nadermane, Silent Knight, and more and more ponies stretched down the hallway. All of them were household names, though often for vastly different things. Starswirl the wizard, Nadermane the musician, Silent Knight the loyal guardian and all the rest of them stayed enshrined forever within the castle.

Hanging from the rafters, great, glass chandeliers floated above their heads suspended only by gold-washed chains. The chandeliers were truly masterful works of glass and metal, easily a hundred points of light on each. But no candles stayed fast within their holders; nay, mage-light lit them instead, a soft, yellow glow filling the air around them. During the day, they were hardly needed, but during the night they’d provide a warm radiance to keep the castle well lit. Twilight could only imagine the cost of each of them. Each and every one of them could’ve fed half the lower districts for a month.

Twilight had never seen such grandeur in her life. Even the library paled in comparison, and they were barely inside the castle. Apparently, the Queen noticed her roaming eyes.

“Do you like what you see, little one?” Luna asked. Twilight’s head snapped back to the Queen, a light flush covering her face. She nodded her head quickly, her tongue suddenly feeling rather large inside of her mouth.

“U-Um, yes your highness!” She quickly sputtered out. “It’s really impressive! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Luna laughed. Twilight felt like she was about to melt through the floor. Luna’s laugh had an otherworldly feel to it, almost like it had the bells from the aether laughing along with her. Her laugh sent a chill through Twilight’s bones, but not one from pain nor pleasure. She couldn’t place where it had came from, yet goosebumps raised on her skin regardless. Luna’s laugh somehow both sent Twilight into the depths of despair as well as the absolute heights of levity at the same time, a complex bittersweet feeling coursing through her. It would take a while to get used to that. And yet, through all that, it somehow retained its pleasantness. Twilight would kill to hear it again.

“Relax, my student. We were merely jesting.” Luna explained. A joke? Honestly, with her divinity and regality, Twilight hadn’t been sure the Queen remained capable of making a joke! Twilight had almost thought that the Queen would be completely serious all the time, always business, always thoughtful. But no, her expectations were broken once again. How foolish she was being today.

“Right, excuse me your highness.” Twilight replied, feeling a blush rise back through her cheeks. Luna led them deeper into the castle, Twilight starting to get a little disoriented. They stayed close to the outer wall, giving her an odd sense of sameness. No matter how far they travelled into it, everything seemed to be the same. The windows, the paintings, albeit of different ponies, and even the interspaced doors continued on, the sameness starting to get to her. It almost seemed like they weren’t moving at all.

“Your highness?” Twilight started. “If you don’t mind me asking, where are we going?”

“To my tower, Twilight. Or do you prefer Sparkle?” Luna asked, tilting her head towards the younger mare. Their eyes locked for just a second, sending a shiver down Twilight’s spine. Her eyes seemed to gaze right into her soul, almost seeing right through her rather than looking at her.

“Twilight is fine, your highness.” Twilight broke their gaze as soon as possible, diverting her eyes back to the ground below her. Any more and Twilight would lose herself in Luna’s eyes. It was so hard to tear herself away, so hard to make herself not look. Oh, how she wished she could just keep staring, but that would hardly be proper.

“Very good. You’ll live with me, Twilight.” Luna explained. “The tower has several living spaces, but you’ll be given the one right below mine. My teaching will be greatly eased if we’re close together. And, you’ll have full access to my library.” Twilight’s head jolted back up. Luna might as well have told Twilight she’d gift her the kingdom. Luna’s private library? Twilight didn’t know what would be held within, but it had to be something not seen in any normal one. Spellbooks of unimaginable power perhaps? Or maybe tomes about the history of the alicorns. Or even Luna’s own journal! Twilight could barely wait to get her hooves on it!

She hadn’t even realized that her eyes had started sparkling somewhere during her thoughts. Luna noticed however, and smiled at her. “I thought you would enjoy that. We’re nearly there now.” She gestured forward with a hoof, sleeved dress swishing through the air.

Before them, the walls finally ended, curving around a corner instead. A circle bulged out from the walls, carving out where a tower would start to ascend. But no stairs anchored themselves at the bottom of the tower. Instead, a plate of metal sat, clearly rather thin and not entirely solid. Instead of being solid, the metal had been worked into designs, little flowers appearing in each quartet, culminating in a moon in the dead center. The entire thing seemed to be made from gold, though Twilight couldn’t be sure. How would that really help them in the tower?

Two guards waited here as well. Neither of them wore the standard palace guard armor, the normal light, almost ceremonial armor. Instead, the two equipped themselves with quite a bit more. Plate covered their forms, a dark metal much like the one that Luna had worn into the training field. The plates were cut small, almost looking like dragon scales against their form instead of standard metal armor. Instead of covering them too much, the armor hugged their forms, keeping their movement unrestrained, unrestricted. The two each wore a helmet as well, a centurion style deal with holes cut for sharpened horns to stick through.

Unlike the ones outside, this armor didn’t have an enchantment on it. Most of the guards had an aesthetic enchantment, keeping them uniform and indistinct, even when hundreds of them gathered together. As far as Twilight could tell, it defaulted to white coated, blue maned look, something neither of these two had. The first one still had the white coat of normal guard, though it held a shimmer that the other guards couldn’t hope to compare. Her mane differed even more greatly from the standard affair. Instead of the normal darkish-blue, the mare’s mane stood out as a bright turquoise. And even further from the norm, the tips were dyed a bright pink, complimenting her near shimmering coat quite wonderfully.

Her fellow guard stuck out like a sore hoof against her armor. At least the first mare had a similar aesthetic going on with the black and white. The second on, however, didn’t even look close. Her light yellow coat made her look much more suited for the solar guard rather than the lunar one, and her bright orange and yellow mane equally clashed against the dark armor. Both of them had three of some kind of weird lines on their armor, but Twilight had no idea as to what that meant. She hadn’t the faintest idea about military matters. Regardless, the two mares saluted at Luna, the yellow one even giving her a rather exuberant smile. Luna returned their greeting with a nod of her own, even adding on a pleased smile.

Luna at least, seemed unconcerned about how they would get up, stepping onto the platform and clearly expecting Twilight to follow. Their hooves made a light clattering on the plate, loud enough to echo through the hall. Twilight looked up, seeing a barely imaginable expanse stretching on into darkness. Somewhere, way up high, Twilight could make out a few pinpoints of light, but how were they expected to get up? Twilight had no doubt that Luna could simply teleport the distance, but her own was suspect at best. She could try it, but that didn’t guarantee success. In fact, she’d be willing to put bits on failure.

Twilight’s head dipped back down, settling on Luna’s side, just below her neck. She made sure not to look into her eyes anymore, lest the Night Mare interpret it as disrespectful. “Your highness… how exactly is this going to get us to your room?” She asked.

Luna’s only answer was a smile. Her horn lit up, a brilliant blue that filled the little rotunda of space. The platform started to glow, the symbols all around the platform starting to shine with her magic. Slowly, ever so slowly, the platform started to rise. Up the two went, ascending up into the tower. The platform raised the, powered by Luna’s magic. “It’s an elevator. I’m unsurprised you’ve never seen one before.” Luna explained, seemingly pleased with herself.

Twilight’s legs wobbled, her heart beat fast, and she stared straight down. Oh goddesses, they moved so far up, so fast all at once. The platform moved faster and faster, levitating up stories upon stories all at once. Faster and faster, till the walls turned into a bit of a blur. Nausea filled Twilight’s mind, almost making her want to vomit all over again.

Yet, barely a minute passed before it all abruptly came to a stop. The walls opened on either side of her, creating an archway into the room beyond on both sides. Twilight, however, barely felt well enough to raise her head. That monstrosity, that beast of a transport scared Twilight beyond. Why in Equus’s name did something like that exist? Why weren’t stairs enough? Sure, there would have to be hundreds and hundreds of stairs up the tower, but that was more than worth it instead of getting on that stupid platform! How would Twilight even power it if she wanted down?

“Heads up, student of mine.” Luna’s voice had turned into something of a purr, sounding nearly like a cat with a bowl of cream. Weakly, she raised her head, looking through the portal and trying to compose herself again. The sight beyond did well enough to perk her up. It did well enough to perk anypony up.

Beyond the archway existed the most richly decorated room that she had ever seen. Directly in front of her, two glass and wood doors led out onto a balcony. Two deep azure curtains were tied off to the side, letting plenty of natural light into the room. The glass inside each held a designed pattern, each of them depicting the Queen or Celestia. The left one held the image of Celestia, the glass designed to make it look as if Celestia lay in a bed of roses. Quite honestly, Twilight felt as if she should be impressed. Yet, at the same time, she couldn’t say she was. Celestia had never appealed to her, not in the same way.

The other one, oh yes the other one, struck a much deeper chord with Twilight. It was Luna, obviously enough. Luna with her mane strewn out behind her. Her tail and mane split off, giving the illusion of the night sky spreading out behind her. Twilight felt as if she could see the entire night within it. She saw the constellations, the little and big dippers, all of the famous warrior ponies of old, all of the intricate and beautiful designs that her new mentor had painted over the years. Celestia’s glass looked beautiful, but Luna’s elevated beauty into a new form, a transcendent display of the art.

And that paled in comparison to the rest of the room. The walls curved, the tower clearly still circle shaped. It seemed that the castle at large had an attraction towards that sort of shape, not that Twilight could complain about it. Two books cases flanked each side of the balcony doors. Neither one of them held much for now, but Twilight could imagine them filled up quite easily. The bottom two shelves of each were stuffed tight, Twilight recognizing each and everyone one of them. The first was Starswirl’s theory of Time, another Mariel’s Fifth, yet another by Piercing Light, a famous battle mage. On and on those two shelves went, clearly stacked with tomes on all sorts of magic. Twilight had read a few of them, but most she had only seen as references. She could barely wait to dive on in, to make every one of them her new friend.

Her gaze drifted, starting to expand beyond the bookshelves, beyond the balcony. It fell onto a writing desk now, a single candle holder on the right side. The left held an ample supply of quills, ink, and paper. The desk itself had been finely crafted out of a rich mahogany, the deep dark colors keeping in tune with the rest of the rooms soothing, cool colors. Above the desk hung a picture, one painted by some famous artist or another. This too stayed themed with images of the night, depicting a starry night and a lavender mare looking up at it longingly. It almost looked like Twilight in an odd way.

On her vision roamed, seeing another entrance to the balcony. She had spun in a circle now, looking directly back from where she had originally started. These had their drapes pulled tight, the cool blue blocking out the natural light. One either side of the balcony doors, a dresser sat, also made of some sort of dark wood. Each one of them had five spacious drawers, each of them taller than Twilight herself. What pony would ever need that much room? She was at a bit of a loss for that.

Finally, she turned to the piéce de resistance. What bedroom could dare to say it was completed without the bed? And there it stood, in all it’s proud glory. The bed was queen sized - and Queen sized - and layered with opulence. A light canopy hung around the bed, a gauzy blue that only barely hid whatever was inside. The frame itself had clearly been produced by some master craftsman. The legs and bottom of the frame showed engravings of some epic party, scenes of all the pony races in fantastic outfits cut right from a fairytale. Twilight thought she could even spot a group of ponies gathered around an alicorn, though which she couldn’t tell.

As with every other type of wood in this room, the frame had been made from the same darkened wood. It rose up further from the ground, cradling the mattress itself. At its highest, the mattress actually stood above Twilight herself, clearly stuffed with padding she had never even dreamed of. She could already see herself sinking into it, sinking beneath that pillowy fluffiness.

A comforter rested atop the sheets, this one a light blue, much like the gauzy canopy. Darker lowlights ran through it, almost forming vine-y patterns. The top folded back in over itself, setting the stage for the pillows. Seven total finished out the bed, four decorative ones that matched the comforter flushed out the back, making the appearance complete. Two pillows with darker blue pillowcases rested against them. Just from the look of the two, Twilight could tell that they had been created with pegasus feathers. She’d heard of such pillows, seen them, but never actually tried one for herself. Supposedly, they felt like heaven itself against your sleepy head. The foremost pillow changed it up from the last ones, this one a plush pillow of a crescent moon.

Completing the symmetry of the room, each side of the bed had their own nightstand, though they were entirely empty for now. What a clean room.

Twilight finally looked back up to her mistress, though she still kept her eyes low. “Your room is wonderful your highness. It’s truly beautiful, thank you for showing me.” She mumbled, a tinge of jealousy in her voice. What would her own room be like? Surely, they could afford to give the students nice rooms, but what real point was there to it? Enough of them would move into the castle to make the student’s wing a little cramped, so the rooms did have to be small to keep everypony in a central place. If only she could have something like this.

Yet, Luna once again laughed, sending that thrill of totally-not-pain through her. She shivered, gritting her teeth but very slowly starting to get used to that unique sound. “Twilight, dear, this isn’t my room.”

Hm? Then who’s room was i-- Oh. Oh, oh, oh! Who else would live here, who else but--

“Welcome home, magelet.”

Author's Note

Surprise early chapter go?

Castle Life

Home.

It’s such a simple word, yet no two ponies will give you the exact same definition for it. What did home really mean in the end? Some ponies took it literally, believing it to be where you rested your head at night. Others less so, saying that home was actually where your heart was. Or rather, where you family and loved ones stayed. Still others changed the definition every week. Home may be back home, or where they’re living, or with a friend, or any other number of places.

Home, such a simple, confusing word.

“Did you hear me, magelet?” Luna asked, breaking Twilight out of her dazed silence. Twilight’s thoughts swam with all of the possibilities. She knew Luna would keep her close, but this room lay closer than she could ever imagine.

“Y-yes your highness,” Twilight stuttered, bright red blush suffusing her face. She couldn’t take her eyes off the bed; that fantastic, wonderful, bed of her own. It... it reminded her of an oasis. She had never seen one in person, obviously enough, but the thought alone of coming back to this room after a long day send shivers down her spine. “I.. it’s just a lot to take in, your highness,” Twilight continued, her blush not abating even the smallest amount.

Luna’s magic brushed against her muzzle, turning her to face the silver-clad goddess. “I understand, magelet.” She spoke softly and locked eyes with the younger pony.

In their depths, Twilight saw so many wondrous things. She could see the stars and the moon, the promise of sleepless nights spent studying long after she should’ve gone to sleep. She could see the passionate feeling of a lover’s warm embrace after an amazing day together, as well as the cold intent of a thief with a target. She could see the icy chill of a winter’s night stranded far from home, yet she could also feel the warmth of a night beside a fire with her loved ones. The duality of the Queen confused Twilight, and simultaneously amazed her.

Most of all, kindness shone through. The Queen actually cared about her, at least as far as she could tell. What a strange feeling, to be cared for by the Queen herself.

Rumors about the Queen abounded throughout the city: stories of her aloofness and tales of her pragmatic side. After all, she had decided to shut the exits of the lower city. She had been the one to abandon them all in their time of need.

Yet, nopony spoke of this side of her. Nopony spoke of the compassion that dwelled in her soul. Perhaps Twilight judged too early, or perhaps she simply misinterpreted what was there, but to her, this spoke truth and nothing else. “Oh, you’ve had such a hard life, haven’t you?”

As if compelled by some ethereal force, Twilight nodded her head. Her mind felt all fuzzy, the prolonged contact with the alicorn’s eyes making everything seem so out of focus. “Yes, your highness,” Twilight whispered. It seemed like she had said them a thousand times already, and it had only been a day.

Thankfully, Luna’s magic released her head, letting it drop down once more. “I’m afraid that we’ll have to share a bathroom,” she said, words tinged with amusement.

Actually, that almost did seem kind of funny. Such grandeur and rich furnishing and they needed to share a bathroom? Then again, their rooms weren’t exactly in an optimal spot. Suspended so highly, plumbing must be an absolute nightmare. At least the lift in everything pretty much meant that furniture could be moved easily. But sharing a bathroom! With a goddess!

Twilight giggled, unable to hold it back. “Just fine, your majesty.” Somehow, the tension had just melted away.

“For what it’s worth, magelet, you don’t need to need to call me that. Simply Luna is fine when we’re alone,” Luna explained. Twilight cocked her head to the side, attempting to really process what she’d been told. Just Luna? Not.. your highness or your majesty, or even milady? It felt like sacrilege, like insulting the gates of heaven themselves, or pissing on the graves of the plague victims. Just, not right! Well, she could try, she supposed?

“I do expect you to call me by my title when in public, and I shall do the same for you... Now, how about I show you how the platform works?” Twilight’s stomach rumbled crankily, making her blush and Luna smile. “And perhaps get a valuable breakfast after that.”

“Um, that sounds lovely, your— Luna.”

Luna nodded her head, seemingly satisfied with the answer. “Very well then. This is simple enough, my little magelet. All you have to do is put what’s in here—” she tapped Twilight’s horn, “—and put it in here.” She followed that tap up with another one, rapping her hoof against the metal of the lift. “And from there, it’s as simple as directing your will. Up or down, stop or start; simple commands like that work wonders.”

By the tone of her voice alone, Twilight felt an itch at the back of her mind. It couldn’t be that simple. Nothing with a goddess could be that simple. Just a feeling…

It had to be some type of test. The work of Luna’s student must never end, and Twilight needed to be up to snuff. Perhaps Luna tested her even now, ensuring she didn’t choose poorly. All the while, Twilight felt as if she examined the Goddess in return. Her assumption of her new mentor being her old mentor still lurked inside her mind, and eventually she would voice it. For now, however, for now she would focus on absolutely destroying this test. Perhaps that wouldn’t be what a good little student would do, but Twilight had never been a docile little lamb.

She huffed out, channeling magic into her horn. Magic flowed out of her horn, freely expanding her ‘magical sight’. Everything her bubble touched, Twilight could feel in the most intimate of ways. The growth stayed gradual at first, a few inches from her skin, but practically erupted after a few seconds of concentration. Internally, she could ‘see’ herself start to glow a light magenta. Despite the intensity of the lights, the view only existed within her mind’s eye. Twilight marveled at the glow; it represented her wellspring, and she loved to watch it grow over time.

Around her, the room glowed with its own colors, varying shades of magic scattered throughout every little thing. Twilight didn’t feel any surprise - she stood essentially in the heart of the kingdom, magic likely flowed faster here than mead in a guard’s barrack.

Each current ghosted over her body, almost feeling like little breezes against her back, just enough to ruffle her mane. The currents flowed everywhere, ghosting over her back, below her muzzle, everywhere. Somehow, each current had a smell attached to it as well. Her own smelled like old parchment or lavender, depending on her mood. Shining’s on the other hoof, nearly always smelled of sharp cinnamon, fierce and proud.

Each had its own distinct feel as well. Whenever Twilight felt Shining’s magic pass on her, she felt safe, like nothing would be able to harm her. Sunset’s felt warm but uncomfortable, roughly pushing against her mind. And these strange new currents sent a myriad of different sensations through her, each playing their own distinct chord. Naturally, Twilight could feel the locomotive spell from beneath her, accompanied with the distinct smell of rusting metal and gems. Twilight could feel her own magic as well, the polar opposite of Sunset’s. Hers stayed cold and calculating, keeping itself at a distance.

Twilight didn’t like the feel of her own magic.

Twilight could make out all sorts of smells, but one in particularly filled the air around her. It was an overwhelming scent, the smell of lilies and willow sharp against the others. Not only that, but the current radiated through the air around her, pressing firmly against her own glow, nearly forcing it back.

She started to move her head up, preparing to ask Luna exactly what she was supposed to learn about all of this. A simple spell couldn’t be everything, there must be some kind of trick that she missed. Luna, in all her wisdom, had probably placed some kind of trick, some kind of trap within the spellwork, something Twilight couldn’t see. The words sprang to her lips, ready to leap off.

Her eyes fell upon Luna’s form for what felt like the first time. Luna blazed out against her magic vision, practically blinding her. Her eyes squeezed shut, trying fruitlessly to protect vision that only existed in her mind. The Queen shone with the light of a blue sun, forcing her to take a step back. The light from her Queen shimmered and danced, color shifting and tinging with different hues. Behind the dominate color of cyan, more danced in the shadows, as if multiple magics fought for control. And who could say that they didn’t struggle against each other? Luna embodied the night, her magic showing it clearly as each star existed inside of her.

Somehow, she didn’t burst, but Twilight didn’t, couldn’t understand how. Her mind nearly snapped, trying to process how insignificant she truly was compared to the Queen. Truthfully, she stood like an ant against the Queen’s might. The earlier time in the field had given her a taste, but nothing like this.

An urge powered through her mind, forcing her head down. Twilight touched her horn all the way to the ground, bowing like her life depended on it.

Twilight’s eyes tilted up, searching for an answer. Her mind raced, heart beating fast at the look of the alicorn.

Her eyes landed on Luna’s muzzle, just able to make out a deep frown. Luna had raised her hoof as well, sending shocks of anxiety and fear through Twilight. She cowered down, expecting a strike that wouldn’t come. From somewhere, she heard a sigh. “Magelet, none of that,” she chided. Twilight looked up at her, face shrouded by her mane and keeping her deep bow. “Up, please. You’re my student now. I’m just a pony.” Luna’s voice cracked at the tail end, the hint of some emotion Twilight couldn’t identify slipping in.

But Luna couldn’t just be a pony. Nopony— rather, no one— could be just a pony like that. The sheer radiance, the raw might shone through. The air felt thick with her magic, thick with the scent and the feel of it. Even now, Twilight could ignore most of the sensations. Yet, just taking a look washed away any resolve she had left. That look washed away Luna’s lies: she was not just a pony, she was a god.

Yet, Twilight’s magic cut out. Her vision returned to normal and the swirling nexus of unimaginable power disappeared into the body of the dark mare instead. Her horn tingled still, even with the halt of her flow, tingled like it had gone numb. Her ear twitched from the odd feeling; it almost felt like something had clamped around her horn, something solid and metal, yet she felt nothing physically there. She could feel it through her magic, but couldn’t actually push it out of herself. Her eyes looked up, trying to somehow see through her bangs to where her horn rested. Just barely, she saw the tip of a blue glow. Luna’s magic, of course. No matter how hard Twilight pushed, it wouldn’t budge.

Thankfully, Twilight felt the absolute oppressive nature of Luna’s aura start to melt away. Not having her magic sight took some of the bite from Luna’s magic. It remained still, but lesser now. Slowly, ever so carefully, she stood, sides heaving with effort.

“Please, none of that,” Luna repeated with irritation in her voice. Good job Twilight, naught even an hour and you’ve already annoyed your lady and mentor. “Twilight, please remember. No matter what other ponies have said, I am just a pony.” The crack had disappeared from her voice, but something else remained, though Twilight still couldn’t put her hoof on it.

“Y-your highness, just.. So much,” Twilight answered. Without even realizing it, her body trembled, shaking like a leaf. The magic remained too fresh in her mind, too powerful for her to ignore so soon.

“Please. Luna.” Luna’s frown had softened, but not by much. She no longer looked angry; not with her ears pressed back so tightly against her head, or her frown so contrite.

“Yes Luna,” Twilight responded, head dipping down low.

“Magelet, it’s important that you realize that I am not any better than you, not truly. At the very least, please consider it from my side. We are just a pony...” She hesitated for a few seconds. “For now, we shall take us down.” Luna’s magic lit up again, the platform glowing bright from her magic and their descent beginning again.

A million questions buzzed through Twilight’s mind, yet she had no idea what to ask. She needed to know if Luna left her the notes in the library. She needed to know what would be expected of her. She needed to know how often Luna would be with her. She needed to know all of this, and a thousand other things all at once. Twilight couldn’t just pick one to ask; she assumed their time was limited already and didn’t want to waste what little they had. Luna had things to do, many important things.

She took a deep breath and decided to just go for it. “Luna, have you ever been to the library in the lower city? The really big one that used to be visited often?” She couldn’t reveal her secret yet, not whilst she still sought a handle on the Queen, but she needed to ask the question. At the least, it would shed some insight on her mentor’s past.

“Yes, I used to visit it quite often. The library gleamed out of the lower cities, like a jewel amidst the filth. I remember it fondly; twould always be well lit, always have a pony finding joy in their books. Despite being a library, I do have to admit it became quite noisy at times. I remember one of a kind tomes housed there, though I doubt they exist any longer.” Twilight’s ear twitched at the bitterness of her voice, so starkly contrasted to the normal calm. “I designed it myself, you know; the stained glass window and the statues, as well as the general layout.” So Twilight had yet another thing to thank her new teacher for, for all of the times she had spent studying. All of that came back to Luna, it all came back to Luna, didn’t it?

“I used to spend days in there with delegates from other countries. Or with unicorns working on new spells. Or even just with our sister, trying to find books that we would both enjoy,” Luna explained, her eyes going cloudy for a moment. She looked towards one of the walls, almost as if she could see the library from within the tower. Her wings shuffled across her back, shaking her head before going on. Her voice dropped an octave as she started back, clearly nostalgic, “Those were good days, young one. Days that I wish to return us to. I felt a profound sense of sadness when I saw what had become of it, though… Why do you ask?” Luna turned back down to her, gentle smile masking not quite reaching her eyes.

“No reason, your highness,” Twilight answered, hiding her own disappointment. That did not sound like the sort of answer that would come from her true mentor. Not that Luna wouldn’t soon overtake her old teacher, but Twilight had certainly hope they would be one and the same pony. She couldn’t completely smother the disappointment that rose higher and higher in her chest, couldn’t get rid of her angst. “I simply spent a lot of time there, and wanted to see if you had gone before. It’s nothing like you describe it… at least not anymore...” The lower city, all of it, could just be so much more.

The clatter of the platform bottoming out broke their silence. “But enough of that, magelet, let’s have ourselves some food. Come, guards.” Twilight noticed a subtle shift once they reached the bottom of the platform. Compared to earlier, Luna’s face fell into a mask of aloofness, displaying the pragmatic side everypony knew. The Queen stepped forward proudly, leading the way once more. Twilight had to hurry to keep up. Both guards from earlier remained, each falling into step a few feet behind the pair in front.

The quartet walked in silence for a while, the white guard slowly inching closer all the while. “Hello little one—” Why did everypony keeping calling her that? She really wasn’t that little! “—My name’s Iridescence, what’s yours?” The mare’s muzzle was barely inches away from hers, too damn close in Twilight’s mind.

Twilight wilted, shirking away from the mare. “Twilight Sparkle,” she answered, voice kept quiet. Her eyes carefully examined the mare’s face, searching for any ulterior motive. Twilight distrusted guards at the best of times, a hold-over from her experiences with the constables. Sure, the royal guards here were quite a bit different than those ‘guards’, but the fear and almost hatred remained. It would remain despite her brother’s new position: they had not earned her trust, not yet.

“Careful. Getting a little close, aren’t you? That’s my job, usually,” the other guard called. Iridescence frowned, though she did move away. “My name’s Sunny Day.” The name alone conjured up images of another mare, one of a similar ‘sun’ variety. What was with every mare with ‘sun’ in their name sounding way too happy? “So you’re our Queen’s new student?”

Twilight nodded cautiously.

“Oh, then I hope you don’t think she’s always Ms. Grumpy pants like this. I swear, she’s trying to put up a regal front for you,” Sunny teased.

“Yep, she usually doesn’t even dress up like this! Somepony tried to impress you~” Iridescence replied in a sing-song voice.

Twilight’s head darted back and forth between the two.

“Oh absolutely. Look at those earrings! When was the last time that you saw her highness wear earrings? Wasn’t it the Grand Galloping Gala? I remember she wore the emerald ones then, right?”

“No, no. She skipped that! She stayed in her room brooding that night, I think.”

Twilight turned her head again, not entirely sure who to look at.

Luna suddenly stopped, and Twilight was forced to take a sudden step back lest she collide with her Queen. “You two know we are right here, correct? We do not need you two polluting our young apprentice’s head.” Her voice grew harder as it went on revealing her not-so-subtle anger. The further away from the angry Queen, the better.

Yet, the two guards hardly seemed phased by it. “Of course, your highness,” Sunny replied, bowing her head, “we were merely trying to represent you well.” Her body shook with barely contained laughter.

Iridescence didn’t even bother hiding hers. “Oh, your highness! I’m sure your student will be corrupted soon enough anyways. Especially if Sunny stays around,” she added, with the smallest wink towards the other guard.

“Pbbbt!” Sunny sputtered out. “You know I keep that stuff away from fillies!” she protested, face going red. She was definitely old enough to know whatever it was they talked about! Besides, after what She had gone through, she clearly was a mare.

Luna groaned. “A pox on both of your houses! Must you always be so silly?” She whirled around on her hooves, facing the three. “Please pay them no mind, magelet. My house guards like to tease too much.” Her eyes flickered between the two guards. “As for you two! Quiet yourselves! Do not forget who you torment!” The Queen did not have to try too hard to appear threatening. To Twilight, just her standing, wings splayed was more than enough to send a shiver down her spine.

Naturally this sent the guards into terrors. Well, not really actually. They actually just started laughing all the more, Sunny even leaning against the wall for support. Twilight stared between the two, disbelief widening in her eyes. The two laughed right in the face of a goddess, right after she threatened revenge on them and their families! How could they just laugh about that? How could they even stay calm with Luna looking so.. So vexed!

She waited for the smiting, wilting and stepping back cautiously. How quick would her time as a Student of the Night be. “Feh!” Luna spat out. She spun on her hooves again, practically stomping on down the hall. “Come magelet, leave these two to their giggles.”

Twilight’s eyes darted to the guards before swiftly nodding and galloping to catch up. She looked back, noticing the pair of sacrilegious guards had at least recovered enough to start following again. Giggling! At a goddess! Ridiculous! Twilight frowned at the pair in annoyance. How could they get away with such disrespect?

The two fell into step once again, Luna doing something quite regal. She walked forward, her head held high, nose pointed up. Her steps came a little too heavy, her tail swishing as well. For some reason, her mane had started to wave faster, as if the invisible wind had picked up speed. Surely, she did something only royals would do; she certainly did not pout!

Okay, maybe she pouted a little.

“Ignore her,” Sunny insisted. She leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, “Luna - Er, Queen Luna likes jokes as much as the rest of us, she just hides it. She just needs to warm up and get used to you. Between you and me, she just wants to impress you.” She finished her words up with a wink and a bump on the flank, leaving Twilight to her thoughts.

First of all, Twilight had to wonder how in Equestria these two actually became guards. And not just guards, but house guards for Luna herself if the armor proved anything. She thought only the elite were allowed such prestigious positions. She had thought that meant only the most professional, hardened, ready soldiers would be admitted. Clearly, she had thought incorrectly.

Secondly, what did they mean Luna would joke around with her? Luna didn’t particularly seem like the joking type. Surely, she must be serious to run half of a country. Or a full country if rumors were to be believed. Jokes took time, right? Twilight had never been one to kid around either, much to Shining’s disappointment.

And impressing Twilight? Don’t be ridiculous. It would be the other way around if anypony tried for impressing, it would be her.

The rest of their journey followed in silence, only the two guards exchanging words. The Queen and Twilight kept silent, Luna’s pout much more obvious now. But it was just a little thing, barely a pout at all! Twilight, on the other hoof, simply thought. Perhaps the guards told the truth, perhaps Luna did simply need ‘warming up’, not that Twilight didn’t already like her.

The quartet finally reached a room different from the seemingly never ending hallway. It widened out, welcoming them to a fancy lobby. Double doors, similar to the ones in the main entrance but much smaller led outside, as evidenced by the arched windows in flanking position. A long, red and gold trimmed carpet ran from the double doors to another set of double doors on the inside. The inside doors were quite similar, except for the trimmings. The exterior facing ones were kept rather minimal, just wood and wood engravings, made from solid, tough wood. Somepony had decorated the interior ones, the wood lighter and inlaid with hold to clearly show off rather than stand up to the elements.

Did everything need gold around here?

“In here, magelet.” Luna pressed on through the double doors, leading into the room beyond.

Instantly, scents assaulted Twilight. The scents didn’t limit themselves to just breakfast foods. Pies, eggs, toast and bacon? Twilight had smelled bacon before in the slums of the griffon ghettos and it had always made her gag. Here, it seemed different. Here it almost seemed… more pure? No, that wasn’t quite right. It smelled fake. Still, despite the relative cleanliness of the bacon smell, Twilight couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose.

And that was merely one scent. All around the hall, ponies chatted and ate The room filled with soft noises of conversation, the clink of a glass, or the clatter of tableware breaking the monotony. Like the hall, great chandeliers hung down, providing the light for everypony. Ponies sat at tables strewn across the room in an orderly fashion. Three rows, back to back to back, each seating around fifty ponies if she had to take a guess about it. Each table had food thrown across it, a clear buffet. Each and every time a dish ran out, a servant nigh instantly appeared, refreshing and refilling it for all those at the table. Not only that, but goblets of wine and water stayed stocked no matter what.

The two stepped into the room proper, taking a second to simply get used to the atmosphere. Twilight sniffed at the air again, her stomach rumbling with hunger she had barely realized was there. Anything to eat would be perfect right about now, and with the quality of food she could spot, she was in for quite a treat.

Twilight froze up for a second as all eyes drifted onto her. Of course she’d been the center of attention next to the Queen, but she hadn’t expected the stares. Conversely to Twilight's hesitant, scared step, Luna walked with confidence, with poise in each of her hooffalls. The ponies’ eyes didn’t bother her.

The ponies at each table looked at first glance to be an interesting mix. Guard ponies, some in and some out of uniform, sat interspersed between servants, maids, scribes, students and all other sorts as well. Twilight, however, did not notice a single poorly dressed pony here. Each and every one of them had strong, well made clothes, no holes or tears like would be expected in the lower classes. Each and every one of them looked healthy. What Twilight did not notice was the presence of any hacking cough, or the sounds of pained ponies, or any tell-tale signs of the plague.

On the other side of the room from the entrance, in the middle, a table perched on a raised platform, the ponies present there significantly more rich looking than the others. The table did seem well cared after like all the others, but just food didn’t fill it. Instead, the dishes only sat in front of ponies that already waited for it, drinks coming only by demand as well. Behind the table, two portraits hung, two portraits clearly life sized, though Twilight couldn’t make them out yet.

The paintings hung over a set of thrones, or perhaps they were just really large chairs. The two were entirely different, the right one, Celestia’s white with gold trim and rich red cushions. The left painted purple, with silvery blue trim and dark blue cushions also inlaid with silver. No pony needed to think hard to realize these two seats stayed reserved for the princesses.

Behind the two thrones, Twilight counted ten seats total on the far side of the table, five on each side. Each one was quite a bit smaller, more pony sized, more uniform as well. Dark wood, red cushions, no trimming for these.

Luna led them down the center aisle, nodding in acknowledgement at the few ponies that took time out of their breakfast to greet her. Everypony seemed relaxed, even with the Queen of their nation walking mere feet away from them. After a while, Twilight guessed that a pony simply got used to it. She didn’t think she ever would, didn’t think she’d ever be able to get over Luna’s opulence, but these ponies already had.

Luna took her seat on the throne, motioning to the chair beside her for Twilight. Twilight took the seat, leaving her sandwiched between the Queen of the Night and a mare that looked like a model. Little niggling feelings of inadequacy flowed through Twilight, but she did her absolute best to ignore them.

From here, Twilight could make out the two portraits. On the left, the portrait portrayed Luna, staring out over the night’s sky, a soft snow falling. She looked serene, calm, and poignant. A single scarf wrapped around her neck, blue like her fur and quite fluffy. On the right, the portrait showed off Celestia instead. She stood, legs spread wide and looking straight up towards in the camera in a field of flowers, a silky smooth smile gracing her face. Her mane whipped out behind her, spreading and pastel colors mixing with the colors of the many hued flowers.

As for the smaller chairs, only two were currently occupied, one on Luna’s side and one on Celestia’s. A stallion took the one on Celestia’s, wearing the golden armor of the royal guard. His facial expression bespoke of his position as well; a stern, unyielding gaze that almost seemed similar to a scowl.

The other pony couldn’t be any further from the typical military stone face. The mare— for it was a mare— sat looking almost contemplative at her food. Twilight had to take a second look at her; her soft pink coat, beautifully striped gold, pink and purple mane, and amazing body were quite eye-catching. She has to be some type of model. Her dress, what little Twilight could see of it, didn’t have too many frills. Instead, the simplicity of the lilac dress complimented and accentuated her coat, her figure, gracefully covering her form with the skirts flaring perfectly off her rump. She ate with the utmost poise, her cyan magic working diligently with a knife and fork, manners impeccable despite her relatively common breakfast of eggs and toast. Twilight didn’t know proper decorum that well, but she could definitely recognize it from what she had read before. The pink mare’s eyes practically glittered violet, the hue almost the same as Twilight’s coat, brilliant all the while.

It seemed everypony Twilight would meet in the upper city would be the pinnacle of beauty.

Before Twilight could even sit, the other mare turned to her with a gracious smile. She leaned in close, gracing Twilight with just a hint of perfume. “Hello there. My name’s Mi Amore Cadenza.” She giggled, as if something was funny; Twilight didn’t get it. “But you can call me Cadance!” Cadance presented her hoof, offering it up before Twilight.

Not quite sure what to do, Twilight closed the distance and planted a gentle kiss on the hoof. She had read a few books about meeting ladies of a court, but never dealt with it herself. Everything she read said that was the way to react, but indecision and anxiety flared through her regardless. It seemed her anxiety spoke true, as the mare— Cadance, was it?— only giggled more, both hooves withdrawing and covering her mouth. A wry chuckle even escaped from Luna, though Twilight couldn’t see if she smiled or not.

Twilight met her eyes, confusion coursing through her. “You were supposed to shake it, silly!” Cadance explained, giggles interrupting each of her words. “Though, I’m flattered, really!”

Mortification rushed through Twilight, causing a much deeper red blush to mirror Cadance’s pink one. How foolish did she have to be to actually kiss the hoof of a lady? She ducked her head, trying and failing to sputter out an apology. “I-I, C-ca-” The lady, Cadenza, pressed a hoof against her muzzle, silencing her. This close, Twilight could smell her quite clearly. Shining often silenced her in a similar way, but the Cadance’s hoof didn’t smell like the dirt and filth of Shining’s. Instead, she smelled of the sweetest flowers, even on her roughest extremities. Twilight’s eyes tilted back up, thoroughly expecting to see a mocking, almost taunting sort of smile. Ladies of the court always acted that way in her books; above the common ponies like Twilight.

Yet, her expectations shattered once more. Instead of the condescending smirk that she thought likely, Cadance smiled a gentle, caring smile. A smile that put her fast beating heart at rest, a smile that made any thought of retribution die before it could truly start. Surely her mentor could protect her from all but the worst of nobles, but the seed of worry remained firmly planted.

“It’s fine, sweetie, really!” Cadance assured her, grin blossoming even wider. The blush had gone, or had hidden on her pink cheeks, Twilight couldn’t be sure. “Just didn’t expect it is all! Nopony really does that anymore.” She finally moved her hoof back from Twilight’s muzzle, returning it to her side. “Would you like to introduce yourself, sweetie?”

Twilight blinked. Why must everything here go against her expectations? Why must everything here be so darned confusing? Sure, everything so far had been pleasant; the guards had been rather sweet, and this mare was basically sugar incarnate, but what happened when a shock wasn’t so benign? She didn’t want to think about it right now. She blinked again, finally noticing the mare’s smile had wavered during her silence.

“Magelet, introduce yourself,” Luna’s calm, confident voice commanded her, any trace of amusement long gone. Not in a bad way, however. In a way that kept her relaxed— almost hypnotized.

Twilight finally nodded, taking a deep breath. Remember your manners, she chided herself mentally. “I’m sorry, Lady Cadance.” She bowed her head for the briefest of seconds. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, Student of the Night.”

Cadance perked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow up in...surprise? Curiosity? “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sparkle. You already have my name, but I am the duchess of Canterville,” she explained. Twilight had not heard of it, but it certainly sounded impressive. That now counted a duke and a duchess that she’d met in the last two days alone.

She had a feeling she’d meet quite a few more important ponies before the day ended. Just a hunch.

“So you’re our castle’s newest little celebrity, then?” Cadance asked, eyes twinkling in amusement. “I hope you enjoy your time here. Please let me know if I can do anything for you Miss Sparkle.” Didn’t it hurt to smile that much? Surely Cadance’s jaw hurt by now.

“Thank you, duchess Cadance.” Twilight kept her head bowed, trying to look like she meant her thanks. She very much wished that she had at least worn her mother’s dress today, both to match her new necklace and to actually look like something other than a stain on the mosaic of the court. Frankly, Twilight felt like a sore hoof amongst the beauties she’d seen so far, and she’d seen only a few different ponies. Cadance and Luna absolutely dwarfed her, and the guards even looked much cleaner and more attractive than the rather plain Twilight.

“I’m sure Luna’s already told you this, but none of that title business. Just Cadance please, or Cadie if you want!” Did every noble suddenly decide they didn’t care anymore? Silverhorn, Luna, Cadance; that was three for three so far! No complaints from Twilight, but the sneaking suspicion remained buried inside of her. The whole situation reeked of a trap, all a trap to get her comfortable before closing the vise.

“Oh, Luna dear, do you have the time? I have a meeting a nine-thirty,” Cadance said.

“Nine-seventeen,” Twilight instantly responded, not even looking up.

“She’s right, Cadie-bug,” Luna affirmed, the dark mare somehow telling the time as well.

Cadance giggled again, the pink mare quite giggly indeed. Magic suddenly surrounded Twilight’s head, the tingling, flighty sensation almost making her squirm in her seat. She grimaced at the cyan magic, barely stopping herself from snapping back in revenge. Personally, magic being used on her without her permission was something of a pet peeve for Twilight. This close to Luna, however, Twilight managed to hold herself back.

Besides, Twilight could tell who the magic belonged to. Cadance took her muzzle, pushing it up much like Luna had so she looked her in the eye. “Thank you very much, Miss Sparkle.” Her voice had dropped an octave, almost sounding husky. Cadance leaned close, giving Twilight a light peck on the cheek before taking her leave.

Twilight’s blush returned with a vengeance, red taking over her cheeks with a fury rarely known to her. The other mare, the beautiful, wondrous, divine Cadance had left her all a flustered, the spot she kissed feeling like fire itself had touched Twilight’s coat. She shivered, the scent still lingering close to her, the perfume still hanging in the air. Goddesses, what a mare, what a fantastic mare. She stayed frozen, replaying the scene in her mind again, and again. What she wouldn’t give for another.

Twilight shook her head, shaking herself out of the malaise that had taken over. A beautiful mare yes, but Twilight couldn’t let herself get flustered so easily! It would take more than a pretty mare to pierce her mental armor! Unlike the stallions of the orphanage, Twilight was not so weak against the wily charms of a lady. Nay, she could be a lady herself! Besides, she’d only been out of sorts for a second or two, no real harm done!

Yet, the smell had changed. She could definitely smell toast and eggs, too close to be a coincidence. Twilight tilted her head towards the table again, noticing that somehow a plate of her own had appeared. Toast and eggs, simple and traditional, definitely good enough. A goblet of water accompanied the plate, gem encrusted like seemingly everything else. She didn’t really drink wine anyways. Truly, somepony had used impressive magic to sneak all of this past her.

“Welcome back, magelet.” Twilight saw Luna’s own plate out of the corner of her eyes, a piece of toast already mostly devoured. A knife and fork clinked in Luna’s magic, working at a piece of what looked like ham of all things. “I see you enjoyed your new friend’s little parting gift. I think three and a half minutes may be a new record for her.”

Twilight’s eyes widened instantly. Three minutes? No way, that… She checked the time mentally. Nine twenty one? How? She’d been kissed before! Like that one time… no, wait, that didn’t count. Or when.. Okay, so she hadn’t been before! It didn’t mean anything, she was like twice her age at least for one!

Gah, why did pretty mares leave her so flustered?

“Magelet, you should eat breakfast before it gets cold.” That admonishing voice wafted over her head, and without much else to do, Twilight dug in. Her magic levitated up the toast, taking a small, hesitant bite out of it.

Flavor instantly exploded across her tongue. Cinnamon, butter, and hints of other spices accentuated the bread itself, taking it up and making it more than just toast. Back in the orphanage, toast meant bread with a little fire, and sometimes butter if you were lucky. Here? Here it seemed to mean flavor from all corners of the world.

Curious, she brought a fork up quickly, shoveling some of the eggs into her maw. Like the toast, these made what she had at the orphanage seem like the pale imitation of an egg. These were scrambled, cooked to perfection, and lightly spiced, not ruining the flavor but enhancing it beyond anything she thought possible. Oh goddesses, everything tasted so good! She wanted more, she needed more!

She bet the water even tasted amazing! A quick drink and— okay, that tasted normal, but still! Even that felt more pure somehow, though she figured it could easily be placebo at this point.

“Enjoying yourself, magelet?” Luna teased. With a blush, Twilight realized that her eyes and mouth were wide open in amazement. It seemed today she would be cursed to embarrass herself over and over.

Twilight shut her mouth and faced towards the Queen. “Y-yes your highness. It’s all very good.” With how starving she was, Twilight practiced the greatest restraint in talking to Luna instead of diving back into the meal.

“Especially the mares?” That twinkle had come back into her eyes, and her grin changing, becoming decidedly wolfish.

Twilight’s fork dropped back to the table, clinging off her plate, her magic popping out of existence from shock. Luna’s earlier teasing didn’t shock Twilight, not a bit. But now, she’d gone straight over the line, straight into the direct territory. Still blushing, Twilight nodded her head numbly, truly not knowing how else to answer.

Luna laughed, a joyful, boisterous laugh. “Of course, you like them, Cadance certainly liked you!”

Unfortunately for her, Twilight discovered that she could in fact not disappear in her chair. With a small whimper, she turned back to her food, deciding to distract herself with it rather than her now suddenly warm mentor. The guards mentioned she would warm up, is this what they had meant? She almost preferred the colder Luna, considering how the target of all the jokes seemed to be her!

She stuffed another forkful of eggs in her mouth, keeping herself quiet.

“It’s good that Cadance likes you,” Luna said. “Despite how young she looks, she’s holds significant pull around the court.”

Oh? Twilight’s ears perked up a bit, her eating starting to slow. Her attention turned away from her food, minding her manners for the first time since she began. She was in front of the Queen, for goddesses sake! She needed to control herself.

Slowly, she swallowed. “What do you mean, y-Luna?” Belatedly, Twilight realized that even Cadance called her just Luna.

“Oh, she’s one of the big ones,” Luna said, airily flipping a hoof. “The court has a few… let’s say, controlling ponies. There are quite a few factions in our dear court, and not all of them particularly like me. Cadance is one of the leaders— the leader of the Moderates actually. Good mare, if a bit confusing at times,” Luna explained. Twilight honestly had to wonder how Luna could speak so calmly about such important ponies.

Then again, she towered above all of them.

Twilight could hardly say she was abreast of the political going ons in the court, but now that Luna mentioned it, the name did seem rather familiar. She had heard the name ‘moderates’ at least. “So she’s really important, then?”

“Quite so. Second only to our sister and ourself,” Luna said, nodding slowly. “Keep an eye out for her, little mage.”

But why should she care? She wanted to study and grow, not get involved in the nobles’ petty squabbles. She had no time for the hustle and bustle of the upper class and didn’t dare interfere with politics, not wanting near that death trap. She’d read enough political theory to know she couldn’t trust a politician as far as she could throw them. She’d never, ever get involved.

Oh how wrong she was.

Twilight swallowed the last little bite of her eggs before going on. Luna needed to have distractions. No more distractions like food or hunger. “Yes Luna. But... why?”

“You don’t realize yet?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. “Magelet, you’re my student now. Wanted or not, certains things will be expected of you: Public appearances, speaking to crowds, great deeds, that sort of thing.” She held up a hoof, cutting off Twilight’s early interruption. “Magelet, our hopes are high for you, but we won’t make you do anything. Others won’t see it the same way. They’ll seek to pressure you, to make you do things.”

“Others are going to want to influence you. Out of everypony in Equus, you shall be the closest to us. And that sort of familiarity means influence. Everypony important will want to speak to you hoping on you getting our ear. Not that that will work, mind you,” she added, the last part accompanied by a stern look.

Twilight bit her lip. There wouldn’t be an end, would there? Her entire life had been made tartarus by these nobles, kept down, shoved into nothing. Once student, she had almost allowed herself the naivety of hope, of hoping she’d finally be left alone. But that wouldn’t be. Nay, she’d been foolish.

“Which means...” Twilight started, voice uncertain. Luna cut her off again, completing her sentence for her.

“Which means we must tread carefully indeed.”

Author's Note

Sorry this one took so long! It's part one of two for this little section.

Also! No tabs for this one! Lemme know if you like it better or not. If I get pushback one way or the other, it'll probably influence my decision to convert the rest of the chapters when I go back and revise them.

Also - OCs used with permission of Crystal and Anzel.

Interlude: A Sick Little Student

Author's Note

Just a fun little idea I had. Completely unedited. Will take down if people don't like it and re-polish. Going to get edited more. If you want to read it in its best state, its likely best to wait until I get it edited.

Actual chapter should be up later today/tomorrow.

Interlude: A Sick Little Student

Twilight nestled deeper into the sheets, head pounding, nose running, altogether miserable. The little seven year old filly had come down with the absolute worst illness possible. Deadlier than smallpox, more horrifying than leprosy, and more insidious than the plague. Somehow, she managed to stomach it with a brave smile. Somehow… Yes, the filly had come down with the pinnacle of disease.

The common cold struck fast and ruthlessly.

Yes, it had waylaid little Twilight to the bed with an efficiency not seen among modern illnesses. She sniffled, she sneezed, and goddesses yes, she coughed. All the while sinking further and further into a veritable nest of blankets on her bed, her sole refuge against the invading chill.

But she didn’t fight alone. No, she had a faithful companion to do battle with her. Her brother, her Knight in Shining Armor - quite literally in fact - guarded her against the worst of the horrific symptoms. He stayed by her side faithfully and at all hours of the day, taking absolute care of her no matter the concern. At times, he would be the soup fairy, bringing her warm broth to sustain her long battle. At others, he would snuggle against her side, braving the fire and risking his own life to keep her warm. And still others would find him vigilantly waiting at night to ferry her to and fro the bathroom.

Yes, he was the perfect soldier indeed. Which made it all the more tragic that he currently left Twilight so very, very alone. She sneezed again, pang of pain pushing through her throat at the exertion, little tears coming to her eyes. She whimpered, pressing her head against the pillows, body shaking with discomfort. He’d been gone for what seemed to her like forever now. He had set out to travel across the depths of the orphanage, courageously forcing his way down the stairs, fighting against all manners of beast. All to get back to the kitchen.

It’d been roughly five minutes.

Twilight sneezed again, whimpering and covering her body with the pillow entirely. She hated it; hated every part of being sick. She hated how sweaty her body felt, but so cold at the same time. She hated her eyes being all watery, making it so she couldn’t read. And most of all, she hated how useless she felt! She just wanted to study!

“Twily!” A voice broke the silence, the voice of her saviour, her protector. Her knight had returned! Twilight sniffed, peeking her head, horn first, out from underneath the nest. By the smell of the air, her loyal servant had brought with him sustenance as well! Huzzah! She would live to fight for another day! “I brought you some soup.”

Twilight blinked wearily, trying to clear her eyes from the fluid. Her brother slowly phased into sight, bowl held aloft by his magic.

“W-what kind?” She asked, trepidatiously. Over the past few days, he’d tried to feed her truly vile things. Like Spinach!

“Carrot, your favorite~” He gently say on the edge of the bed, still steaming bowl levitating close to her. “Open wide, okay?”

Twilight whimpered again as she opened her mouth, pain flaring in her throat at the movement. As gentle as could be, Shining levitated the spoon into her mouth, the filly’s muzzle closing around it, savoring the soup. The warm liquid relieved the pain in her throat, if only for a second. She opened her mouth, eyes pleading for more of that life-saving soup.

And so it went for a few quiet minutes. Shining diligently feeding his younger sister, Twilight’s body slowly growing warmer. She closed her eyes as Shining scraped the bottom of the bowl, resting back on her mass of blankets.

“Tell me a story, Shiny.” She mumbled into the pillow.

Her brother heard her - or at least, she assumed so since his hootsteps echoed closer to her dresser, where she had neatly arranged all of her favorite books.

“What do you wanna hear about tonight, LSBFF?” Shining asked, soft voice as comforting to her ears as the soup was to her throat.

“Student.” Twilight’s voice, in sharp contrast, felt and sounded weak. “I wanna hear about the students.”

“Again?”

Twilight shook her head, nodding the blankets up and down.

Shiny sighed, but his hoofsteps approached her again, the soft buzz of his levitation clear. Twilight never grew tired of hearing about the students. Each and every time Shiny offered to read to her, she would choose the same book: the stories and tales of the students of the night, each one more legendary than the last.

“Hm, how about Luna’s handmaiden?”

Twilight nodded again from the blankets.

“Well, as I’m sure you know,” Shining began, “She wasn’t actually named Luna’s handmaiden. Instead, her name was actually Goldenwing, and she has the honor of being the only pegasus student in the history of the empire. As such, she often faced discrimination and trials due to her race, struggling to stay ahead in an increasingly tribalist society.”

Twilight’s ears twitched at the sound of the page turning. Really, the book wasn’t a book of stories; instead, it was more of an encyclopedia.

“Goldenwing attained such a high position by way of feat. On the seventh month in 605 A.D, Goldenwing saved two mares. Despite being as young as thirteen years old, Goldenwing managed to fight off a stallion who-” Shining paused for a second.

He often censored books for Twilight, despite her already having read it.

“Who wanted to do very bad things to the mares.” He finally finished. “Golden held him back long enough for guards to show up and arrest him, and for that, Luna decided to make her her student.”

The tale went on, going through the important events of Goldenwings life. It dealt with her triumphs, such as serving many years as Luna’s personal bodyguard or serving valiant in the Equestrian-Zebrican war. But, it also displayed her failures openly, like how she came just short of saving her lover during the famous battle of Mareitania, or how she lost an important duel to Blackbeak. The book relayed her life accurately, regaling the filly with incredible tales of bravery and of crushing defeat.

Her heart fluttered. She could do stuff like that too. Or at least she could if she wasn’t all sick and stuff.

Shiny closed the book. “Okay LSBFF, it’s time for bed.” Twilight started to whine in protest but- “Ah, ah, ah! None of that. If you sleep now, I’ll read you two more tomorrow, okay?” Twilight cut her protest short, nodding numbly. Sleep would probably help feel better anyways…

Shiny re-adjusted her covers, tucking her in nicely. He leaned down, lips brushing against her forehead. “Good night, little one.”

Twilight rolled over in the bed, facing towards the window. She stared out at the looming moon, the full moon staring back. “Night Shiny.” She whispered, closing her eyes, letting the sight of the moon being the last thing she saw that night.

She could be one of the students too...

Castle Life II

Author's Note

Same warning as last chapter: My main editor is still on hiatus due to moving, so this is largely unedited in terms of content. Big thanks to Sixkiller for doing grammar checks on all my chapters though ^^

Same deal applies - I'll post a blog when its nice and edited, that's when it'll be the best. Feel free to wait till then to read it.

As a side note. I'll be going through the old chapters and heavily re-vising them using a new editing system with a friend of mine. Expect that to take some time, revised chapters will be marked with [R]. New content may slow down a bit for it, but I WILL be working on this. On a bit of a hiatus as well - life is getting busy for a month or so, September will be slow. But do take note - I will be actively working on this.

Castle Life II

The words hung in the air ominously between the two. Twilight shifted in the seat, looking down at her now empty plate and drained goblet. She squirmed uncomfortably, her dress suddenly feeling way too constrictive and much too itchy. Heat flared through her body, her stomach turning over and making her feel decidedly nauseous.

Twilight was in way over her head.

She breathed in deeply, her heart beating fast. Calm Twilight. Calm. Her analytical mind started to take back over, little by little. Truly, she couldn’t see a point in stressing out about this right now. Her mistress, her Queen, would teach her over time. Her mentor would protect her and explain everything to her. She wouldn’t just leave her stranded.

Right?

Twilight knew enough of the nobility to know their ferocity, and the power they held over a pony like her. Twilight, obviously enough, was a commoner, and the rights of the nation tended to be skewed towards the nobles rather than the small ponies. Anything higher than a count could essentially do what they wanted with her.

Yet, nobles didn’t have free reign. Naturally, anything a commoner couldn’t do a noble couldn’t do either. Yet, the punishments couldn’t be more different. Twilight had seen commoners fight, she’d seen them fight often enough. Sometimes constables would get involved, but many times they wouldn’t. She’d heard what happens when the constables did get involved; hauled off to prison, not a single word in to defend themselves. And the prisons… Twilight had only been near one once, but she could smell it from nigh a block away. Screams weren’t uncommon either, the conditions truly horrific. Not many ponies who went in came out.

Or at least, Twilight had heard the rumors. That sort of thing continued on; any crime, no matter how minor, sent a pony like her to jail, perhaps forever. Nopony cared about another lost life, not when the plague already claimed so many. Drugs ran rampant, arrests for them equally so. Rape, assault... any crime a pony could think of.

In the upper classes, things were different. Shining’s experience with a noble had been less than pleasant. That single time, he’d seen a noble beat a stallion within an inch of his life. Six constables all watched on, yet not a single one raised a hoof to stop him. The noble walked away without a care, despite plenty of witnesses watching in horror. All because of who he was.

Nor was that an isolated event. Twilight heard plenty of stories from maids who worked in nobles’ estates. Every mare who started work as a maid expected to be touched. Your age, your looks, none of that mattered. The skirts were kept short for a reason. Twilight, thankfully, would never be in that sort of position.

The threat remained, however. Any noble could beat her if she disagreed. Any noble could touch her if they so wanted. Twilight assumed that Luna could protect her at least some, but even she couldn’t change the court system. No judge that valued his job or his life would rule against one of the ones in power. Twilight had never heard of a judge losing their job over a conviction, but that only happened because no judge ruled against a noble in her lifetime. She only knew the conventions from history books, and the precedents had long been set.

She’d simply have to play her cards right. No mistakes.

She took another deep breath, frown creeping across her face. She’d unwittingly thrown herself right into the snake pit. Twilight hadn’t wanted to deal with any of this; she had just wanted to be a scholar! But how had Twilight missed it? In hindsight, it seemed so obvious; any pony so close to the Queen would be under scrutiny.

“Magelet. Calm.” Luna’s voice broke her thoughts from the dark places. “Don’t worry.” Twilight’s head turned, belatedly realizing how rude her inattentiveness must seem. Twilight’s hoof glided through her mane, brushing it back and working out the frizz.

“Yes Luna.” Twilight’s voice shook regardless. “Sorry Luna.” She grew tired of those words already. Sorry meant mistakes, and Twilight did not make those kinds of mistakes.

Luna’s magic lit up, wiping her muzzle with a napkin. She let it rest on the remnants of her food, calm eyes meeting Twilight’s. “We will teach you in those matters as well. And what we can’t teach you, we are sure that fair Cadance can assist with. She is kind and wise beyond her years, if you simply ask, she’ll assist.

“There are others that will help you, we are sure. Silverhorn is another, though we can’t honestly think of another of the top of our heads.” Luna went on, gently getting to her hooves as she talked. Twilight could barely help but stare at her movements; so graceful, so beautiful, like no normal pony. Something.. More.

Twilight found her body following Luna’s movements without conscious thought. Belatedly, she realized she’d recognized one of the names. “Did you say Silverhorn?” She echoed his name, definitely remembering that one. She’d already met a Silverhorn, though it could easily be a family name. Noble families, and even some common ones, like her own, tended to keep the names cycled throughout the generations. In her history books, she’d seen an entire line of Bluebloods, each named the same as the last. She had her mother’s name after all: Twilight.

Luna nodded, beginning to lead their way out of the hall. “We did. Have you heard of him?” Luna asked. From the corners of her eyes, Twilight could make out the two guards from earlier falling in step behind them. Their escort would follow them everywhere, it seemed. Not that she particularly minded; truth be told, she sort of enjoyed the two. They provided a levity that she didn’t have with just Luna.

“Well, I think I’ve met him.” Twilight admitted. Like before, ponies nodded their greetings as the pair walked down the center aisle, Twilight gathering enough confidence to even nod back to a few. “Um, two days ago in the Rising Moon market. I saw him ordering food from a stall.” Her tail twitched, thinking of how to phrase the next part.

“He didn’t really.. Know how to act around there. Kept using magic. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in the lower district market-”

“We have, yes.”

“Well, magic isn’t really encouraged.” Twilight finished, nodding in acknowledgement of the interruption. “So my brother and I talked to him and explained the situation. He seemed like a nice enough sort.” She explained. “I mean, usually I can tell that sort of thing. Are the rest of the nobles like him too?” She asked. “I liked Cadance too, even if I only saw her for a little bit.”

The two turned the corner out of the dining room, Luna leading them in the opposite direction from whence they came. “Yes, him and Cadance are quite the positive force.” Luna admitted. She dipped her head again, face melting back into a grimace. “Then again, there are always those in our government that are less than savory. Our fair Cadance and Silverhorn are not the majority of those in power, not even close. Nay, those two are more of an exception rather than the rule.”

“We are sure that you will meet those in time.” Luna continued on, her grimace melting away. “But, that is not for today. We will guide you in the matters of politics given time, but today shall be more pleasant.” Luna went on, face brightening with every word. “Today, we thought to give you a tour. Surely, you shall need to get around the grounds. Your brother is a guard here, is he not?” Her muzzle pointed towards Twilight at the tail end of the question, eyebrows up in questioning.

Twilight nodded in response. “Yes Luna, he took the test yesterday with me. He applied for the guard though, instead of the school like I did. He was accepted with the highest scores.” A tinge of pride flavored her words. Her brother had done well; his words had told her enough about that. Not the highest on either parts, but definitely in the top percentile. Nay, Twilight had been the one to top the practical portion. To her eternal annoyance, Sunset overtook her on the theoretical. But Shining had come close to each, close enough to get a good rap with the guards, which was really all he ever wanted.

“He’s got a great flank, too.” A whisper came from behind her, just barely loud enough for her to hear. A pink flush spread across her cheeks as she whirled around, coming face to face with.. Sunny, was it? The orange guard from earlier. In the corner of her eye, she could make out the other unicorn, Iridescence, covering a bemused smile with a hoof. Even Luna’s hoof falls had stopped.

“He’s my brother.” Twilight snapped, eyes flaring with fire. She’d heard enough about that from all the mares in the orphanage. She’d heard enough about that from Sparkler, dreaming and fantasizing about her brother. She’d never pursued him, not like Sunset had, but Twilight had heard Sparkler talk about that flank many, many times. And don’t get her started on Sunset’s poor attempt at poetry. Everywhere, no matter where, she went, ponies just had to talk about how utterly attractive he was.

So tiring.

Surprised eyes met hers, Sunny stopping right before their muzzles met. “Yes, but he’s also hot.” She answered, a cheeky grin spreading across her face. She giggled, silencing Twilight with a hoof, stopping the head of steam that she already started to build up. “I’m just teasing. Promise.” She added, her tone growing a little softer, a little more accommodating. Something in her visage made Twilight actually believe it too; perhaps it was the kinder smile, or the look in her eyes. She didn’t know which, but the righteous anger that had so suddenly filled her up, disappeared just as quick.

Twilight nodded her head, taking a brief step back to clear her muzzle from that dreaded hoof. “Fine.” She nodded again, the air feeling distinctly awkward to her.

Luna cleared her throat loudly. “Now that that is out of the way.” She started, voice sounding as if it barely held back laughter, “Perhaps we could go on with the tour?”

A chorus of “Yes, Luna,” answered her from the assembled trio, a bright red blush slowly fading on Twilight’s cheeks. Without further ado, Luna started to lead them once more, acting as if nothing had transpired.

“Well then, considering that your brother is a guard, we are going to visit the dueling grounds. The dueling grounds will be important for both him and yourself. Both of you will spend ample time there training your talents. Make no mistake, it is not just for fighting each other. Nay, the dueling grounds are more of training grounds than land set aside for strife.” Luna explained, the quartet walking down as the halls as they walked.

So many hallways.

“The grounds can be used for anything, from simply meditating, to physical exercise, to practicing big spells and everything in between. At the minimum, three unicorns at adept or above will always be present, with at least one master overseeing as well. So, you do not have to worry about trying spells you feel are too dangerous. As long as you take reasonable precautions, anything goes.”

Well, that sort of blank check could be dangerous. Still, with a master overlooking, most spells should be controllable. More importantly, both known alicorns would easily be able to respond if need be.

“We do expect you to practice your spellwork there. Most can be done in your rooms, but some must be done outside. We will trust your judgement on that, magelet.” Twilight nodded idly. She could handle that, easily enough.

Twilight hadn’t noticed it at the time, but as they walked on, the decorations of the rooms and halls had grown less opulent, more utilitarian. Portraits still hung up, but nearly all of them were military figures from the past. Less vases and busts perched on tables, replaced instead with suits of armor, some intricate, some utilitarian. Weapons hung above them occasionally, a few swords, lances, even a bow or two. The room the two stopped in bespoke the change in theme. Rather than golden inlays, simple wood filled out the entrance. The doors, simple as they were, looked worn away from constant use, even the hardwood near it seemed beaten down and scuffed from decades upon decades of use.

“And here we are.” Luna noted, her voice ticking up in cheerfulness. “Truth be told, we hope you like this.” Luna dipped her head for a second, almost as if she confessed something. “Guards, if you will.”

The two house guards slipped around Luna, their magic opening one of the double doors each and holding them open for the two to walk through. Bright sunlight filtered in from outside, the sun’s rays radiant now that morning had hit its stride. The light blinded Twilight for a second as her eyes were forced to adjust, a hoof coming up to block it.

In front of her, a field of grass stretched on, much like she had seen yesterday. The grass was kept cropped low on the field, a few low, wooden buildings directly across from their entrance. They only stood a story tall each, but stretched wide, Twilight honestly having no idea what they were for. Twilight noticed that the grass did not in fact stay uniform; instead, circles dotted it uniformly. In the circles, the terrain varied. Rather than just grass, some were filled with sand, or stone, or gravel, and several other different groundings.

Populating the grass, ponies drilled. Some of the circles were occupied by only a single pony, but others had nearly a dozen. Most commonly, Twilight saw pairs of ponies squared off against each other. Occasionally, bright points of magic would flare out, fire shooting across the sky, or lightning arcing from the heavens, or even tornadoes swirling self-contained. Despite the power and fury unleashed, no spells bleeded outside of their circles. Above all the mixture of colors, one flashed above all of them; a great golden glow exploded out whenever a dangerous spell touched the edge of a circle. It did not matter what element the spell pulled from, the barrier held regardless.

Twilight could only imagine that was the work of the master.

In the dead center of the field, the largest group of ponies gathered. Each of them dressed in the golden armor of the royal guard, each one looking the same uniform look from the cosmetic spells on their armor. Twilight couldn’t help but judge; the cosmetic spell could be so easily seen through by most unicorns of any decent level of training. What was the point, really? She made a mental note to ask Luna about that later.

“Impressed, magelet?” Luna asked, taking the first step onto the cool morning dew. Twilight followed, more hesitance in her step. She could see the appeal, really. At the same time, Twilight almost didn’t want to put her power on display like this. Anypony could watch, anypony could spy on her. What if a potential enemy waited in the shado- well, not in the shadows, in the middle of the open?

From behind, Twilight heard the doors close back. She could only assume the guards had followed them out. She doubted the two would leave Luna on her lonesome, not if they could do anything to avoid it.

“Yes, Luna.” Twilight answered, tail swishing guilty. She wanted to be impressed, especially with the spellwork, but worry gnawed at her instead. Something felt unsafe, something felt off to her, yet she couldn’t place a hoof on it.

Right in front of her, magic flared again, lightning strikes impacting hard against the shield.

Twilight winced.

Luna frowned and turned to face her, half facing her rear towards the ponies in the field. “Is it not wondrous, magelet?” She asked, arching an eyebrow. “All the practice partners you could want!” She volunteered.

Twilight bit her lip, nodding slowly. “It is as you say, but.. Doesn’t it feel unsafe? Has there ever been an accident?” Twilight asked. She gestured towards the bubble closest, the lightning striking against the shield once more. Didn’t that pony know anything else except thunder and lightning!?

Luna shook her head, frowning. “No magelet. My sister herself enchanted these stones. They draw right from the power of the participants. Look, and you can see yourself.” Luna’s hoof gestured this time, but lower instead, towards the base of the circles.

Twilight squinted, looking carefully and trying to drone out the bright flashes of light. Surrounding, creating the circles, stone glinted in the sunlight. A less observant pony would have missed them entirely, and Twilight did at first glance. A faint golden glow surrounded each of them, Twilight able to make out those enchantments without her magic sight active.

“You see?” Luna pressed on. “The only way to broach the enchantment is if the participants can no longer cast or stand. It’s perfectly safe, we assure you.” Luna’s frown turned into a comforting smile, her earrings jingling with her nod. “Perhaps you would like to try them out?” She suggested.

Twilight considered it. She could always use the practice, no? And this would be a good opportunity to get pointers from Luna, at least as a starting chance. Then again, if Twilight started up here, she probably wouldn’t want to stop until the day ended. For their own sakes, she should probably decline.

But she could learn so-

No, stop it Twilight. “No thank you, Luna.” She finally answered.

“Are you sure?”

The second time, she could barely deny it. She could show off, she could really let loose in front of everypony. She could potentially show off a bit safety concern. Yet…

“I’m sure, your highness. But thank you, I’m sure I’ll be back.” No doubt could possibly exist for that.

Luna frowned, but it only existed for the briefest of seconds before turning instead into a deep grin. “Oh, why don’t my two lovely guards play instead?” She asked. Her voice sounded silky smooth to Twilight’s ears.

The two guards stiffened, snapping to attention. “That won’t be necessary, ma’am!” Sunny answered. Gone was the familiar language, gone was the flippant attitude. Just what had Luna threatened them with?

Luna turned, sauntering close to Sunny, lifting her muzzle with a hoof. “Come now, sergeant. Surely you’d like to put on a good show for our newest friend?” She asked, voice husky and low.

Sunny flushed bright red, muzzle scrunching up and shying away. “Y-yes your majesty. If you wish.” She swiveled, looking anywhere but Luna. “Iri’, get us a damn circle! That’s an order!” She barked.

Iridescence saluted swiftly, dashing off towards the spread field. Twilight’s eyes watched her go, following her as she frantically searched for an open circle. Fortunately, she completed that task fairly easily, and the mare waved the rest of them over, Sunny taking the lead.

“This should be entertaining, dear Twilight.” Luna started. “Our two guards haven’t had the opportunity to let loose in a while. And we think we shall sweeten the pot this time.” Her lips curved up in a truly draconian grin, eyes narrowed almost predatorily.

The two guards waited before them, both having galloped over as opposed to Luna and Twilight’s slow walked. They stretched openly, working the kinks from their bodies and getting limber for the exercise to come. Twilight couldn’t really imagine why a pony had to be stretched for a magic duel, but she supposed the guard would likely incorporate physical and magical abilities. After all, a unicorn didn’t have much use if their horn got lopped off. At least, not for a few months.

Luna looked back and forth between the two. “Ready?” She didn’t wait for a response. “Good. Winner gets to go home tonight. As for the loser, you’ll get the night shift as well as.. Let us say you’ll owe me a favor.”

Sunny whimpered.

“In the ring, you two.”

Sunny took position first, standing calmly on the left side of the ring. Iridescence, of course, took residency on the opposite side, staring her down. “On my mark.” The Queen announced.

The two settled into a fighting stance.

“Three.”

Sunny brushed her mane back.

“Two.”

Iridescence’s magic pulled a sword from it’s holster, a gem encrusted, silver thing.

“One.”

Both of their horns glowed with light.

“Go!”

Sunny struck first, a bright column of light erupting from her horn towards Iridescence. Even with the shielding, Twilight could feel the heat of the blast against her coat. Huh, well, Twilight could guess that was where the name came from at least.

The beam moved quick, barely giving Iridescence enough time to dodge out of the way, lithely jumping to the right and landing into a gallop. The white mare darted forward, horn glowing silver as she readied the sword in her teeth. She moved quick, quicker than Twilight thought she could in the rather bulky armor.

Yet, she couldn’t move quick enough to surprise Sunny. Another beam boiled forth, rolling slower but wider than the first. The beam clearly missed Iridescence, missed her by a few feet to the right actually. But, that didn’t seem to phase Sunny one bit. In fact, she almost seemed like she’d expected it to miss.

Twilight noticed it before Iridescence did. The second shot had never been meant to hit her, had only ever been meant to herd her a different way. On the ground to the right, a bright spot started to simmer, just the hint of yellow against the otherwise green grass beneath them. Iridescence hadn’t noticed it yet, eyes focused only on the horn, only on the other beam of Sunny’s.

It would be her downfall.

Just as Iridescence crossed the spot, another beam of sunlight erupted. But, it did not take out Iridescence like Twilight had thought. Instead, it actually seem to be to her advantage. Twilight didn’t exactly know what the horseshoes of their armor had been enchanted with, but the armor shrugged off the sunlight.

Instead, Iridescence used the beam to ‘jump’ off of, hurtling forwards with a speed she couldn’t previously match. The mare flew into the air with the momentum from their magic, her own horn glowing bright with the silver of moonlight. Her leap carried her forward, shield flaring into life around her just as another beam struck, trying to catch her in the air.

But Iridescence would not be stopped that easily, not with her weight and speed behind her. The smaller mare barreled into the larger, sending the two to the ground. At the same time, Iridescence swung with her sword, but it only glanced against Sunny’s armor, doing little more than scratch the paint job.

Her sword jerked from her grip, sliding across the ground and coming to rest yards away. The two tussled now, their fight turning more barbaric instead of the orchestrated, order of the guard. The two rolled, fought, and even bit, fighting for dominance in a hoof to hoof melee. At it’s best, it could be called grappling, but in reality, it looked nothing more than street wrestling. Sunny kicked out with a hoof, striking Iridescence’s underbelly. Not to be outdone, a wincing Iridescence headbutted Sunny’s side.

On and on the two went, until finally, mercifully, Iridescence pinned Sunnys forehooves, straddling her belly and keeping her down. The two breathed heavily, sides heaving with effort. And yet, Sunny didn’t give up, not yet. She still fought on, struggling fruitlessly to get up. Eventually, she slumped on the ground, pouting. “Fine, you win.”

Twilight had to admit; she was impressed. The fight ended quickly; nothing truly advanced happen, from a visual and magical standpoint. She had some respect for how fast Sunny could conjure and cast her beams, but even they were not really advanced spells. The same was true for their physical fighting as well, nothing too in-depth, based on what she’d seen from Shining.
However, what did impress her, was how they were used. Twilight wouldn’t have thought about tricking Iridescence like that. And she certainly wouldn’t have used the beam’s energy to jump higher in the air. Obviously, if the white mare had barreled into her, she probably would’ve instantly lost. Twilight didn’t really have much physical training, and really, Iridescence had the benefit of weight and size, something that Twilight may never get considering how stunted Twilight’s growth was.

“Of course I win.” Iridescence smiled triumphantly, squirming to get comfortable on top of the other mare.

“Three out of ten! And maybe I just enjoy being on the bottom.” Sunny teased back, earning a bright red blush on the white mare.

“Hush, there’s still a filly near by!”

“Well, she’s probably old enough, right?” Sunny’s eyebrows waggled.

Oddly, Twilight didn’t feel offended. Sunny didn’t seem serious, at least to her.

“What my guards are trying to say.” Luna’s voice cut through, “is that you are probably old enough to duel. Right, my lovely guards?”

There would be no argument with that kind of tone.

Both guards nodded their heads. “Now then!” Luna clapped her hooves together. “You two should probably get to your hooves. Sunny, looks like you get to work late tonight.”

The two nodded again, Iridescence helping her fallen comrade to her hooves, the two quickly brushing their bodies off. “Not so bad, right?” Iridescence asked, giving Sunny a light punch on the shoulder.

Sunny rolled her eyes, mane clearly worse for the wear. “Sure, whatever. You try having your flank like this. Feels like I’m being crushed.”

Iridescence giggled, shaking her head, mane somehow still in absolute perfect position. How in Equus did she manage to do that?

“Guards, attention please.” Instantly, Iridescence and Sunny dropped their humor, coming to a stiff salute towards Luna. “We go towards the library now, we believe dear Twilight will enjoy that.” She instructed, stomping a hoof. “Fall in!”

And with those words alone, all traces of joking faded from the mares, both darting behind Luna in crisp formation.

Belatedly, Twilight realized that Luna mentioned going to the library. She couldn’t say she was surprised that the castle had a library, but she didn’t expect them to be visiting it so soon. A nervous excitement ran through Twilight’s body; could it hope to compare to her own library? Her mentor wouldn’t visit it, that she could be sure of, but the quantity of books had to greatly differ. After all, the royal library had never been pilfered, never been ransacked and nearly burned to the ground. Their tomes and collections would be much more complete. Perhaps they’d even have some of Starswirl’s later work, or Haze’s new-

Rampant speculation aside, Twilight could safely say she looked forward to the next leg of their tour. Surely she’d have time to simply browse through the stacks, not now, but later.

“Come along, magelet.” Luna instructed, her soft hoof falls already leading back into the building. For once, the quartet fell into silence, their hoof steps making the only noise in their journey. It wouldn’t last, not for long, but Twilight quite enjoyed the time of silence. It gave her precious moments to gather her thoughts, especially about the Queen.

She still couldn’t get a handle on the Night Mare, not truly. Her actions confused Twilight, ranging from cool to downright teasing. Her guards seemed to think the best of her, and Twilight had always heard the saying that anypony who treated those under them well was a good pony indeed. So far, Luna had done that in spades.

Yet, she couldn’t ignore the constant rumors in the lower city. She couldn’t ignore the decision to close off the lower districts. Those had all been Luna, every last one of them. Pragmatically, sealing the plague in may have been the right decision, but Twilight couldn’t forgive it. In a direct way, it had resulted in the deaths of her parents. They should’ve never been that far down anyways, not with the money they once had.

Twilight’s hoof idly ghosted over the pendant at her neck. Her parents… How had her mother known about her future cutie mark? They’d died long before Twilight developed her talent, and they had never been fortune tellers as far as she knew. It seemed that her life had become one big mystery late. If it wasn’t her mentor, it was her parents, and if it wasn’t one of them, it was Luna’s behaviour. Time and study could solve at least a few of those, but she hadn’t the faintest on how to figure out information about her parents. Perhaps the library would have information about them as well. Twilight had to doubt that at least; they were never that important.

And then Luna’s two guards. Surely, not all guards were so frivolous, so goofy. Shining had always given her the impression that a guard must remain stoic and impassive, ready to face anything at any time. Sunny and Iridescence seemed competent at least, but their attitudes didn’t come off as professional to Twilight. Then again, what did a thirteen year old filly know about guarding? Twilight couldn’t claim to know; she’d probably be an awful guard.

The group didn’t walk far before stopping once again. As expected, the decor of the castle had changed from the rough and tumble aesthetic near the guard training posts. The portraits had decidedly shifted to scholars and mages rather than soldiers and guards, the hallways immaculately clean. Oddly enough, the colors of the torches had changed, tinged red and a dark, almost poisonous green.

Why did the lights change?

“Luna?” Twilight asked, breaking the silence. “Why have the torches changed color?” She had known they were magically powered, but why switch them when everywhere else held the standard color.

“An accident, if you’ll believe it. Magic sings strongly closer to the library and the archives. Tomes of great power are held here, and their magic isn’t always the clean type. Darker magics often get out of control, and while our wards are enough to fight off the greatest of their effects, little changes like this sometimes occur. For the longest time, they were simply purple. The green color has only appeared in recent times, and no pony is quite sure why it happened.” Luna answered. Was that just Twilight, or did she hear a tinge of curiosity at the latter part?

“Could I take a look sometime?” It would be a fun project at least. Magical contamination had always been a fear of Twilight’s after all.

“Magelet, your projects are your own. As long as you stay trustworthy, you may pick and choose any one you want. And here we are.” Luna finished her statement as they stopped in front of double doors nearly as large as the entrances.

Of course they were double doors, every door was here.

These had their own engravings, depictions of different scenes in literature. Or at least, Twilight figured that’s what they were. Twilight actually recognized a few of them. There was Tantalus, constantly reaching for the fruit beyond his control. There stood Celestia, young and proudly raising the sun for the first time. An army marched onto the city of Clydesdale, the fall of the city leading towards the unification of Equestria. All the panels, as far as she could tell, depicted epic battles, or fantastical narratives, or fairy tales that she’d read as a foal. She could probably stand here all day, looking just at engravings. She could probably learn things just from them.

But it wasn’t meant to be. Luna’s magic split the doors midway, pushing them slowly open. The doors looked heavy; Twilight couldn’t imagine opening them herself. Then again, she could only assume that the doors were well balanced. They had to be.

“Wait out here, please.” Luna instructed the guards. The two nodded, posting up on either side of the door as Twilight and Luna entered the library popular.

But those thoughts quickly faded from her mind as she caught sight of the library itself. She’d been right; her old spot had absolutely nothing on this new land. The first floor, the one they entered on, didn’t have a single bookshelf on it. Instead, a receptionist stood by a desk at the entrance, tables arrayed out in front of them. Several of the tables were occupied, books piled high near ponies busy reading, some even discussing the texts in small groups.

The second floor reminded her more of the library that she knew. Bookshelves stacked high to the sky, neat orderly lows keeping them in line. Really, it wasn’t so much of a story as a veranda, but it did stretch a bit further than the first floor itself. It wrapped around the edges of the room, making a perfect circle with a large hole in the middle of it. Only the door itself interrupted the second floor’s circle, a staircase on each side for easy access. The second floor probably stretched back wider than her room in the tower, easily holding seven or eight bookshelves each.

Interspersed within the rows lay benches, some with their own vases and flowers next to them. Unlike her own favorite library, Twilight could see no real decoration. No statues or stained glass windows in this part of the library at least. Above them, a third story towered up, set in the same way but as a slightly smaller ring than the second one. The staircase for the second story wrapped around into a spiral, leading to the third as well. Yet, oddly, a gate stopped access to the third floor, though Twilight couldn’t make out if it stayed locked or not.

Visually, the room impressed Twilight enough. It looked clean, not too fancy, just functional. After long growing used to her hold library, this one changed paces drastically. She liked it, but didn’t think she could use it as her one and only. It just simply didn’t feel right, in an odd way she couldn’t put a hoof on. Certainly, it held more books than the ransacked ruins of her true home, but it couldn’t compare to the lower district’s character.

At the same time, a wiggle emanated out from the very core of her being. So. Many. Books! Infinitely more than the other library, infinitely more than she had ever seen before. She didn’t know how in Equestria she’d be able to read them all, but surely, if anypony could find a way, it would be her! It would take years, decades even, but she would conquer all of these tombs, she would absorb all of their knowledge! She would-

A tap on her shoulder.

“See something you like?” Luna’s voice interrupted her thoughts, a deep blush starting to spread across Twilight’s face. “Your tail wagged, magelet.”

Twilight looked back, actually seeing her tail still wagging away. Sheepishly, she tucked it back down, stopping the incessant wiggling. How had she not realized something like that? And in front of her goddess and the two guards? Fantastic.

“Well, it is certainly a lot of books.” Wow, way to go Twilight. You’re making the situation so much better with that observation. What a winner of a statement. A lot of books in a library? She couldn’t believe it!

Twilight suddenly felt a very great need to slam her head into the wall.

“Yes, certainly a lot of books.” Even the Queen’s voice sounded bemused. “You may have any time that you wish here, of course. Any time outside of classes and outside of our tutelage is yours. There are certain duties that we expect you to uphold, but they are minor we assure you.” Luna explained, nodding her head.

“Thank you, your majesty.” Twilight bowed her head, mind still spinning from the shock. Her eyes roamed around the room, already working on memorizing the layout. She couldn’t afford to waste any extra seconds in here, each step and movement must be precise. Any lost time would mean less time focusing on her studies, less time meeting the new friends within the shelves. That time was more precious to her than anything else, with rare exceptions like her brother.

Magical theory first. She loved magical theory more tha-

“Well hello! We meet again, don’t we?” Before she could even realize what was happening, somepony shook Twilight’s hoof emphatically, her entire body shaking along with it.

“Bwuh?” She mumbled, eyes trying to re-focus on what stood in front of her rather than the stacks. A moment passed before her mind finally caught up: Duke Silverhoorn stood in front of her and Luna, beaming like a madpony.

“I knew that I would see you here, absolutely knew it!” He released her hoof, mercifully taking a step back.

Twilight hated it when ponies got too close.

“Our student did mention that she met you, Duke.” Luna answered for her, giving her a moment’s reprieve she so desperately needed.

“Oh yes! I dare say that she helped me out of quite a pinch in the lower city - one that I didn’t even know I was in! Did you know that unicorns aren’t supposed to use their magic in the markets? Learn something new everyday, eh?” He continued beaming, his exuberance never wavering.

Did the stallion even wear the same thing? No - he wore a suit today, black and simple, but somehow charming at the same time.

Luna’s hoof nudging her side made her realize that question had been directed at her. Silverhorn’s grin had drooped a fraction during her silence, but still remained plastered on all the while.

“Oh yes sir. The lower cities have all kinds of special rules.” Twilight answered. After Luna mention how important the Duke was, she needed to keep things conversational, lest she get on his bad side. “They’re not always easily seen either. But, it’s quite important to remember their hatred of unicorns. Sir.” She finished, bowing her head.

