Confronting Twilight's Front Door
"Twilight Sparkle, wilt thou go upon a date with me? Twilight Sparkle, wilt thou go on a date with me?"
Princess Luna, the regal embodiment of dreams and the moon, walked slowly through Ponyville, muttering to herself. Ponies watched her nervously as she passed, none daring to interrupt whatever was on her mind.
"Twilight Sparkle, wilt thou- no, no. I must learn to speak in the modern vernacular. If I were to speak so in front of her, she wouldst surely think me a fusty old mare, a relic of the past. Archaic Equestrian will not do." She took a deep breath, and tried, "Twilight Sparkle, would you consent to going upon a date with me? ....no, no, too long. That was just as bad. Twilight Sparkle, would you... date... would you go upon a date with me?"
Her coat had been brushed until it was as smooth as silk, and her mane and tail waved freely in the air, stars and nebulae shining brightly within. With the help of an attendant, she'd applied delicate eyeshadow and mascara, shading her eyes with pale blue and lengthening her lashes. Her elaborate preparations, as subtle as they were to an onlooker's eye, helped lay a little armour over her trembling heart.
Her hoofsteps were slowing noticeably as she approached the tree where Twilight dwelled. "Why, thou art being ridiculous," she told herself, as she realised she was barely putting one hoof before the other, "and there is nothing to be gained by dawdling about."
She sped up, very slightly, then immediately slowed again as Twilight's treehouse came into view from behind a small, homely cottage. Little by little, almost sidling up to the brightly coloured front doors, Luna approached.
"This will be fine," she reassured herself, lifting a hoof to knock, then hesitating. "It will be fine." Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt dizzy with the rush of oxygen from her quick, nervous breathing. "Knock on the door. Knock on the-" She banged her hoof against the red-painted wood loudly, then jerked backwards a step.
"Twilight Sparkle, will you date me, Twilight Sparkle, will you date me," she muttered to herself, her wings flexing in nervous agitation.
For a long moment, there was stillness, and Luna's breath came quicker and quicker. Then, the crimson doors opened inwards.
"Sparkle date me!" Luna blurted, her eyes snapping shut. There was a distinct silence, that subjectively, lasted several aeons. Then, she dared open one eye.
A young dragon was stood in the doorway, looking at her as if she were insane.
"N-no! I - I meant -" Luna stammered, her face going dark purple as all the blood rushed to her cheeks. Her body took over from her reeling mind, and her wings snapped out in great, feathery arcs. With a hard downbeat, she shot into the air as if fired from a cannon, and didn't stop until she was safely cocooned in a cloud, far, far away.
Only then, as mindless panic gave way, did she wail aloud, "Luna, thou art the largest fool in Equestria!"
It had begun - well, it had begun the moment that Twilight Sparkle had summoned the final Element of Harmony, and driven out all of the toxic hatred and poisonous bitterness that had overtaken her soul and blackened her heart. The veil of darkness that had so gradually fallen over her sight, that had lingered so long she could no longer remember anything else, was torn away. Revealed, stood before her, was a pony; a young, obviously terrified, unshakably determined pony.
The first thing she'd seen clearly in over a thousand years.
Her sister had come to gather up, and take her away, off to an elegant, cleanly appointed bedroom in a city Luna barely remembered as being something of a second-string backwater. Now, it was dominated by a vast royal castle, easily the equal of the one that they'd once shared. That one, she'd eventually learned, had been abandoned to the forest. Abandoned, thanks to Celestia's grief over the loss of her sister.
The overwhelming guilt of all she'd done had kept her more thoroughly trapped in her new, foreign rooms than she'd ever been trapped in the moon. There was nothing she could say, to anypony. Maids scurried away nervously if she caught them, guards didn't dare catch her eye. To her sister, there was nothing Luna dared talk about - any mention of their shared past would only bring Celestia more heartbreak, remembering how it had ended - and no other pony would know anything about those long ago days.
A thousand years. The world had changed beyond recognition. How could she face anypony?
Even so, Celestia had reached out to her. Her sister was patient and kind, and little by little, as the seasons changed outside the white stone walls, she'd been coaxed into leaving her room. She couldn't stay in the castle forever, Celestia had told her, and for her sister's sake, Luna tried to believe it. So it was that on Nightmare Night, she had managed to make herself go as far as Ponyville, and try to speak to strangers.
It was an instant disaster. Everypony was scared of her, and even worse, she barely remembered how to interact with others. Twilight had saved her again, the only pony seemingly unafraid. She was even dressed up as a pony Luna knew! It was silly for that to have helped put her at ease, but... it had.
Even so, things might have gone no further, had Celestia not told her about Twilight's letter.
Luna clanked as she walked.
She was coated head to tail in armour, boldly marked with her cutie mark. It was quite magnificent; ancient, overlapping scales of midnight blue and silver, shifting fluidly with her every movement. The leading edges of her wings were clad in lightweight, silvery metal, intricately jointed to fold neatly and smoothly with her wings. A dark cloak billowed in the breeze. She looked entirely ready and prepared to fight a war all by herself.
She just had to think of it like a battle, she'd decided. It wasn't that she'd messed up everything, and could never, ever go back to Twilight's house - no, that was silly! Looking at it tactically, her initial foray had been rebuffed. That was fine. She had scouted the land, and gathered valuable intelligence, and now she was prepared to make another go of it, with an improved plan. She would sweep in, have Spike show her inside, and impress Twilight. There would be no need to ask her upon a date. Twilight would ask her upon a date, and Luna would graciously accept.
No hesitation. Sweep in, impress, and accept. She halted outside the library's red doors, took a deep breath, and knocked with an armoured hoof.
A brief pause, during which she worried whether she'd dented the paintwork, and the door swung inwards.
"Spike," began Luna grandly, "summon thy-"
Twilight stood in the doorway, staring at her with alarm. "Princess Luna? What's wrong, has something happened?"
"Oh. It's you," Luna replied awkwardly, then cringed as the echo of her own words came back to her. That was - that had sounded so dismissive - Luna wanted to melt into the ground. Coughing into her armoured hoof, she replied weakly, "I... no, there is no problem. I was simply seeking - have you seen anything unusual, Twilight Sparkle?"
"Um. Not recently, if you exclude Pinkie."
"That's - good. That's very good." Luna smiled desperately, her hind legs fidgeting. "I should - continue searching, then. For unusual things."
"Well," came Spike's voice from behind Twilight, "if you want to talk about unusual, there was that time a couple of days ago when-"
She was going to be slain by a dragon. A vast, awful panic swept through her, and her armoured wings snapped wide. "Needed urgently farewell!" yelped Luna, and with barely a pause for Twilight's expression to change to terminal bewilderment, she shot directly into the air. The leaves dragged at her and caught in the cracks of her armour as she skimmed the top of the tree, a flood of horror and embarrassment filling her from head to hoof.
"Fool, fool, fool," she chastised herself, looking back to make sure she was out of sight of the little treehouse's windows. Having Twilight watch her frantically flap into the distance really would be the last straw. Thus occupied not looking where she was going, she ploughed into the top of a tree with a resounding crash and a rain of leaves.
Luna struggled briefly, her legs either side of a branch, her wings pinned half-open, then sagged, laying her head against the rough bark.
Now she'd messed up everything and could never go back.
A day or so after the semi-contained debacle of Nightmare Night in Ponyville, her sister had called her over. Twilight had sent a letter - part of regular correspondence with Celestia, apparently - and there was a part about Luna.
Luna had taken the letter warily, bracing herself. What could Twilight have to say, other than complaints about Celestia's awful, awkward sister spoiling their evening by shouting at everypony?
It was wonderful to meet Princess Luna again. It must be really hard for her to cope with all the changes from the Equestria she remembers, but she was trying hard. I think she's a kind pony.
I'd really like to see her again.
Luna only became aware that her eyes had welled up when she let out an audible sniffle. "She... really thinks this?"
Celestia nodded, moving beside her sister and gently pressing her flank to hers in reassurance. "Twilight has a good heart. I knew that she'd see what I see in you."
Luna read and reread the letter, comforted by the warmth of her sister beside her. Somepony accepted her, just as she was. Somepony really thought well of her, and wanted to spend more time in her company. When she finally lifted her head, it was to ask very softly, "Sister, would it be possible to... see some more of her letters?"
Pausing, Celestia looked down at Luna, then rested her head affectionately against hers. "Very well, Luna. You may."
And so, Luna had been allowed to take a small chest of neatly filed letters back to her room.
