Twilight and the Princesses

by PrincessCadenza

Rating: teen
Tags: Random, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance
Length: 8844

Twilight is now a princess, and that means one exclusive thing. She can spend time with the other Princesses in a way that nopony else can.

Ever since her ascension, Twilight has been getting used to her new position as a Princess of Equestria. Of course now she gets to spend time with her fellow peers in a manner she never got to before, as an equal, and it leads her to talk to them about things that she never could have dreamed of. Where was Luna for the first few months after her return? Why did Twilight not know how Cadance and Shining Armor had an entire relationship without her knowing? Why is Celestia's mane multi-coloured?

What answers will she get to the questions she wants to ask?

The story will follow the princesses past certain events in the showrun.

Published 2018-01-22 05:40:12 UTC
Last updated 2018-10-01 23:57:14 UTC

Chapter 2 - Do Princesses dream of Princesses?

Twilight sat alone in the midst of the great library. The shelves of books stacked impossibly high contained every piece of knowledge in Equestria and Twilight was determined to read it all one day. There were books on history, languages, home cooking and everything in between. The brilliant white of the marble floor shone with a reflective glow from all the magic candles throughout the maze of bookshelves, made only brighter by the magnificent chandelier that hung in the centre of the library itself.

Twilight was at the only desk in the library. It was a desk just for her. There were no other desks because nopony else ever entered her library. The desk was a beautiful piece of hoof-carved mahogany that was varnished a soft shade of burgundy. Twilight's chair was also mahogany. It also had a super soft pillow to stop her bottom falling asleep from not moving, not that it ever did. The desk was stacked full of books on various subjects and Twilight was reading three at once. All was silent in Twilight's library.

Her library of dreams.

Yes, Twilight was asleep. How else could she be in such a wonderful place, completely uninterrupted by anypony? This was Twilights favourite dream because it allowed her to re-learn everything from that day. Each book she read was a compendium of knowledge on her day to day life. Everything she saw, everypony she met, and everything she learnt. In her schoolfilly days, some of the other fillys would tease her for being so clever while others would want to know how she did it. How did she remember everything so well? Twilight would always tell them of her library. Her place of learning and safety where her mind could focus even as she slept. They would never understand what she meant and Twilight knew that they never would. She was smarter than them and she knew it. Twilight had never had any visitors in her library until this day. The day a voice called out to her.

"So this is what you do while you sleep?"

Twilight looked up quickly, certain she must have been imagining it. She gazed at the area around her but found nopony. She took to the air and looked further. There was nopony. The purple alicorn shook her head and landed back at her desk. It must have been her imagination, which considering where she was wasn't too much of a stretch.

"It's rude to ignore somepony , you know!"

Twilight span around in her chair. She looked up and saw a cloud, perfectly white in stark contrast to the pony who sat upon it. She had dark blue fur and an eternally flowing mane of the pure night sky. A crescent moon was emblazoned upon her flank and a black crown sat upon her head. She wore an expression of pure curiosity.

"Princess Luna?" Twilight almost fell back out of her chair at the sudden intrusion into her library. "How in Celestia's name did you get in here?!"

Luna looked down at Twilight, wearing a simple smile. "This is a dream, Twilight. I can enter any dream I wish remember?"

"O-oh. Right." Twilight apologised, not for a need to, just because she forgot Luna's most revered ability. "I'm sorry, Princess! It's just nopony has ever been inside my library before. I was just shocked, that's all."

Luna jumped off her cloud, landing gracefully on the floor. "It is quite alright, dear one. Everyone has a favourite dream that is theirs alone. I must admit that a library is definitely what I expected of you." Luna let out a small giggle.

"So what brings you here?" Twilight asked.

Luna conjured a small pillow and took a seat in front of Twilight's desk, eyeing her carefully. "It has come to my attention that my Sister told you a certain story earlier this night. While it was certainly not a fully detailed recollection of what happened I felt I must ask you a question."

Twilight shifted nervously on her chair. "A question? What question is that?"

Luna stayed silent for a few moments, trying to find the best way to phrase what she wanted to know. Eventually she found no other way than to just ask.

"Do you think any less of me?"