“Right, right, of course. It’s always fascinating to me how that developed actually. Some scholars in the city have made a right big fuss about it- for good reason of course! They’re actually working to secure funding to continue the project right now. If only there was somepony here who could do that!” He trailed off, waggling his eyebrows meaningfully.

Twilight blinked. Did he mean her? He couldn’t mean her, right? She had no bits-

“Silverhorn…” Oh right. Luna. And she didn’t sound the happiest in the world. “Please, can we not do this right now? I am giving my apprentice a tour and don’t want any political nonsense to get in the way of that, is that understood?”

Silverhorn chuckled good-naturedly, shaking her head. “Oh, of course not! I was merely trying to share the news of the research with Miss Sparkle here. Wouldn’t you find that interesting, young one?” He asked, he leaned in close, as if waiting with baited breath.

Twilight blinked again. “Um, sure?” She answered, unsure of herself.

A groan from Luna. Wrong answer.

“Well! Would you want to deny your newest student Luna? You see, it’s a joint effort by our dear Queen’s school and some scholars at the Athenaeum. From an academic standpoint, most of us know about the.. Let’s say discrimination in the lower districts. And not only that, but we can observe our own classes and tell that they’re mostly made up of unicorns. Is this a problem? Well, we’re sure that earth ponies here and unicorns in the slums certainly think so!

“But what we actually don’t really know is how it all started. We have theories, yes, but no way to test them. Until now, that is. That’s what this task force aims to do. With a little extra funding and a bit of horsepower, we’re sure that we can find the reason! Well.. not me specifically, but my cousin is on the team and he’s confident himself.”

Twilight’s mind buzzed with thought. She actually did believe that could be a worthy cause. Luna knew -actually, she should probably avoid that phrase this close to Luna. Goddesses knew that she’d face enough of it herself. If it wasn’t Quaker then it was the constables. Ponies like Matron, who cared unconditionally, didn’t exist en masse, and even the unicorns in her group had their own biases. Then again, after the torture the twins had gone through from Quaker’s little friends, how could they not?

Certainly, Twilight had her own theories. And perhaps later, she’d be interested in comparing her thoughts to whatever the study found. She had always figured the sealing of the plague ignited the inherent racism to erupt like never before. While she hadn’t been alive then, Twilight had heard stories of how things used to be. Some ponies might run into that crotchety grandpa who complained how much better things were before the unicorns, but that sort of speciesism was incredibly limited back then. But now, nearly every pony looked at the other races with at least trepidation if not outright fear and hated. She’d yet to see the upper districts, of course.

Yet, she worried about it. The study didn’t address the biggest issue in her mind. How in Equus could they solve it? The question burned at her tongue, even as Silverhorn watched her expectantly.

Uneasily, Twilight opened her mouth.

Only to freeze, closing it again uselessly. She didn’t particularly want to be rude - he was yet another one of those way too important ponies who could probably have her beaten if he wanted. “Well.. If you don’t mind me asking sir, what would this lead to?” Twilight asked. “As in, what could be done once we find out the cause? Is there a plan?”

That actually caused Silverhorn to hesitate, if only for a second. “Well.. That’s what this study aims to create! No, there is no plan currently to solve the issues in the lower city, because we don’t know the cause. You can’t treat an illness without knowing why it exists, and you can’t fix a social issue without knowing the root cause. Yes, we could fix the symptoms, but they’d just manifest in different ways, right?” Silverhorn asked.

In that speech alone, his entire being had almost change. His jovial attitude remained, but only behind a veil, behind an attitude of impassive academics, of a cold logic. Twilight almost preferred that side. That side of him made sense to her. That side of him she could reason with.

She nodded her head. “True.. But perhaps, if you secure funding from the crown-” A quick, meaningful glance to Luna”-then your group could possibly introduce a stop-gap solution while the research is on-going?” Twilight’s head had always brimmed with ideas about the unicorns, brainstormed ways to fix them, and oddly, the best way to possibly get them into action had appeared right in front of her. Ironic, in a way. “Maybe mandatory guard re-training? Or integration of some palace guards into their shifts? Perhaps some captains or something similar?” Twilight suggested.

Silverhorn rubbed his chin for a moment, lost in thought. “Well, I don’t know how politely the lower district guards would take to being replaced, do you?” He asked, pointedly. Good point.

The lower guards had pride if nothing else.

“Especially with a unicorn. Wouldn’t that simply fuel their suspicions further? No guard will appreciate being replaced, especially by some noble’s son. We could always source specifically from commoners, but then the nobles would be slighted.”

Another good point.

“What if there was a mixture? The officer corp is comprised mainly of nobles, right?” Luna, of all ponies, spoke up. “We support ours student’s idea, even if it isn’t perfect, it could go a long way in fostering good will. Perhaps we find ponies that are more personable, ones that would represent the upper districts well. We have expanded dossiers on nearly everypony in the service, a few warrant officers could handle that in three weeks time.” She suggested.

“I’d have to talk to my group, but I see no reason why that couldn’t be suggested at the least. If I can get a yes, would that be enough to secure funding?”

Luna nodded.

“And that would please you, Miss Sparkle?”

Twilight nodded.

“Fantastic!” And there came the cheer again. “And then I’ll talk to my team as soon as possible. Speaking of…” He nudged his way through the pair, towards the door. “Ta-ta for now! Always great to see you, Queen Luna!” He bowed his head, before dipping around the door and leaving the two standing alone once again.

“Well… He’s certainly a hoofful.” Luna started. She sighed, tension that Twilight hadn’t noticed melting away from her body. She ran a hoof through her mane, the hoof oddly passing through it as if it was nothing.

“Well, magelet, we wanted to take you to the dorms and classrooms, but unfortunately our time grows thin.” Luna said, turning her attention back to the mare. “We have our own meetings to attend to, and won’t be able to re-join you until much later unfortunately. Our guards will be able to take care of all your needs however.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes Luna, thank you for the tour.” She bowed her head low. Twilight hadn’t known what to expect when becoming the Student of the Night, but it certainly wasn’t so much personal time with the Queen. “Is there anywhere you think I should still go?”

Luna paused, thinking for a second. “Besides the ones we already mentioned, I don’t believe so. Your brother may be busy, but if he is not, both him and your friend will be there, if you wish to visit them. If it is amenable, your formal lessons start next week with the other professors. Your lessons with us, however, start tomorrow.”

A thrill ran through Twilight at those words. Tomorrow.. So soon!

“Yes Queen! I’m really looking forward to it!” Twilight didn’t bother to restrain the excitement in her voice. Why would she? Lessons from the Queen.. Wow.

Nor did Twilight notice the smallest briefest flicker of pain across Luna’s face.

Luna chuckled. “Very well then, we shall take our leave then. Please don’t hesitate to get Sunny or Iridescence if you need anything.”

“I’ll see you tonight then, your highness,” Twilight bowed her head as she spoke. Luna nodded once more before disappearing around the corner.

Twilight stood alone once more.

Just how she liked it. “Sunny?” Twilight called. Sunny’s head peeked in, eyes spotting Twilight. “Could you take me back to the tower?” Sunny nodded, a kind smile splitting her muzzle.

“Of course!”

Good. She had so much to do, so much to look at, and so little time to do it. Twilight had been thrust into a world she didn’t know and that left her but with one recourse: Twilight had studying to do.

A Return

Author's Note

First, I'd like to apologize for both the delay and the short length of the chapter. It simply felt like a natural cut-off point. The next is both already written and a fair bit long, though I suppose the latter part doesn't matter that much.

Second, my editor is still not fully, nor do I know if he'll ever have enough time to edit as much as we used to. So, if anyone would like to volunteer, I would adore having some help X.X

That being said, edits are still being done, so if you'd like to read this in it's 'complete' form, I'll once again post when it's been edited and update the title with an [E] to reflect it. The earlier chapters get priority in that regard, however, so it may be a bit of time.

Finally, good news! The next two chapters are written (mostly) and shouldn't have anywhere near this delay. Once again, very sorry about it!

A Return

The rest of the day blurred together for Twilight. Studying took up the lion’s share, with just a few minutes for eating dinner. She read into the current political climate as best she could, scouring newspapers, devouring press releases and scanning through court notes. She searched for any hint she could find to piece together the puzzle of the court.

What she found did not please her.

Corruption ran deep. It was never directly pointed out, only ever noted in the margins of a page or in the footnotes of a legal document, but Twilight managed to spot it out in spades. A certain Fleur de Lis showed up a lot, whether it involved getting another of her cronies into the courts, or passing yet another law against the plebiscite of the empire.

And it never seemed bad at first glance. Just looking at it at face value, the laws looked solid to Twilight. Yet, the more insidious parts of them ran deep, deep enough that many who voted on them likely didn’t even understand the full implications of what the laws would do. Or, they understood and simply didn’t care about the consequences. Regardless, the end result meant that laws that looked like they would be beneficial to the lower districts ended up simply lining the nobles’ pockets with more coin.

One stood out in Twilight’s mind in particular: two years ago, a law passed to further the funding of the schools for the lower district. Nearly anypony could get behind that, unless they wanted to look heartless. Yet, as a conditional, the bits would feed through a committee, a committee made up of just nobles. This committee decided where the money went, who it went to, and when. As a follow-up, Twilight checked the financial reports for that committee. Nearly every single bit went to ‘administrative costs’, right into the nobles’ pockets.

The pattern repeated itself through different logs and laws, each as bad as the last. It left Twilight with a headache and a pile of frustration at the end of the day.

And yet, she believed she could fix it still. She had the ear of the Queen after all, if not her, then who, if not now, then when? Better yet, Luna had told her that she would start their lessons together the very next day, giving Twilight the perfect opportunity to start talking about her ideas. Oh, and Twilight had ideas. So very many ideas, though some of them required a little fine tuning. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe every idea she had was perfect, after all. But, just to pitch them to the Queen meant they’d be going towards a good place, and Luna could suggest her own improvements to each and every one.

On the outside, Twilight may have seemed a little cold, a little distant to some. But really, she cared deeply. Twilight tried her best to show it, but didn’t always succeed. Perhaps this could be her way of paying back. Perhaps this could be her way to show Matron and the others they meant something to her.

Or at least, so her hopes remained.

Unfortunately, the plan didn’t work out perfectly. Luna returned that night bearing tidings of ill winds and looking positively exhausted. She slumped on entrance to Twilight’s room, eyes barely able to stay open. Twilight guessed that goddesses would need sleep as well. So, their time that night was dreadfully short. A few quick sentences as Luna ate and nothing more, and those few sentences would also disappoint the young mare.

Their lesson tomorrow would not begin as planned.

Twilight winced when she first heard it, but truly she understood. Being the ruler of the nation left Luna little time, and an emergency meeting for floods in Trottingham meant business indeed. Far be it for Twilight to proclaim herself more important than thousands of flood victims. She would never be that selfish. And so, she would suffer as well for it. Luna’s tomorrow would be filled with meetings and public relations addresses instead.

Her first day at the castle blurred into the second. Sunny led her around once more, Luna appointing her as Twilight’s personal guard for the time being. The second day repeated the first nearly to a T, the same events rolling throughout. A breakfast - fortunately with no much too pretty mares this time- a lunch, dinner, and only studying in between. Sunny convinced her to take a little break at least, but once more Luna did not return until late that night.

Even more frustrating, Luna spared naught but a few minutes for her that night as well. Again, she looked tired, again the only thing she truly said meant their training would be put off another day. Again, Twilight spent the day studying and eating, with next to nothing in between. She considered visiting Shining or Sunset, but she figured that both of them would be busy. The two of them had their own lives to attend too, and probably need a bit of time to get settled in.

But with nothing else to do, and a guarantee from her guards that Luna wouldn’t return until the next morning, Twilight started to devise a plan. Apparently, Trottingham needed direct intervention from the Goddess of the Night, which left Twilight with a considerable amount of time of her own. Sunny had categorically denied her request to visit the lower cities, but that wouldn’t stop Twilight.

Since when had the rules stopped Twilight from leaving at night?

Twilight would seek guidance from the place that had always treated her right. She would return to her library, return to the place that started it all. Her mentor must be dying to speak to her by now. Twilight had to believe they would finally meet now that she was the Student of the Night, but her mentor hadn’t come forward. Perhaps, Twilight needed to go to her instead. She probably needed to go and collect her reward after all these years.

Twilight did need to prepare before hand. She excused Sunny with a few words and an explanation that she wished to retire early that night. Recently, she’d been up well past midnight, but now she sent Sunny away at barely nine. The orange mare acted perfectly understanding and left her alone with a parting smile. How couldn’t she be tired after the busy days, after all?

What a nice mare.

But rather gullible. Twilight readied herself for her trip, regretting she had yet to go out and buy new clothes. Luna provided her a stipend as Student, and one quite generous at that. She wouldn’t go hungry, and likely would never want for her own objects and playthings. The Queen left her with a seal to carry around, but Twilight hadn’t taken the break yet. Nor had she added the seal to her mother’s chain - it almost felt like sacrilege in some way. She’d need to get another for it.

To actually use her stipend, Twilight only needed to show the seal to a craftsman in the castle or upper districts. Each and every one of them knew the deal and who to charge for it. The lower city held no such guarantee, and Luna discouraged Twilight extensively from doing her business there. She could still go and spend her own bits, but the stipend wouldn’t cover that. Fortunately, the state also gave her a few physical bits, but she’d rather keep those for emergencies.

All of that was rather irrelevant considering she hadn’t yet used it. Instead, Twilight donned her old outfit, the breeches and cloak good enough for now. While they did smell absolutely atrocious, Twilight could bear it for the scant few hours she’d be out. She fastened the necklace from her mother around her throat as well, not daring to leave it behind unguarded. On came her two saddlebags, a flask of water and bread in one, and a few reference guides in the other, books that she could never go to the lower city library without.

In just a few minutes, Twilight readied and equipped herself to go. As an afterthought, she tied one of her clean handkerchiefs around her muzzle, both disguising herself and keeping the night’s miasma from her lungs. She’d never worried about that before, but why not start now?

With a deep breath, she pushed open the doors towards the balcony, letting herself watch over the city. Spotting the library was easy enough, but she would never be able to teleport that far. Teleportation was her only option for escaping, as no guard would let her pass into the lower districts at this time of night.

But what she could do was teleport to the edge of the district. From there, only a mile or so would separate herself from the library itself. She could handle that sort of walk, even if her normal commute to the library was half that size. She could handle it, after all, she had the experience.

First things first, however. Twilight took another deep breath, beginning to push the magic into her horn. Over the last couple of days, she’d practiced her teleportation spell a few times. Each attempt made things progressively easier, to the point where she only needed a minute or so to prepare it rather than nearly ten. Then again, she’d also never tried something this far away, her longest teleport only stretching from the bottom to the top of the tower so far. This one would be orders of magnitude larger, but she could adjust.

Twilight’s mouth set in a grim line. She needed to trust herself now. Any self doubt would simply lessen her chances of success, and Twilight couldn’t have that. She’d just achieved her dream, to throw her life away would be pure madness. She didn’t just think she would succeed, she knew she would with utmost certainty.

More magic forced its way into her horn, the glowing brightening all the while. Her first teleport had contained too much magic, but that much might actually be needed for a distance this long. She worked at thousands of yards away, not a dozen or so feet like before. Power would actually be needed to sustain the rift - sure, she would only be in it for a moment at the most, but fractions of a millisecond vastly changed the power requirements to keep it open. Every tenth of a millisecond longer doubled the power needed to keep the portal propped open.

Her first port had taken one tenth of a millisecond. This one would take five tenths of one, the power needed nearly thirty two times the original. The trip back would be tartarus on her horn, but she could certainly do it. That, or she could just get caught by one of the guards. They’d tell Luna, but she could lie and say she was simply wandering the grounds. Perhaps lying to the Queen would come back to haunt her, but truly this was nothing but a little white lie.

With another breath, her output leveled off, her magic starting to affix the runes in the air. Enough thinking of other things, she needed the concentration. Close, ever so close and.. There! The runes were done, perfectly written as best she could tell. With a great strain, she let her magic loose, the spell firing with a sharp pop.

One..

Two..

No visions this time. Good.

Three…

Four….

And five!

Twilight re-appeared in an alleyway between two hovels with a near silent crack. Stars spun in her eyes and her hooves clearly didn’t want to be underneath her own body anymore, but beyond that she made the journey intact. She let go of the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, relief flooding through her at the teleportation’s success. Step one, done.

Step two might be more dangerous still, she considered. The streets were always dangerous this time of the night between the plague, the plague doctors, and petty criminals. But she experienced this before. Some things, Twilight had to rely on her instincts for. She would not be deterred by a few issues such as ‘darkness’ or ‘danger’!

Twilight took the first few hesitant steps out from the alleyway. She peeked left, peeked right, spotting no pony, and not even the hint of movement. She didn’t expect many if any at all to be out this late. Precious few chose to brave the streets during this time, though those that did were often up to nefarious deeds.

The mare crept down the cobblestone streets, the sewers oddly quiet in this part of town. Yes, even now she could hear the dull roar emanating from beneath the streets, but it remained a dull roar rather than exploding out like it had near her home. Then again, this close to the walls of the upper districts, the sewers were probably better maintained. No nobles or rich merchants would want the acidic miasma spewing out near their house.

And her hypothesis was only confirmed as she walked on. The roar became louder the further she moved from the wall itself. Mentally, she began to count in her head, like she had so many nights before.

The first jolt. The stones shook beneath her, a tremor running through the ground hard enough to throw her against the empty storefront she walked beside. The first. Now she knew the timing again. Seventy three seconds to the next, like clockwork each and every time.

Time, time, time.

Thank the goddesses that her sense of time hadn’t deteriorated over the last few days. Her steps remained confident as always, despite the new path. As long as she could see the library in front of her, she didn’t need a map. Fortunately for her, somepony had designed these streets in a straightforward manner, a simple grid layout.

Seventy three seconds passed and she braced herself against the wall. The streets rumbled, the stones rupturing and letting the miasma flow into the air. Her eyes watered as the green gloom settled out, drifting back lower. She rarely ventured out this early - most of the time, the smog settled into the air itself by the time she left.

Yet now, it almost seemed more pungent, more vicious than before. The scent lingered in her nose, making her sneeze through her mask, globbing up disgusting fluids against her fur. She wrinkled her muzzle; perhaps the mask should have been left behind. But she didn’t have time for it now, she had sixty seconds to move before the next tremor would come. She didn’t want to remain out for long during this phase of the darkness. Twilight took her chance, surging forward, the mare’s quick pace making it several blocks before her time ran out.

Once again, she braced herself against a building edge as the rumbling began. Plumes of smoke erupted from the cobblestones, the foul-scented smog causing her to cough and sputter. She hadn’t remembered it being this bad; she hadn’t travelled this early for a reason. Later in the night, while still bad, the sewers settled out and became more tame, but tonight that wasn’t meant to be.

Water erupted next to her, tainted filth spewing out, splattering her with all kinds of viscera and filth. Her cloak took the brunt of it, keeping the disgusting mess from her tail and mane, though some did manage to filter onto her handkerchief. Thank the goddesses she had actually chosen to wear that tonight.

Yet, oddly, her mind ran faster than ever, magic flowing despite the long range teleport. She felt good. Perhaps she missed her nightly trips more than she realized.

Regardless, she had but fifty seconds this time, the geyser of water interrupting her progress. With a grunt, she sprinted forward, eyes roaming back and forth.

Ahead, a shadow lurked.

With widening eyes, Twilight dipped into the safety of an alleyway. Who could be out this time of the night? Surely no pony that would wish her well. Her eyes scanned the silhouette, searching for clues as to their intent. The curved beak of a plague doctor did not appear, something that brought no small measure of relief to Twilight. Criminals, muggers, robbers, and the like were bad, but they couldn’t hope to hold a candle to the horror of a plague doctor. A plague doctor wouldn’t just take your bits, they would take your very freedom and sanity. At least, if the rumors were to be believed, that is.

Twilight didn’t really have time to lose her mind right about now. The figure lurched in the streets, leaning against a wall for support just as another gurgle came from the sewers. Luckily, this one didn’t hold nearly the same power as the last, and only a few wisps for the miasma trailed from under the ground. Much more manageable. How did the other pony know though? Did he, like her, prowl the nights? She couldn’t tell.

Twilight squinted her eyes, barely peeking around the corner and relying on dark colored clothing to keep herself hidden. The stallion - for she could recognize it as a male now - looked bulky, well built. He clearly worked physically, something like a dockhand, or a miner.

Her fur stood up end to end as the figure prowled closer, his head darting left to right. Now that he moved closer, Twilight could barely make out the words that he muttered under his breath.

“..gonna kill it. Gonna kill itttt. They hide during the day, oh yes they hide! But at night, oh at night they’re mine!” A deep laugh followed, the stallion trotting ever closer to Twilight’s hiding place.

She bit her lip, trying not to concentrate on his rantings. Slow as she could be, she melted back into the alleyway, keeping to the shadows. The stallion crept by the entrance with agonizing slowness, each sound of his hoof somehow seeming closer and closer.

At least, for a while. Mercifully, his hoofsteps started to get quieter. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief - alone once again.

“Found you!” The box she hid behind shattered against the wall as a powerful buck sent it flying. The stallion’s face moved within inches of hers before she could react, giving her a perfect view of the horror under his hood.

Something awful had befallen his face. His eyes were tinted green, the iris’s nearly devoid of their original color. His muzzle was pock marked with scars, some of the cuts still oozing blood and a disgusting, revolting smelling pus. His ears twitched nervously with each movement, the tips of each of them nearly completely cut off. His nose even dripped onto her, staining her cloak with his gunk.

With a shriek, Twilight jerked back, but he already had a hoof hold on her clothing, his strength somehow overpowering despite his decrepit appearance. “O-oh! We’re gonna have some fun!” The stallion hissed, eyes narrowing into slits. He jerked at her cloak, but Twilight held fast with all her might.

Her eyes darted around in terror, searching for anything she could use to get herself out of this. She could.. She could magic something? She knew spells, knew combat spells even but-

He growled and yanked roughly again, the fabric actually ripping and sending the two diving away from each other. The poor fabric from her cloak bought her precious few seconds, but the stallion already began to recover, drawing a dagger from within the folds of his rags.

Twilight realized with a fresh shock of terror the end of it was already stained red with blood.

She took a wobbling, hesitant step backwards, trying to draw herself precious time to think. Teleporting like this would clearly be impossible. She could try and fight, but she hadn’t never fought a real fight before. One mistake and that would be the end of the Student of the Night. She just needed to buy time…

A crate sparked violet as she surrounded it with her magic, forcing it sideways and slamming into the side of the stallion. The force of the two combined sent them hurtling towards the wall, the stallion landing against it with a sick crunch and a scream.

Twilight took the opportunity, seizing the moment and sprinting as fast as she could from the alleyway. Just as she broke back into the street, the ground rumbled again with the fierce energy of the sewers. A plume of smoke and acid erupted behind her, close enough for her to feel the acid bite into her skin, sending sharp tingles of pain up her side.

Behind her, she could hear the howl of the rabid stallion, but she didn’t dare stop for anything. She sprinted as fast as she could, heart beating as fast as she’d ever felt it before. She needed to get away from the stallion, needed to escape.

Yet somehow, Twilight felt alive for the first time.

Her magic brimmed over in her horn, ready to be cast at a moment’s time. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, her body ready and willing to fight or run at less than a moment’s notice. Her eyes stayed wide, and despite the smog in the air, could see clear as day. It was almost like she was meant to be out here, like she needed this feeling in her life.

Several blocks later, Twilight finally started to slow. Her breath came expectedly heavy, but no hoof steps sounded behind her. Somehow, she’d managed to escape. The stallion hadn’t followed her, whether from injury or fatigue she didn’t know. Nor did she particularly care at the moment. She’d gotten away, she’d done it all on her own! No Shining, no Luna, no Sunset to protect her, just her and her magic! And it had worked wondrously, yes, there was a few minutes of worry, but she’d escaped and that was all that mattered.

Oh goddesses, she could have killed him! Or worse, he could have killed her! She lowered her head, still panting hard as she thought back.The stallion wanted to kill her - or something much, much worse. A single slip, a single accident or moment of hesitation and he would have finished her. What had she been thinking with coming down here this time of night? How foolish could she be! She risked it all, and for what? A little extra time in an old library?

But she had survived. She couldn’t think of what could have happened now. It would simply be a waste of time to-

The next shock caught her off guard, sending her sprawling against the rough cobblestones. She grunted, a whiff of the miasma flaring into her nostrils. She shuddered at the scent, horn buzzing with overflowing energy, the taint almost feeling like magic itself. Twilight shivered, the feeling leaving her just as quickly as it started. Where had that come from?

Regardless, the library lay just a block away. It would be a trivial distance to cross it before the next flare, so Twilight took her sweet time about it. Her eyes roamed across its visage, taking in its worn down surface. Somehow, it still felt like home. She would miss it in her days at the castle.

Twilight pressed her way in through the great double doors. Now, to look for what she came for. She needed some indication from her mistress, some indication of what to do. Surely her teacher would know what to do in this mess of a court. She just needed the extra instruction. And Twilight had plenty of the night to look around. She may not find her clue by tonight, but she would have a good start at the very least.

Twilight started with what remained of the legal section. Often times before, her mentor had left her hints in the areas related to what Twilight needed to know. In this case, she needed to know how the laws and courts worked, so it only made sense that her mentor would leave information there.

She looked for an hour or two, exhausting most of the usual haunts. Unfortunately, she didn’t manage to find hide nor hair of any clue left behind. Strange; Twilight had become fairly good at finding those clues, to not see one after a full hour in a section usually meant they weren’t there. That would be her first guess down, but she had other hunches to work on.

If her mentor didn’t want her to deal with the nobles, then perhaps somepony further up the chain. Luna would clearly be the most important pony she dealt with, so it only made sense that part of her learning would be about Luna. So, Twilight ventured over to the section on their dear Queen and Princess, on the evolution on how they earned the title and became who they were today.

Twilight had always been fascinated by the mysteries of the alicorns. So many things remained unknown about them. No pony knew where they came from, no pony knew how they became so powerful, no pony knew why they lived so long or why they possessed so much magic. And most of all, no pony could tell you how they became the rulers of Equestria in the first place.

Twilight, among others, believed that they simply created Equestria. It made sense; they’d been around longer than any recorded history, and who better to rule than immortal goddesses? Throughout the ages, various beliefs and temples cropped up in dedicated of the two, though most of them had been stamped out in recent ages. Only the church of the sun and moon worshiped still. And really, it should be called the “Church of the Sun” now with how much they neglected Luna.

Twilight pushed the pitying thoughts for her mentor from her mind. She searched through the tomes, looking for anything that would give her an advantage in the days to come. A few of the books interested her enough to bring with her, but beyond that, she couldn’t find a single note or clue from her teacher.

Twilight started to feel a little frustrated. Mentally, she checked the time: twelve at night. Plenty of time left to visit and look around— Plenty of time to snoop. The night’s clock ticking along would calm the sewers, a sort of eye of the storm if you will. As long as she left before four in the morning, she would be okay. The sewers roared all the louder to cleanse away the night’s filth.

Once Twilight waited too long and the sewers caught her. Never again.

Twilight sighed. The section on the alicorns proved no more fruitful than the section on law. Guesses swam through her mind, but she didn’t expect a single one to pan out.

With gritted teeth, Twilight walked through the library, eyes glazing over as she scanned the shelves. Surely something would jump out to her, surely something would speak to her! She had to find something. After all her successes, her teacher wouldn’t abandon her now, right? She’d been the perfect student, always timely, always studious. No, that couldn’t be right. She couldn’t be perfect, not if her teacher abandoned her so-

No, stop. Bad Twilight. Don’t think that way. Her teacher went missing for several weeks and even a month before. She might simply be busy, or sick, or some other excuse like that. Besides, only a few days passed since the exam, her teacher may simply need more time.

Yet, as the night wore on, she started to realize more and more than this trip may have been a waste. She had nothing to show for sneaking out of the castle at night save for a ripped cloak and a near death experience. What a waste, she lamented. Somehow, that still didn’t deter her. Eventually, she would return here. She needed word from her mistress, needed direction. And besides, this, along with the orphanage, was her home.

On a whim, Twilight trotted up to her tower, the winding steps feeling smaller now. She hadn’t grown an inch, yet it almost felt as if they closed in on her as she walked. What an odd feeling.

Twilight made her way to the top quickly, taking the stairs two at a time. She squeezed through the last part, finally back in her domain. Twilight took a deep breath, the familiar scent of the room reminding her distinct of home. Carefully, she made her way to the telescope.

She guided the sights over towards the castle, fixing them onto her bedroom balcony. She could’ve never expected she would sleep in such opulent surroundings, so close to the Queen. If only she didn’t keep delaying, keep forcing their lessons farther and farther away!

Twilight bit her lip, casting her bitterness aside. Don’t be like that, she reminded herself. The Queen had to take care of the entire country, not just one unicorn mare who thought too much of herself. Besides, she still needed to pay attention to two different teachers, so perhaps Luna’s distance would help on occasion. Twilight could always return here when her Queen went on these sorts of trips. She could only assume they would happen fairly regularly --- according to the newspapers, Equestria always faced some crisis or another.

Slowly, Twilight rotated the telescope, angling it up towards the stars. Sometimes, she liked to just relax and take a good look up there. What could be waiting amongst the night’s sky? She may never be able to explore its mysteries, but she could at least appreciate its beauty… Luna had done a particularly amazing job with this one: the stars glimmered and shined amongst the dark backdrop.

If only I could stay here forever.

But she couldn’t. The night grew long and Twilight needed to return. After her scare earlier, she hardly wanted to traverse the city streets. Instead, she considered a more daring idea. What would stop her from simply trying to teleport all the way back? With her telescope, she could easily make out the balcony from here. As long as she could focus on it, there wasn’t any huge reason why she couldn’t teleport all the way. Her wellspring felt amazing, despite the earlier jump. She didn’t even know why either; perhaps the scare from earlier, or perhaps casting no spells over the last few days left her energized.

Either way, she believed in herself. She focused the telescope on the balcony once more and started to hone her magic in. Really, how much farther could it be? Half a mile? After a certain point, differences in distance really didn’t make much of a different anyways. Diminishing returns and all that. Or something .With a deep breath, Twilight fired the spell.

Twilight arrived on the balcony in a flash of light, elation flooding through her body. She smiled to herself; huge success! Her confidence grew with the completion of her teleport, the practice clearly making her better at it. Why, soon enough she would never have to walk anywhere, she could simp-

“Enjoying yourself?”

The iciness of the voice chilled Twilight to core. She recognized that voice…

Twilight’s head swiveled, eyes catching and locking on the figure on her bed. White coat, blue mane… Shining Armor waited, still clad in his guard’s armor. His eyes locked on Twilight, brow set and mouth contorted into a dangerous frown. Shining always overreacted when angry, and Twilight failed to see how this could be any better than the usual.

“S-shining? What are you doing here?” Twilight asked. She stook a hesitant step back, her rear bumping against the railing of the balcony. Twilight tucked her tail under herself, ears pinned tightly against her head.

“Well, I thought I would visit you tonight.” He stood as he spoke, stepping closer with a clearly angry gait. “But what did I see what I got here? Not you, and the whole place practically reeked from your magic. Twilight, we talked about this!”

Twilight bit her lip, looking anywhere but her brother. “Shiny... I needed to go,” she whispered, trying to end the discussion as quickly as possible.

“Go where!? Back into the lower city? We finally escaped it, why would you want to go back?” Shining gestured towards the slums, voice clearly exasperated. In a way, he was right.

“The library! You knew I went there! You knew where I went at night! I had to go back. Luna hasn’t been teaching me an—”

“Hold on. Luna? You mean the Queen?”

Twilight nodded.

“Twilight, what did you expect? Her to cater to your each and every whim?” Shining had started to build up steam, and nothing could properly stop him now. Once Shining Armor started a rant, he damn well finished it. “You can’t just run off to the library every time you feel a little neglected! Why not just come see Sunset or I? Why not just talk to the guards?” Each step brought him closer and closer, until their muzzles practically touched.

“Or why the Tartarus not try and make some friends? The lower city is dangerous, sis! I hated you doing this when we lived at the orphanage and Luna damn me if I let you do it now! And you teleported, didn’t you? Sis, you were probably half drained when you land-”

“I wasn’t,” Twilight tried to interrupt, voice slow. She raised her hoof, defiantly glaring back at him. She was her own mare, she could make her own decisions! Then again, the night itself supported her brother; that crazy stallion..

Twilight desperately held onto her convictions! Despite Shining’s doubting expression, she had a right to defend herself. “I wasn’t drained of my magic! I could totally teleport there and back right now if I wanted to!”

“Do you think that’s supposed to help? To know that you’re going to jump everywhere like that? It’s dangerous! You and I both know that! How do you think the Queen would react if she knew what was going on?” Shining snapped, foreleg gesturing wildly at the moon.

“And just what is going on here?” Both siblings froze, but only Twilight realized who the voice belonged to.

The two turned to the room, just in time to see the elevator click into place. Queen Luna waited, eyes glowing bright with cool anger.

Beginnings and Ends

Neither Shining nor Twilight moved for nearly a minute. The two were like deer caught in the headlights, frozen in the face of The Queen’s glare. Luna glanced between the two, a frown starting to overtake her usual serene expression. Clad mainly in travelling clothes made from thick, bulky cloth, she almost looked like she stood in armor, cutting an even more intimidating visage.

“Well? I didn’t fly three hundred miles just to be ignored by my own apprentice. Speak,” Luna demanded. She stepped closer, her mane flaring out as if the invisible winds themselves were angry.

The two siblings shared a look, Shining wordlessly taking a step in front of his sister and bowing his head. “Your Majesty, please forg-”

Luna held a hoof up, cutting Shining’s words short. “We do not care to hear you speak, trainee. We were asking our Student, and we believe that she can answer for herself.” Luna’s words were clipped, curt.

Twilight winced at the harsh tone and stepped forward with trembling legs. Without cueing her magic, she could feel the oppressive aura of Luna’s magic. Even after her adrenaline filled night, even after feeling refreshed, she was but an ant. “Your Highness,” she mumbled, dipping low in a bow. She glanced back towards Shining, seeking strength and finding none. “It’s… it’s nothing. My brother is worried about me that’s all. He thinks I should already be in bed and worries that I’m studying too much.”

Twilight, ashamedly, was quite good at lying. Undoubtedly, she told the lie to perfection, yet… “You lie,” Luna proclaimed. “Do you truly think we did not hear most of your and your kin’s argument?” she asked, voice pointed.

Twilight winced, instinctively taking a step back in the face of the angry goddess. Shining surged again, taking her place. “Your Majesty, please, allow me to explain,” he started, desperately.

Twilight’s eyes darted up enough to catch sight on Luna’s cold, angry expression. “We already told you, recruit. We do not care for your words. Begone.”

As soon as Luna’s words finished, the room flashed a deep azure. Twilight gritted her teeth, blinded for a second, forcing her to cover her eyes with a hoof. By the time she could see again, Shining Armor was nowhere to be seen. Luna had simply poofed him away.

Twilight whimpered and took another step back, her rear pressing against the railing of the balcony. “Your Highness... What did you do?” She asked. Surely Luna wouldn’t banish her brother for that? Surely it was just… She just didn’t know!

“Fear not, child. Your brother is safe back in his room, we merely removed him from our presence. Now tell us, what is this about the library?” Luna pressed on.

Twilight regarded the mare cautiously, though some measure of relief flowed through her knowing her brother was safe. The worry about her brother disappeared and refocused on herself. Luna was still angry, and she needed to find some way to appease her. A crazy idea popped into her head: why not just tell the truth?

Twilight pawed at the ground with a forehoof, slowly coming to terms with her words. “I snuck out, Your Highness. Well, it wasn’t really sneaking I guess? I teleported into the lower city, to go back and visit the library that we talked about a few days ago.” Simple explanation. No point in overcomplicating it.

“And why in Equestria would you want to go there?” Luna asked, exasperation clear in her voice. Really, from the outside, Twilight could see the irritation. With how much she had here, why would she ever want to return there?

Twilight sighed, finally looking up fully at Luna. “Well, that’s a little complicated.” She admitted, a faint blush turning her cheeks pink. She truly had no clue how to explain her mentor over the years, nor why she would go back to see her.

“For um, a couple of years now, I’ve been going to that library.” She took a deep breath before going on. “Every time I’ve gone, there’s been um, hints of different things.” Okay, she could very easily be phrasing this better. “Can I start over?”

Luna responded only with a nod, her anger seemingly cooling. Oddly, her mane seemed to calm down as well, returning to its normal, graceful waving.

“I’ve had a teacher before, though never one I’ve met in person.” Twilight started to explain, though she didn’t think that sounded any better than her initial rambling. “She’s always left me notes in the library, or marked pages and books to read. It’s always been consistent, always been at least once a week, and always led me along the path that makes sense.”

That last one may have been a bit of a fib. Twilight didn’t understand a lot of her teacher’s leadings, but that was likely just because she didn’t comprehend it yet. “Go on,” Luna urged.

“She always marked the books with the symbol of the plague. That’s how I knew which ones to read. Her last markings were on books about teleportation, so um, I kinda figured she tried to tell me to use that to impress you, and um, it clearly worked.” Twilight felt her anxiety grow with each word. Just listening to herself, this sounded almost like the rantings of a madmare. “Until this week. I didn’t find anything this week. I was hoping that she would leave something on how to deal with the nobility.”

Twilight, naturally, left out the part about worrying about Luna as well. Probably not the best time to bring that up.

“So, help us to understand this. For a few years, you’ve been simply following along with whatever a pony never met told you to read?” Luna asked, arching an eyebrow.

Twilight nodded, her blush deepening. Put that way, it did seem kind of foolish. But... But nothing really, she had no way to explain this. “Well, yes, in a way. But they never led me astray or anything!” Twilight tried to defend herself at least a little. This was not a good look for her in the eyes of her Goddess.

“Yet, she led you towards teleportation. We do not think you are a foolish pony, so you must realize how deadly teleportation can be when untrained, yes?” Luna asked.

Of course, Twilight had to nod. Her first attempt alone evidenced how dangerous teleportation could be, and she did way too much prep beforehand.

“Then you cannot truly say she didn’t put you in danger. Whoever this mysterious mentor of yours is, they took a gamble at best and tried to kill you at worst. Fortunately for you, it paid off, or else I would search for them myself and grind their bones to dust.” Luna went on.

For once, Twilight did not miss the subtle shift in Luna’s speech, shifting from the royal plural to a much more personal singular. “Well... she didn’t leave me anything tonight, if it helps, Luna.” Twilight softened her voice, the tension starting to melt away. It felt good to come clean, even if the circumstances could have been better.

“It does not. What you’ve been doing is incredibly foolish, and I would expect more from a student of mine. From now on, any trips to the library of yours will be during the day, and you will be accompanied by guards. Do you understand?”

“Yes Luna.”

“Good. You’ve been attacked, have you not?” Luna asked.

Twilight looked up in shock, eyes widening. “How did you know?” She asked.

“A couple of different things. Your cloak is ragged and torn, and while walking through the streets at night is dangerous, nothing natural would do that. Also, I can practically smell the phlegm on your clothes, you have blood on your muzzle.”

Twilight's hoof absently moved up, brushing against her muzzle and feeling the dried blood against it. She hadn’t even noticed that, but Luna could see it in the darkness against her darker colored fur as well. It made her wonder once more how far ahead Luna truly was compared to mortals like herself.

“Yes Luna. A stallion cornered me in an alleyway. I got away fine though, it wasn’t a big deal.” Once again, Twilight had her own foolishness thrust back in her face. She could at least try and brush this one off; nothing really happened.

“‘Not a big deal’? You could’ve very easily died, magelet. I don’t think I need to tell you how foolish you’ve been tonight. If that stallion hadn’t killed you, perhaps something from the plague might have. I do not think you’re truly aware of how luck you’ve been over these few years. Well, luck or skill, I don’t know which. The important part is that you’ll never do this again, am I clear?” Luna asked.

Twilight shrunk in on herself, trying to find some words to defend herself with. None came to mind; nothing could excuse her actions. She’d felt so... so justified before! Felt like she was on the right path. She had needed to read her mentor’s next steps, needed to know what to do, and for what? It almost implied she didn’t believe in herself. It almost implied that she didn’t trust herself.

And such foolishness that was! She became the Student of the Night based on her own actions. She had gotten to where she was in life based on her own studies, on her own merits. She no longer needed to impress anypony save perhaps Luna. She didn’t need to follow her old teacher anymore, not when she had a new one.

Which wasn’t to say she didn’t long for another note from that mysterious mare. If given the chance, she would take it in an instant, but she must stop obsessing over every scrap of marked paper.

“I said, am I clear, magelet?” Luna butted into her thoughts, bringing her back to the present.

Twilight blinked, gathering her thoughts once more. She slowly nodded, keeping her head bowed low. “Yes Luna. I won’t go again at night.” She promised. If Luna offered an escort there, she may as well take it, especially with the crazy stallion.

“Good. That’s not all. I want you to start training for combat as well. I will not make you drill with the guard, or ready for war, or anything ridiculous like that, but I do expect you to be able to hold your own in a fight if need be. I refuse to let a situation like that happen again. Any guard of mine should be able to easily overpower a stallion hobbling his way through the streets in the middle of the night, and I hold my student to the same standard.

“Furthermore, I do expect you to be able to duel as well. It’s an art form as well as a method of preserving honor, and I have no doubt that several nobles and their sons will challenge you. I would be remiss if I let you walk into something like that unprepared. Indeed, with your magical potential, anything but a resounding victory would be humiliation for both of us. You, because you lost, and me because they’ll assume I didn’t teach you well.”

Duels. Duels were another thing Twilight read on, but not to the extent in which she would need it. Ponies died in duels, ponies were seriously injured in duels. She had always pegged herself as something as a pacifist. Clearly, she would fight if she had to, but she avoided confrontation whenever possible. She couldn’t do that forever, not with the snake’s nest she found herself in now. Learning to duel would surely be helpful.

Perhaps she could use it as a way to learn more practical applications of magic.

Dueling wouldn’t be that bad. She could learn combat magic as well, even if the thought of hurting another pony scared her. She would simply have to find a way to incapacitate rather than maim. Duels ended when a pony either couldn’t continue or they acquiesced. She could learn how to make the latter happen.

“Understand?” Luna prompted, once more breaking her from her musings. Perhaps it was her fatigue, but Twilight found herself getting increasingly lost in her own thoughts.

“Yes Luna,” Twilight repeated, thoroughly chastised. Her ears had not moved from against her head the entire conversation, embarrassment flooding through her. Somehow, she had felt invincible in the lower city. Somehow, she thought herself untouchable. Now that she had time to actually sit and think about what she did, she realized the true danger of it. That stallion could have killed her. Her teleport could have gone wrong, especially the last one. All for markings from a mare that may not exist.

“Furthermore.” Twilight whimpered, hooves shuffling underneath her. She didn’t expect Luna to keep going on! “No more teleporting, not until I am thoroughly ensured that you can do it safely. Any teleporting you do will be under my supervision, and I’ll have a master instruct you in the deeper arts of teleportation. Any attempt is also restricted to the practice fields for now, where my sister and myself have set up safeguards for it.”

“As far as your combat instruction goes, a stallion by the name of Roamane will be taking over your lessons. Roamane will go more in-depth with dueling and will show you basic combat spells. For the most part, anything will go in a duel, but there are many conventions and nuances that he will show you. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to teach you myself, as much as I would want to. In my stead, Roamane shall be a valuable teacher, and I expect you to listen to him as you would me.”

Twilight felt like melting into a puddle of shame…

“But, I think that’s quite enough tonight.” Luna finally finished. Her hoof moved forward, gently pressing Twilight’s muzzle up. As much as Twilight wanted to keep her vision from Luna’s, she wouldn’t resist the touch. “I cannot help but feel some responsibility for this. I believe I’ve neglected you these past few days. Can you forgive me?”

Luna let the question hang in the air. Twilight honestly couldn’t quite comprehend the question. Forgive Luna? In Twilight’s mind, she’d yet to do anything wrong. Admittedly, delaying their first lesson had irritated Twilight, yet Shining spoke the truth. Twilight couldn’t be the most important thing in Luna’s life, not when so much else went on, not when she had an entire country to run.

No, Luna had done nothing wrong. Only Twilight’s foolishness left her in such a horrible position. Ever so carefully, Twilight brushed Luna’s hoof to the side, keeping her own head up now. “No, Luna.” Luna’s hoof landed on the ground, concern etched across her muzzle. “But only because I have nothing to forgive you for. You are right; I was foolish tonight, and it won’t happen again, I promise.” Twilight finished. She met Luna’s gaze.

Slowly, Luna’s frown morphed, the corners of her mouth tilting up and the light coming back to her eyes. “Very well, magelet. I accept your apology, and the two of us should move on from this conversation, I believe.” Luna clapped her hooves together before sauntering her way over to the bed, motioning Twilight to follow her. “Let us talk in a more comfortable way, shall we? Perhaps you’d like to rid yourself of that disgusting outfit?” Luna asked.

Speaking of, Twilight very much would like to do that. The cloak, now that she had time to relax and wasn’t focusing hard on studying, could not be any filthier. Dirt, spit, and more awful fluids stained it all the way through. Honestly, Twilight could scarcely believe she didn’t notice it sooner; how could she stand having that on?

Twilight nodded, hooves and magic working at pulling her cloak over her head and off entirely. She let it fall to the floor, giving it a little kick to rest in the corner beside her wardrobe. Thankfully, the servants and maids took care of all her laundry as well as taking care of moving her clothes in the first day. Perks of being the Student.

However, Twilight didn’t dare to strip farther than that. Stripping to nude, or worse, her underclothes, in front of the Queen… that would easily be the pinnacle of humiliation. She would simply have to deal with being a little dirty for now; she was at least used to that.

“I can conjure a privacy screen for you, if you wish.” Luna spoke. Clearly, she must’ve noticed Twilight’s hesitance, and the purple mare couldn’t be more grateful. A simple night gown would make this conversation instantly easier.

Twilight nodded, and Luna’s horn flashed again, a bubble of darkness surrounding Twilight half of the room. Well.. not what Twilight expected, but it gave her privacy at the very least.

She hurried through the motions, shrugging her way out of the dirtied work clothes. Twilight briefly thought about getting a bath to work the plague’s fumes for her body, but she had no time. Instead, she ran a magic ‘comb’ across her body, scraping out the filth as best as she could. The spell could never come close to a real washing, but it would have to do for now. It rid the smell from her body at the least.

More carefully, Twilight donned one of her few nightgowns, this one a light purple garment, the fabric light and airy as well. Comfortable for the warmer covers of her nicer bed in the palace, instead of the threadbare orphanage.

Twilight also suspected the tower was heated somehow, but she hadn’t had the time to ask Luna about that yet.

Cautiously, Twilight magically knocked on the bubble, trying to let Luna know she finished. Instantly, the darkness disappeared around her, leaving her near muzzle to muzzle with a peering Luna.

The two stared at each other.

And stared.

And stared some more.

With a blush, Twilight broke first, eyes darting away from her mentor as quick as she could manage. Oh goddesses! What in Tartarus was that? W-what had she been thinking? So.. so close!

Luna laying down actually put them at nearly the same height, and to an outside it may have looked like they were going to kiss! Bleh! No way! Twilight did not want to start thinking about things like that yet! She was much, much too busy.

“Magelet.” Luna’s voice cut through her embarrassment, her tone clearly tinged with good humor. “Please come sit, there’s no reason to be embarrassed.” Her voice moved towards soft and comforting as she went on, trying to soothe Twilight into action.

But the last thing Twilight wanted to do was get on the same bed as that amazing, elegant, beautiful, perfec-

Huh.

Did she like mares?

Weird.

She never even considered it. “Magelet, please. I would like to talk about your studies tonight, while we have a few minutes together.”

Okay, that could entice her. Magic. Right. Yes.

Twilight climbed onto the bed, being careful to side as far away from Luna as she could manage. Unintentionally, she sighed in relief. The night took quite a toll on her legs, something else she’d failed to notice until now. After all of this, she would sleep like a foal.

“W-what’d you want to talk about?” Twilight asked, her voice cracking in the middle of her sentence.

Smooth.

“Your studies,” Luna gently reminded her. “More importantly, I’d like you to start thinking about what you’d like to focus on. All of my students have focused on one subject or another, ranging as wide as healing magic to necromancy, though... that last one turned out a bit sour, so I would be remiss to let you repeat that particular experiment. Regardless, you’ll certainly have a wide range of things to choose from, and as long as I can discern no true danger from them, you’re free to study what you wish,” Luna explained.

Luckily, necromancy would be the last thing she wanted to study. Then again, with so many options, narrowing down to just one would be difficult, if not impossible. Teleportation and aether manipulation always interested her, and with the advent of the plague, that weighed on her mind as well. Actually, the latter likely crested the ‘dangerous’ territory, but perhaps she could convince Luna into letting her do that.

Fire and the elements honestly were not her things. She also didn’t want to dive into the depths of divination. She’d seen that river and never wanted to experience it again. Once was plenty, thank you very much! Alchemy bored her and she would be remiss to take the arts of defense from her brother. Naturally, she dabbled in everything, but as a specialty? That would be harder.

The night sky always fascinated her, and as the student of the night, what could be better? But, that felt like a limited field. Perhaps something with gravity and the stars? That could be interesting. Or a lunar mage, drawing power from the moon’s light itself. Just so many options, and so little time to think of them!

Twilight scrunched up her muzzle, brain working into overtime. She looked up at the night mare, trying to think of anything to appease her. “Luna, could I perhaps choose multiple fields?” She asked, slowly. Would that be too much? Twilight had yet to get a real read on Luna, despite, or rather, because of their limited interaction.

Luna smiled down at her, the simple gesture alone enough to calm her rapidly beating heart. “Do not worry Twilight. There will be plenty of time for you to choose. I simply want you to start thinking about it as well, we can talk more about this tomorrow. I think you shall accompany through the castle again. We’ll wake at dawn to begin your first lesson for real this time, and then you may come with me through my day if you wish.”

As if Twilight could ever say no to that.

Twilight returned the smile, though hers wobbled. “I-I’d love to, Luna.” She bowed her head, a sudden fatigue rushing through her. She could certainly use the rest.

Twilight knew by the movement of the mattress that Luna stood again. “Until then, magelet. I bid you a wonderful night.”

“Always,” Twilight answered in return, eyes stealthily looking up to follow Luna’s departure.

With one last smile, the elevator stole Luna from her sight, leaving Twilight alone in her room with her thoughts. And many thoughts she had swimming around her skull. Whether it be the night’s events or thoughts on tomorrow’s plans, she couldn’t stop thinking.

Even as she tucked herself into bed, the thoughts jolted around her mind, simultaneously debating the merits of each research field as well as berating herself for being so foolish. But those thoughts would have to wait for tomorrow, as sleep claimed Twilight like an eager friend. It would be mere minutes before the mare fell asleep for the night, greedily taking the few hours given to her. Dawn would arrive in due time, but for now, Twilight rested.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Get up, magelet.”

The soft voice of her Queen woke Twilight up, her head pounding from a lack of sleep. She sniffed, cuddling the blankets around herself and mumbling something unintelligible. No… six A.M. Too early today, way too early. She needed at least two more hours of sleep, if not more. Carefully, Twilight huddled her head under her pillow, hiding herself away from the world as much as she could.

“Magelet. Up.” The voice came back, stronger this time. Yet, even the insistence in that voice didn’t make Twilight want to move anymore. Her mind remained muddled, sleepy. After her long night, she wanted rest more than anything in the entire world and by the goddesses she would get it.

“Last warning.” Pfft, warning. Whatever.

Twilight curled tighter, the coolness of the morning air a distance threat against her haven of blankets. No warnings, no waking up. Just sleep.

Speaking of no warnings… Twilight suddenly found herself suspended in the air by her cocoon of blankets, her eyes jolting open. With a yelp, her vision blinked away sleep, leaving her muzzle to muzzle with a very unhappy Luna. Her eyes burned with irritation, such close proximity letting Twilight feel the brunt of her frustration.

Oh. Maybe she should’ve gotten up.

“Are you awake now, magelet?”

Twilight timidly nodded.

“Good.”

Luna released the bundle of cloth, dropping Twilight roughly back to the bed. She landed with a groan, the blankets wrapping tight around her. They felt much more like a cage than a cocoon now, but Twilight slowly worked her way out of them. Stupid angry goddesses…

The younger mare smoothed over her nightgown, ensuring the skirts stayed down before crawling off of the bed. “I’m awake, I’m awake. S-sorry your highness.” Admittedly, Twilight still felt a bit miffed, but nothing woke you up quite like an angry goddess staring into your soul.

She might have exaggerated that a tiny bit.

Luna nodded her head in acknowledgement. “Very well. I trust you’ve given some thought on my question last night. Do you have an idea of what you’d wish to study yet? I’d like to know before we begin more seriously.” Luna explained.

Last night’s Twilight gave it though, and today’s Twilight thought she could remember most of it… She pursed her lips, struggling to remember everything. “Well, I did get to think about it a little. One of my ideas was to help research the plague and work with that. See how it got its’ magic element and all that.” Twilight explained, waving a hoof in the air as she spoke.

Luna frowned. Oof, now that was not a good sign… “I do not think that is a good idea, magelet. For a first study, the plague is incredibly dangerous. Obviously, we have ways of removing most of the contamination for study, but at the same time I would rather you not spend a moment around the stuff.” Luna explained. Her wings even fluttered, almost giving the impression she was uneasy.

The lunar goddess waited for a second, hoof tapping against her chin in thought. “Perhaps I can allow you to assist with some of Silverhorn’s studies. He has a group on the plague as well, but not as a main focus, understand?”

Twilight hadn’t expected anything at all, to even get a portion of what she wanted was a blessing indeed. She inclined her head in a small bow, smile gracing her lips. If she hadn’t been awake before, she certainly was now! “O-okay. For my main focus, what about teleporting? You talked about how it was dangerous and-”

“No!” Luna interrupted with nearly a shout. “No aether studies. Absolutely not. Don’t bring it up again.” Her eye twitched, her hoof stamping back on the ground hard.

O-oh. Twilight stepped back, ears pressing tight and tail tucking under her body. Out of all the possible reactions, she hadn’t expected that one. Luna’s horn even crackled with energy, bright sparks running across the surface without a pattern.

Luna cleared her throat, shaking her head and coming down from whatever went through her head. “Excuse me magelet. That is off limits, absolutely and totally. Please, choose another subject.”

Twilight would hardly try and disagree. She had a few more options, but after upsetting her Queen like that, Twilight would at least like to try and appease her. Besides, she liked her next suggestion. “Well, how about magic of the stars and gravity based?” Twilight proposed, offering a timid little smile.

Deep down inside, Twilight felt a little glimmer of... something. Something warm and calm.

At her words, Luna’s smile came back. “Well, now that sounds like a wonderful subject, my dear student.” Luna practically beamed now, her wings fluffing pleasantly. Or at least Twilight thought they moved in a pleased manner. She honestly had no idea how wings worked.

“T-then that sounds lovely!” Twilight smiled back, her confidence finally starting to recover from the veritable tongue lashing last night.

Of course, she just had to remember she only wore a nightgown…

“U-uh Luna? Could I have a few minutes to get changed?” she asked, blushing a light pink. Her tail, which had started to instinctively raised on its own at her happiness, quickly clamped down. Yes, she had only worn this last night too, but that was late and totally different! Totally, extremely different!

Her hoof pawed at the ground, looking up towards Luna as the Queen stared at her confused. It took a few seconds for her to realize what Twilight meant, but when she did, Luna burst out laughing. “Oh very well, magelet! Shall I meet you downstairs then? I believe we’ll begin our lessons out on the training field today.”

“O-oh, alright. See you in a few minutes.” Twilight couldn’t dare to look at her. She pointedly kept her tail pressed down very low, the light nightgown not feeling like it offered any protection at all. Goodness, at least she had been in the blankets when Luna lifted her up!

Luna chuckled again, but mercifully she disappeared with a flash. Oh, she got to teleport, but Twilight didn’t? So unfai-

Wait, Luna was a millennia old goddess. Of course she could teleport when the young Twilight could not. Don’t be silly, Twilight, she reminded herself.

Regardless, she needed to get dressed and prepare herself for the day. She hesitated for just a second, just a second to stare longingly over at her bathroom. What she wouldn’t give for the few extra minutes to take a shower, but no, she needed speed.

Twilight shrugged out of her nightgown but then struggled. What did one wear to their first training session with a goddess? She had gowns and dresses a plenty, but hardly any of them had the mobility she would need. Her one pair of pants were badly mangled from last night along with her shirt. She did have one or two dresses that were light and would give her a decent range of movement, but she couldn’t really stop them from blowing up and revealing herself.

Hm… Tough decisions. Finally, she decided on her plain brown dress again. She didn’t mind getting it messed up, and the thicker petticoats, while hot, would at least keep her modest. A little bit of levitation and some struggling later and Twilight finished donning her clothes, the warmth of the cloth already starting to get to her.

She could already tell it would be unseasonably warm today; she supposed she’d simply have to bear it.

Luckily for Twilight, the elevator remained on her level having been unused since her brother’s ascent. With only the lightest of magical touches, Twilight lowered the platform. Over the last few days, she actually grew to like these little trips. Something about them just felt sort of fun, though she truly had no idea what it was. Something about controlling her own speed, some indiscernible feeling she couldn’t quite hold onto. Admittedly, she’d probably taken it faster than she should’ve, but the guards didn’t mind and neither did she.

The simple joys of life, right?

As expected, Luna waited for her with two guards she didn’t recognize at the bottom of the elevator. Actually, where were Iridescence and Sunny? As much as she loathed to admit it, she liked the two, despite their constant teasing and joking. Though, the jokes about her brother’s ass admittedly got on her nerves, she was so damn tired of those by now.

Luna smiled and nodded once Twilight re-appeared, gesturing her two guards to step aside. “Guards, let my student through.” She commanded.

Naturally, the two obeyed, though not without minor suspicion. “We shan’t need you two today.” Luna went on.

The closest guard to Twilight shifted uncomfortably as Twilight passed. “Your Highness, with all due respect, we’re supposed to guard you.” He reminded her, head inclined downwards.

“We are aware, Lightning, just not for now. We shall come back past breakfast, we simply need alone time with our student, understand?” Luna asked. That seemed to placate Lightning. Just to know they wouldn’t be abandoned for the day had to be comforting, Twilight surmised.

Then again, what could a royal guard like that even do? If something could seriously challenge the Queen, the guards would simply be bowled over. Perhaps... Twilight actually couldn’t think of anything. Maybe they simply dealt with the annoyances. That made sense and would certainly help clear up Luna’s schedule. She’d never heard of assassination attempts on the Queen, but maybe that just meant the guard were good at their job. And after watching Sunny and Iridescence spar over several days now, Twilight was sure that the guards were competently trained.

A little thrill went through her as she realized she’d be going through similar training. Perhaps one day, she would be the one protecting the Queen rather than the other way around.

Nah.

Even in her daydreams Twilight couldn’t imagine herself as some protector of the realm. That would be her brother’s purview, not hers. Besides, she had her own training to do now. “Ready, Luna,” Twilight spoke, trying to keep the worries far from her mind and voice.

Luna nodded shortly, swiveling on her hoof to lead the way. Even today, after so little sleep, Luna looked immaculate, both in dress and countenance. She wore light blue breeches and a vest today, forgoing her regular dress in favor of lighter, more practical affair. Not only that, but the only bit of her regalia that remained on her was the crown.

She didn’t need any of it to look radiant.

“Then let us be off. The practice fields await us,” Luna proclaimed, leading the way with the same confident gait as always.

Twilight noticed, over time, Luna’s changing speech patterns. It struck her as odd, but Luna talked in plural when they were out, but singular when they were alone. Not only that, but her words were much more formal when outside, but she seemed almost like a friend rather than a Queen when alone. Twilight vastly preferred the indoors Luna, vastly preferred the Luna she had alone despite their limited time together.

She could only theorize why Luna did this, but Twilight was not a stupid mare. Quite the opposite in fact, and she firmly believed that Luna simply did not feel comfortable among the majority of ponies. Yet, Twilight couldn’t help but wonder what made her special. She couldn’t imagine why Luna would care more about her but not others, those some were of note. Sunny and Iridescence for example, or Cadance. Luna always seemed calm near them.

Twilight thought about it the entire way to the training field actually. With her mind sluggish from fatigue, she probably didn’t actually get much thinking done, but it at least kept her mind busy in the silence and helped to keep her alert and awake. More than anything, the walk woke her up, forcing her into wakefulness whether she wanted it or not.

At most, Twilight guessed that simply her position forced Luna into closeness. She was the only Student of the Night, after all. And while there would be a new one soon, Twilight held a monopoly over at least a portion of the Queen’s time. That would probably be the most regular interaction that Luna had with anypony save the ones she noted. There had been a history of Luna growing close with her students actually. Many were lifelong friends or protectors, something that Twilight could only hope for. The former, not the latter, of course.

In short order, the two stepped onto the cool dew stained grass of the practice field. At this Luna-forsaken hour, few practiced, one the bubbles notably blotted out entirely with a dark dome.

Luna led them towards a close by circle, stepping inside first with Twilight following close behind. “Careful, I’m going to raise the shield.” Luna warned. Apparently, being too close to the edge during the shield raising process could cause a fair bit of pain to a pony, an oversight during the whole process. Sunset had been the unfortunate recipient of that a couple of days prior, or else Twilight would have remained blissfully unaware. Mages worked on fixing that little defect, but it was a low priority at best.

In seconds, a glimmering blue dome surrounded the two, keeping their magics well contained within. “Very well, I have done a few first lessons before, but quite honestly I did not have time to read the report on you this year. Besides what you’ve shown me, I don’t exactly know what you can do.” Luna admitted with a small frown. “So, perhaps for the first lesson we should simply see what you can do.”

“I already know you can teleport.” Luna went on. “So that means you’re competent at the least in arcane magics, and your showing off at the school let me know about your mastery of thaumaturgy. What, if any field, would you consider your best?” Luna asked.

Oh, easy question.

“Arcane.” Twilight answered lightning fast. She always held the most interest in it no matter what she studied, and nearly everything came back to that in the end. The most elegant and refined, in her opinion. Arcane, by far, concentrated the most of runic spells as well. They could be inscribed in things or cast on the fly, either worked. It added a certain structure to the magic that Twilight enjoyed. Other spell schools were faster, but all of them lacked the raw power arcane could bring.

“Hm. Very well. Now I know why you wished to study the aether more at the least. I trust you can do all the basic things like minute levitation and simple daily tasks with your magic, no unicorn would make it here if they couldn’t. So. First test then.” Luna’s muzzle screwed up in concentration for a moment before a big ball of water appeared in the air beside her. “Make the light pass through the ball.”

Twilight looked over the ball, searching for some kind of trick. She knew invisibility spells were feasibly possible - indeed, she’d done one before based off a similar method. All she had to do was make the light connect to the other side, rather than going through it. But surely her Queen couldn’t give her a task like that! She knew the theory behind it, she could cast it, and it looked easy enough.

Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling there needed to be something more. With determination, Twilight stepped forward, horn starting to glow as she wove the spell together in her mind. Water acted differently from anything else. Or rather, more accurately, liquids acted different than anything else when it came to light. It bended and turned, refracted inside the surface. Twilight needed to account for that as well, which meant an extra layer of complexity.

Her spell started to come together slowly. A rune meant for light, modified in a way that meant ‘passing’. She would mentally encircle the ball with one on each side for starters, though that would only make the light from the top instantly appear at the bottom. And more importantly, changing the rune for light was not so simple as simply thinking of it in different form. She had to meticulously re-write it with certain symbolism built in. In magic, the rune for light looked similar to a cross with the edges ending in points. To open it, to pass through, meant opening the center of the rune. Twilight drew the rune with a hole slotted through the center, her magic drawing it in the air.

This was one of the more esoteric ways to cast magic, but one that Twilight experienced the most. Earth ponies, pegasi, and even unicorns without their magic sight on would not be able to see her work. It helped that she did everything in a matter of seconds - no pony would wait minutes for simple runes. From here, Twilight started to ‘wrap’ it around the ball instead of leaving it at the top and bottom. She needed it to pass all the way through on each side, not just vertically.

Despite setting things up rather well for it, expanding her runes took a great deal of her magic. Shrouding the water was taking more out of her than she expected, and she had a sneaking suspicion that Luna either resisted her on purpose, or the water had a different structure than normal. Water refracted and reflected, yes, but not to the extent where she needed to burn this much power. She believed casting this spell would be no more difficult than levitated a globe of it, slippery that it was.

And so, she looked carefully each step along the way. Each time she stretched the rune farther, she kept a close eye out for the tell-tale signs of other magic being used.

Her diligence paid off as she caught the briefest flicker of azure magic. So Luna did resist her. So this was a test worthy of a student. With a grunt, Twilight let her magic storm out. Luna couldn’t be using all her power or Twilight wouldn’t even make a dent. She simply needed to overwhelm the fraction inside and...

There it was. With a pop, her rune sealed around the globe, removing it from all but their magical sight. Twilight breathed heavy, sweat already starting to stain her dress. Her horn glowed more dimly now as her magic started to settle out. She completed the spell and looked towards Luna for approval.

Only to find a blade at her throat.

To be specific, azure magic held the blade tight against it, though not quite tight enough to cut. The blade was colored a cool blue, a wicked curve running up its body. A silver hilt rested at the base, with filigree running up the beginning of the blade, showing it off as not just an instrument of war, but a decoration piece as well. For some reason, Twilight’s brain decided to focus on that rather than why in the world there would be a sword at her neck.

Slowly, she managed to break her attention away from it, up towards Luna’s serious expression. “B-bwuh?” She sputtered out, thoroughly and utterly confused.

Luna’s facial expression remained blank for a second. The blade bit against her skin, just enough to draw the lightest amount of blood. Instantly, her bubble popped, the water falling to the ground and splashing across the grass.

In one swift motion, Luna withdrew the sword, submerging it in a holster that Twilight hadn’t even realized was there. Twilight’s hoof gently, gingerly came up to her throat, touching carefully at where the sword pressed. She felt it grow wet with blood, the wound still leaking still. Slowly, she drew her hoof in front of her, only a few specks of blood actually coating it. But still Twilight blanched, her world growing pale and her mind growing dizzy. Admittedly, she didn’t do very well at seeing her own blood.

Yet, Luna wouldn’t leave her in such a state. Cool magic surrounded her throat, the cut closing up all on its own. The nausea and dizziness passed just as quickly. Twilight blinked her eyes, her full consciousness returning as she stared up at the Queen. Somewhere along the way, Luna’s eyebrows had knitted together, a sharp frown taking her normal smile’s place.

“Magelet, are you well?” Luna asked. Luna’s hoof rested on her shoulder, shaking her slowly.

“I-I’m fine, Y-Your Highness.” Twilight stuttered out. She shook her head, clearing the daze away from her mind, trying to shake the cobwebs free. “B-but why?” She asked. Normally, that would be a horrible way to ask that question, but now Twilight could barely think.

Luna looked away, mane covering her face for a moment. “Well… It was a test.” She turned back to face Twilight, sighing. “A test I stupidly assumed you would be ready for. Most mages, especially those participating in duels like yourself, need to be able to cast under pressure. Or, at the very least, not have their casting take the entirety of their attention.”

Twilight could see what she meant. “So, basically, making it so that I can actually tell what is going on around me?” Twilight asked. She had never even thought about that before.

“Exactly.” Luna nodded. “As is, anypony could come up and harm you while you concentrate on a spell. I thought that... Well, I considered that a shock like that would wake you up to it. And I must apologize for that magelet. You are intelligent enough to simply listen when I tell you things. I need not resort to such tactics.” Luna hesitated for a second, face lost in thought. “Perhaps you would like to learn a weapon as well? It would never be something of a focus, just a side project for you, I believe. There are several forms of magic that work better through an armament after all,” Luna explained.

Twilight knew that, or she at least knew the theory behind it. Naturally, defense attributed quite heavily to the martial arts, though arcane magic could channel much of its spells through a staff or basic weapon as well. The offer tempted Twilight. She knew she’d never be amazing at it, not like her brother and his sword and shield, but just being competent alone would be enough to help her magic.

Really, she had no choice but to accept. For her studies. Maybe it was the delirious paranoia talking, but she would much rather have something of her own next time a sword was at her throat! “Y-yes Luna. That would, um, be great,” she answered, disappointed even at herself with how lame that sounded.

Twilight was still out of sorts, okay?

“Hmrph.” Luna sat on the ground in front of her, gesturing Twilight to do the same. Twilight barely even realized how much better she felt sitting until after the fact, but just to be off her hoofs did wonders for her mind. Just... it really shouldn’t affect her that much! It was just Luna, she trusted Luna, yet her face was still pale as a ghost. “Tell me what you know about weapons then, or rather, what sorts you know of.”

Okay. Vague question. Well, generally that meant she could give a pretty vague answer. She bit her lip, thinking back to what her brother preached for years. “Well, I know there’s different sorts of swords.” Good start. Good enough. “Um, long and two hoof swords. Katanas from Neighpon. Broadswords. Uh…” She thought, none of the other types really coming to her head. She mostly watched her brother practice with a wooden long sword, the rest weren’t readily available in her mind.

“Oh, bow and arrow too. Crossbows of course. I suppose catapults and stuff don’t count right now?” Luna nodded. Of course, wasn’t like Twilight could use any of them. “Spears, daggers… slings?” She started to reach for some, mind running dry. Truthfully, everything she knew about the subject came from her brother or strategy books. She didn’t know the ins and outs of weaponry.

“A good start,” Luna acknowledged. “There are many more types, and perhaps later we’ll go see and find something that ‘fits’ you. For now, however those thoughts can be free from your mind. Now that we’ve started with the unconventional, I believe we should finish with a more conventional lesson. In that regard, why not begin with your chosen specialty?

I do not expect you to master this spell today. Some mages go much of their life without mastering it fully, but what I do expect is a good attempt.” Twilight perked up, her head finally cleared of its dizziness. Now Luna spoke her language. “It is both the most basic and complex of all gravity spells. While it seems simple at first, its possibilities can be near endless and have uses far beyond what many can understand. Simply put, it creates a gravity field.”

Huh. That didn’t sound so bad.

“But, the field can both increase or decrease gravity. It can be stretched or shrunk. It can be thrown or fixed. It can be attached to items and travel with them or float freely. It can even combine with another to create interesting effects. First, however, should be the easiest application of it. First, I’ll simply show you how to decrease the gravity in an area. Please watch carefully - with your magic.”

Obediently, Twilight lit her horn, enabling her magic sight to kick in once again. As expected, Luna already started to inscribe runes in the ground. Yet, Twilight had never seen something like this one before. Similar, yes, but not exactly the same. In a world of magic where a single line on a rune wrong can kill you, Twilight paid sharp attention indeed.

“This is the symbol for gravity in general. There are many specialized forms of course.” Luna explained. Her silvery-blue magic inscribed the rune into the ground between them, Twilight already able to feel the power radiating out.

To the relatively untrained mage, it looked like a short, fat T.

Easy enough to replicate, Twilight decided. With her own magic, she started to draw in on the field to the left of her mentors, being extra careful to ensure that each curve, each line was exact. A single, slight mistake would be enough to turn the whole spell upside down, sometimes with disastrous results.

Yet, Twilight didn’t make such a basic mistake.

Twilight felt the magic pulse between their two runes. Gently, Luna lifted a few rocks from the circle they stood in. Her magic aura disappeared as they floated above Twilight’s rune, the gravity spell from the rune easily keeping it up.

“Very good.” Luna said, nodding approvingly. “Now, to the other side of the circle before we continue please.”

Twilight nodded her head, trotting over to the edge as her lesson began in earnest.

Author's Note

Not much to say: Two new editors Lancerot and Biker Dash helped me a great deal this chapter. Still talking with my other ones as well to see if they've got time. Wouldn't that be something? Like a full editing team ^^

Also, I've been very ill lately. I'm nearly all better, but unfortunately not too much writing happened then... It's coming though, promise on it!

Politics and Ponies

Twilight’s first session with the Queen lasted many hours into the morning. Luna made her repeat the rune hundreds, maybe even thousands of times before she was allowed to move on. At this rate, Twilight would likely dream about it that night, so ingrained in her thoughts that it was.

Then again, Twilight couldn’t argue with the results. By the time she finished, she could likely cast the spell in her sleep as well, and conjuring it took an instant. Just repeating the practice over and over made it simple to her, her mind easily grasping the delicate curves and contours of the rune.

Once Twilight demonstrated complete and total mastery of the simple form, Luna started to show her different variations. A missed stroke here, an added emphasis there and the entire structure changed. No more would it suck in, but push away instead. Or grow wider, or narrower but more powerful, or any number of a dozen other transformations. It may only be one rune, and one small facet of the larger whole, but Twilight couldn’t help but feel immense satisfaction at learning like this. It felt so... So right! How did she ever learn before practicing with the Queen?

Now it made sense how each Student succeeded so consistently; they had the best teacher possible, and as the morning went on Twilight’s admiration for the Queen grew. She always harbored a healthy respect for the Queen, but over the morning it grew and developed into something more. She looked at her not just as a teacher, but as a sage, an all-knowing oracle into her world of magic, reverent and perfect.

She couldn’t ask for more.

Finally, as the sun crested high in the sky and the clock struck eleven, Luna held a hoof up. “I think that’s enough for now.” She called.

Twilight dripped with sweat. Her dress, like her breeches from the night before, were thoroughly and utterly ruined. She could smell herself, something that didn’t happen, and she smelled absolutely atrocious. She needed more than just a bath, she needed a damn good scouring something fierce.

In sharp contrast, Luna stood without a drop of it on her. She was as immaculate as when she first showed up that morning, her mane still perfectly waving in the wind. Her vest and breeches didn’t even show a speck of dust, despite their toiling around in a sandy field for the entire morning. Twilight couldn’t figure out how she did it, but that would have to be a question for another time.

She still needed to catch her breath! “Very well.” Luna said, starting to approach with graceful steps. “You need to get cleaned up. Then, we need to get you a weapon before lunch. Is that amenable to you?” She asked.

Twilight nodded her head, still panting and trying to catch her breath. She swallowed hard, trying to get some needed moisture down her throat. “Y-yes Luna.”

Luna smiled at her, hoof gently patting Twilight’s head. “You did well today magelet. If I teleport you to your room, will you meet me at the bottom of the tower in fifteen minutes?” She asked.

Twilight’s fuzzy mind quickly agreed. Walking all the way back did not entice her right now, she’d take absolutely any reduction in effort possible, even if that meant travelling through the aether again.

“See you in a bit.”

Twilight’s world disappeared in a bright blue flash. Near instantly, she landed hard, groaning loudly as her back pressed against rough stone. It seems her Queen had deigned it fitting to place her right in her bathtub. At least that would make things a little easier than walking. Every little bit helped, even if she didn’t particularly ask for this particular brand.

Twilight hurried through her morning routine, cleaning herself thoroughly and brushing her mane out. For a brief second, she even considered styling it. One day, she would need to know how to do it after all - she couldn’t just stay in the court without knowing how to present herself. There would be balls and functions, court events she must attend as part of her role. Luna once promised that she would outfit Twilight for those, but nothing had yet to come. Twilight wasn’t exactly upset about that; dressing up often felt like more trouble than it was worth. Then again, she did like to feel pretty sometimes…

Speaking of, Twilight dug through her drawers. With her magic, she re-tightened her mother’s pendant, siphoning off the smallest amount of energy to rejuvenate her tired bones. The magic surged through her, like the best shot of caffeine imaginable. Her fatigue melted away within seconds, her sores even starting to fade away. Magic directly to your wellspring was a powerful thing, capable of healing all woes related to fatigue, and her mother’s amulet held a treasure trove of it. Of course, she made sure to pay it back. Every night, she pushed what remained of her own energy into it. One day, she may need that much power. She hoped she wouldn’t but the best laid plans of mice and mares often went astray.

And Twilight loved to plan, like planning her outfits for example. Today, she chose a dark blue dress, with full, lighter sleeves and a flared out skirt. She didn’t intend to sweat much more today, so why not wear something a little nicer than usual? She knew they would never say anything, but she could see the nobles looked at her. They didn’t think she belonged here, but she would simply have to prove them wrong.

Twilight smoothed out her skirts and took one last look in a mirror. Her fifteen minutes neared their end and Luna would be downstairs. She would not keep her waiting.

Her own magic sparked and the elevator lifted up to her floor and then back down again. She took her time with it this time, letting herself collect her thoughts from the morning before seeing Luna again. She would need to sleep on everything she learned today. So much knowledge to organize mentally, she could hardly wait!

The lift clicked into place at the bottom, and Luna waited as expected. This time, Sunny accompanied her rather than the two dour guards from before, the two chatting amicably. Unfortunately, the two stopped before Twilight could really start to eavesdrop, but at least they turned to her with bright, happy smiles… at least in Sunny’s case.

“Good morning, Twilight!” Sunny chirped, bounding forward and wrapping her forehooves around her in a hug. She’d grown rather affectionate after the two spent a while together. It seemed to just be her personality type, and quite honestly Twilight didn’t mind if that much. It just felt different than when Sunset did it, especially since Sunny would stop whenever Twilight asked.

And she didn’t constantly hit on Shining. That helped too.

Ugh, the thought of that alone made Twilight grimace, though Sunny’s soft rubbing broke her out of the rut before she could even truly get into it. “Good morning to you too, Sunny.” Twilight answered with her own, much more bemused smile.

Sunny released her after a second or so, smile not wavering even a millimeter. “Oh, isn’t—”

Luna cleared her throat. Quite loudly, actually. That sort of sounded painful. “We are sure both Twilight and myself are quite hungry. Perhaps we could carry on this conversation while we walked?” Luna asked, pointedly.

Sunny stiffly nodded her assent, at least having the decency to blush scarlet as Luna took the lead. “So, as I was saying before Ms. Grumpy Pants interrupted, isn’t it a nice morning? Though, I heard your night wasn’t quite as nice.” Sunny added, bumping Twilight’s flank with her own.

Twilight looked over, startled. How could Sunny know that? How could Sunny know enough to have that teasing grin, that sparkle in her eyes? It had just been Luna, herself and—

Shining. Dammit.

Twilight cautiously sneaked a glance towards Luna, almost wishing she couldn’t hear them. Then again, Luna could likely hear them all the way down this hallway if she really put any effort into it. Alicorn senses were kind of bullshit in that regard.

“Well, it could have gone worse.” Twilight started, her steps growing a little uneasy. “How did you find out anything went on?” She demanded. If her brother spilled the beans consensually, Twilight would have to get a little bit of revenge on him. Her being yelled at by the goddess was not the sort of thing you just told ponies, especially if they were mischievous, pretty mares!

“His commanding officer and I are sort of friends.” Sunny started to explain. She giggled and shook her head before going on. “Apparently, Shining snuck out to visit you. And when he appeared back in his bed with a flash of magic, ponies naturally noticed. Oh, goddesses -sorry Luna- you should’ve heard how much his CO yelled!” She added, giggling like a madmare.

A spark of sympathy flared in Twilight. Okay, a fitting punishment. He probably didn’t have much of a choice, especially with how damn honest that stallion was. A vice, as Twilight considered it. A little lie or two would probably help him out on occasion. “Serves him right for yelling at me,” Twilight mumbled.

“And why, pray tell, would you say that Student? Did you not deserve the proverbial tongue-lashing?” Luna’s voice shattered her thoughts.

Twilight didn’t like that dangerous tone. It almost sounded conversational, but Twilight could feel the edge of steel underneath it, and apparently, Sunny could too with how wide her eyes had grown. Twilight winced, feeling like she’d said something very foolish indeed.

“N-no!” Twilight quickly amended. Her head shot up, biting her lip and looking at Luna with an apologetic look. “I-I didn’t mean that or anything!” She added, blushing deep. “Just that, um, I didn’t really want him to talk about it? It was embarrassing.”

Luna stopped, considering her words for a second. The air hung with tension as Luna thought, Twilight holding her breath the entire time. After what felt like eternity, Luna nodded. “Very well. Remember that we will not reprimand you unless you deserve it. Perhaps you could share where exactly you went with Miss Day here?” She added, a point to her punishment.

Twilight groaned, stamping a hoof quite forcefully. Simple instinct that she couldn’t quite shake yet, despite her best efforts. “Fine, fine. Can we start walking again at least? Please?” she added, wincing at her own disrespect.

Luna nodded shortly. “Of course, we do have a schedule to keep.” She said, matter-of-factly. The three did need to reach the mess hall before they stopped serving.

With no real way to avoid it any longer, Twilight started talking. “Well, I snuck out. I, um, sent you away first, I wasn’t just going to study.” Twilight kept her head down, unable to look at Sunny. She didn’t want to see the betrayed look she was sure Sunny had. She had literally tricked her after all, lied and all, made her disobey her duty.

“S-sorry.” Twilight quickly added.

“It’s... fine. Really,” Sunny answered. Her voice sounded sincere enough for Twilight to at least peek. She couldn’t lie; Sunny didn’t smile quite like she had earlier, but she did her best. Ugh, that only made her feel worse about it, despite her practical side yelling at her to toughen up!

Hurting Sunny was like… like hurting a puppy or something. She just smiled and helped others too much to deserve it. “Though, how did you get out?” Sunny asked. “There were still two guards at the bottom of the elevator, right?”

“Oh, wait until you hear her foolishness!” Luna cut in. Did she… did she enjoy hearing Twilight suffer? That absolute bitch!

Did she just call Luna a bitch?

Twilight fought the need to grovel and apologize for a thought, instead swallowing hard and trying to form her next few sentences. “Well, I um, may have teleported. From the tower all the way to the lower city,” she finally answered. Every time she had to say it, it sounded worse and worse. That far for what, her second teleport? What insanity had taken over her that night? Goddesses, she could’ve easily died!

“You didn’t!” Sunny answered, actually gasping. “But isn’t that dangerous? And how did you get back? Same way?”

Twilight nodded, blushing beet red. “It wasn’t my first time doing it!” She mumbled, feeling a little under attack. Both Luna and Sunny were ganging up on her, forcing her into a corner mentally. “A— and clearly I made it all right, and I won’t do it again or anything like that!

“Besides, that wasn’t even the worst part about it. My stupid brother was in my bed when I got back!” Sunny barked out a laugh, actually covering her muzzle with a hoof as she walked. “Not like that! Dammit, Sunny!” Twilight snapped, crossly. She froze; she’d never cursed in front of Luna before. She rarely cursed at all!

But if Luna noticed, she didn’t comment on it.

Sunny, on the other hoof did. And she thought it was hilarious, at least if her barking laugh gave any indication of it. Twilight turned her snout up with a little ‘hmph’. If she couldn’t be serious, then Twilight wouldn’t tell her the rest of the story, she’d show her!

“Keep going, magelet.”

Or maybe she would finish the story! “To make a long story short,” Twilight continued, “he yelled at me for a while before we realized the big issue.” She took a deep breath, the next part easily the worst. “Luna kinda… walked in on us fighting, and heard most of our argument.” She explained, stealing a quick glance to the goddess in question.

“So then I had to explain myself to Luna and all that. Not fun,” Twilight finished, cheeks burning hot. She’d never live this one down…

“She left out the best parts, I think.” Luna cut in. Of course, of course she needed to add more to the story. “Some foolish stallion also attacked our magelet while she exposed herself to plague waste by walking through the lower districts at night. She could’ve been killed then and there. I can only assume that stallion was insane, especially considering blood dotted her cloak when she returned.

“She also teleported all the way from the Eclipse Library to my balcony. She shouldn’t have done that at the peak of her strength and after a night of walking through the plague in gaseous form? A foalish move at best.” Luna condemned, shaking her head lightly. “I felt it best to teach her of her wrongs, and now Twilight and I understand each other better, am I right, magelet?”

Twilight, cheeks burning, nodded. She bit her lip and pressed her ears back but managed to keep her head up.

Well, sort of up.

“Yes Luna,” She groaned. “I won’t do it again, promise.” Honestly, at this point, Luna’s constant reminding of her failure started to ride on her nerves. But Twilight couldn’t protest that to the goddess, especially since she knew she’d chosen poorly the night before. She should have simply stayed in bed, she got that now, it didn’t need to be repeated over and over!

Sunny bumped her rump again, bright smile returning in full force. “Well, I’m sure she’s learned her lesson, no need to go so hard on her!” the mare protested happily.

At least somepony was on her side!

Luna tutted and shook her head again. “Well, perhaps the one who shirked her duty should not give the Queen lessons?” She asked, voice gaining a sharp, dangerous edge.

Sunny winced as if Luna had slapped her, her steps even faltering. Her mouth hung open weakly, eyes going wide. “Please keep up.” Luna went on, voice cold as ice.

Rage, unfamiliar and ugly, boiled inside of Twilight. Sunny only tried to help. Sunny only ever tried to be a sweet, compassionate mare. And what did Luna do? Blow her off and snap at her, like a… like an idiot!

Twilight stamped a hoof, causing the goddess to stop and turn to face her. Luna raised an eyebrow, looking at her display with an impassive look.