She'd only intended to look at the letters from when she had first faced Twilight, some masochistic part of her certain that surely there, she would find the words of disapproval and condemnation she expected. She didn't find them.
Instead, she found herself slowly drawn into Twilight's life.
She read her way through the letters with increasing fascination as the sun dimmed on the horizon, and only her primordial instincts pulled her away long enough to raise the moon into the night sky before she buried herself in her treasure trove once again.
Each letter painted a picture of Ponyville, of Twilight's friends, of the life of a kind and caring pony that truly didn't seem to realise how special she was. Even when Luna finished the last and most recent, she immediately started again from the beginning, adding context and colour to the first descriptions of the ponies and families Twilight would come to know so well. Eventually, she fell asleep, the chest resting open beside her pillow.
Later, to her embarrassment, she realised how much she'd talked about Twilight in the days afterwards. She had recounted little anecdotes from the letters to Celestia, who already knew them but never showed the slightest sign of impatience or lack of interest, and as she walked around the castle, she'd occasionally giggle to herself as one image or another from Twilight's stories popped into her thoughts. Celestia added each new letter from Twilight to the chest without ever asking for it back, and it became a little ritual for Luna to open the chest each morning and check if a new letter rested atop the others.
After a month or so, doubtless at Celestia's gentle suggestion, a letter turned up in the chest that was addressed not to Celestia, but to Princess Luna, Canterlot Castle.
It had taken Luna a full ten minutes to persuade herself to open it.
Dear Princess Luna,
I hope that you're enjoying your stay in Canterlot. It must be very different from how you remember it; I'd love to hear from you about how it was in the past. I've been researching the history of the major pony settlements, and I've been finding some wonderful stories. Maybe you can tell me some!
My friend Rarity is fascinated by the drawings of pony fashions from those times, and intends to base some new dresses on them - she didn't get a chance to meet you on Nightmare Night, and I think she'd really enjoy speaking to you about it. Hopefully you'll be able to make a visit to Ponyville sometime, and we can talk it over, and maybe make some sketches.
I've been very well, and I'm really looking forward to making a costume for next Nightmare Night, even though it's a while away. I hope you can help me get the details right.
There was a lovely moon last night, and a wonderful display of Orion. Thank you very much for a beautiful night.
Twilight Sparkle
Very carefully, Luna placed the letter aside, before the dampness trickling down her cheeks dripped onto the paper. Her chest ached, and her hooves trembled slightly.
Obviously, the polite thing to do was to write back.
She had a fully stocked writing desk, which she hadn't once used since she'd returned. Now, she eased herself into the little chair set before it, and laid out a sheet of parchment. She squared it carefully with the edge of the desk. Was the inkwell full? It was. She gripped the quill in her magic, and dipped it.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
And then... nothing. She didn't know what to say. It felt as though her heart was cramping in her chest.
The paper stared back at her.
Should she thank Twilight for trying to ask questions that she would be able to answer? For offering to introduce her to one of Twilight's friends? Try to answer her questions? ...though if she answered her questions, there'd be no reason left to go to Ponyville...
She seized the quill in a convulsive magical grip, and wrote in large, unsteady letters.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I love you.
She cried for a little while after that, blotching the parchment. By the time she'd calmed, it looked rather as though the tiny letter had been written by a lunatic in a rainstorm, the letters smeared and misshapen.
That was okay. She couldn't have sent it anyway; that was much too much, too quickly. Twilight would have thought she was some sort of crazy pony, which she was not. She'd have to take things slower. Screwing up her determination, she nodded purposefully to herself, wiping her eyes with one hoof.
She was going to ask Twilight Sparkle on a date.
Luna was beginning to develop a deeply adversarial relationship with Twilight's front door.
It wasn't the door's fault, not really. It was the simmering cauldron of nervousness and embarrassment and desperation that paralysed Luna every time she tried to come close to it. She'd already made a fool of herself in front of Twilight Sparkle, and she couldn't bear the fear of making it worse.
Day after day, she built up her courage, fortified her nerve, approached the door, and then... stood there. Awkwardly. Like an idiot. Sometimes, she managed to persuade herself to knock, at a volume more appropriate for an inquisitive mouse, before her nerve failed and she vanished upwards to hide amongst the branches. Some days, she didn't even get that far, and hung around awkwardly until it was impossible to imagine knocking after lingering so long on her doorstep.
Not this time. This time, she hadn't turned up in any fanciful dresses, or with elaborate makeup, things that she'd tried before and then fled as they suddenly seemed overdone or unappealing. She was just herself, unadorned, and was in front of the treehouse, and this time, she was going to knock on the red doors, and talk to Twilight.
She was, she really was.
Maybe she should have at least put some mascara on. And the shade of eyeshadow she'd tried three days ago, that hadn't been too bad. She wanted to make the best impression she could, and it was important to look her best. Maybe she should go back, and change, and try a necklace, and-
"If I had a bucket of water, I wouldst dump it over thy fat head," she told herself fiercely. Her hooves trembled as she tried to talk herself into raising a forehoof. Up, up - good. Now out, out...
Her hoof gently settled against the red-painted wood, with the faintest thud.
Was that the knock of a pony who had defeated terrifying opponents of terrible power and founded a realm? It was not, she scolded herself. Steeling herself, looking away from what she was doing and watching the movement of her hoof from the corner of her eye, she drew back her hoof, and knocked a little louder.
What was she going to say? There had to be something she could say that would make things better. Some magic, perfect words that would make Twilight want to be with her, and hold her, and - well, not magic words, that wasn't what she meant, but... something perfect. Of course, several of the times she'd fled had been because she didn't have those perfect words, and didn't know what they could be.
...shouldn't somepony have answered the door by now? In puzzlement, she rapped on the door twice, then covered her mouth with her hoof in belated fright at her own inadvertent assertiveness.
Still nothing.
There was no pony home, was there.
Luna sagged, resting her head against the doors. Maybe she should have just sent her the smudged, messy letter in the first place. But the idea of receiving a puzzled, gently dismissive letter in return was just unbearable.
Voices came from behind her. Spike's, and - and Twilight's! They were coming back, and they'd find her camped on her doorstep, and she'd seem so weird and desperate and-
Instinct told her to shoot into the air and disappear into the comforting distance, but instinct didn't know that if she did that, Twilight would definitely see her and it would look even worse. She looked around frantically, for any kind of shelter.
Princess Luna dived into a bush, flattened herself against the ground, and put her forehooves over her head. This was a disaster.
Their voices drew closer. It was hard to make out the exact words, but as Spike's high, young voice sounded, her name stood out like a signal flare.
"...Princess Luna outside, again."
Had she been seen? She pushed herself flatter against the ground, heart hammering.
"Are you sure, Spike? What would she be doing hanging around outside?"
"Well, it sure looked like her. Who knows what she's doing? She was on the moon for a thousand years. That has to make you kind of weird."
Luna cringed, biting her lower lip.
"Spike," Twilight's voice came reprovingly. "Please don't talk about Princess Luna that way. She's a pony, like us - well, like me - and she's been through a lot. But she has a good heart, I know it, and she's trying to get better. I've invited her to visit, and I hope she does."
The click of a key in a lock. "Well, if she does, I'm going to go and-"
The door slammed on the rest of the sentence. Slowly, Luna lifted her head.
She's a pony, like me. How long had it been since anypony saw her as just another pony, not a Princess, not... not a monster... "Oh, Twilight," she whispered, "I knew I was not wrong about thee."
"Cheep," said a bird into her ear.
"Agh!" Luna yelped, tumbling out of the bush with legs windmilling, and landing on her ass in an undignified heap.
"Cheep?" asked the small, yellow bird.
"I am a Princess of Equestria," said Luna, with ruffled dignity, getting to her hooves, "and it isn't nice to startle ponies."
"Hello?" called Twilight's voice from within the treehouse. "Is somepony out there?"
"...this is all thy fault," Luna told the bird, and once again, was a disappearing speck across the sky.
Celestia was waiting when Luna returned to her rooms. Setting aside a slim book, she smiled, and asked, "How was your visit?"
A hot blush coloured Luna's cheeks, and she looked down at her hooves as embarrassment overwhelmed her. It took a moment before she could confess, "I did not speak to her today. But - but I heard her speaking! She said that she would very much like me to visit her," Luna added, with mingled happiness and nervousness.
Her sister gazed at her warmly. "Perhaps you'd like to take her flowers. They will spoil if you wait too long, so they may help you overcome your nerves."
Luna frowned slightly, a flicker of puzzlement on her face. "Flowers? Why?"