Twilight sat wide eyed at the princess. She had no response to such a question. It was completely out of the blue and caught her off guard. It didn't take long for Twilight's brain to restart but she found giving a straight answer difficult. She got up off her chair, levitating the books from her desk back onto their shelves one at a time. Luna simply sat on her pillow, waiting for a reply from the purple princess.

Once the last book was in it's place, Twilight turned to Luna. "Do you mind if we have a quick change of scenery?"

Luna simply nodded.

Twilight walked past her to a door that Luna was sure wasn't there before. After stepping through it, Luna found herself in a field. A short way from them was a long, winding path leading back up to Canterlot. Twilight walked over to a large tree and laid down in the grass. Luna followed and laid next to her, still unsure of why Twilight brought them here. She noticed, however, that in the middle of the field was a blanket with a picnic spread out on it. The picnic was being enjoyed by four ponies. A mare of light grey, a stallion of deep blue, a colt of pure white and a filly of violet hue.

Twilight sat and watched them for a moment before turning her head to face Luna. "Princess Celestia told me once that she felt every pony in Equestria was her family. I imagine that it is the same for you too?"

"Of course. Even before my fall I shared my sisters love for Our ponies."

Twilight looked back to the memory playing out in front of them. "I always knew one day my brother would leave to join the Royal Guard. It had been his dream for so long that I cant remember a time when he wasn't training for it. This memory was a few days after he made the decision to try to become one." Twilight's voice trailed off slightly as she spoke. Luna simply watched the scene, remembering a picnic of her own with Celestia many ages past.

"The day he left for the Canterlot barracks was one of the hardest things I had endured at the time. To know he was going to a place I couldn't follow and that I would barely ever get to see him again for the years he would be in training..." Twilight broke off to wipe a tear from her eye but continued on. "It hurt for a very long time. It's a pale comparison but I imagine that Celestia felt this pain when she banished you." Twilight leaned onto her side to look at Luna fully. "I know that Celestia didn't tell me the full details and honestly I'm glad she didn't. I don't need to know what Nightmare Moon did to your subjects."

Luna tensed up at the mention of her name. "The Nightmare's actions were as my own. She was born from me and my jealousy. Any action she took was and is fully my responsibility."

Twilight tilted her head to the side. "But I don't think that's true."

Luna looked over to Twilight with a look of wide eyed confusion. "How can you say that?"

Twilight let out a small sigh and looked back to her family in the distance. "Luna, I don't deny that it was your feelings that caused Nightmare Moon to appear. I do however deny that it is entirely your fault for her actions. I have seen truly evil beings in the form of Sombra and Chrysalis but never once have I thought that about you."

Luna was taken aback by Twilight's response.

"I believe that Nightmare Moon was a being comprised of dark magic that latched onto your negative feelings and used you to create a form that spread misery and suffering. I do not believe for one second that you yourself are responsible. I have known you since your return and as your friend I am telling you that I don't not hold you responsible for what Nightmare Moon has done. You have been trying every day to atone for what happened." Luna's gaze drifted to the grass at her hooves, and Twilight continued. "It's hard for me to put exactly how I feel about it into words, which is unusual for me, but I think just as highly of you now as I did on Nightmare Night when a lonely alicorn came to Ponyville seeking friends."

Luna looked up at Twilight. "Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. I must admit you have helped me see my past in a different light...if only a little."

Twilight unfurled her wing and wrapped it around Luna's back. "It's ok, its what friends do. And I know that if you ever felt that way again, you have a wonderful sister, a loving niece and a group of amazing friends to help you through it."

Luna returned her gaze to Twilight's family. "This truly is an amazing sight, your all so full of joy."

Twilight simply smiled. "That's why its one of my favourite memories, although I hope I can make some good ones as a princess too."

Luna smiled at Twilight. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, you will be one of the best princesses Equestria has ever seen."

*****

Twilight awoke shortly after saying goodbye to Princess Luna. As she looked out of the window she could see it was still dark. Celestia was likely awake by now but it was a little to early to raise the sun just yet. Twilight yawned and played the dream back in her mind, letting a smile spread on her face as she did so. She wanted to get up early today to begin reorganising the Golden Oaks Library again. There was always room for a new categorisation for the library. Instead she found herself drawn to writing a letter. Once it was finished and sealed, Twilight made her way over to Spike's basket.

"Spike, can you send this letter for me?" Twilight whispered to the baby dragon.