Maybe Luna wasn’t the perfection Twilight thought…

She swallowed, her angry gaze not wavering. “You need to apologize,” Twilight demanded. Her heart beat fast, so fast that Twilight could feel it in her throat. Luna froze at the words and turned around, looking at Twilight as if not believing her eyes.

The two stared at each other.

Twilight’s tail flicked back and forth, agitation clear from that alone.

Finally, Luna leaned in close, eyes narrowing into near slits. “Excuse me?” She asked, almost in a hiss.

Luna’s aura practically surrounded her, suffocating her, smothering her. Twilight’s heart pounded faster and faster, and every logical synapse in her brain screamed for her to run away or beg for forgiveness. Luna was the predator, and right now, Twilight was the prey.

But she couldn’t… Twilight grit her teeth and kept her head up. “I said, you need to apologize,” she repeated, albeit in a small, terrified voice.

Luna huffed, teeth visibly showing in a sneer. Huh. Twilight never noticed she had fangs before. “And just why, would I do that?” she spat. Twilight belatedly realized that her mentor’s eyes were glowing with an almost ethereal fire. She didn’t mean that metaphorically either - they were literally glowing.

Twilight took a small step back, her legs quivering and shaking. She tried to deny it, but for the first time, she wasn’t just respectful of her mentor she was scared. No, not scared. Terrified. Scared didn’t do it justice. Her legs shook fiercely, ears pressed back, and she struggled to resist the urge to flee. Some primal instinct deep inside of her yelled to run, screamed at her to get away from the angry alicorn.

Somehow, Twilight forced it all down as she swallowed hard.

“Twilight, just apologize.” Twilight could barely make out Sunny’s kind voice, the tremor in it apparent even now. Twilight tried to look over but failed as Luna’s hoof forced her head up again, keeping her entire vision full of the enraged alicorn.

“Answer my question.” She demanded. At least some of the first had died away, making her knees only quiver instead of quake. Baby steps.

“Y-you were, um, r-rude to Sunny.” Twilight answered, voice stuttering and unsure of itself. “She was just trying to stick up for me, you didn’t need to um, jump down her throat or anything…” Twilight felt her cheeks burn as she spoke, her eyes looking anywhere but Luna. Surely Luna would smite her, surely she’d be thrown into the dungeons or… or something!

Yet, nothing came for the longest time, the silence hanging in the air like a guillotine. Luna’s hoof left her head, letting her contemplate her punishment in silence and alone. Definitely the dungeons, she thought. Nothing worth killing her over, but why not a little time in solitary? Would fix that attitude right up, Twilight could hear her mentally.

Finally, mercifully the lunar goddess started to speak. “I will think about it.” She finally answered. Her voice sounded measured, taut, but no longer furious. Where had all of it gone to? Her anger couldn’t just melt away like that!

Twilight raised her head just in time to see Luna turn with a swish of her tail. “Come along.” She ordered, leading the way once more.

The rest of the trip continued in absolute silence. Both Sunny and Twilight didn’t even dare to speak after the earlier experience, and Luna seemed content to let the silence rest in the air. Twilight had honestly expected some retribution for speaking that way. She’d never seen Luna that mad. Granted, she’d only known her for a small time, but anypony would probably expect punishment after talking back to a goddess. And asking her to apologize? What had she been thinking!?

As they walked, Twilight examined Luna. Her eyes roamed across her body, watching the way she walked. Twilight didn’t consider herself an expert in body language, but she had at least studied it. She could see the basic thing. Things like the short, quick gait from Luna. She could easily see the frown tugging at her lips, though Twilight wished she could see her eyes. Unfortunately, trailing behind didn’t afford her that opportunity. And Luna’s alicornhood worked against her here: Twilight could see the storm brewing in her tail and mane, the two definitely more vicious than usual. That sort of made things easier.

Twilight deduced in her absolute genius that Luna was still mad. It might have been obvious, both from her reaction and from Luna’s behavior, but Twilight couldn’t gauge exactly how upset Luna was. Certainly she’d cooled down from earlier, but did the thinking help or hurt? Did she smolder or simmer away? Twilight could only guess.

Luna didn’t speak until they stood outside metal double doors that Twilight could only surmise was the armory. Then again… they could actually be the dunge— no, foolish thought. Don’t even think about that sort of thing, Luna wouldn’t do that to her, no matter how mad she got.

Right?

“We’ll choose you a weapon now.” Luna said. Her voice still sounded curt, but the anger had bled away, giving Twilight some hope flickering in her chest. Speaking of flickering: Luna’s magic flicked on, opening the double doors and showing off the room ahead.

Inside, rack after rack decorated the floor, different types of weapons on each. Each rack held a certain type of weapon, with some types taking multiple racks. Swords seemed to dominate the space, hoofblades and unicorn blades of all types taking up the racks. She could see others, like bows and even maces as well, but swords definitely took the lion’s share.

Well that certainly limited her options a bit. She could probably find a decent other weapon, but with the sheer volume of bladed weapons, why not choose one of them?

“Take a look down the aisles. Look for feel first, see if there’s anything that stands out to you. Usability doesn’t matter for now, especially since you’ll mainly be using this as a focus weapon.” Luna explained. Talking about actual subjects seemed to keep Luna calm, something that Twilight could appreciate.

Twilight started to roam down the rows, moving carefully to avoid touching any of the edges. She could hardly consider herself an expert in weaponry, but even she could tell that these swords were still razor sharp. If not for her skin, she wanted to protect her clothes as well, so Twilight kept her distance.

She really didn’t know swords.

Twilight honestly didn’t know what to look for. She scanned each of the swords she saw, but none of them stood out to her. They all just seemed so ordinary, so plain. Just.. instruments of death and nothing more. She didn’t approve of killing, even when attacked. There could always be a non-lethal way, right?

What did Luna expected her to do? Just her eyes catch on one and go all starry-eyed? Like a blade of destiny or something ridiculous. That would never—

That sword. Wow. She’d never seen anything like it.

The sword’s blade was silver, Twilight noticed that first. Unlike the others, its length was long and thin, much thinner than nearly any of the others she saw. But, perhaps what drew her to it the most was the hilt. She would never need it, considering she could use magic, and it clearly looked decorative anyways. But whatever artist had crafted the hilt had spent the lion’s share of the work on the hilt.

The hilt started with a simple, blue-steel wrapped length, a guard flaring out around the edge of a similar material. From the left side of the guard, a crescent moon shape flared out, the shape connected at the pommel and the edge of the guard, surrounding the hilt. Silver filigree covered it, decorating and enhancing the look, little stems of silver splitting off and rejoining later in a spiral pattern.

The other half of the hilt had a different look. It also featured a crescent shaped sliver, but this one was a warm, light yellow and orange mixture, a solid length rather than splitting off like the moon. The hilt’s crossguard blurred the two colors together, the blade itself a brilliant, almost iridescent silver.

It was perfect.

Twilight’s magic finally reached out, her field carefully, almost gently surrounding the hilt. She lifted it before her, holding it blade up right in front of her muzzle. This close, it only looked more astounding. Her magic ghosted up the blade, surrounding its entirety, caressing it and getting intimately familiar with each bump, each ridge along it’s body. It felt… right. Almost as if some part of her had been missing for so long, and now filled her so perfectly.

Her magic clicked around the blade, a shiver of anticipation rushing through her. Right before her eyes, the blade’s color shifted rapidly, darkening from the beautiful silver into something somehow even more perfect. A light lilac colored the blade instead of the silver now, nearly matching Twilight’s coat but in an ethereal, ghostly way. Something inside of her stirred at the sight, a smile unintentionally crawling across her face. This was her blade. She had no idea how she knew. She had never believed in things like destiny or fate, but this… this felt fated. This felt right. Twilight needed to be here for something, that she knew more than anything in the world.

Or, she thought, she could just be being silly. A fated blade? Come on.

Yet, she couldn’t shake the truth of the matter. “Find something, magelet?” Luna asked, Twilight able to hear her hooves approaching from behind.

Twilight nodded her head, stupid grin still on her face. She couldn’t stop it if she wanted, not with her - she hesitated to call it such, but - discovery. Twilight carefully, she knew it was a sword and a deadly instrument of war after all, brought the sword up in front of Luna. She held it aloft, the blade still shimmering with the strange magic that had changed its color. Twilight made a mental note to find just why it shifted like it did.

“Yes I—“

Luna breathed in sharply. “Interesting choice, magelet,” she interrupted, eyes glinting with something Twilight couldn’t quite tell. “Do you know what that blade is called, Twilight?” She asked. The night mare leaned in close, keeping a close, sharp eye on the blade as if it would bite her at any moment.

Twilight shook her head, shrinking back. She couldn’t imagine what would cause such a reaction in the Queen, not when she had just followed orders! “No, Luna,” She stated, trying to keep the worry from her voice. Bitterly, she couldn’t help but feel as if all she’d done today was disappoint her mentor, over and over again.

“Eclipse,” Luna stated, absently running a guarded hoof over the edge of the blade. That certainly cleared some things up. “I think,” Luna started, setting her hoof back down, “that we shall have to change it’s name now.”

Twilight nodded again, looking at the blade in a new light. There had to be a story there, blades didn’t just get enshrined out of nowhere. “Luna… why exactly was Eclipse here?” she asked. It seemed strange to her, strange that such a valuable looking blade would simply be left to the wayside in a dark armory.

Luna didn’t answer for a second, even glancing back towards the entrance as if somepony would be looking, watching. “It shouldn’t be, magelet,” she finally answered, expression darkening fast. “And... we very much should change it’s name. Let me see it.” Luna ordered.

Before Twilight could respond, Luna’s magic already grasped at the blade, yanking and tearing at her own almost painfully. She quickly dropped it from her own, Luna taking it for herself instantly. That amazing, full feeling disappeared, leaving her with an almost emptiness. She almost felt like crying, though she could hold it back. Her eyes followed the blade as it left her side, a rare flash of irritation and anger erupting through her.

With a sharp hiss, Luna winced, a flicker of pain crossing against her muzzle. “Oh, what are you doing here, poison?” She whispered out, voice almost too quiet for Twilight to hear. Louder, she added, “Magelet, are you sure you want to choose this one? Rapiers like her are an uncommon sort. Teaching may be a touch more difficult, though you will mostly be using it for magic.”

Something in Twilight compelled her to nod, and she obeyed. She needed the blade, no other would do. “Yes Luna. It’s perfect, I’m sorry,” she apologized automatically. Some force just seemed intent on dragging her away from Luna.

Luna shook her head, roughly thrusting the blade back away from her and towards Twilight. “Take it, it’s yours. But, please do not call it Eclipse. I shall leave the naming to you, magelet, so long as I approve.” She stood tall again, wings stretching out before resting them back by her side.

Just as quickly, the emptiness disappeared, the anger going with it.

“And magelet,” Luna started, face contorting into something fierce, something terrifying. “Keep it away from me.”

Luna turned, gait clipped and terse as she retreated from the blade. “Sunny! Get her a scabbard!” she ordered, “And bring her to the dining room once done. I need to take care of a few things.”

Somehow, Twilight could feel that she lied.

Twilight stared at the blade in a new light; something that could make an alicorn behave so erratically had to be rare indeed. It would be cataloged. It would be written down somewhere. And Twilight would find out why.

“Twilight?” Sunny interrupted her ponderings, suddenly right in front of her. “There’s some scabbards over here. They won’t fit perfectly but… we should be able to get one that’s ‘good enough’.” Sunny still smiled, the bright mare seemingly unshakable in that regard. “Follow me?”

Twilight nodded, swallowing her nervousness and holding the rapier to her side for now. “Sunny?”

“Hm?”

“Have you ever seen this sword before?” Twilight asked, following the guard close. It seemed the armory had an array of discarded scabbards near the front. Most of them looked pretty rough, but the leather looked sturdy to Twilight’s untrained eye.

“Well, not really,” Sunny admitted, starting to dig through the piles. Carefully, she inspected a scabbard, tossing it aside before going to the next and repeating the process. “But, the Queen certainly has.” She stopped on one, rolling it over in her own orange tinted magic before throwing it to the side. “For what it’s worth-” She stopped, turning to Twilight for a second, “- I think you chose very well. It’s a beautiful blade.”

Twilight didn’t know whether to be encouraged by that or not, truth be told. She did respect Sunny, but after how Luna reacted, she couldn’t honestly care. “Thanks,” she answered, shifting from hoof to hoof. Honestly, she wanted to leave already, to follow after her mentor and try and make it up to her. This morning had simply been dreadful after their training session...

Sunny nodded and turned back to the scabbards, throwing yet another to the side. Twilight waited uneasily behind her, the process feeling like it took forever. Sunny must have gone through several hundred of the scabbards by now, and not a single one met her critique, whatever it was. Actually, why did they even have a pile of scabbards? That didn’t make any damn sense. Like just a pile of them. Not organized. Not stored. Literally just thrown to th-

“Ah! Here we go!” Sunny announced, holding one aloft. “Can I?” Twilight knew what she wanted and offered the sword out, Sunny taking it in her magic with a quick nod. She slotted the length down until the entirety of the blade rested inside. She gave the tip a little push with her hoof, finding it still empty. Sunny frowned for a split second before shaking it off and nodding her head.

That weird emptiness returned, the separation from her blade sending the strangest shiver through her.

“This will do for now. Mind if I put it on you? I’ll show you how to take it on and off, and how to draw it without hurting yourself,” Sunny explained.

Twilight nodded, figuring the mare would be a fine instructor for that. Sunny stepped close, holding a strap out and tightening it across her barrel, ensuring that it would hold tight against her side. She jostled the scabbard, ensuring its tightness. “Feel good?”

Twilight rubbed a probing hoof against the strap. It felt a bit odd against her dress, but not uncomfortable. Just a pressure that she couldn’t ignore. Clearly, the she wouldn’t be able to draw the sword with a hoof, but really it was never meant to be for her. Magic was too ingrained, really, that should be all she used for it. If Twilight got into a close range melee with it, she likely already lost.

“Fine,” Twilight finally answered. “Kinda weird having it on like this, but not bad or anything.”

“Good. So, when you draw it, really all you have to do is make sure you draw it straight out from yourself. Don’t pull at an angle or you’ll probably just cut into your shoulder. Give it a try?” Sunny instructed. “Slowly,” she warned.

Twilight nodded, flicking her magic and grasping at the hilt. That wonderful feeling coursed through her again, an almost innate sort of knowledge taking root in her mind. She knew how to draw a sword, she knew how to handle it. Did Sunny think she was stupid? She oughta teach h-

Twilight shook her head. Somehow, the blade already floated aloft in front of her. When had she drawn it out cleanly? She... couldn’t remember?

“Good job, perfect. Now just put it back in and we’ll go get some food.” Sunny encouraged, bumping Twilight’s rump with her own.

Twilight looked at the sword, the desire to keep it out overwhelming. But... It just wasn’t logical. With a sigh, she slid the sword back in, the link disappearing once again.

But not without a parting shot. A strong one, aren’t you? A very masculine voice whispered in her head. Twilight quickly whipped her head down, staring at the hilt, looking at it in an entirely new light. Did the sword just talk!? Or did she finally start to succumb to madness?! Swords didn’t talk! She reached a hoof towards it, only to be stopped by Sunny clearing her throat.

Twilight jerked her head back up, catching Sunny’s worried look with her own frantic one. “Are you okay?” Sunny’s voice was worried, eyes filled with concern. A kind pony, always.

Twilight couldn’t let her know about the sword. Twilight couldn’t let her figure out what had bothered her so. No, she had to hide it, hide it from Luna too.This must have been what Luna expected. This must have been why Luna didn’t want her to choose it. But Twilight needed it, Twilight had to keep the sword for herself.

Wait.

Why?

It’s just a sword, Twilight considered. And a creepy one at that. She didn’t particularly need another complication like this in her life, not with everything else that burdened her. Perhaps she could just research it first. Yes, she could keep it until then, that would be reasonable. She was probably just imagining things anyways.

Fine. All fine.

Twilight put her hoof back down and did her best to fake a smile. “Of course, sorry about that. Just didn’t expect it to go in so easily,” she lied, smooth as butter. She brushed her mane out of her face, and nodded her head, trying to complete the illusion of just a flustered newbie.

“Alright. Well…” Sunny shrugged. “We should probably follow Her Royal Pain in the Flank,” Sunny groused, shaking her head. “Let’s go.”

Twilight fell into step behind her, her stomach finally starting to rumble as they walked. They’d skipped breakfast that morning, and Twilight yearned for lunch with a passion. After all the magic spent, she needed a hearty meal to replenish and re-fuel.

Speaking of Luna, however. “Does she get like that often, Sunny?” Twilight asked. “I mean, the whole moodiness thing. She teases a lot, but today she was kinda…” Twilight trailed off, not wanting to continue. Speaking more almost felt like sacrilege.

Fortunately, Sunny was more than willing to pick it back up. “Mean? Sometimes.” Sunny admitted. “She gets in a royal snit on occasion. It’s not you, don’t worry. She won’t really talk about it with the guards, but I think the stress gets to her.”

Sunny explained as they walked, keeping the pace slow to let the tired student keep up. “Really, she just gets moody. Think about how much stress she and Celestia are under though. Think about how much they have to deal with. Can you really blame her? The guards try to keep her sheltered as much as we can, but we struggle with it ourselves. It’s a constant battle to keep her happy and we do what we can for that. Often times, before you came, she would take all her meals in her office, just working away.

“The alicorns are just so incredibly busy. They bear the weight of the entire nation really. I’m really not sure how Celestia keeps it all together though…” Sunny slowed for a second, frowning, “Maybe she doesn’t. Maybe she just hides it, or I’m just not close enough to-”

Somewhere ahead of them, a loud cry and a scream echoed out through the halls. Sunny’s ears perked up, horn instantly glowing with energy.

“Stay here, Twilight,” Sunny instructed. With a deep breath, she galloped off towards the noise.

“Bu-”

“Stay there!”

Did Sunny really think Twilight would wait idly? No, she could help too! She had a sword and her magic! Twilight bunched up her legs, ready to leap after!

A white pony suddenly stood in front of her. Twilight stopped, falling back on her haunches with a wince at the suddenness of her movement. No hallways connected near this one, where had the mare come from?

Carefully, she studied the white mare. Truth be told, besides Luna, Twilight had never seen a more beautiful pony. Slim, alicorn physique, soft pink mane, coat the purest of whites. She exuded perfection in a way that Twilight had never seen before. While Luna had natural radiance, this pony had an almost artificial beauty, as if somepony had taken everypony’s ideas of the most beautiful pony and sculpted it into reality. A very good description, Twilight thought: a statue come to life.

The mare’s make-up, of course, was perfect. Purple eye shadow, a hint of blush, just enough to accentuate rather than mask. Her tail and mane curled into a light swirl at the ends, drawing the attention back to herself rather than diverting it away, and her smile hinted at much more to come. Her gaze held a sense of captivating mystique, a look that Twilight couldn’t look away from no matter how much she wished to wrench her attention away from the mare and towards Sunny’s predicament.

And then, she spoke. “You should listen to her, little one.”

Twilight’s heart chilled, the mare’s beauty melting away before her eyes. The illusion disappeared, and while physically the mare looked the same, Twilight felt as if she could see her for real for the first time. The malevolence, the cold, calculating intellect behind the voice pierced Twilight to the core, and now she wanted nothing more than to be as far away as possible from this mare.

Worse yet, Twilight knew her.

She knew her from recently, very recently in fact. A night in the library, before she’d finally realized her destiny. The mare from the library on that final night. The one she originally thought to be her teacher.

“And why’s that?” Twilight asked, mustering her courage as best she could. To her credit, she only heard her voice crack a little bit.

“Well, you never know what sort of ruffians lurk around the castle. Why, a cute little thing like you? Everypony would want a piece!” The mare giggled, but it did little to reassure Twilight of her intentions, for obvious reasons.

Slowly, Twilight got to her hooves, ensuring her scabbard still clung tight. She took a slow, deep breath, eyes narrowing at the mare. “I’m sure most ponies would do well enough to leave the Student of the Night alone.” She answered as evenly as she could.

“Oh, of course! And how rude of me! I know you, Miss Twilight Sparkle, but not you, me.” The mare offered a delicate hoof to shake, smiling a genial smile. “Fleur de Lis, if you will. Duchess Fleur de Lis.”

Gingerly, Twilight shook the hoof. Blowhard, she couldn’t help but think. “Pleased to meet you.” She answered, contradicting her internal thoughts.

“And a very big pleasure to meet you as well!” Fleur’s voice practically squeaked at the words, her smile broadening. Just as quickly, it disappeared. “Well, how are you enjoying yourself in the castle, little one?”

Twilight twitched. Little one. Stupid Fleur did not get to call her that. “Oh, it’s just wonderful, I’ve met so many amazing ponies!” She lied through her teeth.

This noble, Twilight knew how to deal with. This noble, Shining had warned her about. Fleur was no Silverhorn.

“And how about your time with Queen Luna?” Fleur inquired, leaning in close. Too close.

Twilight took a small step back. “Oh, she’s just so busy, I hardly ever get to see her!” Twilight lamented, putting on the show that she guessed the noble wanted to see. Twilight could guess that this sort of noble were the ones that Luna warned her about. The power hungry, the needy, the ones who wanted to worm their way close to the Queen through her. Feigning indifference, feigning distance would be the best course of action, Twilight was sure. Fleur only wanted her for her connection.

Except, Twilight was absolutely and incredibly wrong.

Fleur’s smile morphed into something much more… predatory, and she leaned into close, laying a gentle hoof on Twilight’s back to keep her from backing away. “Is that so, little one? Perhaps you’d like to talk about it then? Such a shame our glorious ruler can’t even take the time for her dear student, isn’t it?” Fleur asked, eyes glittering with excitement.

A wave of uneasiness rolled through Twilight’s stomach, suddenly feeling as if she’d fallen into a trap of some kind. “Well, she’s trying her best. She’s just busy because of the floods. It will pass,” Twilight tried to reason. “I understand how busy things can get for Luna.” Twilight smiled at the tail end of her words, trying to placate the mare with her gentle grin.

Fleur tossed her mane dramatically, even going as far to scoff at her words. “And why should Luna have to do that? Why should Luna be the one to travel hundreds of miles? And for what? Just to make sure things go well for a crumbling city?” She shook her head. “No, Luna could have simply sent an emissary for the task. Do you really think she needed to be there herself?”

Twilight’s uneasiness came back as she thought about it. Really, why did Luna need to be there? “Well, I suppose you’re right,” she admitted. “Though, Luna could always just go to make sure things are all right. Luna probably just wants to make an appearance for the civilians sake!” That made sense! Twilight stepped forward, smile actually genuine now. “The Queen probably thought her appearance would be good for morale. What pony doesn’t like to see their Queen?”

Fleur chuckled darkly, shaking her head more sedately and calm this time. “No.. No, I’m afraid that’s not quite how it works. Those ponies-” Fleur looked out towards the window, “-don’t want Luna to be there. No pony likes the Queen. Her sister? Oh, they adore her, but not the Queen herself. Not after ten years ago, and certainly not after the temper she’s shown in the public. Nor do I blame them.”

Twilight didn’t have an answer to that. She knew about the closure of the lower districts, knew that Luna had given the order.

Fleur chuckled again and stepped beside Twilight, leaning in conspiratorially. “You and I know the truth though. You and I know what really lies behind Luna’s facade. Wouldn’t it be nice to have more time with her?” she asked, voice silky smooth.

Twilight couldn’t help but agree. She’d felt the sting of betrayal, felt the pain of the loneliness for the past few days. This morning had been nearly everything she wanted out of the Queen, save the earlier arguments, but it had happened so rarely. Twilight would never give anything to become her full time student. But…

Twilight couldn’t be that selfish, much as she’d love to.

“Luna...” Twilight swallowed, gently pushing away from the mare. “Luna needs to do what’s best for Equestria, not for me. Why are you talking to me like this?” she asked, caring not for her bluntness.

Fleur stepped back, harrumphing. “Why, I merely thought that you would want what was best for your mentor. You and I both know that she could use a break! It seems I won’t convince you today, nor did I expect too! Such a clever filly like yourself should of course be suspicious of a-” She lowered her eyes, pouting,”- mean, old mare like myself.”

As if.

“Just, promise me you shall think about it! You’ll know where to find me if the time comes.”

“Sure,” Twilight answered, noncommittally. She doubted she would ever talk to this mare again, but... To get rid of her, Twilight was fine with that.

“Twilight!?” Sunny’s voice called from down the hall.

Fleur’s expression turned decidedly into a sneer. “Well, that’s my cue to leave. Good luck, dear student.” And with that, Fleur turned in the opposite direction of Sunny and set off.

Twilight watched her go until Sunny ran right up beside her, still panting from exertion. “Y-you alright, Twilight?” Sunny asked, voice shaking from her quick breathing.

Twilight turned back to the guard, noticing her disheveled mane, her dented armor. That couldn’t be good - anything that hit with enough force to dent her armor had to leave a bruise, it not a broken rib.

“Fine.. But, what happened to you?” Twilight asked. She carefully reached out a hoof to trace of the dent in the barding, though Sunny jerked back.

“It’s okay. Promise. Just a drunk stallion, but some of the castle guards are taking him away.” Sunny smiled reassuringly. That was better; seeing Sunny without a smile on her face almost felt like upsetting the natural order of things.

“A drunk stallion did all that?” Twilight’s eyes widened again, surveying the damage. Sunny followed her gaze and turned her body, shielding her injured side from view. Twilight swore she saw bite marks, but in metal plating? How…

“Look, it’s not a big deal. Big burly type,” Sunny tried to explain. She swished her mane and flicked her ears back, resetting her smile again. “Come on, we’re gonna be late to meet up with Luna if we don’t hurry!”

Twilight would doubt her, but... for now, Twilight nodded. Something to bring up later.

Yet, before Sunny set off, she looked down the hallway worriedly. “And Twilight?” she asked, voice suddenly very serious indeed. “Don’t talk to that mare again.”

Author's Note

Not much of an author's note for me today- still under the weather :c Please let me know what you like and don't like!

Meetings

Twilight stared at the wooden door that she knew so well. Three weeks had passed since her first training session, and already she could feel the effects. Her magic felt ‘stronger’, more readily available, her body more used to the long nights and mornings, and her muscles stronger than ever. Her slight pudge from just eating and studying had disappeared seemingly overnight, the much richer and nutritious diet of the palace taking away any lingering malnourishment she had left. Her coat shone bright where the morning sun touched where her clothes didn’t cover, and her mane had a sheen unlike any other time in her life. Quite frankly, Twilight felt better than she had in her life.

She stood dressed like a noble, in fact. She wore a sparkling silver vest and breeches combination that Luna had gifted her, the buttons even embroidered with golden string. She didn’t entirely approve - the bits spent on this outfit could have went to feeding the hungry, or helping the homeless. But Luna had insisted, and it went so well with her sword and scabbard. Speaking of, she had finally procured a scabbard tailor made for her sword. The scabbard was made entirely of a black leather and studded with gems to resemble the wondrous night sky. She fit the look of the nobility now, even if she didn’t particularly feel like it.

The reason for that remaining nervousness would be obvious to anyone who knew her well. When she’d first moved into the castle, she had promised Matron she’d visit. Yet, weeks later and the gryphoness had yet to hear a peep from her, and Twilight knew she would be worried. And worrying Matron meant getting quite the earful when you finally did visit her.

Thankfully, Sunny escorted her. Surely Matron wouldn’t tan her hide in front of a house guard… Well, Twilight could hope.

With a deep breath, she raised a hoof. With care, Twilight knocked on the door, the loud raps sounding out clear even down the street. Three knocks and her hoof rested on the ground again, even Sunny not daring to speak right now. She’d heard stories, of course, stories from both Twilight and Shining. Perhaps they may have over exaggerated a touch, just enough to actually make Sunny worried about their first meeting.

Or maybe it had been more than a little. Tartarus, for all Sunny knew, Matron was a ten foot tall gryphoness with a blood red beak and hatred in her eyes. Nothing truly harmful, but maybe they talked a bit too much about how harsh and fair Matron could be rather than her more playful and kind side. The end result meant that Sunny practically shook behind Twilight, eyes glancing up towards the door with no small amount of worry.

The two waited, nothing but the cool morning breeze breaking their silence. Sunny swallowed hard, and giggled nervously. “M-maybe we should go?” she asked. “Could always come ba-”

The door opened with a creak of hinges and Sunny squeaked, jumping away. Out poked Matron’s fuzzy head, scarf wrapped around her neck to fight off the chill. She looked left, then right, before settling onto Twilight. “Bout time, filly,” she croaked out, her voice particularly bad that morning. “Get in before you catch a chill,” Matron admonished, beckoning her in with a claw. “You too, guard.” Matron kicked the door open wide and held it open as Twilight pressed her way in, Sunny hot on her tail. In fact, Sunny almost stuck a little too close, staying right on her flank on the opposite side from Matron. Now she was just being silly, Twilight couldn’t help but think.

Matron let the door close behind them, quickly taking the lead again. “I’ve got tea prepared already. Show your friend around and meet me in the dining room,” Matron instructed.

The gryphoness left before Twilight could even voice a protest, the mare actually not minding. She dreaded Matron’s scathing tongue, feeling sure that she’d be scolded after all this time. She stopped, the two still in the cramped lobby, coats nearly pressing against each other. She turned towards Sunny, starting to open her mouth-

Only for Sunny to beat her to it. “I-I’ll just wait outside! Luna will understand!” Sunny announced, smiling nervously. Again, before Twilight could react, Sunny stepped out, practically slamming the door behind her.

Okay, that one may have annoyed Twilight a little. Just a tinge.

With a frown, she made her way towards the dining room alone. This time of the day, only two or three earth ponies clustered together in the corner, voices low enough that Twilight couldn’t make out their words. Unsurprisingly, she recognized the trio, none of them part of Quaker’s gang. She hadn’t wanted trouble that morning, so his absence certainly made things easier.

Twilight waited at a table near the front, taking a seat and examining the hilt of her sword. Over the past few weeks, it had spoken to her several more times. Always when she least expected it, actually. It never spoke more than a sentence or two at once. Sometimes, it would be helpful, giving her tips of her bladework or her hoofwork while using it. Other times, it would taunt and tease, being particularly acerbic towards the Queen. Still others, it would drop cryptic hints, as if it knew what was coming.

And once, while in the bath and dozens of feet away.

That last one had certainly given her quite the shock. Twilight still couldn’t convince herself it wasn’t just in her head, but the evidence started to mount up into a truly damning pile. She’d tried to do research on it, but nothing came up despite her constant searching. Her time for reading for her own pleasure had been limited, so there might be something out there yet, but Twilight still needed to find it.

She still had confidence she would. The main library in the castle still had wonders she’d yet to explore, it had to only be a matter of time.

The clinking of teacups made her jolt her vision up, catching Matron just in time for the small gryphon to sit across from her. As expected, Matron still wore the old, threadbare dresses, though her scarf almost looked new. Twilight still couldn’t believe she wouldn’t just wear one of the noble’s gifts - sometimes her pride got the better of her. Perhaps Twilight could offer her something…? No, Matron would never accept.

“Where’d your friend go?” Matron asked, in the midst of pouring each of them a cup. Matron pushed the cup across the table, a slight scratching noise from the cup sliding against the rough wood filling the air.

Twilight accepted it gratefully, taking a deep whiff of the tea. She calmly breathed out as the scent filled her nose, almost wrinkling it from the harshness of the scent. To say it was cheap compared to the palace fare would be doing a great disservice to what Luna served her. Twilight was no stranger to it; she’d grown up there, after all, but the harshness still stung her nostrils. Twilight took a small, probing taste, oddly better than just the smell itself.

Once she’d have her fill, she set the cup back down and nodded her head. “Sunny is my guard, Matron,” Twilight explained. She did consider the mare a friend, but first and foremost their relationship was professional. Luna had certainly beat her around the head with it, despite Sunny’s protests. “And she’s waiting outside,” she continued, giving another small nod of her head. With a chuckle, she went on, “Shining and I may have scared her a bit. You know how ponies like to tell stories.”

Matron’s beak split in a wry smile. “I never could stop all of you from talking,” she tutted, taking a break to sip her own tea. “Tell me about the castle. Tell me about your time there. You know your Matron wants to hear it, especially with her little Twilight showing up in such fine clothes!” she teased.

Twilight blushed a light pink, staring down into the depths of her cup. “It’s been nice.” Twilight supposed that was as good a summary as anything. “Luna, er, the Queen that is, has been an absolute joy to be around. I’ve learned more there in these few weeks than the years I spent here. No offense to you or anything-”

“-None taken-” Matron cut in.

“-But nothing can compare to Luna’s teaching. She’s giving me a bit of a broad education, but had me specialize as well. I chose gravity and the stars,” she explained, unable to stop herself from smiling. She kept her secondary dabblings in the plague a bit secret; even her brother didn’t know anything about that. Some things were better left secret.

“And Luna is just… wow. Have you seen her?” Twilight asked. Matron nodded. “Close, she’s just magical. She’s so perfect, I have to keep myself from staring at her.” She blushed deeper at the words, but waved it off. “And she’s kind and a fantastic mentor. She…” Twilight hesitated for a second. “Has her moods. But, I can overlook that. Really, there’s nopony I would rather have as my mentor. I know I’ve got months left before my apprenticeship ends, but already I can’t imagine learning from anyone else.”

And she believed everything she said. Over the past few weeks, Twilight had grown more and more fond of the Lunar diarch. She still worried about her mood swings, but they seemed to happen less and less as time went on. At first, Twilight noticed them almost daily, but now she hadn’t seen them in a full week. And she’d been more kind than usual, more attentive and giving Twilight much more of her spare time. They’d started to meet three times a day for lessons rather than once every few days. It was a fast change, but Twilight adored it.

Even Matron cracked a smile. “Certainly seems nice. Suppose staring at the night got ya somewhere, filly. Still sneaking out like a damn fool?”

Twilight bit her lip and quickly sipped at her tea, doing her best to buy time. She never wanted to admit her nightly visits to Matron, despite her knowing all along, and especially didn’t now that she lived like a noble. “Well… yes.” She looked behind around before lowering her voice. “But, not before Luna figured it out.”

Matron cackled, kicking back in her chair, clearly reveling in Twilight’s humiliation. “Knew that’d bite ya in the butt one day. How’d she find ya out?”

“Just caught me is all. Walked in on me coming back in.” Twilight purposefully avoided going the full explanation. Matron didn’t know the intricacies of magic, but Twilight couldn’t talk about why Luna was so mad without explaining how dangerous teleporting could be. Luna had finally allowed her to teleport again freely, but she hadn’t been too happy about it. Twilight’s pleading finally wore her down after days, and the practice certainly made things easier.

“Not that bad then. Better than something stupid from you, girl.” Matron’s rasp came back hard as she kept talking, prompting her to take a longer, more reserved drink of the tea. “What about the sword?” She pointed a claw towards the scabbard, eyeing the engraved hilt.

Twilight, almost possessively, laid a hoof across the top. Instincts she never knew she had sparked to life inside of her, nopony would touch her rapier but her. With effort, she managed to relax, letting her hoof drop to the table again.

“Luna trains me in weapons as well. It’s nothing serious, never expected to fight or anything. Just, some magic works better with a sort of focus, especially defensive and arcane magic, the latter my speciality,” Twilight explained.

Matron gave a swift, short nod. “Good. I don’t want to see you falling into anything dangerous, you leave that to your brother, you hear?” She waited for Twilight to nod before continuing. “Oh, meant to tell ya, I found something out about your amulet girl.” Matron reached out, taking the chain in a talon and examining it. Twilight froze in place, the sudden contact not entirely welcome. She took in a sharp breath, though Matron seemed unfazed by her reaction.

Matron let go of it with a sharp nod of her head. “Asked around a bit, don’t ask who, but that’s the symbol of a noble house, right there.”

That couldn’t be right. Her cutie mark wouldn’t be a noble’s mark - only noble’s themselves had ever been born that way, for obvious reasons. Matron would just be confused about it is all. Twilight would ask Luna later about it an-

Matron rapped sharply on her horn. “I’m not senile yet, I know what I saw,” Matron reminded her harshly. “Ask your Queen about it, mention the Arcana house, got it?”

Twilight nodded, the only answer in the face of Matron’s forcefulness. No one went against Matron, after all.

The angry gryphoness fluffed her wings and sat back in her seat, huffing. “Very well. Let’s talk about more pleasant things…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Four days later, Twilight waited in a room she’d grown quite familiar with over the passing weeks. Luna’s room, despite her initial thoughts, wasn’t so different from her own. In fact, it almost seemed more… plain, somehow. She had the balconies as well, had a very similar bed, but no dresser. The only other furniture in the room was a low table, designed for sitting around on cushions and sharing light meals or tea. Apparently, at some point, she’d decided she’d rather keep the work away from where she relaxed. Twilight could understand that. That, and she had an entire other floor for a wardrobe.

Artwork did hang on the walls. Most of it was simple idyllic scenery shots, some of them apparently painted by Luna herself. Loathed as she was to say it, Twilight could actually tell which Luna painted herself. Despite her attempts, Luna… well, she was a fantastic artist, especially in the sky, but some of her painting left something to be desired.

Except for one. In the center, across from the bed perfectly, Luna painted a pony, the only non-scenery piece in the entire room. Twilight didn’t know why she was special - to her amateur eye, the soft, silver pegasus looked rather plain. Her mane, a shocking, lovely shade of blue didn’t even stand out, not really. Her smile was certainly kind, but what painting didn’t portray their subject in a good light?

Yet, Twilight couldn’t help but notice something was different. She had asked Luna, but Luna simply brushed her off, a conversation for another day.

Distantly, she heard the lift hum in its ascent.

And that day wouldn’t be today. Twilight and Luna had a scarce few minutes this morning to themselves, and such a heavy conversation wouldn’t do. Now was the time for lighter fare, relaxation before the day proper.

And speak of the devil. The lift finally clicked into place bearing Luna and a pony she hadn’t seen before. Twilight quickly surmised that the pony was a maid; the full outfit pointed that out fairly quickly. She balanced a tea platter on her back as well, the grey coated green maned pony actually quite pretty. But… why did she have a chalkboard around her neck?

No matter. Luna sat across from her and the new unicorn set the table with her magic, giving Twilight a kind smile.

The two seated waited for the maid to pour them each a cup, the mare giving a quick curtsy before stepping back on the lift, waiting patiently for Luna to lower her.

Naturally, Luna obliged her, the two waiting for the maid to get out of earshot before finally talking. All told, it took a few minutes at most. “Who is she?” Twilight asked, curious. Normally she didn’t see servants in Luna’s quarters, not for tea.

Luna waved a hoof dismissively, keeping her cup close by. “A loyal servant by the name of Quiet. And before you ask, the board is due to her muteness.”

Twilight bit back a response - Luna had read her mind as usual. Carefully, she sipped at the warm cup. Darjeeling, she thought. Definitely high quality stuff, perfect for waking her up. And perfect for keeping herself from asking stupid questions.

“I would like to apologize, if you don’t mind.” Twilight sat up quickly as Luna started, prepared to insist she had nothing to apologize for. But Luna shook her head and pressed on. “I snapped at you and Sunny both several times for no reason. I simply have a lot on my mind. Would you forgive me?” she asked.

Luna actually looked contrite. Twilight never expected the Queen herself to apologize to her, nor did she think she needed to. It made her answer obvious, how could she not? “Of course,” Twilight answered warmly, nodding her head.

“Oh, and I found out more about that necklace of yours. I’ll have a few books dropped off in your room later. From what I can tell, though, it was a noble’s crest,” Luna explained. She smiled gently and raised a hoof, cutting off Twilight’s interruption.

“No, you aren’t a noble, Student. That would be silly, I would’ve known that already,” Luna quipped, with a wry chuckle. “Their crest actually goes deeper than that anyways. It’s a symbol not for a school of magic, but magic as a whole. I’m.. not sure what that means in regards to your cutie mark, I didn’t have time to read it all.”

Huh. That was honestly the first time Twilight had ever heard her mentor say she didn’t know something. Before, she seemed like an impossible font of knowledge, her wisdom never running dry no matter what Twilight asked. Odd that she wouldn’t know something in depth, thought Twilight guessed it had to come eventually.

“Alright. I’ll get to that as soon as I get to bed tonight.” Twilight gave her own smile. Luna nodded her head, sipping from her cup.

“Good Student,” Luna praised, finally setting it back down on the sauce. Somewhere, deep inside of herself, Twilight felt a flutter go through her body. She loved to hear praise….

“Now, why don’t we go over the three laws of transmutation again?” Luna asked.

Twilight took a deep breath, already starting to launch into her explanation. Her eyes twinkled as she watched Luna nod approvingly, her mind craving that attention. Luna was just so perfect, so flawless, how could anypony hate her? Twilight would find out…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next two weeks passed in a blur. All of Twilight’s days started to run together, her days falling into an easy sort of rhythm. Lessons in the morning and breakfast with the Queen. Classes in the afternoon at the school, private tutoring with some of the higher ranked professors. And finally, dinner and more lessons with the Queen. Her dueling lessons with Roamane were off and on - once a week or so, she would take a few hours with him, but other than that, her day was set.

Few events stood out in her mind. Like the visits with Matron, or certain meals with the Queen, or even a lunch with her brother. Which, coincidentally, was where she was right now. As usual, well, at least for lately, Twilight ran late. She needed to meet her brother ten minutes ago, but one thing led to another and suddenly it was one fifteen.

Oh well, Shining could wait. Twilight burst into his room, surprisingly not even the least fatigued, the constant physical activity making her in tip top shape. Her brother, saint that he was, waited for her with the table already set, their plates spread before them and cups already filled with water. He had set out a vegetable quiche, one of Twilight’s favorites. She could always count on him.

With a groan, Twilight took a seat across from the bemused stallion. “Long day?” he quipped.

Twilight nodded her head before gently setting it on the table. She groaned and flopped, closing her eyes and trying to search for a little bit of rest. “Roamane took me today. Um, dueling sessions. How is he so good!?” She sat back up with a jolt, practically growling at the older stallion’s name. “He’s like two hundred or something, there’s no way he should be that quick and that good with a blade. Like, how!”

Shining chuckled and gave her a calming smile. “Hey, don’t worry about it. If he wasn’t good, Luna wouldn’t have let him teach you, right?”

Twilight wouldn’t argue with that, and she had considered it, but it still annoyed her to no end. She slowly lifted her head and took a long draught of the water, doing her best to refresh herself after wearing herself out. “It’s the principle of the matter,” she complained. “I haven’t even landed a hit on him yet, and we’ve been dueling for weeks.” Every time she even got close to him, he would dart back out of her range, or dodge, or parry it perfectly, or even slash at her first. It was absolutely infuriating. Twilight even tried sense enhancing spells, things that she could barely keep up for longer than a few minutes. Even with those, she failed to even tap him.

“He is the best of the best, Twily,” Shining gently reminded.

Somehow, that didn’t help.

“Ugh, whatever. I’m meeting up with Luna later anyways. She’s going to show me how to paint using magic,” Twilight explained. Her voice rose in excitement as she kept talking. Her chest fluttered again as she thought about meeting with Luna again; quite honestly, she couldn’t wait. “Luna said she usually wouldn’t do this until years into a student’s education!” She practically squeed at the end, clapping her forehooves together.

“Sounds like things are going well. Actually…” Shining sat up taller, looking at Twilight intently. “I haven’t talked about it, since I trust you, but how is she treating you?” he asked. “Luna, I mean.”

Twilight didn’t know how to answer that question. Why would he even ask it? Of course she treated her well! She treated her better than well actually, much more than Twilight deserved! She was the Queen! She was perfect! How could he even ask?

Twilight furrowed her brow, frowning. “Luna’s…” How did she answer that?! Argh! “Luna’s perfect, Shiny,” she finally got out. “Luna is the Queen, Luna is the goddess. Any time she spends with me is more than I deserve. Have you seen her? She’s beautiful. She’s a genius, she knows more than any of us! Any time she gives me is like.. It’s like cramming all the other years of my learning into hours, if not minutes! I would never want to be apart from her again, would never want to learn from anypony!”

But Twilight didn’t stop. Once she’d started, she felt like she couldn’t stop talking now. “Luna is everything I’ve ever wanted in a teacher, Shiny. She’s kind, caring, intelligent, and helps me no matter what I need. I thought she’d get frustrated if I didn’t learn something, but she’s patient with me in that regard too. She doesn’t care how much she has to repeat things or show me a spell, or any of that.

“And she’s just amazing! She’s so beautiful. Other mares are pretty, yes, but nothing like Luna.” Twilight could feel her cheeks start to heat up. She’d never talked about this to anypony before, much less her brother. “Her mane and tail is like no other, and her body, how could anypony be better than that?”

Twilight blushed hot, starting to calm down and realizing what she was saying. “She’s just… perfect,” she finished, lamely.

Shining blinked, staring at her for much longer than she felt comfortable with. His gaze seemed judging, piercing, and Twilight couldn’t help but start to shift uncomfortably in her seat. Why wouldn’t he say something? She’d just rambled on about the Queen, and Shining wouldn’t say a word?

“What!? Why are you staring?” she demanded, adjusting her sword impatiently.

Shining chuckled and shook his head. “You’ve got a crush,” he announced, words seemingly as final and decisive as any he had ever spoken.

Twilight giggled. Well, she did more than giggle really. She burst into an uproarious laughter, body shaking with how hard they came. Oh goodness, he couldn’t really think that, could he? That was her goddess, her Queen, but not her lover. There were so many reasons it couldn’t work, Twilight could barely start to elucidate them.

First of all, their age difference alone disqualified a relationship. Luna was thousands of years old, and Twilight just now closed in on her fourteenth year. Yes, ponies got married as young as eleven or twelve, but they were symbolic marriages really. Nopony expected anything to well.. Happen for years at the minimum! True, Twilight was older than that minimum age, but she still couldn’t even think of courting somepony thousands of years her senior.

This didn’t even take into consideration their statuses. The Queen was… well, the queen, while Twilight a commoner. Her status had been elevated from becoming the student, but that didn’t come near noble status, she just held a special place as a peasant. Anypony that Luna courted would need to be at least a duke, if not more. Twilight couldn’t hope to reach that sort of status, not unless she performed some incredible sort of deed.

Perhaps, most importantly, Twilight absolutely, one hundred percent, definitely, did not have a crush on the Queen! She admired her, respected her, perhaps even loved as a mentor and friend, but nothing more than that.

It didn’t matter how beautiful she was. Or how smart. Or how attractive. Or how enticing. Or how… perfect.

Twilight’s heart fluttered.

Nope. No crush.

She blushed, the feelings roaring through her mind. Her laughing had stopped at some point she didn’t know, and she couldn’t stop the thoughts in her head. She didn’t have a crush. But… there might be something there. Maybe.

“Did I break you, Twily?”

“Bwuh?” Twilight answered, the world slowly coming back into focus. She shook her head, banishing the thoughts of love from her head. “O-oh. I’m fine. So uh… how’s training?”

The two didn’t talk about Luna again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight practically danced on her hooves. Sometimes, being the Student of the Night led one to odd places. This was one of them. Twilight waited outside of the Royal Guard barracks. Not the Night Guard’s, one the House Guard’s, but the Royal Guard’s. Twilight didn’t even know why she was here! Luna just told her to wa-

The door opened, nearly knocking Twilight over. With a yelp, she darted out of the way, just in time to avoid being trampled by golden clad house guards, flames licking at the edges of their armor. Little beams darted across their armor, drawing the eye towards them. Twilight, naturally, instantly recognized it.

Solar Guards.

Which could only mean…

Behind the guards stepped the Sol Invictus, the princess of the Sun herself.

Twilight would have to be a fool not to recognize her. She’d seen her around, but rarely. Like Luna, she stood a head and a half, if not more, taller than Twilight. Instead of a galaxy, her mane trailed and waved behind her in various pastel hues. Her white fur matched the golden peytral around her neck, a single, large amethyst inlaid in the middle. Other than that, the princess was rather unadorned, no other obvious jewelry standing out.

And, to Twilight’s surprise, she walked around naked. Weird.

“Oh, Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia’s voice surprised Twilight. Celestia’s posture and demeanour could really only be described as demure, calm. Again, near the opposite of Luna’s posture. “How lovely to see you. What brings you to the barracks?”

Twilight bowed her head low, before slowly looking back up towards the princess. “Nothing important, your highness. L- Er, Queen Luna told me to wait here,” Twilight explained, not used to such pleasantries around the royalty.

Celestia waved a hoof, shaking her head. “None of that. Dear Lulu considers you close, so I will as well. Just Celestia, please.” Celestia graced her with a lovely smile, the look alone sending a warmth through Twilight’s body. “And I think my dear sister wanted you and I to finally meet.”

Twilight blushed again, trying to keep her head down. “Of course, Celestia,” Twilight answered. She honestly felt more used to first names rather than titles by now - the months with Luna had forced her into the habit by now. “And why would Luna want that?” she asked, perplexed.

Twilight couldn’t imagine why she would need to know Celestia. It didn’t impact her studies, and the three weeks since meeting Shining for dinner had only been studying. Other ponies just didn’t matter, even the important ones like Celestia.

Though, Fleur’s words did eat at her mind…

Celestia giggled, a soft, almost angelic sound. “Oh, who knows exactly how little Lulu thinks?” she asked, clearly rhetorically. “She has her own goals, though I can at least suspect some. Most likely, she probably just wants you to be familiar with the system as a whole. And getting you ingrained to me early would mean if something happens to her, or she is away, you’ll have a place of privilege still.”

Something happen to Luna? Why… why would that ever happen?

“Or, though I doubt it, she wants me to approve of the target of her courtship,” Celestia mused on, looking up as if thinking.

Instantly, Twilight blushed, gritting her teeth. Between her brother and Sunny, she didn’t need this sort of teasing. She didn’t like the Queen that way, and hardly needed the princess flaunting it in front of her, especially when she could never, ever have it!

“I think that you’re wrong, princess,” she replied evenly, though admittedly she was a fair bit frustrated.

Celestia rested a hoof on her shoulder, Twilight doing her best to avoid slapping it off. Her temper had been getting a little rougher lately. “I am teasing, Twilight. Lulu already spoke to me about talking to you. She merely wanted me to see how you were doing, and offer a hoof of friendship and help if you ever need it.” Celestia tilted Twilight’s chin up, their eyes meeting and Celestia’s kind smile melting Twilight’s irritation away.

Twilight took a small step back. She… well, truth be told, she could always use more friends. She wasn’t exactly good at making them, nor did she particularly want them that much. At the same time, she’d be damn foolish to pass up an opportunity like this one. Celestia could be a valuable resource if nothing else. She didn’t want to muddle in the state affairs, but Celestia could also help shield her from the repulsive nature of the nobles.

“I’m okay with that, Celestia,” Twilight admitted, her blush still present from her sudden, irrational anger. “And um… sorry for snapping at you,” she added, scuffing at the floor.

“No problem, my little pony. Now, why don’t we go find dear Lulu?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day winded down to an end. Twilight and Celestia had bonded over their love off books, and over the last three weeks, the two had seen each other on occasion. Twilight had to admit, perhaps she could make friends in this castle. Which this dinner would seek to prove. If she could make friends with her current dinner mate, she could make friends with anypony.

Day after day of constant badgering from Shining had finally forced her hoof. He swore up and down that Sunset had changed, swore that she'd mellowed out. Twilight didn't know if she believed that, but she could at least give her a chance. Anything to get Shiny off her back.

Sunset had prepared an absolutely lovely spread for them. Despite living in rather cramped quarters in the student’s wing, Sunset made the best of it. Her room looked as flowery and bright as she did, her neatly set table reflecting that. She even spent time making the food herself rather than simply bringing it from the kitchen, something that Twilight had to admit was a nice touch.

But, dinner, like all good things, had to come to an end. Twilight had kept the conversation cordial, really trying to make friends with the other mare. Yet, something seemed off all the while, and Twilight neared her breaking point. Sunset was nothing but nice - where was the irritating, impossible mare that she knew?

Twilight was ready, just waiting for Sunset to finish her story.

But, things changed. “Twilight.” Sunset hesitated, looking down for a second. “I know you don’t like me. Or at least, didn’t like me for a really long time. Um, can you at least tell me why?”

Twilight blinked. Of all the things that Twilight expected her to say, that rested near the bottom. Twilight had always figured why she didn’t like her. Twilight had always expected her to know. How could she not know? Twilight hadn’t exactly made it hard to realize. She’d been quite clear with her disdain! In fact, she’d even directly mentioned it a few times! Twilight felt that familiar frustration boil over, years and years of Sunny’s flirting coming back with a vengeance.

“Why?!” Twilight squawked. She set her hooves on the table and stood up against it, making her meager height a bit taller. “How do you not know why? If you weren’t trying to buck my brother’s brains out every week, we would’ve gotten together fine! And treated me like a little filly - I hated that!” she answered.

Twilight’s eyebrow twitched, She looked down at Sunset, watching her shrink away with a wince. Perhaps she’d gone too far. Perhaps she shouldn’t have raised her voice. Maybe she shouldn’t be so angry- No. Twilight could only feel justified after so many years of torment.

“T-twily-”

“Don’t call me that! Only Shiny gets to call me that!” Twilight interrupted, nearly shouting.

Sunset flinched away again, a near silent whimper escaping her throat.

“Twilight. I’m sorry, really- I never realized that, that you felt that way.” Sunset spoke in near a whisper. Sunset swallowed nervously, shuffling her hooves underneath herself. “If it helps, I never had a crush on your brother. Twilight, I’m a fillyfooler,” she tried to explain, wincing at saying that term. It was something of a slur for their kind.

“I never meant to hit on your brother. We just liked to joke around, I promise. I know you may not believe me, but I’m telling the truth. And I’m sorry for treating you like a filly, I really didn’t mean for that to happen either. I just wanted you to like me and I guess I just um… guessed what you would like, very, very wrong,” Sunset continued. She sniffled back a tear, her head drooping down towards the table.

Slowly, Twilight started to wilt back into her seat. Her chest still heaved from her quick and hot anger, but that too faded away.

“So, I guess I can just say sorry,” Sunset finished, lips trembling in a poor attempt at a smile. “Really, I am sorry.”

Twilight stared straight on, mind processing everything that Sunset had just said. A mistake? Twilight could be wrong, Luna had shown her that over time, shown her how narrow her world view could be. It wasn’t like Twilight hadn’t been the most conscious of flirting back then. She read into it what she thought she saw, but with how inexperienced she was, she could’ve easily missed the signs. Or at least, missing back she could have missed the signs. Back then, everything had just looked so clear to her.

Twilight swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. “I always thought you were flirting with him,” she admitted, lightly shaking her head. “I guess that uh, both of us made some mistakes then?” She blanced at her word choice and hurried to correct herself. “I mean we made wrong assumptions! You wanted to coddle me, and I thought you wanted to fu- er, date my brother. Maybe we could start over?”

Sunny giggled and nodded quickly. “Start over, yes, that sounds lovely. And I’ll try my best not to think of you as a child anymore, cause you’re not. You know Twilight, I always did admire the way you could cast big spells so easily. You’re so good at magic and haven’t…” She froze for a second, choosing her next words carefully. “I mean, you haven’t had as long to practice, I guess,” she finished.

Twilight could see why Sunset worried - she probably thought Twilight would worry about the mention of her age. In this context, it didn’t bother her in the least. In fact, it was a compliment. “It’s fine. You’re not wrong about that, and I’ve always been a bit jealous of how much control you had over your magic. If um, if I hadn’t been so against you I think we could’ve talked a lot about magic. So maybe, we could meet every week or so and talk about what we’ve learned?” Twilight asked, giving Sunset a timid little smile.

“I’d like that.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thrust, jab, backpedal, parry, riposte, hard thrust! Twilight danced through the motions, Eclipse , now Vaunted burned against her magic, the blade moving as fast as she ever had before. The edges of her vision played with fire, darkness creeping up as she struggled to maintain all of her spells at once. Her enhanced reflexes easily caught Roamane’s jab, Twilight deftly moving her blade to catch it.

Twilight finally started to grow good enough to compete with the much older stallion. She never won a bout, not even a single time, but never simply fell over to his blows anymore. She could hold her own, at least for a little while.

Despite his advanced age, Roamane blow’s came like a hurricane, striking over and over at her defenses, battering her down and forcing her onto the defensive. She snuck little blows as she could, a jab here, a thrust there, but she had to do all she could to move his blade away from her. Even with her enhanced reflexes and sight from the spell burning away at her reserves, the older earth pony easily kept up.

Even at eighty years of age, the ash coated, blue maned stallion was a rippling beast of muscle. Small, but compact, he moved with a fierceness and speed Twilight couldn’t hope to keep up with. She could only keep him at bay at best.

Twilight desperately searched for an opening. Today could be the day she finally beat him, she could feel it in her chest, excitement pounding.

There! An opening!

Twilight darted Vaunted in, striking at his core.

But Roamane, ever crafty, rolled, striking at her under belly. With a grunt, Twilight felt the blunted blade rap hard against her leg, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Twilight lay on her side. Her spells winked out, the world drastically speeding up, eyes flaring with pain as her senses returned to normal. With a groan, she struggled back to her hooves, grasping at her dropped sword with her magic.

“Again,” she rasped.

Roamane looked at Twilight appraisingly before slowly shaking his head. “Not today. You’re closer. But we’re done today.”

How dare he cut their training short? Was he scared she would finally beat him? Did he hate her?

Twilight took a deep, slow breath, calming herself as best she could. Irrational thoughts sometimes got to her after training for so long with Vaunted. She needed a break, badly. Romane was right.

Twilight sheathed her rapier and bowed her head low. “Thank you sir. Until next time.”

Twilight turned to take her leave, her day busy yet. In the back of her head, she still heard it, very quietly.

Next time, we’ll win. Next time, victory.. Vaunted spoke, Vaunted whispered, Vaunted taunted.

And Twilight listened.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A month later and a day ending. Twilight would rest soon, a long day of practice behind her. Twilight had lost all her baby fat now, a lean, muscled young mare, mane even well taken care of now. Twilight even dressed well, fit for a true noble. As the months had gone on, it was increasingly difficult to tell her apart from the nobles.

And today had been a special day. Her birthday, actually. Twilight turned fourteen, though she didn’t do much for it. A small party with Shining, Sunset, Sunny and Matron at the orphanage and nothing more. The others from their group of unicorns had their excuses, and Twilight didn’t blame them at all. Twilight should’ve loved it, it was just her size of party and the food and guests had been delightful. Yet, she couldn’t enjoy herself entirely for one obvious reason.

Luna needed to take care of things.

Twilight shouldn’t have been surprised, but she had sort of hoped that Luna would have been there for her birthday instead of miles away in Baltimare. She wouldn’t be back for a week, which meant Twilight settled into her bed on her own, with just a stiff letter of congratulations from her Queen. She had expected more on that front as well, but was left with nothing but bitter disappointment.

Twilight sighed. She sat on the top of her covers, reading her brother’s own notes on shield spells. His gift to her: his private collection. It was his special talent after all, and by all means it should have been fascinating, but Twilight just couldn’t get into it!

With a groan of frustration, Twilight buried her head into a pillow. She just wanted Luna to be there too! Was that too much to ask? With another groan, she screamed into her pillow, letting the day’s frustrations pour out.

With a huff, she slammed the pillow back down-

“Am I interrupting something?”

Twilight sputtered and turned. Somehow, someway, Luna managed to manifest herself at the foot of Twilight’s bed, all without her hearing. With a yelp, she scrambled to her hooves, blushing hot with her night gown flaring all around her.

“Calm down, Student.” Luna teased. “Stay in bed, I didn’t want to wake you.” Twilight slowly sat back down, her hooves gently kneading the bed in worry. Calmly, Luna moved her way onto the bed, laying her body across it and getting dangerously close to Twilight. Their muzzles nearly touched they were so close, Luna’s hot breath brushing against her nose, sending tingles down her spine.

Twilight already changed her mind. Best birthday ever.

“H-how are you back?” Twilight asked. Luna should still be in Baltimare, how could she be back in Canterlot? How…

“I wouldn’t miss my Student’s birthday. Do you want your gift?” Luna asked. Her eyelashes fluttered and Twilight’s heart skipped a beat, the blasted organ pounding away in her throat.

“P-please?” Twilight squeaked.

Luna’s muzzle moved forward, their mouths connected, the most wonderful scent filling Twilight’s nostrils. Luna’s hoof entwined in her mane and then-

Then Twilight woke up.

She woke entangled in her own sheets, breathing heavily and slick with sweat. She could remember every bit of her dream so intimately, so much that she couldn’t help but blush. Oh goddesses, what had she been thinking? She… she couldn’t think of the Queen like that! Shining just teased her, no real feelings like that existed!

Twilight turned her head, eyes falling on her nightstand. There, still lay Luna’s real gift. Inside a globe of glass, a star shone dimly, plucked from the heavens themselves. Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed on. For now, she didn’t think of how amazing Luna’s magic had to be to accomplish that, or the value, both emotional and financial, of the gift. The only thing she could think of was Luna herself, and those wonderful, soft li-

Twilight shook her head furiously, trying to shake the thoughts from her mind. No! Bad Twilight! Do not think it, not ever! It’s not possible, it can’t be possible, no matter how ba-.

How had Twilight not seen it before?

Shining told the truth, he always did. Twilight had a crush. Twilight had an awful, horrible, dirty crush.

She needed to talk to somepony, but who? Somepony who knew love. Not her brother, he’d tease her endlessly, somepony discr-

Cadence.

End of an Era

Twilight waved goodbye once more to Matron, stepping out into the bright afternoon sunlight of Canterlot. Months had passed since her conversation with Cadance, each day nearly the same as the last. Today was her weekly visit with her former caretaker, the two developing a new, more mature bond with each and every visit. No longer did Matron feel like a parent, but instead a friend and role model. Learning more and more about her life, Twilight couldn’t help but look up to her. Matron worked harder than anypony else she knew, and her success with the orphanage showed it.

Well, nearly the hardest.

“Have a good visit, my student?” Luna asked. Luna’s chariot waited outside the orphanage, the two having made plans to spend a day in the lower city together. Twilight wanted to show her around, show her all her secret spots and favorite places to eat. Twilight didn’t exactly feel as if the food would live up to the castle’s, but it had its own unique feel and surely Luna would appreciate it.

And the two had dressed for the occasion. Twilight had chosen her new favorite dress - a brilliant silver piece with a blue bodice, little moons decorating the hem of it. Naturally, Eclipse decorated her flank. The Queen had opted for breeches and a vest. To an untrained eye, it would almost look casual, but Twilight could notice the gold embroidery, nearly hidden in the rich brown colors.

Twilight chose the dress for a reason, actually. While the two weren’t dating, their relationship had certainly changed over the months. Twilight had yet to make her intentions clear to Luna, something that bothered her to no end. Luna couldn’t know unless she was a mind reader or suspected Twilight.

But that couldn’t be true. Twilight kept her feelings secret, and she moved slowly, as Cadance suggested. She had time, nearly all the time in the world. Luna wouldn’t go anywhere and Twilight didn’t intend to either. Depending on how today went, Twilight actually intended to finally express her feelings.

“Of course, Luna.” Twilight answered, voice clear and confident. “We just talked. Nothing to eat, didn’t want to spoil my appetite.” Twilight planned to take her to the Rising Moon Market. Surely they could find something good there. Twilight couldn’t imagine the doctor not having anything good, he always did. “So, um, you ready?”

“Lead the way, dear student,” Luna instructed, gesturing forward with a wing.

Twilight giggled and nodded her head, leading the way. Naturally, two of Luna’s guards tagged along behind them, although Twilight didn’t know either of them particularly well. Couldn’t go anywhere without an entourage.

No matter where the two travelled, a hush fell over the crowd. On a beautiful day like this, ponies were out in spades. Which also meant that everywhere they went, ponies stared. Not many of them were used to the Queen simply walking among them, for obvious reasons. A few had seen her with Twilight before, but even they stared openly. Twilight could hardly blame them.

Honestly, Twilight basked in the attention. Even as little as four months ago, she would have wanted to duck away and hide. But, her new-found strength and abilities gave her confidence, confidence she previously lacked. In fact, Twilight felt more at home here rather than the castle. These were her people, she knew how they acted, knew their motivations. They were not frivolous and silly like the nobles.

Then again… Perhaps she started to become more like some of the fat cats in the castle. Twilight wore gaudy clothes now - though she considered them pretty - and her scabbard was even jeweled! But, she would never give up her roots, her origins here. Matron and the others kept her grounded, made her remember where she’d come from. She could never say no to Matron, and she could never repay the debt that she owed the griffonness, no matter how hard she tried.

“Beautiful day today.” Twilight noted. The sun shone bright, the temperature actually fairly temperate for the season. Light clothes were enough for once, surprising Twilight since generally heavy coats were required around now. Twilight found it hard to complain on a day like this.

“Indeed, it’s-” A shout interrupted their talk, coming directly from Luna’s right.

“Queen, move!” One of the guards shouted. He already launched himself forward, Twilight’s eyes following his jump. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flicker of movement and the slight shimmer of magic.

It seemed she’d spotted it earlier than her mentor, who was currently being corralled by the other guard towards safety. On the rooftop, a cloak-garbed figure arched back, the cloak shimmering and shining in the sunlight. Twilight’s eyes hurt just looking at it, the glamor strong enough to mask whatever was in their hoof. Yet, she didn’t need to see it clearly to guess the motivate. A pony throwing something at herself could only mean one thing. Or rather, a pony throwing something at the Queen. Pegasi buzzed in the air, diving towards the pony. But, they wouldn't make it in time, only Twilight could-

Twilight couldn’t let it reach the target.

With a growl, Twilight’s horn flared into light, casting the first spell that came to mind. She knew this one like the back of her hoof after all their practice: her basic gravity spell. With how often she cast it, how many variations she knew, bringing it to life was a trivial matter.

The rest of it, however, was not. Twilight had to be precise, lest she mess this up. She didn’t trust her telekinesis to grab something moving so swiftly, or so far away. If Sunset was here… Don’t think of that, Twilight. Think about the spell instead. Twilight focused her mind on the point right in front of the rooftop. She’d need to catch it before it started its arc, lest she needed to catch it on the downswing. And she did not feel confident about catching it with gravity affecting it too.

With a grunt, Twilight positioned it at the roof’s edge. In a flash, a swirling, purple vortex flickered into being. The bomb, just now leaving the pony’s hoof, caught just the edge of it. Time seemed to freeze for Twilight, the bomb licking at the edge of her vortex. For a split second, it seemed like it would skirt the edges. For just the split second, Twilight thought she failed.

But no. Luck stayed with Twilight. The bomb - or more accurately, a jar that somehow stayed lit by a greenish tinged flame, sucked right into her vortex. Twilight’s eyes locked on the spot, transfixed in order to keep her focus. For just a second, Twilight felt elation flow through her. Success, sweet success.

The bomb impacted the side of the building, sucked in through the vortex. The clay smashed against it, spreading a clear liquid against the side. Twilight’s joy quickly changed into terror as the liquid caught aflame.

Ghostly, green flames ignited wherever the liquid touched, thankfully kept in check by Twilight’s gravity spell. Twilight should have known that nopony would be foolish enough to attempt to kill the Queen with just fire. As soon as the fire touched her magic, Twilight felt the most excruciating pain of her life.

Twilight knew pain. All her time in the orphanage taught her that. This pain, this pain broke her barriers. This pain shattered her self composure. Nothing could stand against this kind of pain, obliterating any mental fortitude she had left. Twilight’s muzzle split open wide in a silent scream, too shocked to even vocalize her hurt. Somewhere, deep down, a part of her held on enough to keep the spell running. But, the rest of her lost it.

Twilight’s body dropped to the ground, lifeless and limp, horn burning a sickly green and purple mix. The quietest squeak made its way out of her throat, screams still trapped deep inside of her. Distantly, she could hear the roar of a crowd, distantly, she could make out Luna’s guard yelling and the scream of different ponies .

Twilight paid it no mind, not with her own so embroiled in agony. A fierce heat burned at her side, Twilight barely recognizing it as her sword. Somehow, it fought back the pain. It kept her conscious, just barely, the whisper mumbling away in her mind. With her consciousness so embattled, she couldn’t understand a word of it, but Eclipse spoke and she knew that it alone kept her from passing into the void. Right then, Twilight wished it would simply let her go, her mind wasting away from the pain.

Above all, Twilight could make out another view amidst the din of confusion. One she loved, one she could latch onto. Luna barked orders out, voice filled with concern. Twilight’s mind latched onto it, concentrating on it, letting it revitalize her flagging mind. Her spell finally winked out, but the pain didn’t stop, continually burning out in her head. It wouldn’t stop, no matter how much she pleaded mentally. It wouldn’t stop, no matter how much she tried to talk, tried to whisper and plead.

Twilight felt a hoof touch her head, one plated in filigreed silver. “Heal.” Luna’s voice commanded. Cool, almost liquid flowed through her body, filling her veins. The warmness from her sword slowly faded as the icy chill of Luna’s magic took over instead. It didn’t happen instantly, but slowly, very slowly, the unbelievable pain started to fade away. After minutes of time, she could even breathe on her own accord.

The world started to snap back into reality for Twilight. Somehow, she’d ended up on her side in the middle of the street. Her flanks and sides still heaved with deep breaths, and sweat practically dripped from her coat. Her clothes were clearly ruined by now, not just from lying in the midst of a filthy street, but also from her apparent thrashing. Most of all, Twilight was finally aware of a deep, aching soreness through her body.

“Twilight, can you hear me?” Suddenly, Luna’s muzzle was inches from hers. Through squinted eyes, Twilight could still easily making out worry etched onto Luna’s face.

Twilight opened her mouth, her suddenly dry lips cracking from the effort. With a pained whimper, she nodded her head instead.

Luna breathed out a loud sigh of relief, even taking a small step back. “I’m going to teleport you to the hospital okay? We’ll go together. It’s going to hurt, but I promise things will get better afterwards. Just hold on.”

Twilight nodded her head, every tiny movement sending a new, unexpected shock of pain through her. She braced herself, holding her breath and trying to concentrate on her own thoughts. But, that proved impossible - the pain would not be denied.

With a flash, light surrounded the pair, and the scenery rapidly changed. Twilight landed with a thump on a deeply cushioned bed, the abused mare sinking into the mattress with a beleaguered groan.

“Doctor’s on the way. You’re in a private suite of mine at the castle. I’m going to put you to sleep now - everything’s going to be fine, alright?” Luna tried to assure her. She even rested a hoof on Twilight’s back, rubbing soft motions in a calming manner.

Yet, Twilight wasn’t stupid. Even she, as socially awkward as she used to be, could hear the worry in Luna’s voice. And a very strong part of her screamed to not go to sleep. Would she even wake up afterwards? Oh goddesses, she didn’t want to die. She didn’t want this to be the end, didn’t want this to be the last time she saw her love’s face. She opened her eyes as wide as she could, throat straining, forcing to try and plead with Luna. She needed her to understand that Twilight could not be put to sleep, needed her to understand that Twilight wouldn’t wake up. She couldn’t die. Not yet.

“..please.” Twilight managed to get out, barely a whisper through her throat.

“Don’t worry.” Luna’s voice assured. With agonizing slowness, Luna brought her horn low, touching just the tip against Twilight’s forehead. Twilight fought it, by the goddesses she fought it. But the coolness returned, and her eyes felt harder and harder to keep propped open. She wouldn’t win against the tide of Luna’s magic, and within seconds, she was out.

For what she thought was good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To her eternal surprise, Twilight woke up. Twilight woke to many, many odd feelings swimming through her. Her mouth was still dry, but somehow better than before. Her aches and pains had disappeared, replaced with an incredible sense of levity. Somehow, the soreness had departed her body. Somehow, she felt… fine? Fine and very, very nude. Fortunately, sheets covered her body. She slowly blinked her eyes opened, rolling over in the bed that Luna placed her in. With a groan, she struggled to sit up right, only for her body to fail her. She still felt so weak…

“Twily? Are you awake? Don’t get up!” She knew that voice - Shining’s voice of course. Twilight’s eyes darted towards the source, eyes falling on her brother. He looked worse for the wear - bags under his eyes, out of armor, clothes filthy, and that was just what she could see!

Twilight opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her throat didn’t want to work, the dryness feeling like a desert in her mouth. She whimpered as Shining hurried over, levitating a cup of water with him. “Drink.” The stallion ordered, tilting the cup up at her muzzle. Twilight’s own shaking hooves tried to steady it as she greedily drank from the cup, the water soothing her aching, sore throat. She didn’t stop till the glass was gone, trying again to speak.

“W-what happened?” Twilight rasped out, worry gnawing at her stomach. The memories came rushing back. Somepony tried to assassinate Luna, somepony tried to kill her. She was okay, right? She took Twilight here. Or was Luna just trying not to show her hurt? Surely nothing could have gotten to her love, surely nothing could have- Deep breaths, Twilight.

“Look, I want to start with that it’s all okay.” Shining took slow, cautious steps away from Twilight, towards the door. Twilight couldn’t help but feel like a trapped animal. For some bizarre reason, she felt like Shining feared her attacking. But why would he think that?

Then again, she didn’t really know how she looked right now. She felt rough, felt dirty, but not sore. She remembered her horn feeling like it was on fire but- She needed an explanation.

“Shining, what happened? Tell me.” Twilight demanded, her voice starting to gain strength. With it, her convictions grew, giving her the focus needed enough to sit up, at least partially. “What happened to Luna? Is she alright? Did they get he-”

“Twily!” Shining interrupted with a shout. “She’s fine. I promise. She told me to get her when you wake up. She’ll explain everything, alright?”

Twilight could accept that. With a sigh, she settled back into the bed, lethargy getting to her. Besides, she probably wouldn’t accept anypony’s words of Luna being alright. She would need to see her.

“Fine. Go. Please.” Twilight amended the last word with a wince. Just because she felt like shit didn’t give her an excuse to act like a jerk, especially to Shining of all ponies. She owed him.

“I’ll be right back. Five minutes, maybe less. Luna’s been crazy worried about you, she’s been holding all of her meetings just down the hall. Has barely even left to eat.” Shining noted. Twilight couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. Skipping meals? For her? “Stay right there.” Shining added one last bit before disappearing through the door.

Now that she thought about it, however, Twilight couldn’t help but feel flattered. Luna, the Queen of the entire pony nation, was incredibly worried about her. Twilight didn’t mean to over inflate her own important - Luna clearly held more important for all ponies. But, this had to mean that Luna felt something for her!

Right?

Well, probably now. She probably cared in a more platonic, student-teacher sort of way. But Twilight could hope, and her flirts had been going well. Then again, Cadance had later noted that Twilight’s flirts were not in fact the best. What had she said about them? Something about “hearing better from a drunken dockworker”? She may have remembered that wrong, but the point being that her pick up lines left something to be desired.

Honestly, Twilight blamed it on the library. Shockingly, well, not so surprisingly, she guessed, there were basically no books about flirting in the royal library. Surely there would be some in the other library, but Twilight hadn’t had the chance to actually get down there yet. And coming back with a bag full of books on flirting and dating tips may get a little awkward…

Wait, there were way more important things to think about right now! Like what the hell happened earlier, or who tried to kill the Queen, or any other of dozens of questions. And why her body wasn’t a shambling wreck, that was important too!

Fortunately, she would not have to wait long. Her Queen, her Luna entered the room, closing the door behind her and sealing it shut with magic. Luna practically dashed to the bed, hugging Twilight tightly. So tightly that the air was forced from her lungs, actually.

“Oh thank the goddesses you’re okay.” She whispered out. Luna released her, Twilight slumping back to the bed with a well-hidden wince. “I thought you’d be dead, I didn’t think I could save you! I’m.. I’m sorry.” She finished, hanging her head.

Twilight stared at her Queen in surprise. She’d never seen her act like this, even when apologizing before. “Luna… it's fine. Really. I’m okay, right? What happened?” She asked. Now that she had a second, she noticed the similarities between Shining and Luna. There were bags under her eyes, and she wore nothing but a simple, black robe that looked quite worn in by now as well. Things didn’t seem to go well at all…

Luna stood up straight, clearing her throat and sniffing back tears. “Well, I’m sure you’ve guessed, but there was an attempt on my life. Without your timely intervention, it could have succeeded. I cannot thank you enough, dear student. I owe my life to you, truly. The flask was made from Nullfyre, it eats magic hence why you had such an awful reaction to it. I am admittedly not sure what kept you alive from its effects, though if you’d grabbed it with regular levitation you surely would have perished.”

Luna paused for a second before continuing. “Twilight.” Luna trailed off, looking down. “There were some side effects. First of all, you’ve been out for a week, and for a while there were some who worried you wouldn’t wake up. Your sword also- how to put this?- changed a bit. It’s glowing green now, rather than purple, but I’ll have to show you later. The other changes are a little more worrying. I don’t know how to say it but-”

Luna took a deep breath.

“Your horn is changed. I can’t describe it well. It’s not bad, and the specialists said it would still work fine. But, there’s definitely a change. No pony will think it’s a big de-”

“Luna.” Twilight interrupted, an edge to her voice. Her horn? No. Nothing could be wrong with her horn. Her horn was her lifeblood, her speciality, her everything. It would be fine. Surely it would just be a little scratch or something. “Let me see it.”

“Very well.” Luna sighed, magic slowly forming a mirror floated in the air. Twilight waited impatiently for it to form, but once it finished she wished it hadn’t.

Oddly, the first thing that Twilight noticed wasn’t her horn. No, most of her mane was blackened and scorched, somehow still intact though. But it didn’t take long for Twilight’s eyes to drift up to her forehead, where her horn jutted out.

Her beautiful, spiralled horn had been ruined.

It split down the middle, blackened along the length and only gradually going back to purple near the bottom. The tip glowed a sickly green, and just looking at it made Twilight want to vomit. Her beautiful horn, so ravaged and destroyed. A trembling hoof reached up, brushing against the tip, muzzle hanging open. It didn’t hurt. Nothing hurt, Luna hadn’t lied. But her horn…

Twilight screwed her face up in concentration, trying to levitate the bed sheet just the tiniest amount. Goddesses be praised, it actually lifted. But the purple of her magic had instead been tinged a sickly green, almost as if it looked sick, twisted from its normal, uncorrupted state.

Twilight hated it.

She dropped her head, nausea suddenly swimming through her. She couldn’t look like this. She couldn’t go outside. It was no small wonder that Shining had looked scared of her. She didn’t know how Shining had even managed to stay in the same room without running away. She would be a freak, an outcast.

But…

Did that matter to her? Did it really, if she thought about it? The ones she cared about wouldn’t care. Luna didn’t, Shining didn’t, Cadance surely wouldn’t, nor would the rest of them. This wouldn’t change things, it couldn’t. She would stay stong. She would be strong.

She had to be.

But she didn’t feel like it. Twilight heaved in a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

“Twilight… student. It’ll be alright. There are illusions we can try. The doctors said there are ways of fixing it, or mitigating it, or something. We can find a way. “ Luna practically pleaded, hoof gently rubbing at Twilight’s back.

Twilight swallowed hard. For now, she needed to at least look strong. If not for her sake, for Luna and her brother. “It’s fine, Luna.” She whispered, clearing her throat loudly. “Um.. I’m just happy you’re alright. Did you find out who did it?” She asked, looking up with a glimmer of hope.

Luna’s face darkened quickly, a scowl replacing the calming smile. “Yes.” She practically spat. “A griffon terrorist cell paid him off. There’s been talk… well, I won’t worry you with the details. But, Equestria moves to war.”

War. Equestria hadn’t warred in Twilight’s lifetime. She’d read about war. Like any other topic, she was curious. But war was gruesome, war was bloody, war was horrible. This couldn’t be right, this couldn’t happen. Not with the nation so torn about by the plague, so ravaged by its own internal class warfare.

“W-why? I-Isn’t there another way?” Twilight croaked out, throat suddenly feeling very dry again. Luna had been known as the Princess of War before she assumed the title of Queen. If there would be a war, Luna would have to join them. Luna would have to put herself in danger, would have to lead. No, there couldn’t be a war.

Luna’s frown only deepened, shaking her head. “Nay, there isn’t any other way to resolve this.The griffon republic professes that they didn’t do it, but they’re liars. We have the proof. We must teach them a lesson, we must teach them not to interfere in Equestria affairs. It’s a defense war, dear. If we don’t send this message, anyone and everyone will jump down our throats. We’ll look weak and then face a war on a hundred fronts, from the Zebras, the dragons, those disgusting dogs, all of them. No, we have to prove Equestrian steel remains strong.”

Twilight gulped. She didn’t understand inter country politics. Not truly, not as much as she wished to. But, she knew that her mentor spoke the truth. Looking weak would be a death sentence. Looking vulnerable would invite the others to invade. Twilight couldn’t help but slowly nod her head in agreement.

“You’re not going, right? You… you won’t go with them, right?” Twilight asked. Her voice sounded small and scared even to herself. The true terror of the war started to dawn on her - not just Luna would go. Her brother was a guard, and a palace guard at that. They nearly always were pulled into conflicts, if history stayed true. And the other mages, many of them went. Would Sunset follow? What about Sunny? Or Iridescence, or even that old bastard Roamane?

Twilight would be alone.

Twilight would be alone all over again. She’d be left behind, and while she didn’t pretend that was nearly as bad as actually fighting, it scared her nonetheless. She always felt isolated in the orphanage, and now things would go back to that, but worse! Even her BBBFF couldn’t hold this back. Tears started to brim to her eyes, her horn and the war forefront on her mind. She should have been better. Was there anything she could have done to stop this?

Maybe if Twilight hadn’t suggested going to the lower market-

“Student. Stop. I can tell what you’re thinking. Everything will be fine.” Luna’s voice broke her thoughts into pieces. Twilight slowly looked up, red, tear stained eyes meeting Luna’s.

“But… you’ll be doing. You could get hurt.” Twilight mewed, nestling back into the covers. “And Shiny could get hurt, or killed or anything even worse!”

Luna chuckled and shook her head. “You don’t have to worry about me, Twilight. I’m experienced, and your brother is one of the finest guards I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Everything will be fine.”

“But-” Luna’s aura surrounded Twilight’s muzzle, silencing her. Though, Luna didn’t just stop there. She leaned close, closing the distance between their two muzzles and kissed Twilight on the lips. It was a soft, gentle kiss really, nothing fast, nothing overly passionate. It felt chaste to Twilight, especially after all that she had read about kisses.

But that didn’t stop her heart from exploding. She swore it beat a thousand times a second, her eyes staying widened beyond what she thought was possible. Her protests died in her throat as she hungrily, greedily started to kiss back. She had needed this, goddesses she had needed it.

Luna ended the kiss both way too quickly and after what seemed like forever all at once. Twilight’s mouth stayed propped open, brain too fuzzy to comprehend what just happened. Slowly, Luna pulled away, a teasing smile on her face. “Hm… I knew you’d like that.” She said, giving a nod of her head.

“L-looona~” Twilight slurred out, trying to shake herself out of the fuzzy mind haze. Luna kissed her. Twilight kissed back. The Queen… kissed Twilight? Giddiness rose in her chest, barely able to stop herself from laughing in excitement and glee. The worries of the last few minutes melted away, pushed far from her mind.

She didn’t need to worry, Luna would take care of it.

“Twil-eyy,” Luna mimicked, voice clearly teasing. Twilight’s heart skipped a beat at hearing the nickname from her mentor’s voice. Luna seemed different, not so imperious, not so standoffish.

Twilight liked it. “How did you know?” Twilight croaked. Did Cadance? She had better not, she promised Twilight that nopony would know!

Luna giggled, another surprising sound to Twilight, but again enough to send wonderful tingles through her body. “Twilight, you were obvious with it. And now seemed like a good time - admittedly I’m tired and could have read the signs wrong, but it looked like you needed something to distract you.”

Well, Twilight couldn’t argue with that. The thoughts of the war and her horn still hung above her like dark clouds, but now she felt as if the moon itself warded them off. She had her refuge. “I- um, so… thanks?” Twilight finished, heart feeling flustered and once more thinking she said exactly the wrong thing.

This time, Luna laughed in a much more familiar way, no girlish giggle. “Thanks! You would thank the one who kissed you.” She noted, amusement sparkling through her body. “Well, a polite date at the very least.” Luna patted her back again, shaking her head slowly. “Unfortunately, dear one, I need to go. And you need to get your rest. You’re not one hundred percent yet, and we have time. Wars don’t start in a day.” Luna reminded her, gently.

Twilight thought about protesting. Really, she just didn’t want Luna to leave yet. After such joy, to be left alone almost felt torturous. But her body yearned to be back asleep already. Or to eat. But mostly the first, eating could always come later.

Come to think of it, how had they kept her alive while she was out? Did they force feed her or something, cause that honestly freaked her out. “L-Luna?” She asked. “How am I alive?” She added the second part in a much smaller, almost scared voice. She really shouldn’t be alive, and that simple fact scared her.

“Modern magic, Student.” Luna explained. “There are spells to transfer nourishment, but they’re taught to a precious few. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how easily they could be misused.” Twilight nodded her head, just the description alone was enough for her to know that. “But, it’s bed time for a little student of mine now, understand?”