"Oh. Yes. Forgive me, Luna, it's easy to forget how things change. Giving of flowers has become a courtship gift. Red roses are a strong statement of love, though a bouquet of other flowers can be romantic, too."
"But they would only last a few days," protested Luna. Her gaze slipped over to a stack of parchment, each marked with a tangle of pencil scribbles, and she continued more diffidently, "I have been designing a courtship brooch for her. I wondered if you knew a skilled jewellery maker."
"That practise fell out of favour some time ago," Celestia said gently, "though if anypony would know the meaning of such a gift, it would be Twilight."
"...oh," murmured Luna, looking down at the floor. It was ridiculous to be upset about that, she told herself. Of course courtship rituals had changed with time, as everything else had. But she'd spent so much time imagining Twilight's face, when she gave her the brooch... she'd spent so much time designing it, so it would be perfect...
Luna sniffled, then took a deep breath, and raised her head. "Flowers. I will find some."
Luna once again stood on Twilight's doorstep, this time bearing a bunch of assorted colourful flowers.
Knowing that the bouquet she bore would swiftly lose its freshness if she wasted time actually did help. The cauldron of terror and emotion swirling within her wasn't any more gentle than before, but she couldn't waste the work that had gone into cultivating and preparing the flowers, and so, with an external confidence that she didn't feel, Luna knocked twice on Twilight's front door.
This time, she was going to go inside. No more being silly, obsessing over what Twilight might say.
But what if she said-
The door slowly opened inwards, cutting off Luna's train of thought. There stood the single pony that she'd been thinking of day and night, her mane and tail gently tousled. Twilight blinked, dazzled by the brightness of the sunlight, then focused on Luna, and smiled. "Oh, Princess! It's so nice to see you. Would you like to come in?"
This was the moment. This was the moment! Luna thrust forward the bunch of flowers with one hoof, and managed, "I, have brought you, these flowers." Her heart hammered in her chest as Twilight reached out to take them instinctively, then gave them a puzzled look.
"Oh, um. Let me see. Tulipa agenensis... Lathyrus odoratus, I think, and these are Hydrangea macrophylla. Did you want me to take a look at them?"
Luna took a half-step backwards, trying not to admit her confusion. What else would you do with these flowers? Did you eat them? Was she missing some element of the courtship ritual? "I - yes, I would like you to look at them," she replied carefully.
"Oh, okay. I can examine them, then. Though really, these species are very well understood, I doubt I'd be able to find out very much that isn't already well known. Perhaps you should show them to Zecora? She knows more about plants than anyone I know." Innocently, Twilight made as if to offer the bouquet back.
Panic flared in Luna's chest. "Take the flowers, Twilight Sparkle!" she boomed, in a full Canterlot voice that blew Twilight's mane into a long streamer and plucked several petals from the flowers in her hoof. The echoes hadn't even died away before Luna cringed. "I - my apologies, I should - excuse me."
Yet again, with a few frantic beats of her wings, the treehouse diminished to a toy beneath her.
That doorway was definitely cursed.
Luna crossed her forelegs, frowning heavily. Impatience and frustration marked her usually gentle features distinctly. Celestia sat opposite her, drinking from a cup of tea with infuriating calm.
"I am not blowing things out of proportion," Luna said firmly. "She was kissing a colt."
"She was dreaming of kissing a colt, sister," Celestia replied in gentle reproof. "You know the difference better than anypony."
"Well - she still was!" Luna retorted, with a kind of desperate indignation. She was being ridiculous, she knew. She'd just wanted to find out whether Twilight had liked the flowers, or whether she was thinking how foolish Luna had seemed, or - or anything! But to find that she, Luna, hadn't been in Twilight's dreams at all - it was intolerable!
Celestia, naturally, was above remarking on being dragged out of her bed by Luna. Her mane unbrushed, her makeup missing, a soft dressing gown wrapped around her, she still looked perfect, poised, and not the least bit sleepy. "Did you recognise this colt, the one which she was kissing?"
"...no. It was no pony I'd seen in Ponyville, nor had been described in her letters. But - I don't know very many ponies in Ponyville, and she wouldn't have described somepony that she was attracted to when she was reporting to you."
"Or it may be no pony at all. Has she dreamed of this colt often?"
"I... haven't been looking. Just tonight." Luna's lips pressed together, and she scuffed a hoof against the soft, rich rug.
"Was she dreaming of him for long?"
The embarrassment was rising like the tide, and Luna couldn't help but wince at the line of questioning. "I... saw it, and then I looked away for a while. I didn't want to watch it."
"And when you looked back?" Celestia pursued.
Luna looked away, the words fighting their way out of her lips one by one. "She was... hugging, and... kissing... a watermelon." Her ears grew hot, a terrible humiliation choking off the rest.
"So, Twilight was dreaming of a colt, and a watermelon, tonight." Celestia set her cup down on its saucer. "Oh, Luna. I know that you'd hoped she would be dreaming of you, but this is foolish."
"Foolish? I-"
"No, Luna. You are being silly. You must go back to her, tomorrow, and think nothing more of this night."
Luna blinked. The sudden firmness in Celestia's voice took her aback, and robbed her instinctive protest of its strength.
Rising from her low couch, Celestia moved over to wrap one forehoof over Luna's back, hugging her gently. "It seems I'm going to have to invoke my ultimate authority. Lulu, as your big sister - don't worry about the flowers. Don't worry about what Twilight is dreaming about. Just spend time with her, and everything will be alright."
The warmth of her touch flowed into Luna, displacing much of the turbulent, queasy uncertainty that filled her heart. For a moment, she stayed exactly where she was, her head lowering slightly. Then finally, she murmured, "I love thee very much. Very well. I will."
"Good morning, Twilight Sparkle. May I come in?"
Forget asking her out for the moment; just getting inside the house would be a triumph. Luna hadn't slept enough, awake for most of the day and the night as well, but she couldn't sleep when she felt this restless anyway.
Twilight smiled at her. "Of course, Princess. Please come in."
Somehow, it seemed unfair that it was that simple. Nonetheless, with a small feeling of jittery triumph, Luna carefully stepped over the threshold, and drew the crimson door closed behind her. Success.
She stood in a tall chamber, surrounded by bookshelves. The chairs were soft and a little worn, and looked immensely comfortable. The scent of paper filled the air, and she inhaled, savouring it. "It smells like the library in our former castle," she murmured. "Tis a pleasant scent."
Pausing, Twilight looked back at her, eyes bright. "Do you like reading too, Princess?"
Luna's heart quivered in her chest. There was such warmth about the other pony. She was so unselfconsciously beautiful. "I - yes. I very much enjoy curling up with a good book. Books are pleasant."
"Maybe we can exchange some of our favourites? I'd really like to know what books you enjoy! I'm sure they were kept safe in the Canterlot libraries."
"Y-yes, that would be nice. I have been reading much, this past year. I am sure that thy preferred texts wouldst be of great value to me." Luna nodded twice, a sheepish, awkward smile on her lips. This was... wonderful. It was quiet, and peaceful, and Twilight's smile lit her up inside. She could stay here forever and be quite content.
"Um, let's see." Twilight looked up at the ranked shelves, and considered for a few moments, before one of the books gathered a nimbus of faint magic, and drifted off the shelf to float before her. "How about this one, to begin with? It's a collection of tales about Sir Eireheart. He was a very noble dragon, and he did a lot of great things."
Luna moved slowly over to Twilight's side, looking more closely at the book. It was simply a coincidence that her flank gently brushed against Twilight's, filling Luna with warmth. "Thank you, Twilight. I would like to know more of this chivalrous dragon."
Releasing her grip on the book as Luna's magic took it, Twilight added apologetically, "I haven't managed to find out very much about the flowers you brought me. I thought perhaps they might have been enchanted, or modified in some way, but the tests came up negative. It did give me some ideas for magical crossbreeding I'd like to talk about with my friend Applejack, though. Was there something special about these particular flowers you wanted me to investigate?"
Was it Luna's imagination, or had she heard the young, high voice of Spike muttering in exasperation, 'Good grief,' from the top of the stairs?
"Ah - no," Luna replied awkwardly, her cheeks and ears burning yet again. "They were simply pleasing to the eye. No further investigation is required."
"Oh." There was a pause, as Twilight mentally recategorised the flowers from 'interesting problem' to 'decorative object' before she added, "Um, thank you."
"You're welcome," replied Luna quickly. A quiet fell, and as it began to grow, Luna felt a dreadful nervousness well up in her chest once again. She had to talk about something!
Twilight got there first. "Would you like some tea?" she asked meekly.