Spike simply grumbled as he rolled over, taking the letter in his claw and sending it in a flash of flame before falling straight back to sleep.

"Thank you." Twilight rubbed his forehead lightly before heading downstairs to begin the planning phase of her book sorting.

*****

Princess Celestia was surprised to see a scroll appear at this time of morning. When she took note of the seal on the wax she gave a quick eye roll. "Oh Twilight, do you ever sleep?" Celestia unfurled the scroll and gave it a quick read.

Dear Princess Celestia

Last night I was visited by your Sister. She must have overheard our conversation yesterday, or at least a part of it. It seems she still harbours a great amount of self doubt in herself for her actions as Nightmare Moon. Could you do me a really big favour? The next time you see her could you give her a really big hug from me? I would do it myself but I think it would help her a lot more if it came from you.

Your friend,
Twilight Sparkle

Celestia smiled and placed the letter on her desk. As she moved to her balcony to begin raising the sun, she glanced over to Ponyville in the distance and felt her heart grow warmer.

"Twilight, I will give her the best big sister hug in the world, and then I'm going to teleport you up here so you can give her the biggest best friend hug too."

Author's Note

and heres chapter 2. i decided i wanted to get Luna out of the way as i found her very hard to write for. i dont know why. maybe i need to watch more luna episodes lol. anyway i hope you all like it, and if not then fair enough. i expect the next one will either be dealing with Celestia and Sunset, or a nice sisterly day for Twilight and Cadance....or maybe Luna and Celestia. we shall see. if you see any typos then feel free to tell me, preferably by pm and ill change it to actual English lol.

anyhoos thanks for reading and i shall catch you all soon.

Chapter 3 - The Moon and the Summer Sun

Princess Celestia pushed open the doors to Luna's room with a simple flick of her magic and made her way inside. Luna stirred on her back, giving out a small burp. Celestia turned her head and gazed at her sister. "Luna, if you throw up on me I will dump you on the floor right here!"

Luna shifted slightly. "Sorry....I'll be fine. Just get me to my bed."

Celestia carried on through her sister's room. She took note of how tidy it was. Everything was in its place and there wasn't a single stack of paper. Celestia cast her mind back to her own room and realised just how messy it was. If she didn't know better she would have thought her room was more paper than anything. Celestia made her way up the stairs at the back of the room which led to Luna's bedchamber.

"Okay Lulu, this is your stop." Celestia carefully lifted Luna off of her back and pulled her dress off before lowering her onto the bed. She placed the dress neatly on the chair in the corner and moved over to the window. The party in the courtyard was still in full swing. Pinkie had gone all out to celebrate the Summer Sun Celebration and Discord's dark vines did nothing to dampen her spirits. If anything it just gave her another thing to celebrate.

The party had started as soon as Celestia lowered the sun and had carried on for hours. It was nearly midnight and yet nopony wanted to go home. Ponies came from all over Equestria for the celebration and the castle courtyard was the only place big enough for everypony to enjoy the festivities, not that it was confined to the courtyard. The nobles had their own gathering in the castle gardens which Celestia had avoided all evening. The common ponies were far more enjoyable to be around by far and Celestia felt she could relax more about what she did that evening than if she was with the nobles. The rest of Canterlot was filled with stalls and attractions for everypony who couldn't get to the castle.

Celestia looked down towards the drinks stall in the courtyard. It didn't take long to find what she was looking for. Rainbow Dash was lying on the floor with a bucket and Big Macintosh was unconscious on the table. She turned back to Luna who was eyeing her from the bed.

"Well, I think you certainly gave them a night to remember."

Luna raised her hoof. "Nopony defeats me. The Princess of the Night will never lose!"

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but really, a drinking contest?"

Luna raised her head. "It is not my fault that Rainbow Dash challenged me!"

Celestia looked back out the window. She saw Fluttershy now tending to Rainbow Dash and Applejack was trying to move Big Mac to his hotel room. "As I understand it she challenged Big Mac and then you practically threw yourself into it."

Luna narrowed her eyes.

Celestia turned back around with a small grin. "Twilight told me all about it when she came and told me you were having trouble standing."

Luna blew a raspberry at her sister and then laid her head back down on the pillow. "She's such a tattle tail."