Again, Twilight nodded. “We’ll talk when I wake up, right?” She asked, nestling back slowly into the hospital bed. She wished she’d been moved back to her bed; this one simply wasn’t comfortable at all. Maybe tomorrow. She yawned, struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Of course.” Luna leaned in close, planting a gentle kiss near Twilight’s hornbase. “Sleep well, we’ll talk very soon. Everything will work out,” Luna assured her.

Twilight just nodded as the alicorn took her leave. The lights to her room were extinguished by magic, leaving Twilight in perfect darkness.

And she listened. No worries, just dreams of Luna and her love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day saw Twilight moved back to her room with care from Shining. Luna, he told her, busied herself with preparations for the war. He promised that she would be around later, and the chefs of the castle gave her plenty of food to make up for her time out. Shining and Sunny also gave her plenty of material to research on the griffons, both recent times and historically, including yesterday’s report on the matter. Yet, at the same time, Twilight wanted to see her now.

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t happen. Instead, Twilight busied herself with books. Her topic of study today was the griffon republic, specifically their warrior-like culture. The republic’s systems were suddenly odd to her. Voting on everything? Bah, foolishness. How could a griffon know as well as Luna, an immortal goddess?

An immortal goddess who had kissed her, in fact.

But that was besides the point. Their voting nature often left them divided, sometimes even leading to internal strife and civil wars. In fact, some parts of their nation still suffered the effects from the last, just twenty five years in the past. That war led to the rising of the Shrieking Talons faction, an aggressively expansionist clan at its heart. If anyone had planned the assassination of Luna, it would be them. Or so Twilight guessed.

They hadn’t exactly denied it, though they could have just used it as an excuse for war. Twilight couldn’t figure out their angle, even after looking over everything she’d been given. They had plenty of room to grow right now, just coming off an aggressive war against the minotaurs where they claimed wide swathes of land to the south. And Twilight couldn’t figure out how they intended to deal with the goddesses. Apparently, Netherfyre was extremely rare and hard to make, only a few zebrican shamans knowing the secrets behind it. Unfortunately, just that didn’t mean the zebras were involved. Nearly anything could be bought on the black market these days.

Regardless, war would come for them whether they wanted it to or not. They had roused the sleeping giant of Equestria, and it would devour them whole. Or at least, so the pony nation hoped. It couldn’t be that easy. Historically, Equestria had occupied a position of unparalleled power on their continent, but nothing could last forever, much less something like that. And with the plague weakening basically the entire country, they would be hard pressed to field the numbers they used to. Only the palace guard had remained relatively unharmed, something else Twilight felt grateful for considering Shiny’s new position.

All of this hurt her head. She didn’t want a war, even if things did look optimistic. Even in easy, overwhelming wars, ponies died by the thousands. This one would be no different, Twilight felt sure of that. Each day of fighting meant another chance of a loved one dying, whether it be Shining or Luna or any number of others. Worry would gnaw away at Twilight, threatening to take over her being.

Even now, Twilight worried. Luna ran herself ragged, or so Shining told her. She hadn’t slept since the assassination attempt, and things grew close to a week and a half now. Even alicorn stamina had its limits, and Luna approached them in a dangerous manner. At least she ate and drank correctly, though she only did that in order to keep going and only during strategy meetings.

She should take a break. Twilight would try and force her to it when she came to visit. If she came to visit, that is. Twilight slumped in the bed, sighing as she tossed the most recent book to the side. Another stack of books still waited for her to pore over, but after the sixth one she needed a break herself. And she started to get hungry - how long had it been since she’d eaten? Craning her neck, Twilight looked outside. The sun still shone, so it couldn’t have been that long. A few hours, maybe.

Twilight huffed, resting her head back on the pillow with disdain. Waiting. Just waiting.

Minutes later, Twilight heard the click of the lift starting. Twilight’s heart skipped a beat, excitement pulsing through her. She really shouldn’t be this happy about it, but after this day, she didn’t care who came up that lift. Though she certainly did have a hope for who she wanted more than anypony else.

Twilight waited in anticipation as the lift finally clicked into place. And who else, but Luna? Who else but her love?

And even better, the mute maid was with her, silver cart by her side. With a happy smile, the Quiet pony wheeled the cart over, levitating a tray off of it and laying it beside Twilight. Magically, she lifted the tops, revealing a perfectly based zucchini with a soup appetizer.

Twilight’s stomach growled.

The maid kept the other tray on the cart before bowing deep and moving back to the lfit. Luna’s magic let her down as the alicorn stepped slowly towards the bed. With a groan, Luna slumped on the edge, floating over the second tray. “Good afternoon, student,” she spoke, voice tired as ever.

“Good afternoon, Luna,” Twilight responded in kind. Her attention wavered between the food and her love, wishing she could split it equally.

“Go on, eat. I’m certainly going to,” Luna urged, already stuffing her face full of her own zucchini.

Twilight didn’t need any more convincing than that. She dug right in, scarfing down chunk after chunk of her zucchini. The two ate in silence for a few minutes, both of them as ravenous as hyenas. It wouldn’t keep them, though; Luna finished first, dabbing at her muzzle with a napkin. “Excuse me for that, student. It’s been busy, though I’m sure you know.”

Twilight nodded in acknowledgement; she’d excuse Luna for anything.

“Good news and bad news, dear Twilight. Bad first. We move within the week. I’m going with a small squad in an airship to scout out the beginnings of a staging point. I’ll be well protected, and nopony outside a select few will even know of it. Your brother comes with me - that way, I can keep an eye on him without him feeling as if I’m keeping him from the action.” Luna started to explain. Twilight appreciated that; Shining would not be one to stay back and let the others do the fighting for him. He would want to be in the thick of it. Luna’s guard would offer him a spot of prestige, while still keeping the ones she loved together.

“You’ll be kept in the loop, I swear by it. Celestia will keep you informed, or you’ll at least be allowed to sit in on the meetings. It’ll be your choice what you hear, but I think I know what you’ll pick.” Luna took a deep breath and shook her head. “Yesterday was a mistake,” she admitted.

Twilight felt a bolt go through her heart, feeling as if she was struck. She opened her mouth to protest, but Luna shushed her. “Not the feelings, the speed,” she amended. “I feel as if I’ve taken advantage of your youth, here. For now, I’d like for our relationship to remain one of student and teacher. But! When I return… well, I make no promises, but we can see what’s there. There’s a good chance you’ll simply no longer be interested, and I won’t be offended,” Luna finished, bowing her head.

Twilight’s mouth worked soundlessly for a second. How could she say that? How could she even think that? Twilight’s feelings wouldn’t change! And just go back to student and teacher? How da-

Twilight’s anger cut short, fatigue taking its place. Luna was right. What was the point of being together hundreds of miles apart? Not one. Just a name. “Okay,” she spoke in a near whisper.

“I’m sorry it had to be like this. Circumstances make fools of us all, even myself. But, there’s still plenty of time left. The war has not started yet, and there’s no reason to not continue your lessons. You don’t need to be able to walk to do magic!” Luna announced.

Twilight tried to push the darker thoughts from her head. They did have the now. The future would be her problem, but nothing would stop her from enjoying every second she could with Luna.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luna hadn’t lied. Six days passed in a blur and the first airship laden with supplies and troops already perched for departure. The RMS In Amber Clad was a fine ship, recently commissioned. The ship itself stretched over three hundred feet, able to house and serve over four hundred of Luna’s finest guards. And the Queen herself, of course. This was one of the Equestrian air forces’ finest ships, and it fit.

Not only did the Queen have a special quarters near the bridge, but each bunk and officers’ quarters had been specially prepared for the most elite of Equestrian ground forces. The ship’s own armaments were nothing to scoff at either - fifteen ballista occupied each side of the ship, each capable of launching a crystal tipped spear over five hundred meters. With ships like these, Equestria and its pegasi held unquestionable air superiority.

And this didn’t even mention the dartings of smaller crossbow stations and unicorn firing ranges throughout the ship. Assaulting it without overwhelming force would be near impossible. Or so they hoped - war tended to make a mess of even the best laid plans.

But for now, the ship loomed over the city, next to one of the towers ringed with a landing pad. Nothing but the tiniest of aircrafts could actually land on it, but the tower offered a fantastic anchoring point and an easy way to load supplies and ponies.

Twilight had only just made it over. The poor unicorn could still barely walk, and only under close supervision. Two of Luna’s guards flanked her at all times, never letting her out of their sight outside of the privacy of her room. It honestly felt a little creepy to Twilight - Sunny would be going with Luna, as was Shining, which meant none of her usual guards could accompany her. And Twilight hadn’t heard the two with her speak a word since they left. Just damn creepy.

Twilight had already said goodbye to her brother, Sunset, and Sunny. Their boarding was yesterday, and they hadn’t been allowed back off the ship for security reasons. Twilight had cried, she would freely admit that, but Shiny had comforted her as always. He promised they’d be back, and Twilight believed them. She had to believe him, what else did she have?

As foolish as she felt doing it, Twilight wore a wide, feathered hat to hide her horn, complete with sparkling silver gown. Apparently, the start of a war was something of an occasion. Nobles filled the pad, though they were kept well away from the actual loading zone. The nobleage talked and chatted, laughing and giggling, drinking and being merry.

Twilight hated it.

How could they see such joy on such an awful day? She didn’t understand. And thus, she took a corner away from the crowd, brooding and searching for anypony she knew. She wanted, no, needed, to see Luna one last time.

Twilight sighed. She swirled her glass around, held off to the side by magic. She didn’t dare drink it; alcohol and powerful unicorns didn’t really mesh well. But it helped shoo others away from her under the guise of offering her refreshment.

Well, all except for one.

Duke Silverhorn approached her, carrying along a platter of… tiny sandwiches? Really? The nobles would never cease to amaze her. “My dear Twilight!” He bowed his head, grin splitting his lips. “Very happy to see you here, considering how shortly it’s been since… well, you know.” He shook his head. “Dreadful business all of this, but how are you?” He leaned in close. Too close actually, close enough to make Twilight take a tiny, little step back. Eclipse twitched in its scabbard.

“Well enough, Silverhorn,” Twilight answered. Out of all these nobles, the Duke was one of the good ones. “Recovery goes well, but…” Twilight shook her head. “This shouldn’t happen.”

“Yes, yes, the entire affair is rather macabre. The others don’t seem to get it. But look, all they can think is their own profit. See over there?” Silverhorn pointed out a magenta pony, fabulously dressed in a gem studded dress. “She’s the owner of Manehatten arms. She’ll make quite the pretty penny of this. And her partner, the one she’s talking to? The owner of Fillydelphia Steel. All around us are the ones who will profit from this travesty.” Silverhorn practically spat out the last word, punctuating it by downing the rest of his own glass of champagne.

As usual, Twilight constantly underestimated Silverhorn. A kind heart, him. And Cadence probably thought much the same. In fact, Twilight didn’t even see Cadence here, good for her. “All these ponies and griffons are going to die. I don’t see how they don’t realize that. Luna could have died already, and they already forget it?” Twilight asked, scoffing.

“Unfortunately, we live in a time where many would consider that a boon. Naturally, I don’t share the same opinion, but it’s not an unpopular one. Oh, and speak of the mare!” At Silverhorn’s exclamation, Twilight noticed the crowd shifting, changing focus. Luna’s imperious, intimidating presence sent a silence through the crowd. For the first time. Twilight saw Luna in her full battle dress.

Luna cut through the crowd, ponies unintentionally stepping back. She wore full plated armor, pure black with the slightest of a sheen. Yet, it didn’t seem to reflect the light, instead, it seemed to draw it in, almost making what was around it appear darker. Her helmet, made of the same material, jutted out two tusks around her jaw, deadly sharp slivers of the same black metal. Blades surrounded her horn, a crystallized obsidian, designed to channel magic and also sharpened to a point.

A dark, purple cape draped across her back, fringed with dyed fur. Her main weapon for battle also stayed sheathed on her back. Twilight had never seen a weapon used like it - Luna, of all things, wielded a scythe. The haft was made of dark wood, the blade itself made of a blue-tinted silver metal, sharpened to a deadly point. Around her forelegs Luna also had double hoof blades, still in their sheathes.

Each step she took resounded with nearly terrifying weight. Only her joints, where her legs connecting with her body, remained unarmored. Even her wings were tipped with a long, thin blade. Twilight knew now why Luna held the moniker “Goddess of War”. Clearly, Luna deserved it.

Luna cut a swathe through the crowd, stepping through the crowd towards Twilight. How she could see her, Twilight didn’t know. Yet, she had to fight an urge to run, to flee. Just Luna’s presence alone made her want to hide far away, or surrender. Her mind worked, stressing that she knew this pony, that she loved it.

With a deep breath, Twilight steeled herself. “Good afternoon, Queen Luna.” She chose her words carefully. In public, she couldn’t as act as familiar with each other. In public, they were simply Student and teacher.

“Good day, our student.” Luna greeted likewise, her voice echoing out through her helmet, an almost cold edge to it. “We pray that you find the preparations satisfactory to view?” Luna knew Twilight’s true thoughts on the matter; Twilight hadn’t exactly tried to keep them secret. But appearances were appearances.

“Of course, my Queen.” Twilight answered back, giving a bow of her head. “Though I am saddened to see you leave, I will hope for a quick and victorious return.”

“Soon, Student. Keep up your studies, we’ll be in touch.”

And with that, Luna turned to leave. Twilight watched her go, watched her board the belly of the beast. She could only hope that she’d see Luna again.

Author's Note

Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait! Bit of news: Chapter 1 has been edited. Not sure if its worse or better - no real story changes, just cleaning it up. Chapter 2 has been edited as well, but its new version needs a second pass and will be uploaded over the next few days.

Unfortunately, this chapter is mostly self edited save for help from Lancerot (thanks again!). If anyone is willing to help pre-read or edit, I'd be eternally grateful! No big deal either way though.

Hope you all enjoy this chapter! A bit of progress towards the goal~

Finally above 100k too! Yay!

Opening Moves

Twilight woke the next day in a daze. Her body felt sore from all the walking yesterday, and her horn pulsed with pain as well. The mare woke up at her normal time, despite staying up much later than usual reading and researching in depth about the griffonic culture. So naturally, her head ached something fierce too, the day already proving to be a poor one.

But her physical pains paled in comparison to her internal strife. The tower, normally a bit busy in the mornings as Luna readied herself for the day, was deadly silent. In fact, the entire palace felt quiet, felt empty. The normal hustle and bustle of drilling guards didn’t reach her ears, nor were any maids scurrying around her part of the tower. Twilight was well and truly alone.

She hated it. She wanted to see Luna already. She wanted to see her brother, she even wanted to see Sunset again, their relationship had just started to get better! This war… Twilight sat up, a strange rage starting to take over her body. This war, she couldn’t stand this war. If only she could end it herself, if only… She looked over to Eclipse over in the corner. It called to her, called for it to be used, to help out somehow.

Twilight tore her sight away from the blade, looking back down into her lap as the tears started to flow. She couldn’t fight. She wasn’t even of age, for buck’s sake. What would a fourteen year old filly do in the middle of a battlefield? Nothing, nothing except die at the end of a giffon’s spear, and no amount of training would change that simple fact. Goddesses, she felt so stupid, so useless.

She could still take care of things here, though. If she knew the nobles, and by now she expected that she did, she knew they’d take advantage of Luna being away. With Celestia appearing more passive by the day, Twilight felt like she had to do something to keep them in check. She had her contacts among the nobles: Fleur, Cadence, Silverhorn, Roamane, all of them would help her. Well, she didn’t know about Fleur, but the rest of them agreed with her for the most part. The least she could do was support them where she could.

Steadfast in her convictions, Twilight managed to pry herself out of bed. A quick shower later and Twilight dressed in a black, silk robe. She counted this as mourning, and no adornments save her sword and her necklace would come with her today. On second thought, perhaps a hat would be for the best. She hadn’t found any spell for her horn yet, so she’d have to cover it for a while longer. Thankfully, Luna had a few delivered, including a simple black one that would be perfect.

Twilight flicked the lift, descending back into the belly of the castle itself. Only one guard waited by the post and he fell in behind Twilight as she started, no words exchanged between the two. Even that brought back memories of what she’d lost, memories of Sunny Day and Iridescence, and her other, more friendly guards.

With a heavy heart, Twilight pressed on towards the dining room. This early in the morning, breakfast would be her best bet to find one of the ponies in power. Silverhorn or Cadence were her first choices, but any other party leader would be as well.

Thankfully, to her luck, Silverhorn sat in his usual spot at the table, looking rather perturbed. Twilight could imagine why - his abject disapproval of the war might have even surmounted her own. Twilight took a seat beside him, figuring Cadence of all ponies wouldn’t mind her normal ‘throne’ being taken. Apparently, several of the nobles got a bit snippy when their spots were ‘stolen’ away from them. Children, all of them.

“Good morning.” Twilight spoke first, dipping her head towards the duke. Twilight looked across the spread on the table, but for some reason she didn’t feel like eating the faintest amount. Perhaps later.

“It is a morning. But good? I’m not so sure.” Silverhorn dabbed at his mouth with a napkin, sadly shaking his head. “The keep is quiet today, though I imagine the homes of the soon-to-be widows won’t be silent for long. Such a travesty.

“Excuse me for getting so down this early in the morning. It's hard to think about anything other than the looming sword.” Silverhorn looked towards Twilight, giving her the best, small smile he could. “And how are you today, my dear Twilight? Horn giving you trouble? Before you ask, I do know about that.”

Well, one question answered. She shouldn’t be surprised that at least some of the inner circle knew about her… new look. For some ponies, such as Cadence or Celestia, them knowing didn’t really bother her. Somehow, she felt Fleur knowing would only lead to disaster.

“Well, as good as I can be, duke.” Twilight finally answered. “I wished to talk to you about something. Well, you and Cadence.” Twilight purposefully left out Fleur and Charlemane’s names - it’d only brew trouble. “I need to know more about the government and I trust you two. I’ve been warned a few times about how much influence I could wield and... well, with Luna gone, I think it’s time that I exercise it.”

Silverhorn’s gaze hardened as he looked at her, giving her a long, appraising look. “I don’t think you truly realize the implications of what you’re asking, dear Twilight.” He shook his head, turning back to his food. “But truly, I can’t be the one to turn you away from what you want. But not in public - you know my office?” Twilight nodded. “Come at one. We’ll seal it off and have a nice talk. Until then, no more of this topic, understand?” Another nod.

Twilight gently pushed the chair back out and bowed her head. “Until then, duke. Unfortunately, I don’t have much of an appetite this morning.”

“Take care of yourself. Hopefully, I’ll see you for lunch.”

“Until then.” Twilight didn’t look back as she left, she had what she needed. If she could secure something with Cadence and Fleur too, it would be perfect. But one at a time, and for now, she had plenty of time.

Twilight busied herself with studies while she waited. Yes, she took a lunch, though a light one and one delivered to her room. That way, Silverhorn and Cadence couldn’t bug about being unhealthy. Besides, hungriness did detract from her reading. Despite her mentor being far away for now, Twilight was still the Student of the Night and needed to act like it, which meant keeping up with her studies. Perhaps she could talk to some of the professors at the academy to see if she could take private lessons. Only if they were willing, of course, but there were specialists of all types at the academy.

Another thing to add to the ‘later’ list. Twelve thirty rolled around before she even realized it, and the time to visit Silverhorn came with it. Twilight delicately marked her place in the book and set off; Silverhorn’s office was essentially across the castle.

Much like Cadence’s, the room’s oak door let no sound escape, spelled to keep the room private. It would, however, let sound in, and three knocks signalled Twilight’s arrival to the stallion. A flick of magic and she was in.

Unlike Cadence’s, Silverhorn’s lair was an absolute mess. The only personal touch he had was a small portrait of a mare, the rest of his office polluted with all sorts of papers and documents, haphazardly thrown around. Honestly, Twilight itched every time she came in here; how could he work like this? But, it worked for him, and the chair across from his remained empty, so she had her seat.

“Good afternoon, Twilight. Did you eat?” Silverhorn asked, crossing his hooves on the desk and giving her a smile. “If not, I’m sure I could have something brought up.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’ve already eaten and I’m uninterested. Silverhorn, I’ll be honest, I want to cut to the chase,” Twilight said, blunt as she could be. She leaned forward in the chair, a hard expression on her face. “I want to know about the court, about the Queen, everything. My brother and friends are in danger because of this rat’s nest, and I want to know why.” She left out her love being in danger - she didn’t need Silverhorn knowing yet another valuable piece of information about her. That would be her and Cadence’s secret for now.

Silverhorn sat back in his chair, staring at Twilight. He sighed and shook his head, looking back down now. “Sad that such a young mare like yourself is getting caught up in this business. That’s not to say you shouldn’t. It's your own decision and despite my beliefs, I can’t stop you from it, and I’ll answer any questions you have. Is that adequate?” Silverhorn asked.

Enough, at least. “Alright. Fine. What can you tell me about Fleur, Charlemane, and Cadence?” First question would simply confirm he didn’t lie to her. She already knew a fair amount about the trio, at least enough to know that the three were the ringleaders, the ones at the heads of each party.

“Well, that’s depending on what you want to know. The three are the party heads here in Canterlot, each having their own, diverse parties. Perhaps Cadence would be the best place to start. She’s the head of my own party, that of the Caregivers. Cadence works to make peace between the classes, no matter the monetary cost, something that she embodies by her own charitable giving,” Silverhorn started. “There’s not much to it, really. Her primary points are education for all and continued healthcare research. Mostly a pacifist too, and always happy with the monarchs. Save for... A few issues.”

Twilight nodded swiftly. She’d known about Cadence beforehand, the two were close enough to talk about politics occasionally. “And Fleur?”

“Fleur can be summed up easily, but not explained the same way. She seeks to enhance the power of the nobility and keep the populace controlled. She harbors an innate distrust of the monarchs, especially Luna, and wants to expand her own power more than anything. And before you ask, Charlemane empowers the military more than anything else and believes that only through constant conquest can ponykind grow.

“These are, of course, very oversimplified versions of each of their ideas. There is plenty of mixing and matching between each of them, and each of them have their own nuances. This is just an overview at best, and to properly explain what each and every one of them was about would take days of talking and could probably fill books.” Silverhorn sighed and shook his head. “And it's a mess, really. Does that answer your question?”

So far, nothing he said contradicted what she already knew, though it also didn’t particularly add anything. She knew this before, she’d heard it all in the past, even heard it from the ponies themselves. Save Charlemane, she’d talked to all three of them, so she had some manner of her own experience.

And a vast oversimplification, of course. Hard to summarize a pony’s entire life in a few sentences or so, but Silverhorn had done an adequate job in explaining the high points, something that Twilight was quite thankful for. So far, she didn’t know where to throw her lot. Actually, she wasn’t quite sure about that; she knew Charlemane’s party was likely out of contention. Anything that supported more of this war was something she wanted no part of, no matter if it was ‘good for ponykind’ or what have you. After seeing the send off yesterday, this would be the last war she would see, if she had anything to say about it.

Then again, small ponies like her could rarely dictate things like that, but she could try her best. Perhaps it was naivety, but the violence just seemed… unnecessary, brutish. Inequine.

“Yes. Well enough. What do you think of Luna? Specifically, her power?” Luna asked.

Silverhorn frowned and sighed heavily. “I won’t lie to you. I promised such. She’s too autocratic, too busy. I would never think of trying to get her to step down; she’s a brilliant leader, but many others want her to. She’s working herself to the bone and you know I think highly of her in a personal way. It would do her and everypony else good for her to take a break, or delegate a little bit. Does that make sense?”

As much as she disagreed, it did. Quickly changing the subject, Twilight asked: “From what I gather, you and Fleur aren’t exactly friendly?”

Silverhorn actually quirked an eyebrow at that, looking surprised at Twilight. “And why would you think that, Twilight? Fleur and I are at absolutely friends. Just because we disagree on politics doesn’t mean we can’t be civil with each other. Why, just last week, she participated in one of my fundraisers. One you’d be quite interested in actually: she’s actually funding our joint plague research. Absolutely marvelous mare, quite generous and sweet as a honey roll. Dreadful politics, though.”

Twilight blinked. She hadn’t expected that answer, and it floored her. “Oh. Okay.” She squirmed in her seat, trying to fight back the awkwardness. “How about the other two?”

“Well, Cadence should go without saying. My favorite mare, no offense to yourself. Charlemane, on the other hoof, can be a bit rough around the edges at times. He’s blunt, but honest. Doesn’t really know what tact is,” he explained. “He’ll have your back if he likes you but… well, there’s very few ponies that he actually likes. He’s not a bad pony, I’m not sure if any pony is truly bad, he’s just strong willed.”

Right. Silverhorn was an optimist. Not just an optimist, but a damn eternal one. He’d probably have good things to say about the creator of the plague, if there was one. She should’ve seen that coming, in retrospect. “Very well. If I wanted to get involved with any of the three, how would I do it?”

“Well, that’s easy.” Silverhorn beamed at Twilight, leaning in close. “You’re already doing it! You want to try and influence any of them big three? Just talk to them like you are to me now. Maybe throw in some public support if you really want to curry favor. Luna has likely heavily insulated you from the press and the like, but arranging an appointment for the Student of the Night, even one as young as you, would be simple. In fact… I could do it, if you like. I won’t even ask you to say anything, just let you speak.”

A generous offer. “Thank you, but not now,” Twilight answered. “I need to talk to all of them first. I need to make these decisions for myself, but I do thank you.”

“It’s absolutely no problem, my dear! I’d love for you to stay and talk longer, but unfortunately I have meetings of my own soon. Perhaps I could schedule something tomorrow?”

Twilight nearly accepted, but changed her mind at the last second. She had a better idea. “Could you set something up with Cadence for me? I could just approach her myself, but if I’m going to do this, I want to do it right.” No abusing Cadence’s time just because they were friends, Twilight would go through the process like any other pony.

“Absolutely, but it will probably be a week or two, minimum. Is that alright?” Silverhorn asked.

Well, perhaps it did have a penalty for acting right. Either way, Twilight nodded and got to her hooves. “Well, I’ll get out of your mane for now. Let me know when as soon as you can?” she asked.

“Of course. See you soon, my dear.”

And with that, Twilight departed. She had thinking to do.

!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!

Silverhorn made good on his deal. Twilight had a meeting with Cadence nearly two weeks later, but the day before, she had another meeting, just as important. Luna also settled up on her promise as she was invited to the very first war council’s meeting, along with many, many other nobles. This would be the first real update from the ‘front’, the first one with any meat since the expeditionary force had finally landed and set-up camp. Despite how petty or small of an update it may be, Twilight needed to be there. She needed to hear the news from the source.

And speaking of, Twilight waited. It was not the stereotypical, shadowed conference room she had expected. No, the meeting took place around a dining room table, room bright and windows stretching from floor to ceiling. The servants even served food, providing refreshments. Sickeningly, most of the nobles in attendance laughed and joked with each other. To be fair, the generals seated at the head of the table were much more calm, talking quietly to themselves. Celestia sat among them, delicately picking at her food. To her credit, Celestia secured Twilight a seat near the front, but unfortunately close enough to the nobles to make her skin crawl.

“Excuse me, dear ponies.” Celestia spoke quietly, yet somehow her voice carried. Instantly, the crowd quieted down and started to take their seats, two nobles sandwiching Twilight. She didn’t know them, but they knew her. Yet, she shut down any attempts at conversation so far. Today was not the day for hobnobbing, today was for information.

“General Azure, would you start us off with an overview?” Celestia asked, inclining her head to the rightmost general. They lived up to their name - azure mane and darker blue coat, of course a unicorn. Of the ten generals, only two were pegasi, the rest unicorns. Yet another example of the racial divide of the elite.

Azure, a mare, stood up, hard gaze sweeping across the crowd. “Of course, your highness.” Her voice had a clipped accent, as if she wasted absolutely no words, “Queen Luna and her guard have landed in Griffon territory. For their own safety and to protect against information leaks, their exact location will not be told. They are in the Northern territories, however, and all well equipped to handle the inclement weather.

“Our hope is that, for now at least, the snow will keep the griffons in their roost for a few weeks. This will give our ponies valuable time to establish an outpost. For that, I’ll turn it over to Mustang.” She motioned her head towards a mustard colored stallion, wearing the tight uniform of a wonderbolt.

The stallion stood and gave a cocky smile towards the crowd. “Outpost’s comin’ ‘long nicely. Shouldn’t be no worry about griffons crackin’ that egg. With the Clad above it, things’ll be just fine indeed. Reinforcements will be shippin’ out soon. Keepin’ the date secret for similar reason as Miss Azure said a second ago, but you get the point. Princess?”

Celestia finally took to her hooves, her smile much more beatific. “That’s the general update, my little ponies. It’s important for us to know our loved ones are safe, but unfortunately we can’t give much more information without causing an issue. Now, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask everypony to leave save the general’s staff.”

Twilight started to get up, fury rolling through her. They’d promised she’d get to stay ‘in the know’, getting shoveled out with the nobles and guards did not count for that. “Twilight, wait.” Celestia’s voice could somehow still be heard over the din of the crowd noise and Twilight waited. Better, much better. Granted, she wouldn’t have been able to do much about her anger, but still. “Sit close.” Celestia ordered.

And so, Twilight worked against the crowd’s movement until she neared the head of the table. She took a seat as close as she could, the remnants of some noble’s breakfast still scattered across the table. Disgusting; did they forget their manners? Her magic gently pushed the plate and crumbs away, giving her at least a small clear space.

Twilight did her best to ignore the glow.

Finally, the hall fell silent, the crowd herded away by the guards still remaining. The great doors slammed closed behind them, and a golden flare sealed them tight against any listeners or magical penetration. “On to the real news. Azure?”

Azure spoke again, quieter this time. “Eastern output is secure. No griffons have noticed, and only the local ponies have spotted us so far. They’re either paid off or in protective custody, with a few wanting extradition back here. It’s up to her Majesty to grant those requests, but if she does the refugees will be on the first flights back.

“The actual outpost in the north isn’t far enough to be cloaked in snow yet. We found a ravine that works well for it as a defensible position and all signals are green. So far, so good there as well. There are no local ponies in the region so we have carte blanche to do what we need to. The north will be receiving their first invasion force next month and will begin to make their actions known so Luna and the east can move freely.”

Azure frowned before going on, eyes clouded. “The south isn’t so lucky. Our third and final outpost thought they found a forest clearing to set up camp in. Unfortunately… the surrounding creatures have disagreed. So far, three ponies have been injured and one killed through a combination of manticores, cockatrices, and ursas. The local griffon village has taken notice and sent word to the griffon military. We may have to abandon the outpost if things get worse. I recommend sending the first wave of reinforcements and an additional airship to the south and preparing to start our movement from there instead of the north.”

Celestia considering it and nodded her head. “Alright, thank you for the update, General Azure. Mustang, supply and defense report.”

“Not as good as we would like, but not bad.” Mustang’s accent disappeared entirely, his voice instead clipped and professional. An act for the public? “Food’s a bit soured in the south; all sorts of critters are nesting inside it and shittin’ all up in there. We have constant scouting patrols at all three, and besides the food issue, everything seems pretty nominal. Local foraging goes well for all but the north, as the proximity of the griffon village is making things difficult.” Mustang took his seat again and Celestia nodded.

“Thank you, General.” Celestia nodded her head towards Mustang, frowning. “I’ll expect more updates as time goes on, if you please. Our first offensive starts in three weeks and both me and Twilight will be in the know. Understand?” A chorus of agreement of nods followed her words, much quicker than Twilight thought Luna’s order would. “You are all dismissed, but Twilight please stay behind for a moment. I’d like to talk.”

Twilight nodded apprehensively; what would the princess need to talk to her about? They hardly saw anything of each other, despite Celestia saying they should be closer. Both of them had their own workloads, Twilight didn’t blame Celestia at all for it. But as the generals filtered out, Celestia gave Twilight a genial, kind smile.

“Twilight, how are you?” Celestia asked. “I’ve heard about your…interest into the political structure. Is everything alright?” Celestia looked kind and genial, at least to Twilight. And Twilight didn’t consider herself easily fooled, Celestia’s reputation definitely fit.

Twilight swallowed, looking down before answering. Internally, she debated whether to give a lie or speak the truth. Truth won out, figuring that Celestia deserved her trust since Celestia had held up her end of the bargain. “It’s fine,” she said, keeping her voice as even as she could. “I just want to know and be involved while Luna is gone. I trust you, I do, but things are bad... And um, I want to help,” she answered. she smiled up at Celestia, wobbling and unsure, but definitely there.

Celestia nodded and stood, walking around the edge of the table to stand face to face with Twilight. Gently, she placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Be very careful Twilight. There are some even I can’t protect you from and Luna will be quite upset with me if you aren’t in one piece when she gets home. Good luck.”

Celestia dropped her hoof and walked out, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight dressed to the nines - she’d found a new dressmaker recently here in the upper districts, one that went by the name of Rarity. Good timing too; an official meeting with Cadence meant dressing to fit and Rarity had done a wonderful job on Twilight’s dress.

The dress itself was a soft lilac; a long, soft thing, with a midnight blue sash running around her waist. A trail dragged behind her, lightly enchanted to keep the dirt and dust away from it, keeping the cloth immaculate. The dress was simple, which Twilight liked, but also beautiful and functional, even accommodating her sword, though she left it in the tower for this. Carrying a weapon to a meeting between a noble and a commoner would be poor form indeed.

Oddly, Twilight even had to wait. She arrived early, fifteen minutes early, and Cadence had another meeting before hers. Twilight never had to wait before; she always just walked in! But she had to do things right…

After fifteen minutes of fidgeting and waiting, a guard escorted a stallion out, Cadence’s voice calling out to wish him goodbye. With her head held high, Twilight entered Cadence’s office.

The room hadn’t changed a single bit since her confession and Twilight took the offered seat. Still comfortable, still cozy, still perfectly Cadence, and Twilight wouldn’t change it if she could. Cadence, on the other hoof, looked rather frazzled, to say the least. Her mane stuck out in weird places, she had the worst bags under her eyes, and empty cups littered the desk. It almost seemed like she hadn’t even let the maids do their job. She even rested her head in her hooves, not even looking up as Twilight entered the room.

“Um, Cadence? What’s wrong?” Twilight asked. She looked over Cadence, searching for any obvious signs of distress or pain, but found nothing.

Cadence slowly looked up through half lidded eyes. “Nothing, just…” She shook her head, raising it fully. “Just tired. It’s been a rough few weeks for all of us here recently, as you can imagine. I haven’t been sleeping much and feel like I’m coming down with something, but…” She shook her head again, seemingly trying to clear away the tiredness. Her usual smile replaced the frown, pushing away some of the signs of fatigue at the very least. “It’s good to see you, dear. You wanted to see me about getting involved?”

Twilight hesitated - should she leave Cadence be? If Twilight cancelled the meeting, would Cadence even take the time for herself? Knowing Cadence, she’d probably just roll onto the next one. Or something. She honestly didn’t know what nobles did for most of the day, though she could imagine fairly well.

FInally, she nodded. “Oh, yes. I’d like to hear your opinions on a few things first, if that’s okay.”

Cadence smiled fully now, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Of course, dear. Just…” With gritted teeth, Cadence’s horn glowed cyan, the door’s lock clicking loudly into position behind them. “There we go! Ask away, dear.”

“Fleur and Charlemane.” Twilight blurted out. “Er- that is, what do you think of the two?” Surely she’d be similar

Despite the fatigue, Cadence’s eyes hardened. “Fleur is an egotistical, ruthless, cold-hearted bitch. She doesn’t have an ounce of good faith in her body, and every single move that she makes is only to further her own goals. She’s a unicorn supremacist, a true noble, and a backstabber and I would rather fight her than see you talk to her at all.” She snapped the last part, almost growling it out.

Silence.

Twilight stared, Cadence stared, and neither talked. Finally, Cadence broke the silence. “Charlemane isn’t a bad pony. Just disagrees with the rest of us. Is that it?” she asked, all traces of her former venom gone in a flash.

Right. Cadence was a tiny bit bipolar then, Twilight should, um, probably just ignore that. “That’s the biggest question. I’ve heard and read lately about the politics in general for each party, so um, I feel pretty comfortable about that.” She answered. And she really had - two weeks since the meeting with Silverhorn meant she had plenty of time to find out for herself. She’d still rather hear it from the source, of course. “I would like to hear you explain your opinions on the Caretakers, however.”

Straight from the source. Better. Cadence nodded her head, stifling a yawn behind a hoof. “Of course I can do that.” She answered. “The Caretaker’s party is founded primarily on a single initiative: equality. And that’s not just equality for unicorn noble’s, like Fleur believes, and not just for ponies, like Charlemane believes. No, equality for all. For ponies, griffons, diamond dogs, dragons, and even sea serpents. All deserve equal opportunities, even if some need a few different laws to govern them correctly.

“And there’s really no equality in Equestria right now. You’re from the lower districts, you know how impossible it can be to claw your way out of that hellhole. And no offense to you Twilight, but you’re a unicorn. It’s easier for you than an earth pony, or a diamond dog, or a griffon. And with this war going on, the discrimination will only get worse.

“As a nation, we can’t allow this sort of hatred to go on. How many trapped geniuses are there in the lower classes? How many ponies and others suffer because of our antiquated laws? The answer is too many, too many ruined every single day. And I won’t stand for that, nor will the caretakers. For us to succeed, we need to repeal the laws that discriminate against the other races, and we need to establish education for everypony, not just the talented unicorns. Finally, we need to start social safety nets for the poor and disenfranchised. With just a few hundred bits from each noble, we could feed thousands on top of thousands of starving ponies, all for a pittance of a tax.

“And that’s what the Caretakers are about.” Cadence finished. She looked almost revitalized at the tail end of her speech, as if talking about her passions somehow negated the terrible fatigue of the days before. Twilight couldn’t blame her - she seemed to really enjoy her position, really enjoy the privilege of the power she held. Twilight almost felt a little envy for the first time. The message, while a bit oversimplified, was not one she could preach against. Perhaps that was some of its strength actually - ponies couldn’t talk against her plan without seeming like bigots.

How did you say you wanted to keep the money where it was without seeming like you hated the poor? Or, talk about how public education may be a detriment to the country without seeming like a bigot? It almost felt like a cause that one had to support to avoid seeming despicable.

But Twilight doubted that Cadence preached how she did for that reason. She couldn’t, right? She was too darn sweet. She was too nice and kind; well, maybe not towards Fleur, but to everypony else.

“Thank you for the speech, Cadence.” Despite the almost sarcastic words, Twilight’s tone was genuine. Very enlightening, that. “And what would I need to do to help out with your party?” She asked.

“It’s easy. A few events, a little voicing of support, perhaps a little monetary support if you had it, and that’s really it. We can always use volunteers for some of our charity work as well. We run soup kitchens and clothes drives throughout the lower city, and if you’d like to start your own work, you only need to reach out to take the benefits of our establishment. We can offer resources and helping hooves in addition to monetary assistance. And that’s just a few things we can do - there’s always more help a pony can give!”

“Alright.” Twilight answered, evenly. A bit much to take in, but she could do most of that. Besides, she wanted to help out her home. Maybe she could organize a drive for the orphanage or something? Just something that would ensure they had a few basic necessities like food and water during the winter. “Thank you for the information, again.” She smiled back at Cadence, eager to get involved for the first time. Though, she did have a bit of work before that.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll take my leave now and let you get some rest.” She started to get to her hooves again, figuring that she would still need to hear Fleur and Charlemane’s side first. Honestly, after hearing Cadence, she didn’t know what would convince her otherwise, but… well, she could always be surprised.

“Of course, and goddesses know I could use it.” Cadence admitted, a light blush coloring her already pink cheeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight’s next target would be the most difficult for her to track down. Fleur, while ostensible and open with what she did and where she moved, was surprisingly hard to actually talk to. It seemed that every time Twilight got close, or every time that Twilight nearly said something to her, she would be yanked away at the last second. It frustrated Twilight to no end - yes, she would eventually get to talk to the white mare, yes it meant next to nothing, but it still annoyed her. And, more importantly, the updates from the front had already slowed to a crawl. Nothing much happened in the last few weeks.

A great snow storm had swept over the entirety of the Griffon republic. Not only did this mire down the normal civilians, but also the latent military forces from both sides. From what their intelligence showed, neither the griffons nor the ponies had the ability to field much during the snowfall, and neither seemed particularly eager to fight in it either. Thus far, only a few minor border skirmishes had really occurred, and none of them too bloody.

Luna’s detachment hadn’t fought in a single one of them, even. From what she had heard, that set Luna into quite the tizzy. And speaking of Luna’s detachment, the first bundle of letters had made their way back into the empire, and with them, one from Shining.

Dear LSBFF,

How are things there? We don’t get much news from back home, but considering I haven’t heard much I’ll just assume that things are good. I look forward to receiving mail regarding what’s going on back home. I miss you, and I miss the orphanage. It’s only been a few weeks and the bitter feeling of homesickness has already set in. Most of the camp seems unaffected but I can’t say the same for myself.

Speaking of the camp, things go well here. Things are progressing nicely and I can’t really complain with the duties I’ve been given. Sunset is in my company and I see her occasionally, but we’re both very busy. I’m in charge of the Queen’s own bodyguard, can you believe it? It’s just me and a few others taking care of every guard that she has throughout the day, it's a huge honor. I even get to guard her myself, on occasion.

And I know how much you like Luna. She talks about you near incessantly. Half the time we talk privately she asks how you are, or what you like, or just stuff about your interests. I think she wants to get back to you as much as I do - if not more. I think you’ll be happy to know that she’s been keeping herself out of danger. I don’t think she really wants to, but she’s been doing it anyways. Apparently, Celestia sent her a message chiding her after trying to rush out for the first few skirmishes. We’ll both come home safely, I promise.

Oh, and don’t worry about me. Life here isn’t bad; it’s structured and orderly, just how you know I like it. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are at the same time every day, and we all have our duties to attend to. We even have a few hours of free time, depending on the schedule for the day. So really, things are going well for us.

There is some bad news, though. They’re talking about moving out soon. Like, really mobilizing. I think the most recent reports have said moving as soon as within the next few days. I don’t think that Luna and I will be in the first companies, but Sunset might. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on that, but with you getting to sit in on the strategy meetings, you may know even before me. Regardless, the latest that they’ve said is a week and a half, so things will be getting a lot more dangerous here soon.

Wish me luck! And before I forget, I’ve enclosed a letter from Luna too!

Love you,
Shining Armor

Shining’s letter comforted Twilight. The descriptions of the camp gave her something to latch on to and think about. She felt like she more intimately knew the situation at the front than the dry, dull overviews that Celestia and her ilk gave. But, if Shining’s letter was satisfying and comforting, Luna’s was anything but.

Dearest Twilight;

I hope this finds you well. This letter will be short, unfortunately. Please know that I am doing well and will see you soon.

Yours,
Luna.

And that was it.

Twilight could understand some things: being at the front of the war meant Luna would be busy, and she probably had to write letters for dozens upon dozens of ponies. But after their last time together, the kiss, the talks, everything, Twilight had expected something more. Truly, how long did it take to write a letter to a pony? Could she not even spare five minutes to write something more? It felt impersonal, almost like Luna didn’t care about her.

But what could Twilight do about it? Nothing but send her own letters back, nothing but worry about the future. She would talk to Luna about it, eventually, she had to, just not now. She hardly deserved to stress the Queen during such a rough time.

Regardless, she had her own plans. Today, she finally had a chance to corner Fleur. She’d heard about a garden party in one of the bigger gardens at the castle, one that Fleur would just happen to be at. It would even be near the great hedge maze, if Twilight could lure her into it… Or actually, just talk to her about it. That would probably be easier.

Twilight wore a light, blush pink dress, with a white shawl to ward off the cool weather. In her ears, she wore two, tiny little crescent moons, in silent support of Luna. Her guards, stoic as they were, called her cute, though in a bored, stale voice. But once she arrived to the party, she felt anything but.

The ladies of the court were true ladies. Beauty beyond compare, perfect and immeasurable. Twilight’s own modest looks felt meaningless in comparison; each and every one seemed dressed to perfection, flawlessly made up and beyond beautiful. And the gentlecolts of the court were lookers too, but honestly, Twilight’s eyes drew only to the fairer sex.

Yet, despite her position, she had no idea what to do at a party. In fact, she had relegated herself to the edge of the garden, sitting on a bench and drinking at a cup of punch quietly. Her target, Fleur, stood just paces away, and Twilight watched like a shark. Perhaps a little awkwardly, yes, but she could wait for a chance. Surely Fleur would want to talk to her, right?

Thankfully, nopony had talked to her y-

She had to say something, didn’t she?

A white mare with a fabulous purple mane sat next to her, sapphire dress practically sparkling on her body. At least she knew this mare; one Lady Rarity of Trottingham, daughter to the duke. Also an absolutely wonderful seamstress.

As a conversationalist… things could be a bit difficult at times.

“Good eeevening, Twilot.” Rarity spoke, her voice heavily accented. Rarity was a lovely lady, as far as Twilight knew, but her accent made even the most normal of conversations hard to follow. She tried her best, she really did, but the frozen north of Trottingham practically had its own dialect.

Twilight smoothed her skirts over with a hoof and gave a nod towards the Lady. “Good day, Lady Rarity. Enjoying yourself?”

“Oh, of kurse,” Rarity answered with an enthusiastic nod. “What a vunderful party, really! All the ze stallion are vunderful!” She turned towards Twilight with a pouting face, adorable and teasing. “But zey won’t pay attention to me! Just her!” She pointed with a hoof to the clump of ponies, fluttering her eyelashes.

Oh course she pointed towards Fleur. Fleur was the lifeblood of the party; it was hers, after all. Perhaps Twilight could kill two birds with one stone. “Wait here, Lady.” Twilight got to her hooves, wading through the crowd and gently pushing through. With great effort, Twilight managed to force her way to the front, where Fleur laughed with another noble stallion.

“And then I sai-”

“Excuse me, Fleur?” Twilight cut in. The crowd turned, staring at Twilight, all eyes focused on her. Right, she forgot about this part… Heat rose to her cheeks, body feeling very warm and very small all the sudden.

Fleur turned to her, eyebrows arched, expression severe. “Yes, Twilight?” She asked, voice dripping with sickly sweetness.

“Do you have a moment for a private word?” Twilight asked, each word almost feeling like her last. Definitely overly dramatic, but that didn’t stop her from feeling it then.

The crowd stayed silent for a second as nearly everypony waited for Fleur’s answer. Why in Equestria had this needed to be so overly dramatic? She just wanted a few minutes for a word! But apparently everypony needed to stop and stare. Sure, she had interrupted, but she still felt the ensuing awkwardness was a bit too much.

Fortunately, Fleur nodded and shook her head, bouncing her curled mane. “Of course, shall we?” Fleur offered her hoof, clearly expecting Twilight to take it, something that caused her no small amount of blushing.

Twilight, as etiquette dictated, had to take it, and the younger mare led the older one through the crowd, towards the maze. “So what is it you wanted to talk about?” Fleur asked.

Twilight considered how to phrase her questions, considering the pony she talked to. On their way out, the pair trotted past Rarity, who Twilight gave a small wink and a nudge too - she had the field open now. Rarity’s grateful nod proved she saw it and Twilight hoped she would amply distract any who would follow them.

“Politics, Fleur.” Twilight answered. Fleur’s face lit up with genuine glee, and Twilight had to wonder just what she’d gotten into.

Throwing the Gauntlet

“Politics,” Fleur repeated with a stunned look that mimicked the disbelief in her voice.

“Politics,” repeated Twilight, continuing her task of leading the pair into the maze. An amused grin spread across Fleur’s muzzle as she she shook her head.

“Do you know I’ve been trying to talk to you about that exact subject for months now? But it seemed like everypony was conspiring against me. My efforts were interrupted by the Queen, Cadence, Silverhorn, Celestia, your guards...” A light tittering broke Fleur’s list before she simply finished, “Yes, I would love to talk politics, so long as you’re ready.”

Fleur’s eagerness would have unnerved Twilight if anger hadn’t taken hold first. She knew better than to think those “interruptions” were unintentional, and the thought of everypony interfering made her indignant. Who were they to prevent ponies from talking to her; who designated them as her gatekeepers? Luna was allowed, of course, but everypony else? They had no right. And to think she thought Fleur had been avoiding her!

“Oh, I believe I’m ready now.” A hint of anger reached her voice as a tense smile spread across her muzzle.

“Perfect!” Fleur answered. “Now, I’m sure you’ve talked with the other parties, just based on your proximity to Cadence and the Queen; so, would you mind sharing who exactly you’ve spoken with? I would like a chance to address any… mm, misconceptions you may have heard about what we stand for.”

The crunching of leaves filled the gap in the conversation as Twilight considered Fleur’s request. If her head was clearer, she would be more reluctant to divulge anything to Fleur, but not now. After how they treated her, no pony deserved her blind loyalty.

“Cadence and Silverhorn. Luna rarely talks about politics; we really only talk about magic and my studies.”

“Right, of course. I’m sure Cadence has a few choice things to say about me, right?” Fleur asked, teasingly bumped into Twilight.

Twilight smiled back, doing her best to not blush from Fleur’s blunt acknowledgment. “Yes, you two don’t seem to be on good terms, but,” Twilight cleared her throat, forgetting the blood in her cheeks, “that’s not really what I’m here for, is it? We don’t have to like each other to work together. At least, if we can find common ground.”

Twilight almost turned a corner before she realized that Fleur had stopped dead in her tracks. Slowly, Twilight turned to look, feeling like perhaps she had made too many assumptions. Fleur only looked back in astonishment. “Goddesses! Well, you’re certainly not coy, are you?” Twilight mentally sighed, knowing that no offense had been given.

“But you are right, you know; I really don’t like Cadence.” Fleur once again began to walk, this time, walking next to Twilight. “But I do like to think that shouldn’t be a barrier between you and I. You and I can find friendship in our cause.”

Twilight took a quick breath to fight the blushing before she spoke again. “Of course, but first, I need to know what that cause is. Cadence and Silverhorn have told me, of course, but I’d like to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. Due diligence and all.”

Fleur nodded absently, humming a light tune. “Well, that’s simple enough. An overview, right? Left up here, Twilight,” Fleur instructed.

Twilight nodded.

“Alright, easy enough. Do you remember the last time we spoke?” Twilight nodded again, remembering their talk about the Queen and the Princess. “So, since then, I’m sure Cadence has told you all about her belief in equality and fairness for every pony, yes?” Twilight almost answered before Fleur continued on. “Now, Cadence’s ideals do sound wonderful, don’t get me wrong. In fact, if they were possible, I’d be the first pony helping her.”

“But ideals don’t always survive off of paper, do they?”

Fleur stopped their movement by placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and pulling her closer. “Let’s be honest. Ponies like you and the Queen are beyond what any common pony could do. Ponies like you can work wonders that most ponies can’t understand. They cannot understand the scale of your magnificence, and as such, they never give you your due.”

Twilight’s eyes meet Fleur’s and saw something flash through them.

“And why not? Because nopony else recognizes it! That’s the result of being surrounded by a sea of chaff, of mediocrity!” Fleur’s voice was filled with disbelief. “And if those pony cannot understand greatness, why should we listen to them about anything?”

Twilight continued to stare mute, unsure how to answer.

Fleur’s, noting the silence, took a breath before continuing on in a softer tone. “It’s not their fault, however; it is simply how we were born. Do you think the farmers could understand the complexities of business anymore than actuary could till the land? Of course not, and to have them try is a waste of both ponies!”

“That’s why nobles need to be the sole rulers; they are bred and born for the role. Sure, there are excepts, such as you, Twilight, but why write rules for exceptions?” Fleur laughed with a hint of cruelty. “No, no, it is only logical to leave it to the nobles. The ‘equality’ that Cadence preaches would do nothing but muddle the system, making a whole mess of it. It would ruin the purity of the nation if we had farm ponies writing our laws, only weakening us from within! And what type of equality would that lead to?" Fleur released Twilight's shoulder in order to accent her exclamation with a hoof stamp. “ Sure, those lower ponies may be lesser than the nobles, but they are far better off being lesser in prosperity than being equal in ruin.”

“That’s why we must put our best hoof forward and allow the leaders to lead; unfortunately, that cannot be accomplished with the system we have now. Queen Luna has done a great job, but her sole leadership has left generations of fresh fruit rot on the vine. Why not use what we have to form a Council of Nobles, each speaking for their city or district, be better? Each pony could bring their intimate knowledge of their location while pooling together their leaderships to lead the Empire to prosperity!”

“Now, I’m going to say something that you won’t want to hear; for this Council to work, the Queen would have to step down as sole ruler. Of course, Queen Luna, as a noble, could still participate in ruling, but only as part of the Council. And while the Queen might not realize it yet, this Council benefits her just as much as it benefits Equestria. She can finally be relieved of the burden of ruling. Think about it Twilight; the Queen would finally get a break, no more being overworked and underappreciated. She could be a free pony for the first time in centuries!”

Fleur turned to Twilight with a coy smile. “And Luna’s retirement could only benefit you, no? Luna could be your queen instead of Equestria’s, letting her solely focus on your relationship as Master and Student. You would get the tutelage you want while the country prospers. And that’s not an ideal that’s stuck on paper.”

As a motherly smile signaled the end of Fleur’s points, Twilight’s mind raced, contemplating what Fleur had told her. She was...right in a way? The nobility, well, the educated nobility at least, certainly knew the ins-and-outs of the empire better than most of the common folk. Luna likely knew more than even them, but Luna was overworked, and she needed some time off, something Twilight couldn’t get out of her. If Luna was relieved as queen, that meant there would be more time for just the two of them. More time meant more chances for Twilight to get Luna to love her back, which meant that marriage wouldn’t be just a vague dream.

Twilight shivered. Dare she even think about marrying the Queen, especially so soon? And how could she put the wants of one pony over an entire nation? Luna knew best, so it was only logical that she needed to stay in power. Also, Cadence’s plan didn’t sound as impossible as Fleur thought it was, and Twilight’s suspicion of the noble pony just couldn’t be put off. She remembered that night in the library still, and while nothing had come of it, that she knew of, at least, it still seemed suspicious.

One day, she would have to ask directly about that, but not at this moment. Twilight knew that there had to be some sort of compromise. The common ponies deserved their own voice, but Twilight knew just how rooted in ignorance that voice would be. While Twilight’s existence seemed to prove Fleur wrong, she couldn’t deny that nobles, on the whole, were simply more equipped to handle the burden of leadership. Sure, it was due to their privileged positions, but that didn’t change the reality.

Ugh, I guess this is why politic ponies are always arguing but never resolving anything. This is hard!

Twilight finally shook her head, looking up towards Fleur. “I admit, on the surface, it sounds like your plan could work. But… I have some lingering questions tha-”

Fleur politely, yet quickly cut her off. “Of course Twilight, you can ask me all the questions you want, but perhaps now isn’t the best time? I’ll be expected back in the gardens soon, as will you. We can’t leave our ponies waiting, yes?”

Twilight confirmed Fleur’s statement, “Of course. Do you have another time in mind?”

Fleur pursed her lips, thinking for a second. “I think I have a solution to that. A friend that’s agreeable to our cause is hosting a dinner party in a few weeks, and all the like-minded nobles are sure to be there; it’s the perfect place to answer your questions. We’ll sit close, and if I can’t explain something well, one of the others will be able to. Doesn’t that sound lovely?” she asked.

The sudden invitation put Twilight off-balance, unsure of what to say next. Unsure of what to say, she simply responded, “That would probably be our best bet.”

“Splendid! I’ll ensure that the invitation arrives within the next few days, so be sure to keep an eye out. Now, shall we take our leave?”

Twilight shook her head. “Go on without me, I’ll be out shortly. I just need some time to process alone.”

“Of course, Twilight, take all the time you need.”

With that, Fleur left, leaving Twilight to her muddled thoughts.

Her loyalty to Cadence demanded that she ignored the invite, but Cadence’s political party didn’t have all the answers. She wanted to be a good friend, but she couldn’t just blindly follow anymore. Twilight needed to find her own path, but could she do that if it put her at odds with Cadence? Perhaps… perhaps she should go. If nothing else, she could simply tell Cadence what went on at these closed-door meetings. Yes, that seemed best. She would make the best of this party, either as a member or as a spy.

Twilight sighed as she started to walk back out of the maze. Well, she wanted to get involved, and involved she was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As promised, a few days after her conversation with Fleur, an invitation arrived, and what an invitation it was. The envelope, instead of traditional manila, was pure white and the edges were lined with actual gold. Turning it over, Twilight saw that the whole thing was sealed with a sapphire that had been carved into a house crest. Twilight was stunned that something this valuable had just been dropped off at her room; this small parchment was probably worth weeks of food at the orphanage. Yet, Twilight felt like something was off about the invitation. While the opulence certainly matched Fleur’s taste, the sapphire certainly didn’t have anything to do with Fleur’s hou-

Hold on.

Twilight took another look at the family crest and realized that it wasn’t Fleur’s, but Blueblood’s. Ugh. She knew Blueblood, and while she also knew that Fleur could not continue her cause without the help of such an entrenched noble, she was annoyed that Fleur considered Blueblood a friend. On top of that, the party would be at his house. Twilight groaned to herself. How delightful.

The week between the arrival of the invitation and the party flew by until, before she knew it, Twilight was looking at her dress, a chiffon pink and lilac dress, in the mirror. The whole outfit was tied together by her mother’s necklace. Simply put, she looked stunning, if she did say so herself. Even the wide brimmed hat covering her mangled horn couldn’t ruin her look. Too bad she would have to leave Eclipse at home; while the sword would have completed the look, it wouldn’t help her make the best first impression.

Unfortunately for Twilight, she still had six hours to wait before the party started, which left her alone with her thoughts.

Really, she couldn’t say why she got ready so early. She also couldn’t say how butterflies had found their way into her stomach. Goddesses, she felt like she was going to keel over from anxiety. It was a little ridiculous. It was just a dinner party after all; she had been to several with Luna already, this one couldn’t be that different.

Or could it? This would be the first one that she went to both willingly and alone. Normally, Luna would have to drag her along, allowing Twilight to fade in the Queen’s shadow. This party, however, would leave Twilight the focus of attention. All the opportunistic groveling and fawning that the Queen dealt with would now fall on her, and honestly, Twilight wasn’t sure if she would like that.

Because Twilight had stupidly allocated so much time to get ready for the party, she had nothing to do but to sit and ponder all of the ways the night could go poorly, from some overeager noble bothering her all night to spilling wine on her dress. As she fretted, Twilight’s anxiety turned to hunger, yet she didn’t allow herself to spoil her appetite; if everything else went poorly, she would at least get a meal out of it. A noble like Blueblood would never let his party be ruined by subpar food. But, Twilight pondered, maybe there’s still enough time to have an apple before…

Twilight’s heart leapt when she saw the time. It’s already six forty five?! I only have fifteen minutes left left? How in all of Equestria did it get so late? Twilight anxiously groaned as she activated the lift. Had she really wasted five and a half hours worry?

Jumping off the lift, Twilight hiked up her skirt and hurried through the castle halls as her guards trailed behind. Useless guards, Twilight thought in frustration. These ones hadn’t even remembered her schedule. With the guards Luna left behind, the castle had a target painted on it; well, it would have if an immortal sun goddess hadn’t also remained behind.

As Twilight ran towards Blueblood’s, she was reminded of how eerily similar the house was to the castle. Only the lower, inner wall of the castle separated the Blueblood’s from the castle. In fact, when she flew over the estate during the first chariot ride, she had mistakenly assumed that it was just another part of the castle, since the only sign of separation was the lower, inner castle wall. The original builders had obviously been tasked with matching the castle, and they had succeeded. The stone looked like it was mined from the same place as the castle’s in the exact same hue. There was even a garden groomed to look exactly like the castle’s, just separated by a line of stone. As Twilight approached the estate, she saw that even the entrance looked like the castle’s great doors, just slightly scaled down.

As she approached, she noticed two things. First, she could hear the din of the party that had already started. Twilight silently cursed for letting herself get caught up in pointless distractions. The second was the unicorn butler that had already begun to hurry over to greet her. As he approached, he quickly bowed, his horn barely avoiding scraping the ground. “Good evening Ms. Sparkle. My name is Fine Service, and Master Blueblood has instructed me to be your guide this evening. Would you allow me to guide you to the party?”

Twilight blushed; she hated when ponies bowed to her. “Please Mr. Service, there’s no need for bowing and Ms. Sparkle. Just call me Twilight. And um, yes, please lead the way.”

The butler bolted up with the same speed that he went down. “Of course Ms. Twilight. Before that, however, Master Blueblood instructed me to give you the tour.”

“Oh, of course, but perhaps I should make an appearance first?”

“Master Blueblood was explicit in me giving you the tour before anything else. He thought that it would help you understand the sacrifices his family has made for our glorious country.” The butler’s words were flat, leading Twilight to believe he had given this speech many times before.

Twilight felt a twinge of annoyance. Blueblood’s bragging would make her even later. Twilight took a breath to calm herself, not wanting to lash out at the butler. “Alright Mr. Service, lead the way.”

As they started to walk down the hallway, the similarities between the estate and the castle grew. As she walked, Twilight realized that this hallway was almost exactly the same as the one she ran down exiting the castle. Even the portraits of the great heroes of Equestria that lined the walls seemed to have been taken straight off the castle walls. It was sort of creepy.

After turning a corner, Fine Service stopped at a pair of large doors and opened them with his magic. He stepped out of the way, signaling Twilight to enter, and as she did, the lights magically lit revealing the contents of the room. It took everything Twilight had to stop herself from running right out of the room.

The moment she entered, it was like a billion eyes settled on Twilight at once. Paintings ranged up and down the walls, with portraits covering the bottom rows and various scenes occupying the very top. While some were battles, others where political meetings, and others still were just idyllic landscapes, all the scenes and portraits had one thing in common: the same stallion with the same long, flowing, blond mane, the same bleach white coat, and the same suit top. The same white face plastered row after row, and Twilight felt like all of them were looking right at her.

Creepy

Fine Service, who entered after Twilight, stepped back in front. “This is the Hall of Blueblood,” he explained, gesturing a hoof to the portraits. “The current Master Blueblood is the eighty-third, each serving their country in an exemplary manner.” His hoof lowered to point at the one closest to the door. Twilight squinted her eyes, trying to tell the difference between the eighty-third blueblood and his neighbors, but the paintings were identical.

Well, at least the painter has an easy job, Twilight quipped to herself, softly chuckling. Fine Service, taking no notice of the laugh, continued on.

“Consider Blueblood the First. Her majesty, Princess Celestia, bestowed upon him the title of Duke for his heroics in the Battle of…”

For the next half an hour, Fine Service monotonously lectured Twilight about the glorious history of the House of Blueblood, and it took everything she had to stop herself from yawning. Even Twilight, who loved history and studying, couldn’t take anything from something so blatantly biased. Twilight finally understood how some ponies felt when they said they hated studying, because this was torture. She got the most wonderful lecture on the history of the Bluebloods. Of course, this was rather sarcastic, as it was actually rather… awful. Twilight loved history, she really did, but when it was so praising, so biased, she simply couldn’t enjoy it.

Thankfully, around the tale of Blueblood the twenty-third, Twilight’s stomach rumbled, which prompted Fine Service to cut his speech and apologize profusely for keeping her so long. He even seemed genuine. She assured him it was fine, of course; it wasn’t his fault that Blueblood wanted to make her late.

Fine Service lead Twilight back towards the entrance, where the dining hall was located. As they approached, the sound of clinking glasses and chatting ponies grew louder and louder, reminding Twilight how late she was. She blushed as she entered the hall, although most of the noble ponies didn’t seem to notice how late she was. Fine Service stepped aside silverware and When Twilight entered the hall, the hustle and bustle instantly assaulted her ears. All told, she estimated around forty nobles ringed around a great table, one currently devoid of food to her chagrin.

The first pony she noticed was Blueblood, who was seated directly opposite the entrance. He was laughing loudly with an empty wine glass held by his magic. Twilight assumed that it wasn’t his first. Fortunately, only one pony noticed Twilight’s entrance; unfortunately, that pony was Blueblood.

Blueblood stood up, causing the attention to be directed towards him. “The magnificent Student Sparkle! So glad you have finally graced us.” All the noble ponies then turned towards Twilight, who had already turned red at the comment. All she could do was nod at the sneering noble and walk towards Fleur.

As Twilight walked towards Fleur, the nobles returned to their individual conversations, ending Twilight’s brief walk of shame. Twilight pulled out the chair that Fleur had reserved for her, noting the almost empty wine glass in front of the noble pony. “May I?”

“Of course Student Sparkle,” Fleur said cooly. As Twilight sat, Fleur swirled the remaining wine, simply quipping, “You’re quite late, aren’t you.” Twilight caught the slight slurring and disapproving tone; she was obviously a little tipsy and annoyed with Twilight. It soured the mood, but she took a breath before quipping back.

“One of Blueblood’s servants was instructed to give me the full tour.” Twilight eyed Blueblood, who has seated a few seats down at the head of the table. He was levitating a new glass of wine and laughing with someone to his left, to absorbed to notice the pair of ponies a couple seats to his right.

Fleur’s demeanor became more empathetic, obviously understanding the prank that Blueblood had played. “I’m sorry Twilight, I didn’t know he would do that, or I wouldn’t have allowed it. Although, I’m sure he just wanted you to understand the measure of the Bluebloods. His family has done great things for Equestria,” Fleur leaned it close enough to whisper, “even if the current head is only resting on their laurels.”

Still annoyed at Blueblood, Twilight took the chance to jab at Fleur. “Hopefully these aren’t the noble leaders you want to put on the Council.”

Fleur sighed and continued to whisper. “There are a few like that, I won’t lie. For the time being, we do need their resources, but rest assured, they will never be the ones making the decisions. But,” Fleur put her muzzle close to Twilight’s ear, “that doesn’t mean we can’t milk them for all they have. A few honeyed words and promises of power is all it takes to open their coffers.” Fleur pulled back out to finish the wine in her glass and wave down a server for another.

“That’s a bit… parasitic, isn’t it? Even if it’s just Blueblood, don’t you feel a bit bad?”

Fleur took a sip from her new glass and shrugged. “Of cour-”

“Dinner is served!” A loud voice interrupted as the hall was flooded with servants, all levitating silver platters. The sheer amount of magic surprised Twilight; she had never seen so many servant unicorns serving one pony before. She was sure that the room could have been lit by their magic alone.

Fleur, however, was not as taken with the display as Twilight, and continued on without giving the servers a second thought. “Of course I do, Twilight; I don’t want to treat them like this; I have to.” Fleur sipped her wine again as a bowl was placed before her. “And besides, I can’t blame Blueblood for being boorish anymore than I can blame these servants for being meek.”

One of the maids shot Fleur a dirty look. Fleur couldn’t be bothered to notice, but Twilight couldn’t ignore it. She itched with irritation. Fleur’s blatant dismissiveness was starting to bother Twilight. How could she say such things about ponies right in front of them without a second thought? They might have been server ponies, but they were still ponies. And while Fleur kept saying she felt bad, she seemed to treat the wine in her glass better than the ponies giving it to her. Regardless of how she felt about Fleur’s ideas, Twilight hated the distasteful way she treated lower class ponies.

Twilight couldn’t hold onto that feeling for long, however; the food had been severed, and her stomach took over. In front of her was a rich soup that smelled strongly of tomatoes that looked heavenly. Being sure to thank the server, Twilight took a spoonful. After that first taste, Twilight had to stop herself from levitating the bowl up to her muzzle. Obviously, Twilight wasn’t the only pony who liked the soup, because the once noisey conversations turned into the clinking of spoons against bowls. A few ponies broke the silence, complementing the chef’s work, but otherwise silence. Twilight welcomed the calm.

As Twilight drained the last of her soup, the empty bowl was immediately replaced by a small salad. Twilight looked up in shock, realizing that the entire time the room at quietly, the server ponies never stopped gliding around the room, barely making a sound. “Efficient, aren’t they?” Twilight noted, eagerly diving into the greens in front of her.

Fleur dabbed at her lips with a napkin and gave her a smile. “Oh yes, Blueblood has quite the help. And the food is excellent. I must get the name of his chef.”

The two fell back into silence as the dinner continued. After the salad, the main course arrived - a wonderfully prepared eggplant lasagna, that dared Twilight to take bite. She dug in as soon as the magic surround the plate dissipated, unable to hold back any longer. She leaned over the food and wolfed it down. Soup and salad were fine, but nothing could stop Twilight in the face of a meal like this. She act as quickly as she could while not spilling any sauce on her lovely dress.

Twilight’s eagerness was not matched by Fleur, who managed to retain her refinement. Twilight also thought she heard a scoff from Blueblood’s direction, but she was too hunger to look up from her plate. She had learned in the lower cities to eat what was in front of you quickly, because it could be gone at any second. No pony could take what was already in your belly.

Twilight sat back against her chair. The lasagna was completely gone. In fact, the only part that remained was her wine glass. She had been so occupied with eating that she only took a couple of sips. Looking over at Fleur, she was amused to see that Fleur had obviously preferred the drink; only about half of the lasagna was gone, but the wine that she had received only minutes ago had been drained.

Fleur had apparently come to the same conclusion. “It appears as if we’re quite the opposites, no?”

Before Twilight could agree, a harsh laugh broke from the head of the table. “Yes, it is quite obvious that Student Sparkle comes from a lower station, isn’t it?”

Twilight looked to the head of the table to see Blueblood with a sneer on his muzzle. That stupid sneer aggravated Twilight angrier than being late or the embarrassing entrance. “And what’s that supposed to mean, Blueblood?”

“Well, no pony of pure birth would ever eat like that.” Blueblood shook his head. “But I shouldn’t be surprised, it’s not like lower ponies could ever be proper. I suppose that’s why the separation only made sense; probably the one decent thing Luna has done.” He brought his glass to his muzzle. “That’s why I will never understand why that idiot decided that you were worth elevating. Truly a fool.”

Twilight felt her fury rise as magic built up under her hat. She was ready to strike. She even felt dangerous. “What did you say about Queen Luna?”

Fleur raised a hoof between the two parties. “I’m sure he didn’t-”

But Blueblood wouldn’t be silenced. “You heard what I said about Luna. She’s a fool who has been doing nothing but ruining the empire. She’s been a weak ruler, and the best thing she could do now would be to die so she could at least fulfil the role of martyr.”

Twilight scowled. “Was that a threat against your Queen?”

Blueblood laughed at Twilight’s righteousness. “Oh wow, you really are loyal to that bitch, now, aren’t you? I wonder, is it because she fucks you real well? You her whore? Well, you slut, what brothel did she find you in?” Blueblood polished off the rest of his wine. “You think if she liked bedding scum ponies she wouldn’t have left them to rot.”

Fleur stood quickly, stopping Twilight from striking. “Blueblood, stop it, now.” Her eyes burned with cold fire as she attempted to suppress the drunk with a stare alone. Twilight to shivered a bit. This Fleur was the one that Twilight saw in the library; this was the Fleur that Twilight was afraid of.

Blueblood, however, was too drunk to sense any danger and only perceived an attack on his authority. Blueblood pulled in close, but not to whisper; he spoke loud enough so every pony in the room could hear him. “Fuck you, you conniving bitch.” The room, which had mostly be captivated by Twilight’s outburst now went completely silent. It was clear to everyone that this exchange could no longer be written off as a joke.

Twilight mimicked Blueblood and stood up as well. Blueblood took it as a sign and coolly walked past Fleur and right up to Twilight. The noble was close enough for Twilight to smell the alcohol on his breath. “Next week, we duel, you fucking slut.” He sneered. “Unless you’re a worthless coward.”

With that, he stomped past Twilight, departing the hall without another word. The other nobles took the hint that the party was over and started to leave as well. Twilight also wanted to storm out, but Blueblood had taken the only exit. She had to wait or risk running into him again. Soon, the noble ponies left her alone with her thoughts and the sound of cleaning.

As the minutes passed, Twilight begun to release the magic she still held in her horn. When she finally let it go, Fleur walked up besides her. “I’m sorry, Twilight,” Fleur said with a tone of sympathy rather than apology. “Blueblood obviously had too much. I promise you that this is not the type of pony we want leading the Empire.”

“I would hope not.”

They stood in silence for a moment before Fleur asked, “How are you going to prepare for the duel?”

She looked at Fleur in disbelief. The way Fleur asked, it sound as if Twilight had accepted the drunken challenge. Twilight took a deep breath to fight the fury that was welling up again. “I’m not going to, that’s how. Why would I let myself be goaded into something so dangerous by a drunken boar?” Twilight asked, surprised at the amount of anger that found its way into her statement.

With that, Twilight turned coolly and headed towards the exit. For her, this conversation was over. Fleur, on the other hoof, thought otherwise and followed Twilight out into the hall.

“Twilight, you can’t decline!”

Twilight stopped short and turned abruptly towards Fleur. “Why can’t I?”

Fleur, surprised at the turn, stopped short as well. “Well, Twilight, you’ll look weak.”

Twilight laughed. “Why would I care about that?”

“Because it reflects poorly on Queen Luna if one of her students is too afraid to fight, and that puts her in danger.”

Twilight’s heart sank.

Fleur noticed the change in Twilight’s demeanor. “Look,” Fleur continued softly, “even losing the duel would be better than capitulating. You can train a bad duelist; you can’t train a coward.” Fleur placed her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. There’s good news, though. Because Blueblood was the challenger, you get to decide the terms of the duel. It’s an advantage I would recommend not wasting.”

Twilight’s head buzzed; it was all too much. “So I have no choice?”

Fleur nodded gravely. “But there will be referees; you’re life won’t actually be in danger. Worse case scenario is a couple of weeks in bed, but you need to accept it. Just go back to the castle and talk to Silverhorn. He’ll be able to explain, okay?”

Twilight’s heart started to pound as the reality of her situation sank in. If Fleur was telling her to talk to Silverhorn of all ponies, this was serious.

Twilight nodded, and ran out of the estate and straight for the castle. She made it back in record time, but rather than going to see Silverhorn right away, she let her anxiety drive her right to her room. She shut the door behind her and jumped beneath her sheets. Her heart was the only sound she heard as laid down flat. She tried not breathing; she tried to disappear.

Why did I even go? I knew it was a bad idea, but I went anyway. I knew something like this would happen! Twilight thought. If she was being honest, she didn’t actually think that before hand. But in hindsight, her anxiety forced the blame on her.

In between bursts of shaking and calling herself stupid, Twilight’s mind went back to the duel. What did it mean? She didn’t even know what a duel entailed for Goddesses sake! Was it going to be a magic duel or one with swords? Was she allowed to use Eclipse or did she have to use a standard blade? Could she even fight if it was a sword? Roamane still annihilated her in the training fights, and while he was a legend, those weren’t real fights. Could she take down a noble that had been trained his entire life? These questions haunted Twilight, making her unable to seek Silverhorn, the pony who could help her.

Twilight worried until she finally fell asleep; it’s tiring being hard on yourself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week later, Twilight arrived at the arena. It was time to duel.

As she sat on a bench near the arena, Twilight’s knees continued to shake. She was wracked with anxiety. Yes, she had trained with Roamane, but Twilight knew more than any other pony that sometimes, preparation couldn’t save you. Sometimes, there was a question you couldn’t answer, and with so much riding on this duel, could she afford that?

As she sat shaking, Twilight didn’t do her usually tricks to try and combat this feeling; in fact, she was counting on it to save her. Much like the exam before, Twilight found that her best work came under pressure. She was hoping that it would be true today too.

Twilight looked to the sky and saw the match was drawing closer, meaning that she had to get ready. While her wobbling knees still kept her from stretching, Twilight begun to warm up her best quality. She practiced her magic by levitating a few pebbles that had broken off from the bench. She wanted to be sure that her choice of horn covering, a tightly wrapped cloth, wouldn’t prevent her from her best spellcasting when she needed it most.

After a few minutes of complex levitation and tricks, Twilight was sure that her magic was as sharp as ever. Despite herself, she began to feel confident. Maybe she coul-

The sound of metal meeting stone startled Twilight. She looked behind her to see her weapon of choice, Eclipse, lying in the grass behind her. The white cloth illuminated as Twilight levitated the blade in front of her, checking the sword for any marks. It was an unfounded fear, of course; Eclipse wouldn’t be injured by a fall like that, especially right before a battle. Twilight could tell it wanted this fight; she heard its indistinct whispering all night.

Or perhaps Twilight simply overly dramatized the whole affair.

Twilight was still in the middle of inspecting her blade when a referee called her into the arena. She shot up, adrenaline compensating for her wobbly knees.

As Twilight entered the arena, she was greeted with a wall of chears. Surrounding the arena was a collection of nobles. While even including their servants, they didn’t number more than a hundred, for Twilight, this was a lot of ponies. She felt her heart run wild. The duel was already hard enough; why did there have to be so many ponies watching it?

In an effort to relax, Twilight searched for faces she knew. She quickly spotted Cadence and Silverhorn to her left and Fleur to her right. She smiled grimly. At least she knew there would be ponies who could pick up her pieces when she failed.

She nervously laughed to herself as she entered the circle directly opposite her opponent, Blueblood the ninetieth, son of Blueblood the eighty-second, the Great Drake Slayer. That’s really all Twilight could credit him with; being the son of a great pony. He had done nothing to match his father, and the only thing he had managed to accomplish was being a pain in Luna’s rear. When he goes, he should be dubbed Blueblood, the Royal Pain.

Twilight genuinely laughed at her own pun. At least she could find the humor in her bleak situation. Blueblood, couldn't find that same humor, however. When Twilight laughed, Blueblood scowled, and despite hating the stallion, Twilight had to look away.

Looking up towards the highest point, Twilight saw Celestia seated next to a large, empty chair. Twilight felt her heart fall. Of course Luna had not come back from war for something so petty as a dumb duel. Twilight knew that the army needed its fearless leader more than she needed her Luna. Still, she couldn’t help from feeling dejected.

“That bitch isn’t here to save you.” Twilight spun around and faced Blueblood, who smirked at the mare. Twilight felt her anxiety transform into rage. In an instant, she remembered why she had to win: she had to win for her Queen.

“I’ll do it Luna. I’ll win,” she whispered to herself. Great, she had found her confidence. Now all she had to do was wait.

She wouldn’t be left waiting for long, however; within seconds of Twilight reaching her starting point, a referee strode between her and Blueblood. The crowd, which had been cheering since the duelist entered, quickly silenced themselves.

The referee cleared his throat and proclaimed loudly, “On my mark, you two will begin your duel. Standard rules apply, which means no intentional killing blows. You fight until your opponent yields or until they can no longer stand. Because Duelist Blueblood issued the challenge, Duelist Twilight, you will set the stakes.”

Twilight breathed deep and spoke loud. “Should I win, Blueblood will pay the sume of five thousand bits to a charity of my choosing in the name of his Queen, Queen Luna.” She had thought about what she wanted to be rewarded with, but forced charity was the only thing she wanted from this brute. “And should I lose, I will resign my position as Student of the Night.”

The crowd mumbled; they were clearly surprised at such a risk. If this Student valued the title so lowly, some of these nobles would have bought her off.

Blueblood wasn’t surprised, however; he knew the real cost. If Twilight lost, she would abdicate her title, but if he lost, he would be forced to abdicate his pride. For both of the duelist, these were equally important.

She nodded her hand, Eclipse floating by her side into a ready position. It was the only way she could show her confidence. Losing simply wasn’t an option, not for this.

“Ready” Twilight and Blueblood readied themselves.

“Three.” Twilight closed her eyes and focused her magic.

“Two.”

Twilight eyes shot open as green light spilled from the sides of her pupils. The power had worked; her vision had been amplified, allowing her to see her opponent in a new light. At least in a fight, he didn’t wear his smug. He was clearly focused. Twilight’s terms had seen to that.

“One.” A flash of light filled the space before them as Sunny fired a flare.

Twilight squinted, but Blueblood, who was obviously used to the dueling environment, sprang into motion before Twilight could properly see. He jumped forward, and with a feral scream, swung his sword. A great wave of sapphire magic fired from the sword’s arc.

It might have actually hit her if he had managed to stay quiet for a few seconds, although that’s not really Blueblood’s strength.

Twilight breathed quickly and flicked a gravity rune from her belt. Right as the wave past, the rune activated, causing Blueblood’s spell to crash against the magic barrier that separated the arena from the crowd. She was planning on taking Roamane’s advice of keeping her secrets early in the fight.

Frustrated, Blueblood charged forward with another scream. He swung again, sending another blue wave towards Twilight.

Too close… Twilight thought. Gotta get away. With a grunt, she focused her magic into her horn, poofing herself out of existence.

A millisecond later, she poofed back, this time, standing where Blueblood had started the duel. Blueblood, hearing her apparate behind him, skidded to a stop and swung his sword from behind, sending a giant wave covering the entire arc. Twilight rolled to the side as the magic sliced the air.

Twilight quickly jumped back to her hooves as Blueblood galloped close enough to slash at Twilight with his sword. Twilight put Eclipse between her and Blueblood’s blade, but right as the metal clanged together, he slammed into her muzzle with his shoulder, sending Twilight sprawling to the ground. Slightly dazed, Twilight instinctually teleported just in time to dodge another feral strike. She appeared back at her starting position. The fighters had returned to their marks.

Twilight felt a trickle of blood on her muzzle as she struggled to her hooves. She was breathing heavily. She could continue to teleport around the arena for hours, but the physical contact would be the end of her soon.

This needs to end quickly.

With that thought, Twilight’s horn flared with green magic as she conjured her new spell. The horn’s light lightly enveloped the unicorn as runes flickered into existence across her coat as purple lines connected to pink symbols. After a few seconds, the intensity on Twilight’s horn subsided, leaving Twilight’s eyes blank with white magic.

As Twilight breathed deeply, she felt the runic power surge through her and amplify her senses. Luna had only show her this after some coaxing, but with this magic, even a bookworm like Twilight could perform the most taxing physically challenges. It would save her in this fight.

It would also burn through her remaining magic quickly. She needed to act fast.

With another deep breath, Twilight focused her eyes on Blueblood, who stood at the other end of the arena, baffled by the transformation. She could see the beads of sweat forming on his neck. She twitched her eyes and isolated Blueblood’s existence. She could hear his haggard breathing and his heart beating rapidly. The duel was getting to him too.

With a knowing smile, Twilight readied Eclipse in front of her as Blueblood overcame Twilight’s brilliance. He rushed towards her again, sending yet another wave. Twilight sidestepped the wave and quickly jabbed Eclipse at Blueblood, who had attempted to use the wave as a distraction.

Blueblood was momentarily surprised at both Twilight’s speed and movements, but he quickly regained composure. He swung wildly, haphazardly sending wave after wave of blue magic mere centimeters away from Twilight. The mare parried most of his attacks before one slipped through, striking her on the side.

Twilight yelped as the blade nicked her hind, not quite deep enough to draw blood thankfully. She quickly sent magic into her hooves before jumping far away from Blueblood. As she landed, she felt her back hooves touch the barrier. There was no where left to go.

Even with this powerful magic, Twilight still didn’t have the instincts to win. She might be able to match Blueblood’s speed and power, but not his ferocity. And already, the magic was taking its toll. Her coat was already drenched and she could already feel herself weaken. Now she really needed to end this duel.

Seeing Twilight heave, Blueblood charged once again, this time sending two magic waves. Twilight ducked under the waves, but this time, she was too close to the impact sight. The magic burst from behind sending her sprawling forward on the ground.

Right as she landed, muzzle first, Blueblood’s hoof collided with her. Her head jerked up from the impact; Twilight had to focus on maintaining the magic now. However, before she could, Blueblood’s hoof collided with the back of Twilight’s head, sending her muzzle back down into the dirt. Twilight felt her consciousness slip for a second, causing her enhancement spell to break; as it did, the magic dissipated, giving Twilight enough energy to wake up again.

Twilight looked up from the dirt. Some had gotten into her right eye, so she couldn’t see very well, but out of her left, she saw Blueblood, with his back turned, waving his sword towards the audience. Twilight silently groaned to herself. How did this buffoon beat her enhanced form? Then again, Roamane had managed.

Twilight groaned again as she saw the referee trott closer to her, checking to see if she could still stand. Twilight wanted to stay down, but as she closed her eyes, Luna’s face flashed in her mind. She didn’t fight for herself; she fought for her Queen.

Twilight struggled to her hooves just before the referee had called the match. As she stood, the ringing of her ears drowned out the noise of the arena. She could only hear three things: her heart beating, her haggard breathing, and a voice.

I can help.

Eclipse. His whispers were starting to get to her now. Let me help, he urged. Did she really have a good reason to say no? Her head was too fried to think of a reason not too.

Blueblood slowly strode Twilight with the same smug smile from the other night. He obviously thought the match was his, and Twilight couldn’t blame him. It really did seem like it was over.

It will be over if you don’t give me control.

Oh great, now the sword was reading her thoughts! Was it going to start?

I’m just stating the obvious. For your information, I only want to help you. I can help you. Just let me.

Twilight blinked in surprise. That string of sentences was by far the longest Eclipse had ever spoken. And it was trying to convince her it only wanted to help. Bizarre.
Even at his slow speed, Blueblood was almost within striking range, and Twilight was still struggling to stand up.

Well?

Twilight ground her teeth. Fine! Shut up! You can help!.

Eclipse glimmered with green magic as its tendrils touched her horn. More so than her previous spell, Twilight felt her senses enhance, but her reflexes no longer felt like her own. Instead, she felt like she was being guided along as Eclipse lashed out at Blueblood.