"I wouldst - would enjoy that very much," Luna agreed thankfully, correcting herself.
"Okay. Please make yourself comfortable, Princess." Twilight dipped her head slightly, and trotted into the kitchen.
Luna settled onto a chair, laying her new book beside her. Her gaze settled on the cover, where a bipedal dragon was embossed, before moving slowly around the room once more. So this was Twilight's home. Her bed chamber must be at the top of the stairs, from whence the cough had came. It wasn't that she pictured bedding the slim unicorn - she squashed a treacherous part of her thoughts that dared to disagree - but that it would be... it would be the most wonderful of all things, to curl up with Twilight upon a soft cover, and be held.
The rattling of teacups on saucers announced Twilight's return. There was a familiar hint to the scent wafting from the cups, one that was reminiscent of Celestia's study. Clearly, her tutor had passed many habits on to her student.
"I was pretty sure that you'd know this blend," Twilight confessed with a smile.
"I do! I have tasted it many times since my return. I have... have so much to thank you for," Luna replied, her voice sinking into a soft murmur at the end of the sentence.
Twilight levitated one of the cups down to rest on the small table beside Luna's chair, and placed one forehoof over Luna's. "Thank you for coming to see me today. Thank you for coming to Nightmare Night, it was the most special time for the foals of Ponyville, I don't think they'll ever forget it. You were so kind to them."
Oh, no. She was going to cry, right in front of Twilight. Resisting the welling tears with all her might, Luna looked up at Twilight and replied with intense sincerity, "You are a very special pony, Twilight Sparkle."
There was so much more she wanted to say. The words welled up in her throat, clamouring to be said, and it took all of her self-control to drown them in a mouthful of tea. With slightly fragile brightness, she added quickly, "What are thy plans for the day? Did you intend to continue this research you spoke of in your letter?"
"I was just going to go out to the market when you knocked, actually," Twilight replied, sipping her tea. "There's a stall in town today that is selling some ingredients I need for glue. For book binding. It has to be a very special glue to hold together for a long time. You could come, if you like."
"Oh - ah, I'm sorry to have interrupted thy trip out." Luna smiled awkwardly. "No, thy offer is kind, but I should - occupy myself elsewhere." Anywhere other than trying to confront the whole of Ponyville again, without even the excuse of Nightmare Night to give some kind of legitimacy to her presence. Rising from her chair, she took a backward step towards the door.
Twilight reached after her with one hoof. "Princess, you really don't have to go-"
Luna shook her head. Perhaps she was simply feeling a little sensitive, but the notion of facing dozens and dozens of strange ponies and trying to make awkward attempts at conversation was just impossible. She'd spoken to Twilight. That would have to be enough for now. She took another step backwards. "I do not wish to monopolise thy time, Twilight."
"There'll be a party at Sweet Apple Acres!" Twilight burst out, speaking quickly. "Pinkie is throwing it. It's at six bells this evening - won't you come? Please?"
"I-" began Luna, struggling to find the right words. It wasn't like she wanted to be away from Twilight, not at all, and if it was just Twilight's friends, ponies Luna knew well from the letters to Celestia, then couldn't she brave that much? "I - will come, if that is thy wish," she managed to get out, then added quickly, "Until then, I must bid you farewell!"
Once again, she made an inelegant retreat, though from a point much further than she'd ever managed before.
A party! It had been... a very long time since she'd attended a party.
What was she going to wear?
After incredible amounts of tussling with herself, bathing, falling asleep, being awakened by her sister, and more frantic fretting over her wardrobe, it turned out the answer was 'almost nothing'. She'd tried on what seemed like half the clothes in the castle, but none of them seemed quite right. She always felt gaudy, over-ostentatious, especially in clothes that were cut for the modern time. Wearing clothes at all was a rather formal gesture.
In the end, she'd simply wrapped each leg with matching silver bands, each liquidly curved in a manner that had earned a long-ago silversmith a great deal of bits. Elegant, and nothing too elaborate. That's what her sister had counselled her to try for, and in Celestia's eyes, she'd achieved it. Now, of course, she had to face the pony she was really trying to please: Twilight Sparkle.
The pony in question was waiting outside a huge crimson barn, a spot that Luna had never visited before, but recognised readily from Twilight's writings. The strains of gramophone music escaped the barely-parted double doors, and a small drift of colourful confetti was making a spirited break for freedom across the muddy, cart-rutted earth outside. Twilight herself wore no special outfit, though her coat and mane were as neatly brushed as always.
Luna congratulated herself on getting the level of formality right, and swept down to land beside Twilight. "Greetings and fair eve," Luna greeted the other mare with a slightly nervous smile.
"Hello, Princess. Your leg bands look lovely," Twilight complimented her. "Would you like to come in?"
"Yes, I would like that." Luna's heart rose in her chest, a slightly giddy feeling sweeping over her, and she followed Twilight inside.
It would have been more appropriate, she later thought, if the gramophone had slid off the record with a sudden scratch and silence, or began to skip in its track at the moment she entered. Nothing so well-timed actually happened; the music played on, and everypony within turned around and smiled at her and Twilight as they entered. The problem was that Luna recognised those smiles; too wide, too fixed, too insincere. Those were the smiles of ponies that were nervous, or even just afraid, and covering it.
She plastered a smile across her muzzle that she knew was just as unconvincing as theirs. This was a terrible mistake. Twilight stepped away from her, pulling Applejack with her, and Luna had to stop herself from reaching out to her, to call her back.
Twilight hustled Applejack into the corner of the barn, and though she lowered her voice, Luna could still hear the words. "Where's Pinkie?"
"Ah don't know! This here cake got delivered, and the whole barn was decked out with ribbons and streamers and that when Ah looked in, but Ah've not seen hide nor hair of the gal."
Twilight lowered her voice even further, making Luna's ears twitch as she strained to hear over the music. "...haven't even told her yet!"
Luna winced, and had to work harder to keep her smile in place. She'd turned up to a party, and the pony throwing the party didn't even know she was coming. Oh, this was the worst... and now that it had been pointed out to her, of course Pinkie Pie was missing. She should have realised at once that one of the element bearers wasn't here. She recognised the others present, both from her own experiences - ones where she had not left good impressions, she reminded herself - and from Twilight's letters.
Fluttershy was pressing herself back into a corner, possibly not even aware of how obviously she was cowering. Rarity seemed caught between nervousness and uncertainty, both looking as though she wanted to step forward, and didn't dare to. Finally, the cyan pegasus, Rainbow Dash, was standing beside an enormous pink cake and swiping hooffuls of icing while glaring at her. There was an obvious challenge in that look and the faux-casual eating, plainly meant to convey that she wasn't intimidated by Luna one bit.
Oh dear. Pinkie Pie was missing, and there was an enormous pink cake. Almost against her will, Luna stepped forward, facing the cake, and knocked twice on the table it stood on. "Art thou in there?"
A wide-eyed pony erupted out of the cake and all-but slammed her face into Luna's. "Surprise, everypony!" it boomed.
"Ahhhh!" yelped Luna, falling backwards.
"AHHHHHH!" screeched the pink-frosted cake demon.
"Ahhhhh!" Luna escalated, her hooves scrabbling on the floor.
"AHHHHHHH!" concluded the cake monster, and ducked back inside the cake. In some bewildering motion that baffled the eye, the disappearing pony frosting monster pulled the layers back together over her head, leaving a bizarrely intact pink cake shaking on the bench.
Huffing quick, shaky breaths, Luna straightened her hind legs and tried not to let the humiliation and embarrassment of having panicked show so obviously. Twilight rushed to her side, and exclaimed, "Oh, Princess, I'm so sorry! I hadn't warned Pinkie, and she wasn't expecting you, so-"
"I - I am fine, Twilight Sparkle," Luna managed with difficulty. "Please soothe thy friend. I did not mean to startle her."
"...okay. Sorry, Princess," Twilight said again humbly, then turned around, joining Applejack and Rarity in trying to coax Pinkie back out of the cake. Rainbow Dash, for her part, was laughing hysterically at the whole scene.
Carefully, without wanting to draw attention to herself, Luna backed away. Her heart ached in her chest, and she felt her lips shape the words 'This was a mistake' without speaking aloud. Maybe it would be better if she simply left, before Pinkie Pie emerged again.
"Um. I - Princess Luna?" asked a soft voice.
Luna jerked. She'd almost walked into Fluttershy, who was already standing awkwardly in the corner. "My apologies," Luna replied quickly, then added more softly, "it seems I cannot do anything right today."