"She was also right to do so." Celestia walked over to her sister's side and pulled the quilt over with her magic. "You have been without alcohol for a thousand years. Drinking so much so suddenly was a recipe for disaster." She noticed the look Luna was giving her and so she began stroking her mane and offered a smile. "But I suppose you did prove you can still drink everypony else under the table."

Luna let out a small laugh. "Do you remember your ninetieth birthday? I'm pretty sure you drank away half of Equestria single-hoofed!"

Celestia's face went bright red.

"Then I had to carry you back to your room where you proceeded to vomit all over the floor, THEN tried to go back and continue!" Luna smiled victoriously before planting her head back onto the pillow and burping again.

Celestia moved her hoof from her sister's mane and poked her in the side. "Well its not my fault if SOMEPONY decided to spike my drinks. I never did find out what you were trying to do that day."

Luna brought her hoof to her head. "I think I was just trying to get you drunk. You had been a stick in the mud all week that week!"

Celestia smiled at her sister. "Ah yes, I remember. It was the anniversary of our mother's passing."

Luna smiled back at her sister. "You did take it particularly hard. It had been almost forty years but you still mourned like it was that week."

Celestia looked away from Luna and over towards the window again. "I stopped after we were asked to rule Equestria. Those ponies believed we had always been so I thought it was the best time to let go." Her tone turned sombre. "Not that it mattered of course, soon enough we had forgotten what they even looked like..."

Luna rolled over and pulled her sister down into a hug with her magic. "We don't remember what they looked like but we remember them. As long as we hold onto what they taught us they will be with us forever."

Celestia let our a small breath and allowed herself to be pulled a little closer into her sister.

"Besides," Luna continued, "if you keep eating so much cake you will definitely get our mother's thighs..."

Celestia poked Luna in the rib. "That's enough of that. I do enough exercise to keep my butt in shape."

Luna laughed. "Oh I'm sure you do. Otherwise I would have had enough of you to have several sisters upon my return!"

"Oh hardy har!" Celestia laughed as well. Both sisters laughed for a few seconds, at peace in each others embrace.

After a while in silence Celestia noticed her sister had fallen asleep. She got out of the bed and pulled the blanket back over Luna with a small flick of her magic. Returning to the windows she noticed Twilight and Cadance heading towards the castle. Celestia smiled at her niece.

"Its about time your train arrived...."

Celestia teleported herself to her room. It had been a long day and night both. She was tired and would no doubt have a very groggy sister to deal with in the morning. As she lay down and pulled over the covers she couldn't help but think of Luna's words.

"As long as we hold onto what they taught us they will be with us forever." Celestia repeated to herself. She smiled and closed her eyes. As her mind faded into sleep she had one final thought. One that she knew without a doubt.

She was never more happy to have her beloved sister back.

Author's Note

sorry for the super long absence. around christmas my granddad became ill and it persisted until a few weeks ago when he passed away in his sleep. as such i didnt feel much like writing so i left it for a while. i therfore left this chapter smaller than i was planning and changed the subject matter a little. now that its done i feel like i can begin writing further chapters properly again.

thanks for waiting and i shall see you all in the next chapter.

Chapter 3.5 - In the Aftermath

Celestia descended the staircase from her sister's tower. Luna was asleep and would likely stay that way until the late afternoon of the next day. As she entered the hallway that connected her sister's tower with the three chambers for herself, Cadance and Twilight she took notice of the various portraits on the wall, as she did every time she came this way. This hall was filled with portraits of the greatest warriors that had ever served in the Royal Guard, or indeed any branch of Celestia's staff. She remembered each one fondly as well as their individual service to the throne.

The one she was most fond of was the one at the end of the hall, where Luna's tower reached the large round room with three other doors and a hallway back to the castle. This portrait depicted a unicorn. He had a greyish coat and a white mane. The nameplate read "Steel Shield, Supreme General of Her Majesty's Armed Forces". Celestia remembered Steel Shield. He was the unicorn who formed the Royal Guard itself over a thousand years ago. He dedicated his life to protecting both of the Royal Sisters and had done so with the highest of honours. Celestia missed him dearly. He was never as tough as his portrait depicted, at least not in her presence, and she had always had a soft spot for him.

As Celestia turned to head back to the main castle she caught sight of both Twilight and Cadance heading her way. They both had a glass of wine in their magic and a full bottle floating behind them. They were both giggling and Cadance was swaying a little more than she should. Celestia caught their attention with a slight cough.