The noble, who was lining up a finishing blow, was put off balance as Twilight’s shoulder collided with his muzzle, dazing the stallion. His magic dissipated, causing the longsword to come down across Blueblood’s flank. He let out a cry of pain as red dyed his right hind.

As Blueblood turned to check his injury, Eclipse came down across Blueblood’s chest. In an instant, the noble crumpled into a pile on the ground.

Twilight stood over his unmoving, groaning body, adrenaline pumping through her, heart pounding. She had won. She might have cheered if she wasn’t dead on her hooves. Eclipse, however, remained silent. It was obviously just another win for the blade.

As Twilight closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, something wet her hooves. She looked down to see the blood pooling around her. Nausea set in and blackness tinged her eyes. She felt the her magic cut off as the strength cut out of her legs.

Wow. Was that what hurting somepony felt like? Her vision went black completely as her throat started to close up. She took a shaky step back, but lost her balance and the ground rushed to meet her.

Twilight went out like a light.

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay! Hospital and other stuff kept me busy. Really can't apologize enough! Should be about 2-4 weeks MAX for next chapter. Bother me if I don't!

Closed Circle

For the second time in her life, Twilight woke up in a clinic. This time, however, instead of grogginess and general malaise, Twilight felt refreshed when she woke up. She felt bruised all over, especially in the back of the head, but nothing too bad. The only real issue was that she couldn’t remember how she ended up in the clinic. She remembered the duel, of course, but she had won, hadn’t she? Why was she in a clinic?

Twilight’s stomach lurched as Blueblood’s crumpled form flashed in her mind. She felt like she was going to… oh, right. She passed out after seeing Blueblood crumple into a heap. Was he… No, thought Twilight, I can’t think like that. Blueblood’s fine. No pony has died in a duel for well over a decade. There’s no way I’d be the first to break that tradition.

Twilight took a couple deep breaths, trying to hold onto that thought and not let guilt overwhelm her. Sure, she didn’t like Blueblood, but that didn’t mean she wanted to kill him. And even though Eclipse had taken over, Twilight allowed it to happen. She couldn’t give in to thinking she had become a killer. Besides, with all those noble ponies watching, there had to be somepony to prevent any serious harm.

Twilight tried to push the violence out of her mind and focus on the one positive aspect of the duel: she had won it. A fourteen-year-old mare managed to defeated a stallion in the prime of his life, one who had practiced dueling longer than Twilight had been alive. Granted, she had the magical edge, but even in her guilt, she couldn’t help but smile at her accomplishment.

Twilight struggled to sit up, still feeling sore from the intense battle and magic feedback. Twilight had never fought so long and so hard in her entire life. She may have won, but the impacts from Blueblood were hard. She winced as she remembered the kicks to her head. But beyond those points, she felt the fatigue of being controlled by somepony else. Eclipse had stretched her to her limit and she felt it now.

Even beyond the physical, Twilight could feel the magical strain. She had never fought so long with her enhancement spell, and she was beginning to feel the drawback. Twilight could feel how little magic she had at her disposal. I suppose that I can’t have been out for too long if my magic is still so low.

As Twilight managed to sit up, she noticed that, like her first time in the clinic, somepony had stripped her while she was out; they had even taken off her horn wrapping. Whatever nurse did that better keep her secret.

Thankfully, Twilight was alone, and except for the dull hum of distant activities, the only sound in the room was her breathing. In a way, she didn’t want to leave the room and break the calm she found herself in; after a week of worrying and an intense duel, Twilight decided to use the calm to recenter herself.

Twilight settled into the bed and meditated on the duel. She could actually fight. She’d thought herself useless, but at least in a one-on-one duel, she could hold her own. In the week leading up to her destined fight, Twilight assumed she would lose. She had always lost to Roamane, and while the earth pony was a master swordspony, he was the only dueling experience Twilight had.

Then again, Blueblood had been a surprisingly competent opponent. While Twilight won, it seemed that even a do-nothing noble like Blueblood still had the training to overpower a teenager. He’d moved frighteningly quick, despite not casting any enhancement spells. Twilight wondered if the stallion even knew enhancement spells, or if they were even useful for most ponies. Twilight had an abundance of magical energy, and even with the benefits of magical enhancement, the magical drain they proved to be were too much for Twilight to ignore. Sure, Queen Luna could use them, but she had an abundance of alicorn magic at her disposal. For Twilight, was it worth it? Blueblood’s strategy of rely solely on energy waves and his physical advantage appeared to work.

Although that didn’t help him in the end. Twilight shuddered at the thought of the noble’s blood pooling at her hooves. Okay, maybe the silence wouldn’t do her any good. Twilight looked around for something to read, but the clinic had nothing. Twilight’s urge to read grew. What was keeping her in this room? Could she just… leave? There was no nurse or doctor present, and there was certainly no instructions for her. Twilight was still sore, but she felt like she could make her way to some food and some reading material. Why not just get up and go-

The door burst open, Fleur stepping in. The white mare’s eyes darted around the room before falling on Twilight, her muzzle splitting into a wide, genuine grin. “Twilight, darling! Thank the goddesses you’re alright; I was worried about you, dear!” Fleur magically closed the door and took one of the visitor seats. She was obviously ready for a conversation.

Twilight, on the other hoof, was not.

The injured mare managed a weak smile. “I’m fine, Fleur.” Twilight braced herself for a conversation, and her mind went to the question that had been bothering her since she woke up. Fearing the answer, Twilight meekly asked, “Is Blueblood still… is he still alive?”

Fleur laughed, clearly surprised at Twilight’s concern for the hated stallion. “Yes, yes, the fool’s fine. Sure, you certainly cut him, but with all the medical ponies that Celestia had scattered around the arena, you might as well have been using a training sword.”

“That’s good,” Twilight sighed. The tension was relieved instantly, and she found it easier to continue sitting up knowing Blueblood’s death wasn’t hanging on her shoulders. With a slight smile, Twilight turned to Fleur. “I guess that means I won.”

Fleur waved a hoof and nodded her head excitedly. “Of course! You drew first blood, so the victory is yours, even if you passed out moments later. Oh! I was supposed to bring you-” Fleur’s magic fished around at a scabbard that Twilight only just now noticed. Wait! That was Twilight’s scabbard! With a little bit of effort clear, Fleur deposited the scabbard with sword inside beside Twilight on the bed, “-that! I’ve had it cleaned, so it’s good as new. Silverhorn insisted that you shouldn’t go without it too long, seems to think you’re smitten with it or something.” Fleur giggled, clearly finding such a notion ridiculous.

Cleaned? That was nice. She hardly wanted Blueblood’s… well, blood on the blade. Her own magic lit, honestly not even thinking about the green glow right now. Fleur already knew her secret anyways, so it didn’t matter much. Hopefully, somepony would bring her a damn horn wrap soon. The green glow lifted the sword out of the scabbard and up above her. With a careful eye, she inspected the length, verifying that every last little drop of blood had been cleaned off.

With a satisfied nod, Twilight’s magic slid Eclipse back into the scabbard and rested it against the side of her bed. Twilight was glad to have it back, although, strangely, the sword was completely silent.

“Thank you, Fleur,” Twilight responded sincerely. Fleur delivered two good things to Twilight today, and she was actually glad the mare had taken the time to see her. Twilight turned, repositioning herself to lay on her side and better talk with her guest. “So, Blueblood’s agreed to his defeat. No wiggling out of it?”

“Of course. Even Blueblood couldn’t pretend he won, especially with the Princess as a witness,” Fleur explained, leaning back in her chair. “Have you thought about how you’re going to make him pay?”

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off by her stomach rumbling loudly.

Fleur giggled, hiding her muzzle behind a hoof. “Oh dear, you must be hungry. It makes sense; you haven’t had anything to eat since the duel yesterday.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. Yesterday?! Had it really be that long? She quickly glanced at Eclipse. I need to be more careful about using it if I’m going to be out for that long.

Fleur interrupted Twilight’s silent pondering. “Well Twilight, I must get going,” Fleur stood up, straightening the wrinkles in her clothes.

“Already?” Twilight was surprised. While she didn’t want it to be Fleur specifically, it was nice to have somepony to talk to.

“Yes, you know how it goes. Duty calls. Plus, Silverhorn is waiting to talk to you. But, before I go, would you like me to send something down for you to eat?” she asked with a sly grin.

Twilight nodded, a slight flush coloring her cheeks. “Yes please.” Fleur opened the door with her magic. “Thank you again, Fleur.” Fleur turned around, and gave a soft smile before exiting the room.

Twilight had only moment to herself before Silverhorn burst into the room. Always the opposite of Fleur, Silverhorn looked flustered, almost angry. He kicked the door shut behind him with a slam, the noise echoing throughout the room.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he yelled. “You could have been killed! Why didn’t you talk to me about it?” Silverhorn bore down on her, perched right beside her bed and even craning over it.

Twilight blinked and thought about the week before the duel. Had she really not talked to Silverhorn? She spent most of her time with Roamane and reading up on the rules, but surely she must have…

Nope. Twilight blushed in embarrassment. She must have forgotten to talk to Silverhorn in her anxiety about the duel. But Twilight was a young mare, and as any pony can tell you, yelling at a young mare will not make them more receptive, even if they are wrong.

“It...it wasn’t a big deal,” Twilight lied. “No pony’s actually been killed in a duel for years.” Twilight cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. “Fifteen, actually.”

“Twilight, he cheated!”

Twilight blinked at the claim. Blueblood cheated? How? Twilight had used an enchantment spell, for Goddesses sake! How could she miss that? She had thought Blueblood moved much quicker than he should have. But honestly, she hadn’t thought much of it. Roamane moved quicker and struck stronger, and he was an Earth Pony. She just assumed that Blueblood would be slower than Roamane, and since he had been, she didn’t expect foul play.

“H-how?” Twilight asked. “How could he cheat and nopony notice?”

“He had another unicorn channeling an enhancement spell on him the whole time. He paid one of the guards who maintained the bubble, so no pony outside the bubble could notice. Goddesses, didn’t notice how fast he moved? Unicorns can’t do that without spells Twilight! How did you not notice!?”

Twilight prickled at Silverhorn’s disbelief. Here she was in the clinic and this is how he treats her? “So he cheated, what does that matter? I still won, didn’t I?”

Silverhorn’s eyes went wide. He obviously didn’t expect the mare to bite back. “Twilight, he’s crazy!” the stallion began again. “There are a lot of ponies who hate the Students, especially ones that aren’t of noble blood. Having you forcefully resign would not only shame the Queen, it would have been proof of the program failing. That’s why you need to talk to me before you do anything rash! You don’t know what you’re doing yet, and you don’t know what the consequences are for your actions!” Silverhorn with breathing harder now. Part of Twilight saw the validity in his claims. At the same time, Silverhorn was treating her like a child who knew nothing. She didn't so much appreciate that.

Twilight simmered in her rage. “Please, do not lecture me.” Twilight’s words come out deathly calm, despite internally being anything but. “I know what I did. And I won, didn’t it? It really wasn’t that hard of a duel, even! That’s the best he can do even when cheating? Ha! No wonder I’m the Student of the Night!” Twilight sat up straighter, trying to match Silverhorn’s overbearing confrontation, but her sores kept her from standing up.

“If anything, this duel proves that I’m above the noble ponies, so why should I have to bow to them any longer? So, why should I need to come to you for everything? If the nobles are corrupt, then you must be just as bad.”

In an instant, Silverhorn’s magic clamped around her muzzle. His fury had disappeared, instead staring at her with a cold, clearly displeased looked. “Twilight, I am very disappointed in you,” he said, quietly.

Twilight’s facade swept away. Twilight looked down, ashamed of herself and quite viscerally remembering that she was the child and Silverhorn was the adult. Twilight almost felt like crying tears of frustration. How could she let herself be overwhelmed in anger by something that clearly didn’t matter. Silverhorn only acted out of caring, and what did that get him? An ungrateful brat who couldn’t stand scolding out of worry.

“You know better than that. Your teacher has taught you better than that. Think about what you’ve said, and for your sake I hope you don’t truly believe it.” Silverhorn spoke deliberately, slowly, giving each word the impact of a hammer.

“There’s one more pony who wanted to see you, but before she comes in, put this on.” Silverhorn’s magic deposited a horn wrap on the bed beside her, black like she liked it. “For now, everypony will probably just think your horn is burnt out. Good-bye for now, Twilight. We’ll talk later.”

Without another word or chance for her to reply, Silverhorn left the room. For a moment, Twilight simply sat dumbfounded. Gods, she’d been an idiot. Numbly, Twilight fastened the horn wrap back on tight, hiding away her still mangled horn. She hoped to find a way to fix it soon.

Twilight’s mind weighed heavily with everything that Silverhorn had said. But, she could worry about that later. Twilight sighed and looked up towards the door, waiting for the entrance of her last guest. She would have assumed it would be Cadance, but if it was, Silverhorn wouldn’t have told her to hide her horn. As she magically fastened the horn wrapping, Twilight tried to guess what pony would want to visit her and also not know about her horn. She honestly couldn’t guess who it would be.

To her pleasant surprise, in walked a very worried looking Matron. The griffon had a covered basket on her back, though Twilight could guess what was in it by the smell alone. The scent of pastries and bread graced her nose, instantly reminding her of her already hungry stomach.

Twilight’s mood brightened. How long had it been since she’d visited Matron? A month? Longer? How had she forgotten about that? She loved Matron! Matron deserved so much more than what she’d been giving. Now there was an idea - perhaps she could order Blueblood to use the bits on Matron’s orphanage. She had thought about it before, but feared that it would signal some sort of personal kick-back from what was supposed to be a selfless deed.

“You alright, filly? I came as soon as they told me you’d found your way back into the hospital.” Matron shrugged the basket off her back onto one of the spare chairs. Before Twilight could answer, Matron moved closer to the mare to inspect her body. Twilight's coat had been cleaned while asleep, so Matron got a clear view of the bruises that had decorated Twilight’s body. Being kicked into the ground tened to do that. Twilight hadn’t noticed the bruises, aside from the pain they denoted, but seeing Matron’s scowl made each of them stand out.

“Yes Matron, I’m fine.” Twilight uneasily tried to pull away from the poking and prodding. Okay, so her body was a little banged up in minor ways, but she was fine. Matron, however, would not be denied, and Twilight simply had to grin and bear it while she finished her inspection.

Mercifully, Matron seemed fairly assured of her well-being. With a light pat on an unbruised part of Twilight’s arm, Matron stepped away. “Alright, you’re fine.” Matron grunted out, nodding her head. “You hungry? I brought food, fresh baked this morning.”

Settling back in the bed, Twilight nodded her head rapidly. “Oh, yes please. I’m absolutely starving!” A faint growling proved that Twilight's stomach agreed with her.

Matron laughed. “You always are, aren’t you?” Matron rooted through her basket before pulling out a small loaf of bread. “Try this. Hazelnut and peach.”

With little effort, Twilight grasped the bread with her magic, taking it away from Matron. For a brief second, she’d forgotten that the color of her magic had changed as well. There would be plenty of ponies who might not notice, but if anypony knew her well enough to see the difference, it would be Matron.

With her eyes wide, Matron ripped the horn wrap off. She gasped at the shattered horn before launching at Twilight. “What’s wrong with your horn?” she snapped in a mixture of worry and anger.

Twilight swallowed hard, roughly clearing the bread from her mouth. She winced away, a hoof tentatively coming up to try and hide the scarred length. “You heard about the assassination attempt?” she asked, hesitantly. Matron nodded roughly. “Right, it was in that. The stuff that was supposed to kill Luna splashed against my horn. I’m fine, promise, it just looks ugly.”

Matron glared at Twilight’s horn, evaluating the answer. For a while, both Twilight and Matron held their breath. For Twilight, it felt like an eternity.

Finally, Matron broke her glare, sat back in her seat, and breathed. Twilight shortly followed suit. “You need to be more careful.” Matron spoke shortly. “Don’t say anything, just listen.” Twilight closed her mouth, the words stuck in her throat.

“What you did was a great thing. You’re a hero for some fillies, but also an enemy to just as many. Was there really no other way for you to stop? Couldn’t have just let the guards handle it? I don’t want to see you hurt, some Queenly goddess be damned.” Matron frowned; she had never had much love for the diarchy, and much less once Luna ascended to the position of Queen.

Twilight shook her head. “No Matron. Nopony else noticed, and if it wasn’t my magic, it would have been my body. That… that would have killed me.” Twilight felt like a failure. She’d promised she’d take care of herself to Matron, but instead, she nearly got herself killed. That was anything but taking care of herself.

“Alright, I’ll trust you,” Matron sighed. Twilight looked the griffin in the eyes. The anger was gone, but she could still see the worry. “But be more careful in the future or else I’ll take you back home. I don’t care how all powerful you get!” Matron pointed roughly at her, punctuating the statement.

Twilight almost smiled as the tension started to melt away; she knew Matron was always a griffin of her word.

“But I’ll try to keep the fact that you’re a mare in mind. I know that you can take care of yourself. The life of a Student is just so… dangerous.” Matron waved a claw in the air before smoothing out her skirts. “Come visit me this weekend, filly. I need to go, the little ones will be up soon. Saturday by one o’clock, understand?”

Twilight nodded, “Yes Matron,” she intoned, the same way she had back at the orphanage. Nopony made her feel quite as young and inexperienced as Matron did. Although, unlike Silverhorn, it didn’t bother Twilight. Matron knew best.

Matron nodded, satisfied. “Good girl. Now I have to go now. You know how hard it is to find time away from the fillies and colts.” Matron rubbed Twilight gently on the head, making sure to stay away from Twilight’s horn. “See you then, filly.” Matron took her exit, leaving Twilight on her own once again.

Twilight quickly and quietly finished the rest of her food. Twilight, still a little peckish decided to wait for the food Fleur sent for. Then it would be off to business.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight took the next few days easy. She visited Matron as promised, but spent the rest of her time cooped up in her room. After all the excitement, she wanted a few days to herself. Besides, her off time proved to be valuable - Twilight got a lot of research done, both on her personal interests as well as on the plague. Silverhorn’s research team still plugged away at it, and Twilight helped wherever she could. Her magic was quite useful for the bigger spells they needed.

Most important, Twilight finally managed to find an enchantment spell to hide her horn. It would need to be recast every week, but Twilight’s horn would look good as new. She honestly had thought that it would be some big spell, or ritual, or something like that. In the end, she managed to cast it within a few minutes and forget about it. She felt lucky that she caught a break, now, if only everything could be like that.

After her healing period, Twilight re-started her training sessions with Roamane. Part of her thought that the experience of overcoming a cheating noble in battle might have improved her skill, but Roamane brutally reminded her that she still had a lot to learn about swordsmareship. No matter how much she tried, he still defeated her handedly. At the same time, he’d started to grow much more encouraging rather than dismissive. He had evidently been at the duel, although Twilight couldn’t remember seeing the stallion. All he said about the duel was that she handled herself well enough, and for Roamane, that was the highest praise that Twilight could expect.

Twilight felt good to get back into the routine. Her magic training started again with equal explosiveness, as the mare spend more and more time at the university. Many of the professors recognized her as an equal already, and while she was still learning, Twilight’s insights had started transforming herself from pupil into peer.

After a week of studying and training, Celestia called for another war update. Twilight had been engrossed in her research and hadn’t heard much from the front. It was during the update that she found out that the fighting had finally begun en masse.

It was here that Twilight found herself. As usual, after the general announcements, Twilight remained in the room as the rest of the nobles were shooed out, only the inner circle remaining. “Report please, Azure. How goes it on the fronts?” Celestia called the meeting to action, her voice subdued.

Azure stepped forward, a frown present on her muzzle. “It goes, your highness. The north and south are routing, both heavily in our favor. They have the forces to hold it, but are retreating. As of yet, we don’t know the cause of their retreat, but our information network has a working theory. As far as we’re aware, their border troops are conscripts, ones unwilling to fight. Nothing has really exploded there save for skirmishes. They are making it difficult on us; the bastards are burning their own food supplies, making the re-supply difficult.”

“Luna’s command doesn’t go quite so well. General Stormbeak, the griffon high command leads their main force. He’s reluctant to engage directly due to our mages, but every step of our advance has been constantly harassed. Luna has managed to force him into a major defensive several days ago, but only after the actions of a pony named Sunset Shimmer.” Twilight’s ears perked up at Sunset’s mention, hoping for more information, but Azure had already moved on.

Azure tapped a hoof against the table, frowning deeper. “Our current estimates are far too optimistic. If this trend continues, it’ll take four months rather than two to reach the griffon capital, and we’ll be heavily depleted by the time we arrived. I myself am planning on heading over to examine the situation personally, but for now, I’ll let Mustang address the supply issues. If you will, General?”

Mustang stepped forward, taking Azure’s place at a podium. Today, he left his trademarked hat behind, dropping the pleasant public character. A fresh scar decorated his cheek, still festering; Twilight found it rather disgusting. “Just got back from the front lines myself, good to get our boots on the ground occasionally.” Mustang explained.

“As for now, we’re going to be doubling the supply runs. The coin will come from a new tax on the nobles. Now, they’re not going to be happy about this, but thankfully our Princess will be handling that rather than our Queen.” Twilight bit back a scowl. She was sickened Luna’s casual dismissal, but it would do no good for either pony if Twilight made a scene. “Our troops are fairly well supplied in weapons and armor, it’s mostly food they lack. Hopefully with the new tax, we can prevent our ponies from starving. In addition, we’ll be running a drive for donations as well through a charity organization. Every little bit helps; right, Princess?”

Mustang deferred the stand to Celestia who somehow still smiled benevolently despite the rough news. “Thank you, both of you, for your hard work. Phrase three of our deployment is now in effect, and the remaining royal guards are going to be deployed to the front lines. They’ll rotate out with our first shift, bringing home several of our more important and wounded members. They’ll be home for roughly two months before being rotated back in.” Celestia explained; Twilight was always surprised by her voice, which was simultaneously quiet yet always heard.

“Luna and my house guard both will be coming back for a one month shift home. Those who haven’t seen much action will remain behind. It’s important to balance our troop’s actions with their morale. At the worst, it will be three days to one, away to home.” Celestia frowned for the first time that Twilight had ever seen; she had never thought that she’d ever see the Princess frown in grief. “It’s a shame that our ponies are stuck so far from home. With any luck, this terrible war will not last long and justice will be served.”

Celestia bowed her head, starting to smile once more. “Thank you everypony who has worked tireless hours to save our ponies’ lives. Please have a restful day.”

And with that, the meeting came to an end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight’s birthday came around. It was odd; her fifteenth birthday and most of the ponies she expected to be there weren’t available. Shining and Sunset couldn’t attend for obvious reasons. Her friends amongst the guard were still several weeks away from returning. And Matron’s duties prevented her from taking the night off. Twilight also thought about sending her former mates in the orphanage invites, but getting in contact with them would be nearly impossible. Plus, without Shining, she didn’t have anything in common with them, so they were out as well.

As a long shot, Twilight sent one of to Celestia as well, but she didn’t expect very much to come of it. The Princess had better things to do than come to her sister’s Student’s birthday. There was a war going on, which may have been a teensy tiny bit more important than Twilight’s fifteenth.

The only two ponies that Twilight invited were Cadance and Silverhorn. Seeing the lack of guests, however, Twilight briefly considered Fleur before rejecting the idea. Twilight had gotten to know the mare politically, sure, but not personally enough to invite to a private dinner.

Twilight found herself having a quiet dinner with two of the of the only ponies she called friend in the capital. The three of them had dressed up nicely despite the quietness of the occasion. Twilight wore her mother’s locket along with her favorite amethyst dress. Cadance, on the other hoof, wore a brilliant sky blue piece that accentuated her curves. If Twilight was a bit less mature, she may have even called it sexy. Silverhorn opted for a simple suit, classy nonetheless.

The three of them pretended they were eating at only the most exclusive of Canterlot restaurants. They had taken one of the castle’s more casual dining rooms; it was more a nook than anything: a simple booth and a wide window, overlooking the castle gardens. Cadance had conjured up something truly magnificent for the occasion. Ponies didn’t often eat meat, but for tonight, Cadance had cooked lobster. Apparently, some pegasi ate fish and other sea animals when dining with griffons.

Quite honestly, Twilight didn’t expect much from it. The red creature looked like something out of a nightmare and actually eating it was a lot of work. Her magic could crack the shell, but what was the point of fighting so hard for something? Not only that, but it was meat, something that sort of revolted Twilight despite being around it before.

Yet, Twilight relished it once she actually tried it. Lobster certainly had a unique flavor, especially when paired with butter, and it went wonderfully with the wine that Silverhorn had brought. Twilight wanted to help with the cooking, but the older ponies refused; it was her birthday after all.

The meal was topped off with ice cream, something that Twilight had never even heard of before. Ponies to the North took snow and added the strangest flavors to it. The one Twilight and the other two shared was called chocolate. Twilight very much enjoy chocolate.

The night started to wind down, the entire affair taking only a few hours. The conversations stayed light the entire time, none of them wanting to bring up what was really on their minds. For one night and one night only, nopony spoke of politics, or the war, or the recent duel, or anything like that. It was all centered on Twilight; her studies, how she felt, and what she wanted. Twilight couldn’t have thought of a more relaxing birthday.

Finally, it was time for gifts, despite Twilight’s protests. The three gathered around their table, flush with good cheer and mess cleaned up. Now, the only thing on the table was three gift wrapped packages, two small ones and one much larger.

“Cadance! I said I didn’t need anything!” Twilight protested, cheeks burning.

Cadance propped her head up on a hoof, giving Twilight a devilish smile. “Twilighttt!” she started, mocking, “you’re getting them whether you like it or not. But I’ll cry if you don’t like it, so you better choose right. Oh, and don’t you want to open the one from Luna?”

Twilight’s eyes lit up. “T-there’s one from Luna!?” she asked, inspecting the presents with much more vigor.

Silverhorn looked at Cadance with a flat look. “Told you that would get her, didn’t I?”

Cadance sat back up straight and waved a hoof at Silverhorn. “Oh hush, I agreed,” she teased. “Now Twilight, which one do you want to open first? Luna’s, I presume?”

Twilight slyly grinned. “Yes please.”

Cadance giggled, azure magic pushing the smallest present forward. “Slowly, Twilight. It’s not going to disappear.”

Twilight blushed; her horn lit, the glow still green despite her horn illusion. Slowly, she unwrapped the bow, gently opening the present. She had to suppress her instincts to rip it open, to tear at it without restraint. She just wanted to see what was inside, and the anticipation was killing her!

The wrapping fell away to reveal a small, white box with a folder letter on top. Twilight’s magic opened the letter and yanked it in front of her face. Her magic trembled from how excited she was.

Dearest Twilight,

I hope this letter finds you well. I’m sorry that my correspondence has been so scarce. The truth is that this is war, and I barely have free moments anymore. I hope to make up for them soon, but as of now, heartfelt apologies are all I can send.

Second, I want to tell you about how those you care for fare. Everypony is going to be fine. Sunset was injured, but it wasn’t severe. She will be healed by the time this message reaches you. Shining has managed to escape injury, and he is a constant pool of morale for our troops. Be proud of them both; this war would be considerably harder without their bravery. My own house guard has had minor injuries, but nothing that will prevent them from their homecoming.

As for myself, I’ve had to lead, which means that I have to face danger from time to time; how can I ask for ponies to follow me if I won’t extend myself? But, I have tried to keep my promise and stay out of the worse of the war, much to my own chagrin. All I can swear to you is that we will be home safe very soon.

Thirdly, I have thought often about you during the nights. I’ve thought about what we said to each other before we left and have only come to one conclusion: my heart yearns for you. I want you Twilight. Some ponies will think it inappropriate, but I’ve lived in eras where our love wouldn’t have to be a secret. Unfortunately, now childhood has extended and fifteen-year-olds are no longer considered adults, and our love has to remain a secret.

There is a chance that, by the time you receive this letter, you have moved on from me. If my long life has taught me anything, it’s that the heart is a fickle beast. If you have, know that I understand, but if it hasn’t, I would like to ask for your hoof in courtship when I return. We must keep it quiet until your older, obviously, but I’ll happily wait for that day. But before you proceed, understand that this would mean a great deal of hardship for the both of us. You are my student and many thousand years my younger, and if anypony knew before the time was right, it would be disastrous.

But I believe the risk to be worth it. This may seem sudden, crazy even, and it very well might be. But I cannot lie about what my heart wants any longer. I have cared for you since the day I first saw you, and now those feelings has grown into love. You are still so much my younger, but what does age mean to one who is ageless? Nothing. Nothing would erase the desire, and it did not seem to hinder you confession either. Do not respond to this letter, instead, give me your answer when I return.

Yours Always,

Luna.

PS: I hope you enjoy your gift. There isn’t much downtime as a general during wartime, but I did what I could.

For a while, Twilight just stared at the letter. Then she re-read it. Then she re-read it again. And then again. And again. She couldn’t believe the words written on the page. Had they truly come from Luna?

“This is definitely from Luna?” Twilight asked to nopony in particular.

“Straight from the Rainbow Courier herself,” Cadance answered softly. Twilight was still engrossed in the letter, but she could almost hear Cadance’s soft smile.

Twilight sniffed, holding back tears. Luna wanted her. Luna wanted her for good, wanted to court her and love her. It was all Twilight could have dreamed of and more, enough to make her want to scream and shout and laugh and play. Goddesses, she needed to get herself under control.

Twilight wiped away a tear with a hoof, finally putting the letter down reverently, careful to keep it out of any of the mess on the table. For a while, she continued to stare at the letter, still shocked at its contents. When she finally looked back up, she noticed that both of her companions stared rather unabashedly at her.

Cadance broke first. “Good letter, Twilight?” she asked, warmly.

Twilight laughed at the understatement as tears threatened to overflow once more. “Yes. She’s okay and, well, there was a lot to it.” Twilight cleared her throat and pushed back the tears. “I needed that.” Her magic popped the top off the white box, revealing a delicate, velvet lined interior. Inlaid inside was a horn ring, but not just any horn ring. The ring was made from the finest silver, grooved on the inside to make removal and application easier. The outside was inscribed with delicate script in a language that she couldn’t read. A little thrill went through Twilight when she realized she would have to decipher it; Luna knew her well. In the very center of the band, three gems glistened in the light. The outer two were a light lilac, with the middle one being a much deeper violet.

With absolute delicacy, Twilight lifted the ring up and slowly slid it down her horn. She shivered at the cool touch of the metal, the grooves ensuring that it wouldn’t get stuck on her chipped and jagged horn. Magic flooded through her mind as soon as it rested against her horn base. Luna’s magic. There wasn’t much, just enough for a couple enchantments. Twilight instantly recognizing a self cleaning and ‘ageless’ spell. No matter how old the ring, no tarnish, no depreciation would mar its service. It was perfect, immortal, just like her love.

Twilight sniffled again, holding back tears. “I love it,” she whispered, voice hoarse. “U-Um, should I open another one now?” she suggested, trying to ignore the funny look from Silverhorn.

Cadance nodded and nudged the other small package forward, placing it right in front of Twilight. “This one’s from me. I don’t think it can compare, but I do hope you like it, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded in thanks and unravelled the wrapping just as carefully as she had Luna’s. A similar white box greeted her, a jewelry one much like Luna’s. Twilight popped it open. Inside, two peridot earrings rested on the pillow. They were inlaid with gold, providing a brilliant, beautiful contrast. Twilight swallowed - just how much had her friends spent on her?

Twilight closed the top again delicately, placing it to the side with her letter. “Thank you, Cadance, they’re beautiful,” she assured her. Twilight really meant it too. With her new pursuits, she really could use all of this jewelry. Darting between parties meant she needed a wide array of shiny trinkets to prevent too much overlap.

“And now mine.” Silverhorn used his silver magic to push the much larger package towards her. Twilight could hear jingling inside of it. As she reached out and grabbed it with her magic, she could tell that the package definitely had some weight to it as well.

Twilight sat up in her seat, taking the extra leverage to look inside. Inside the wrapping was a wooden box, solidly built and sturdy. Twilight pried the top off and looked in to see...chainmail? Glimmering, silver links greeted her, each one tiny and interconnected.

“Don’t get it out here, but I took the liberty of commissioning you armor,” Silverhorn explained. Twilight looked up, confused. What did she need armor for? “With your penchant for getting into duels, I figured you may need it,” he teased, almost laughing at his own joke before his face grew serious. “Twilight, as long as you’re a Student, you may go to very dangerous places with the Queen, in which case, you’ll need armor. I would feel much better knowing that you had armor that I knew would stand up to whatever tests you’ll face. Does that make sense?”

Twilight could feel how much he cared for her with that simple explanation. It was easy to say that you wanted no harm to come to a pony, it was another to commission a set of expensive armor. “I understand. Thank you Silverhorn. Really.” Twilight replaced the lid and moved it over with the rest of her gifts. She couldn’t thank them enough; each gift was amazing and Twilight almost felt like they were too amazing.

Cadance’s yawn broke the silence. “Well, it is getting late, isn’t it? I think it’s time for me to go get my beauty sleep. Goddesses know I need it!” Cadance scooted out of her seat, Silverhorn going as far to help her up; what a gentlestallion. “Will you two be staying up?”

“Perhaps a little bit, if Twilight isn’t tired yet.” Silverhorn glanced to Twilight for an answer.

Twilight nodded again, smiling. “I still have a little bit more in me.”

“Then I’ll leave you two to it. Don’t stay up too late, Twilight.” Cadance warned. She shrugged her way into a light jacket, preparing for the cold halls.

“I won’t, Cadance.”

With a blown kiss, Cadance took her leave.

For a while, the two sat in a comfortable, familiar silence. Happy memories swam through Twilight as the two relaxed, the night’s events finally catching up to her. She couldn’t wait to get back to her room to bask in the joy and calmness of the day. After the hellish few weeks, this was just what the doctor had ordered.

Silverhorn broke the silence first, the stallion leaning against the counter and smiling broadly. “You know, I’m very proud of you Twilight,” he started. Before Twilight could ask for clarification, he held a hoof up, silencing her. “Please, let me finish first. I meant to say that when we first met, you were raw, untrained. You were an orphan in the lower city with a thirst for knowledge and a wealth of power, few things seen down there.”

Silverhorn stood up from the table and started to pace near Twilight, staring down at her with something in his eyes that Twilight couldn’t quite recognize. “But since then, you’ve grown so wonderfully. You’re like a butterfly that’s spread its wings for the first time. In the year and a half that I’ve known you, I’ve watched you transform to something more, something greater. You’re a beautiful young mare now, Twilight, and with that transformation has come an even greater one. Beyond all else, you’ve made us all very proud.”

Silverhorn stepped close to Twilight’s seat, trapping her in. The mare shrunk back in her chair, instinctively trying to pull away from the stallion. She didn’t know what he was going on about. Why would he bring all of this up now? Why was he getting so close? Twilight wanted out. Her mind jumped to teleportation, but she knew how rude that would appear. She couldn’t do that to one of her few friends. Instead, Twilight bit her lip.

Silverhorn started his speech once more, leaning in close to Twilight. “So, please forgive if I seem presumptuous. I just… I know what the Queen means to you. I’m not foolish. And I know your age, but I have to say this. Twilight, I have certain… feelings for you. I don’t expect you to choose me above the Queen, but I couldn’t keep quiet forever, especially after Luna’s gift tonight. I had to give it a chance.” Silverhorn moved closer all the while, closing the gap between their muzzles. This close, Twilight could smell the alcohol on his breath. Had he simply drank too much?

Panic flared through Twilight as what his ‘feelings’ really were. No. That was all wrong. That couldn’t be right. Twilight loved Luna and Luna loved her. She didn’t even like stallions! Oh Goddesses, was he trying to kiss her? He was, wasn’t it? With a yelp, Twilight’s magic flared, a shield coming to life between the two of them.

The force of her magic pushed SIlverhorn back, sending him staggering away. The stallion grunted as he landed against the wall. Twilight stared in shock, her mind not processing anything as Silverhorn slowly pulled himself to his hooves. She shook her head slowly, trying to find her words as Silverhorn tried to find his bearings.

“S-silverhorn. N-no.” Twilight finally managed to choke out, still shaking her head. She shrunk behind her shield. She didn’t want to use magic on Silverhorn. He was supposed to be her friend!

Silverhorn’s eyes finally met Twilight’s. Confusion and pain swirled in his eyes, even Twilight able to tell that. “I should-” Silverhorn swallowed hard, clearing his throat. He choked back his emotions before continuing. “I should go,” he finally completed.

“Please.”

Silverhorn left without a word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight was roused out of her sleep by an insistent hoof rubbing at her shoulder. It felt cold against her. Ugh, what now? Twilight wondered why a hoofguard was in her room. In fact, why were they even wearing armor in here? Actually, come to think of it, how had they even gotten into her room? The lift was locked to her, Luna, and Ce-

Oh.

“Twilight, wake up,” a majestic voice whispered. Yep, definitely Celestia. But why was she here at- 5:30 am? Goddesses dammit. “Twilight, I need to talk to you, now.” Celestia shook harder, forcing her mind to blink away the sleep.

With a loud groan, Twilight rolled over in bed. She re-positioned to lay on her back and looked up at the Celestia, slowly blinking her eyes. “Celestia, why are you in my room?” Twilight demanded, devoid of pleasantries. She would get her princess title after breakfast.

“First, just know that everything’s fine.” Twilight’s grogginess evaporated. She sat up straight as she started to run through all the reasons the acting ruler of the kingdom would wake her up in the middle of the night.

“What is it?” Twilight probed.

“It’s about Luna.”

Hearing Luna’s name made Twilight’s heart beat out of control. “What happened?” Twilight whispered, afraid of the answer she might get. Celestia sat on the bottom of the bed and started at Twilight intensely. Twilight gulped; she didn’t like that look.

“Twilight, I just need to stress that she’ll be one hundred percent fine, so breathe.” Twilight closed her eyes and filled her lungs slowly. She exhaled, trying to push out the worse of her fears. She opened her eyes to look at the princess once more. “Better?” Twilight nodded.

“Alright, so the bad news is that Luna is injured. Her wings were shredded and she broke several bones in her back. Her alicorn abilities will heal them, but she needs to come home first.” Celestia paused to collect herself. It was dark in the room, but Twilight could tell the princess was worried. “Again, she will be completely fine.”

Twilight felt like she’d been dunked in a lake as her breathing seized up. Luna had been injured? How? How badly was she hurt? Why was she hurt? Why wasn’t her guard with her? Why didn’t Shining protect her?

Twilight sucked a deep breath in, trying to keep herself calm. “W-what happened?” she managed to stutter out.

Celestia laid a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “The information report wasn’t clear on that; apparently nopony saw what happened. We won’t know until she’s back here within the month.” Celestia removed her hoof as she stood from the bed. “I need to go Twilight, but I’ll send Cadance up after me. You need a friend right now.”

Twilight nodded absently, mind racing. Luna was injured. She’d broken her promise and gotten hurt. Twilight couldn’t imagine her perfect Queen like that, couldn’t imagine her making a mistake. It was almost too much to process.

“Once again Twilight, I’m sorry. I’ll be back to check on you later.” Twilight’s eyes darted up in time to see Celestia disappear, leaving Twilight with one thought.

Luna was injured.

Twilight’s stomach churned. The Queen, her Queen had been hurt. It was hard to believe Luna could even be hurt. Twilight’s mind went back to the duel, replacing Blueblood’s body with Luna’s. She felt like she was going to throw up as tears streamed down her face. Twilight pushed the worries out. Twilight held on to the one good thing about this terrible news.

Soon, Luna would be home.

Restoration

Luna dominated Twilight’s mind, despite being weeks away. Twilight had even planned out what outfit she would wear when her love arrived. She could already imagine it - Luna would walk in and see Twilight in her brilliant, amethyst dress, a Rarity original. She’d wear Luna’s horn ring, a clear sign that Twilight was Luna’s. They would then adjourn to a private place and they would learn to love each other, and eventually, kiss, and it would be perfect. Luna had been injured, sure, but Twilight knew the power of alicorn magic; she had studied it enough to know that Luna would arrive much better than she left, and while Twilight was upset that Luna had to be injured to come home, at least she was coming home.

Whenever Twilight imagined the kiss, she unintentionally smiled as her heart pounded in anticipation. Many long, painful months had passed, and soon, her anguish would finally pay off. In the grand scheme of things, nearly no time had passed. For Luna, it must have seemed like no time at all, but for a young mare in love, it had felt like an eternity. Even the letter, which should have put Twilight’s mind at ease, made it worse. Time felt like it enjoyed tormented Twilight.

Twilight spent days trying to perfect her look. She would consider all of her jewelry, trying to strike the perfect balance, but in the process, her eyes would pass over Cadance’s earrings, and then Silverhorn would flash in her mind. Twilight would struggle to cast his looming memory away. She didn’t blame Cadance; hell, she didn’t even blame Silverhorn. But his… approach had made it hard for Twilight to be in the same room with either of them. It just made her remember Silverhorn moving in closer and closer.... The fact was that Twilight couldn’t be around either of them, which meant that Twilight had to distance herself from their party.

But Twilight was not one to sit around idly, especially with the political climate of the city. Instead, she took the time to try and learn more about Fleur’s party. While the last outing hadn’t turned out well, she would take a duel over unwanted advances any day. And besides, while Twilight disagreed with the broad strokes of Fleur’s party, she knew that she was going to have to work with them to make effective change.

Fleur, on the other hoof, seemed less inclined with work with Twilight and more interested in displaying the Student. Once again, Twilight found herself at the heart of a party. The festivities had started hours ago, and Twilight eventually found herself thrust to the side, with a glass levitating by her side, and an adamantly chatting Fleur beside her. The chattiness wasn’t for Twilight, however; instead, Fleur was absorbed with the horde of ponies approaching her. A few would spare a word towards Twilight, and less still would actually converse with her.

While this party was excruciating, Twilight could always count on Rarity. Rarity had been one the few to actually keep her entertained that night, but her saviour had disappeared on her for a few minutes, promising to return shortly. This had left Twilight stranded by Fleur’s side for much longer than “shortly,” but, mercifully, Twilight saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Fleur’s last visitors were dispersing, leaving the two of them on their own once again.

Turning back towards Twilight, Fleur nudged against the purple mare’s side, giving a playful smile. “Having fun, Twilight?”

Twilight grimaced and shook her head. “Not so much. Sorry Fleur, but this isn’t my type of crowd,” Twilight explained, gazing amongst the crowd. Too many aristocrats and old blood, so many elder stallions. It was all too stuffy.

Twilight turned back to Fleur, hoping that she would appreciate the honestly, but Fleur face make it clear that Twilight's seriousness was not the proper response. As Twilight blushed, Fleur laughed her crystalline laugh. “No, I didn’t expect it to be, but honesty is always appreciated.” Twilight blushed even deeper.

After a few more moments at Twilight’s expense, Fleur stopped her laugh while clearing her throat. “I really do appreciate you being here. Just showing up does wonders for our appearance.” Twilight thought back to Blueblood. It makes sense that it shows. An outsider thrashing an insider does look worse than an internal struggle. With Twilight’s continued association with Fleur and her circles, the embarrassment and blame fell solely on Blueblood. Now, Twilight didn’t necessarily agree with that assessment, but she could appreciate that the appearance mattered. If there was one thing castle life taught here, it was that this was simply the way the world worked.

Then again, Twilight didn't. She didn’t want to associate herself with the party and what it stood for. A lot of the other members were heartless at best. There was even a small faction that wanted to continue their opposition against Twilight, but Fleur was able to smooth it over. All in all, it was a tiresome charade, and if Twilight didn’t have to learn to work with this party, she would have left long ago.

Fleur reached a hoof around her and pulled her close, giving her a little squeeze. “EIther way, we’re happy to have you. I know tonight isn’t the most exciting of events, but I promise we’ll have something more your speed soon.”

“Yea, like what; a party in the library instead?” Twilight half teased.

Fleur laughed again. “While that would be an interesting venue, I don’t think that much wine and paper should be in the same place.” Fleur gave Twilight a knowing look. “On the other hoof, we’re doing a food drive for the lower districts next week, would you be interested in that?”

Now, there was an idea. A little hope sparked in Twilight’s chest; maybe this wouldn’t be all bad. She wanted to do this to do good anyways, and that sort of event would do infinitely more than this bullshit. Sure, Twilight knew the importance of fundraising, interest polling, and new legislation; she had read enough about law to know their importance. But Twilight wanted to see the impact she would make directly.

It was what Twilight had signed up for, what she dreamed about. She could actually help both the soldiers and entertain the lower class all at once. It was a miracle solution for Twilight.

“I would absolutely be interested in that!” Twilight couldn’t help the goofy grin that spread across her muzzle.

Fleur giggled. “Calm down a little bit, Twilight,” she teased, although Twilight was too excited to be embarrassed. “It’ll be in five days from now, and since you’ve been so enthusiastic about it, I’m going to need you to help me plan it, if that’s okay.” Fleur’s eyes playfully pleaded. She already knew the answer.

Now Twilight would be responsible for the planning? Dream come true. “Of course you can count on me Fleur. But before anything else, do we have a where yet?”

“It’s set to be hosted in an area near the Rising Moon Market. Have you heard of it before?”

Twilight’s ears perked up. Rising Moon Market? That was right next to the orphanage; she had gone to it all the time when she was a filly. Twilight’s grin only got bigger. Now it was taking place in her old stomping grounds! “That’s wonderful!” Twilight exclaimed. “I actually used to live near there, in an orphanage. It was run by a griffon known as Matron; do you know how close we’ll be to that?” she asked. The only thing that could make this party better would be having it right outside of the Matron’s door.

“Your enthusiasm is adorable, Twilight,” Fleur giggled for a bit, before clearing her throat. “I don’t know what orphanage you’re talking about specifically, since there’s a lot around that area. But, I have been informed that there is one that’s close to our target location. I’m sure you’ll have time to visit it if you’re interested,” Fleur explained.

Twilight nodded again, her tail starting to wag. Best news that she’d heard that day, easily. “Thanks, Fleur. That sounds wonderful.” Twilight returned to her spot, eyes roaming around the room and yawning to herself. It was getting late and she’d gotten up early. Perhaps she would excuse herself and-

“It’s bedtime for little Twilight? Already?” Fleur teased. “I thought that Students of the Night would stay up a little later.”

Twilight huffed and up turned her nose, playfully pouting at the words. “Maybe I’m just going for a midnight nap!” It was moments later before a grin spread across Twilight’s muzzle. Fleur couldn’t help but laugh, and Twilight wasn’t far behind. A couple of the noble ponies turned towards the laughing pair, but the two didn’t notice.

After a few moments, the laughter died away. “Alright, alright, it’s true. I’m pretty tired, but I’ll see you tomorrow?” Twilight asked.

Fleur nodded and patted Twilight’s shoulder. “Of course. We need to start finalizing our plans. Only a couple of days to go.”

“Good night, Fleur,” Twilight said, giving Fleur a quick hug. Twilight then turned towards the exit, giving one last wave to Fleur before leaving. As she turned back forward, however, her eyes fell on another pink mare.

Cadance. Twilight’s mentor locked eyes with her. Even from a distance, Twilight could see the disappointment. Her heart twisted in her chest. Twilight wanted to run and embrace her mentor. She wanted to tell Cadance that she didn’t pull away out of hatred and that Fleur was no replacement. She wanted to tell Cadance the truth about Silverhorn, about what happened when they were left alone. She just wanted to tell her the truth.

But those words never came. Instead, Twilight looked away and walked towards the exit.
Weaving between groups of noble ponies holding glasses and server ponies holding silver platters, Twilight made her way out of the room. Once out of the room, however, Cadance’s disapproval hung over Twilight. The guilt she felt almost matched the shame that she felt on her birthday night. Almost.

Instead of running back to the party and finding her mentor, Twilight continued on to her room. Once there, she got into bed, pulled the sheets over her head, and tried to forget Cadance as she drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days were a flurry of preparation. Twilight and Fleur met up several times to iron out the final details of the party. They talked with experts about the projected numbers, figured out the best possible layout of the booths, and figured which. In the days leading up to it, the pair felt liked their plan was going to go off without a hitch.

The day of, however, both Fleur and Twilight were surprise at the turnout. The day of, the analysis ponies reported that they were expecting twice as many ponies, which meant that their already cramped section was not going to cut it. In the end, the pair decided to move the event to the Rising Moon Market itself, taking a full quadrant for the festival. Different booths and games had been erected as well, so those who attended had something other than standing and talking to do, although it was assumed that the Lower Class ponies would be the main patrons of the stalls. The nobles, on the other hoof, crowded into the tent that Fleur had insisted they prepare, protecting themselves from the ‘harsh’ sun. In the end, the groups naturally segregated themselves, although Twilight swore she she spied an occasion noble weaving between the food and game booths.

Luckily for Twilight, while the location was moved, Matron was still intent on joining in, bringing along any orphan who wanted to come. For the busy mare, this was a stroke of luck; now, she wouldn’t have to find an excuse to leave the festival grounds. They hadn’t had a chance to talk yet, but Twilight periodically caught sight of the small griffin in the crowd, but never for too long. She was always hustling and bustling around, probably herding the youngsters, making sure no pony strayed off too far. Twilight made a mental note to make the time to go over and greet her as soon as she had the chance. This was for them, after all.

Among the large turnout, Twilight occasionally spied the odd face here and there. Naturally, most of the crowd was comprised of locals who came for the free food and prizes, but a startling number of nobles also made an appearance. Of course Silverhorn, Cadence, and their usual group attended; they were always intent on philanthropy, even when hosted by an opposing faction. Yet, even Blueblood came, and some of Charlemane’s party as well. Even more surprisingly, the nobles seemed to actually enjoy themselves. Of course, most of them wanted nothing to do with the common chaff, but after they found their respective groups, they couldn’t help having a good time.

Donations poured in as the day went in. Bit after bit came from the nobles and even from some of the lower class. Blue collar workers who were able to spare some change did so, and the pot grew ever larger; as it did, Twilight, for the first time in weeks, felt a sense of satisfaction. Finally, she felt like she was really making a difference! This was how she could be happy in the political world. She could focus all of her energy on helping ponies. She didn’t even have to spend time greeting the nobles; Fleur had insisted on relieving Twilight from that particular burden.

Twilight wasn’t freed from work, however. Since Twilight had come down to the Lower District in the wee hours of the morning, she had been inundated with tasks. First, after almost an hour of set-up, she was informed that the projected number of ponies just doubled, making their already cramped location completely useless. After deciding to move, she then had to make a new layout while directing late vendors to the new location. And even after that had been ironed out, she had to track down the tent, which had managed to get lost in the commotion. Twilight would never know how in Goddesses’s sake the volunteers lost something as big as that tent.

Oddly enough, once the party began, most things went off without a major hitch. There were the occasion struggles, like not enough props for the improve stage, or a leak in the apple-bobbing barrel, but those all had easy fixes. Plus, when she found the wood to repair the apple barrel, the green elder pony gave her what must have been one of the most delicious apples she had ever had.

The hard part of this part of the festival, however, was that Twilight was running around the grounds all day, and it had left her exhausted. Finally, after hours of work, Twilight found the time to meet up with Matron, who had taken a corner table at the edge of the fair for herself, allowing the orphans to roam within eyesight of her perch. Twilight took her lunch and made her way to sit next to her.

“Busy day?” Matron asked as Twilight guzzled down her glass of water.

Twilight nodded, “You have no idea!” Twilight answered, exasperated. “This morning was a madhouse. I was here at the crack of dawn when we had to move. We had already set up half the booths for Goddesses’ sake! And then I keep getting an earful from the vendors who came late because we moved. I mean, it’s clear that we needed the extra space, but I wish the ponies who did the projections wouldn’t have waited until the last minute to get the right numbers.”

“Sounds like a lot, filly.” Matron slide her own untouched water towards Twilight, who took a big gulp from that glass as well. Twilight could hear the concern in her voice.

“Well, it’s not quite that bad,” Twilight began, trying to mitigate Matron’s worries. “After the morning rush, everything came together. I’ve just been busy with little things, like finding extra wood to fix the bobbing-for-apples barrel.”

Matron gave Twilight a soft pat. “Still, you’ve been doing a lot today. By now, that horn of yours must have put in a lot of work. Aren’t you pushing yourself a little too hard, filly?”

Twilight brushed the claw away and sat up in her seat. “I’m fine, Matron,” Twilight insisted. “I actually haven’t used my magic too much today. There are plenty of volunteers who can help set up, but not many ponies who know how to organize the whole event. My hooves have been too full just making sure every pony knows what they should be doing.”

The truth was that Twilight had actively avoided using her magic. She still hadn’t found a way to mask her magic color, and she didn’t want to give her enemies any additional ammo, which meant that she had to lift everything physically. Besides limiting her effectiveness in party set up, it had also made her pretty sore, so sore that she wasn’t sure how she was going to make it through the day.

“Alright, but be sure to take care of yourself, understand? If you end up in the hospital again, I’ll tan yer hide, filly,” Matron warned, tapping a claw on the table. Twilight knew better than to take the threat idly. She had rarely faced discipline, but it was mostly because she knew that Matron meant business.

“Right, sure. How’s the food?” Twilight asked, trying to change the subject. Twilight shifted her attention to her plate, which was loaded with local fare from the Doctor, her absolute favorite cook. Today, he’d made stuffed buns. ‘Dumplings’, he called them, each cooked in a weird way she couldn’t quite put a hoof on and stuffed with all sorts of veggies. They were made to be dipped inside a black sauce he called ‘soy sauce’. Weird guy, amazing food.

Matron had her own dumplings, though hers were stuffed with shrimp. The Doctor was pretty considerate of the small griffin contingency in the Lower District. “Good, actually. Don’t know where in Tartarus he gets this stuff, but that Doctor always comes up with the most interesting meals, doesn’t he?” Twilight nodded, as she polished off a couple of dumplings. They really were great.

As Twilight took another gulp of her water, she could hear yelling in the distance. “You hear something?” she asked Matron.

Matron sat up in her seat, ears swiveling on her head. In turn, Twilight cast a hearing-amplification spell, a minor off-shoot of her full body one. “Filly, I think they’r-”

“Calling for me,” Twilight finished, frowning deeply. Dammit, she just wanted a nice meal after a long morning, and she couldn’t even get that? Who in Tartarus would even bother calling her name? Fleur was supposed to handle the public. “I should probably go and see what they need.”

Twilight stood and dusted herself off, not quite ready to abandon her respite. “I’ll see ya later, don’t worry nothin’ about that. Just keep yourself out of too much trouble. If you can,” Matron teased, giving Twilight a little wink.

Twilight nodded and stood up with a long stretch, her body already aching and sore from the long, painful day. “See ya later,” Twilight said, giving Matron a brief hug before reluctantly starting towards the pony calling her.

This better be good. It better not be a waste of her time. She just wanted some time to breathe after her hectic morning, and she couldn’t even get that. What could be so important?

As Twilight approached the caller, she saw that it came from the middle of a huge, dense crowd. With a twinge of annoyance, Twilight amplified her voice in the way Luna had shown her. “Clear the way!” she boomed. Almost instantly, the crowd parted, allowing her to enter. Twilight forced her way through the split crowd, keeping her head up as she garnering stares and attention galore.

As Twilight finally got sight of the center, she saw a chariot, but not just any chariot. No, it was a Lunar Chariot, one of the chariots assigned to Luna’s personal guard. Her heart stopped for a second. What was it doing here? That wasn’t supposed to be back from the war; Luna’s troops were too valuable. Unless....

Twilight broke into a gallop towards the chariot, until she realized that the mare in the seat was not her Luna. She skidded to a stop before it, just as the grey mare caught sight of her. “Twilight, thank the goddesses!” The mare cried, in relief. “I’m Honeysuckle, one of Luna’s assistants in the field. Please, if you would, can you please get on the chariot?” she asked, voice pleading.

Twilight felt an instant twinge of disappointment, which frustrated her. She knew better than to expect Luna herself. Despite herself, Twilight felt like she needed to fight the request. She was busy with the festival after all. “What do you need from me, Ms. Honeysuckle?” Twilight asked, trying to maintain an appearance of professionalism.

“I need you to come with me, Ms. Sparkle,” Honeysuckle started. “The Queen has returned and she’s asking for you,” she explained.

Twilight froze. Luna. Luna was back. And she wanted Twilight there, by her side. The festival no longer mattered. She was needed elsewhere. “R-right,” Twilight squeaked, her voice cracking from the sudden news. Shoot, Twilight thought as she blushed at the eyes around her, why is my voice always betraying me? Her eyes spun around, spotting the rest of Honeysuckle’s small entourage, Twilight pointed a hoof towards one of the spare guards, selecting him as her newsbreaker. “Y-you. Could you go find Fleur De Lis and tell her that I was needed at the castle? L-Let’s go, Honeysuckle.”

The guard saluted and Honeysuckle stepped aside to let her in. “Thank you, Ms. Sparkle. Once again, I’m so sorry to interupt your festival, but the Queen asked for you specifically an-”

Twilight cut her off with a shake of her head. “It’s fine, Honeysuckle. I needed to know this,” Twilight explained. “Actually, I think I need to apologize; I shouldn’t have been so standoffish.” Honeysuckle gave a small nod in acknowledgement before Twilight continued. “How… um… how is the Queen? I know that she was injured, but how bad was it? Do you know if she’s still conscious?”

Honeysuckle tapped a hoof on the cart. “She’s um…” With a deep sigh, Honeysuckle managed to looked Twilight in the eyes. “Well, it was a pretty bad injury, Twilight,” Honeysuckle began to explain. “The griffons made some kind of weapon that we hadn’t seen before. It’s capable of firing tons of metal at once over a huge distance.”

That was new. Twilight had never heard of something like that before. Her mind buzzed with questions - how did it work? How did it shoot the metal out? How effective was it?

Before she could ask, Honeysuckle went on. “Um, for what I’ve heard, it’s more of a prototype than anything that could be relied upon during war. It’s far too heavy to even aim properly, let alone maneuver around the battlefield. The only reason the Queen was injured at all was that it was hidden underneath the canopy, and even then, it barely hit her.” Twilight sharply suck in her breath. “She pulled up in time, of course, but it still shredded her wings and the back of her legs. Some of the forward scouts even said that it cut her wings to the bone.” Twilight felt like fainting as she saw Luna’s shredded wing in her mind. “Fortunately, her alicorn powers saved her, and her wounds aren’t fatal. Our scouts managed to recover her body before the enemy could, well, captured her.”

Twilight felt ill. She had only been told that Luna had been hurt in battle, but she didn’t know the extent of her injury. Shredded? She couldn’t even imagine the type of pain that her love faced in that moment. Despite knowing better, Twilight couldn’t help blaming herself. She should have been there to protect her, not hosting festivals and getting into petty duels.

Twilight shook her head hard, forcing herself out of that spirling mindset; Luna was the one in pain. She couldn’t be a total wreck before even seeing her. “R-right,” Twilight swallowed. “You said she’s okay though, right?” Twilight asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Honeysuckle nodded. “She’s going to be fine, but even for an alicorn that is not an easy wound to recover from. When she was recovered, she was out cold. It was the Lunar guards who decided that the best place for her recovery would be at the castle. She’s been out for most the trip, but she woke up right before we reached the castle. She’s still conscious, though she remains weak. But, um, once you see her, just remember what’s she’s been through, okay? It would have killed a lesser pony.”

Honeysuckle’s words were obviously meant as a comfort, but Twilight couldn’t help focusing on the worse of what was said. Her love had been out for days. She was almost captured. Her body was in ruins. Why wasn’t Twilight there? Why hadn’t she-

Twilight shook her head, pushing those thoughts from her head. Instead of thinking, she leaned on the edge of the chariot, watching as they approached the castle. Thankfully, Honeysuckle took the hint and allowed Twilight wait in silence. Every second brought them closer, the pegasi cutting through the air. Twilight could already see the balcony they planned to land on; from her experience, she knew that it would be one closest to the Royal Sister’s private quarters.

By the time they finally began to land, Twilight couldn’t wait any longer. Once close enough, Twilight teleported to the balcony, not bothering to hide her magic olor. Two Lunar guards began to level their weapons before recognizing the Student. These were Twilight’s guards. They stepped back as Twilight passed, offering her only brief nods as she sped past them.

Twilight felt a twinge of guilt at not acknowledging either of her friends, but she knew they would understand. She could catch up with them later; for now, she needed to see her Queen. She needed to see Luna. Twilight sprinted through the halls, hurrying deeper inside the castle. She turned right, then left, then another left. Nearly there now. She passed the whole damn company of Lunar Guards, but nopony tried to stop her. Well, at least not until the door itself.

Sunny waited outside Luna’s rooms. She didn’t move to the side like the others. Instead, seeing the purple streak that was Twilight, she moved between the Student and the door. “Twilight,” she greeted, her full regalia making her look much more intimidating than usual. Twilight wasn’t used to seeing her with a full helmet and barding; usually, castle guards only wore their light armor at the castle. “Now, hold on a minute.”

Twilight tried to duck around her, but to no avail. Sunny’s size and training made Twilight’s attempts appear foolish. With a huff, she stood straight up, glaring at Sunny. With dismay, Twilight realized she was still craning her neck up several inches. Stupid older ponies; Twilight just needed a couple more years and then she’d be able to stand eye to eye with anypony! “Why do I need to wait, Sunny?” she demanded. “I have been explicitly called for by the Queen of the Empire.”

“Celestia is with her now, okay? She wants to talk to you, but, for now, give her a few minutes to talk to her sister first, okay?” Sunny started as she pushed Twilight toward the wall, leaving a stupid hoofmark on her dress.

Twilight nodded curtly, taking a small, step back. “Right. Sure, sure, whatever,” Twilight practically snapped. Some part of her realized that neither Sunny nor Celestia were at fault, but that didn’t stop her from being mad. Taking a moment to relax herself, Twilight began interrogating the guard. “The assistant told me the broad strokes, but you would know what’s really going on. How is she, Sunny?”

Sunny frowned. “Not even a good to see you?” Twilight glared back. Sunny got the message. “She’s fine. Well, she’s conscious. This is the best that she’s been in a few weeks. She’s been sort of in and out of it; apparently alicorns go into an almost trance like state when they’re recovering. Who knew?”

Twilight knew. That’s why she needed to be in there. She was the pony who had spent hours pouring over every book that covered the alicorns and their magic, though she never thought that it would actually be useful. Not even in her wildest dreams could she imagine Luna getting hurt.

“Anyways, she’s doing much better. That’s the important thing. When you go in, just remember that she’s just beginning to come out of the worse of it, so don’t freak out when you get in there, okay? It’ll only make Luna feel worse about herself. Just act normal and be that cute little filly you always are,” Sunny finished, punctuating her statement with by tousling Twilight’s mane.

Twilight felt some of her anger and frustration start to melt away. Sunny was right; she needed to compose herself. Luna needed her to strong right now. That was all she could do for her Queen. With a begrudging smile, Twilight tossed Sunny’s hoof off her head and fixed her ruined mane. “Thanks, Sunny. I needed to hear that,” Twilight mumbled.

In that moment, she really did love Sunny. She had been the messenger of the news Twilight wanted to know since Celestia first walked into her room. She worried that it would be permanent, or that she was still broken. To hear of her coming out of the trance was greatly relieving. According to her research, that meant Luna was no longer in serious danger; she wasn’t going to be at full performance right away, but she’d improve. Good news from somepony close.

“No problem, kiddo,” Sunny teased. “Er, sorry about that. You just look so young after being away for so long. Like, I know you’re older, but have you ever grown an inch?” Twilight couldn’t help laughing, despite the circumstances. It was utterly impossible to stay mad around Sunny. Her teasing was never malicious, and her good nature simply cheered ponies up. Twilight breathed a little easier; if Sunny could joke around, things had to be fine. The guard loved Luna nearly as much as Celestia and Twilight.

“Hey, I have to-”

The door behind Sunny suddenly opened with a loud creak. Celestia stepped outside, flanked by two Lunar guards, one of which Twilight immediately recognized as Iridescence. The bright mane was such an easy giveaway, even under all that armor. The alicorn paused and looked between Sunny and Twilight, offering them a small smile.

“It’s good to see you, Twilight,” Celestia said, voice calm and soothing. “Luna’s waiting for you, she knew that you would come. Go on in.” The Princess gestured towards the doorway as Twilight’s heartbeat became audible.

Twilight returned the smile and eased her way past the alicorn and the guards, entering the room beyond. The first thing that she noticed was that the room was shrouded in darkness. The only light in the room was a soft blue flame, and as Celestia closed the door behind her, Twilight was left in the near dark. She looked around, lighting her horn to guide the way.

“The light, please,” a feeble voice called. Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. It sounded like Luna’s voice, but it was so weak, so scared. Was that really her? “Unless it’s a night-light, it hurts.” Twilight felt a moment of realization. That’s why there was a blue flame. “Come closer, please. I need to see you.”

As if Twilight could ever disobey that order. Wordless, she stepped forward, obediently walking towards the blue flame. Thankfully, the candle rested on the nightstand directly next to the bed, and nothing stood between the entrance and the flame. Using her hooves, Twilight managed to shuffle her way to the bedside.

Once there, her eyes roamed over Luna’s body, or what little of it she could see. With only the blue flame, all Twilight could make out was her love’s muzzle and mane. The rest was shrouded by the darkness and a thick blanket covering Luna. Yet, even with this darkness, Twilight could see that wonderful, beautiful smile on Luna’s muzzle.

“I love you,” Twilight blurted, her cheeks instantly filling with blood. Goddesses, get a hold of yourself, Twilight!

Luna chuckled, the small movements of the sheet betraying her mirth. “I love you too, dear Student,” she echoed back, amusement tinging her voice sweetly. “Closer, closer, please. You’re well, aren’t you?”

Twilight pressed herself right against the bed. As her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, she saw the blood that stained the sheets. “I’m perfect, but what about you? Why are you still bleeding? What’s wrong?” she asked, each question coming in rapid fire mode.

Luna waved a hoof and shook her head. “I’m fine, Twilight. It’s just my body healing properly. What saves somepony in the moment isn’t necessarily what gets them back on their hooves, so the open cuts is nothing. Really. Please do not worry about it, I’m just happy to see you again. Did you get my letter…?” she asked trailing off. For the first time, Twilight heard her Queen nervous. She hadn’t thought that Luna could get nervous, much less about her. Twilight could feel herself tear up. Luna love her. It was one thing to get a letter, but to hear it made Twilight’s heart bloom.

Twilight’s smile widened and her heart swelled. Goddesses, this was really happening, wasn’t it? Passion was coursing through her veins as Twilight leaned over Luna, closed the gap between them, and locked their lips together. The warmth blossomed outwards as Luna kissed back, thank the goddesses, joining them together, although Twilight had to supply most of the muscle for once.

Luna’s arm feebly wrapped around Twilight’s head, pulling her close and keeping them together. Despite her weakness, Luna didn’t seem to want Twilight to move away even a centimeter. She kept them locked together, deepening the kiss. Without warning, she pressed her tongue into Twilight’s muzzle, sending a small shiver down Twilight’s spine.

Just as quickly as it had come, however, Luna let her go, dropping back to the bed. She panted, her breath coming in short pants. “Student… I missed you,” Luna whispered out. Her breathless voice scared Twilight. Was she truly that weak?

“I missed you too.” Twilight’s eyes began to roam over the weakened Queen. Now that her eyes had adjusted, she realized that Luna’s mane had changed. The galaxy-like patterns had been somehow snuffed out, instead, a light blue mane taking its place, almost like a normal pony’s, except with a slight ethereal quality. It made her look enfeebled. Worry pierced Twilight; yes, Luna was home, but it was hard to imagine her recovering from such a weakened state. “Luna, are you really sure that you’re alright?” she urged, trying to eek out more from the mare.

Luna saw where Twilight was staring. “I really am fine, Twilight. It’s just that recovering from such wounds takes much out of my sister and I. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“But what if another attack…”

Luna cut her Student off with a hoofwave. “I have my guard taking position around the room at all points. Celestia has also insisted on staying close to the castle in case she’s needed. Nothing can hurt me in this bed.” Even in the dark, Twilight could see a small smile spread across Luna’s muzzle. “Besides, I have my own champion right here with me. Even in the chaos of war, I heard about your duel. Congratulations are in order, dear Student,” Luna added, the last part an obvious attempt at changing the subject.

While Twilight could see the Queen’s intentions, she couldn’t stop her determination from swelling; she would be Luna’s champion. “I’ll be here. Always,” she promised, giving a swift nod of her head. This room wouldn’t be so bad. She could just move her books down here and study next to her Mentor. Why go to the college when she had the sum of ponykind’s knowledge at her disposal? “I won’t leave your side, promise. I shall be your Shield.”

Luna chuckled, closing her eyes again. “I’m afraid I don’t mean quite that much. I don’t want to be an anchor around your neck, Student. You will still do all of your lessons outside of this room, but if you wish, I will arrange it so you can sleep in here. I can have another bed brought in, along with a desk. Would that be sufficient, my Shield?” she asked, chuckling softly at her last remark. In an odd way, that relieved Twilight; even when injured, Luna wouldn’t be separated from her teasing.

Twilight nodded, silently thanking the dark room for hiding her pink cheeks. Then again, Luna could probably see the dark, making it impossible to not blush harder. “Yes Luna,” Twilight agreed, giving a small nod of her head. She looked away, looking towards the ground. Her mind flashed back to Eclipse. She knew she would need it soon; although, with Luna back, it might be better to start calling it Vaunted again.

Luna’s trembling hoof gently pat Twilight’s head, her smile more like Celestia's than her own. “That’s a good girl,” she whispered. With a sigh, Luna’s hoof feel back to the bed. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but I must sleep. For now, however, if you are serious about staying in my room, go talk to the guards about procuring what you’ll need for and go apologize to the ponies I took you away from.”

Twilight frowned. She would rather sleep on the floor than leave her Queen now. Twilight wanted every second she could get with Luna, even if that meant Luna would be asleep. She had simply missed her too much. She didn’t need the plan right now.

“Yes, you have to,” Luna added, seemingly reading Twilight’s thoughts. Twilight’s blush deepened heavily, and she nodded towards the ground. Even when injured, Twilight still had no sway over her Queen.

“Right.” Twilight sucked in a deep breath. “Right, yes, okay. But I’ll see you soon, right?” she asked, uneasily starting to pull away from the bedside. The few hours she would sleep were nothing compared to the months the two had been apart, but even so, they felt like eternity.

“Of course… my Student,” Luna whispered, beginning to drift off to sleep. Twilight’s hoof hit the door and she sniffed back tears. Just be strong a few seconds longer, that’s all she needed. Twilight turned back to Luna, and only heard her breathing.

“Love you,” she whispered, right before stepping through the door. She closed it behind her with a click, but could have sworn she heard a response.

“Love you, too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight was a pony of her word. During the following weeks, she barely left her Queen’s side. Of course, she had to follow Luna’ instructions, staying away during meals and class time, but other than that, she was a fixture in the room. For how terrible it was that Luna was hurt at all, the one good part of the situation was that it gave Twilight a polite excuse to escape her social obligations. She no longer felt like she had to explain her absence to Cadance, Silverhorn was nowhere to be found, and Fleur understood Twilight’s predicament. The only pony who was really put out was Roamane; Luna had insisted that her Student continue her sword training, but Twilight had managed to talk the lesson down to only half the length. While this gave Twilight more free time, she knew that it put all the strain on Roamane. He still had to prepare for the training all the same, now with only half the time to properly teach the mare. Although, when Twilight asked, he gruffly denied being put out and went criticizing her form.

Luna was also a pony of her word. A bed was brought inside the shadowy confines of the room, although Twilight didn’t use it nearly as much as she should. Luna also procured a small desk for her Student, but instead of light, which still hurt Luna, Twilight relied on a newly-learned night-sight enhancement spell. Besides allowing Twilight to study in the dark, the spell had the added benefit of allowing her to see what had happened to Luna. Her coat seemed paler, losing it’s midnight blue color, and, at least to Twilight, it seemed like her Queen had physically shrunk. At first, Twilight thought it might have been a weird side-effect of the spell, but after a while, she realized that she was getting a proper, undistorted image of her love. Whenever she looked at her mentor, Twilight wondered just how much of Luna’s appearance was dependent on Alicorn magic.

But the most striking aspect of Luna’s injured state was her mane. It no longer carried the night sky; instead it was a beautiful, if somewhat flatter, blue. This particular change meant the most to Twilight because of what it implied. Twilight had been allowed to see Luna’s true mane color; it was a fact so intimate that probably only Celestia was allowed to see it. Sure, odd guards had probably seen it by accident, but Twilight was allowed to see it on purpose. She was allowed to stare at it while Luna slept. She was allowed to try to name the color of it. It reminded Twilight that Luna had allowed her Student to see her in this state. It showed the depth of Luna’s love more than even the ring had. It made Twilight feel special.

While Luna was confined to her bed, the two tried to make the most of their time together. They talked, laughed, and simply got to know each other better. Occasionally, the outside world would make itself known. Celestia would come by to give them updates on both the war and the court, which would spark a different type of conversation between the lovers. But, most of their time together was about learning about the other, and, for the first time since they met, the two could relax together and simply be.

And when they didn’t talk, they explored each other’s lips instead. Perhaps to some, they moved quickly, but for the long-deprived pair, their speed was a natural conclusion of their circumstances. No pony could tell them for how long they would be free from the prying eyes of the court, so they had to move when they had their chance. So much for courting. Then again, compared to the students froclicking in their dorms, the Queen and her Student were practically chaste. They mainly stuck to kissing, although more out of necessity than lack of desire; Luna still couldn’t participate in anything more rigorous than moderate petting.

Outside their little heaven, however, live continued. The war raged on; the different noble parties were in constant turmoil; rumors of Luna’s condition caused pockets of both panic and jubilation; families were given news of fallen soldiers; and the Lower Districts continued to barely scrape through their new wartime reality. But in that room, the couple was guarded from those harsh realities. Luna’s soft embraces protected her Student, and Twilight’s devotion carried her Queen through the worse of her condition. The walls around them kept them safe, sound, and free to simply be them, something neither of them had done in a very long time.

And Twilight was happy.

Unexpected Intelligence

Twilight shifted in her seat, unable to get comfortable; the chair she sat in was unforgiving and ungiving. If it weren’t for the importance of the upcoming speech, Twilight would have returned to the royal hospital suite. Right now, her and Luna could have been cuddled close under the covers, or reading a book together, or just fantasizing about their future. There were an infinite amount of things that she would rather be doing, most of them involving her Queen. Instead, Twilight was in this goddesses damned seat, stuck waiting.

Celestia had called another war meeting and had requested the Student of the Night’s attendance. At that point, it had only been two weeks since Luna had come home, and Twilight loathed sacrificing any amount of time with her Queen. Luna, however, insisted, telling her Student how important it was that Twilight support the Princess. Plus, after such a long absence, it would be good for the Lunar presence to be felt in the court, and with the guards watching the Queen night and day, Twilight was the only pony free to go.

And so, Twilight continued to struggle with her chair, waiting for Celestia’s announcement. She knew the Princess had big news. Not only were all the court’s nobles stuffed into the room, there were even important ponies from outside the city crammed in with them. This news had to be monumental, and that made Twilight uneasy. Big news was either really good or really bad, and Twilight couldn’t help focusing on the latter.

Not to mention, it was really damn hot; it was the inevitable result of packing so many ponies into such a small space. Twilight’s tight dress didn’t help the situation either, and after only about ten minutes, she could already feel the sweat running down her back. That soured her mood. She hated being warm - she was a night pony after all - and being so hot only made her want to snap at the ponies to her sides. Briefly, she toyed with her mother’s amulet. She could feel her mother’s magic thrumming underneath, and the familiarity comforted her. Actually, speaking of comfort…

Twilight horn briefly lit as she cast a cooling spell on the air around her. She then tied the spell off to the amulet, letting it supply the magic needed to continue the spell. She sighed as the cool air touched her coat; she could finally breathe. Twilight hoped that nopony would notice and ask her to extend her range, but luckily, everypony was so enraptured in the speculation surrounding the upcoming news that they didn’t pay her a lick of attention. Twilight liked that; it had been too long since she had gone incognito.

“Welcome, my little ponies,” Celestia’s voice broke over the crowd. Twilight’s ears twitched, angling towards the source as her head followed. The white goddess and her retinue had finally graced them with her presence.

Immediately, the dull roar that dominated the hall ceased, making Twilight even more irritated. If it was Luna, silence wouldn’t come uncommanded, and even then, there would be a noticeable, if brief, pause. Sure, it was almost immediate, but the ‘almost’ was like a slap in the muzzle. But with Celestia, silence greeted her immediately without asking. The Queen of the Night deserved better than these insolent subjects.

But Twilight shoved that far from her mind. She needed to pay attention, and Celestia had begun talking. “We have grand news for all of you today. Our troops, at long last, have reached the griffon capital!” Cheers began breaking out as the hall was filled with excitement. Everypony knew that reaching the capital meant victory.

Celestia allowed the commotion to continue for a moment before holding her hoof up for silence. The crowd immediately complied, but this time, Twilight didn’t notice. She was too enthralled with Celestia’s speech. “As of now, we are fortifying our position around the city to prepare for negotiations. I have been assured by the generals that, barring any huge mishaps, our ponies will be home within six months, just in time for Hearth’s Warming Eve!” Cheers broke out at this news as well, although not as much. There were a large group of nobles who remained completely silent. This time, the cheering died naturally, allowing the Princess to continue.

“But, as long as peace remains unnegotiated, we will still continue with troop rotations. The next wave home shall be the Valkyries, who will be bringing home the heroes Sunset Shimmer and Shining Armor.” Celestia took a pause, her eyes seemingly lingering on Twilight.

Twilight barely noticed, however; she was too overwhelmed by the good news. Her brother and friend were coming home. With them and Luna back, all of her loved ones would have escaped from the horrors of war. Sure, some had been injured, but at least they were coming back. Twilight could hardly believe her luck. At the beginning, the war threatened to take everything away from her, but now, it was ending without Twilight losing anypony. Soon, the war would only be a distant memory, and Twilight’s only real worry would be her broken horn.

As Twilight reached up to touched her disguised horn, she realized that she had been zoning out, and quickly refocused on Celestia’s speech. “...three weeks on board the Zephyr. There will be a ceremony in the banquet hall, and we invite everypony in Canterlot to come. Please, let’s welcome home our warriors with all the love and respect they deserve.” To that, a light stomping rose in approval, and Twilight, despite herself, joined in.

“That is all, my dear citizens. For now, we must move onto the council meeting. I will speak to you soon,” Celestia dismissed them with a gentle way of her hoof.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight buzzed with excitement over the next week. Some of her most beloved ponies in the world would be coming home safe and sound. The war had ended, barely lasting a year and a half. Plus, it was all punctuated with a party!
Luna was also excited by Shining and Sunset’s return as well. During the next week, she often spoke about them, recounting their time together. She even told Twilight that she wanted to adopt Shining into her own private guard, though she didn’t seem convinced that he would accept. Twilight agreed with the Luna’s assessment; Shining had always preferred the sun princess over the night queen. Twilight thought him mad, but she had her own bias. And who could blame her as well? When such a wonderful, caring, radiant pony loved you, you held onto it with all of your heart.

Twilight lived buried in that love for another three weeks after the war meeting. She continued to push back her diplomatic and political duties, trying to be there for every step of Luna’s recovery. Luckily, Luna was almost fully healed by the end of those three weeks. The small pony that Twilight had first seen in that dark room had already grown back to her full size and the night sky had returned to her mane. Already, the Queen was walking around the castle, though never too far from her bed. The doctors insisted on keeping her in the hospital, a request Luna was happy to oblige; while she had been nearly healed physically, it would take much longer for her to be ready for court.

Judging from her brief stints away from Luna, Twilight could tell that the capital was buzzing with news about the returning heroes. Everywhere she went, she heard ponies talking about the time that Shining singlehoofedly held off an entire battalion of griffons, or when Sunset slew a dragon all on her own. Twilight knew those tales were pure fantasy, but there is no wrong way to fantasize. Plus, it felt good to have so many other ponies as happy about her loved ones return as she was, especially since Luna was still too weak to attend. Having her first return to the court during a huge party would not be the best venue, something Twilight could appreciate.

The night of, Twilight slipped on a simple, purple dress and her horn ring, kissed Luna good-night, and made her way to the banquet hall alone. Luna still wasn’t ready for public appearances, and Matron was stuck at the orphanage, leaving her on her lonesome. A patch of fillies had come down with a cold, and while it wasn’t the plague, Matron wanted to stay by their bedsides. Twilight was little disappointed, but promised to pass her love on to Shining and Sunset.

Twilight walked into the hall, which was filled with both nobles and common ponies. Most of the ponies were broken up by class lines, but there were the odd groups of nobles and common ponies talking. Their loved ones must had become friends during the war. A long, curved table ran along a quarter of the wall, stocked with snacks and drinks of all kinds. Almost every pony had a drink in their hooves, and around her, ponies chatted away. Overall, most ponies were happy to have the war finally end. But, here and there, an odd voice or two whispered disappointment; some lamented that their troops were petitioning peace rather than total domination of their enemies. It was a sentiment that was in line with the Charlemane party, but at least they had the good sense to keep their criticisms to a whisper. No pony wants to get between soldiers and their loved ones. But, ignore the whispers, the air of the party was merry. Canterlot, as a whole, was glad to have it’s brave soldiers back.

Once Twilight had gotten herself some juice, she found her way to one of the banquet windows and looked out at the Zephyr. She had arrived less than two hours ago, and had dominated the city’s skyline ever since. While still getting ready, Twilight, with her enhancement spell, saw ponies running to and from the ship, unloading it’s supplies. She tried to spot Shining and Sunset, but the armor made it impossible to differentiate them. How much of a tease must that be? You finally see your home after months of service, and right when you get back, you have to work for hours before you can finally go. Goddesses, that must have been frustrating, but, that was the life of the guard ponies. Twilight just wished that she wasn’t forced to wait because of it.

After her third glass of juice, a hushed whisper broke out through the crowd. With a loud creak, the great double doors at the side of the hall split open. The marching of boots sounded out over the hall, perfectly timed with the standard marching cadence for the Equestrian military. The crowd parted, leaving the middle of the ballroom wide open for the returning victors. Twilight stood a little taller on her hooves, looking out over the crowd. She could barely make out the rush of incoming heads, the gleam of their pristine armor in the light of the chandeliers. Despite being a mish mash of colors and race, somehow the Equestrian army managed to look all the same. Golden armor, with the same sword and shield lashed on the back, clad every soldier as they marched in. Occasionally, Twilight would see markings, like a slightly different sword or art on another’s armor, but for the most part, they were a uniformed mass of marching gold.

That golden march was interrupted with the entrance of the next group. Instead of gold, this regiment was clad in the black of a starless night. Their crested helmets were closed, except for earguards frilled with metallic wings and the occasional horn opening for unicorns. The same went for their armor, save the gaps for pegasi wings. Their weapons, unlike the golden regiment, were varied. As they filled into the room, Twilight saw swords, spears, bows, and even a curved blade that Twilight couldn’t place.

As the soldiers marched into the room, the took a formation, with the ponies facing the crowd. After the march finished, silence dominated the room. These soldiers were intimidating. Twilight couldn’t help but wonder why they hadn’t taken off their armor before they entered the room. Some of the children that had been brought had gotten deathly quiet. If this was the Empire’s army, how did the griffins stand up to such idols of terror.

When it looked like the mood couldn’t be saved. Two armor ponies gave a silent order, and the Valkyries removed their helmets. Manes, bright in color, spilled out, revealing the ponies underneath. Inside of the emotionless, almost sinister looking helmets were happy, smiling ponies. With the helmets off, they turned to each other, laughing and talking. The tension melted away instantly. Several ponies, seeing a sibling or a child, rushed towards their loved ones and met them in a warm embrace. With that, the two groups, soldiers and civilians, merged into one. Conversation and laughter once again filled the air.

Twilight tried to spot Shining and Sunset, but she couldn’t see over the sea of giant soldier ponies. If only she had wings like Luna right now! But, Twilight decided that the best strategy was to wait it out. Weaving in and out of the crowd, Twilight make her way to the refreshments table, thinking that after months of subpar military rations, Shining and Sunset would find their way over to Canterlot’s finest cuisine eventually.

As she waited, Twilight saw the faces of the ponies that Shining and Sunset fought alongside of. As they helped themselves, Twilight made sure to thank them for their service. All of them smiled at her words, happy that somepony as important as the Student of the Night was here to personally thank them. Some of them even knew her as Shining’s little sister, and they told her how proud she must be of him.

Twilight waited for quite a while, but eventually, her plan bore fruit. As a group of armored ponies moved, she finally spotted a short, dark and light blue streaked mane that she knew to be her brother’s. Excitement stirred in her chest; she was too excited to move, but luckily, her brother was already moving towards her.

At first, Shining, who was talking to another soldier, didn’t see his sister, but as he got closer, he finally caught site of Twilight. With a goofy grin on his muzzle, he rushed up to her. Alright, play it cool Twilight. Let’s show him that you’re not the same filly that he once knew.

“BBBFF! I missed you so much!” So much for playing it cool. Twilight dove forward, wrapping her forelegs around her brother’s neck, hugging him close. His black armor dug into her arms a bit, but at that moment, she would endure any pain to hug her brother again. With the way Shining hugged back, it was clear he agreed.