Fluttershy tilted her head, covering most of her face with her fall of straight pink hair. Her body stiffened as she held her breath, obviously struggling to get words out, and Luna couldn't help but lower her head guiltily. Yes, she should definitely just leave.
"Um. A bird friend told me you were - Princess Luna, could you - why were you spying on Twilight's house? And - and could you maybe please stop? She's my friend..." murmured Fluttershy, stammering and hesitating, but still managing a little flash of defiance at the end.
Luna's face went purple as she blushed hard, the crimson flames of embarrassment heating her skin. "I - certainly, I would not be caught spying upon Twilight Sparkle. It must have been some other pony."
"It was... he said you said you were a Princess of Equestria... and you're kind of... distinctive."
"Oh. Yes. Well." Luna coughed. "There... could have been something dangerous in the bush, and I was... checking."
Fluttershy backed into the corner another step, with a soft squeak of alarm. "Have you told Twilight? She hasn't mentioned anything like that to me. Could it be here?"
"No, I did not mean to..." Luna trailed off, and sighed. It felt as though there was some great tangle within her, blocking everything she tried to say or feel. These lies were unbecoming of her, and had to be rectified, at once. "I... apologise. That was not true. There is no monster. I was trying to speak to Twilight."
The shy yellow pony glanced up, one eye briefly visible through the curtain of hair. "Then why were you hiding from her?"
"It is not so simple! I.." Oh, there was nothing else for it. This was the result of the hole she'd been digging with her lies and awkwardness. The confession burst forth in a wail, no less intense for being in a desperate whisper. "I feel for her! She is a star whose light I cannot turn from! Yet, every time I try to speak to her, I do turn away. I flee! So many times, my nerve has failed before I could even knock upon her door. I had wished to speak to her that day, but I was too nervous to bear it. When I heard her coming, instead of confessing my feelings, I... hid. In a bush. And pretended I was not there."
Luna lowered her head in utter shame, her eyes closing. What a simply enormous fool she'd made of herself.
Fluttershy's forelegs wrapped around her, as the gentle pegasus hugged her with a strength greater than Luna would have suspected. "Oh, Princess! I understand!"
Confused, uncertain of herself, Luna slowly lifted her head. "You... do?"
"Of course! I hide in bushes from ponies I want to talk to all the time. I know what it's like to have all your words sit in your chest, and they're too heavy to get out of your mouth." Fluttershy's eyes were bright with unexpected empathy and fellow feeling.
"That is exactly how it feels! Every time I was about to knock upon her door, I began to fear all the ways she might find me unappealing, and so I left to fix those lacks, then made other things worse as I did so, and so on, forever." Luna lifted a foreleg and wrapped it around Fluttershy in return, squeezing the other pony and feeling unbearably grateful for her warmth and sympathy. "I shall never manage to confess what I feel for her."
"I can help you!" Fluttershy insisted, her whisper filled with determination. "I'm sure we can make it happen if we work together! I'm so sorry that I misjudged you!"
"Truly? ...I wish that I had spoken to thee sooner."
"Well, you're speaking to me now, and I promise, I'll help you speak to Twilight."
"You will have my deepest gratitude if you can find such a way, Fluttershy. Thank you." Hope surged in Luna's chest, and the dark shadows that had clouded her heart seemed to lighten at the other pony's words.
The music of the gramophone came to an end, with a hiss of static, and in the sudden quiet, there was an awkward cough from behind her. Luna froze, then carefully, she disentangled herself from Fluttershy, and turned around. Twilight and her friends were staring blankly at the two of them, including Pinkie Pie, who had apparently been coaxed out of her cake fortress.
Rainbow broke the stillness. "What."
Luna's breath froze in her chest. Could they have heard their whispered words? Had she just released the cat of proverb?
Applejack removed her hat, nodding to Luna respectfully and holding it to her chest. "Uh, beg pardon, Princess. We're just not used to seeing Fluttershy just up'n hug strangers like that."
"You must be a really good pony!" Pinkie burst out. Skipping forward, she flung her hooves around Luna and squeezed her with what felt like bone-cracking force. "I was startled! I didn't know you were coming. If I'd have known, I'd have put more blue and silver in the party cannon! I was really surprised. Hello! Welcome to the party!"
"Ah - yes, welcome to the party, dear," added Rarity carefully, stepping up beside Pinkie Pie. "Twilight was telling me about the fashions you could speak of, from the olden days in the Everfree."
'Olden days' twinged a little in her chest, but Luna smiled anyway, patting Pinkie Pie's bountifully fluffy mane with one hoof. "I could indeed speak of such things." Shifting her gaze to Rainbow, who was already pulling a face, she added, "I may also speak of the battle armour of some of the generals I have known. Equestria was not won quickly, nor without a fight. The pits of Tartarus are stocked with those that once dominated these lands." Ah. That lightened Rainbow's expression, and sparked intrigue on Applejack's face as well.
Twilight smiled at Luna, with visible pride, and said warmly, "I think that you have a lot to teach us, Princess."
Perhaps this party wasn't going to be so terrible, after all.
"Art thou certain of this?" Luna asked anxiously.
"I'm very sure," replied Fluttershy gently. "Don't worry, Princess. All you have to do is step out where Twilight can see you, and ask her to dinner. It's not so hard."
"Well... not as hard as trying to deliver such an invitation to her at home," murmured Luna reluctantly. The two of them were crouched in a bush, some fifteen minutes brisk walk from the outskirts of Ponyville. Only a hundred yards or so away, visible through gaps in the leaves, Twilight Sparkle stood waiting.
"You can do it. I believe in you," said Fluttershy earnestly, her eyes shining with sincerity, and despite herself, Luna couldn't help be reassured.
"-you are right. I will go now," she declared firmly, and backed out of the bush before she could change her mind. Keeping the undergrowth between her and Twilight, she carefully circled around to the other side of the clearing where the young unicorn waited, before trotting into the open with feigned casualness. She could do this. Speak the words, then leave, and she'd have succeeded.
"Why - Twilight Sparkle! Good afternoon," Luna managed, feeling as if her hooves were suddenly huge and ungainly, actively trying to trip her up. The innocent surprise she pretended sounded unbearably false in her ears.
Twilight turned, startled from her thoughts. "Princess Luna? Um, hello. Whatever are you doing out here?"
Luna opened her mouth to respond, then froze. A blue speck, trailing an ephemeral streak of rainbow colours, had just emerged from a suspiciously loitering cloud and plunged into the forest behind Twilight. Specifically, into the bush where Fluttershy hid. They'd been found out!
"I was just - walking in the woods! What brings you out of Ponyville?" Luna replied quickly, rolling out her prepared explanation and trying to move on as swiftly as she dared.
"Oh, I'm meeting Fluttershy out here. She wanted to show me some bird's nests. She's a little late, though. Have you seen her?"
If Luna strained her ears, was there a hint of voices coming from the bush that sheltered her co-conspirator? And how was she going to answer Twilight's question without directly lying to her? Speaking a little more loudly to drown out the distant voices, she replied, "In truth, I was hoping to run into thee. I wondered if you would like to-"
Rainbow burst out of the sheltering bush, a determined look on her face, and Luna froze. Before the cyan pony could take more than a step towards the two of them, however, Fluttershy lunged out, grabbed Rainbow's tail and dragged her back in. The bush shook.
"To what, Princess?" Twilight regarded her quizzically.
"To... ah, yes. I would like you to accompany me for a meal tomorrow night," Luna managed. It took a second before she realised how terrified she should have been to even say those words.
A moment's pause, as Twilight blinked at her, then the other mare smiled. "Of course, Princess. Would you like to invite-"
"For just the two of us," Luna cut in quickly. The last thing she wanted was any of Twilight's friends getting involved in what she earnestly hoped would be their first date together.
"Oh. Okay. Did you have somewhere in mind? If not, I could help pick somewhere," Twilight added helpfully.
Obviously, Twilight was trying to put her at ease, and give her a graceful way out if she didn't know anywhere to eat in Ponyville. Of course, that didn't account for Fluttershy's aid! Still, a tremor of uncertainty entered Luna's voice as she suggested meekly, "I had wondered... C'est Magnifique?"
"Oh, the new Prench restaurant? I've been wanting to try their food. I'd love to. Would seven be appropriate?"
Twilight's smile was warm, and wonderful, and it eclipsed the entire world for Luna. Other than the bush that concealed Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, which lingered stubbornly in her peripheral vision. "Why - yes! Yes, I shall meet thee there. That would be lovely. Truly, truly lovely. I will look forward to it, very much."
