For many who served in the Lunar Embassy, the arrival of night-time in Ponyville simply meant a return to norm for them. After all, when one spent their entire lives in a realm of eternal night, getting back to it was hardly an unwelcome experience. But, as they had found to their amusement, the ponies of Ponyville would simply return to their homes as soon as the sun set, light after light illuminating their small houses. As for the Embassy itself, the guards and serving ponies merely went about their work as though nothing had changed. That is not to say that they never slept, only that it was not the great period of transition that it was for the Equestrians. And speaking of sleep, that was exactly what was about to occur for one tiny Lunar pony in particular. Sweetie Belle, who was currently burying her nose in her favourite book, smiling all the way. Her room was as elegant and ornate as one would expect of the daughter of the Ambassador, and the young filly enjoyed being here. But, she was not alone here for long.
"Sweetie?"
The unicorn filly looked up to see her Mother, Rarity, looking to her with a small smile in her doorway. Sweetie's smile was far larger, however, and as she set her book to one side, she got to her hooves as she took a step closer to her elder.
"I was just going to bed now, Mother."
Rarity nodded, entering her daughter's room in earnest. The small filly trotted over to that aforementioned bed, crawling into it and using her still-new magic to pull the covers over herself. Rarity walked beside her, sitting quietly as her daughter got herself settled in for the night, before leaning forward and giving her a quick kiss upon her forehead.
"You've had a fun day today, my dear?"
Sweetie nodded.
"Yep! Spike, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo all asked me to come over and swim in the pond over at Sweet Apple Acres. It was fun."
Rarity chuckled slightly.
"I little rough for my liking...but I'm glad you're having fun."
Raising her hoof, she gave her daughter a quick pat on the head, before letting out a sigh and standing up once more.
"Sweet dreams, my daughter. I will see you in the morning."
However, as Sweetie watched her Mother walk away, a look of concern crossed her face. Then, after a few false starts, she finally managed to get her words out.
"Um...Mother?"
The older unicorn stopped, looking over her shoulder.
"Yes, Sweetie?"
There was obvious hesitation on Sweetie's face, and for a few moments she actively avoided her Mother's gaze. But, after a while of just nervously poking her hooves against each other, she started speaking up.
"The ponies here in Ponyville...they're...they're our friends, right?"
Rarity raised an eyebrow.
"Sweetie?"
Again, Sweetie seemed hesitant to speak, yet did so all the same.
"It's just...I was doing my studies a few days ago, and...I overheard some of the guards here."
She looked her Mother right in the eye.
"They were saying a lot of bad stuff. Like how we might be fighting them one day."
Instantly, Rarity understood where this was going, and let out a long sigh. Slowly, she turned around, heading back for her daughter's bed and sitting beside her. Her expression was far softer than she would normally use for others, and when she gently placed a hoof upon the young filly's shoulder, her tone of voice was similarly delicate.
"Sweetie...all of us here hope that we can be friends with the Equestrians. After all, that's what Embassies and Ambassadors are for, helping to build bridges."
But Sweetie still looked concerned.
"Then...why did the guards say those things? Did the Equestrians do something bad?"
Rarity shook her head.
"No, my sweet little girl. They've done nothing bad. But you have to remember..."
She scooted a little closer to her.
"...those guards are soldiers. A soldier's duty is to be prepared for fights that may happen one day, be it tomorrow, next week, or even years from now."
Hearing that, Sweetie pulled her covers closer to her chest.
"So...will there be a fight?"
Rarity paused, thinking on that, before letting out a deep exhale.
"I...I hope there won't be. Though I never would have wanted to come here all those months ago, I'll admit...I've grown rather fond of these ponies."
A chuckle escaped her.
"We may be as different as night and day...but I believe we can live with each other, and yes, even be friends, just as you are with Spike and the other youngsters."
Unfortunately, her smile faded as she looked back to her daughter, an expression developing on her face that was far more serious than before.
"But remember, Sweetie. Things between Lunar and Equestrian are not just between us here at the Embassy and Ponyville. They're happening all over. Some things may go well, but others may go badly."
She sighed again.
"And if they go badly enough..."
The Ambassador experienced some hesitation herself before continuing.
"...then we may not be able to stay friends with them."
As before, she entered a state of thoughtfulness, thinking things over as she continued speaking.
“There have been...rumours. Talks that the Equestrians aren’t as happy with us as they’re trying to say they are. The things we’ve been doing recently...they’d taken some issues with them.”
Sweetie's expression was hard to read, and she looked away from her elder.
"...Will there be a war?"
Rarity was clearly taken aback by how direct her daughter had been with that question. But, if nothing else, a direct question deserved a direct answer, and Rarity, as diplomatic as she could be, knew that this youngster would not be satisfied with anything other than the truth.
"...There might be."
Sweetie paused for a long time, and when she spoke, she looked her Mother right in the eye.
"...I hope there won’t be."
Rarity too said nothing for a time, and when that silence finally broke, she once more placed a gentle hoof upon her daughter's head, looking to her with genuine softness.
"So do I, little one...so do I."
At this point, neither of them said a word, simply looking to one another for some sense of calm and comfort. But, there came a time when, finally, the Ambassador had to leave, and so gave her daughter one final smile before bidding her goodnight. Getting up from the bed, Rarity made her way over to the door of the bedroom, before casting yet another final glance in her daughter’s direction. But by this point, Sweetie had once more tucked herself in for the night, and so the elder unicorn slowly closed the door. Once on the other side, all alone in that hallway save for a nearby guard assigned to Sweetie’s room, she let out her longest sigh yet.
“Oh Sweetie...no Mother wishes to hear her child speak of the troubles of the world...”
She closed her eyes.
“...no matter how right you may be.”