Twilight heard the pony in her arms laugh like Shining, but something was different. “Missed you too, LSBFF. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” he asked. Twilight realized his voice had deepened since she last saw him. He was all grown up now; when did that happen?

For a few moments, Twilight didn’t answer, still caught up with holding her brother close. After a few moments, Shining broke the embrace, pushing her at arm's length. “You know Twiley, I would love to say ‘look how big you’ve gotten’, but I swear you haven’t grown an inch!” he teased. Twilight rolled her eyes - would everypony that come back have to comment on her height?

“And when did you grow up to be a stallion?” Twilight retorted. “Have you listened to yourself? You sound like the Doctor!”

Shining laughed, a deep chested, full-hearted laugh; Twilight had missed that laugh. “Has it really changed that much? I guess there goes my chance of singing soprano in the Valkyrie's talent show.” The both of them laughed.

“You know I missed you, right Twiley?” Shining asked, one forehoof pulling her tight against him again. Twilight nodded quietly, nestling against him and simply basking in their closeness. Goddesses, she had missed him.

Twilight looked right at her brother. “Of course, Shiny. I missed you too. I’m just glad that you came back in one piece.” Twilight could feel tears of relief start to fall down her muzzle.

Shining tousled her mane, interrupting her tears. “Enough of that, Twily. Let’s not get bogged down and get all sad. Tonight’s supposed to be a celebration! And besides, I want to hear more about this marefriend of yours,” he added, giving Twilight a subtle, careful wink. Twilight’s cheeks turned a bright red with embarrassment. Oh Goddesses, how had he found out about that?

“Are we already talking about Twilight’s marefriend?” A familiar voice intrejected. Twilight groaned when she recognized the voice of Sunset Shimmer. Twilight turned her head to playfully scowl at the new arrival, but ther expression quickly turned to shock. The war had taken it’s toll on Sunset. Her muzzle had a long, red scar running from her left eye down to the tip of her mouth on the right side. She was missing the top third of her right ear, the rip jagged and painful looking. Not only that, but her mane was singed, leaving the ends blacked and frizzed. She looked like she had just been to Tartarus and back.

Sunset poked her with a hoof, the yellow mare’s smile seeped with insecurity. “Didn’t Matron tell you it’s rude to stare?” she tried to joke. Twilight felt ashamed, but she continued to stare. How could this have happened to her? Hadn’t somepony told her that Sunset was safe? How was this safe?

“Look, Twilight, it’s not a big deal,” Shining interjected, trying to stop his sister’s staring. “Remember when the ‘accident’ happened and your horn was damaged. It’s not much worse than that, is it?”

“Besides, the doctors said the scars will eventually fade, though I’ll still be missing part of my ear. But it’s not like I listen much anyway, right?” Sunset laughed uneasily. “It’s still pretty bad though, isn’t it?”

Twilight continued to stare in silence until she felt Shining nudge her. “Oh, um, oh no, it’s not that bad at all.” Twilight lied. It was impossible not to notice, just like her horn had been. Maybe she would research a spell for Sunset in the same way she found the horn illusion.

Shining coughed, drawing Twilight’s attention away from Sunset’s ear. “Twilight, I think both Sunset and myself would like to talk about things other than the war.” He cast a glance towards Sunset as he spoke, catching her eye and giving her a meaningful look that Twilight couldn’t identify.

“Yea, Twilight. We’ve been dying to hear about your marefriend.”

Twilight felt her cheeks burning. “How do you two know about that?”

Sunset’s expression changed near instantly, the anxiety melting away into a calming smile. “Oh, you know. Shining and I were pretty close to her back on the field. I think he even helped her write a certain letter to you.”

Twilight face was on fire. “Do you two think that this is the best place to talk about this? It’s kinda a sensitive subject.”

Shining laughed. “Yes, I suppose we need a little privacy.” His horn glowed a majestic purple, and, within an instant, a translucent purple dome had enclosed the trio. “There, now nopony will be able to hear us.”

For a moment, Twilight was shocked. She couldn’t believe that Shining would just cast a spell like that in the middle of a party. She couldn’t help feeling embarrassed for him. Yet, Sunset showed no outward horror, and, looking out at the crowd, it was clear the only ones bothered by Shining’s actions were the citizen ponies. Twilight realized just how much she had been shaped by her months in the court. Fleur was rubbing off on her.

Twilight sighed, realizing she had no more excuse. “So, like I said, there really isn’t much to tell. Luna and I are a kind of couple, I guess? Before you all left for the war, I told her I loved her, and she returned my feelings. It was right after the assassination attempt, so I kind of thought that maybe emotions were just running high. You know, that she didn’t really mean it, or something,” Twilight took a breath, trying to stop the embarrassment from taking over.

“But when my birthday came around, I got the letter and this ring,” Twilight continued, “and she told me that she loved me and she wanted the chance to court me. Then she came home injured, and since then, we’ve been sort of living together. And I’m not sure about love or anything, but I think what I’m feeling is real. Since she got back, we’ve had a lot of time to just talk and get to know each other. I mean, I knew the Queen, but I never really knew Luna, you know what I mean? And she said the same thing about me. It’s like we learned how to click, and it’s been amazing!” Twilight gushed, her smile growing wider as she spoke.

“Plus, we’ve been in a great place, you know? This is a first for me, and Luna’s been great about making me feel safe and everything. She’s even insisted on going slow. So it’s not like she’s taken advantage of-”

Shining held a hoof up defensively, his eyes locked on Twilight with an odd stare. “I wasn’t going to say anything, Twily. You are your own mare now, and that means you can handle your love life yourself. As long as you’re safe and happy, I’m fine with it, okay?”

Sunset took a small step closer, nodding in agreement. “He’s right, Twilight. We’re both happy for you,” she assured her. “We both spent a lot of time with Luna, we know that she’s not going to hurt you. Don’t worry about us or anything.”

Twilight blinked tears out of her eyes. She was ready to defend her decisions, but having them validated was a lot better. “Right,” she answered, voice cracking a little. “I didn’t mean to accuse you two or anything. I guess I got ahead of myself.”

“For now, let’s just enjoy the party, okay?” Shining asked as he dropped the bubble around them, exposing them to the party once more.

Twilight nodded, wiping the tears with her hoof. Tonight was the perfect night to forget her struggles and enjoy the company of her two soldiers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the party was amazing for Twilight. Her, Shining, and Sunset stayed together and talked throughout the night. They talked of lighthearted things that brought no pain. They talked about Twilight’s studies, of the different ponies Sunset and Shining had met during their time in the army, and even of their interactions with Luna. For the group, just having the others there strengthened their spirits and made the world a little easier to face. For Twilight, the castle no longer felt so dark with her loved ones back safe. There would be no more agonizing nights spent awake, stressing over which one of her friends could be hurt. Nay, they had all found their way back to her, and now that they were back, she could finally protect them once more.

But the bliss from that night wouldn’t last. Over the next few days, Twilight would spend all her free time with her friends, her brother, and her marefriend, but eventually, work called her back to reality. Leaving her paradise was hard enough, but it wasn’t her studies or charity work that brought her back; no, Twilight had to return to the world of politics. Fleur’s party had moved to pass a new bill, and she had insisted on the aid of the Student of the Night. For once, however, Twilight didn’t object to Fleur’s request. The bill was simply a way to tax the upper class in a more concise way. Sure, it wasn’t something that Twilight particularly cared about, but she didn’t mind helping Fleur. She even relished the chance to use her expertise on the tax code of the empire during a political speech. It was one of the rare times Twilight stuck her neck out.

And who had moved to block it but Silverhorn? Sure, he claimed that he objected on the grounds that the bill would decrease the taxes on a few, select members of the House. He wasn’t wrong, but it was such a negligible point. Who cares if one or two House Ponies got a tax break in exchange for an easing of the bureaucratic complexity. He was against an overall improvement if it meant his enemies got something out of it? He was just being petty. Plus, going against the bill Twilight had spoken for was like a public announcement of their split. What an ass.

After the House meeting had adjourned, Twilight stormed through the castle in anger, fire lighting her eyes. She was sure that Silverhorn looked right at her during his speech. It had to be his way at getting back a Twilight. He wasn’t stupid enough to throw away good will in the House for no reason. He knew that this would piss her off!

Twilight found herself before Silverhorn’s office door. Even though it was late, she knew that he would be here. He basically lived in his office; he even had a bed for working long nights. If he wasn’t out, he would be here.

Twilight pushed against the heavy wood with her magic, but it didn’t budge. Twilight focused her magic on the lock, only to see that it was warded against magic attacks. “Just a minute!” Twilight heard Silverhorn call from the inside.

Twilight didn’t care about that. Why should she, the Student of the Night, wait for a mere Duke? With practiced effort, Twilight teleported inside the room with a bright flash. She felt the dip in her magic, but refused to acknowledge it. She wouldn’t let anything distract her from her anger.

Twilight lit her eyes with her magic, trying to emphasize her rage. “Silverhorn! Why did...you…” Twilight trailed off. She let the magic go from her eyes as they grew wide at what she saw.

Instead of the familiar unicorn, a strange, insectoid equine was seated behind Silverhorn’s desk. Black chitin covered the body, with holes like swiss cheese in the legs. Not only that, but thin, buzzing wings lay folded on the thing’s back, and a jagged horn split its head. Its eyes were pure blue and wide.

“Twilight…” The thing started, it’s voice mimicking Silverhorn’s. Her heart froze. “Twilight, please, don’t look. Turn around,” the thing pleaded, holding a hoof over it’s head.

Confusion seized Twilight’s mind. What was she looking at? What had this thing done to Silverhorn? Sure, she was still avoiding the Duke, but her heart throbbed at the possibility of him being hurt. She needed answers, and she was only going to get them from this bug. Twilight’s magic surged and surrounded the insect-pony, roughly forcing it against the ground. It gave off a weak cry of pain, but Twilight didn’t care. She surrounded it entirely, pressing exceptionally hard on it’s horn, not daring to let it up. She felt pokes at her magic from where it tried to resist, but Twilight held strong. This was for Silverhorn.

Twilight stepped close, craning down her neck, trying to put the fear of the Goddesses in it. “What. Are. You,” she growled out, eyes narrowing to slits.

The thing looked up at her with large, soulful eyes. For just a moment, Twilight’s heart twinged. But then she remembered where she was. This thing had invaded her friend’s office and had obviously taken him somewhere. Even as she felt the chitin strain against her magic, she did not budge. She needed answers.

“Shapeshifter,” it coughed out, Twilight’s magic forcing most of the air from its lungs.Twilight lightened the force, allowing the bug to cough out more explanation. “Always...Silverhorn.”

Twilight’s mind raced. The thing had to be lying - she knew SIlverhorn. She had spent over a year with Silverhorn. Goddesses, he and Cadance were the reasons why she made it through the war. She knew that Silverhorn wasn’t some kind of shapeshifting freak; he was a pony! “Prove it,” she snarled, craning her neck so far that their muzzles nearly touched. She wanted to tear him limb from limb.

“Met… Market... Horn…Shattered…” Each fragment was squeaked out between attempts to grab more air. A light green fluid had begun leaking out around the chitin. “Kiss…Mistake…” Twilight’s magic immediately loosened; she had been so embarrassed about her birthday that she didn’t even tell Luna about Silverhorn’s advances. This bug had to be the Duke.

Twilight continued to release her magic pressure, eventually relegating her hold to his horn and wings. “How…” Twilight breathed out, her anger dropping away to a deep pit in her stomach. This… This couldn’t be true. This had to be a nightmare. Or something. Would she wake up? “You’re SIlverhorn?”

The insect nodded, though it kept its head down. Its breath came in long, painful sounding gasps, each shuddering one shaking its body.

Twilight swallowed hard, taking a hesitant step away from ‘Silverhorn’. “Oh my goddesses. Oh Luna. I-I’m sorry,” Twilight stammered, releasing her magic completely. “L-Let me get you to the hospital!” Twilight practically yelled. Guilt rose in her throat, her heartbeat quickening. Regret flooded her veins as she realized looked at the ichor on the floor. Oh goddesses, what had she done?

‘Silverhorn’ held up a hoof weakly, shaking his head. “No, no, Twilight, not that,” he managed to mumble out. The ichor had already stopped flowing. “My kind heals fast, and I would rather keep my true identity a secret.” His eyes met hers, and Twilight was surprised to see them still filled with kindness and caring. She felt another wave of guilt. After all she had done, he still cared about her, but she couldn’t extend the same courtesy. Sure, he had made her feel uncomfortable with his advances, but they were supposed to be friends. All she was good at was hurting him.

“I’m so sorry,” Twilight whispered, head dropping to stare at the ground. She couldn’t look at him, not right now; not after all she had done to him. She had ignored him for almost two months and now she barged into his office and nearly crushed him. She shouldn't have acted so rashly.; she shouldn’t have teleported into his office; she shouldn’t have shut him out instead of talking about her feelings. He was one of the ponies who stood by her first, and she repaid his one mistake by icing him out.

The pair remained silent, letting the ticking clock fill the room. After a few moments, Twilight worked up the courage to ask her most pressing question. “So, um, have you always been, a, um…”

“Changeling, yes,” Silverhorn answered, cleaning the ichor off his body. “Born this way, but it’s been years since I’ve been known as anything other than Silverhorn.”

Twilight shifted, trying to keep her emotions in check. “You'll be okay, right? You’ll be able to change back to Silverhorn again, right? H-how could you have kept it from everypony else?” Twilight asked, all of her thoughts spilling out at once. “Why didn’t you tell me? Does anypony else know? What abo-”

Silverhorn held up a hoof, cutting her off. “Twilight, one at a time please. But, to answer your questions in order. I’ll be fine, and I never stopped being Duke Silverhorn,” the black insect took a deep breath before going on, his gaze looking tired, fatigued.

“As for ‘why’ I lied, it’s quite simple: I had to. My race doesn’t officially exist. All of ponykind’s knowledge of challengings is found in fairy tales and urban legends. And even if ponies did know about us, their reception wouldn’t be great. My kind, as a whole, does not wish the best for ponykind. We are parasites living off of the strong emotions that ponies give off. We literally feed off of others’ love and happiness to survive. Many changelings see ponies as livestock and nothing more.” Silverhorn sighed deep before continuing on. “There are a number of us that wish to integrate with pony society, but compared to the greater hivemind, it’s a small fraction at best.”

“Are, um, are you the only one in Canterlot?” Twilight interjected it. She had trouble coping with one shape shifting-creature, let alone an entire race of them.

Silverhorn looked Twilight in the eyes. “That I know of, yes; I’m all alone. There maybe be one or two hiding throughout the city, but there’s no grand conspiracy.” Twilight looked into those pools of blue; how could she tell if he was lying without pupils? She would just had to take his word.

Twilight nodded for Silverhorn to continue, “And I’ve had no problem keeping it from everypony else because, quite frankly, I don’t see myself as a changeling. I haven’t transformed into anypony other than Silverhorn the unicorn for years, and I only ever change out of it to recharge my magic reserves. Plus, my dedication to helping the common ponies of the city has given me all the love and happiness I need to survive. I might as well just be a normal unicorn.”

Twilight tried to listen for a hint of dishonesty in Silverhorn’s monologue, but she heard none. He was telling the truth. “As for your other questions, yes. Both Celestia and Luna know; it’s the only way I was able to become Duke Silverhorn. But, before we go on, would you mind if I changed back into my unicorn form. It’ll be more comfortable for the both of us.”

Twilight absently nodded her consent as her head buzzed with questions. The Diarchy knew? Why hadn’t Luna told her? No, that was a stupid question. Luna would never break another’s trust like that. Twilight had no reason to believe he was lying. Silverhorn had never been unkind to her, and, save his kiss attempt, never gave her a reason to doubt him. Since Twilight had meet him in the Market, she had only seen him fight for the common ponies without a voice. Perhaps she should learn to accept Silverhorn’s true form. Besides, he said he wanted to be a pony, right? Twilight thought it was worth trying to treat him as such.

Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw the start of the transformation. She took a quick step back as his body erupted in green fire, swarming over his chitinous form. The flames left just as quickly as they came, but, instead of burn marks, they left fur and a cutie mark, erasing the wings and making his horn whole once more, leaving the familiar Duke in the place where the insect stood. He brushed himself off and smiled at Twilight, muzzle wide.

“So, now that I’ve put my face on, do you have any other burning questions?” Silverhorn almost laughed at his own puns as Twilight felt her mind empty. Now that he was ready to answer, not a single question came to mind. All she could do was shake her head, eyes still wide from what she had seen. “Alright, let’s end it here then, shall we? I’m sure you’re overwhelmed at the moment, so let’s reconvene about this issue once you’ve had time to process everything.” Twilight only nodded in agreement.

Silverhorn sat back down at his desk, still looking at Twilight the entire time. “But, before all that, I must ask, what brought you here? You seemed like you had something that couldn’t wait.”

Twilight swallowed hard. On wobbling legs, she made her way to the desk, sitting across from him. “Well, it’s about that bill…”

Author's Note

Hastily posted due to minor emergency! Please point out any typos etc!

Fluid Dynamics

Twilight spent the next few days deep in research, struggling to find any information she could about the changelings. She scoured the castle library, but was left was nothing. It turns out Silverhorn wasn’t far off in his estimation of what information the empire had about changelings. She had only managed to find a small pile of books that even mentioned the race, and even then, there was no information. Anthologies of old legends, ancient stories, and fairy tales told centuries ago. She had even made her way down to her old hiding spot, but even amongst the hidden books, she had no better luck. Anything concrete information about the changelings had been lost, destroyed, or simply forgotten. Great.

The only thing she learned on her trip down to the library was that the city was still suffering from the plague. Poor Neighples could barely function. The massive amounts of surrounding water had cut off all safe travel save for occasional pegasus supply drops. The Empire was still dying, and Twilight wasn’t sure that she could trust Silverhorn to help her fix it.

The team was making progress, however. They had managed to isolate different strands of the plague and were now analyzing them for similarities. Some of the members theorized that there was some magic element to it, but nothing was confirmed yet. Twilight looked into it during her free time, since her life was so busy. But how could the mare leave such an important task to an unknown agent like Silverhorn?

She needed information, and the only pony who might hold some insight: Queen Luna. After striking out once more in her research, Twilight made her way to the elevator, making her way to the tower. During Twilight’s research days, the Queen had been cleared to return to her room, although was still asked to take it easy. So she waited, as the clicking gears carried her higher and higher. During her wait, Twilight began thinking about what Luna’s response would be. Would she be surprised that Twilight found out on her own? Would she be upset that a royal secret had gotten out? And what if, goddesses forbid, Luna actually didn’t know about Silverhorn?

Twilight ran over the times she and Luna had talked about Silverhorn and found herself drawing a blank. In the past, they had rarely focused on Silverhorn himself. Mostly he was paired with Cadence, which was the pony that Luna usually talked about. From those conversations, Twilight would guess that the Queen had a begrudging respect for Silverhorn, but Twilight had no evidence that Luna liked him in the slightest.

Maybe Silverhorn’s hidden nature was the reason for Luna’s avoidance during conversation. By all other accounts, including the Queen, Silverhorn treated ponies well. Even when he tried to kiss Twilight, he hadn’t lashed out at her for rejecting him, instantly backing off and leaving the room. He didn’t try to con her into anything either. Even in rejection, Silverhorn was a respectable pony.

Perhaps Twilight overthought this. Luna had been struggling with the nobles for ages; Silverhorn’s title could be the reason she so rarely talked about him. Enemies rarely make for calming conversation. Twilight herself would rather avoid talking about Blueblood for the same reason.

As the elevator clicked into place, Twilight took a deep breath, steeling herself one last time. As Twilight opened her eyes, she saw Luna’s sanctum descend into view for the first time in months. With the Queen returning the day before, this was the first chance Twilight had to visit her lover. The Queen was working at a desk a few feet away, hunched over a pile of paperwork. She had begun to resume some of the duties of rulership, and she had thrown herself into it. As the elevator locked into place, Twilight noticed Luna’s ear twitch. With a long sigh, she straightened up and dropped her quill onto the desk. Without rising, she turned to face her visitor, and once she saw her student, Twilight saw the irritation and frustration that dominated her demeanor slip away.

“Student, what a pleasant surprise,” Luna sighed, as a tired, weak smile spread across her muzzle. “I was sure that I was going to have to deal with my dear sister yet again, and I doubt that I have the energy to deal with her overly sunny disposition. But you?” Luna rose from her chair, her right forehoof extending for a hug. “You’re just what the doctored ordered. Come here, love.”

Twilight happily obeyed, closing the distance between the lift and Luna’s embrace in an instant. Luna pulled Twilight tight, pressing their bodies against each other. For a moment, the two breathed deep, feeling the other’s heart beating. Twilight took in Luna’s scent, catching the faint hints of hospital room that still remained. After, Luna loosened her grip, signaling Twilight to look up at her mention. The two locked eyes before closing them once more for a kiss, more chaste than passionate.

After mere seconds, their lips parted and Luna pulled Twilight in to continue their embrace. She cradled Twilight body, one hoof softly stroking Twilight’s mane. Twilight closed her eyes and nuzzled against Luna’s taller form. The hug enflamed neither of their passions, but it had a calming effect for Twilight. She felt completely at ease, so at ease that she nearly forgot that she had come to Luna’s room for more than just a great hug.

Eventually, the hug broke, and the two parted. “Now, I assume that you came up here for more than just a hug. So, my love, what can I help you with?” Luna asked, her eyes danced over Twilight’s body, seemingly scanning for something.

Twilight breathed deep, trying to find the steel that got lost in the embrace. “I came to talk to you about a certain noble: Silverhorn.”

“Oh?” Luna unconsciously muttered, signaling a recognition of asked, her countenance changing.

“Yes, I’ve know him as Duke Silverhorn, the politician fighting with Cadence for common pony recognition, but a few days ago, I found out that you know something else about him. A certain secret of his.”

Recognition and surprise flared up in Luna’s eyes. The Queen sharply inhaled and bowed her head. “I suppose you have found out. If you know, you must have spoken with him, correct?”

Twilight nodded in response. “I caught him with his disguise down, and he told me all about his race and how they survive. He also told me that you and Celestia are the only ponies who know. Can we trust him, Luna?” she asked directly. “I have spent the last couple of days searching for any proof of what he says, but I’ve found nothing. What if Silverhorn feeds on pain instead of love, and he has been sabotaging our attempts at a cure to continue the suffering? He has been a great pony, but you would know far better than I.” Twilight walked closer to her Queen, peering into her eyes. “Is there any reason that Silverhorn might be a traitor?”

For a few seconds, the two stared in silence, the only sound in the room being the clock on Luna’s wall. Finally, with a sigh, Luna broke her glance. “I’ve know of his condition for years Twilight. How else is a pony granted a Dukedom? I can still remember the day we met. We were having a meeting with a foreign ambassador and his translator. Or, so we thought. Once we got behind closed doors, and we found out that the foreign ambassador was just a blind pony who couldn’t understand our language. In that room, he revealed himself, and I did something I’m not proud of. I saw him as an enemy, unable to hear the words he was saying. At the time, I thought that it was for the Empire, but looking back at it now, I realize that it was just instant xenophobia. That was my first instinct.”

“My sister and I have our fights, but I love her, and that day is just one of the reasons. When I reached out to kill him, Celestia stopped me. She continued the meeting, while I sat in anger as an agreement was reached. He would become Duke Silverhorn, and in exchange, he would fight for the common pony. Had I realized what he would become, I wouldn’t have thought so little of him. I almost killed one of the greatest nobles that I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with.”

“Silverhorn’s a good pony. He has never held my hate against me, but I still can’t forgive myself. I can’t forgive the anger that took over.” Luna’s reminiscing eyes turned back towards Twilight. “Do not fall into the same trap I did, Student. Otherwise, you’ll just be left with regret.” Luna finished, resolute.

Twilight’s mind raced. At first, she was overwhelmed. She had only been thinking about the city, and Luna was scolding her for that. Then she lashed out. Who was Luna to talk about being xenophobic? She had just led a war against the griffins for the actions of one of them. She even hated all of the nobles for the actions of a few. But, Twilight knew she was right. She had listened to Silverhorn, heard the truth in his words, and turned against them because she was afraid of him. Deep down, that’s what she couldn’t admit. It wasn’t Silverhorn who held any sinister intentions, it was Twilight.

Eventually, the unicorn nodded. “Right. Thank you, Luna. He’s a good friend and even though I haven’t been one to him lately, I’m glad I’m in the know so to speak. I’ll have to talk to him and apologize again. The revelation was a little less than kind on my part,” she admitted, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

Luna arched an eyebrow and pulled Twilight back close. “Oh? Tell me about it,” she urged, the hint of a smile playing at the edge of her lips.

Twilight flushed deep and swallowed hard. “Well,” she starting, “I, um, didn’t react too positively. I, um, held him against the ground with telekinesis until he bled from his chitin.” Twilight couldn’t look at Luna. “But, I only acted to save Silverhorn. I saw this new form speaking in Silverhorn’s voice, and all I could think was that Silverhorn was gone. In my mind, he was in danger, and I had to do something. But, I could have just held him instead of trying to squish him.”

Luna let out a soft chuckle. “Oh Student, you have much to learn, much like I did. I had convinced myself that when I saw him, a shapeshifter, I had just seen the greatest threat to my Empire, never mind the fact that he was revealing himself to my sister and me. But at least you had the sense to not try something lethal. Were Celestia not there, Silverhorn wouldn’t have had the chance to explain anything.” Luna reassured her. “But, knowing him, Silverhorn forgave you, yes?”

“Yes, he forgave me, but I still feel bad. I can’t imagine how painful it must have been!” Twilight feebly protested. “What’s wrong with me? Even though I had the wrong impression, I should have just held him. Squeezing him that way wouldn’t have helped me get answers. It only satisfied my own urges. This is exactly the kind of snap decision that causes all my issues with the nobles!” she complained. Twilight took slow steps towards the balcony as she spoke, Luna following.

Twilight slumped against the railing, looking out over the city with a long sigh. “That isn’t who I am, Luna; at least, that’s not who I was. I grew up surrounded by pegasi, earth ponies, even griffons. I thought I was better than this. And I know that now, I’m looking back and assuring myself that I was worried about Silverhorn, but I’m afraid that, deep down, I’m really just a hateful pony,” Twilight finished, burying her head in her hooves.

Luna’s hoof rested on Twilight’s shoulder, rubbing gentle circles on her coat. “Twilight, I know you, as a Student, a lover, and as a pony, and I know that you aren’t a hateful pony. I know that you acted out of love for Silverhorn because I know how strong your love is. I know what it means to act out of hatred, and you, dear Student, are not one to act as such.”

Twilight took her head out of her hooves and looked up at Luna’s blue eyes, filled with kindness. “Really?”

“Of course! You said it yourself, didn’t you? You were afraid about what could have happened to Silverhorn; that doesn’t sound like hate to me.” Twilight tried to turn her head back, but Luna gently kept Twilight’s head up, still staring at her Student with love. “How about we try a different approach, hm? Why don’t you tell me what you felt when you saw him for the first time?” Luna coaxed, petting her mane all the while.

Twilight nodded and swallowed, breathing in again. “Well… I was confused, and a little scared. I really shouldn’t have been since I had my magic and all, but I was still frightened to see some unknown creature in Silverhorn’s office. Then I got really worried. I mean, I didn’t know where SIlverhorn was at that point. I thought that some strange creature had captured him and was trying to take his place.

“And what about after?” Luna queried, her petting slowing to a step. She lifted a wing, wrapping it tight around Twilight’s side and squeezing her close.

Twilight felt much more positively about this one. She relaxed as she began to recount the rest of her tale, breathing a little easier. “Well, I felt a lot of regret, like I mentioned. And worry that I hurt him. But at the same time, I was really, really relieved that Silverhorn would be safe. I thought that he would be gone for good for a little while, and the relief felt amazing. So um, I would say good as a whole,” she explained. Twilight kept her head up on her own, proud enough of that answer.

“Good,” Luna said, gently rubbing her side with the wing. “I think you have nothing to worry about my dear. I think your feelings were perfectly natural and showed that you were a good person in the end. You were simply worried about a friend,” Luna soothed. With a small smile, she nuzzled down against Twilight, their height difference forcing the Queen down. “Regardless, how about we change subjects to something more pleasant?” Luna asked, muzzle right next to Twilight’s ear.

With a quiet shiver, Twilight nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight waited at her table, playing with the cafe’s cutlery as she waited for Sunset. This was the first time she’d been out of the castle in weeks, and Sunset. Twilight was waiting in the posh place, waiting for her guest. During the night of the party, Sunset had insisted on getting lunch, and Twilight not only agreed, but happily so. Despite previously finding Sunset’s friendliness insufferable, after months of separation, Twilight couldn’t help but miss the mare she grew up with. It really was true that Twilight only knew what she had when it was gone.

Besides the good food and good company, however, this was a chance for Twilight to relax. Luna kept insisting that her Student needed to take time for herself, but between her studies, her work with the plague, and all the struggles she had been through in the recent weeks, the young mare barely had time to think about taking time off, let alone doing it. Taking lunch to spend with a loved pony felt like the compromise that Twilight needed.

Twilight lazily levitated her fork as she looked around the room. The cafe buzzed with conversation at the cute tables scattered throughout the room. The cafe itself wasn’t very large or fancy, but that’s what made it so great. In one corner, a first burned low, just large enough to warm up the small room. An elevated platform hugged the wide windows at the storefront, which had a few tables one it to look over the street. Rather than one of those, however, Twilight had gone with the table furthest from the door. It afforded her more privacy while also immersing her in the ambiance of the room. Beyond the padded chairs and white clothed-topped tables, the rest of the room was kept simple, with only the smallest decorations to brighten the room, like small potted plants. Instead of filling the room with candles, they let the smell of coffee, fresh bread, and the crackling fireplace speak for themselves.

The bell hanging on the door rang as a familiar voice called out, “Yoohoo! Twilight!” Twilight’s head darted up, catching sight of the familiar mare. Sunset wore a brown coat that covered most of her body, but hinted at the shape underneath, and a beautiful wide-brimmed hat. As she approached, the mare shrugged her coat off, revealing the simple yet stylish white blouse and black skirt combination. Even with the fading scar, she looked more businessmare than soldier.

In stark contrast, Twilight had forgone a complete outfit. The pegasi planned a storm later so Twilight had worn a long coat and nothing more. Her only accessory today was Eclipse, which she wore hidden underneath her coat. On any other occasion, she would have never brought her sword into a quaint cafe like this, but the whispers had started again. They were still too faint for Twilight to make it out, but they got stronger every day, leading her to believe that it had simply run out of juice. While that was nice to know, however, around the time Eclipse had started murmuring again, Luna had resumed expressing her displeasure at the sword once more, although she still wouldn’t divulge about their shared past. Twilight knew that Luna would never do something with Eclipse behind her back, but she thought Luna would probably relish the opportunity to be far away from it.

Sunset took the seat opposite Twilight and sat with a long sigh. “Oh, it’s so good to see you, dear!” Sunset started, just as cheerful as before. “How have you been? Oh, I’m really sorry that we haven’t gotten the chance to sit down sooner, but everything has been so busy! I hope you understand.”

Twilight waved a hoof. “No, please, I completely get it. Once you're in the capital, it’s hard to get away from the flood of responsibilities. I’m just happy that we found the time,” Twilight answered. “I hope you don’t mind, but while I was waiting, I ordered you something to drink. You still like tea, right?” she asked, magically pushing over one of the two teacups on the table.

Sunset nodded, her smile growing wider. “Of course, dear. I haven’t changed that much.” The two unicorns grabbed their respective cups and sipped. “So, Twilight, how have you been recently? I’ve heard that you’ve had a rough time as of late.”

Twilight raised her eyebrow over her cup. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Sunset leaned in and lowered her voice, “I heard about your run-in with Silverhorn-”

Sunset stopped as the waiter approached. “Hello ladies, my name is Stalwart Steward, and I’ll be your waiter tonight. Are we ready to order?”

“Well, I’m ready to eat. I’ve never been here before, so Stalwart, what do you recommend?”

“Well, I really love everything on the menu, but no pony could go wrong with our vegetable quiche paired with our tomato soup.”

“Perfect, I’ll have that. What about you Twilight?”

Sunset turned back towards Twilight, who had been holding her breath since the mention of Silverhorn. Did Sunset know? How did she find out? If she knew, how many other ponies knew? How would everypony react when they found out about Silverhorn’s secret. For the love of Equest-

“Twilight, do you need more time?”

The purple mare looked from Sunset to her waiter. For a awkward moment, she just stared at him before managing to force herself to speak. “I’ll have the same.”

“Excellent! I’ll have those right out for you.” Stalwart turned his focus on another table, leaving the two alone once more.

Once the two ponies were left alone once more, Sunset began speaking once more. “Anyway, I heard about your tiff with Silverhorn. An argument over some sort of legislation or another. I heard some of the senators whispering about it. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious, though. I’ve had the chance to talk with Silverhorn over the past couple of days, and he seems like a great stallion.”

The tension Twilight held was released. Nothing too big. It was just about the argument in the senate. “Yes, well, that’s all in the past now,” Twilight answered. “We’ve talked it over and everything is in order again. He blocked a bill that I supported with Fleur’s party, and we had a little scuffle over it. Just comes with being on opposite sides of a bill, that’s all.

Sunset surprised Twilight by shaking her head. “Dear, I know that I haven’t been in the capital for quite some time, but I’m not sure if your association with that crowd is such a great idea. I’ve heard the general consensus surrounding Fleur, and what I’ve heard… well, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Now, I’m sure you’ve done your due diligence, but honestly Twilight, Fleur seems like the exact kind of pony you would normally hate. She seems self-serving, conniving, a pony in it for herself and herself alone. I don’t mean to try to guilt trip you or anything, dear, but your whole relationship with her worries me. I’m not saying that you’re going to become a carbon copy of her or something like that, but everypony is defined by those we choose to associate with, and is Fleur really one of the ponies you want to be defined by?” Sunset end, meeting Twilight's eyes with a piercing glare.

Twilight shifted in her seat. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she flushed with anger. How dare Sunset try to lecture her like that! About something she doesn’t know, no less. Twilight wasn’t only an adult, but also a statesman. While Sunset was off fighting griffons, Twilight had been learning about the intricacies of the court and the many different positions every Senator held. She had gotten to know Fleur, and Sunset was trying to tell her off based on rumors! It took everything she had to not lash out at Sunset and her stupid attempt at a glare.

Twilight took a deep breath to quell her rage. “I appreciate your concern, Sunset, I really do, but, with all due respect, I have to disagree with you. You just don’t know Fleur. She and I have come to an understanding concerning policies and politics. We don’t agree with every idea or belief that the other has, but we work together to better Equestria. And it’s not like I can go with the other parties either. You know I can’t support Charlemane’s party and its wars, especially after the last one. And, while I fell in with Cadence early on, once I was faced with the realities of governing an empire as massive and diverse as Equestria, I had to go with the doers, not the dreamers.”

Seeing Sunset’s expression sour, Twilight hesitated for a brief second before continuing. “More importantly, however, I don’t think your characterization of Fleur is fair. I know her better than most, and she really isn’t a bad pony. I know that from the rumors, you’d think she’d breath fire and spit acid. I mean, honestly, she’s still a mare like the two of us, but everypony talks about her like she’s some kind of demon!” Twilight dropped her head, looking away from Sunset. “In fact, you-”

“Excuse me, ladies,” a stallion’s voice interrupted her own. Twilight looked back up, startled and surprised to see their waiter levitating two steaming bowls of soup. Sunset didn’t jump, however, apparently; evidently, she had seen Stalwart’s approach. Twilight’s stomach growled at the smell, not quite realizing how hungry she had become. Twilight accepted her still-warm plate in her magic, setting in front of her as Sunset did the same.

Their waiter bowed his head. “Enjoy your soup, ladies. I’ll be back with your entrees soon.” he added, smoothly. With that, Stalwart departed just as quickly as he came, leaving the two with their food.

For a second, neither of them spoke, alternating between looking at each other and sipping their soups. Eventually, Twilight, who couldn’t bare the awkward moment for any longer, broke the silence. “Er, I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to attack you or anything. I got way too aggressive. I guess I’m just tired of having everypony second guess all of my decisions, especially the ones that I’ve put so much thought into. I guess it comes with the territory when you're a young Student of the Night.”

Sunset reasserted her smile on her muzzle and nodded. “It’s perfectly fine, dear,” Sunset answered back, meeting her gaze again. “Look, why don’t we forget all that nastiness and just enjoy our meal. We have all the time in the world to talk about politics; why ruin a quaint lunch like this with such talk? Besides, I would prefer to hear about your life since Shining and I went off to war. It’s been too long!” Sunset explained, smile gentle and reassuring.

Twilight nodded, ready to get away from shop-talk, but one more question ate at her. “Of course, Sunset; I’d be happy to talk about something else. But, before that, I have to ask: why have you been spending so much time with Silverhorn of all ponies?”

Sunset hesitated, dropping her spoon back in the soup. “Well, since I’ve returned, I’ve wanted to do something more, so, I was thinking about joining their party,” Sunset said, almost uneasy. “But, before you jump down my throa-”

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Stalwart interrupted, tapping Sunset’s shoulder from behind.

Instantly, Sunset shrieked. Her horn glowed gold, a spear extended from the tip of her horn directly towards the waiter. Twilight reacted just as fast. Just before the spear hit, purple and gold magic collided. Twilight felt a driving pain at her forehead, but she held strong until the spear faded from existence. Just as quickly as it begun, it ended, leaving a terrified waiter and a horrified cafe.

Panicking, Twilight’s horn flashed and the two of them winked out of existence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight fucked up. She had grown so adept at teleportation that she was sure that teleporting two would be as simple as teleporting one. She even doubled the magic required to teleport. The problem was that she put in too much magic. Way too much. This was her first time teleporting for two, but her estimation was off. And so, just like her first failure, she faced the void, only this time, she had another pony along for the ride.

Distantly, Twilight could still feel Sunset’s presence. It was as if they were simultaneously far away and close enough to touch. Twilight’s mind couldn’t, wouldn’t make sense of such an odd sensation. Luckily for her, however, Twilight didn’t need to understand her situation; instead, she was forced to deal with the visions, which were impossible to bear. These weren’t dreams of a hopeful future; these were nightmares.

Luna’s maniacal laugh resounded in Twilight’s head as the scene materialized. Twilight saw her body prostrated before a dark version of her Queen. Luna had grown in ferocity. The calm night sky in her mane was replaced with a tempest of stars. Fangs accented her sinister smile as her eyes glinted in glee at the sight of the fallen Student. Out the window, storm clouds gathered in the distance, the air tinted a harsh green. Had it not be so vivid, Twilight would have scoffed at such a cliched display, but, with her mind caught in the rapturing bells of the aether, she couldn’t help but tremble at the horrifying lie she saw before her.

Twilight watched her double start to stand, Eclipse brought to bare. The purple mare grit her teeth in an attempt to stand strong against her quivering legs. Her Queen, her eternal love, looked down on her with a mocking leer, distorting the gentle visage Twilight normally saw. With a feral scream, Twilight charged, brandishing Eclipse, ready to strike. She flew faster than Twilight had ever done before, but she was still much too slow to avoid being impaled by a lancing ray of darkness.

As the dark passed through Twilight, her body crumpled once more, and the vision melted away.

Finally free from her own nightmare, Twilight managed to focus on her friend just in time to witness her own horrors. Feeling the heat radiate around her, Sunset surfaced from the darkness surrounded by flames. She was watching the city burn, just like Twilight had years ago, but much more intimately. She was actually in the fire, dashing madly through the streets. As she ran, buildings were consumed as the inferno raged beyond control. It seemed like not even an emergency pegasus storm could quell this blaze. Just as Sunset turned towards the upper district, a building collapse, sending flaming debris towards the yellow mare. With an quick reaction, a wave of yellow magic shield Sunset from fiery death. As Sunset pushed the chunks off of her shield, she saw the tower of the old library sink into itself. The ancient building began to fall as a shockwave rippled through the streets, causing even more buildings to give way. Another golden shield was the only thing that protected the mare, although, judging from the buckets of sweat, the heat was beginning to chip at Sunset’s stamina.

With gritted teeth, Sunset began to run again, tearing through the streets again. Rounding another corner, the sound of a crowd somehow overwhelmed the sound of the dying city. Ahead of her, ponies blocked the streets. One of the many great gates that separated the lower and upper districts of the city had been slammed shut and sealed tight. In front of it, ponies screamed and panicked, jostling and pushing against each other in a mad panic to try to force the gates open. But it was no use; the gates were bound shut by pillars of wood and chains of magic. Nothing these poor ponies could do could even put a scratch on it. They would have had better luck trying to push the walls open.

Tears tore down Sunset’s cheeks, dropping to the ground and instantly evaporating. She looked at the ponies around her, some dealing with burns and others with gashes and broken bones. A poor earth filly fell at Sunset’s feet, unable to move any further. Seeing the poor filly, a warcry sounded out of Sunset, somehow overwhelming the pandemonium around her. A golden glow surrounded her brightly, magic gathering at the tip of a white horn. With a pained yell, a wave of golden magic surged out, driving into the gate. At first, the spells tried to defend against her attack, but even the proud, tall gate could do nothing against such a force, and the wood splintered open.

The wooden shards flew back towards the upper district, clearing a path for the formerly forsaken ponies. At once, the mob rushed forward, fighting and struggling to make their way to salvation. Sunset, however, could barely move a muscle. Her eyes sagged, limbs felt weak. With quivering legs, she fell to the ground, energy drained to nothingness. She breathed haggardly as she turned towards the earth filly, who had lost the light in her eyes. This time, however, Sunset couldn’t scream. Instead, she was forced to sob.

Sunset faded from Twilight’s view just as the world came rushing back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With a shared scream, the two mares blinked into existence a few feet above Twilight’s balcony. That scream was interrupted as the two slammed into the ground, the stone rushing up to greet them. Their momentum carried them towards the entrance. Sunset thudded against the wall to the side, while Twilight rolled right through, skidding to a stop as her face meet the carpet. Pain ruined Twilight’s awareness, the only tangible feeling she could discern being the sheath that dug in at her side.

The two remained in their respective heaps for a few minutes, panting and gasping for air. The void tended to leave its victims breathless. Eventually, Sunset broke the silence, struggling to her feet before entering Twilight’s room. “What in the name of Equestria was that?” she exclaimed, voice raspy from their journey through the aether. “Twilight, I, I saw things. What was that?”

Part of Twilight wanted to focus on Sunset’s outburst, but the void seemed slightly more pressing. Twilight flopped onto her back, looking up at the yellow mare, worry consuming her blue eyes. “That was the aether. It happens when somepony messes up a teleportation spell. You, um, see things.”

The worry in Sunset’s eyes transformed into fear. “Wait, does that mean what I saw was real? Like, a prophecy of some kind?” The elder mare had begun to hyperventilate.

Seeing that fear, Twilight ignored the pain and stood. “No. Sunset, I’m positive that what I saw wasn’t real.” Twilight said, although she wasn’t entirely sure of that herself. “The aether likes to play tricks on ponies, I’m sure of it. It wants you to stay in it, so it lies to keep you there. The seers are the unicorns who learn to parse the truth, that’s all.”

Twilight walked across the room to embrace Sunset. “But the seers-”

“The seers are the unicorns who learn to see through the lies of the aether. It’s a skill they need to hone, like learning a language. I mean, I saw Luna betraying me for Equestria’s sake! You and I know that would never, ever happen, right?”

“Right.” Twilight felt Sunset’s breathing return to normal as she returned Twilight’s embrace. For a few moments, the two stood in silence, forehooves wrapped around one another, before Sunset broke the embrace. “Thanks Twilight. It just seemed so real and disturbing.”

“Speaking of disturbing, what happened with you back at the restaurant?” Twilight asked. Sunset’s relaxed demeanor immediately seized up, her breathing becoming unstable once more.

“I-I… It scared me,” Sunset started. “We, um, back during the war, we were ambushed once. The griffins appeared out of nowhere. That’s where I got this injury.” Sunset’s hoof rose to touch her scar. They, they killed two of my friends,” Sunset explained, each word a struggle. “For a second, it all came flooding back, like I was back there, like I was going to watch them…”

Twilight looked on with worry, heart thumping in her chest. Empathy surged through her, and she couldn’t blame Sunset for her reaction. Twilight scooted closer, aiming to close the gap between them.

But Sunset recoiled, shaking her head. Tears had already started to stream down Sunset’s muzzle, fresh, ugly tears in little rivulets down her cheeks. “You don’t understand. That’s how we had to fight in the war. If I didn’t fight back, if I didn’t go for the throat, they would have gotten Shining too!” Twilight recoiled at the mention of Shining. “He w-was trying to protect Akyio, but she had already died. He just didn’t realize it. They were going to stab him. It was either them or him. I had to take them out first or Shining would have di-”

“Sunset!” Twilight interrupted. She pulled the older mare into a tight embrace once more, unable to hear any more of her nightmares. Sunset began to wheeze for air as her tears meet Twilight's coat. As Sunset sobbed on, Twilight continued to hold her. It was all that she could do. The young mare couldn’t even bare to hear the horror stories. She couldn’t even imagine what it was like to live through something like that. All the Student could do was hold her old friend in her arms. It made Twilight appreciate her situation. She had been insulated in her ivory tower, and she had foolishly believed that just because she was getting her friends back alive that meant she was getting them back uninjured. What a fool she had been

The hug continued as Sunset cried in Twilight’s arms. After a few moments, the sobbing subsided, and Sunset broke the embrace. “Sorry,” she mumbled, wiping tears from her muzzle. “I get carried away sometimes. I’m trying to be strong and deal with it. Like, I’m just trying to be normal again, but I’m just not there yet. Even looking normal is a challenge. I never wanted anypony to see me like this, especially you, Twilight. You shouldn’t have to carry what we have to.”

“No,” Twilight interjected. “I’m sorry that you felt like you had to carry it all alone.” Twilight tried to say more, but to no avail. She awkwardly let the words die in her muzzle as her eyes drifted towards the floor.

Sunset gave a weak smile before continuing on. “I’m not the only one, Twilight. Shining’s just as bad as I am.” Twilight’s head jerked up at the mention of her brother. “He wouldn’t want me telling you this, but since you know I have it, it’s only a matter of time until you piece it together, so it’s probably better that I tell you instead of him having to. He still wakes up at night, screaming about one horror or another. Most of the Valkyries are like that, but it feels like there’s nopony we can turn to for help. We’re supposed to be heroes and heroes aren’t supposed to wake up at night screaming. Isn’t that some shit?” she asked bitterly.

Twilight’s heart squeezed, her eyes now wet with tears. “Yea… Yea, that’s messed up,” Twilight agreed, having no idea what else to say. For that matter, what could she have said? Twilight was a sheltered academic, not a battle-scarred veteran. This wasn’t something that she could deal with by reading books. It felt like nothing she could do would allow her to properly empathize with the pony standing before her. Even dueling felt like an insulting imitation. “Is there, um, anything that I can do?” Twilight asked, looking up at Sunset with sad, confused eyes.

“I don’t think so, Twilight. It feels like we just have to keep marching on. I’ve asked some of the older veterans, and they say that eventually, the nightmares don’t wake you up as much. As long as you can keep surviving every day without finding another way out.”

Hopelessness filled the room as the two stood in silence, neither wanting to address the bomb that Sunset had just dropped. The only sound was the wind coming through the balcony door and the ticking of Twilight’s clock. The seconds stretched on into minutes, and all the while, Twilight couldn’t look the yellow mare in the eye.

After a painful eternity, Sunset broke the silence. “I suppose we should explain the situation to the shopkeeper. Plus, we should probably pay for the meal, right? Can’t have the city thinking the Student of the Night is a dine-and-dasher, can we?”

Twilight giggled; even during a moment like this, she couldn’t help but giggle at a good joke. “No, I suppose not. Otherwise, Luna might really betray me!” And despite the dour mood, the two mares genuinely laughed.

Author's Note

Hey y'all, going on vacation in a few days! I'll try to write while I'm gone but don't know how much chance I'll have. See y'all real soon!

Compulsory Conversations

"So here we are again, it's always such a pleasure.” Luna spoke without turning, concentrating on the papers scattered in front of her. Her magic flicked a pen back and forth across the desk. The elevator had just clicked into place, the first time in three days that Twilight had seen Luna. Since she had sought her advice regarding Silverhorn, Luna had been swamped; the work had really piled up in the Queen’s absence, and upon her return, she needed to work overtime to catch up. Twilight understood, of course, but it was not an easy sacrifice. Both of them wanted more time for just the two of them.

Although, Twilight was busy herself. She’d had a few ideas over the last few days. The populace hadn’t rallied behind Luna when she returned, a reality that bothered Twilight to no end. But, more than irritation, the situation was becoming dangerous. Luna was held in contempt at all levels of the city, and that did not bode well for the Queen’s position. Twilight still saw the issue as manageable, but they needed to act quickly.

“I’m sorry for stealing more of your time, especially when you have so little of it to spare,” Twilight began, walking off the elevator into the room.

Luna looked up from her paper with a sly smile, although the pen continued writing. “Dear Student, I may not have much time to myself, but I’ll gladly give you every second you wish for,” Luna finished, getting up from her desk and letting the magic fade from the pen. As she stood in a single, elegant motion, the long skirts of her lavender dress swept alongside her. Twilight swallow in desire. Although she had seen the Queen recently, Twilight was always stunned by her sheer majesty. “Now, how can I help you, love?” Luna asked as she went in for a hug.

Twilight clear her throat before speaking. “Well, I was looking for some advice. You know of Fleur, right?” she asked tentatively, gauging Luna’s reaction.

To her surprise, the foreleg Luna had lifted for an embrace dropped like a stone. In sharp contrast with her radiant looks, an ugly frown spread across her muzzle. “Oh yes, I know of Fleur. I believe we’ve talked about her before, have we not, Student?”

Twilight nodded uneasily. She had been mentioned in passing, sure, but her name almost always appeared alongside others. She was just one of the ponies Twilight interacted with. This was the first time Twilight had brought her up alone, and she certainly hadn’t expected this reaction from her Queen. “Well, um, I’m sure that you’ve heard about my activism with her. I guess I’m just wondering what you think about it? I mean, do you approve? I feel like I’ve been making a real difference in the Empire, but you know how much I weigh your thoughts.”

Luna’s mouth opened instantly before closing shut once more, stopping the gut reaction she almost blurted out. The room was silent for a moment as Luna puzzled out the proper way to voice her opinion. Eventually, she shook her head. “I can’t say that I hold any love for that mare. She’d likely say the same to you about me, I imagine.” Twilight almost interjected, but a look from Luna made her silent. “At best, she’s a thorn in my side, and at worse, she’s my greatest enemy in the court. Honestly, if it were up to me, I wouldn’t let you consort with her any longer, but I am your lover, not your keeper,” Luna answered bluntly. It almost made Twilight wonder what her unedited reaction would have been.

Twilight stood silent, still processing what Luna had said. The Queen gave a soft sigh before closing the distance between the two of them. Her wingtip reached out, gently pressing underneath her Student’s chin, lifting Twilight’s eyes to hers. Luna started directly at her, forcing Twilight to look into that never-ending starfield. “And why do you ask, little one? Have you begun to have regrets? Worries? Hesitations? You know that I’m here for you, dear. Always,” Luna purred, causing Twilight to forget the bluntness from before.

Twilight loved her so much.

“Well, it’s not that I’m personally having doubts. Or maybe I am, I don’t know anymore,” Twilight admitted, a red blush covering her muzzle. “It’s just that during my lunch with Sunset, she told me what she thought of Fleur. Let’s just say she’s not her biggest fan, which got me thinking. At the time, I told her she was completely wrong, but, to be fair, she’s not the only one who doesn’t like my noble acquaintance. Cadence and Silverhorn were obviously ambivalent towards her, and now you are telling me the same thing. All that’s left is for Matron and Shining to tell me the same, and then all the ponies I know and trust will think that I’m being taken for a fool by Fleur. Have do I deal with that?”

“Well, do you think your loved ones are seeing something that you simply can’t?” Luna asked. “Often, outside perspectives can be much more objective than our own.”

Twilight paused, considering it for a second. “I mean, Fleur has been nothing but kind to me. But, if I’m being honest, while there are a lot of things that I agree with her on, the points where we disagree are just… ugh. For example, wanting to remove you from power. It’s just unthinkable; I mean, how foalish can she be! And it’s not like I have been able to convince her to budge on any of her other ridiculous points either, so I have to just accept her at her worse. And stuff like that is making it really hard for me to support her in any meaningful capacity. I help with the bills that I can stomach, and I appear at her pointless parties, but I’m not making the difference that I could be! I can’t help but think that maybe my efforts would be better spent if I distanced myself from Fleur a little bit. What do you think?”

Luna didn’t answer right away. Looking up in her eyes, Twilight could almost see the wheels turning. After a minute, Luna began, “I would be lying if I said I would lose sleep over you cutting that mare out of your life forever. But, perhaps don’t be too quick to in getting rid of her. Even if it’s just a little, you can learn from my mistakes and not make too many enemies. Just a light push could do it, like how you distanced yourself from Cadance,” Luna’s brow raised, giving Twilight a sly look.

Twilight flushed and turned away, breaking Luna’s hold on her. She had not yet made up with Cadance, and she was sure that Luna disapproved. Consorting with Fleur while keeping Cadence at foreleg’s length was obviously a mark of foolishness in the Queen’s eyes. Twilight knew that Luna wasn’t being ridiculous, either. It wasn’t so long ago that she would have thought the same as her teacher.

Luna let the look persist for a moment before dropping it and continuing on. “Anyway, I would advise using this as an opportunity to move on from your current predicament, one way or the other. I know that I have left you alone during one of the most important times as a Student, but it’s time for you to think about the future. Do not waste your political capital in the service of other interests, not even my own. You must begin finding your own path.”

Twilight breathed sharply. She hadn’t expected talking about the future. “But, what would that look like? It’s not like I’m a Goldenwing; I’m much more of a book pony. How can I change the Empire without the existing political parties?”

“Some Students before you have used their positions to create or strengthen political parties, that is true, but those have been in positions of leadership within said parties. But, do not worry. There are plenty of ways. Others have gone outside the world of the court and have tried to make an impact elsewhere. Some have even spurned society all together, and have taken journeys throughout the world, hoping to discover the hidden truths of this world. Although, I hope you don’t wish to follow down their path, Student,” Luna winked playfully before continuing.

Twilight blushed at Luna’s words. “I would never leave your side, Luna. Only death itself could separate us now.” The two exchanged a warm glance for a brief moment before Twilight continued. “I suppose there are plenty of options, but which one would be right for me? Do you have any suggestions about me, personally?”

“Of course I do, dear Student, but I have found that my own expectations concerning former Students often misses the mark. You should be talking to another pony who has been in your horseshoes. You might want to reach out to my former Student, Midnight. She started the very test that brought you and I together. She’s the only living pony who can fully appreciate your position.”

Twilight almost balked at the name. Midnight. She hadn’t thought about her in years, even though the mare was still living in the city. Ever since she had fallen for Luna, she hadn’t wanted to think of anypony else who had been in her positions. Only dark thoughts would greet her then. But, now, with the relationship cemented and her future uncertain, Twilight could no longer object. “That is a great idea, Luna. I think I’ll have a letter sent out today to set an appointment after we’re done here.”

“Splendid, dear,” Luna said, flourishing her forehoof for another hug. “Now, come here. I want to feel you close to me.”

Twilight happily obliged, sinking into her lovers forelegs. The two embraced for a moment in silence before the Student spoke again. “So, it seems as if we’ve found a path for me, but what about you?”

Luna’s forelegs fell as her body became rigid. Twilight let her own hooves fall as Luna took a step back. “What do you mean, Student?” Luna asked, some steel slipping into her voice.

Twilight swallowed. She had expected some resistance, but she hadn’t expected so much of it. “Well, it’s just that since you’ve been off to war, I’ve begun to notice things.”

“And what things would those be?” Luna growled.

Twilight cleared her throat, still put off balance by Luna’s anger. She really wished that her Queen wouldn’t take it so personally. “Well, I’ve begun to, um, notice the way the nobles speak about you. It’s, um, not great, to say the least.”

“The nobles have always spoken poorly about anyone that they see as a threat to their own personal power, Twilight, and I am the greatest threat of all. If I wished, I could strip any of them of their titles and banish them from Equestria itself, so of course they will take any chance to weaken my position, even if it’s just gossip behind my back. It’s just the price of power. If I allowed their rumblings to put me off balance, I wouldn’t be very suited for ruling, now would I?”

Twilight nodded slightly before working up the courage to object. “Well, it’s not just the nobles, Luna. You have to worry about the common ponies; so many of them think that you are to blame for all their misfortunes. I still talk with some of them, and besides the castle guards, none of them seem to like you, and-”

“Being liked is not a requirement to rule, dear Student.” Luna quickly interjected, a clear defense.

“Yes, I’ll concede that’s true, my Queen,” Twilight resumed, some nervousness being replaced by frustration. “But having a fulfilled populus is a basic, and the common ponies do not feel fulfilled under your rule. I think being liked would help change public opinion. Perhaps some sort of public service?”

“Ha!” the Queen sneered. “No, the common ponies will twist whatever I do against me. They’re almost as bad as nobles. They are always looking for a ways to bring to sling mud at me. One time, I frowned in front of an orphanage, and they blamed me for not getting enough funds to remain open. How long the common ponies blamed that one on me, even after I personally sorted out where the orphans would go. Ingrates.”

Twilight sighed, tired. “I know you’ve had your differences, but I’ve heard how the city talks about you. And with so many nobles against you, your position as a lone timberwolf is no longer sustainable. Don’t you understand?”

The kindness fled from Luna’s eyes, leaving only hardness. “What would you suggest then? With all your infinite wisdom, what’s the solution you’ve come to? What have I missed, dear Student?”

“Turn to the nobles. In my heart, I think the common ponies would provide a stronger base of support, but the only way for you to reach them is with the support of the nobility. To do anything, you have to have them help, at least until you manage to win the support of the populus. Then, once you have them, you can decide how to move next.”

Anger lept into Luna’s eyes. “You would have me break bread with the nobility? They are my enemies!”

“They don’t have to be, Luna. They just want something from you, that’s all. You just need to learn to play the game.”

“You talk to me of games?! This is not game, young Student. This is my Empire, the greatest that history has ever known, and I have been protecting it long before these ignorantly nobles drew their first breath, and I will be holding it up long after their bones turn to dust.”

“I know it’s not an actual game,” Twilight cried exacerbated, “but if you keep going at this alone, you are only going to put your Empire in jeopardy. With everypony else against you, you just need another source of support, that’s all. I mean, if you refuse to work with the nobles, perhaps Celestia-”

“I will never turn to my sister,” Luna snarled. “How could you be so foolish to suggest such a stupid idea? If I turn to her, my enemies will just use her against me. Everypony in this city has been looking for a way to tear me down for years, and you suggest that I show weakness by giving up power to my sister. Allowing her to be a useful idiot against me would surely mean the downfall I am so desperately trying to prevent. I will never allow others to ruin what I have built, not even you, dear Student.”

Twilight gasped. For a couple tense moments, the only sound was Luna’s deep breathing as her last attack echoed silently in the room.

After a while, the anger broke from Luna’s face. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just that I’ve been very busy since my return, and I cannot spare a moment to turn my attention elsewhere. Please, just understand that. Now, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Hurt, Twilight didn’t fight Luna's request. With a flash of her horn, she was gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight stood outside the door of the Central Testing Center, ready to knock. Although it wasn’t too far from the castle, it was harder to find than she originally anticipated. She had been expecting some bureaucratic building, built like the other agency headquarters closer to the castle. Instead, she walked past the nondescript house twice before she finally caught sight of the small sign hanging by the door. It was small, much smaller than any other government building Twilight had seen. It was clearly a repurposed family home, the same size as the other buildings that were crammed on the street. Standing before it made her feel like she was asking for a cup of sugar rather than asking to speak with an agency head.

With one last brush, Twilight straightened her overcoat and knocked on the door. After a moment, the door swung inward, revealing a gray unicorn with a white mane. He was clearly older than Twilight, but still young enough to be wrinkle free. With a slight smile, he said, “Hello, how may I help you?”

Twilight cleared her throat. “I’m, um, Twilight Sparkle. I sent word down a day or two ago that I was going to come for a visit.”

The gray unicorn’s eyes widened in recognition. “Yes, of course, Student Twilight. Student Midnight has been expecting you. Please, if you will,” he finished, with a flourish of his foreleg.

Twilight entered the two-story foyer. A simple chandelier lit the room, providing just enough light to read easily. After shutting the door, the grey stallion signaled to the coat rack, asking for Twilight’s coat. Twilight lightly shook her head, preferring to keep her belongings close by. The grey stallion simply smiled and took the lead, nodding for Twilight to follow him up the stairs.

As the two climbed, Twilight’s eyes were drawn to the walls. They were lined with newspaper articles, dating back a year or two before the first exam. Right before the first step was a grand frame dominated by a picture of a young, beautiful unicorn addressing a crowd with Luna at her side. The headline underneath identified it as Midnight’s announcement of the Exams. As Twilight climbed, the articles about Midnight were replaced by those about young unicorns who had met success after passing the Exam. At first, many of them were aids to various nobles, but as time went on, the successes grew grander and grander.

At the top of the first landing, Twilight saw a giant picture of her younger self standing triumphantly on her flower platform from the Exam, underneath proclaiming her as the new Student of the Night. She couldn’t help blushing, remembering how forward she had been when she was young. Next to it, she saw a recent photo of Sunset and Shining in their Valkyrie armor, smiling broadly atop the boldfaced words of HEROES.
A twinge of some indescribable emotion flickered through Twilight’s chest. Her brother and her friend… To see them like that felt odd to her, despite having seen them all armored up before. Was it regret? She wasn’t quite sure. Despite her youth, Twilight couldn’t shake the feeling that she should have helped with the war she practically started.

If only.

Those were the last two photos, leaving the rest of the climb bare, ready for more success stories. Once at the top of the stairs, the stallion lead Twilight down the hall to the door at the end. Standing before it, he knocked.

“Come in,” a voiced called back. The grey unicorn opened the door and held it for the guest, signalling Twilight to enter before him.

As she entered, Twilight was first drawn to the walls; they were covered with books and binders. In the center of the room was a coffee table surrounded by two half-circle couches, with just enough room between them for a pony to slide past. The only other piece of furniture was a solid oak desk and chair. The desk was covered with different books, files, newspapers, and the like. Seated in the chair was a slightly older version of the beautiful alicorn she saw in the first photograph. She was a deep blue that could only be called midnight paired with a black mane. The mane looked like it hadn’t been combed that day, and her clothes were not the highest fashion, but she wore a pair of glasses that made her look like the hot librarian Twilight always fantasized about. A sudden hot flash swam through the younger mare, though she quickly swallowed to force it back down.

The mare looked up from her papers, revealing her sapphire eyes. With a smile, she said, “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Student Twilight.” As she got up from her desk, she turned towards the grey stallion. “Thank you, Snow Haze, that will be all for now. If there are any other visitors, though, please direct them to the downstairs waiting area.” With a nod, he left, closing the door softly behind him.

“Please, Student Midnight, the pleasure is mine. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me at so late a notice.” Twilight felt her cheeks blush as she looked into Midnight’s eyes. Damn hormones!

“Oh, nonsense,” Midnight said, approaching Twilight from across the room. “If I couldn’t make time to help a junior, what kind of Student would I be?” As the distance closed, Midnight came in for a hug. Twilight, stunned by the sudden contact, stood rigid for a moment before lightly hugging back. She hoped that Midnight couldn’t tell how loud her heart was beating.

After a few moments, the hug broke, although Midnight’s hoof still rested on Twilight’s shoulder. “Now, please, sit. I hope you like tea.”

Twilight needed a second to actually process that request, her young mind still flustered from the sudden contact. “Oh, um, yes, tea would be just lovely.”

Midnight sat down on one of the half couches, Twilight quickly taking the other. The two sat in silence as navy blue magic pour two cups of tea, giving Twilight a chance to examine the mare across from her. With the added years, she matured, looking more like Luna’s older sister rather than her former student. She was still one of the most beautiful ponies Twilight had ever seen, but, then again, the purple unicorn had a thing for older mares. In comparison, she felt youthful, clumsy, and all together much too bookish. It was a good thing that Student Midnight couldn’t read her mind as well as her face.

Midnight’s magic slide the cup across the table towards Twilight, who then took it up with her own. “It’s appreciated, Student Midnight.”

“Oh no, please, it’s just the two of us here. Just call me Midnight.” She finished her request with a stunning smile.

Goddesses damn her heart, not to mention her other areas feeling oh so warm. Twilight took a sip from her cup to wet her throat. “If we’re going to go without titles, then please, feel free to call me Twilight.”

“I think I will,” Midnight said, taking a sip from her own cup. “So, dear Twilight, how can I help you today?”

“Well, I was hoping you could give me some advice about the role of a Student of the Night.” Midnight’s eyebrow raised in curiosity. “It feels like I’m at a crossroads. Before now, I’ve used my position to make what I considered to be a meaningful difference. But now, I feel like I’m no longer making an impact. I went to talk to the Queen about it, but Luna recommended that I get advice from a pony who has experienced what I’m going through. So, here I am.”

Midnight chuckled softly to herself. “I won’t lie, I’ve eagerly awaited your visit to me, hoping for a question quite like this. Although, I have no experience with advice giving either, I’m afraid. The Student before me had gone on some sort of spiritual journey in the North, and the one before her died in war. This is a first for me as well.”

Twilight couldn’t help blushing at the connotation. “I’m glad that I could be your first.”

Midnight laughed aloud, with Twilight joining in after a moment’s hesitance. It took them quite a few precious seconds to compose themselves, all caught up in the moment. “So, are you looking to abdicate your position as Student of the Night? It’s a little early, but some have done great things after leaving early.”

At the mention of leaving, Twilight stopped laughing abruptly, serious expression replacing the levity. “Wait, if I want to do something else, that means I have to leave? I- I hadn’t thought of that before. I would never want to leave Luna’s side if I can avoid it.”

“Oh, no, no, of course not. Leaving the office of the Student is something that both you and Luna feel out. I mean, I was still Student for a couple of years after establishing the Exam. It was only after I found this place here that I finally took my leave.”

Confusion crossed across Twilight’s face. “Not to put words in your mouth, but it sees like you really wanted to leave. Why is that?” She simply couldn’t fathom why anypony would consider leaving the Queen - didn’t she think the same as Twilight? Wasn’t the Student the pony who could best see Luna’s majesty?

Midnight took another sip of tea before continuing. “Well, if I’m being honest, by the time I bought this building, it felt like Luna and I needed to part ways. She never spoke against my plan, but she was never truly for it. Other than the initial announcement, she stayed away, leaving me to fend for myself, and that puts a strain on any working relationship. Unlike you, Luna was around for the entirety of my early years, so when I started working on an Exam, Luna didn’t have much to teach me. Because of that, we were no longer Student and Teacher; we were just friends that lived on separate floors. There was nothing keeping us together any longer, so it made sense to make room for whoever came next.”

“But, if that never happens to us, if Luna and I remain close, is there some set time that I have to leave? I know of Students that kept the position until their death, although most of those died young. I just want to know that I can stay with her if I want to.” Twilight shifted in her seat, a sudden attack of nerves making her want to move as much as she could. She felt like pacing, but hardly wanted to seem strange in front of the other.

A flash of recognition fluttered across Midnight’s eyes. “Of course not, Twilight. The only two ponies that could tell you to leave are you and Luna. The Student of the Night is not a government role that needs to respond to changing times or traditions. It’s a bond between you and Luna. And remember, just because you’re a former Student doesn’t mean that you can no longer see the Queen. There have been many Students who have lived in the castle, serving as a mentor to the new Students. Only a Student knows the position; not even Luna can properly grasp what it means.”

Twilight almost felt like crying. It was like Midnight saw all her fears and had an answer for each of them. She supposed it was true; only a fellow Student could understand. Cadence, Shining, Sunset, all of them could offer advice, but none could reach the crux of the issue. None of them could reach the forefront of it with such sharp eyes, such accuracy. It meant more to Twilight than she could possibly put into words.

With tears in her eyes, Twilight managed to squeak out, “Thank you, Midnight.”

“Of course, love,” Midnight responded, a warm smile on her muzzle. “Now, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what are you looking to do?”

Twilight shifted again, sitting up more straight in the chair, regaining her former composure. She must put her emotions behind her - she could always cry later. “Well, recently, I’ve been caught between political parties. None of them seem to have the right answer, but I can tell they all think their way will help the Empire. I just wish that I could manage to pull them all together.”

Midnight’s glass was placed back on the table as the blue unicorn pushed up her glasses. “You must have a defter hoof at politics than I ever did, but trying to bring all the conflicting parties together will only lead to heartbreak. Now, I’m sure Luna mentioned forming your own party, but, if she did, I must disagree with her. There have been Students who have done that, sure, but none of them have been anywhere near as young as you. And a political party is a lifetime effort, and at such as young age, I’d recommend against any sort of lifelong commitment.”

Twilight felt like she should have been angry. Here was this unknown mare who was telling Twilight how to live her life, but the anger wasn’t there. It probably helped that she was so pretty, but she could only see the logic in it. “Well, it’s just that, since the war, I’ve been embroiled in politics, and I feel like I’ve gotten fairly good at it...” she started, carefully gauging Midnight’s reaction.

“Oh Twilight, I know how good you’ve gotten. I may not have made it out of the office to visit, but I’ve certainly heard of the genius filly up at court. I just think that you should start elsewhere. Perhaps your studies? Is there anything you think is worth researching?” Midnight leaned forward on the table, propping her head up on her forehooves as if she were inspecting the filly before her.

Twilight’s eyes dropped to her tea as she thought. “Well, besides my basic studies and court, I’ve also been helping Duke Silverhorn’s team with researching the plague, and that is certainly meaningful.”

Midnight sat up in alert. “A cure for the plague? What a fantastic idea! It would be it’s own poetic justice, with a Student who suffered from the plague being the one to end it.” The smile Midnight broke alone was enough to convince Twilight of her truthfulness.

“I mean, there’s no guarantees that I’ll have any impact-”

“Nonsense, my dear. You are here to do meaningful things; I have a sense for these things. And nothing is more important than eradicating that dreadful disease!”

Twilight couldn’t help but blush at the compliment. “T-thank you for those kind words, Midnight.”

“I mean them, of course,” Midnight assured before polishing off the rest of her tea. As she was pouring another one for herself, she asked, “Well, I may not be the best research pony, but I wish you the best of luck. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Twilight downed the rest of her drink too. She was going to need it. Perhaps, in another time, she would have wished for something stronger than just tea. This subject brought her no end of grief. “Well, I was hoping that you could help me with the Queen.”

Midnight filled Twilight’s cup once more before looking up once more. “Oh? Is she ill or is she in some sort of trouble?”

Twilight took a sip from her fresh cup. “Well, yes, she’s in trouble. The problem is that she can’t see it.” Midnight’s confused look prompted Twilight to explain further. “Well, I mean, it’s about her position with everypony else. Don’t get me wrong, I think she’s the greatest pony in the world, but even I can see that’s not a widely held sentiment. I suppose, since you work with common ponies, I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about her situation.”

A look of knowing had replaced Midnight’s previous look. “You come from the lower district, you should know the public’s opinion about our Queen.”

“Well, that’s true, but it’s been a long time since I’ve spent any meaningful time outside the inner wall. And now that I’ve been stuck with the world of politics and nobles, I fear that I may be a little too distant to know the truth.” Twilight looked a little longingly out the window, the castle still in the view beyond. A gilded cage, but a cage nonetheless. One that blinded Luna to the truth.

“If I may be a little blunt, Twilight, I think the truth’s obvious to every pony other than Luna,” Midnight said, looking glumly at her junior. “No pony has planned any revolt yet, but almost no pony would stand against one. I can’t see how she survives this period of discontent.” Twilight couldn’t help but wince at the proclamation, almost feeling like it was a death knell for her plans already.

“Well, I was thinking that Luna might do some sort of community service. Perhaps her involvement with future exams might help?” Twilight probed.

Midnight sighed. “Well, our Exam has always been in an odd state with the common ponies. In a lot of ways, it’s been an important bridge between the two parts of the city. The issue is that it sets unicorns apart. I truly wish there was a way to work with other ponies, earth ponies in particular, but the only suggestions the nobles would allow would be some sort of gladiatorial arena.” Midnight paused to roll her eyes in frustration. “So, for now, I have to settle for what the upper crust will accept, which leaves so many angry at the test as a whole. Which means that they wouldn’t be much help with Luna’s reputation.”

Twilight’s jaw clenched in frustration. “Of course, Midnight. That makes total sense. I just don’t know what I’m going to do. It would be so much easier if she could just see the danger she’s in, but she refuses to see it.”

“I wasn’t Luna longest Student, but our time together was enough for me to get to know her. She’s a good pony, one of the greatest I have ever meet, but she’s complicated. Her emotions cloud her judgement, and things that everypony else can see appear to be fantasy to her,” Midnight explained, offering a sympathetic smile along with the word.

“Yes, exactly!” Twilight exclaimed, before blushing. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, Luna is probably the most radiant pony I’ve ever known, but it’s nice that some other pony can both like her and see her flaws.”

Midnight laughed once more, waving a hoof through the air and relaxing back into her seat. “I know exactly what you mean. So, is there anything else, Twilight? I’m glad to help with whatever I can.”

“No, you’ve helped me more than I ever dared hoped. Besides, I have a dinner engagement I can’t be late for, but now that I’ve gotten a little direction, I have plenty to work on. But, I hope that I can turn to you for advice later on.”

“Of course,” Midnight said, getting up from her seat to show Twilight out.

As they reached the door, Twilight stopped in her tracks. “Before I go, I have to say something. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Midnight asked, puzzled, “Why, whatever for?”

“Well, before this meeting, I had thought of you in an unkind light. I thought that you were one of the middling Students of the Night. I guess because I grew up on stories about Students like Goldenwing, it felt like your tests weren’t such a great accomplishment. But looking at my life now, I couldn’t imagine not being Luna’s Student, and the only reason I’m here is because you thought that common unicorns should have a chance. Really, you have been one of the most important ponies in my entire life, and I feel like I just needed to thank you for that.”

A broad smile crossed Midnight’s muzzle as her sapphire eyes were submerged in tears. “Thank you, Twilight,” she said as her foreleg extended outwards once more.

The two embraced, but this time, Twilight hugged back right away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun had almost set over Rising Moon Market when Twilight saw Matron coming from behind a tent, a large pack strapped across her back and a smaller one at her side. With a quick wave, she got the griffon's attention and walked towards her. Without a word of warning, Twilight took the larger bag in her magic, relieving Matron of the load. “Oh Matron, thank you so much for meeting me out here.”

Matron brushed off her concern with the wave of her talon. “You’re doing me the favor, filly, not the other way around. Got casserole for dinner, but nothing for breakfast tomorrow. I hope I can still count on you to help me carry the food, or are you too important now?” Matron quipped, raising an eyebrow. Despite the gruff wording, Twilight could read that as a joke better than anyone.

Twilight couldn’t help smiling. “Of course, Matron. I’ll never be too important to carry groceries, you know that.”

“Good. Keep carrying that bag of oatmeal, and I’ll take these greens,” Matron ordered, already turning back towards the way to the orphanage. “So, I didn’t ask earlier, but why are you coming to dinner tonight? Sparkler, Citrus, and Lime are all busy. Figured there wouldn’t be nothin’ left for you down here at the orphanage.”

Twilight walked on, fitting her hoofsteps into familiar holes, a path she’d walked a thousand times before. “Well, mostly for you. I was in the area anyways, went to go ask Student Midnight for advice,” she explained.

“Oh yea? I heard she was still around. How was that? She better have been nice to you, girlie,” Matron practically accused, casting a firm, stern glance towards Twilight’s way.

“Oh, don’t worry Matron, she was amazing. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought to talk to her before. She just got so much of what I was feeling. I suppose it’s because she’s done it before, but that didn’t stop it from being amazing. She just made me feel like I totally had it. All the challenges I was facing was just another exam that I could ace,” Twilight quickly assured the shorter griffin, a bit of a blush coming to her cheeks. Sometimes, opening up like this embarrassed her. Especially to Matron.

“Damned right. You’d best tell me if you have any problems up there, you know. You’re a good filly, and if anypony gives you trouble I’ve got half a mind to go up there and let them know it myself,” Matron swore, and Twilight fully believed it.

Twilight blushed as the orphanage came into view. Nostalgia bloomed in her chest, memories flowing through her mind. She’d spent years here, and while it’d been years since she’d fully lived here, she couldn’t help but remember it fondly. She’d hardly pass up Luna’s side for anything, but here wouldn’t be the worst fate.

As Matron opened the door, a small, furry shape slammed into Matron, knocking her back a step. Matron grunted before wheezing out a response, “Down, Sherrington. It’s good to see you as well. Perhaps you’d like to say hello to our regal visitor as well, hmm?” she asked, giving Twilight a look.

The brown fur stepped back from her hug, revealing a small, shaggy, horned creature. Hair covered where the eyes should have been, but Twilight could picture the nervousness that must have been in her eyes. The only response she gave was a shy smile before burying herself back into Matron.

“A yak?” Twilight asked, flabbergasted at what she was seeing. She had no idea how a rare race like that found its way to this orphanage.

“Yes, poor dear. She came to us just a week or so ago, and she hasn’t been comfortable without me nearby,” Matron said, gently brushing the yak’s head. Ah, there was that gentle side that Twilight always knew Matron had.

“I mean, a yak orphan in the city? What happened? How did she get here?” Twilight rambled, almost flabbergasted that a yak could be here!

Matron shrugged, starting to ease herself out of the tight hug. “Couldn’t tell ya. She’s damned shaken up though, still hasn’t spoken a single word since she got here. Whispered her name to me once, but that’s it. You know how that goes, though. Get that nervousness in their head and won’t break their silence,” Matron explained.

With Sherrington close by Matron’s side, the trio continued inside and walked into the kitchen. Seated at the table with the worn kitchen cookbook was a small red unicorn with a pink mane. Without looking up from the page, he called out, “Welcome back, Matron.”

Twilight levitated the oat bag to its designated cabinet as Matron scolded, “Marron Macaron, aren’t you going to say hello to our guest?”

The small stallion looked up, and, catching sight of Twilight, his mouth dropped open. “Y-y-you’re the Student of the Night! Student Twilight!” he exclaimed, standing up in his chair.

Twilight turned to the colt with a tiny frown, still not entirely used to her fame down in the lower cities. No matter how many times she got it, it would always take her by surprise to be recognized. “Please, just call me Twilight.” Matron gave her a small smile, obviously approving of her humility.

As Matron placed her bag on the counter, she turned to the small stallion. “Now, are you going to stand there all day gawking, or are you going to get ready for dinner?”

“Yea, Mini Macaron, are you going to stand there all day looking the fool?” Twilight turned around towards the dining room door for the source of the voice. At the door was a large, brown filly, with a sneer on her face.

“Temblor, I don’t need your help with him,” Matron warned, a dangerous glint in her eye. The filly’s eyes fell, but the sneer was still there. “Now, both of you, tell the others to get washed up and sit down. The casserole will be out soon.” Matron said, raising an eyebrow. Both foals got the memo as they rushed out of the room, leaving Twilight and Matron alone once more.

As the door swung shut, Twilight turned back towards her foster mother. “Is that alright, Matron? It seems like that filly’s bullying the unicorn.”

Matron sighed. “Yea, I know. Temblor could certainly be better, but she could also be much worse. With all the different foals I have to take care of, to handle them, they gotta trust me, and they won’t trust a pony who’s too tough. Don’t worry about Macaron. The colt’s always in the kitchen, which means I’m usually nearby to give Temblor a knock if she goes too far,” Matron finished. She wrapped her claws in padding and reached down, pulling the steaming casserole from the oven.

“I know you know what you’re doing, Matron. I can only imagine how hard it is to get all these young ones in line. Anyway, I was hoping we could talk about a couple of things, and other orphans might be...” Twilight said as Matron pulled out a second, smaller casserole pan and putting it on the kitchen table.

“Yea, I know dear. I have it so we can sit by ourselves in the kitchen, so the foals won’t go bothering us. But for now, keep your muzzle out of the dining room. No reason for you to go stirring up the youngins. have to set up the dining room, and we’re still waiting on a couple more guests.”

Twilight gave her a puzzled look. “Who-”

“TANNER, JACK!” a voice called out. Twilight thought she recognized it as the filly from before. Surprise flashed across the purple unicorn’s face; she had never thought that the ponies Matron would invite would be those two.

“It looks like they’ve finally shown up. Twilight, set the table for five, since Sherrington won’t eat unless she’s with me. And get the door, will you?” Matron picked up the large casserole dish and walked through the door that was held open by Twilight’s magic. Matron didn’t even wait for Twilight’s response before she walked through.

As Twilight set about her work, she heard the dining room filled with mirth and good cheer. Tanner and Jack were apparently favorites in this house, despite her own bad memories of the two. She could even hear the voice of Marron Macaron among those clamoring to talk to them. Twilight thought about going out to see them, but with all the orphans, her entrance would just make the wait before dinner take even longer, and her stomach was already rumbling.

Twilight set the table, poured water into the five glasses on the table, and sat down. Just as she was halfway through her glass, the door opened, and the two familiar earth ponies entered. She recognized them right away, although they had changed considerable. They were both much bigger than the last time she had seen them; nopony could mistake them for foals. When she had last seen them, they had looked like grunts next to Shining and Quaker, but now, they looked as if they could hold their own. At least for a little bit.

Twilight rose from the table, nodding at each of them in turn. “Tanner, Jack,” she greeted, not quite smiling. “How are you two?”

“Fine, Student Twilight,” Tanner answered back. Jack remained silent, but nodded in agreement.

“Guys, you don’t have to call me ‘Student,’ just call me Twilight. It’s really just a position.” The two stallions nodded in agreement, but all three ponies stood rooted where they were. The tension in the air was palpable. Nopony knew how to properly react.

After a moment, Matron came in with Sherrington glued to her side. “Ah, I see you three have all met again. Sit, eat.” Matron found her place at the table, prompting all her foster foals to sit down. Everyone sat in silence as she dished out servings of the spinach casserole. After all had some food in front of them, they began to eat.

The room was quiet, with the only noise being muffled chewing and scraping silverware. As she first at, Twilight’s eyes darted between the two stallions across from her. She was unsure of how to talk to just Tanner and Jack; for most of her life, Quaker had been the intermediary. They had gone along with his bullying, although they did know when to apologize afterwards. Never during, but they did there best. She thought about letting bygones be bygones and ask them the same question she had been dying to ask Matron.

As the eating began to slow down, Twilight finally worked up the courage to speak. “So, what are you two up to now? I’d guess something physical with the way you’ve grown.”

The two stallions looked up in surprise; they had obviously expected Matron to speak first. “We, um, have an apprenticeship with Brown Hide, the local tanner,” Tanner responded.

Twilight nodded her head absently. “Oh, that’s wonderful. How’s that? Do you like the work?”

To Twilight’s surprise, Jack spoke up first. “I love the process, but all the learning makes it a lot less enjoyable.”

“You have to learn how to walk before you can trot, you know that, Jack,” Matron scolded. Nopony was too old for her to teach.

Jack cleared his throat, keeping back any objections. “Yes, Matron. You’re right. And other than the school stuff, it’s pretty great.”

“That’s fantastic,” Twilight said. She took another bite of her food, trying to work up the courage before continuing. “And Quaker? Where’s he? I know he’s a soldier, but will he not be joining us?”

The silence was accented by the dropping of silverware. Looking up, Twilight saw the incredulous looks on both Tanner and Jack’s faces. “Where do you think?” Jack asked. “He’s still holding the griffin capital. Not all the regiments have the privilege of returning home, especially the ones without royal connections.”

Twilight kept her eyes up, the bite stinging, but not enough to make her quail. “I apologize, I was unaware his unit was still on deployment,” she answered, voice calm but restrained.

The silence dominated once more as Twilight looked down at her plate. Only a couple of bites left, but she couldn’t work up the courage to be the first one to resume eating. Matron eventually took that burden on herself. “Twilight, what was it that you wanted to ask me? Speak up, or we’ll run out of dinner to eat.”

Twilight looked over at Matron, who was wearing a gruff, but forgiving smile. The two boys had begun to eat once again. “Well, I have just come back from seeing Student Midnight, and she reminded me of how contentious Queen Luna is in the lower district. I have been thinking of trying to improve her image, and I thought that the best way would be talking with common ponies about their grievances towards the Queen. That way, we can come up with a way to properly address those issues.”

Tanner spoke first, “With all due respect to your Queen, Twilight, I don’t think anything short of a miracle can fix what she’s done to this place.”

Twilight breathed deep, trying to ignore the earth pony’s slight. “Your queen knows how the common ponies feel, Tanner, regardless of whether she’s actually harmed you or not, and she wants to change that. She knows how much she needs the common pony’s help, and she’s hoping to find out how to get it.”

Jack let out a mean laugh. “Help her? That bitch won’t rest until all of us down here grovel or die, so why should we care what happens to her? It’s too bad that assassin failed, because the Empire would have been better with her in the ground.” He practically snarled out, muscles tensing.