Recognising that she had begun to babble, Luna cut herself off, resisting the urge to physically muffle herself with a hoof. Twilight didn't seem to notice anything odd about that, replying warmly, "I'm sure there'll be much we can talk about."
"Well - until then, then." Luna stumbled over her words, then gave Twilight a firm nod of farewell and quickly strode out of the clearing, heart hammering in her chest. She'd done it! Flattening herself against a tree, her back to the clearing, she took a moment to gulp air and calm herself.
She was going on a date with Twilight.
Who, almost certainly, now recognised that she was being courted.
Almost certainly.
According to Celestia, her student had never shown the barest flicker of interest in romantic relationships, always quicker to study than to talk. That had kept her away from most ponies. Nonetheless, her time in Ponyville had encouraged her to blossom, and it occurred to Luna to wonder just how many pony's hearts had foundered and broken against the cliffs of Twilight's sheer inability to recognise their interest.
Well, she counselled herself, all she could do was try her very best. She was no love-struck filly, to believe that things must work out just because she wanted them to. But she did want them to. So very much.
Of course, if she was going to fret about the ways things could go wrong... Rainbow Dash had seen everything. Ducking her head low, Luna crept around the tree towards the bush, and almost bumped muzzles with Fluttershy coming the other way.
"Eep!" squeaked Fluttershy softly, blinking in surprise.
"Whither has Rainbow Dash gone?" Luna asked with quiet urgency. "Was she following us?"
"She's, um. Talking to Twilight now."
The colour must have drained from Luna's face, for Fluttershy looked visibly alarmed. Touching Luna with her hoof, she added quickly, "I made her promise not to say anything to Twilight! I had to tell her what was happening, though... it was the only way to stop her asking Twilight what you were talking about. I'm sorry."
"But - she will not tell your other friends either?" Luna pressed.
"I'm sure she wouldn't do that," Fluttershy reassured her.
Gently golden evening sunlight made Ponyville a warm and welcoming place. The hustle and bustle of the day had mostly faded, the market closing up for the evening, and now ponies wandered the streets in ones and twos, chatting pleasantly. Little by little, the clock atop the train station ticked patiently towards seven.
Perched above, Luna lurked sheepishly in a cloud and willed the clock hands to move faster.
After another bout of dreadful indecision, she'd settled on a relatively simple dress in silver, shallow at the front, growing incrementally longer towards her hindquarters. Her body glittered in the sunlight, in what was either a restrained and elegant display or blazingly ostentatious and over-formal - she swung back and forth between the two opinions dizzyingly, as the seconds ticked by with leaden slowness.
With her eyes on the station clock, still reading a minute to seven, she was startled by the sudden deep tone of a bell ringing out across Ponyville to mark the hour. It was time! Her stomach performing queasy somersaults, Luna broke free of the cloudlet and swooped over the quiet houses.
And there she was. Twilight.
She was dressed in a delicate dress of pale blue, cunningly layered and edged with deeper shades. Her subtle makeup deepened her eyes, lending them an appropriate sparkle, and her mane and tail had been lovingly brushed out. She looked wonderful.
"Ah - good evening, Twilight Sparkle," Luna greeted her, approaching with small, slightly nervous steps. "You look most fetching this evening," she added, swallowing.
Twilight turned around and broke into a dazzling smile. "Your dress is lovely, Princess. Isn't that a Jade era cut?"
Luna blinked. "Why - yes, it is. Your eye for history is keen."
Twilight grinned with satisfaction, then wriggled with excitement, dancing from hoof to hoof. "We're going to have dinner in C'est Magnifique! Everypony that's been has spoken very highly of it. Can we go in now?"
Stars above, Twilight was so cute it was hard to think straight. "Yes, I would like that," Luna replied warmly, and walked side by side with Twilight into the brightly lit foyer of the restaurant.
As Fluttershy had promised, they were clearly expected. The moment that the two set hoof over the threshold, a large tan-coloured stallion with a magnificent black moustache bustled up to greet them. "Welcome, welcome!" he said in a volume just short of a bellow. "Ah, how honoured we are to have the Princess of the Night and Celestia's protégé here this evening! You bring light to my humble establishment. Please, this way. I shall show you to your table."
His voice was loud enough for all to hear - probably deliberately. Every pony in the restaurant turned to look at them as they went by, and a frenzy of murmurs broke out. Luna felt her smile fossilising on her face, and reminded herself to look at Twilight and not the crowd.
That helped ease the tightness around her chest slightly.
She followed the barrel chested male, winding their way between the tables, and to her surprise, found herself climbing a sweeping staircase to an upper level. A door stood open at the end of a long corridor, and they passed through it to emerge into the open air. They stood on a balcony, the centre of it occupied by a lone table flanked by two chairs. A decorative arrangement of flowers stood in a silver vase to one side of the table, where it wouldn't obstruct their view of each other. From where they stood, they overlooked the central square of Ponyville, an airy, open space. Below and around them, the quiet streets spread out.
"...this is perfect," breathed Luna, a tiny hitch in her voice.
"Of course it is! I will leave you to get comfortable." Bowing, the tan pony stepped back into the building, then drew a curtain across the doorway.
Unselfconsciously, Twilight moved over to the table and took a seat. Smiling happily at Luna, she agreed, "It is, isn't it? It's a lovely evening."
"All the moreso for the company," Luna relied, a faint colour to her cheeks. Settling into the chair opposite Twilight, she picked up a menu and looked over it briefly, barely paying attention to the words. She was on a date. A date with Twilight. She couldn't think straight, every train of thought constantly interrupted by looking shyly over at the mare opposite her.
Twilight busied herself with her menu, lifting it up and reading it thoroughly. "Umm. It's going to be hard to decide. Maybe I'll start with the soup?"
"Oh, ah. Yes. Perhaps I shall as well," Luna replied quickly, scanning the menu to find out what she was agreeing to. Absorbed in the detailed descriptions of the dishes, she barely noticed the curtain being drawn back.
"Are you ready to order something scrumptious?" exclaimed the pony in the doorway in a terribly fake Prench accent.
Luna's head jerked up. Pinkie stood in the arched doorway, wearing a vast black moustache that was the twin of the one gracing the owner of the establishment. Her voice lowered into a boom, she added, "No rush, no rush, ho ho."
Luna's gaze flew to Twilight. Still staring at her menu, the young pony replied thoughtfully, "I think I will go for the soup, please."
"Ah - yes, for me also," added Luna weakly.
"Okay! I'll have that up in two shakes of a pony's tail! I'm going to personally ensure everything goes well this evening!" To Luna's horror, Pinkie gave her a slow wink, then trotted back out of sight.
Luna stared at the curtain. Pinkie knew? How could they possibly have a quiet date together if Twilight's friends started interfering? This could ruin everything! How had she found out? The most obvious explanation was that Rainbow Dash had let it slip. Though Twilight's letters had mentioned a mysterious way that Pinkie Pie had of knowing things. Perhaps that was it. Regardless, Twilight didn't seem to have noticed the replacement of the real waiter from behind her menu, but how in Equestria was Luna going to stop Pinkie Pie from getting in the way?
Twilight lowered her menu and gave a soft giggle, shaking her head. "She's not very good at disguises, is she."
"...oh. You noticed?" Luna asked awkwardly.
"I'm sure she just wants us to have the nicest time we can. I was talking to her yesterday about how excited I was to come here."
"You were? That's... wonderful. I was looking forward to this too, very much! I spent more hours than I care to admit in choosing this dress," Luna confessed with a happy blush.
"Rarity suggested I wear this one, actually. She said she'd just finished it, and asked if I wouldn't mind wearing it out this evening with you, so that everypony would see it. She's very talented," Twilight finished fondly.
"...did she by any chance press this dress upon you this afternoon, Twilight? While looking rather tired, perhaps, as though she had not slept well?"
Twilight blinked at her. "Yes, that's right. How did you know?"
Worse and worse. Rarity was in on the act, too. ...and now that she thought about it, there seemed to be a suspicious amount of pleasant, melodious birdsong in the air. Fluttershy's doing?
"Isn't the breeze lovely?" Twilight asked, tactfully abandoning her previous question as the quiet stretched.
"It is," Luna agreed, thankful that Twilight had steered the conversation to less dangerous ground. She groped for the familiar battleground metaphor; she'd establish her position, fortify it, and then she'd risk a frontal assault on the great barricade of Twilight's obliviousness. "I have yet to get very far with the book that you loaned me, but I shall read it most assiduously."