“Jack!” Matron snap. Twilight felt her hoof begin to reach for her disguised horn before she caught herself. All the anger that surged up dissipated with one, quick breath. In her earlier days, that would have been a strong enough goad. But now? She was beyond them.

“No, Matron,” Twilight said, regaining her composure. “I’ve come to hear their grievances. But, I will not stay any longer and hear such slander, or else I shall have to take the law into my own hooves. Good night to you all,” Twilight finished, pushing her chair away from the table. Without another word, she took her leave, not even giving the others a chance to respond.

As Twilight reached the door, she felt a fuzzy shape plow into her, pushing her slightly off balance. It was Sherrington. She didn’t say anything, just looked up at her, as the fur in front of her eyes fell to the side, showing two, large green eyes. After a moment, she broke off contact, rushing back into the orphanage, leaving Twilight confused and drained of her anger.

Author's Note

I rise from the dead!

Gathering Strength

Fury flooded into Twilight as she saw what laid before her. She’d thought she’d had more time before word got out; she thought she may even be able to stop it from happening. Yet here it was, spelled out before her: Griffon Capital in Open Rebellion. The dark words stood out from the newspaper in front of her. The news itself wasn’t surprising; Twilight had already known about it from the war councils. And Twilight wasn’t worried about any of the remaining armies. The griffons wouldn’t be able to muster a resistance strong enough to be threatening. No, what worried her about the article was that it included Luna’s sentencing. After the rebellion was put down, the remaining population was to be decimated. A tenth of griffon population, even the chicks, would face the sword. Barbarism didn’t even begin to describe it. Twilight had fought Luna’s decree for hours, but in the end, Luna overrode her, and now the entire empire would hear of her cruel command.

The proclamation was horrible enough, but Twilight’s other fear was confirmed in the very same paper. Nestled in one of the small columns on the sixth page, was another headline: Lunacy of the Lunar Queen. It was a well-written attack piece designed to tear her Queen down. It never definitively claiming Luna was a tyrant that needed to be stopped, but it came dangerously close of suggestion as much. Worst of all, it was written by some unknown pony. Twilight had reached out to the newspaper, but they hadn’t gotten a name. If it really was just a normal pony venting their concerns, Twilight was making mountains out of molehills. But behind the name of anonymity, any of Luna’s enemies could be using this paper to incite ponies to take matters into their own hooves. Twilight had stopped an assassination attempt, and she would do everything in her power to stamp out any rumblings of another one.

Perhaps the worst part of the attack piece was that Twilight was force to agree with parts of the arguments. Yes, Luna did take power in a time of crisis. Yes, Luna did start the war with the griffins. And yes, Luna was showing no mercy to an already beaten foe. Those were all facts that made Twilight uneasy, but she held onto the belief that what Luna was doing was necessary. Without Luna’s past leadership, the city would have fallen to the plague years ago. Without her command, who knows what would have happened to the empire during times of turmoil?

With a groan, Twilight let her quill drop back to the table. She had started writing a rebuttal to the small article, but every time she got a sentence or two in, something sidetracked her. She knew Luna was ultimately right, but she couldn’t figure out how to sell it to the public. She could just imagine any weakness in her writing being turned against her Queen, and that scared her. She felt powerless. She had stopped the assassination, but when it came to saving Luna’s image, she couldn’t do a damned thing on her own. But no, she still had moves to make. It would take time to get everything in order, but she had time on her side. After all, the Queen wasn’t going anywhere. At least, not yet.

Twilight grunted, standing up and letting the wood chair squeak against the ground. No. She couldn’t just sit here and write; she needed to take action. That meant going back to somepony she had wronged. Even thinking of confronting her made her stomach queasy, but Twilight had no other choice. She needed an ally in this endeavor, and she couldn’t rely solely on Fleur. She had her own genius, but Fleur didn’t know how to win the people’s hearts. Fleur would play her part in Twilight’s plans, they all would, but for now, she needed Cadance. That would mean explaining what happened. That would mean explaining why she’d avoided her, and all her secrets would come tumbling out at once.

Twilight paused in the hallway, a frown crossing her muzzle. So many secrets. Since when had she become privy to so many secrets? It seemed that ever since she’d become a Student she’d kept more every day. Trading information, passing thoughts, working towards hidden objectives. What good had that done? She had traded Cadance’s friendship for those secrets. But she was ready to trade back. Transparency would fix everything, even if it didn’t come easily.

Twilight started to walk again, faster now, trotting through the hall. No more hesitation. No more hiding. She repeated those words in her head, letting them become a shield to ward off her worries. Even with those, the worries plagued her mind, but she fortified herself against them, pushing them from her head. So many ponies hated Luna, so many had their heads wrapped around the idea of some twisted tyrant.

Every step she made, Eclipse bounced against her side, reminding her of its existence. She had gotten so used to the sword that she hardly left her room without it, the sentient sword helping her more than she could’ve ever imagine. No other pony had claimed to feel the corruption Luna did, and it gave her courage. It had helped her best Blueblood; its presence alone would help her in others fights as well.

Twilight hurried past the guards at the entrance of Cadance’s wing, hardly sparing them a thought. All of the guards knew to let Twilight pass, besides, everypony if she really wanted to, Twilight would just teleport past them. She stopped in front of the door, heart pounding. She knocked three times, letting out her shuddering breath. Why did she feel so nervous? Cadance had never been anything but kind to her. Yet Twilight still shook. She waited only a moment or two before the doors were enveloped in blue light and swung inward, revealing the study beyond. Cadance still sitting at her desk, looked up from her work towards the entry. She blinked in surprise before once more letting her charming smile take control.

“Twilight.” Cadance spoke, standing from her seat. “It’s been too long”

“Yes,” Twilight managed to squeak out; damn her nerves! “Cadance, we need to talk.”

Cadance’s smile seemed to grow wider. “Yes, I think we do. Please, take a seat,” she said, hoof gesturing at the seat across from her.

Twilight nodded, leaden hooves crossing the barrier and stepping inside. She plopped down in the chair, her mind and heart both racing. “Cadance,” she started, a little shaky and high pitched, “I wanted to come and apologize,” Twilight started. She paused for a second and swallowed, feeling like she was going to choke on her words. “I know it’s been too long, and I just wanted to say that you’ve done nothing wrong. I’m the pony who did something wrong; I shut you out for no reason. You’ve only ever tried to help me even before you knew who I was. I was punishing you for something you didn’t even do and that, well, that was stupid, like really stupid,” she went on, rubbing at the back of her neck with a hoof. Twilight looked up with pleading, wide eyes. ”Can you forgive me?” she asked.

For a moment, Cadance simple took in Twilight, her eyes projecting unreadable kindness. For Twilight, the moment felt endless; ever second Cadance stayed silent was agony for the Student.

After what felt like an eternity, Cadance finally spoke. “You have nothing to apologize for, silly filly,” she answered back, unbridled happiness evident across her face. “I thought you just busy, or needed a break from me. There’s nothing to apologize for, I assure you.”

There it was; Cadance had smoothed it over, yet Twilight couldn’t help but doubt her words. She had wronged the pink unicorn, and Cadance had every right to be mad at her. Twilight opened her muzzle, fighting the urge to close it shut. She felt her throat seize as she forced herself to begin. “I know. I know, that you say it’s okay, but I wasn’t just busy. I was joining with Fleur, dodging you for weeks, and spending all my time training. I did all of it to get away.” Tears had started to roll down Twilight’s muzzle. All the guilt she felt started pouring out of her. It took all her strength to not completely collapse. “I should have been better. I’ll try to be better. But I’m sorry I wasn’t. I’m so sorry…” Twilight trailed off, eyes trained on the floor.

Cyan magic gently lifted Twilight's eyes to Cadance’s. There, Twilight didn’t see hidden anger, frustration, or resentment. Instead, she say Cadance’s pure love. Seeing that love made Twilight understand; Cadance had never judged her. Even when she had run away, even when she had joined Fleur’s faction, Cadance had never stopped caring for her. Her love was unconditional, and once Twilight understood, she knew she had been a fool to ever cut such a wonderful pony out of her life.

Seeing such kindness in Cadance, Twilight tried to tell her everything that kept her away. She tried to tell her about the kiss with Silverhorn and his hidden nature, oaths be damned. But her throat was so tight that only soft sobs could make it through. Through the tears, however, Twilight saw Cadance’s horn glow bright blue once more as Cadance cast a spell against eavesdroppers. Twilight couldn’t help but smile at that; that was the spell Shining always used, and somehow, it made her feel even safer. Once the spell had been set, Cadance brushed away a stream of tears on her muzzle, calming the younger mare down with empathetic eyes.

“I know Twilight. I know about Silverhorn’s attempt to kiss you.” Twilight’s eyes went wide. “He told me about it the day after it happened, expressing quite a great deal of regret. It was good that he felt so, or I would have made him sorry,” Cadance finished with a playful twinkle. Twilight let out a chuckle; she couldn’t even imagine Cadance hurting anypony. Regaining her sincerity, Cadance continued. “I also know that you know about Silverhorn’s… unique situation.” Twilight’s jaw dropped.

“You knew?” Twilight managed to whisper in disbelief.

“Yes, I did know.” Sadness touched Cadance’s eyes for the first time this conversation. “And I am sorry that I didn’t reach out to you sooner. I thought giving you space would be the best thing, but if I knew how much you’ve been struggling, I would have reached out myself. Can you forgive me?”

How did this happen? Twilight had been so worried about groveling to Cadance and now the mare was apologizing to her?! At first, Twilight tried to insist she had nothing to apologize for, but she saw the same sadness Twilight had felt just moments before. Instead, Twilight threw her arms around the mare, holding her in tight.

Muzzle close to Cadance’s ear, Twilight whispered, “Apology accepted.” One moment later, Cadance’s arms wrapped around Twilight as the two. After a minute of holding each other in silence, the hug broke as the two mares looked at each other once more, eyes full of happiness. Their friendship had been restored.

“There is one more thing that I must tell you,” Cadance continued, her words much lighter than before. “Your brother and I have been, well, not dating, just seeing each other for the last few weeks. It’s nothing serious, but you deserve to know.”

Twilight felt her jaw drop. Her brother, the soldier, the veteran, dating Cadance? Wow. She thought the world of her brother, but he was clearly dating up. “Oh.” That was all she could really say, the surprise of it getting to her more than anything. Cadance and Shining. Quite honestly, she always believed that Sunset and Shining would end up together. This was...better? She didn’t know. She let out a long breath before nodding again.

“So, uh, can we change the subject?” Twilight asked, a bright, red blush starting to color her cheeks. Her mind had gone filthy places; she knew what she and Luna did in private, and imaging Shining and Cadance doing the same was too much to handle. Twilight wanted those images far, far from her mind.

Cadance giggled, such a beautiful, melodic thing. “Of course, of course. What did you have in mind?” she asked, eyes practically twinkling with amusement. She had guessed exactly what embarrassed Twilight so much.

“It’s about Luna,” she started cautiously; even Cadance didn’t have the best impression of Luna. “She’s in trouble. Not from assassins or coups, but from public opinion. Her image has never been so damaged. Everypony thinks that the war was her fault, or that she caused the plague to take their families, or that she’s slowly going mad. Goddesses, Cadance, I even saw an article in today’s paper that suggested she was being controlled by an evil spirit! It’s insanity! They don’t understand the type of pony Luna really is; they’re blinded to her best qualities because some hack writer tells them to be. I’m trying my best, I really am, but alone, I don’t have enough horsepower to change how ponies view her, nor do I know the steps I would need to take. Cadance, I know that you’ve seen the real Luna; you may not like her right now, but you’ve seen her with me. You know how lovely she is with me.

“Please, Cadance, can you help me show everypony else what I see? Can you help me show them Luna’s true self, the side they never see? It would mean so much to me, and it would make a world of difference to Luna, even if she can’t see the need yet,” Twilight finished, her heart beating. That was all she could think of to convince Cadance. Had it been enough?

She looked up, waiting to see Cadance’s answer, expecting Cadance to need a minute to think. Instead, she saw Cadance roll her eyes playfully. “Oh, alright, I’ll help.”

Hearing Cadance’s agreement, Twilight was so overcome with joy that she thought she might cry again. To prevent that, the Student jumped up and hugged her friend once more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With Cadance once again on Twilight’s side, the Student had secured an important ally in her fight to improve Luna’s public image. But, Cadance was only a small part of her plan. She needed everypony she could get, and next on her list was Charlemane. Unfortunately, Twilight wouldn’t be able to appeal to the pony directly, but Twilight’s time in Court had taught her that there was always another way. And it just so happened that Twilight had scheduled another training session with that other way.

While Roamane still managed to best her every time, Twilight started to hold her own in the more recent duels. Granted, that was only when Twilight relied upon both her magical augmentations and Eclipse’s aid, and even then, she had yet to secure a single victory. Still, she was facing off against a pony whose prowess with a blade was legendary. She would take what she could get.

This duel, however, was the furthest she had ever gotten. She had managed to strike Romanae once for every five times he hit her. And, as the two ponies sheathed their swords, Twilight noticed that Roamane was breathing heavily, something that had never happened before. He had never had to put in so much effort. Seeing that gave Twilight heart. Roamane’s fatigue was proof that she was not the same pony as when she started. She may have even been able to best her brother, given the opportunity.

Still regaining his breath, Roamane sat down in the grass, nodding his head towards his the grass across from him. An invitation to rest. Twilight took it, floating over their canteens, dropping one in the grass in front of Roamane and taking a swig of her own. Her own chest heaved from exhaustion. Roamane might have only started being pushed recently, but for Twilight, pushing him that far was enough to make her collapse.

“Good matches,” Twilight noted, half sprawling out across the grass. Celestia’s sun shone beautifully with the pure blue sky, squadrons of military pegasi arching overhead. A gorgeous day, one Twilight could appreciate even though she preferred Luna’s moon.

Roamane nodded, Twilight catching the movement out of the corner of her eye. “Aye. You’re getting better, filly. Proud to see your progress. I’d almost be worried to face you outside of the circle, what with your damned magical tricks. You’re going to make this old stallion sore,” Roamane said, rolling his neck.

Twilight giggled. “Oh, don’t pretend, I know you could go for hours longer yet.”

Roamane grunted, accepting the compliment. They both knew it wasn’t empty flattery. “Yea, yea. There’s no need to butter me up, Student. I’m well aware of my capabilities,” Roamane answered.

“While I’ve got you here, you mind listening to an idea I had?” she pitched, tilting her head a bit to study Roamane’s expression.

He nodded, meeting her eye from his sitting position. “Hit me. Sans sword this time.”

“Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Luna’s in a precarious position right now. Public opinion has swayed against her to the point where it may interfere with her ability to do what is necessary. I mean, she can’t do much when everypony believes she’s about to set off a bomb.”

Twilight paused for questions, but Roamane remained quiet, waiting for her to finish her thought. “So, as Student of the Night, I’ve been working to improve her image a bit, but alone, I can only do so much. So, I’m hoping that the troops may speak for her; I know that most of them have a pretty positive opinion of Luna. At least, that’s what I’ve gathered. I was hoping you might help encourage some of the soldiers who view Luna the fondest to speak out for her. And maybe any other pony whose voice would matter in such things.” Twilight hoped she had hinted strong enough about Charlemane, but even if Roamane missed it, convincing the soldiers to speak would be enough. So many people thought that Luna had simple stayed among the commander’s roost. Few knew how she had fought on the front lines. Almost no pony had know how injured she had been at the end. How close Twilight came to losing her Queen.

Roamane gave an easy nod of his head. She figured he’d agree. Roamane cared about the troops; he listened to them. And from them, he had heard about Luna’s sacrifice. Twilight surmised that he’d respect any commander willing to put her life on the line for her troops. It seemed her guess had been correct.

“I can do that, Student.” Twilight sighed in relief. “And yes, I’ll make sure to talk to Charlemane about this plan as well.”

Twilight flushed. She had become used to subtle politics; she hadn’t expected Roamane to just come out and say what Twilight had been hinting at. “Yes, if it’s not too much trouble,” she murmured, embarrassed.

“No trouble at all, Student. Despite all the bullshit that the common ponies have been spouting, your Goddess isn’t a bad one. I’ve been getting real tired of the nobles pissing and moaning, too. We’re getting another battalion back home real soon. I’ll talk with them, and we’ll see what we can do.”

“Thank you, Roamane. You have my gratitude, and if you ever need anything, please let me know. I’d be happy to help,” Twilight finished, no longer blushing.

Roamane only grunted once more and jerked his head towards the practice field. “Well, if that’s the case, how about another round?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight ducked under Shining’s fierce swing, the blade grazing at her mane as she ducked. Her hooves nearly tangled underneath her as she retreated, trying to get far enough away to begin her own offensive. But Shining was relentless. His horn brought his gladius around in wide arcs, repeatedly striking at her sides. Some were deflected by Twilight’s magic, others by Eclipse, but Shining kept striking and Twilight barely parried.

That was how Twilight’s reunion with her brother had gone. She had sought him out, but left the activity up to him. To her surprise, he wanted to duel, and Twilight felt happy to oblige. Although only minutes ago, it seemed like the duel had gone on for hours. It had been like this since the beginning; Shining constantly on offense and Twilight barely managing to keep up. She had expected to have an easier time with her magically enhanced reflexes and speed, but Shining had apparently learned that trick during the war, for he exceeded even her enhanced state. From the outside, the battle looked almost choreographed, their enhanced reflexes looking almost like well-rehearsed dance steps.

Although that beautiful dance was starting to fall apart. Twilight was panting and she could feel her coat becoming damp, while Shining hardly seemed phased. He wasn’t pushing his limits just yet. The war had made him strong.

Continuing his sword’s assault, Shining adopted a new tactic. Amethyst shields appeared on either side of her, boxing her in and preventing her from scrambling away. The unrelenting blows disrupting her attempts to dispel the magic. Her brother’s shields were a work of art, and with them, he controlled the flow of battle; at this rate, her defeat was all but assured. But, luckily for Twilight, she had her own way of fighting.

With a flash of light, Twilight teleported to the other end of the dueling circle. She landed hard, her hooves sinking into the soft earth. Just a little too high. Steadying herself, she already saw Shining spinning around, trying to find his opponent. Twilight didn’t intend to give him the chance. Her horn glowed with ghostly light as four bolts of electricity arced across the field, trying to shock the stallion. Yet, even that didn’t faze Shining; before the lightning connected, he already had a bubble up, bouncing all four bolts back towards Twilight. She only barely managed to roll out of the way in time, though the lightning singed the back of her coat. So much for that plan.

Twilight struggled to lift herself up, trying to catch her breath. She was flagging, yet Shining still appeared unfazed as he began galloping across the circle towards her. Seeing his approach, Twilight knew she would lose; her brother just had too much experience. But, she wouldn’t let him win unscathed.

As Shining closed in, Twilight offered control to Eclipse, and it greedily answered. It seized her magic, pouring it into it’s blade. It made her head hurt, made her scarred horn glow a green instead of its usual purple, but she didn’t care. Right as Shining closed in, gladius thrusting, Twilight teleported a few feet behind her brother. Shining spun around and began to close in again, but this time, Eclipse was the one to strike. Shining’s sword quickly deflected it, but for the first time, Shining was the one on the defensive. And Twilight intended to keep it that way.

Eclipse began striking out far more accurately than Twilight had been able to, forcing Shining to spend most of his time deflecting. In the meantime, Twilight began casting more battle spells. With Eclipse controlling her body, Twilight was free to And, with her sword fighting for her, Twilight could put all her focus into hurling lightning at her foe. It really was a lovely combo.

As Shining parred both sword strikes and lightning, Shining’s face maintained its composure, although Twilight could see the sweat flying through the air as he moved through each blow. Shining was so pressed that he could only react; he had to rely upon instinct for everything else. Twilight noticed Shining’s hoofsteps; she saw how they methodically backed away. In that, she saw an opening.

Ceasing her barrage of bolts, Twilight summoned a small portal right where Shining’s hind leg was poised to step next. As he retreated, his leg phased through the portal, breaking his balance. Shock broke his composure; he knew he was open. As Shining tripped, his sword swung wild, giving Eclipse an unobstructed path to his foreleg. As the sword’s magically dulled edge crashed into Shining, his face twisted in pain. In the heat of battle, Twilight couldn’t help but feel joy; she might actually win this fight!

That hope didn’t last long. As Shining managed to balance himself on the three hoofs not in the portal, he let out a feral grow and surged forward. His larger frame slammed into his sister, sending her flying back an entire foot, and as she landed, one of Twilight's hind hooves landed on a shield, causing her fall flat on the ground. Before she could rise, Shining’s sword was pressed hard against her throat.

“Game over, Twiley,” he rasped out, removing the sword, his voice somehow still light. Despite the intensity of their fight, he once again saw her as his little sister.

Twilight groaned and pushed herself up from the ground. Releasing her battle magic, Twilight tried to match her brother’s tone. “That was my move.”

Shining laughed in response. “Well, Twiley, you may have come up with it, but it seems like I perfected it. Besides, in battle, once somepony else can use it, it becomes everypony’s moves.”

Stretching out, Twilight slide Eclipse back into its scabbard. “Fair enough. But putting that aside, I couldn’t believe how fast you were. I didn’t think it’d be so one sided.”

Shining shrugged, plopping down beside his sister. “I’ve only gotten this good because of practice. I know that you and Roamane duel a few times a week, but imagine swinging your sword as often as you read your books. You just get used to it. If it makes you feel any better, you’d still kick my ass every day in any sort of magical competition,” he teased, giving her a little bump shoulder to shoulder.

“I know, I know. Don’t worry, I’m not jealous or anything. I’m just surprised. If your training has made you this good, it’s hard to believe the Griffonlands stood against us for as long as it did. I know not everypony is a unicorn, but there should have been enough to overpower the griffons.”

Shining frowned. “We had unicorn magic, sure, but they found ways to compensate. Ways that even made the Queen think twice about engaging. Ten years ago? The griffons might have folded much quicker, but they’ve really leveled the field quickly. It worries me; what if some other kingdom has developed similar strategies in the meantime? The griffons weren’t even the ones to declare war, and they still made us bleed.” The stallion shook his head in concern. “It’s something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since coming back. That technology erased any advantage we had, and unlike unicorn magic, it can be traded away to some other society. I don’t even want to think about what would happen if the minotaurs manage to get their hands on some of that technology,” he finished, brow knitting together in worry.

Honestly, those thoughts hadn’t even occurred to Twilight. She knew the Griffonian war had dragged on longer than anypony had expected, but she hadn’t thought to question why. Shining had learned more than dueling during the war. “I think that’s a fair assessment, although, it’s not exactly like we’re resting on our laurels. I mean, we didn’t even have the airships ten years ago, right?” she asked, trying to soothe her worries as well as his.

Shining nodded in agreement. “Yea, but our innovations aren’t as effective as they should be. Every other society knows exactly what’s coming for them. That’s the problem with being the most powerful nation; everypony else knows to watch out for. We, on the other hoof, have to keep our eyes on multiple targets. Not to mention, it seems like we have a lot of leaks inside our military hierarchy,,” he complained, flopping down onto the grass.

Now that was new information. Even Twilight hadn’t heard about the leaking information, although she had assumed as much. That was always a danger in an empire of their size. “How did you hear about all of this anyways?” she poked.

Shining took a quick look around. With a grunt of effort, another of his soundproof bubbles surrounded them. “I’ve been working close with Charlemane and Cadie since I got back. We’ve formed a security council of sorts. Right now, it’s just the three of us and a few other trustworthy ponies doing counterintelligence stuff. Rooting out spies, finding defectors, that sort of thing. It’s gotten to be so much that I had to resign from the Valkyries, and before you ask, yes, Luna knows. At this moment, you two are the only ponies outside of the council who are in the loop, so please don’t go spreading this around.”

That was a lot to process. Shining was on a secret council? There were spies leaking information? It was so important that Shining gave up his position in the Valkyries to pursue it? Shining’s pet name for Cadance was CADIE?

She chewed it over in her head for a few moments, making sense of the new revelations. She briefly wondered who else was a part of the council. It was probably comprised of the ponies she least expected. If she hadn’t heard it first hoof, she wouldn’t have believed that Cadance or Shining were a part of a secret counterintelligence council. Charlemane, sure, but not those two.

Twilight nodded slowly. “Yea. Right. I’ll keep it to myself, don’t worry,” she promised, offering him a weak smile. “I feel bad asking you since you’re already doing so much but… I’ve been looking for some help with Luna’s imagine. I’m sure you’ve heard how some ponies have started looking at her. It’s not exactly great for her or the empire, so I was wondering if you might help me. It wouldn’t take much from you; a few words here and there from a war hero would be enough, you know?” she asked, hoping that he’d understand.

Considering his new job, it made sense that he did. He returned her request with a solid nod and one of his easy-going smiles. “Course. Luna’s with you, and she was a damned fine Commander. I wouldn’t dream of doing anything but that.”

The two sat in silence for a moment before Twilight finally cracked. “So, you’re calling Cadance Cadie these days?” Twilight asked with a playful look in her eyes. Her brother just groaned, covering his face with his hooves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight usually loved tea, but staring into her cup, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of loathing. To be fair, the tea itself wasn’t at fault. This particular cup was a lovely Chrysanthemum tea, perfectly brewed. In fact, Twilight might have downed a whole kettle of it if she was anywhere else. No, Twilight was in a foul mood because of the pony she was forced to drink it with. Usually, she associated tea with pleasant conversations, with ponies she wanted to be around. Celestia, however, was not one of those ponies.

Peeking up from her porcelain cup, Twilight took in the room around her rather than look at the pony across from her. The room had been decorated with her own personal palette, with white, gold, and light pastels dominating the room. Despite her grumblings, however, Twilight could hardly call it offensive. Light filtered in from the window to her right, the table itself an intimate thing with just enough room for the two of them. Other than that, the room was sparsely decorated. A rug on the entryway, a few sitting pieces, but nothing more. Vastly different from Luna’s quarters.

With nothing else to look at, Twilight finally resigned to meeting Celestia’s eyes. Celestia didn’t inherently bother her, nor did she hate the white mare. She just found her ineffective. Sure, she eventually got ponies to do what she needed of them, but Luna’s approach got stuff done much quicker. Although, Twilight’s assessment may be too bias. After all, Celestia still had her Godhood, and by all accounts, she did do things. Just not as much as her love.

Yet, despite her misgivings, Twilight needed her. Just like she needed Cadance, Charlemane, and Shining. Her support of Luna was perhaps the most important. If the public believed that Luna didn’t even have the support of her own sister, any attempts to improve Luna’s image would fall flat. Therefore, tea with Celestia.

The two of them had sat in silence for a few moments before Celestia finally broke it. “So, Student Twilight, what can I do for you?” she asked.

Twilight jerked to attention, examining her counterpart. Celestia’s purple eyes met her own, even Twilight able to tell the care and empathy in their depths. Like always, Celestia kept her muzzle plastered with that easy going, carefree smile. Something about it made Twilight nervous. In her experience, sincerity of that level was usually feigned, barring Cadance, of course.

Twilight tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. “What makes you think I want something? Maybe I just wanted to share your company,” she offered, trying to hid her surprise. No need to confirm was may just be a stab in the dark.

Celestia giggled. “Student Twilight, I am under no illusions about how you feel. I’m aware I’m not your preferred Goddess; you’re more of a night filly, yes? I would love if this gathering was just a chance for the two of us to get to know each other better; you seem like a wonderful filly, but I know you want something. So, if you please,” Celestia finished, taking a sip from her cup.

Classic Celestia. Twilight felt herself reassured despite knowing about Celestia’s little tricks. Perhaps she’d judged her too harshly, but it was difficult to consider Celestia’s words over her beloved’s.

With a deep breath, Twilight began. “It’s about your sister. I’m sure that you’re well aware of her struggles.” Nervous, Twilight stopped to take a sip from her own cup. Even though they were sisters, Twilight couldn’t help but feel exposed; if it wasn’t for Luna, she could never have been this vulnerable with Celestia. It took everything she had to not start stuttering.

After her drawn-out sip, Twilight replaced the cup on the saucer and continued, nerves back under control.“Which leads me into the real topic of this conversation. I want to improve Luna’s standing among the common ponies. Because of all the attacks the papers have launched against her, the common ponies cannot see that Luna is caring for her citizens. Instead, they believe that they live under the rule of a cruel tyrant. They can only see a Queen that abandoned their families and loved ones to die by shutting the gates. They cannot see the truth.

“Because of that lack of support, the nobles have been swarming like vultures, waiting for a chance to pick away at her. They only have their own selfish interests at heart. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time with Fleur and heard from the different nobles. I’m sure you know how different of a song they sing behind closed doors. They want her power and her prestige, yet we both know that none of them would be able to handle it. I think it’d spell disaster if they managed to get enough power behind her to force her to step down. I don’t think either of us want to see that.

“So, here’s my proposal. I want you to throw your support behind Luna. I’m going to start arranging fundraisers, charity events, different sorts of things in Luna’s name. It would mean a lot to her - and me - if you could attend at least some of them as a draw. The lower city ponies, they love you. If they saw your name, they’d come. If you talked about being proud of what Luna did, they’d listen. It wouldn’t take much, maybe a few hours out of your day a couple times a month. I know your time is incredibly valuable, but I think that these simple measures alone would make a big difference in the lower cities trust.”

Twilight finished her practiced speech, lowering her fidgeting hooves into her lap. She looked up, watching Celestia work over the idea in her head. The mare had an incredible poker face, Twilight quite honestly couldn’t get anything from it. It didn’t help that Celestia didn’t answer instantly. She was most likely thinking it over, but that didn’t prevent Twilight’s anxiety from spiking through the roof.

After a few agonizing minutes, Celestia regarded Twilight with a smile, whispering, “You two really are in love, aren’t you?”

Strangely, Twilight didn’t jump at Celestia’s comment; when it came to loving Luna, she was never nervous. “Yes. I love her with all my soul, and she returns the feelings despite my age. I would ask that you keep this quiet. I’m trying to save her public image, and if any of her enemies found out, our love would be a liability. One millenia old alicorn with her student, a teenage unicorn? The press would have a field day.”

Eventually, Celestia nodded her head, her own horn’s light bringing the tea cup to her lips. She took a sip, before speaking. “Yes, you are right, Student Twilight, in more ways than one. I love my sister dearly and want to see her succeed, even if I don’t always agree with her methods. If you can arrange some times for me to appear, I’ll do my best to meet them. Nothing less than two weeks advance notice, please. I’ll have to clear my schedule and that’s no easy task. However…”

There was the catch. Twilight’s leaping heart plummeted back into her chest.

“I want the information to be delivered by you personally. You have a bright mind, Twilight, and I’d quite like to experience it myself, especially with how much Luna waxes on about you. Perhaps we could have chess sessions every other week? Fridays, mayhaps?” she asked, that twinkle in her eye that Twilight had learned to recognize as mischief. Still, a small price to pay.

“Consider it a date.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight walked into the garden. One left. Soon, she would have all the leaders of the different factions united for Luna. Sure, she might not have every pony in every branch for her queen, but with all the important ponies backing her, Luna would soon be on surer hoofing. Soon, the entire empire would see why Luna was Queen. Why she had to be Queen. All it was going to take was one more pony. That made Twilight neverous.

As she sat down on the garden bench where their alliance began, Twilight tried to calm her nerves. There was no reason to be nervous; Fleur was a close ally and a smart pony who could see the logic of backing Luna at this time. It was all well and good to be against Luna when nothing could come of it, but with so many of the common ponies against the Night Goddess, the power structure everypony was used to was in danger, and none more so than the nobles. Plus, Fleur owed her after all the help Twilight had given to her. She was ready to cash in all that good will.

As Twilight calmed herself, Fleur arrived, dressed even more beautiful than usual. She’d dressed up for the occasion, sporting a gorgeous pastel-purple dress trimmed in gold. She’d also had her mane done up, a complicated braid spotted with light purple and blue gemstones that paired perfectly with her dress. Twilight felt positively plain in comparison, wearing her normal everyday attire with her only accent being Eclipse strapped to her side. Fleur had come dressed, not as a friend, but as the leader of the Noble faction. She must have some idea what Twilight was going to ask.

As the noble approached, Twilight stood, a smile across her muzzle. “It’s good to see you, Fleur,” Twilight started, gesturing to the empty side of the bench. Fleur glided across the remainder of the garden, a generous smile touching her lips. As she reached Twilight, she sank into her seat and nodded for Twilight to do the same.

Fleur’s eyes met Twilight’s, and without waiting long for the Student, the noble began. “So, my dear Twilight, what did you want to talk about today, hmm?”

“Always straight to business, aren’t you, Fleur?” she teased with a light chuckle. Fleur wasn’t one to beat around the bush, which Twilight usually appreciated. It was different begin the one wasting the time however. Although, Fleur seemed to acknowledge Twilight’s unease, taking the light teasing in stride.

With a quick clearing of her throat, Twilight began. “It’s about Luna. I know you know how, let’s say, tenuous her situation has become in the kingdom. With all of the attacks, both here and abroad, Luna has had to take, let’s say drastic measures, to ensure the kingdom’s survival, and that has lowered her in the eyes of the common ponies. It’s a troubling predicament, and as the Student of the Night, I’m obligated to fix it. I need to show the rest of ponydom the wonderful ruler that I see everyday. That’s why I’ve asked you here. Your position among the nobles is unrivaled, and you know how to bring them into line when it matters the most. There’s a lot of disinformation and distrust brewing, and I think that, with your help, we can. So, what do you say? Can I count on you?”

“No.”

Twilight’s throat seized. The worst had happened. No, not yet, she could salvage this. Forcing herself to continue, she asked, “Why not?”

With a gentle sigh, Fleur began, “It’s not a good idea at this time. To advocate for the queen, even a little more than I’ve already done, would jeopardize my position within my party. Unlike Luna, I’m elected to lead, and to stay in power, I need to know the limits. It would be career suicide to support Luna when all the nobles can talk about is how much they despise her. If I even attempted what you’re suggesting, I would be ousted, and you would be without a powerful ally among the nobles.”

Twilight knew her response and almost tripped over herself trying to point out the critical flaw. “But if Luna falls, the nobles’ positions will be in jeopardy. Who can say if even Celestia will be able to take control. The empire could collapse, and most of the nobles would fall with it. Isn’t self preservation an easy sell?”

“Every noble thinks they’ll be the one to survive, and with less nobles, each of the remaining families will gain more power and prestige. It’s a gamble too many are willing to take. None will see the wisdom in preserving Luna, which means I cannot support your queen. I’m sorry Twilight, but the answer is a no.”

Twilight felt the despair spreading through her. She had been so close, and now it was over. “I don’t understand,” Twilight’s voice was low, quiet, broken. She looked up at Fleur. “I’ve done so much for you. I’ve helped you with so many events, worked with your party on so many political pushes. I’ve even forgiven the nobles for the actions of Blueblood. How can you say no?” she questioned.

Fleur sighed once more, this time in exasperation.“Twilight, I’m a politician, not a charity. I can’t give up everything in a futile attempt to save your queen from herself. I’m sorry.”

With a flash of magic, Twilight disappeared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note

AHAHAH I'm not dead!

Bad news: I haven't written the next chapter yet. I can, however, promise it won't be ten months again... I'm in a much better place in life now ^^

Things That Linger

Despite Fleur’s betrayal, Twilight felt good about the group she assembled. Ignoring the nobles, she had the leadership of every powerful faction in the Empire backing her cause. Having so many factions backing Luna was nothing short of miraculous, and Twilight wouldn’t waste this opportunity. Letting her friends take the lead, she paired them off into groups. Cadance and Celestia went about crafting rallies tailored for each district. Cadance’s knowledge of the common ponies and Celestia’s ability to connect with ponies through her speeches were already changing hearts and minds. From what Twilight had heard, she’d be surprised if a pony could walk away from one of those rallies without backing Luna. Shining and Roamane, on the other hoof, came together to work on the military event. With Shining the War Hero at its center and Roamane’s access to the troops, they would put on a parade that warm the heart of even Luna’s biggest detractors.

But, while Twilight’s allies worked on their rallies, she stayed far away. As Luna’s Student of the Night, she was too close to the Queen to be an effective advocate. The public would only see her as a mouthpiece. Even being seen helping to organize the events could taint her allies’ efforts. But, Twilight’s time as the Student of the Night had taught her that there was always more work to be done. And for Twilight, the most important work she could do was to work on the cure for the plague.

Public paranoia about the plague was at its highest in years. Because of the rumors circulating about Luna, everypony worried they’d be exposed to the plague next. They tried to remain vigilant, but because of the wide variety of symptoms, nopony could actually tell who had the plague. Was that pony’s cough a sign of death or did something fly into their throat? Had that pony been working hard or was their sweaty coat a sign of the disease? Was that pony coming down with a fever or was their life ending? Nopony could know for sure, which lead to uncertainty. And with uncertainty came anger, which ended up directed towards the Queen. So many ponies seemed to blame Luna for her necessary decisions during the initial outbreak; some even claimed that Luna created the blasted disease. It was patiently absurd, but absurdity could lead to revolt, and Twilight wouldn’t allow that to happen.

So, after her long sabbatical from the lab, she threw herself back into her work. After that night with Silverhorn, she stayed away from the lab, but with Luna’s public image so damaged, she had to work on it. with Silverhorn, but she couldn’t let awkward feelings keep her from this any longer. She had to; for Luna. So, she returned to the team to work on a cure. Her first day back, Lucretia, one of the unicorns heading on the project, gave Twilight a stack of notebooks containing everything the Student had missed in her absence, and while the other research ponies continued their testing, Twilight began absorbing every bit of information.

For the last eight hours, Twilight hadn’t left the lab. It was a simple setup in the lowest basement of the castle. A rectangle room with two rows of test tables, with one door leading outside and another leading to the clean room. Against one of the walls was a small library filled with notebooks and textbooks. Those books contained the complete medical history of the Empire, both the one known to everypony and the one kept hidden away. Against the other wall were shelves containing every possible ingredient and herb needed to make a cure. There were herbs from throughout the Empire and abroad, as well as potions and cures for past plagues. Finally, next to the clean-room entrance was a shelf containing every failure they team had come up with. With numbers underneath each vial, a pony could look up exactly what went wrong in the notes.

Although it was well stocked, this room was only for theory; through the other door was the test-chambers. Kept magically cool and sterile, this room contained every sample of the plague the team had acquired. Once inside, none of the samples were allowed to leave the room, and if anything went wrong, the room sealed automatically.

Twilight was off at the manager’s desk next to the entrance, a stack of notes in front of her, her quill furiously making notes on the most important lessons learned in her absence. To her side, Eclipse rested against the wall. She wasn’t planning on fighting, of course, but she felt better with it by her side. With it within hoof-reach, she could get lost in her readings. Although, with the complete lack of results, she was becoming overwhelmed by the lack of progress.
Finally, after hours of sitting in the same spot,Twilight leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples with a groan. As Twilight massaged her headache, Lucretia broke from her peers and tapped Twilight on the shoulder. “Are you alright, Student?” she asked.

Twilight instinctually nodded her head, trying not to worry the mare. “I’m fine. It’s just exhausting reading how much the plague has eluded us. No other illness has ever been this difficult to figure out. It’s almost like we’re being taunted, and it’s hard to not let it get to you.”

Lucretia patted her shoulder, offering a kind look. “I know what you mean, Student Twilight. I’ve been working in this field for a long time, and I have never been this frustrated. But, I might have said that about the last disease I cured. This line of work comes with its fair share of frustration, but we can’t let that stop us. We need to continue to press forward; it might not come today, but it won’t come if we don’t keep at it and take care of ourselves. And speaking of self-care, why don’t you take a break? It’s almost dinner and you haven’t even had lunch yet.”

“I just can’t, Lucretia,” Twilight insisted. “I’ve already been away for too long. If I keep taking breaks, I’ll never catch up, which means I’ll never make a difference.”

Pursing her lips at Twilight, Lucretia shook her head. “Well, alright Student, but you do need to leave the lab. The Director needs to speak with you. Keeping up with the Director is also an important part of research, yes?” Lucretia coaxed.

Twilight sighed before nodding. “I suppose you’re right about that,” she admitted, groaning as she stood up. “Is he in his office, or do I need to track him down?” Twilight asked, levitating Eclipse to her side.

“He informed me that he’d be waiting in his office for you for the rest of today. And don’t be afraid to take your time. I’ll probably be gone when you get back anyway, so don’t rush your meeting. My sister will wait for you, so please, take your time.”

“I am really fine without the break, Lucretia,” Twilight muttered, as she walked into the hallway. “But thank you for caring.” Lucretia gave Twilight a warm smile before she closed the lab door behind her.

Left alone, Twilight began readying her teleportation spell, and she couldn’t help yawning as she did. Her body was tired; maybe she did need a break. But there was too much to do! She could take a break later. For now, she had to speak with Silverhorn.

Clutching Eclipse to her side, Twilight cast the spell, disappearing from the basement and reappearing before the office. Coming through her portal, she couldn’t help but stumble. Alright, she definitely needed the break. She would be sure to grab an apple before teleporting back. It would mean being away from the lab, but she didn’t want to pass out while pouring over the book. If that happened, she’d probably be barred from helping for another three months. Better to just play along with Lucretia’s worries.

Regaining her composure, Twilight gave two swift knocks on the door before it glided open, a silver glow around its handle. Inside, Silverhorn sat at his desk, a stack of papers in front of him, and a covered food tray off to his side. As the door opened, Twilight was hit with a whiff of something delicious. Twilight heard her stomach growl. Silverhorn’s lunch smelled so good that she knew she’d need more than an apple.

“Twilight, please, come in. Have a seat,” Silverhorn offered, sweeping his hoof in a gesture of welcome.

Twilight took her seat, her nose flaring as she did. The tray was still on the plate, but whatever was under it smelled amazing. “Thank you for your invitation,” Twilight started, “although it looks like I caught you at a bad time. I didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner.”

“Oh, you’re mistaken Twilight. This isn’t my dinner, it’s your lunch,” Silverhorn said, magically uncovering the tray. Underneath was some sort of cheesy, saucy mess. “I know you haven’t eaten, so I’ve taken the liberty of ordering one of your favorites.”

Twilight gave the stallion a confused look. “How did you know that I hadn’t eaten?”

Silverhorn gave his own befuddled look. “Didn’t Lucretia tell you? She came up here about two hours ago to say that you’d be coming up around this time to get something to eat.”

Twilight sighed to herself. Was she really so predictable? Part of her thought she needed to work on that, but as Silverhorn slide the meal in front of her, she couldn’t help but thank Lucretia for being so insightful..

“So please, eat and drink. I’ve heard that you’ve been working non-stop since Lucretia opened the lab at five this morning. And I know you aren’t allowed to eat down in the lab.”

Picking up her fork, Twilight gave Silverhorn a quick nod before digging it. Her first bites revealed it was an eggplant parmesan dish with pieces of spinach mixed in with the tomato sauce. Not the most complex dish, but it was nourishing, and that’s what mattered to Twilight the most. As Twilight took her time savouring the first few forkfuls, the two ponies sat in silence. Silverhorn seemed to be finishing whatever paperwork he had been in the middle of, which was great for Twilight. Part of her still felt awkward being around the stallion, so she hoped she could avoid talking while she was in the office.

That hope died quickly, however. “So, Twilight,” Silverhorn began, setting aside his paperwork, “I don’t mean to ambush you, but this is the first moment in a long time we’ve had a chance to talk.”

“Is it?” Twilight feigned between bites.

“Yes, it is. I know that things have been tense between us since that night.” Silverhorn swallowed hard before continuing. “I just want to say I’m sorry. I was foolish. I misread the signals, and I did something I deeply regret. I knew you cared for Luna, but I didn’t know how devoted you really were to her at the time, but that’s no excuse. The kiss was stupid, and it was horrible of me to force myself on you like that. All I can say is that I still feel terrible, and that, if you gave me another chance, I will never do anything like that again. And I know an apology isn’t enough, so I will devote myself to helping Luna in any way I can. So please, can you forgive me?” he asked, his eyes meeting hers.

Twilight felt her heart grip. She had already forgive him, but she let the awkwardness keep her silent. And because of her silence, Silverhorn suffered. No more.

“I already have.”

Silverhorn started to breathe again; the misery in his eyes turned into pure joy. “Thank you, Twilight. Thank you. I promise that I am a pony of my word.”

“I know that, Silverhorn. And I must apologize, as well.” Silverhorn gave the mare a confused look. “What you did was stupid, but I let myself become biased against you. I was off with Fleur, and I allowed myself to think the worst of you, even when I knew the truth to be different. It may have been a big mistake, but I knew it was a mistake.”

“Twilight-”

“Please, Silverhorn. Don’t tell me that I have nothing to be sorry for. I wouldn’t be apologizing if that was true. So please, let me apologize. Silverhorn, can you forgive me?”

Silverhorn looked like he was about to raise an objection before he caught himself. His mouth snapped shut. He sat in silence for a moment before answering. “I already have.”

Hearing Silverhorn’s playful answer, Twilight began to laugh. At first, it was a small giggle, but as his words sank into her, she laughed louder and louder. Eventually, she could hear Silverhorn join her. The two laughed in relief. The tension was finally done with. They could finally move on. They laughed until they both ran out of breath. Then, both gave one last thoughtful look to one another. They had finally become friends once more.

The moment passed, and Twilight returned to her lunch. As she ate, Silverhorn began a new conversation. “So, tell me, how’s the research coming? I know you’re still in the process of catching up, but, how far from a cure would you say we are?”

“That’s hard to say,” Twilight muttered between bites. As she ate, she remembered how frustrating it was to face three months of failures all at once. “I want to say that we still have a long way to go, but I can’t even say that! This plague seems designed to make zero sense. I know that diseases mutate, but this level of chaos is unparalleled. Sometimes, it seems like the team has made progress. They found a new mixture that seems like it’s helping, but in a few days, they find out it was a dead end. So we just keep throwing stuff against the wall, hoping something will finally stick. And it’s not like there aren’t brilliant ponies working on it. Lucretia and Lavia might be the single most qualified ponies in the entire Empire when it comes to this work, but even they seem lost when it comes to this plague. And to top it all off, I just can’t help but feel responsible for it.”

Silverhorn gave her a puzzled expression. “What do you mean?”

Twilight leaned back in her chair. “I don’t really know. I just think that I should have been more devoted. I’ve been shirking my duties to the team, and I’m sure that I’ve set us back. I’m not a medical miracle worker, but I know I could have been doing something. Even if it was just reading records, I could have freed up resources that would’ve helped us work faster, which matters. Every day we don’t cure this plague, ponies suffer, and it’s all my fault.”

Silverhorn shook his head. “Twilight, you are one of the busiest mares in the entire Empire. You do more in a week than most ponies do in an entire year. Despite that, you took it upon yourself to join the team and help in whatever manner you could. That is amazing. Plus, don’t discount the team. We knew that you could only help when you have the time, and Lucretia and Lavia have planned around that. You’re input and help matters tremendously, yes, but the team will not fall apart without it.”

“No, I know that I’m not the only pony working hard,” Twilight insisted

“Then give your teammates some credit. They can shoulder the burden with only your occasional help. This team is composed of some of the most competent ponies in the Empire; the project is in good hooves when you have other business to attend to. So no more talk of feeling guilty, alright?”

“I’m trying, I really am. But I can’t help it. I keep feeling guilty about taking a break; I feel guilty about not catching up; and-”

“Please, Twilight, no more talk of work. I know how you feel, but if you don’t nourish yourself with food and rest, you’ll collapse, and then you’ll be of no help at all. So, no more talk of work; we can speak of anything else, just forget the plague for now.”

Sensing the exasperation in his voice, Twilight sullenly dropped the topic and started eating her meal. As she ate, she tried to think of a new conversation topic. What did she want to talk with Silverhorn about now that they had reconciled? Looking at the changeling before her, she knew what to ask.

“Can we talk about you?” Twilight asked. “About how you became Duke Silverhorn?”

For a moment, Silverhorn stopped breathing. Twilight meet Silverhorn’s eyes. His eyes quivered, but he didn’t look away. Finally, Silverhorn nodded. “I suppose I walked into that one.”

“Silverhorn, we don’t need to-”

“No, no, Twilight. I want to,” Silverhorn interjected. With a single deep breath, he began. “Once, I was what you thought I was; a mindless member of a hive, living only to feed and serve my Queen. I didn’t even exist; I was just part of the “we.” It wasn’t bad, per se, but it wasn’t good either. It simple was. We lived our lives for the Queen, and that was it. It seemed like we existed to serve and die. It was the fate we all expected.

“But that fate eventually changed. One day, I was out on a scouting mission, a routine part of our lives. We needed to know if anything was venturing too close to the hive. It was a two day mission, meaning I had to sleep outside of the hive. And while I slept, it happened. I don’t know what actually happened; all I know is that while I slept, I was connected until I wasn’t. With a flash of pain and a single scream, I jolted awake. I reached out for my colony and felt nothing. I was alone for the first time in my life.

“Naturally, for a while, I couldn’t function. I never had to think for myself before, and now, I was responsible for everything. I don’t know how long I stood there, trying to figure out who I was. It felt like an eternity looking back on it. But eventually, I managed to remember where to go and how to fly, and I was off. I was desperate to be let back into the hive. But when I got there, it was completely abandoned. There was no sign of an attack. There were no bodies of invaders and defenders. My hive was gone.

“I still don’t know what happened to it, but over the years, I’ve come up with a working theory. The likeliest theory I have is that our Queen must have be assassinated, and in the confusion, the rest of the changelings either ran or were wiped out without a trace. But I don’t know who did it. I don’t even know if the Queen simply died of old age and what I experienced was just an expected part of our lifecycle. I don’t think I’ll ever know.

“After seeing my hive abandoned, I let my old home a broken changeling. What does a pony do when their soul has died but their body hasn’t caught up yet? The answer I came to was to give up, so I wandered out through the wasteland surrounding the hive. I didn’t fly; I had nowhere to go. So I marched towards death. I hadn’t yet learned how to understand time on my own, so I’m not sure how long I walked; all I knew was that each step was bring me closer to a merciful end. That was my first identity: a changeling galloping towards death.

“I would have walked until my death until I met a very special pony. She was the first pony I met, and after meeting many more, I understand just how amazing she was. As I walked, I eventually saw a farm in the distance. Naturally, I walked towards it; maybe I would run into somepony who would end my misery. As the farm grew bigger and bigger, I saw a pony out in the fields. I got closer and closer, but when she saw me, she didn’t run away or attack me. Instead, she looked at me, and in there, I saw what she saw. I saw that she didn’t care what I was. When she saw me, she saw the pony I could be. And that kindness in her eyes finally got me to stop walking.

“As I stopped, the pony lead me inside her family’s house, and I didn’t fight it. I had given my life up at that point. What right did I have to protest? She lead me into met her family. Some of them grumbled, but that pony fought for me. They gave in, and that was that. They clothed me, found a bed for me to sleep in, and fed me. At that first dinner, surrounded by loving ponies, I found a sense of security I thought I’d never feel again after losing my Hive. I had found a new place to belong.

“I wasn’t much help that first year; I knew nothing on my own, and I had to be taught everything. Yet, the family never abandoned me. After that first discomfort, I was now theirs, and they took care of their own. They taught me how to farm, how to cook, and how to talk. But they also taught me how to laugh, how to cry, and how to love. They taught me just how amazing ponies can be. They taught me to believe in the innate kindness all ponies are capable of, something I still believe in to this day.

“As I became fully aware as a individual, I knew that nothing I could ever do would make up for their kindness. But I also knew that I had to try. I worked on the farm from sunup to sundown, and if nopony was paying attention, I would work even later than that. Eventually, I started putting my changeling powers to use; I came up with a pony persona, which allowed me to do business in the nearest town. I gave everything to that family, and they gave me what I needed most in return: love. No matter how busy it got, that mare and her family always made sure to eat together. I can still remember sitting around the table, talking about stories from town, upcoming work, and what to buy when we sold the crops. Those nightly talks around the table were like heaven for me.

“But that paradise couldn’t last forever. As time went on, I realized that ponies age differently from changelings. One by one, our family started to dwindle until finally, the only one left was the mare that found me,” Silverhorn continued, a misty look in his eyes. “She had not had children of her own, but I was always there for her. I took care of her right up until her death. And as she passed, her last words to me were that I was her child, and I couldn’t disagree. In the matter of minutes, I had gained and lost a mother.

“After that, I let myself be guided by instinct. I roamed from town to town, blending into the community, feeding off of the love I found there. But, as I explored the Empire, I never found enough love. Sure, there were pockets of love here and there, but nothing that matched the warmth I found on the farm, and that was a problem. I had learned how to be a pony, and I couldn’t just go back to being a changeling. I had to do my mother proud. I had to find a way to spread love across the Empire.

“In order to do that, I knew I needed power, and because of that, Canterlot drew my eye. Here, I came up with Silverhorn, a young upstart looking to make waves at court. At first, I had no standing, so I relied upon many identities to build up Silverhorn. It took a few years, but eventually, Silverhorn managed to get some power. And with that power, I found himself face to face with the Queen. It was a private audience, and when I met her, I knew she knew. I don’t know how she did it, but she saw me for a changeling. But, more importantly, she saw the truth in my spirit. In that audience, she gave me the title of Duke.

“As Duke Silverhorn, I was recruited by many noble factions; nobles don’t get the chance at fresh blood very often. I was courted, but it seemed like nopony had the same vision for the Empire that I did. Expect for one pony. Cadance. With her, I saw an ally I could work with. I formed an alliance with Cadance, eventually revealing my condition. She reacted in the same way as that mare from so long ago, and I knew I found another ally for life. Eventually, Cadance was given leadership of the party, and I’ve been her second ever since.”

“Wow,” Twilight managed to whisper.

“Yea,” Silverhorn whispered back, chuckling a bit. “Well, now you know everything. I have nothing left to hide.” Silverhorn sheepishly smiled at Twilight, obviously uncomfortable. Being so vulnerable was not easy for anypony, let alone somepony like Silverhorn.

“Thank you for telling me,” Twilight managed to answer. “I wish I could have met that mare. She sounds like an amazing pony.”

Silverhorn smiled deeper. “Thank you, Twilight. She was an amazing pony, and she would have loved to meet you, too.” The two sat in silence for a moment before Silverhorn finally continued. “Well, it seems like you’ve finished your meal. You are now free to go back to fretting over your research.”

Twilight stood from the chair. That story had been so emotional that Twilight wanted to go to bed. But there was too much work to do. She would start taking it easier tomorrow. “I’m off then. But I’ll see you soon, Silverhorn. I’ve missed this… you know, just talking.”

“So have I, Twilight. Good night.”

With a flash of green, Twilight popped back outside the lab; break over. As she cracked the door open, she saw that the night crew had fully taken over. She really had lost track of time with Silverhorn. She noticed Lavia, but everypony else was unfamiliar. She usually spent her nights with Luna, and she hadn’t met any of them. The night crew was an emergency protocol to help speed up the research. They only worked until 1 AM, however, but a third shift might be added if progress continued to stall.

Attempting to leave the researchers undisturbed, Twilight settled back into her chair, leaned Eclipse back against the wall, and once again began her quest to catch herself up. It wasn’t easy. Fatigue had started to seep into her body, and none of the information energized her. Each entry only listed more and more failures. It was enough to make anypony give up, but Twilight pushed past the disappointment. Minutes bleed into hours as Twilight turned the pages, oblivious to the passage of time.

She would have remained like that had Lavia not tapped her on the shoulder. As Twilight swiveled to meet the mare’s glaze, she felt wobbly. She was feeling the full cost of her dedication. “Heading out Lavia?” Twilight managed to ask before yawning.

“Yes, Student,” Lavia responded, giving Twilight a quick hug. “The night shift is over. Every normal pony is off to bed. Although, knowing you, you are probably going to keep at it. Just don’t overdo it, okay? If I hear that you’re still in the lab with Lucretia starts the morning shift, I’ll make sure you’re banned from research for a month.” Lavia finished, a stern look in her eyes.

Twilight lightly chuckled, nodding swiftly. “I’m leaving soon, I promise. I know that Lu- the Queen wants to see me before I retire,” Twilight explained, her cheeks turning red. She liked Lavia, but it wasn’t smart to broadcast such a sensitive topic. Best play it as close to the chest as possible.

“Valete, Twilight. Have a good night. Make sure to lock up before you leave,” Lavia said before heading out the door. Twilight waited until she heard the door click before thrusting herself back into her notes.

As she continued reading, Twilight’s determination fought against her yawns. Without other ponies in the room, she found it hard to stay awake. She just had to get through one more page. She kept repeating that mantra to herself until, before she knew it, there were no more pages.

Finishing the last note, Twilight stretched out. Her body was crying out for sleep, and she knew she needed it. On the other hoof, it hadn’t been that long since Lavia left. Maybe she could manage to get through a couple of trials before she teleported back to her room, just to make sure she hadn’t lost the touch during her absence.

With another loud groan, Twilight pried herself out of the chair. She could feel the fatigue in her mind and her body, but finally catching up gave her some extra energy. She drew from that energy as her horn was enveloped in her ichor-green magic. Reaching out, Twilight plucked various herbs and ingredients off their shelves, levitation them to her lab station. She kept them floating in front of her as she began creating her potions. She ground pieces of Rosevale into powder before mixing it in with an eye-drop solution; she combined fragments of Hipathasia into a treatment for poison joke; she even set pieces of Charybia ablaze and magically siphoned the smoke inside a diffuser. None of this had any medical basis, but she knew that nothing conventional would be able to defeat this plague. Twilight had to start pushing the boundaries of what was possible.

Gathering her new mixtures, Twilight went inside the testing room. There, she picked three vials with plague samples mixed in with powerful suspension magic. Without a pony to feed on, the virus couldn’t break free. Here she began the simulations. It was a complex spell, which involved the type of magic some seer pony’s used. Taking both the samples of the plague and the potential cure, a unicorn would be able to see into a possible future. In that future, the pony would infect themselves with the plague and attempt to cure it.

It was a dangerous spell; even the most experienced ponies could make a catastrophic mistake. There was a danger of the possible future becoming reality, which meant that unless the cure ended up working, the unicorn would die in a horrific way. There had already been one stallion who had died that way. Twilight, however, did not intend to make the same mistake.

Breathing deeply, green tinged runes floated around Twilight, her cures, and the plague samples. Her vision went white as she saw a mirror image standing before her, its own cures and samples levitating by its sides. First, she focused on the Rosevale eyedroppers. The clone opened the plague sample, downing the mixture. Next, it looked up, eyes open, and dropped the solution into its eyes. Now, time sped up, and the imaginary pony began coughing, vomiting, and eventually succumbed to the disease. No luck there. The Hipathasia visions, on the other hoof, seemed to show promise, but that hope was quickly dashed when that Twilight collapsed like its strings had been cut. The Charybia visions were the most disappointing. The smoke only seemed to make things worse, as that clone lasted much longer, struggling to breath before the plague finally gave it a merciful death.

Letting go of that magic, Twilight breathed deeply, set the plague samples back in place before exiting the room. Shutting the clean room door behind her, she fought the urge to shatter her cures. She catalogued her failures away, making exact notes on how her clones had died. That process was not easy. It was hard for anypony to look at their visions for too long. Even Lucretia and Lavia limited their time in the clean room. Seeing yourself die was a haunting experience, especially when you knew there was almost no chance that image would survive. To top it off, those were Twilight’s last three ideas. She simply didn’t have the will or energy to think of any more.

I have an idea

Twilight’s head popped up from the desk as she turned to face the source of that voice. Eclipse. Her sword had an idea? Alright, maybe everypony was right; she really did need to take a break.

You’re not crazy. I know what to do.

“What do you need?” Twilight whispered to her companion, hoping that this wasn’t the first sign of a breakdown.

I need control.

Twilight seized. Giving control to Eclipse outside of battle? She had learned to trust the sword in combat, but it was a sword; it made sense to trust it when it came to fighting. But what would a sword know about medicine? What if it messed up? What if it didn’t work? What if she ended up dying like that stallion?

Trust me, Twilight.

Twilight let the words sink in before opening herself up. She let that familiar prense into her mind, but she was surprised to find he didn’t take complete control. She knew that it was going to be a collaboration. Inside, it felt like she was finally accepting a part of herself. She felt whole in a way she never knew she could. And how could she explain it? It would be like explaining a unicorn horn to a pegasus or wings to an earth pony. She hadn’t been missing anything, but now, she was more.

With their new fusion, Twilight’s horn lit up. Her eldritch green mixed with Eclipse’s midnight black. She walked back into the sample room, closing the door behind her. They reached out, choosing sample vial. Enhanced by Eclipse’s magic, Twilight saw a single yellow speck in each of the containers. It was a dark, sickly yellow that reminded Twilight of pus; when she saw it, Twilight knew that she was looking at the magic that powered the plague. It danced around inside the vial, constantly moving, shifting, and changing. It was like Chaos itself. Twilight had never seen magic act like that. But Eclipse had.

He’d seen it centuries before. He had fought a creature who wielded that magic: a single, powerful being known as Discord. As Eclipse said his name, an image of the abomination flashed in Twilight’s memory. He was a horrifying amalgamation of different races, a terrifying patchwork of twisted creatures. None of the parts seemed like they belonged; the only part of him that made any sense was that yellow magic that animated him. He was a force that stood unchallenged except by two ponies that stood before him. One was a searing white pony with a mane and tail burning like liquid magma. The other had a pitch-black coat with a starry mane. They looked familiar, but Twilight didn’t realize who she was looking at until she saw the cutie marks. One had a brilliant sun, the other a glorious moon. She was looking at the dual Goddesses of the Empire. And floating next to Luna was Eclipse, the sword she had cursed on sight.

Oh. Now that hadn’t been expected.

As quickly as it came, the vision disappeared. Twilight initially tried to grab for it, but Eclipse held her in place. Later. Focus.

Twilight put Luna out of her mind and focused her magic with Eclipse’s, the swirling black and green collapsing around the speck of yellow. They began to isolate it, Eclipse’s magic slicing off its influence on the world, and Twilight’s magic banishing it. It recoiled. Chaos lashed out hard, slamming against its new prison. Every collision made Twilight’s body recoil, but she held firm. Pain split her forehead, her horn glower even fiercer. She would not fall; she would not lose to the pandemonium. Her eyes went white; her mind went blank. Without Eclipse helping her, she knew she would have lost herself. But still, she held.

Mentally, she heard screams. It wasn’t her. It wasn’t Eclipse. It was the magic itself trying to disrupt them. The screams was a mixture from all races and all ages. They blended together into an unholy abomination. The shrieking piercing Twilight to the core. But she bolstered herself and kept pouring her magic out.

Finally, Eclipse cut away the last tendril of chaos, and with a final push, Twilight thrust it into oblivion. For a brief moment, Twilight heard a different scream; it wasn’t the illusion that the magic had shown her before. Instead, it was the cry of the magic itself. And then, Twilight sealed it away. She could feel the room cleanse itself, and in front of her, the contents of the vial changed. Instead of the plague sample, the glass was filled with a pastel purple liquid with the consistency of water. It seemed to shine, and looking at it, Twilight knew she had her cure.

Eclipse’s voice rang out in her head. Discordian magic. I should have known. As long as it touches the world, it’s unstoppable. Once you rip it from the world, you kill it. Tell your Goddess that Discord’s corpse is to blame. She’ll know what I mean. Good luck, little star. With that, Twilight felt Eclipse’s presence disappear. She tried reaching out to ask about their visions, but Eclipse had completely retreated into his sword.

Breathing heavily, Twilight left the room with her sample. As she pulled it through, she braced herself for the door to magically seal, but her vial passed through easily. The plague inside was no more. Taking extra care of her accomplishment, Twilight carefully levitated her potion into a holding station, making a note of the tracking numbers on the bottom. As she worked her way over to the desk, her mind was abuzz. So many questions. Was that really the cure? How would it work? Was she the only pony who could make it? If so, could she ever do it without Eclipse? How much did a pony need to be cured?

With her mind that busy, Twilight thought she’d be up all night. But as she sat down in her chair, she felt her eyelids growing heavy. She had pushed herself too far; she wasn’t going to make it back to Luna’s room. She wouldn’t even make it outside of the lab. That meant somepony would find her when they came in a few hours. Lucretia and Lavia wouldn’t like that. Despite her exhaustion, Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Let Lucretia ban her from the lab; she had found what she was looking for. As she began to drift off, Twilight managed to scribble two final words in Lucretia’s notes before sleep overtook her: Cure Found.

Betrayals Over Brunch

Over time, Twilight had gotten used to public speaking; she wasn’t the reclusive, socially-anxious mess that she’d started her journey as. She had learned to talk to strangers, from the the most common of ponies all the way up to the Goddesses. She had even gotten used to speaking in front of massive crowds when she spoke for and against bills. She wasn’t the best public speaker, but she was proud of how far she’d come. Today, however, she couldn’t help but feel like that shy filly once more.

Twilight stood in front of the nobles’ assembly, facing over two hundred titled ponies. It was more than Twilight had ever seen in this room. When she spoke in the past, the court had commenced with only around one hundred ponies. But today, every noble was in attendance. To make matters worse, the assembly was built like an amphitheatre; its tiered seats elevated everypony above Twilight, angling their gaze directly at her. It made her feel vulnerable, and her only lines of defence were a podium, a cloth-covered table to her side, and a simple, midnight-blue dress.

To calm herself, she tried to find familiar faces in the crowd. Off to her left, she saw Silverhorn and Cadance, with nobles from their faction clustered around them. Normally, Twilight could list off their names, but with her nerves so shot, she couldn’t remember a single one. Their reassuring eyes did help, however. She saw Fleur off to the right, Blueblood by her side. Twilight wanted to ignore the pink mare, but she couldn’t; this demonstration was really for her. On her far right side, she felt Lucretia’s and Lavia’s gazes. They stood by as support in case anything went wrong. And at the very top, in a box separated from everypony else, were Celestia and Luna. That helped most of all, knowing that her Queen was watching over here, quite literally.

As the final nobles began to take their seats, Twilight’s eyes caught Luna’s, and with a slight nod from the Student, the teacher stood and began. “Greetings, my loyal subjects,” she proclaimed, her voice magically bolstered. Because of her seat placement, everypony else had to turn to face her. “Thank you all for heeding my summons. Today, some miraculous news has come out of the castle. Everypony in the Empire will wish to hear this joyous decree, but first, we bring it before the nobility of the Empire. Without further ado, my Student of the Night, Twilight Sparkle, will tell you of what was recently discovered.”

Twilight nodded to her Queen. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Twilight began, her voice also magically enhanced. There was no other way to be heard in such an auditorium. “Good morning, everypony. I know you all have very busy schedules, so I will be brief. I bring news from the team that has been working on containing the plague. They have been toiling tirelessly for months now, and there has finally been a breakthrough. After suffering for so long, we finally have a cure for the plague!”

Twilight paused for a reaction, but only mumbling could be heard. Eventually, Cadance began a stamping, which prompted her faction to join in, but the majority of nobles continued whispering. Disappointing, but not unexpected. Twilight had already planned for this eventuality during her practice speeches.

“I can see that many of you are skeptical, which is understandable. Up until last month, we couldn’t even contain the plague, and now we’ve jumped directly to a cure? It strains belief. But I assure you it’s true. I’ve seen it firsthoof, and to prove it,” Twilight’s horn lit up, removing the cloth that was covering the table to her side, revealing five vials. Two of them had a brown ooze in them, while the other three were filled a lilac liquid concocted by Lucretia and Lavia to approximate Twilight’s original cure. “I have prepared a demonstration.”

Once more, Twilight’s horn lit up as one of the two vials filled with brown sludge was magically lifted from the table. Floating it in front of her for the audience to see, Twilight continued. “This vial contains a concentrated sample of the plague.” Panic spread through the crowd. Some ponies even began to scramble to their hoofs. “Everypony, I assure you this demonstration is completely safe. I obtained permission from the Queen of the Night herself.” As the crowd turned to face the Queen, Luna nodded in assurance. The panic died down, and those who stood returned to their seats.

“As I was saying, these vials contain concentrated samples of the plague. Anypony unlucky enough to be exposed to this concoction will die within three hours without fail. Some things kill a pony faster, but none in such a horrid way.” Punctuating her point, Twilight uncorked the vial and tilted it towards her mouth. “Bottoms up.” On cue, Twilight poured the contents her throat before placing it back on the table. Gasps swept through the crowd. Good. The higher the suspense, the bigger the payoff. As the ooze slid down her throat, Twilight fought back the urge to retch. It tasted worse than she ever imagined, but she forced it down and steeled herself for the first symptoms. They came fast. In only moments, she started coughing. The crowd’s commotion grew louder.

After a few long moments, Twilight managed to stop her coughing fit and quiet the crowd with a hoof. “As you can see, the plague has already begun its assault on my body. In less than ten minutes, I will lose the ability to stand. In less than thirty, I will lose lost the ability to speak. Untreated, I will spend the last moments of my life in the greatest pain imaginable.”

As another coughing fit began, Twilight levitated one of the lilac vials off the table, its grip shaking as she did. She was feeling it faster than she thought. Hopefully nopony noticed. Glancing to her side, she saw Lucretia and Lavia’s worried look. They were ready to help if anything went wrong. But Twilight couldn’t afford any mistakes; this presentation had to be perfect.

After a few tense moments, she managed to secure her grip and float the cure in front of her. “Luckily, I have the cure,” she said before removing the cork and pouring the purple liquid down her muzzle. It tasted of cool, clean water, and just as fast as the symptoms had attacked, they were gone.

Savouring her breathes, Twilight regained her composure. “This potion immediately neutralizes the plague and magically banishes it from the body, curing me almost instantly. Because the cure works in this manner, even victims on death’s door can be saved. In addition,” Twilight levitated the other plague sample to her mouth, drank it, and returned the glass back to the table. “The cure also prevents a pony from contracting the plague again, at least for a time. We haven’t had extensive testing in this area, but it appears that the magic lingers, serving as a permanent defender against the plague.

“I’m sure you can all understand what a Goddess-send this cure is. Mere weeks ago, a cure seemed years away, and now, almost overnight, the medical team has found a way to banishes this scourge off the face of Equestria. Too many of the Empire’s subjects have died from this disease, and now that suffering has finally ended.” A light stamping broke out from Cadance’s section once more; this time, however, the entire hall joined it.

After it died down, Twilight continued. “This cure does come with a cost, however. To create even one dose requires huge amounts of magic power, ingredients, finesse, and time to complete. With the size of the team and their current resources, only around one hundred cures will be produced by the end of the year. That simply isn’t enough. They need more money to hire more unicorns, buy more ingredients, and create a distribution service to get these cures in the hooves of the ponies who need it the most.

“To this end, Queen Luna, Princess Celestia, a few nobles, and myself have pledged funds to help meet this need, but our efforts are not enough. As of now, we only have about half of the estimated funds for the project. We need more.

“So I am here to ask you, each and every one of you, to donate, to help further this noble cause. It wouldn’t require much of each of you. If everypony here donated now, we’d only need ten thousand bits per noble family. It’s not a negligible amount, I know, but it will make a huge difference in the lives of everypony. For just a small part of your vast fortunes, we can completely eradicate this plague from the Empire. Thank you. If there are any questions, I’ll be here to answer them,” she finished.

Twilight stood tall at the podium, a satisfied smile on her face. She searched for her Queen’s eyes, and upon finding them, Luna gave her Student a satisfied nod. Twilight smiled harder. The presentation was fantastic. She was glad the team had insisted she be the pony to give the presentation. She knew she did great, so great that Twilight secretly hoped nopony would stand against her.

That hope was short-lived, however. After a few murmur-filled moments, Fleur stood against her. Twilight wasn’t surprised, but seeing her former friend trying to thwart such an important cause because of personal issues still hurt.

Fleur waited until everypony turned to look at her before speaking. “I am sure I speak for everypony not only in this room, but in the entire Empire when I say this is wonderful news.” As if on cue, the crowd erupted in hoof stamping. Twilight nodded politely in response. “However, my question is this, why should the nobles be expected to pay this bill. The plague isn’t an issue that we’ve had to deal with directly, and if we were, it would be expected for every noble to pay for their own cure. So, why shouldn’t the common ponies be paying for it or raising the bits themselves? They won’t be able to afford what you are asking of us, of course, but with their numbers, surely they can cover the cost.”

Another round of stamping passed through the crowd. Twilight couldn’t help but notice Blueblood nodding in affirmation. The hardline nobles were of a like mind with their leader.

Fleur’s argument wasn’t unexpected; Twilight had learned how she processed the world. Taking a deep breath, she began her rehearsed response. “Your proposal was one we thought of when we tried to figure out how to finance this life-saving venture. After running the numbers, we came to the conclusion that it simply isn’t feasible. A common pony could only be expected to part with around ten bits, which means we would need two hundred thousand of their donations to match the amount we can raise here. To make matters worse, the only way to collect those donations would be through sustained fundraising efforts, which comes with its own cost. That would only inflating the amount of bits we need. On top of that, ten bits is not an insignificant amount to a common pony. That could be the difference between multiple meals or having to go hungry. On the other hoof, for a noble, ten thousands bits is the difference between having to wait a few more months before commissioning another self-portrait.”

Fleur sniffed at Twilight’s comment, but the Student pressed on. “We aren’t asking for you to just pay for the cures themselves. In order to eradicate the plague, we need to pay for an outreach program that will find the ponies who need the cure. For that, even if we rely entirely upon volunteers, we would still need to pay for the support system to train and aid them. Every volunteer would need a cure as well, which means even more need to be produced.

“That is why we turned to you, the nobles of Canterlot. We understand that we’re asking for a lot. But all we want is for you to pay your fair share. As nobles, you have a duty to the common ponies of the city. I hope that you can see it in your hearts to live up to your responsibilities.”

Fleur responded quickly. “Dear Student, I can assure you that every noble here knows their duty. That duty is why the nobles pay such ridiculous taxes.” Another stamping began to break out, but Fleur held her hoof up to silence the crowd. “And where is that money now? It was used to pay for the Griffon War. I am not here to debate the merits of the war, but it is clear that the government has wiped out its coffers financing it. And now you stand her and try to guilt the nobility into saving the government from its own foolish spending. To that, I can only say neigh!”

A loud stamping burst out throughout the auditorium with cheers joining. This time, however, Fleur did not stop the crowd. Instead, she stared directly at Twilight with a look in her eyes. She knew that was more than a glancing blow. She had gotten the upper hoof, and she was pleased with it. Her satisfaction was too much to bear. On top of that, she had attacked the Queen in a public forum and had ponies cheer her on. Twilight could feel her body begin to shake. She thought she could attack her beloved Queen? Fine. Twilight would respond in kind.

“You’re right, Fleur, we are not here to debate the value of the Griffon War,” Twilight agreed tensely. “We’re here to talk about funding the most important project in centuries. But, if you’re coffers can’t afford to part with a mere ten thousand bits, that is another matter. The production of the cure will require skilled unicorns, so hopefully, if you can’t meet the monetary amount, you’ll help in other ways.”

Twilight’s words hung in the air as the room fell silent. Even implying that a noble family was destitute was an affront of the highest order. It was certainly as direct an insult as Fleur had ever received. Fire danced in the noble’s eyes as she opened her mouth; however, it was Luna’s voice that rang out across the crowd. Wings spread wide, the Queen spoke. “We believe that is enough discourse for today. We urge all of you to consider our Student’s proposal and contribute to this noble cause. Those of you who do will have our deepest gratitude.”

Luna’s words brought the presentation to an end, and the assembly began to disperse. Fleur gave one last glare from across the auditorium before leading her faction away. Twilight caught a look from Luna and nodded nearly imperceptibly. No matter how the presentation went, they had a plan to meet up and discuss what to do moving forward. And from Luna’s nod, it was clear it was time to talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour after her presentation, Twilight walked into one of Luna’s private receiving rooms. Crowded around the table was Celestia, Shining, Cadance, and the Queen herself, with two seats free. The only items on the table were a pitcher of water, a collection of glasses, and a tray of light snacks. Usually, they’d have parchment and quills, but they’d prefer to leave no evidence of their meeting behind, just in case the wrong pony managed to come across it.

As Twilight took a seat between her brother and Luna, light blue magic slide a glass of water in front of her. “Now that Twilight’s here, I believe we can begin,” Cadance started. “There are other things to talk about, but for now, we should probably focus on what happened today. When it came to the presentation itself, I think it went smashingly. I was in the crowd, and I could tell that the nobles understand the gravity of the situation.”

“That all went out the door with Fleur, however,” Twilight mumbled. She could appreciate what her friend was trying to do, but she couldn’t let her shame go unaddressed.

“Today was not the end of our efforts, Student Twilight,” Celestia assured. “Your exchange with Fleur could have gone better, yes, but your excellent presentation surely moved hearts and minds. Not to mention the fact we could only have this presentation because of the cure you discovered. You’ve done more to eradicate this plague than any pony here.”

“My sister speaks true, dearest Student. One set back does not negate how powerful your demonstration was,” Luna insisted. “And your argument was sound; even the most stubborn nobles will have a hard time refuting your points. You’re also fighting on multiple fronts. You have the public against you because of your association with me, the nobles against you because of Fleur, and Discord himself. I am amazed you’re doing so well against such overwhelming opposition.”

“Discord,” Cadance shivered. “I’ve heard their name, but I still not sure what they are. All I know is that they caused the plague, but what were they before that? And how exactly does a long-dead being cause such a terrible thing?”

Instead of the royals, however, Shining answered. “According to the documents provided to the council, Discord was a creature of Chaos. Some accounts say that he is the sole user of chaos magic, but that’s incorrect. Discord was the embodiment of Chaos itself. Nearly three thousand years ago, he terrified Equestria. He didn’t rule like some of the ancient tyrants; instead, he made every race his playthings, warping their reality, their emotions, and their sense of self. Worse of all, he was erratic. Some days, he’d just change the color of the sky. Other days, he’d drown entire villages in pudding. Nopony could predict his actions, and ponies lived their entire lives in a constant state of fear.

“His reign continued for over one hundred years before the twin Goddesses confronted him. With their combined might, both Luna and Celestia managed to defeat him, but they couldn’t kill him. He was Chaos itself. He could never be killed. Instead, they turned him to stone and imprisoned him deep in the ground. To celebrate their victory, the Goddesses built their castle at the site of their triumph, and around it arose Canterlot.

“Unfortunately, as time passed, his existence faded into myth before being forgotten entirely. Because of this, nopony knew that a sewer development would break into his containment sphere. Exposed to air and water for the first time in almost three millennia, his prison eventually degraded to the point that his Chaos began to seep into the water supply, causing the first outbreak of the plague. Did I miss anything, Your Majesty?” Shining asked.

“Fantastic summary, Shining Armor,” Luna praised. “And since we’re speaking of him, perhaps a report is in order. How are the containment efforts going? Have you managed to secure him in his prison once more?”

“As of now, a barrier is still being established. A group of earth pony builders have blocked off the water from that area, so hopefully the plague will stop seeping into the water supply. Discord himself is not fully back in his cage, however. We have an elite team of unicorns trying to seal away him away while trying to piece together a hypothesis on how his containment was broken.”

Celestia nodded. “Both my sister and I know first hoof how difficult that can be. I’m just surprised that our magic was disrupted. Is there any idea of how that happened, Shining Armor?”

“Our prevailing theory is that the construction process somehow awakened an ancient magic in the area, which then weakened your magic. At first, it held, but after years of exposure, the seal finally weakened to the point that his Chaos could touch the world once more. We aren’t completely certain of that theory, however, because of how slow our investigation has to go. Thanks to Twilight’s cure, the plague isn’t a concern, but there is just so much magic down there that even our most skilled unicorns can only perform a single test at a time. We’ll need to wait to know for certain.”

“Wasn’t that ancient magic already there?” Twilight asked. She had read the same reports and had a hard time believing the most popular theory. “If it was going to weaken the Goddesses’ seals, wouldn’t it have done it long before now? How could construction from earth ponies have had such a massive impact?”

“Well, the idea is that there was an equilibrium that was established, that even the slightest change would have disrupted. It just so happens that earth ponies were that disruption.” Shining took a sip of water before continuing. “There is another theory. It may sound outrageous, but one of the council members has suggested sabotage. The idea is that somepony managed to find Discord’s containment field. Upon finding it, they damaged the seal while replicating the signs of natural degradation. This theory is particularly popular with Charlemane, and he’s taken charge of that investigation.”

“What do you think, Shining?” Cadance asked, placing a gentle hoof on his.

“Personally, I think the theory is way out there. It assumes that somepony knew how to make the break seem natural. I don’t know how any pony could have known to do that, especially considering nopony alive knew where Discord was buried. They would have had to come upon him by accident, figure out what they had come across, and make an elaborate scheme that relied upon hiding their involvement. It sounds unbelievable. But I’m not going to stand against Charlemane’s quest. He’s working towards the same goal, just from a different angle.”

“Wise words, Shining Armor,” Celestia said, nodding gently.

“I would have to agree,” a voice called out from the door. Everypony turned to see Silverhorn walk in. His mane was a bit out of place, and he looked exhausted, but he took the open seat between Cadance and Celestia. “Sorry I’m late, everypony. I hope I didn’t keep you.”

“Now that Duke Silverhorn has joined us, we should focus on our finances,” Luna said. “Cadance, why don’t you begin. How are the fundraising efforts in the lower district?”

Cadance finished her glass of water, then started. “It’s slow going, I’m afraid. Before today, we couldn’t speak about the cure. When it came to soliciting donations, we could only talk about it in vague terms, and few ponies cared. After today that will hopefully change. Now that we have tangible results, I expect that donations will begin to pour in, even if it’s only a bit or two at a time.”

“Our efforts with the nobles do not look so bright, however,” Silverhorn began. “I’m sure you could tell from Fleur’s speech, but there is a strong block of nobles refusing to talk with our team about donations. Unfortunately, they are the families with the most bits. If I had to guess, a little over half of the remaining nobles will support us monetarily, although that number could plummet if Fleur and the hardliners decide to cause trouble. If that’s the case, we might only see a fourth of the families’ support. Cadance, our team, and I will continue our efforts to convince the noble families, but it’d be prudent to work on a contingency plan.”

For a while, nopony spoke. Twilight almost felt like crying. She had felt so proud of her presentation, but her outburst had undone all her efforts. The nobles had been her job, and she had failed.

Celestia broke her silence first. “Luna and I can devote a bit more; for a cause of such import, we’ll happily liquidate more of our assets. We can only sell so much land, since so much of it is tied up in other businesses, but we have more fine art and jewels than either of use could enjoy in a century.”

“I am happy to do the same, dear sister, but that will not be enough,” Luna cut in. “I think it’s time to start calling in favors. I believe that Baltimare and Fillydelphia are still indebted to you, and the mayor of Stalliongrad still owes me a favor for taking care of their dragon problem. I think it is high time that we went to see them personally.”

“Is that wise, your majesty?” Shining asked. “Your public image has improved tremendously, but it’s far from secure. And after asking for money, you’re in a vulnerable position with both the public and the nobles. Is now the right time to leave?”

“That is true, Shining,” Luna said. “It would be unwise to leave Canterlot unattended. That’s why I’m leaving the four of you to take care of things here while we’re fundraising. Nothing official, of course, but the four of you should be able to handle any problems that arise, no?”

Cadance nodded. “I should think so. Our rallies have been incredibly effective in the lower districts, so some tweaks should head off any criticism that comes from you leaving the city.”

“The nobles are a different story,” Silverhorn said, rubbing one of his temples. “Too many of them are against the Queen, and with her recent trouble, many have sided with Fleur’s faction. They will certainly jump at the chance to try to grab some power in her absence.”

Luna nodded gravely. “Yes, over the millenia, we’ve faced many such nobles. We can usually handle them, but if they somehow manage to grab power, it’ll be decades before we can get it back, if at all. What do you suggest, Duke Silverhorn?”

Silverhorn cleared his throat before speaking. “Well, as for the nobles in our faction, I doubt we need to worry about any insurrection. Charlemane is still here, which means none of his faction will act out either. Those who remain unaligned either have no interest in power or are probably still waiting for the right moment to strike. That leaves the hardliners. Nopony here can handle them. Only Fleur can. And while Fleur has been a thorn in most of our sides, Twilight once had a close friendship with the mare. With that in mind, perhaps Twilight can ask Fleur on our behalf.”

Everypony turned to face the Student. Twilight’s stomach dropped. Talking to Fleur? After everything that’s happened? She would do anything for her love, but doing that?

Swallowing hard, Twilight agreed. “I don’t see why I can’t give it a try. Our situation may be tense, but we were once friends. She may hold off the nobles if I ask politely. And perhaps I can gain her support when it’s just the two of us. If she supports our cause, the rest of the hardliners will as well.”

“Thank you, dear Student. I know you will accomplish this task, as you’ve accomplished so many others,” Luna almost whispered to her pupil. “With Twilight handling Fleur, we shall be able to travel without worry. We will set out at week’s end; if there are any more difficulties, send a messenger to Celestia, and she will reach out to me. For now, I will be spending my remaining free time with my Student,” she finished firmly.

A light blush colored Twilight’s cheeks, but she didn’t protest as Luna lead her out of the room. On their way out, Twilight almost thought she heard her brother whistle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days after her presentation, but before Luna and Celestia left the city, Twilight reached out to Fleur. She received an immediate response, and the two planned to meet up at a small cafe in the upper levels. A new meeting spot for a renewed relationship. Hopefully neutral ground in a public place would keep tempers from flaring.

Twilight tried to arrive early, but her duties as the Student kept her behind. Instead, she arrived on time. Walking into the quaint cafe, she saw Fleur already seated with a pot of tea and two cups. A bad sign. Twilight knew how much Fleur liked being the first pony to a meeting. It made it look like Twilight was coming to her rather than an equal meeting. She knew this encounter had already begun.

Shedding her coat, Twilight smiled. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Fleur. I hope you didn’t get here too early.”

“Of course not, Twilight. Your just in time,” Fleur smiled back. “I’ve only come so early for the tea. It’s one of my favorite cups of Earl Grey in the city. I’m so glad you picked it.”

Shoot. Twilight hadn’t know about Fleur’s connection to this place. She should have done her research before suggesting it, but with such a short deadline, she just picked an unknown cafe.

Hiding her surprise, Twilight took her seat. “I hadn’t heard of it before. If it’s one of your favorites, it must be fantastic. I’ll have to order a cup myself.”

“I thought you’d might be interested, so I asked for a pot. Please, allow me,” Fleur said, magically pouring a cup of the Earl Grey before sliding it across the table.

Gritting her teeth, Twilight kept reminding herself that this injustice was part of the plan. Let Fleur think she was in complete control; she always responded better when she thought she had the upper hoof. It certainly helped that Fleur did have the upper hoof, but Twilight had to play into her weaknesses.

As Twilight drank, Fleur raised a hoof to summon the waitress to the table. “Hello, gentlemares, I’ll be serving you today. Have you decided on what to order?”

“Yes, I will have your cauliflower gratin with the side salad. What about you, Twilight? Or do you need a minute?”

“I’ll have the same as her, thank you,” Twilight said before facing Fleur. “If it’s good enough for you to order, I’m sure I’ll love it too.”

“Oh yes, it’s another favorite of mine. I often have somepony pick up an order when I can’t escape the court. Speaking of court, that was quite the demonstration the other day.”

“That is was,” Twilight said, trying to keep her frustration in check.

“When the meeting was called, there were already rumors surrounding the basement team, but I hadn’t expected to see you at the heart of it. I must say I’m impressed that you managed to find this cure single hoofedly.”

Twilight held her breath. That was a secret that less than ten ponies knew. Twilight personally discovering the cure was tied to information about Discord, which no pony could know. Both Luna and Celestia had been adamant about that. Who knew what a foreign nation would do with that information. The only ponies outside their group who knew were Lucretia and Lavia, and they were only told in order to make a version of the cure that didn’t reveal Discord’s involvement. Had somepony sold them out?

Twilight’s wasn’t hiding her reaction well. “Don’t worry, dear. Nopony told me anything,” Fleur assured. “I just reasoned it out. You return to the lab, and almost instantly, there are rumors of a cure? I would have to be foolish to not see your hoofprints all over it.”

Relaxing, Twilight began reciting the lie she’d practiced with Luna. “Truth be told, I may have had a key role in its creation, but only by pure chance. You see, when I rejoined the efforts, the team had already exhausted all traditional avenues. The funds we had raised allowed us to acquire all manner of exotic and rare herbs from across the world. But none of them worked.

“The team was at a loss, but in my other studies, I learned of a plant nopony had tried yet. While reading tales from the legendary sleeping Empire of the North, I came across a myth about a terrible magic plague eerily similar to our own. In the story, a young unicorn goes on a quest to acquire a flower called the Crystal Rose, which then cures the plague.

“When I first read about this flower, I assumed it was just another myth, but when I resumed work at the lab, I saw how pressed the team was to find new ingredients. The traditional solutions had all been exhausted, and I knew that something unconventional was needed. I did some more research into the plant and found only one mention of the Crystal Rose outside of myths. It was from a travel journal centuries old, and all it mentions is that it exists, it only grows in the frozen north, and it doesn’t travel well.

“That wasn’t much to go on, but I had a feeling that the Rose would show us the way. I talked to Lucretia about acquiring one, and, although it was a long shot, she immediately had one shipped into the city. When it arrived, I took charge of figuring out what medical benefits it might have. As I tested the sample, I discovered how the Rose works. Instead of fighting off illness like other herbs, the Rose nullifies harmful magic and banishes it from your body.”

“Perfect for a magical plague,” Fleur cut in.

“I had the same thought. After my discovery, Lucretia created a tincture with the Rose’s petals, and upon running the simulations, it worked. Even I was stunned. Normally, we’d run more tests, but with such promising results, Lucretia volunteered to be the first real-life test subject. She drank the plague sample, and after the symptoms appeared, she drank the potion and was cured. We conducted a few more tests to be sure, but every pony who drank the plague was cured by the potion. By then, we were sure we had a cure.”

Twilight paused to drink her tea, satisfied with her tale. It was the perfect deception. Anypony who looked at the requisition logs would see that the Crystal Rose had been delivered at the same time as Twilight said it was. They would also see a huge influx of shipments from the north, all of which were Crystal Roses. The plant didn’t have the miraculous healing powers Twilight claimed it did, but it wasn’t useless either. In the new formula Lucretia came up with, it helped cool down any remaining fever after the plague had been removed, speeding speed up the recover. It wasn’t as necessary, of course, but such an obscure plant severed as the perfect way to obscure the magic.

“What about the plague itself? Did you manage to find out where it was coming from,” Fleur asked.

“Unfortunately, no,” Twilight lied. “And now that the team is focused primarily on producing cures, it’ll be years before the causes can be investigated. Right now, they’re working on how to cut the cost of transporting such a rare flower from so far away. They’ve already reduced the cost, but the flower is just so expensive.”

“I see, that certainly explains the donations,” Fleur trailed off, finishing her tea before pouring another cup. The perfect time to push forward.

“Exactly!” Twilight exclaimed. “That’s the only reason we’re asking for so much money. It’s an enormous amount, but surely you can see why your contributions are so necessary.”

“I can,” Fleur said over her cup.

“Then will you support our proposition? With your help, we can get the full two million bits sooner rather than later,” Twilight pleaded.

Fleur took another sip from her cup before saying, “No.”

Crushed, Twilight fought to hold herself together. “Why?” she asked.

“Twilight, I understand that your request is pure. But you assume too much. For you, it may seem like ten thousand bits is not a lot for a noble, and for many of us, that is true. But just because a pony is noble doesn’t mean they can afford to shell out a fortune like that. Yes, the title comes with lands and estates, but not all lands produce enough income to make ten thousand bits a reasonable donation.”

“It’s only unreasonable if they continue to horde everything they have,” Twilight snapped back. “Nobles have so much land that selling half of it won’t make them destitute. Why not do that?”

“To whom? I would say that at least thirty percent of the noble families would have to sell their assets in order to pay ten thousand bits, and another fifty percent would only be able to barely afford it. So, with so many families selling and so little with extra bits, who buys the land? Best case scenario, a few of the well-off families would buy up the most valuable land, disrupting the power balance amongst the nobles. In that chaos, I could lose complete control to Blueblood, which would be disastrous not only to your Queen, but also the entire Empire. Worse case scenario, the market is flooded, and some foreign noble buys up the land at a pittance, automatically making them one of the most powerful ponies in the Empire, complicating the political landscape even more. That’s the risk that comes with requiring such large donations.”

“We didn’t require it,” Twilight argued. “Luna could have easily ordered the amount to be paid through taxes, but she didn’t. We’re trying to respect the autonomy of the nobles by asking for donations instead.”

Fleur shook her head. “Twilight, for a noble, asking for donations as publically as you did is essentially demanding them. Any family who can’t pay would be labeled destitute, which is the greatest shame a noble can endure. They’d rather lose everything they have than appear to not have enough. And Luna knows this; she’s been playing this game for longer than anypony else. She knew asking in the way you did would shame ponies to stretch far beyond their means. As their representative, I have to stand up for those ponies. Of course, anypony is free to donate, and I plan on ensuring that every noble pays an amount that is both comfortable and fair. But I won’t allowed anypony to be forced into giving beyond their means.

“I know that the cure is important, Twilight; I truly do,” Fleur put her hoof on Twilight’s. “I’ll even donate one hundred thousand bits myself. But I also know not to solve one problem by creating five others.”

“Your meal, gentlemares,” the waitress said as she appeared at the table. Fleur removed her hoof from Twilight’s to allow their food to magically slide in front of them. “Would you like another pot of tea?”

“We’re still working on this one, thank you,” Fleur politely responded.

“Great. If there’s anything you need, just call me over. Enjoy your meal,” the waitress finished with a short bow before leaving the pink and purple mares alone once more.

For a while, Twilight could only stare at her meal in frustration. Fleur was being reasonable. She was wrong about Luna, of course, but Twilight couldn’t argue against her other points. Loosening her clenched jaw, she looked up from her food. “I guess I still haven’t learned all the intricacies of nobility.”

Fleur laughed. “For a while now, your main access to noble life has been through the Queen, Princess Celestia, Cadance, and Silverhorn, and those four are not great representatives. Your only other noble acquaintance has been me. It is my fault you don’t understand all the nuances. My neglect has created this situation, and for that, I am sorry.

“I’m sorry about a lot of things, Twilight. I’m sorry I was so blunt with you in the garden. I’m sorry I let things to get so out of hoof. And I’m sorry I neglected our friendship to the degree I have. I still can’t afford to help you with Luna’s image, but I didn’t need to be so difficult about it. I should have tried harder to explain my side. Can you forgive me for being so foolish, Twilight?”

Twilight’s eyes went wide. That was the last thing she expected to hear at this lunch. She had been so sure that Fleur had come here to best Twilight. She hadn’t even considered that Fleur missed their friendship. Twilight missed it as well, but she needed to protect her Queen first.

“I can accept your apology, but can you promise me one thing?” Twilight inquired.

“What is it dear?” Fleur asked.

“The Queen and Princess will be out of the city for a time to raise money for the cure. They can only do this if they trust nothing will go awry in their absence. I’m not asking you to help contain every problem, but can you make sure nothing happens from your camp while their gone?”

Fleur took a thoughtful sip from her cup before answering. “For now, yes. I will call a ceasefire, so to speak. I’ll keep the hardliners at bay, at least while the sisters are collecting for the cause. I can’t promise beyond that, but for now, you have my word.”

Twilight sighed in relief. Fleur was many things, but she was also a mare of her word. “Thank you, Fleur. I wholeheartedly accept your apology.”

“Thank you, Twilight,” Fleur smiled warmly. “And now that we’ve figured that out, let’s start eating before the gratin gets cold.”

Night and Day

“So, with the cure found, the plague is finished,” Sunset sighed in relief.

“When it comes to the medical side, that’s true,” Twilight agreed as she reclined into her chair. “Although, funding is still an issue. We’ve raised more bits than we originally expected, but we’re still well below the amount we need. Cadance is canvassing the lower districts, and Silverhorn is trying to convince the holdouts among the nobles.”

The two were sitting in Sunset’s room. Sitting at her small coffee table, Twilight sat in a plush chair while Sunset had taken the couch. They were sitting down to tea in order to catch up, although Twilight had also come to ask for a favor.

“There is one demographic that we’ve neglected to raise money from, however: the military. Shining is far too busy coordinating the army’s rallies for Luna to do it himself, and the only other pony I can absolutely trust to accomplish this task would be you.”

Sunset jolted up. “Oh, I’m not sure, Twilight. I’m in the middle of some big things at the moment,” she trailed off, nursing her tea instead.

Twilight took in the room around her to try to see what she was talking about. To her eyes, it looked like Sunset had spent the past few weeks doing nothing. The immediate area had been cleaned, but around the room, there were signs that something was wrong. Half eaten snacks, used plates and cups, crumbled papers, and fully drawn blinds were clear indications, although the biggest sign was the smell. It was an odor that could only be obtained when a pony didn’t leave a room for quite some time. The whole picture was concerning.

“What big things might that be?” Twilight prodded.

“Things, alright?” Sunset snapped. “I have far too much to do, Twilight. And I don’t appreciate having to explain everything to you, okay!” Sunset declared, breathing heavily.

Twilight blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected Sunset to snap so suddenly. It was a normal question, but it had caused Sunset’s muzzle to contort in anger. It was clear that Sunset felted judge, but Twilight only felt concern. This wasn’t the mare she had grown up with.

“Sunset, what happened?” Twilight asked.

Sunset’s eyes went wide before she managed to speak. “What do you mean?”

“When you first got back from the war, it seemed like nothing had changed. You were still the mare I knew, but now? I don’t know the pony I’m looking at. What happened to you?” Sunset shivered as if Twilight had attacked her, the purple mare felt nothing but regret when she looked at her friend. She regretted that she hadn’t check in before now. She regretted that she thought that after that disastrous lunch, everything would sort itself out. She hadn’t considered what her friend needed, or rather, she didn’t want to think about it.

Sunset met Twilight’s gaze before dropping her eyes to her lap. She didn’t answer right away, and Twilight didn’t push. So the two sat, the only noise being Sunset’s heavy breathing. It got heavier and heavier until the first tears appeared. As she softly sobbed, Sunset shook her head.

“No. I’m not okay. I’ve tried to be, but I’m not okay,” Sunset managed to choke out, her sobs getting heavier. “I’ve always wanted to be a guard; I wanted to protect everypony. I thought I could put everything on the line, but the war-” Sunset cut off as her sobs overwhelmed her. “I was too weak. I am too weak. I mean, look at Shining. He fought in the same war that I did, and he’s doing fantastic. He’s shaping the nation, for Goddesses sake! He’s a hero. And me? I’m nothing.”

As Sunset sobbed, Twilight’s mind raced. She hadn’t expected such a wave of emotions. She had only come to catch up with Sunset and ask for a favor. But her friend needed help. With a deep breath, Twilight stood from her chair and joined Sunset on the couch. Sitting, Twilight took the weeping mare in her forelegs, pulling her close.

“Sunset, it’s okay,” Twilight assured. “You’ve done so much. And you’ve faced horrors that most ponies couldn’t even imagine. But you came back; you made it! And you certainly aren’t nothing. I mean, you were part of the Valkyries, for Goddesses’ sake! The Vanguard of the Empire. Without you, the war would have been lost. You saved everypony. What’s wrong with that?”

Sunset looked up, but her face was not reassured. “Do you know how many of us died?” she asked. From this close, Twilight could see the light draining from her eyes. The scar, so close, still pulsated with an angry red, as if it refused to heal. Twilight couldn’t help but swallow hard.

A scornful laugh emanated from Sunset’s mouth. “Of course not. They would never tell. Because the number is far too high. Under the direct command of the Queen, the Valkyries were an elite squadron of exactly one hundred ponies. All of us were specially selected and tested for our assignment. We were the finest our military had to offer, and we would easily crush the griffons. At least, that’s what we were told. And we believed it.”

Despite her attempt to remain cool, tears reemerged around Sunset’s eyes. “One day, that belief was tested. During our first engagement, the Battle of Harmony Point, we lined up in formation and began our assault. At first, it looked like the griffons would crumple to our elite force. A group of one hundred ponies was taking on ten times the amount of griffons. We felt invincible. So invincible, that we couldn’t see the trap.

“The griffon’s retreat was a ruse to get the Queen into range of the their exploding weapon. When it fired, Luna and Shining managed to put up a shield, but they couldn’t protect all of us. Those inside the barriers didn’t suffer a scratch. But the others?” Sunset snapped her eyes shut, causing the tears to pour down her cheeks. “They were torn asunder. As the smoke cleared, half of our squadron laid dead or bleeding beyond help. It was a horrific sight. The friends I made during training were now on death’s door. Rising Flour, Scotch Tape, Painterly Touch. One moment they were fighting by my side, and the next, they were dead. Rising Flour’s head even separated from her body.”

Sunset’s eyes snapped open, and Twilight saw the pain in them. “Seeing all those ponies dying was terrible. The stench of death was overwhelming. But the screams were the worst. The lamentations, the pain, the begging. It felt like they were clawing to stay alive. But it was too late. Those were their last words. Not something witty or profound. Just screams.

“Those of us left alive charged faster. We charged to get away and to avenge our comrades. They hadn’t planned on our shields, so the griffons weren’t prepared to retreat. We tore through them. Thanks to our pegasi platoon, we stopped any further attacks from that horrid weapon. We attacked until they were routed, taking control of the cannon. Thank Goddesses for the our shields, or else we would have all died that day. But still, by the end of the battle, sixty four ponies from our squadron died, most of them succumbing to that one explosive attack. That engagement left our company shattered, so more ponies were summon to fill in the gaps,” Sunset rasped.

Silently, Twilight levitated a glass of water to Sunset, offering it to the other girl. Sunset, however, shook her head, denying the relief.

“After capturing the weapon, we thought we had removed their one advantage. We were wrong. That hellish thing was at every battle from then on. And as we learned to plan around it, the griffons found new ways to use it. They keep killing with it. On and on. They even managed to strike the Queen with it, forcing her to return here. After she left, it only got worse. The remaining leadership saw us as expendable. So we were placed on every front line, becoming a mobile force with a single purpose: to kill at any cost. But with each strike, we splintered, our death toll rising higher and higher. But that didn’t save us. The brass just added new pieces and ordered us to attack again. They didn’t care if we made it. We were only there to kill or be killed. It was our own personal Tartarus.”

Sunset smiled painfully at Twilight. “But it worked, didn’t it? We won the war. And we came home heroes. Or, that’s what we were told. To me, coming home still doesn't seem real. It feels like the war never ended. Every night, I go back there. I see Rising Flour’s head separated from her body. I see Luna falling from the sky. I see the griffon who scarred me towering above, ready to finish the job,” Sunset cut off, her body shaking. Twilight wanted to tell her it was over and everything was okay, but she remained silent. Sunset still had more to say.

“And in those dreams, as I see ponies dying around me, I am faced with my own failures. What if I’d been stronger? Or faster? Or maybe if I had practiced with shields like Shining instead of levitating silverware, maybe I could have saved them too. But I can do nothing. I just had to watch them die. Over, and over, and over, and over again. It’s never ending.

“Even when I wake up, and I find myself in this room, I can still feel the war lingering. I can smell the gunpowder; I can feel blood damping my coat; I can see my sword cutting through bone and feather. I’ve tried to ignore it, but on my first day back at the barracks, I broke down before I set hoof in the building. I tried the next day, and the same thing happened, and after a week of failed attempts, I stopped going all together.

“The leadership wanted to discharge me, but because the Valkyries are heroes, the publicity would be too damaging. Instead, they sent me to their doctors. They spent days examining me, but they had no idea what needed to be done. So, instead of helping, they put me on medical leave, hoping time will fix me.”

Sunset finished with sobs and buried her head in Twilight’s arms. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. So she held Sunset close, silently supporting her foalhood friend. As the tears continued, Twilight continued to seek the right words until she finally figured out what to say.

“Sunset,” Twilight whispered. “I’m so sorry that it took me so long to check on you. I’m sorry that I didn’t visit you after our lunch. I should have known something was amiss, but I closed my eyes to it. And while I don’t know what it’s like to fight in such a horrible war, I do know what it’s like to be plagued with nightmares. To this day, I still remember Luna’s attack, and what it did to me.”

“Did what?” Sunset challenged as her eyes confronted Twilight’s. “I don’t see anything wrong with you.”

With a small spell, Twilight released her illusion, showing Sunset her shattered horn. The yellow mare gasped. “This is what the assassination attempt did to me. This was the cost to save Luna, and it’s a price I’m glad I paid. But it’s a constant reminder of what happened, and it haunts me. I keep thinking about what could have happened. What if I was too slow? Or what if I was too weak? What would have happened to Luna? And then I think of about the future. What if there’s another attack? What if I fail then? What will happen to Luna if I’m not strong enough or fast enough next time?” Twilight shuddered. “Those worries still haunt me, so much that I occasionally wake up covered in sweat. And when those nightmares jolt me awake, I always check my horn. If it’s broken, I know that Luna’s still alive.”

Twilight wiped her eyes before continuing. “Look Sunset, I don’t claim to be an expert. All I know is that when the nightmares are too much, I tell somepony. For me, having somepony look me in the eyes and tell me that it’s not real helps. For me, Luna is that pony, and sleeping with her has done more for me than anything else. So maybe you could start sleeping in the same room with somepony else. Maybe a friend from the Valkyries? It might sound silly, but it helps. I promise it helps. Is there anypony who could do that for you?” Twilight asked, her forehoof gently rubbing Sunset’s back, reminding her of their closeness.

Sunset shook her head. “There’s nopony Twilight. All my friends are gone now. The only pony who could help would be Shining, but I can’t ask him to do that, especially with his new relationship with Cadance.”

Twilight could feel Sunset shaking against her. She felt how frail her friend had become. She needed somepony’s help. And while Sunset couldn’t think of another option, Twilight knew what to say.

“Come sleep in my room, Sunset,” Twilight said.

Sunset eyes went wide at Twilight’s suggestion. She hadn’t even considered that Twilight might make that offer. “I can’t do that to you,” Sunset insisted. “I can’t ask you to listen to all my horrible tales. And what about the Queen? I couldn’t possibly-”

“Luna’s leaving at the end of the week,” Twilight interjected. “I would be sleeping alone anyway. And I want to be there for you, Sunset. Let me help you.”

At Twilight’s words, Sunset began crying harder. “That would just make me a burden,” Sunset managed to force out.

Twilight took a deep breath. She had to be careful with her wording, or her words would only hurt rather than help. “As you are, Sunset, you’re already a burden.” The golden mare began to shake harder, but Twilight continued before she broke down. “But you don’t need to be sorry about that. You’ve spent so much time carrying the burdens of others. You fought in a war that you never wanted to fight in in order to protect the Empire. You defended everypony, and because of that, you’re haunted with nightmares that you insist on dealing with yourself. Of course you’d be overwhelmed. So let somepony else help. Let me help.”

Sunset’s quaking had subsided as she started at Twilight. “How?” she asked. Good. She was open to it.

“First, you’ll sleep in my room, and you’ll tell me whenever you have another nightmare. I’ll be there to soothe you. Second, while the military doctors might be lost, there’s a new government program that might help. I’ve only heard rumors, but it’s designed to help ponies with mental anguish. Most of the military isn’t aware of it yet, but I’ll fight to make sure you’re one of the first patients. And I’ll help in any other way I can. So please, Sunset, let me help you. And if we’re talking about burdens, the greater burden would be you refusing my help,” Twilight finished.

Tears were still streaming down Sunset’s face, but after a few moments, she managed to eek out a whisper.“Okay.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After their emotional lunch, Sunset and Twilight planned the move, and over the course of the follow days, they managed to pack up Sunset’s belongs, find space for them in Twilight’s closet, and move the furniture around to allow for a second bed.

When it came to the Queen, she was hesitant at first. She cared for Sunset, but she was reluctant to sacrifice any of her precious time with Twilight. But after the Student explained how far gone Sunset was, the Queen happily submitted. It also helped that Twilight promised that they would would still be able to share Luna’s last day in town without interruption.

As for Sunset, she was more pleasant to live with now than she ever was at the orphanage, thanking Twilight constantly throughout the move. It helped that Twilight had already managed to get her in to see the new doctor. Sunset was skeptical at first, but after her first two visits, there had already been improvements. The nightmares hadn’t gone away, but with Twilight there, Sunset had finally begun to get enough sleep to function again. And by the end of the second day, she had begun to spend more and more time out of the tower. Everypony involved could tell how life-changing this relocation was.

On the day after the move in, Twilight came back from a strategy session with the Queen. They were planning the next phase of the plague removal, which was a huge undertaking. With so little time remaining, part of Twilight would have liked to spend the rest of the day hammering out the details, but she wanted to check in on Sunset. A few good days did not mean she didn’t need Twilight’s company. Besides, it was lunchtime, and there was a new restaurant she was dying to try out.

Twilight walked into the room to see Sunset propped up on her bed, her head buried in a book. With Sunset’s bed crammed in, there wasn’t much room for anything other than Twilight’s desk. “Hey,” Twilight said, causing Sunset to look up. “I’m starving, and I’m free for lunch. Do you want to get something to eat?”

“No thanks,” Sunset decline with a gentle smile. “I’ve already eaten. Shining came over while you were gone. He brought something from the restaurant that opened last week, and we sat and talked. It was fantastic.”

“That’s where I wanted to take you,” Twilight sighed. “Oh well. I’m glad Shining came to visit, and I hope you enjoyed the food. Although, now I’m going to have to go out get something for myself.”

“No, please, stay,” Sunset blurted, getting to her hooves. “Shining guessed that you’d try to make it back for lunch, so he brought extra eggplant parm.” Sunset opened the box on Twilight’s desk, revealing the cheesy delights within. Twilight’s mouth was already watering at the sight of it.

“Oh yes, thank you! That’s exactly what I wanted,” she exclaimed. Taking a seat on her bed, she leviated the meal by her side before digging in.

Sunset smiled as Twilight began enjoying her food. She sat by, watching Twilight eat for a while before speaking again. “Is everything alright, Twilight? You look so tired today.”

Twilight paused before remembering that Luna had already given her permission to talk about the project with Sunset. “It’s just the plague,” Twilight confessed, putting her fork down. “As you know, the cure our team has devised is the perfect antidote. But there’s a hitch. The smog that constantly emanates from the sewers at night is laced with the plague; anypony who comes in contact with it ends up infected. Even though the plague has been isolated, the smog is still dangerous. That’s a huge problem on its own, but according to the research team, that smog would take at least five years to dissipate on its own. And who knows how many more ponies will needlessly suffer in that time?

“With that in mind, Luna and I have come up with a plan to burn the smog from the sewers. We want to eradicate it in a single night, which means we need more magic than the two of us can produce. To get the amount we need, we’ve begun recruiting unicorns we can trust with the task. So far, that includes myself, Celestia, a selection nobles, former Students, and,” Twilight paused before finally saying, “a few military ponies.”

Sunset’s body tensed up, but after a moment, the yellow mare nodded for Twilight to continue. “To top it off, we need more than power. We need to be able to channel the magic in a precise way. There are plenty of unicorns who could do it with weaker magic, but with a spell this potent, one mistake could take out an entire section of the city. To prevent such a disaster, we been searching unicorns with fantastic fine magic skills. But there are so few in the Empire that have the ability, which is only exacerbated by trying to find trustworthy ponies. We’ve gotten more than we’ve expected, but we’ve been struggling to find the last few members for the team. It’s just tiring,” Twilight finished with a heavy sigh.

“Could I help?” Sunset asked.

Twilight sat up. With Sunset’s condition, she hadn’t expected such a response. “Well, naturally, Luna and I both thought of you. Besides your unparalleled fine magic skills, we both trust you absolutely. But we also know how much you’re dealing with right. Not to mention the military ponies who are going to assist in the operation, which could easily trigger another attack. It might be too much for you right now.”

Sunset breathed in deep. “You’re right. With both the stress of such an important undertaking and the presence of military ponies, I wouldn't be able to handle it at the moment. But it’s not happening right now, yes?”

Twilight nodded slowly. “I suppose that’s true. At the very least, we would have to wait until Luna and Celestia’s return. And that’s only if we can find enough unicorns by then, too.”

“Then I have at least a month to get well enough to assist. I’m under no illusions of being completely healed in only a month. But, with all the support I’m receiving, I think I’ll be well enough to at least help. I don’t want to only be a burden in a month, Twilight, and with both you and the health program you’ve found for me, I know I won’t be. So please, allow me to help. I need to have something to work towards,” Sunset finished, her eyes full of determination.

Twilight opened her mouth to object. This project was so important. Could she really risk it all on the vague promise of recovery? But Sunset’s resolved expression silently fought off her worries. If anypony could manage such a recovery, it would be Sunset. “Alright,” Twilight agreed with a nod. “I’ll let Luna know that you’ll be a part of the team.. And I’ll be sure to help with your recovery. With Luna leaving the day after tomorrow, I’ll have plenty of time for you. I’ll not exactly sure how I can help, but I’ll be there for you.”

A relieved smile spread across Sunset’s muzzle. “Thank you Twilight. I won’t let you down.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight groaned as she stretched out on Luna’s massive bed. Tonight was the last before Luna’s journey, and the two lovers had gone all out. Shining Armor had taken Sunset out for a night on the town, giving his sister enough time to have a proper goodbye. Once, Twilight might have wondered if something would spring from that, but with Cadance as a partner, she couldn’t imagine Shining doing anything other than being a friend to his comrade.

“Up, magelet,” Luna called. Following orders, Twilight rolled back on her stomach, sitting up in bed. Her mane was tangled from her earlier nap, and her clothes were wrinkled, but she was around the only pony where none of that mattered.

Their final day had been spent in complete and total isolation, cut off from their responsibilities for a few short hours. Only the periodic delivery of meals interrupted their euphoria. They spent the day talking, cuddling, and kissing. It was pure bliss for Twilight. It’d been perfect. So perfect, that the only flaw was that it had to end so soon.

Twilight must have been making a face because Luna slipped into bed and nuzzled her Student close. Forelegs wrapped around the smaller mare, Luna planted a soft kiss on Twilight’s horn. Twilight loved feeling her lover’s flesh against her own; she could feel the unconditional love seep into her. It quelled her worries and assured that no matter what happened, their love would persit.

Calmed, Twilight leaned in closer, pressing her head against Luna’s chest. She breathed in her lover’s scent. “I’m gonna miss you,” she mumbled, voice muffled by Luna’s coat. “It’s not fair. It seems like you only just returned from Griffonia, and you already have to go again,” Twilight complained, letting out another little huff.

She had tried to be mature, but she couldn’t help her frustration. Luna might be gone for a whole month! And she would lose her best friend, her lover, and her sleepmate all at once. How would she sleep? Sure, Sunset was a roommate, but she would miss her bedmate. She wasn’t sure how she’d manage once she lost her paradise.

Luna squeezed her all the tighter, ever so gently pulling Twilight to lie in the bed together. “I know, magelet. It isn’t fair, and I’m going to miss you too. But, it’ll be okay,” Luna whispered, guiding their bodies into their usual configuration. Luna spooned Twilight from behind, her body like the crescent moon in the sky. Twilight’s body easily conformed to fit Luna’s shape. “It’s only going to be for a few weeks. We’ve survived this kind separation before, so we both know the drill. Just keep yourself busy, and you won’t even notice I’m missing,” Luna teased, her muzzle lightly touching Twilight’s nape.

Twilight hummed in pleasure, content with the current situation. “I know, I know. And I will be busy. There’s so much to do around there. It feels like it never ends. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss coming back to you every night. I probably won’t be able to sleep,” she complained, rolling over to face Luna. Luna’s caring gaze meeting Twilight’s nervous one.

“You know you can contact me at any time,” Luna gently assured. “We have letters and lines of magical communication that are swift, and I can come back at the drop of a hat. You just need to call, and I’ll be on the first airship available.”

Luna kissed her deep, and Twilight’s heart pounded. Was tonight going to be the night? At the beginning of their relationship, Luna had been on death’s door, so anything beyond kissing was a no-go. But that had set the tone for the rest of their relationship. They never went beyond this intimacy. She loved that they didn’t need more to love each other, loved the way they touched and intermingled. But, the night before their long separation, Twilight secretly hoped that they could take the next step. She’d yearned for it, hoped for it, and finally it may be given to her. Her blood burned as Luna’s body overpowered hers, the Queen’s hooves beginning to reach for unexplored regions. It felt like lunacy had taken control of the Queen, and the Student was ready to surrender to it as well.

Twilight had almost felt herself melt entirely when Luna suddenly broke off. Breathing heavily, the Queen pushed herself up and ran a hoof through her mane. “We must stop,” she insisted between breaths.

Twilight couldn’t help but stare in disbelief. They had been so close. They were almost there. And then Luna ran away. Luna had rejected her. “But I’m ready,” Twilight insisted, trying to hide her hurt.

Luna sighed. “It’s not a matter of readiness, but an issue of timing. It isn’t the right moment. But there will be plenty of moments, magelet. You are young, and I am immortal. So why should we rush anything?”

Trying to read between the lines, Twilight tried to figure out what was really bothering her lover. “If this is about the rumors, I’m not worried about them. They can burn in Tartarus for all I care! I just want to be close to you.”

“This isn’t about the rumors,” Luna insisted. “It’s just not the right time. I can feel it in my body. Most of the time I’m with you, I only feel the love. But there’s a madness that I have to keep at bay. It tells me to throw all caution to the wind, and devour you. It screams to make you mine forever. It isn’t a voice of gentle love, but of possessive lust. I’ve lived long enough to see how quickly relationships of lust fall apart. I never want that for us. Instead, I want to continue building on love, so we will be together until the end of our days.”

Luna’s eyes glowed with affection, and Twilight’s pain melted away. Instead of the burning, overwhelming feeling from before, she felt the warmth of Luna’s love. And between the two, Twilight would always choose this heat.

Sitting up, Twilight embraced the Queen. “I love you, Luna,” Twilight whispered.

“I love you too, Twilight,” Luna assured, hugging her Student back. As she did, Twilight felt fatigue wash over her. In her embrace, Twilight could surrender to it. As she relaxed in her lover’s arms, she heard Luna’s voice whisper, “Sleep well, magelet.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After that lovely night, Twilight was forced to say goodbye to her lover. She walked with her to the docks, stood with her as the airship was loaded, and waved goodbye as she was pulled away. She kept waving until the ship disappeared into the horizon. She would have stayed at the airship docks the entire day if she hadn’t had an appointment with the other Goddess.

Like her sister, Celestia was also going out on a fundraising mission. Unlike her sister, however, she was leaving tomorrow. And for some reason, she had requested Twilight’s presence before she left. Twilight felt annoyed at the obligation, but she had agreed to the occasional meetings with Celestia, so she reluctantly agreed. In the early afternoon, the two convened in Celestia’s receiving room for tea.

So far, their meeting was amiable, but nothing extraordinarily. They had exchanged pleasantries, sticking mostly to the topics of tea, food, and weather. Nothing meaningful had been discussed, and as Twilight poured herself another cup of tea, she began to fear this meeting would be a complete waste of time.

As Celestia finished her second cup of tea, however, she finally turned to a serious topic. “I know that it’s only been a few hours since my sister’s departure, but the nobles seem to be behaving thus far,” she quipped.

“Yes,” Twilight agreed. “It seems like Fleur is keeping the nobles at bay, although we won’t know for sure until you leave tomorrow. But, she’s a pony of her word, and I trust that she’ll keep her nobles in check.” At least, Twilight hoped she’d be able to. The temptation of a coup might be too great.

Celestia smiled securely. “I’m not worried about our noblesse causing any huge problems. I know that deep down, our nobles are capable of the best. You’ve seen just how amazing they can be, yes?”

Twilight tried not to scoff. “Well, I’m not worried about Cadance or Silverhorn, obviously, and with her promise, Fleur isn’t an issue either. But with both you and the Queen gone, some of the hothead nobles, such as Blueblood, might try to seize power. I just hope that Fleur’s grip will hold.”

Celestia took a second to think it over, the alabaster mare looking out towards the sun shining in through the window. It looked dazzling against her mane, the bright light making all the colors gleam so wondrously. “I don’t believe we have to worry so much, Student Twilight. I don’t share the same fears as my sister. I believe in the nobles of Canterlot; I can see their goodness. That’s what makes this city so fantastic. Despite the infighting and flaws, our city is beautiful. Wouldn’t you agree, Student Twilight?” Celestia asked, directing her attention back to her guest.

Twilight scowled as she processed Celestia’s words. “I can’t say that I’m of the same opinion, Princess, although I can understand why you think so. From up here, the city might look kind, but from my foalhood, I know it’s anything but. In the lower districts, I’ve seen the worst of the plague stricken districts. I’ve walked among the corpses that lined the street. I’ve smelled the rot rising from the sewers underground. And I know that living in such conditions changes a pony. None of that happens up here, because the nobles keep it all locked away in the lower districts. It may seem beautiful from up here, but a nice facade doesn’t make a city great.”

As Twilight finished, Celestia nodded slowly, her smile starting to dim as Twilight’s words sunk it. “I can see why you’d think that, Student Twilight. I know that life hasn’t been kind to you, and almost anypony in the lower district would probably say the same thing. It’s not surprising, given the circumstances. Quite frankly, I would be more surprised if you did agree with my assessment. As proud as both my sister and I are of your progress, you are still from the lower parts of the city, after all,” she noted.

At Celestia’s remark, Twilight felt the anger rise. She lifted her head, shooting a sharp look towards her host. “I do not know what you mean by that, Princess. I’m proud of being from the lower districts, and I’m not going to develop from being a lower-classed unicorn. Nor do I particularly care if I am. Many of the ponies I met down there have more merit than any of the nobles or-”

A raised hoof cut her off. “I’m sorry, Twilight; I didn’t mean it like that. Of course there is nothing wrong with being from the lower districts, and I regret that what I said could be construed as such. All I meant was that we’re proud of how much you’ve managed to do in such a short time. You weren’t born with the resources you have now, yet you’ve done more since you’ve gained the position of Student than most will do in their entire lives. And that only makes me think of all the Twilight’s we’ve missed over the years. How many lower districts unicorns were passed over because the magical aptitude test doesn’t happen often enough? How many brilliant pegasi and earth ponies have been overlooked because we lack the means to test them?” Celestia lamented, letting out a sad sigh.

“That’s why I wanted to have these little meetings with you. I’ve tried to converse with all of my sister’s Students at least once, but not all of them have made me want to continue our conversations. Quite a few of them are downright ill-mannered, if I may be so blunt. But you aren’t one of them. You haven't let the position go to your head, and you’re still doing such wonderful work. I’m in awe of you, Twilight. That’s all I meant,” Celestia insisted

The door opened before Twilight could answer, allowing a pony in a maid’s uniform to step in. She darted to their table, quickly piling up the empty and dirty dishes onto a cart she wheeled into the room. “Can I get you anything else, Your Majesty?” she asked, slightly shaking. Her eyes darted between the Princess and the Student, and Twilight couldn’t help but feel for the mare.

Celestia gently shook her head, her mane flowing around her neck from the movement. “No thank you, Quill. Twilight and I are quite satisfied with the refreshments. You’ve done very well,” she reassured.

The mare beamed, her tail swishing in delight. She blushed a deep red and bowed her head. “Thank you, Your Majesty, Student Twilight,” she squeaked, before practically sprinting away with the cart.

Celestia waited for the door to close behind her to resume the conversation. “I’m sorry about that. She’s a new hire and serving the two of us is probably the most nerve-wracking thing she has ever done. Let us continue, yes?” Celestia asked, gesturing across the table towards Twilight.

At Celestia’s gesture, Twilight took a moment to realize how far she’d come. Not too long ago, she would have been like Quill, unable to speak in front of one of the Goddesses. But now, she felt comfortable disagreeing with one of them. She supposed that Celestia was right. She had changed.

“Thank you for your apology, Celestia,” Twilight began. “And I’m sorry that I made assumptions without hearing you out. I know that you hold no ill-will towards the common ponies. It’s just that dealing with the constant deluge of snide comments from nobles has made me sensitive to any comment concerning the lower districts. It’s just so infuriating. It’s like they think we’re inherently dumb and are beyond learning.”

Celestia nodded grimly. “Unfortunately, I’ve seen that too. It’s a terrible shame that those who are tasked with guiding others should see them in such a light. It’s actually something that I’ve been trying to change. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the movement to mandate education amongst the servants. It’s something that Cadance and I have worked on in the past few months.”

“No, I’m afraid I haven’t,” Twilight said, shaking her head, “but it sounds like a fantastic idea. Everypony needs education, but with only the nobles and richest merchants being able to afford it, it seems like a fantasy to most.”

“Education is crucial,” Celestia agreed. “Although, while educating all common ponies would be the ideal, we’ve decided to focus on the servants of the nobles. There are a few of them that already educate their servants, although most only spend the bits to educate the most loyal. Fleur herself is one of the rare exceptions, with all of her servants receiving an education befitting a merchant’s foal.”

That earned an arched eyebrow from Twilight. “Fleur? Although, now that you’ve mentioned, I suppose can see it. She does take her responsibilities as a noble quite seriously.”

Celestia nodded with a small smile. “She really does. So much so that Cadance and I were hoping that we could collaborate with her to expand our efforts. Her support would be instrumental in convincing the noble class to fulfill their duties to those they directly care for. And with her aid, the education efforts could continue while I’m off raising money for the cure. The only problem is that neither Cadance nor myself are on the best of terms with Fleur.” Celestia paused, giving Twilight a hopeful look. “With that in mind, I was wondering if you could speak with her on our behalf? It’s already something she agrees with, and with you advocating for it, I’m sure she will accept. Can you please talk with her, Twilight? It would mean a lot to me,” Celestia pleaded.

Twilight almost wanted to groan when she realized this request had been the reason Celestia wanted to meet with her. It shouldn’t surprise her; when the stakes are this high, nothing iks straightforward. But Twilight had been around long enough to learn how to play the game. “Of course, Princess Celestia. I’ll happily do this favor for you,” she said, emphasizing the word ‘favor.’

Catching her meaning, Celestia playfully smiled. “Thank you very much, Student Twilight. I will not forget your generosity.

A Trip to the Library [E]

When the assembly had settled in, the night had just begun. But the gears of time shifted quickly, fast enough to sap Queen Luna of her succor. Yet, the ongoing debate was not what tired her so; no, the wails that drifted on the winds drained her more than a meeting ever could. Before her gathered a myriad of ponies from different backgrounds, crafts, and masteries; one would never have expected to see them all gathered here tonight. Yet, events conspired against them. The plague had come with such virility, so suddenly and with such purpose--to have expected it, one would have to have caused it. Thus, it was with singular intent that the ponies had gathered there, night after night, all in search for a cure. They were close, at last, to an end. Not for a cure, but a solution.

As the argument continued from hoarse throats and weary lips, Luna sighed and slowly made her way to the open window behind her, the soft moon's light illuminating the gathered masses. She gazed into the distant night, drawn at once to the light above before falling down to the flames below. Smoke billowed from the raging blaze, a breath away from Canterlot proper, the fifth this year. Ponies garbed in soot and ash tended to the pits, and she grimaced as they dumped yet another pair of bodies into the burgeoning flames. They did so mindlessly, like tossing tinder. Another night, another job.

Another sacrifice.

She closed her eyes. Another, gone. Two ponies. What were their names? What were they like? What were their dreams? She sighed again. Dreams--how long had it been since last her ponies dreamed of anything but death and decay...

Save me. A whisper rose from the lower city.

“I’m trying.” Her voice came out quietly enough that none could hear.

She clenched her teeth. She could scarcely believe it. After all this time, all the meeting of great minds, all the masters of magic and medicine. After all this, how could they have come to nothing? How, after all this time was there no cure? Bitter tears stung her eyes, threatening to spill over. She felt like screaming, like tearing the city apart brick by brick. She would find this dreaded disease, and torture it, make it suffer for all the evil it had wrought.

Tears finally poured from her eyes, though she wiped them away with a hoof, trying her best to regain composure. She glanced behind to see if anyone had noticed, but no one had. They were enraptured still in their talk of magic and alchemy. The ponies, though weary, had persisted night after night, all in search of hope. They had persisted all this way, with her. All in the search of some kind of answer, some kind of cure. They were the very best, and they tried their very best, and in the end--in the end, there was nothing. They’d failed.

We’ve failed.

She turned back to the window, eyes trailing down to the quiet of the city muddled beneath shades of black and gray. The moon did little to highlight the suffering ponies trapped within their homes turned crypts. But their cries, their nightmares clung solely to her mind--simple whispers only she could hear.

“Enough,” Luna muttered, the pall of her voice silencing all.

“Princess?”

“Queen,” Luna corrected. She paused a moment before shaking her head despondently. “Seal it off.”

There was a silence while the words hung in the air. She was giving up. At first, there was an outcry, but that was quickly abolished by the lack of better options. Magic was useless, medicine pointless, and research was proceeding, but had made no headway against how fast the plague killed. There were simply not enough resources, not enough time. Luna gazed up at the clock and watched it tick; she could hear in her head, her ponies in pain, and she could feel their nightmares crawling up her skin.

Time...there was never enough time. Luna had simply come to that realization faster than the others, or rather, she simply realized what needed to be done despite the guilt and the pain. “The lower quarters are to be quarantined.”

“But prin--”

“It’s Queen,” Luna commanded; her voice growing in strength. She knew what she proclaimed, knew it would mean the death of many in the lower cities. She was abandoning them, her ponies, for what she could only hope to be the greater good. This would be her command, her judgement, and hers alone. She scanned the room, her gaze crawling upon each face, frightened or understanding, and let her resolve consummate her words. She alone, would bear this burden. After all, she was Queen, sister to princess Celestia, the light of their world--and she was the dark.

Ten Years Later

Twilight bolted through the streets of Canterlot, darkness bearing down on her. Mist robbed her of her clarity, scattering the lights of the houses and shrouding the night. She ran desperately, her legs utterly screaming as they strained to keep momentum and somehow stay silent at the same time. Four minutes till the bakery and two till the town square. She would make it, just barely but she would. Seven minutes until things got bad.

She still had seven minutes.

Her brother had wasted time. A lot of time. He always loved talking to her in the evenings, just before bed--he called it a brother-sister thing, though often, he would be the only one really talking, and often, he would fall asleep mid-sentence. She never really minded so long as he finished early, early enough for her nighttime endeavors. Tonight, however, he had talked for hours and hours, his voice electric, his excitement so clear. It’s a wonder that he didn’t wake everypony up; an even greater wonder he ever fell asleep.

His new found enthusiasm was driven by the news that Queen Luna would come to meet her ponies, and soon, though nopony knew when just yet. Still, it was enough to make Shining burst with life, his dream of becoming the first knight from the slums one step closer. He just needed the chance to prove himself, the chance to show his strength. He knew he could succeed with just one opportunity, and this could be it. Shining had searched for a chance all his life and now would be the moment for him to prove himself in front of royalty.

Twilight couldn’t believe it.

Twilight slid to a stop, resting against the side of a building. She gave an audible sigh, her dark lavender eyes blinking away at the pessimistic, dreadful thoughts. She had simply seen too much, read too much, experienced too much to be so damn naive. Gently, she rested a hoof against her chest, trying to calm her rapid breathing.

In two days time, the Queen would come. Twilight knew this, every pony knew this. Thje exam happened every years, after all.

And in truth, she did hope. Twilight was still young and with nothing to her name, but she still hoped. With a sigh, she turned and opened the bag that rested on her flank, setting it on the cobblestone. Carefully, she placed a solemn hoof on the one book that remained inside, her expression calming from the touch. The book was old, pages raw and yellow bound by broken spine, but it was strong, and it had survived. She removed her hoof and absorbed the red mark upon its cover as she always did, a little more faded, a little less there, but always present.

Her friend, her only friend, her dear friend and teacher, away and distant. She traced the mark with the tip of her hoof in the dying twilight of the light-shattering mist. The red mark consisted of three lines, two that extended from the top right to the bottom left and top left to bottom right, and a single third line that split the two down the middle, extending down like the handle of a staff or spire; the symbol of the plague and of her teacher.

She re-slung the bag across her flank with practiced effort. With a gentle shrug, she managed the bag better onto her side. Her chest felt tight against the strap despite it being large enough to have fit two Twilight Sparkles in its grasp. For a moment, she turned and pondered what she would do if Shining ever caught her--one night, he may just wake up and find that she was not there and that he would be waiting for her in the morning, or even worse, go out in the night and actually look for her.

Shining kept her company in day and night as best he could. She suspected he knew and if he ever caught her would certainly ask to accompany her. In truth, walking the night would be safer as a duo, more secure. But Twilight couldn’t subject him to that, not for her life. Even if walking alone was near infinitely more dangerous.

And Twilight was alone.

Around her, the city slept, candles kept lit within homes, the quiet, abating darkness invading every corner. There were no lights proper on the streets, only lights from inside homes, glimmering in the mist. Each small light guided her way, kept her hooves on the path. But with how often she had travelled this way, she didn’t need it, not really.

There were no other ponies here, only shadows of what used to be. Twilight’s mind caught glimpses of the Doctors, of the Plaguewings that lived in the night. The city slept soundly, lifeless and rough, but Twilight could still hear its heartbeat rumbling from the earth. The sewers ran all the while, grinding, scratching. Even those in their homes could hear it, the night’s peace invaded by the corrupted sound. The plague nestled there, swept out of the city through the great pipes; or so they tried.

Twilight had grown weary from the senseless noise, the sound having interrupted her studies and kept her away. So distracting, she often questioned its necessity. After all, the plague still ravaged many parts of the lower districts, latched on like a fat tic. But Twilight’s own territory provided it had some measure of success, and it did muffle her hooves as she walked.

Twilight scowled. The seven hundred odd nights irritation had grown on her. Seven hundred and thirty-one nights, to be exact, and not a single night softly endured. At times, even during the day, she could hear the sewers run, running at the back of her mind, long past when they had ceased their nightly function. And it was only getting worse. For Twilight, there was but one escape from the incessant noise, her mentor.

Twilight checked the time, mentally. She was quite good at tha-

The soft rumble under the earth came too early.

Twilight quickly checked and double-checked her bags contents: a book, two bits, a piece of bread, and a makeshift leather mask stuffed with leaves and garlic. Quickly, she ran through preparations in her mind, recalling the schedules of the tremors. A rupture broke off in the distance, followed by a dim hissing and a bolt of soundless green that, for the briefest of moments, dispelled the night-embracing mist. A whirring began immediately after, and then the ambient noise of the sewers returned. Relief washed over her if for only a second, before she snapped back to reality and hastened her pace. It was too early. The rupture had come too early. The next would be worse.

Twilight maintained her path by the walls, keeping away from the center of the roads. As she rushed, she kept a careful count of each and every step. Her mane stood on end. One was coming. It was hard to see in the mists, but she could feel it, the massive set of veins that existed below the city, magic pumping the sewage. She would make it. It would just take time.

A plume of vile gas erupted near her, brown yet still sickly green distinct against the dark fog. Twilight shuddered, her skull tingling, barely standing not to gag. She kept a hoof to her nose to help abate the smell of plague that proliferated from the earth, the sewer even now tearing new rifts into the above world. Magic pulsed through the sewers, pushing the plague out from the city like a heart and its veins. Twilight shuddered. Only nights smelled this putrid, only at night did the earth rend in two.

Twilight kept away from the center of the roads, preferring instead to stay by the walls. As she walked, however, she kept a careful count of each and every step, a hoof to her nose whilst she counted them. Five thousand paces from the orphanage now, only a hundred more to go.

Suddenly, a crash tore through the ambiance, making her fur stand on end. She paused, breath held, waiting, simply waiting for the plague doctors, dressed in black garb and of blacker countenance, to appear within the mists, for them to tell her that they had known all along about her nightly excursions. At long last, she’d be brought to justice. She shuddered, reliving the night Aqua Melody had been taken. They had come without warning, ripping her out of her bed, her arms flailing. She’d even dug in her hooves before Twilight’s door, screaming for help before she was knocked out, taken away without a word. The eyes of the orphanage had done nothing, Twilight had done nothing. Nothing could be done.

Time passed and no other sound had been made, no trap had been sprung, no plague doctors approached her in their masks expressing nothing. She was, at least for the moment, safe. She breathed out, sweat dripping down her back, cold in the night’s air. Only a hundred left. She smiled to herself, holding back laughter. She walked with confidence every night on this selfsame path, and she would do it again tonight as she would the next. She had already come so far. She had been scared during her first few excursions out at night, but she was much more confident now.

Careful.

Confident, but careful. The danger remained in losing her way, in having the others find her out when she didn’t belong. It was not, however, in finding another pony out at night, or rather, another pony finding her.The law forbade anypony from coming out at night. Shining wouldn’t be able to protect her then, she knew. Shining could only do so much. Twilight walked alone and the fact bothered her not one bit. The others hated the night, hated the mist that followed--plague-bearer, they called it. They were scared, scarred, but not her, no, not her. For her, the night was paradise--isolation from distractions, isolation from bullies, isolation from adults. It was her time and hers alone, and damn whatever foalish superstition that tried to stop her.

She rounded the turn after some hundred paces, following the walls until they reached the market stalls, and there, she let go of the wall and walked straight into the square, her eyes closed, breathing in. Fifty paces exactly and she stopped, open her eyes and watching the mist fall away around her. The square lifted up as it approached the hill the library sat on, there the library waited, seemingly at the edge of the world.

Her face lit up like fireworks. She loved this feeling, being beneath the night sky, surrounded by a glorious silence that always seemed to provoke a restlessness within her. A restlessness she could only taste where she was, when she was. She galloped to the library, hoofsteps still light as can be. She made use of her experience from the prior nights, still as quiet as she could be.

As she approached the stone steps of the library, she bowed her head slightly, giving thanks. She was always worried about the decrepit thing, anxious that one day it might just disappear, Once upon a time, the others had told her, from before the plague, the library was an absolute bastion of knowledge. The nobles would come down from beyond the gates and study within its walls. Back then, the Queen had its shelves adorned with books from even far off lands, from beyond the borders of Equestria and in languages only the most adept in linguistics could understand. Its architecture was of a new age, completely symmetrical with beautiful arches rising from pillars of white stone, decorated with stained glass that converted light into a palace of color, painting light on the canvas of white stone. At the back was a wall composed primarily of stained glass that faced off against the endless sky, filling all with warmth and color, a scene so powerful that it was said to have made even the most grown stallions cry.

But, the past had passed. Chill permeated through the library, death penetrated its walls. The stems of the bouquet were cut, the stone broken. Rags remained hung like tourniquets, slung across irreparable divisions where banners used to hang. The stained glass had long since been shattered, and only replaced by glass stained yellow. The details cut in the stone had all but worn away, and most of the books were missing now, destroyed, burned, or sold. Despite the poor showing, the library still welcomed Twilight, knowledge the only opulence she needed.

She entered the library slowly, handling the great wooden doors with tender care, opening them without a sound. As she stepped inside, she basked in the musty smell of old books, papers in leather bound. Across from her was the great window from the stories, letting in the gentle light of the full moon despite the grime. She would get around to cleaning it eventually, but that was a big eventually, littered with ifs and buts.

Besides, she liked the way it set the mood. Despite its breadth, it couldn’t quite light the library at night. Twilight herself could do better. With a small grunt, light spilled from her horn. The violet light was needed to see within the dark walls, giving illumination to a bubble around her.

The entryway alone spoke of neglect. Nopony managed the front desk of the library anymore, nopony had in years. A small host of tables stretched out directly in front of her, although many had fallen to pieces through the years. What had once been study spaces for scholars, or meeting areas for groups to work together, had now become naught more than scrap. There would be no more voices discussing the finer points of Aristotle.There would be no more foals listening with rapt attention to the words of a school teacher on a field trip.

None of these would ever come back, and the tables would remain eternally empty. Who would brave the nights, who would come into the lower districts, just to use a broken-down library with tables that could barely even remember their better day? Few remained, their integrity a merit to their craftsmanship. Truly, looking at them in depth would reward one with a wealth of knowledge of the craft. Even among the benches were tiny little figurines engraved and carved along the sides, decorating and turning into a work of art what would usually be functional at best. The tables themselves were magnificent, rich mahogany wood inlaid with simple but beautiful designs of varying colors. At least, a few still held it. The rest lay in shattered heaps from looting or carelessness.

She began perusing through the stores of the library, taking care not to step on any of the books that remained littered amongst the dirt and the rubble. Even now, when they truly were broken and beaten down into the literal dust, Twilight couldn’t help but see each one as a friend, or some adventure, or a hidden tryst that nopony must speak of. Such was the power of books.

Like the broken tables, these too would remain here. Any book worth coin had already been stolen long ago, and nopony had any interest in reading anymore. There were scant few in the lower city that even knew how to read at all, and among those, barely any had time to do what she was doing now. What pony besides Twilight would have the drive to crack open a tome of justice? What pony besides Twilight would read a romance of a kingdom from far away? There were none now. And thus, Twilight trotted on, leaving the books to their new homes. Some day, she’d reshelf them all. It had been some day for two long years now. But, with the Queen as her witness, she swore she’d do it. Some day.

Despite the disrepair, the library remained massive. Three upper floors lined the walls, closer to open hallways than actual floors. It was a very open sort of architecture, with each floor able to look down into the practical courtyard that was on the first. Save for the second floor, they met up against the wall that outlined the great window, with steps that led down to the former hall. The second floor, instead, went around completely, the great window in place right above it. It truly would’ve been a glorious place to sit back in the library’s heyday.

Below the window on the second floor sat a pedestal with no host, separated completely from the books that otherwise adorned everything. For those few shelves that still contained their treasures, the books and the pages held within were never guaranteed to be complete. Twilight knew this from experience. There was many a time when the climax of a work or a necessary page would simply be missing, abruptly halting her from any conclusion or possible understanding. She hated those times the most.

Twilight had moved to the other side now, closer to the great window, approaching the stairs that led to the second floor. As she made her way up, she glanced towards the center of the library, a mess of broken pillars that used to support the roof. They were truly massive, Corinthian style pillars, each one suited to seemingly bear the weight of the world on its shoulders. And Twilight had no doubt that each one could’ve at one point. Where they were once impenetrable fortresses of stone, now they were crumbling. Chunks of rock were missing entirely in all of them, and the majority had ruptured cracks running up the sides. Where there were formerly eight, there were now only five, and though Twilight was the sole Queen to this forgotten castle, she dared not venture to where the pillars had fallen. There, the ground had become unstable.

A more curious and much more naive version of herself had ventured there once. And only once, as the first time she’d meandered that far out, the floor had collapsed, leaving behind a dark, deep pit. If a pony got close enough, they’d just be able to make out the sound of the sewers, the great underbelly of the city, churning away every night. Close enough, and you could just smell the scent of the plagued water rushing underneath. Even worse, the tables had been piled high with books, only to have those tumble down into the abyss as well. The books left there could wait another day. Perhaps when she didn’t have other things already planned. Or perhaps when she was stronger. Or perhaps never.

On the second floor, she made her way down the path, away from the great window, taking just a second to look towards it. Under the window, a pedestal still stood, with just the half shattered legs of a pony on top of it. At one point, the statue had clearly been something majestic; the hooves alone were adorned with the kind of shoes that only a noble pony would wear, or one of royalty. She turned again and headed back down the path, the shelves lining the right side, the railing on the left, broken in several places. Her eyes avoided the black pit that loomed below, preferring instead to look to the right. Between each shelf was a thin dull window, looking somewhat yellow in the light of her horn, blocked from filth.The end of the floor had an alcove set into it, with a few benches surrounded something quite extraordinary.

Put simply, a beautiful statue of an alicorn dominated that space, wings outstretched, wide and accepting, embracing what should have been the moon if only the window had been cleaned, just a little. Her mane appeared majestic, cut to simulate movement even as it remained still as stone, and a gentle smile graced her lips, completing the look. A name, crudely worn away, adorned the base, but from how the effigy seemed, how she simply carried herself, Twilight could tell she was a goddess. She appeared absolutely radiant, even in the dark. Twilight always loved the look of the alicorn, so kind and welcoming, radiant, motherly even, but she could never quite shake the feeling that the alicorn was lonely, the pedestal on the other side being bare. Twilight honestly believed the lack of symmetry to be off putting, but she shrugged it off and continued.

Somepony had cut a small recess behind the statue, barely noticeable, which she pressed herself into. At first, there was a little resistance, but easily enough the compartment gave way. Twilight had to fight to fit herself inside, but she managed it eventually though it meant taking her saddlebags off entirely. Ever so gently, she levitated in her books and closed the compartment door behind her. The stone here looked and felt significantly different from outside, being composed of large, equally-sized rocks that appeared to be stacked upon each other as if without care. Narrow steps flowed along the side of the wall, leading to a door that opened upwards. With the practice of hundreds of night she flicked attic door open with magic and made her way inside. Here, Twilight called home, her true home.

Twilight squeezed her way through the narrow corridor, towards the attic. The passageway pressed against her tightly, constricting around her. When she had first came here, Twilight practically pranced through with room to spare, but now-a-days it grew harder. Oh, the joys of growing older. She popped her head through the trapdoor at the top first, and then slowly fought the rest of herself through. The saddle bag followed along like a duckling following its mother, her magic guiding its path carefully. More books were piled up here, almost lovingly sorted into stacks. Some pony had sorted them long ago, by subject and then by author.

Finding anything in one was easy, getting one out? Not so much. Thankfully, the secrecy of the area had preserved these books. None of the looters from the plague had managed to find their way into this sacred area. These were the last real books in the library. They were books of magic, and true history. They were books of great power, with words that could turn the very world to stone. They were books with stories of terribly powerful artifacts, that would let you hold infinite power in your hoof. Twilight’s own hoard.

There was a window in this particular room, though Twilight couldn’t figure out how. She’d come here during the day, and where this one was slotted, there existed nothing on the outside. Nevertheless, one small window was set into the wall, giving a tiny porthole into the world beyond. It was just enough to provide a scant ray of moonlight to peek into the room. Twilight often spent nights reading under that ray. A statue, much like the one from before, lay in pieces below the window. Its wings were shattered, only rough gouges remaining where they had once been. All four of its legs had been shorn off at the knee, or lower. The chest of it was pitted with missing stone, and the crown and horn had been torn off by some great force. Yet, the face remained whole.The statue lay on its side, pointed out towards the window, staring out into the night sky.

Something about it’s look welcomed Twilight in, capturing her attention with the two lifeless eyes. Whereas the first statue had felt off-putting and slightly lonely, this one felt much more friendly and caring. Which was strange, as the expression the statue wore could best be described as a grimace. It wasn’t exceptionally detailed, or crafted to perfection, in fact, it was destroyed, and the only care given to it was by Twilight’s amateur hooves. Yet, to Twilight it was perfect; this was her teacher.

Beside the statue,Twilight had built her nest. She had ‘commandeered’ some blankets and a little bedding from the orphanage to make a place to lay. They wouldn’t miss it, not really. Oddly enough, blankets were one of the few things they never ran out of it. It was somehow fashionable in the upper city to donate that kind of thing. Beautifully crafted blankets with stitchwork the naked eye could barely see? They had a hundred. Food? Not so much. Burnt out candles littered the area as well, tokens from her other late nights. One day, she’d clean it all up, yet another list on her long, tedious list.

Most importantly, her prized possession, a brass telescope, pointed out the window. Her teacher kept it under close guard, the only pony that she could truly trust in this world. Often times she would use it just to gaze at the night sky. Despite knowing next to nothing about it, gazing into that void with its star-studded landscape entranced the mare. She had spent many a night doing no reading and just staring off into space. She imagined some day she might go there, though to say it was a pipe-dream wasn’t strong enough. Notes and neatly stacked papers were arranged for her to record anything new she discovered, from different constellations to interesting bits of magic. All of it lay there, nearly a collection of its own. For now, they were dominated with discussions of teleportation, both from ancient tomes and her own, personal thoughts.

On the other side of the alicorn statue, Twilight stored her special collection. They weren’t just books, but special books. They had graduated from simple treasure to words of the goddesses themselves. These tomes were those marked by her teacher, specially designated for her to read. She was still unable to tell why they were marked, and that had even been the subject of many night’s studies. There wasn’t a real rhyme or reason as to which books were chosen, no underlying thread. She had tried nearly everything from authors, to subjects to certain key words. The books ranged in all sorts of subjects, from alchemy, to history, to magic. Everything. Their time periods were even different, some written within the past fifteen years and others dating back centuries. It just didn’t make sense to the mare, but it didn’t have to. Her teacher knew best, and that was all that mattered.

There was only one thing they did share, what marked them as her words of gospel. Every single one of them shared one thing; the red mark of the plague. Sometimes, the mark could be found quite easily. On the cover, or the spine, or where the author’s name would be. A simple sweep of the library proved sufficient to find those. Other times, her master liked to add a challenge to it. Twilight had found marks inside the books, on totally different pages. She had even managed to find one inside of a letter. One special book, the one that had led her towards teleportation had the plague mark inside of an ‘o’. That one had taken her weeks to find, and quite honestly, she only found it due to luck. She had time though, and was patient. No matter how hidden they were, Twilight managed to find one. Once a week, always.

No matter their subject, Twilight ravenously devoured their contents. These books were Twilight’s little treats. These were the things that kept the mare going, the carrot to the stick that was life. They were the balm on her weary soul, and the things that woke her up in the morning. She could imagine it now, when her teacher finally showed herself, the discussions they would have on why these books were chosen. What they were about, and how they could improve the filly and make her stronger. The mystery would be solved, and her teacher would be so proud of her. When they finally met, Twilight was ready, ready to prove her devotion. And what better way to do that then have a spell ready? Something that would really impress her master.

Twilight had studied for many moons now, preparing her ultimatum. A teleportation spell would surely impress her teacher. Something that could show her power. In terms of fit, she could think of nothing better— nothing else would show off her mastery quite as well. And of course it had to be this spell. Why else would her master have hidden the most difficult mark in a book on the subject? It was the only thing that made logical sense, after all. There was no reason why that one would be special, unless her teacher wanted her to learn that spell. Tonight would be the night she finished it, she had to. And so, Twilight nestled down into her bedding, beginning to pick a nearby reference guide. Studying would be the key, as always.

But, from downstairs, a voice filtered into the attic. That was...interesting. Nopony had ever been here with her before. For once, Twilight let hope light up her bosom. Was this it? Was that her teacher? What other pony would be out this late? What other pony would come here, where her hideout was perfectly hidden? Nopony else could know of her secret hiding spot. It could be nopony else, she felt sure of that. Her ears perked up and she started her way back down the stairs, giddiness keeping her steps light. She hesitantly smiled. Tonight was finally the night. It had to be.

Twilight stopped at the bottom of the stairs, right in front of the hidden opening. She peered out, into the small alcove where the statue rested, searching for the sound of the voice. Twilight had to get a peek of the mare - she was sure it was a mare- before she greeted her in the flesh. With the levity rising in her, it was hard to keep herself from shouting out, but somehow the young mare managed it. It would all be worth it in a few moments, when she spoke to her master for the first time. Twilight could practically smell the payoff, so very close now.

But instead of the single mare she thought it would be, two ponies stood, one mare and one stallion. The mare was the picture of classical beauty, long pink mane, against white coat. Twilight couldn’t particularly make out her cutie mark; the night was too dark and the alcove was cloaked in shadows. Perhaps this could be her teacher? She was certainly elegant enough, and her beauty unrivaled. Yet, Twilight couldn’t help but fight the feeling that it should’ve been somepony… more. That wasn’t to say the unicorn was worthless, or somehow a lesser pony, but she wasn’t what Twilight expected. Despite having no clear expectation, she just knew that she'd know when she saw her. Twilight knew with startling clarity that this mare could not be her master. Across from the mare, the stallion looked about as sophisticated as the outside shanties. He still wore clothes straight from work it seemed, a stereotype of a dock worker. Twilight’s nose wrinkled. Definitely not him.

“You’re absolutely, positively sure that there are no more of our books here?” the mare asked in a refined and cultured voice. The mare stared the stallion down, her horn radiating a dim, golden glow, although Twilight couldn’t tell for what purpose. Despite the external beauty, Twilight couldn’t help but feel a niggling sense of wrongness from the mare. Even her soft, melodious voice didn’t ease the edge away. Twilight suddenly wanted to be very far away from her, but yet… something also told her to stay close, and listen. And that something reminded her of her mistress’s voice, so stay close she would.

The stallion wilted under her gaze and took a step back. “Yea! Positive! We’ve looked, and look, nothins still here,” the stallion answered, looking anywhere but the mare’s eyes.

“Very well. Be careful, and be quick. You know what to do. There are infiltrators in our ranks, so think twice before talking to another. It won’t be the royal guard; my head is still attached to my shoulders after all.” The mare continued with a mirthless chuckle. Twilight could barely catch the edge of the mare’s count as she turned to leave and Twilight watched her go. Twilight’s eyes stuck on the form, her gentle gait reinforcing her beauty. Yet, Twilight would be careful with one like this: to plot so deeply that guards would kill on sight… Twilight couldn’t imagine. Despite wanting to push the night from her mind, Twilight committed the mare to memory. If only so she could stay far, far away from her in the future.

The stallion stood alone for a moment before shaking his head. He rubbed the back of his neck, head drooping low, before following the mare into the darkness.

Twilight waited, holding her breath in silence. Minutes passed, and slowly, ever so slowly, the sound of the hoofsteps faded away. Finally, Twilight emerged from the hole. She looked around, nothing looking awry at first. Twilight hesitantly stepped forward, taking her time to glance around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She turned back to the hole, ready to get back to her studies when she spotted the difference. The statue’s chest had been split, the mark of the plague rending it open.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoy.

Newly edited 12-7-2016

Chapter 2 is being edited now.

Cadance Interlude: A Matter of Love

Shadows danced on the walls as the setting sun shone in through Cadance’s window. Her office, perched on the side of one of the towers, had a wonderful view which served as a welcome distraction from constant work.

Due to her position as royal advisor, Celestia had allocated her this office to use as she needed. She quite liked it - the entire space was nice and cozy. Sure, there were bigger ones, but she had her desk, a painting of home on the wall, and a fireplace for the winter. She had her own tea set nestled in the corner as well, and a guest chair for whoever came in. Nothing fancy, just built for utility.

Yes, she had added her own touches here and there. Her stationery had a few too many hearts on it. And her chair may have been embroidered with a light pink rather than white. Not to mention that tea set - completely pink and painted with her cutie mark. Just because Cadance acted professionally didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little cuteness in her work life!

Despite what many ponies thought, it was not just the job of a personal advisor to talk to Celestia. Or, as others believed, to just talk to ponies and shield the princess from their harsh and angry words. No, Cadance didn’t play the part of a glorified secretary, she had her own ideas, own beliefs, and own actions.

Cadance didn’t just hold the office of royal advisor. Despite her business, she also managed to run the second most popular party in the House of Nobles: the Caretaker party. She sat at the head seat in the chamber, voicing their opinions and deciding their votes. As such, Cadance needed to be up to date with the current events. One particular news story drew her attention, one from a pony by the name of Twinkle.

Apparently, the plague had finally started to lose its death grip on the lower districts.

Certainly, it was good news, but… it was just so hard to believe. She’d heard the same rumors with nothing to show for years. Only, this one seemed much more detailed than the others. The hints were no longer just whispers in the streets, but cold, hard data. Incidences down thirty percent. Fog at night dissipating. Fatality rates dropping. All good news, she couldn’t deny.

Yet, at the same time, she couldn’t believe it either. Being so close to the princess, Cadance knew more than the average pony. She held privileges that few could hope to match, and thus knew the true nature of the plague. No pony ‘in the know’ could doubt that it was magic based any longer, so a magic based solution alone could cleanse it from the streets. Which, if the plague truly had started to disperse, meant some rogue mage working on and discovering a solution. He, or she of course, had to be powerful to enact such changes.

Cadance couldn’t help but smile a little to herself: she could appreciate some no-name pony spreading good for no personal gain. What a nice pony.

Her ears twitched as somepony knocked on her office door. She looked down, eyes landing on her planner and giving it a quick scan. Well, she didn’t have anything planned for this time of night. Then again, drop in visits happened quite often, especially from the princess and the Queen. “Come in!” she called, voice as sweet as sugar.

The door was enveloped in a brilliant purple light before a predictably purple muzzle peeked around the corner. In stepped a mare Cadance knew well by now-- a certain Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight, the Student of the Night.

Twilight, the consummate scholar.

Twilight, the fierce study.

Also, apparently, Twilight the adorable if her brother’s words could be believed. Although lately, she’d found the stallion quite cute as well.

But another time. Twilight kept fidgeting in place, so much that Cadance obviously noticed it. Nervous? Hm…

Like most of the palace staff, Cadance had seen no shortage of Twilight over the past few months. She’d talked with her several times, though most of everything was essentially small talk and over within minutes. As of late, she had noticed a change in her. Slowly, ever so slowly, the precocious and highly intelligent filly melted away, refined by the Queen. Instead, Twilight was replaced by a young mare- one much more confident, much more at home in the castle.

Almost noble-like, actually. And she didn’t mean that as a compliment; several times, she’d seen Twilight snap at ponies. She’d also seen her apologize afterwards, genuinely remorseful as far as Cadance could tell, but the snapping alone worried Cadance.

Luna’s students, at least in the past, were almost frighteningly powerful. With Luna’s guidance, her students developed their chosen subjects to its fullest potentially, always beyond exceptional, always pushing the field of study. Luna had a knack for getting the best out of her students, and in some cases that could bode poorly indeed.

Cadance actually spent time having the students tailed, ensuring their powers wouldn’t come to abuse. She remembered nearly a decade ago - Cadance wasn’t quite as young as she looked - where one even needed to be arrested. And had worst come to worse, Cadance worried she might have to have them killed!

But, Cadance didn’t live in the past. Sometimes these students needed… gentle nudges, she would call them. And Cadance would happily provide them. Who better to help guide the poor, young foals than one like her? The advisor of internal affairs and leader of the harmony party could show them the way better than any others.

Speaking of court, lately, things had grown worse. The court stirred in its decadence, a few of her rival party members finally starting to harvest the fruits of their long labors. Fleur, always a trouble, Charlemane, consistently a thorn in her hoof, and even Silverhorn, despite being in her own party all caused her no small amount of headache. She could keep Silverhorn in line to an extent, but the others wouldn’t stop their constant badgering, their persistent movements.

And here was a wonderful playing piece, delivering itself right into Cadance’s lap. She didn’t seek to manipulate her - no, Cadance didn’t pet cats while cackling evilly or anything like that. Just… insulate her from the rest. A neutral student was a student that she wanted, that benefitted her. Though, she would still need to ensure Twilight remained on the right track.

Luna worried her lately. Cadance loved her, how could she not? The royal sisters had adopted her when she was young due to some extenuating circumstances and Luna had treated her like family from the very beginning, despite their more business like relationship now-a-days. That love still remained, Cadance could feel it clear as day, but Luna lately had changed.

Ever since the plague, though possibly a bit before that, Luna had drawn into herself. She took that silly Queen moniker and hid herself away. She did what she needed to do and ran the country well, but Cadance knew what went on behind the scenes.

Not many ponies knew, but Luna had her own secrets. Naturally, Cadance didn’t know everything. Likely, not even Celestia knew everything that Luna did. The night mare walked in the shadows, stalking through the night. Cadance knew enough to have heard of her Intelligentsia. Her house guard, while competent, were not the same as her true guard, the Midnight guard.

Cadance only heard rumors, of course. But enough of them corroborated to make her believe them. Assassinations in far-away cities arrests in the middle of the night without warrants, scuffles in the halls of the castle even, all reached her ears. Cadance originally hadn’t believed she’d grown so bold, but apparently the Queen wanted control of her court and would do anything to assert it.

Luna didn’t just find success; Cadance had been there when they practically scraped the remains out of Fleur’s bedchambers. An assassin had done their best and failed in the truest extent, though Fleur didn’t exactly put him out of his misery quickly. Despite Cadance’s prying, she never did learn what Fleur found out that night, though she’d seen the effects. Fleur’s party grew in power, and their disdain of the monarchs grew.

After all, if the monarchs couldn’t keep safety within their own castles, where could they keep safe? Few knew that it had been on Luna’s orders, Cadance wasn’t entirely sure that Fleur knew either. But, like always, she suspected.

Cadance had kept a closer eye on Luna’s nightly activities since. Ever since that night, Luna had walked more subtly, never going as far as assassinations. But, the quiet rumors and hints never faded away. Cadance was safe herself, especially being so close to Celestia, but nobles disappeared all the time.

All in the name of the empire, according to her sources.

Bah, as if killing would make anything better.

But, her thoughts digressed. She needed to concentrate on the young mare in front of her. She looked older than when she’d first come, though the constant exercise might be to blame. At least Twilight looked happy and - except for the outbursts - seemed to be on the right track. A gentle hoof would be all she needed.

“Good evening, Twilight. Would you like to sit?” Cadance asked. Her magic lit, light blue aura surrounding the chair and holding it out for the younger mare.

Before Twilight could begin, Cadance help up a hoof, keeping her silent. “How about tea?” Twilight shook her head. “Water? Food, maybe?”

“T-thank you Cadance, but really, I’m fine,” Twilight answered, shaking her head again. She squirmed into the seat, trying to get comfortable.

Cadance’s piercing eyes read ponies well. Twilight definitely looked nervous, the constant shifting and looking around making it obvious enough. Why in Tartarus is she so blasted nervous?

“Something wrong, my dear?” Cadance asked, giving her best, sweetest grin possible. Oh, she did so hate to see little ones unhappy! She did still have the famously big heart, after all.

Twilight shook her head even more rapidly, barking out nervous laughter.

Cadance couldn’t help but hide a small smile behind a hoof. Twilight didn’t particularly hide her anxiety well, did she? Not that she could blame her - coming to Cadance probably took a lot out of her. She raised a hoof, doing her best to wipe the smile away. She didn’t want the poor dear to think she was laughing at her either.

“It’s fine, Twilight. How about we talk about why you came to see me, then? I’m flattered, really, and don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have you here more often. But, you don’t exactly come to visit me often, so I figured there had to be a reason,” Cadance reasoned. Twilight liked logic, right? She fit the stereotype of a scholar in nearly all meanings of the word, so logic would likely get through to her. Or so she hoped.

“Oh, um, sorry for that!” Twilight’s words came quickly, alarm flaring. The two of them were not friends, not yet atleast. “But really, it’s not a big deal. It’s just…” Twilight trailed off, dropping her head and staring at her lap.

Cadance leaned forward expectantly, placing a gentle hoof on the table. “It’s alright, Twilight. There’s no hurry, but remember that anything you tell me here will one hundred percent not leave the room, understand? In fact, I’ve got silencing spells on the doors and windows.” That part was true, too. She held constant enchantments around the room at all times, ensuring confidentiality at all times. With her job, she needed it.

Twilight’s horn flashed for a split second, bathing the room in an amethyst glow. Twilight fell into calm as the light flittered away, check complete. “Okay… I trust you, alright? Don’t laugh, okay?”

Cadance’s heart swelled. Poor filly… She couldn’t help but feel a little surge of pity and happiness: hapinnes because Twilight trusted her, and pity for how paranoid she seemed about it. What did she really have to say?

“Of course. No laughing.”

Twilight took a deep breath and nodded her head, obviously trying to relax. Deep down, Cadance honestly wished that she would just get it over with already. “I.. IthinkIlikeLuna,” Twilight sputtered out.

Cadance blinked. What?

“Slow down a bit, Twilight,” she encouraged, giving a nod of her head. “I couldn’t understand you.”

Twilight groaned and buried her head in her hooves. “I think I have a crush on Luna,” she said, much slower.

Oh.

Right.

Of course.

Cadance blinked again, finally managing to close her muzzle after a few seconds. She expected many things when Twilight stepped into her office. This, however, had been one of the farthest things from her mind. Maybe a crush on somepony else, one of the nobles. Maybe help with her spellwork or something similar.

But a crush on Luna? That could be troublesome, actually. Cadance wanted to help both of them, but Twilight was barely out of her foalhood and with both of their issues? No, she couldn’t truly agree that they would be good for each other. Anger issues didn’t go well with anger issues.

On the other side of the coin… True love could never be stopped. Cadance briefly considered taking a peek inside Twilight’s head - her special talent let her see love. Twilight would likely never consent to it, but Cadance’s curiosity was there. That same part of her screamed in joy and excitement, practically bouncing up and down. What a love story it would be! The princess and her student, taboo and exotic, dangerous~

The perfect love story. Could she really pass that up?

And they’d be cute together.

Right, that settled it. Cadance could help her, but like always she would be careful with it. Just another way of controlling the mare, and, even better, it would sate her own courtship urges. Cadance slowly let the glee she felt inside show, her face splitting in a wide grin and eyes brimming with delight. “Oh, that’s wonderful news, Twilight!” she encouraged. The pink mare stood up and hugged her over the bed, patting Twilight gently on the back.

She may have squeezed a bit too hard.

Twilight extricated herself from the hug, wincing. “J-jeez, you’re like, really strong for a unicorn,” she coughed out, rubbing at her shoulder.

Oh, what she didn’t know…

Cadance laughed it off, waving a hoof. “So I’ve been told before. I just eat my vegetables,” she teased with a wink. “But! That’s not the important thing right now. The important thing is how we’re going to get you and Luna together!” Cadance clapped her hooves together, eyes dancing.

“Didn’t think that far ahead. I-I just wanted to see if you thought I was right!” Twilight protested, a small blush spreading across her face.

Cadance nodded, doing her best to put her ‘business’ face back on. “Okay, what made you think you like her?” she asked. To be fair, Twilight could simply be confused. Hormones at the age were a mess, after all.

“Well, I had a dream...” Twilight hesitated, taking another deep breath before continuing. “Luna surprised me on my birthday. I thought she would miss it, but she came right to my room. A-and well, she gave me the best present. She kissed me,” Twilight explained, her blush evolving from a light pink to a deep scarlet.

Cadance couldn’t help but giggle, hiding her muzzle behind a hoof “Oh, you poor thing. Just a kiss, no sex?”

Twilight hesitated, but still nodded.

“Probably not just teenage lust then,” Cadance affirmed with a nod of her head. Being something of an expert involving romantic dreams, she felt confident in that. “What else? What do you think of Luna?”

“Well, she’s beautiful, kind, caring, and just perfect. I don’t know how anypony can hate her. I mean, I know she has a few flaws and she’s made a few mistakes, but everypony has, and they don’t have half the majesty of the Queen. The whole plague sealing bit was just a good decision, and you can’t tell me she hasn’t done her absolute best to try and make it better! Luna deserves ponies loving her, and if nopony else will do it, I will!” Twilight finished with a huff. She stomped a hind hoof on the ground, cheeks red from anger rather than embarrassment now.

Hm, passion is definitely there. Twilight seemed protective actually. That could be good in small doses, though it reeked of puppy love given their ages. What, fourteen to several thousand? Twilight couldn’t change the world. Then again, that kind of fire didn’t hurt so long as she toned it down.

“Good to hear, sweetie, and I’m sure you will. So, you may have a crush on Luna, but what do you plan on doing about it?” That was the kicker. Did she want to let it fester? Grow? Develop? Stagnate? Cadance had her hunches.

“I’d like to talk to her about it, I guess. See if she feels the same way. I’d really, really, really like to court her. But, at the same time, that can’t happen, can it? She’s so much older, and she’s the Queen. She wouldn’t be interested in, much less allowed to get involved with somepony like me, right?” Twilight looked up, eyes uncertain and questioning. Cadance’s heart ached for her, it really did.

“Well, I wouldn’t say never. The Queen has courted before, and even married.” She didn’t mention that none were as young as Twilight. That wouldn’t help her case at all; and truly, she thought they might go well together. “Her last marriage was a century or so ago, and she’s married about every one hundred years. Statistically, she’s due for another.” She added, with a small giggle.

Twilight shook her head and groaned, resting her head on her hooves. “That’s not how statistics work, Cadance! Just because she did it before like that, doesn’t mean she’s going to do it again. But…” Twilight poked her head up. “Do you really think there’s a chance?”

Cadance’s heart fluttered again at how adorable Twilight looked with her floppy ears and just the hint of her eyes showing from under her hooves. “Yes, really. There’s a chance. If you really want to pursue it, I’ll help you out. I’ll be your ally, Twilight. I promise.” Cadance patted her back once more before settling back into her chair.

“Now, you need dinner, and I need to get a bit more work done. How about you get us a seat in the dining hall and I’ll meet you there. We can talk all about it, okay?” Cadance asked. “Secrecy spell included, of course.”

Twilight slowly, carefully got back to her hooves, flashing Cadance the first smile since she’d come. “O-Okay. I’ll see you there?”

Cadance and nodded and waved her hoof, ushering Twilight away. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Twilight nodded once more before disappearing through the door. Cadance stood from her chair, locking the door behind the retreating Twilight. With a sigh, she closed her drapes with a flick of magic.

Days drained her. Sometimes, she just needed a second to cut loose.

Speaking of… Cadance shrugged off her cloak. With a groan, pink wings with purple tips stretched out behind her, flaring out from a tiny, near invisible slit in her dress. On a whim, her horn lit, wings giving a gentle flap. She closed her eyes, visualizing Twilight and Luna standing apart from each other. Ever so slowly, a line of violet and dark blue formed between the two. The string remained faint, nearly imperceptible, but it was there anyway.

Twilight didn’t lie, then. She did have feelings, and it looked like Luna returned them in some way.

Perfect.

Cadance smiled, a happy, joyous smile. Oh true love, how wonderful it was! Well, not quite true love, but if Cadance played her cards right there would be no reason it couldn’t become so. Perhaps she could just use a pinch of her magic, just for the greater good. The more she thought about it, the more she figured the two would be good for each other, and thus good for the kingdom. A strong monarch with a strong mage by her side could only spell good for Equestria.

She would have to talk to Celestia about all of this. The princess would need to know what went on in her sister’s life. Cadance thought she would approve, especially with the good that could come from it.

It was with a happy hum that Cadance tucked her wings back tight and departed her office. The future looked bright after such a wonderful day. But for now, she had a filly to teach the art of love.

Author's Note

Hey folks! Super sorry for the time taken here!

So, this marks the one third marker in terms of chapter length. I'm super grateful that everyone has stayed with me this far and I'm super excited for the next few chapters! Things are going to start moving much more quickly now that the plot has been set in place. See everyone soon :3