Twilight giggled. "Well, it isn't homework. Your dress - is it a deliberate reproduction of the classic style?"
"Ah- yes. It is a reproduction from a woodcut that I discovered amongst the library's collection." Fighting her tendency to slip into the archaic tongue, she added gently, "I recall having seen a dress worn in this style, many years ago, and it was quite fetching."
"It's so strange to think of all the things you've seen. You must have eaten in places far grander than this," Twilight replied with a wry smile.
"It matters not where you eat, but who you eat with," Luna replied. Lowering her head slightly and looking up at Twilight through her lashes, she added softly, "I could not wish for anypony other than thee beside me."
"Or opposite you."
Luna laughed, nodding her agreement. "Yes, or that. Then I can look at you more easily." As soon as the words left her mouth, Luna's cheeks darkened further, and a shiver ran up her spine. Her disciplined wings didn't shift, but a giddy happiness made her feel as though she was weightless, all the same.
Low, hissed voices came from behind the curtained doorway.
"Pinkie, I refuse to wear this!"
"You have to wear your disguise, silly! Otherwise they'll know it's you!"
"They'll know anyway!"
"With that disguise? That's ridiculous."
"Oh, very well..."
The curtain drew back, and with an awkward smile, Rarity trotted out onto the balcony, pushing a tray. She wore a drooping black moustache. "Good evening," she began in her clear, aristocratic accent. "I have-"
"Prench accent!" hissed Pinkie from behind the curtain.
Rarity rolled her eyes, and continued in an immaculate Prench accent, "Your soup, fresh from the kitchens. Of this establishment, which of course, I own."
"Psst!"
"Which Pinkie Pie contributed to. The soup, that is." Her smile became warmer as she met Luna's gaze, and she added sincerely, "I do hope the two of you enjoy it." Covered bowls levitated from her cart, and settled neatly onto the table, before the lids lifted away with a flourish and a puff of steam. Bowing her head, she retreated through the curtain, pulling the tray after her.
Twilight grinned wryly at Luna. "Well. It does smell good, doesn't it? Let's-"
"That was perfect! They don't suspect a thing!"
Luna shook her head. "We certainly don't," she murmured to Twilight, a small smile on her lips. Dipping her spoon into the soup, she lifted it to her lips and tasted it, her brows raising. "It's good," she added.
"Mm, it is," replied Twilight happily. "I'm really glad you suggested this."
"...so am I, Twilight." The perfect opening; now she could say why she'd invited Twilight out. Maybe Twilight saw it as a date already. Wasn't it obvious? Surely she had agreed to a date. Maybe she didn't need to say anything. Luna occupied herself with another mouthful of soup, trying to fight down her shivering nerves. "Twilight, I-"
The curtain was brushed aside. Applejack walked out onto the balcony, carefully gripping a tray in her mouth. Two glasses stood atop it, gleaming amber in the waning sunlight. Inevitably, an enormous black moustache hung from her upper lip, too. "Ahf brrhh hyuu-" she began, then gave up on the attempt and reached up to set the two glasses down on the table. Slipping the tray into a pouch strapped to her side, she began again, "Ah've brought you your drinks, ma'ams."
Twilight blinked, and reached out for her glass. Sniffing it, she said curiously, "I thought Ponyville had run out of the Apple family cider?"
"Ha, well. Might be folks don't know about a stash we keep back."
"Pssst!"
"-they keep back. Is what Ah meant."
Luna rested her head against her hoof. Applejack, too? Was there a single pony in Ponyville that didn't know she was trying to romance Twilight? Other than possibly Twilight herself? Luna leaned over until she was almost muzzle to muzzle with Applejack. "Shouldn't you be speaking in a Prench accent?" she inquired.
"Uhh." Applejack looked left, then right, seemingly unable to meet Luna's gaze directly.
"Do say something in Prench, would you? It is a language I know well," Luna continued, and watched as sweat drops began to break out on Applejack's brow.
"I, uh... enjoy your food... silver plate?" Applejack managed.
"We shall. Thank you, sir," Luna replied calmly, and straightened again. Released from Luna's stare, Applejack hastily took the opportunity to skedaddle, vanishing through the curtain.
There. Perhaps there would be no further interruptions, now.
Pinkie Pie's hissed whisper cut through the quiet. "I think they bought it!"
There was a snort from opposite Luna. Twilight was trying hard to contain her laughter, and not quite succeeding. Luna found her annoyance at the interruptions easing, and after a moment, she laughed as well.
A glass of cider levitated before her. Twilight smiled, releasing the glass into the grip of Luna's own magic, and raised hers to match. The rims chimed musically together. "I think it's wonderful that everypony is trying to make sure we have a nice time together. All of them are good ponies, and they are wonderful friends. I'm sure they'll be good friends with you, too."
Luna blinked, then shook her head. "I feel so foolish when you say such things so plainly. It is good that I have been accepted by your friends."
"Um. I didn't intend to make you feel foolish."
"Ah - no, no, it is fine. You are simply wiser than I, in many ways. Not least in that you seem able to open thy mouth without finding thy hoof lodged inside it." Luna removed her crown and fiddled with it, glancing out over the balcony.
Every moment seemed to bring either a flush of joy or a shivering wave of terror that she was making a mess of things; the speed with which they alternated was almost unendurable. "Being in thy presence is such sweet torment," Luna murmured, then blanched as she realised she'd spoken aloud.
"Could you say that again, Princess?" Twilight asked innocently, a spoonful of soup halfway to her lips.
Not for all the riches in the Royal vaults. "It was nothing of significance," she replied quickly, and occupied herself with a mouthful of soup. To her pleasant surprise, it really was quite delicious, the equal of any she'd enjoyed in Canterlot since her return. "Wilt - will you tell me of your research, Twilight? I truly enjoy listening to your voice," she said instead.
"Really? That's so nice of you!" Twilight beamed at her. "Let me see. I began my research in the period twelve centuries ago, shortly after the green mist was cleared from the western border of Equestria..."
Luna slowly relaxed as Twilight talked, a silly smile growing on her face. The other pony was so gifted, so clever and quick and caring, and her mane was so pretty, and her skin looked so soft, and... everything about her was wonderful. Increasingly often, she found herself interrupting Twilight's recounting of her historical investigations to add details, or make corrections. The monologue evolved into a dialogue, and as the soup disappeared and implausibly large and fluffy desserts took their place courtesy of a meek and moustachioed Fluttershy, Luna found herself talking more than she had done across months. The cider was actually rather delicious, too, if not quite delicious enough to account for the near-riot over the stuff Twilight had described in one of her letters.
It was with a start that Luna suddenly realised that the golden light of the sun had dwindled in the west, a great red-orange disk framed by streamers of cloud that glowed pink and gold. In the distance, a small but incredibly swift speck could be made out, shunting the clouds into perfect romantic sunset configuration. It was too far away to see if she was wearing a moustache.
Perhaps she'd forgive Rainbow Dash, Luna thought.
It was the perfect moment to confess her feelings. Somewhere in all the talking, a tightly wound part of her had relaxed, and the knot of fear of failure in her chest had melted away. Rising from the table, Luna walked over to the balcony and looked out into the sunset. "Twilight, there is something I wished to say to you," she began, then looked back over her shoulder.
Twilight was looking at a clock mounted high in the distance, puzzled. "It can't be sunset yet. It's not due for another twenty three minutes."
Luna's eyes widened, then narrowed as she suddenly understood.
Twilight had been having the most wonderful evening. It had made her so happy to see Princess Luna reaching out, getting used to talking with others again, and when she relaxed, she was a fascinating conversationalist. She talked readily and easily about times and places that Twilight had only dimly glimpsed in history books, bringing them to life with fondness and animation. Since her return, she'd even read some of Twilight's favourite books! The balcony was peaceful and cosy, the food was delicious, and truly, she could have happily stayed there all night.
As the sun sank below the horizon, it seemed that time had simply flown. However, as Luna rose and stood by the balcony, Twilight caught a glimpse of a clock past Luna's flank, and realised that she'd been wrong. Instead, the day had passed more quickly than it should have. That was strange. Perhaps something had caused-
"Sister, this is unacceptable."
Luna's tone was firm, unyielding, and she looked not at Twilight, but off towards the setting sun. A resolute determination had settled over her features, a resonance underlying her words. "I appreciate the aid of thyself, and those close to Twilight. I would not refuse it. But I have a responsibility to all ponies, and I will not see their lives disrupted. The greatest beast and smallest bird live with the turning of the day and night, and they are not ours to meddle with so cavalierly."
The dying light painted her face with a golden glow, contrasted by the deep blue hollows of shadow. "With all my heart, I wished for this date to be a perfect one, but not even for my sake can thou do such a thing. Hath thy heart forgotten my dereliction of my duty so easily? Having once forsaken it, believe me, sister, there is naught that could compel me to do so again."
Twilight stared at her, wide-eyed, her mouth open. Date?
Luna's wings flared, and the air shimmered around her with power. She had not the way of Celestia to effortlessly hide the strength of her magic, and it thrummed through the stones beneath them. The last light of the day winked out, and crested with cool silver, the moon rose over the rooftops into the darkening sky.
Lost for words, Twilight couldn't look away as moonlight poured over Luna's coat, and one by one, soft yellow lamps began to wink into life throughout Ponyville. Luna was... was magnificent. She was beautiful, and magnificent, and kind, and a living embodiment of all Equestria was and had ever been.
She couldn't have said what it sounded like she'd said. Voice hushed, Twilight asked softly, "Did you just say that this was...?" Celestia's mane, she couldn't even say it!
Turning from the balcony, Luna met Twilight's eyes, and to the young pony's astonishment, the look on Luna's face was that of a pony taking her courage in her hooves. "Yes, Twilight. I have been - unsuccessfully it seems - seeking to court thee."
Twilight looked at her blankly, too stunned for any other emotion to register. "But - I'm just an ordinary pony! Why me?"
Luna straightened, and suddenly Twilight was reminded of how tall she was. "Twilight... I cannot understand how you could even ask such a question." Placing a hoof over her heart, Luna continued intensely, "You saved me, Twilight. More than any pony, other than my sister, you hath brought light into the darkness I dwelt in. I see the world through your eyes, and I see a warm, vibrant place, different to the world I remember, but no less welcoming. Twilight, I see thee, and thy wit and cleverness, thy caring and compassion.
"My heart swells for thee," Luna finished more softly, "and it shall do so no less if it is to remain unrequited."
Twilight often thought in metaphors; and as she gazed at Luna, trying to find where her voice had disappeared off to, an image struck her. Her mind was a neat and orderly library, or had been - Luna's words had been an earthquake, and now, books lay strewn all over the floor, bookshelves were toppled, spines were getting creased, it was impossible to find anything - enough of the metaphor. File it away for later. Which was also a metaphor.
It occurred to Twilight that she was panicking, and forced herself to calm down. A wobbly smile on her lips, she managed, "Um. Reassessing. One moment, please."
Luna's heart hammered in her chest. She'd worked herself up to the point that she was ready to hear Twilight turn her down. But reassessing? What was she meant to do with that?
Awkwardly, Luna loitered by the side of the table, trying not to stare at Twilight but unable to fully look away either. After a few moments, she carefully slid back into her chair.
Twilight broke the quiet. "The flowers, they weren't friendly decoration flowers? They were romance flowers?"
"...yes." Luna's voice was a little hoarse.
"Meeting me in the forest wasn't a coincidence?" Twilight went on slowly, seemingly working through a mental checklist.
"It, ah, no. It wasn't." Luna picked up her glass and swallowed a mouthful of cider, without really tasting it.
"Princess Celestia and my friends are helping you? They all know?"
"Ah, yes," Luna admitted with difficulty. "They do seem to."
Twilight nodded slowly. "Okay. I think that covers it," she murmured, then pushed back her chair and rose. Luna scrambled to do the same, trying not to kick the table in her haste.
"Princess?" Twilight said softly, looking up at her. The young pony's face was softly lit by the table's single candle, reflected light flickering and dancing in her eyes.
"Yes, Twilight?" Luna replied in barely a whisper. Her body flushed alternately hot and cold, and it required iron self-control to keep her breathing steady.
"I've never... thought of you, like that. Like someone I could have a relationship with."
Wetness welled in Luna's eyes, and she blinked it away. Her voice wobbly, she murmured softly, "Oh."
"But-!" Twilight added hastily. "But, I could... if you really want me, I could..."
Bleakness settled into Luna's spirit. "No, Twilight. If you are not interested in me, I would not ask thee to pretend for my sake."
"No!" Twilight said forcefully, cutting Luna off. Her voice lowered again, and she looked down at the floor. "I'm not good at this. I'm not good at explaining what I feel, I mean. But... you're amazing. And, and you're beautiful, and wise, and wonderful. I would never have imagined that you might feel something for a pony like me, but... wow." She lifted her head, looking at Luna beseechingly. "I feel - so giddy! I'm kind of terrified! But I'd like to - to try this. Please? Princess Luna, will you go out with me?"
"Yes," Luna breathed, her voice thick with emotion. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. A yes for every star in the sky, and we shall count them together." They moved together, forelegs wrapping around each other, and Twilight was warm against Luna and her mane smelled sweet, and they were together and everything was going to be alright. Everything would be perfect.
Surreptitious movement drew Luna's eye. Curious eyes were peering around the edge of the curtain, which had been drawn back slightly to give a clear view of the balcony. All five of Twilight's friends crowded around the little gap, even a slightly guilty-looking Fluttershy. "Hmf," Luna murmured, fond humour in her tone, and a flare of deep blue magic gently but irresistibly pulled the curtain fully closed.
Twilight drew her head back just a little, without relaxing their embrace. Her cheeks were flushed with happiness, and she seemed slightly breathless. "What is it?" she asked curiously.
"I am simply... so very happy," Luna replied gently, nuzzling her head against the other pony. Their manes intermingled. "Twilight - may I kiss thee?"
The soft blush on Twilight's cheeks deepened. "I, um, it could be nice, but I don't have much experience, so..."
"Kiss me, Twilight Sparkle," Luna commanded.
Happily, giddily, Twilight did as her Princess bid.
Celestia was waiting in Luna's personal chambers, a steaming cup of tea held with one hoof. She smiled warmly, and said, "I'm glad it went well."
Luna shook her head, smiling fondly. "I imagine you already know of the words I addressed to thee."
"Your point was well made, sister, and I apologise. Though, perhaps just this once, it can be forgiven." Celestia sipped from her cup, with a look of serene satisfaction. "It did, in the end, have the desired result."
"You know, sister, at times, you allow others to believe events have worked out according to thy meticulous plan, when no such plan ever existed." Luna's horn glowed, and her shimmering dress unfastened, sliding off her body and settling onto the back of a chair. "If you attempt to do so this time, I shall pour thy tea over thy head," she finished mildly.
Celestia smiled a little wider, and contented herself with sipping her tea. "Of course, sister."
"And if you sit there, with the mysterious smile that implies the same thing, I will do it anyway. I am filled with love, and joy, and hope, and I will pour thy tea over thy head if I have to."
With a laugh, Celestia's smile turned rueful. "I am properly chastised. I have some celebration cake for you, if it won't end up on my head."
"I will accept cake," Luna replied magnanimously.
"Then I'll go and fetch it."
Celestia rose, and Luna watched her disappear through the doors. Alone for a moment, Luna looked left, then right, then performed a little dance of delight on the spot.
"The best day ever!"
Epilogue:
Luna blushed, deeply. "Twilight, this is-"
"This is a genuine artisan-crafted chased-silver romantic period courtship brooch! Luna, it's beautiful! It's perfect! I love it!" Twilight squealed, hugging it against her chest.
Was it possible to faint from happiness? Luna felt as though she was about to find out. Gazing at her bright-eyed lover, she murmured diffidently. "I designed it. For you."
"I love it," Twilight said again, giddy with delight, then added warmly, "I love you." Leaning up, she kissed Luna soundly on the lips, pressing close.
The world spun around them, sun and stars and moon wheeling in the heavens. Holding Twilight tightly, Luna breathed, "...I love you too."
Author's Note
"I, uh... enjoy your food... silver plate?" Applejack managed.
Applejack is trying for 'si vous plait'.
Luna picked up her glass and swallowed a mouthful of cider, without really tasting it.
"Did you see that?" Applejack demanded. "The best of last year's cider, and she's tossing it back and not even paying attention! Princess or no Princess, Ah'll kick her behind!"
Luna's voice was a little hoarse.
This was not a pun, but it turned out to be one anyway.
Epilogue epilogue:
With a great whumph of downdraft, Luna ascended vertically from Twilight's front door, soaring upwards. For a fraction of a second. Then, to her bewilderment, she found herself at a dead stop in a net thoughtfully stretched between two branches above the door.
"What?" she yelped.
Twilight appeared on the broad branch in a flash of purple light, grinning impishly with satisfaction. "Caught you," she said playfully, and leant down to kiss her.