"You do know it is the height of bad manners for a princess to be seen too drunk to walk properly? I thought one princess would be enough tonight."

Cadance and Twilight both looked forward but the smiles never left their lips.

"I was just getting Cadance to her room for that very reason." Twilight answered first, but her voice seemed a little off. She clearly had drank more than she was letting on. "But then my lovely sister-in-law wanted to hear what happened in the human world in more detail. I didn't get a chance to tell her about everything that happened last time because of how busy we were with the Princess Summit."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? would you mind if I joined you? I would like to hear about it as well."

Twilight looked at the bottle behind her and then back to Celestia. "Of course, but I don't think we have enough wine for all of us..."

Celestia chuckled a little and rolled her eyes. "A full bottle isn't enough? Well I do have some rather lovely vintages in my chambers."

Cadance threw her hoof into the air. "Wooooo! Now it will be a praty!"

Twilight and Celestia laughed. "I think you mean party, my dear niece."

"That's what I said! now come on, its not even 11pm yet and I wanna hear the stories."

In Celestia's chamber each Alicorn had found themselves a place on a set of rather large cushions. Celestia kept them for special visitors, made from the finest materials from Saddle Arabia. Once all three were lying down in comfort with a full glass of wine all attention turned to Twilight.

"So Twilight, tell us about the human world." Celestia said.

"Well, when I first arrived I didn't know what to make of it." Twilight began with a large sip of wine. "Humans have four limbs like we do but they stand up tall on the back pair like the Abyssinians. At the end of each arm they have hands, which are kind of like claws but not sharp. They are really good for holding on to things though."

Twilight teleported some paper and a pencil to herself and began a quick sketch of her human form. Celestia merely looked from where she laid, however Cadance was leaning closer with a look of confusion on her face.

"They look so strange. What kind of fur do they have? Do they style their manes too?" She said before taking a gulp from her glass.

Twilight giggled. "While they do have hair on their heads like we do they don't generally seem to have any fur. Just light patches of hair on certain parts of their bodies. I didn't have much time to learn about it all but the other-world Rarity showed me some basics about human grooming as we were getting ready for the Fall Formal." Twilight took a biscuit from the plate Celestia moved her way before continuing. "From what she told me, humans care for and style their hair just as we style our manes. The only difference is that they do it way more often."

Celestia bit into her own biscuit before chirping in. "So how do they keep warm if they don't have fur? I would assume that world has seasons just as ours does."

"It does, and humans wear clothes all the time. many of them wear them when they sleep as well."

Cadance looked over to Twilight. "So now that we have the basics of human anatomy down, why don't you tell us about this school you went to."

Twilight's eyes lit up immediately. "It's a massive building that can have over a thousand students at once. It has a huge library too! It's...where I slept during the night." Twilight looked away from the others as her cheeks burned red, while Celestia and Cadance both started laughing.

"They had a library? I'm surprised you even came back." Celestia joked after catching her breath. "The chance to learn all those books had to offer must have really pulled at you."

Twilight looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "I did really want to read them all but I was so tired after the first day." She took a gulp from her glass before refilling bother hers and Cadance's. "Plus I had a job to do so I couldn't get side tracked. Sunset had the entire school under her thumb and I needed to do everything I could to help them."

Cadance leapt from her spot and landed on top of her sister-in-law in what Twilight assumed was a hug. "Awwww that's our Twilight. Always helping others!"

Celestia shifted slightly onto her side and crossed her forehooves before emptying, then refilling, her glass. "What was Sunset like when you first encountered her?"

Twilight pushed Cadance off and looked at Celestia. While her face showed barely any tell of emotion Twilight could see the worry in her face. She expected her to ask about Sunset eventually and knew she would blame herself for everything her former pupil had done. Nevertheless Twilight knew lying about it wouldn't help anything, especially if Sunset ever came back to Equestria.

Twilight took a breath and faced Celestia.

"She was a horrible person." Celestia winced a little at the bluntness of Twilight but said nothing. "Sunset used everyone and everything she could to put herself on top and kicked down anyone who tried to change it. She bullied everyone and carried an air of self importance, like she was better than everyone and deserved to have everything handed to her." Twilight crossed her forehooves and looked down. "I had never seen anyone be so cruel to others for no reason."

Celestia looked away from the others, the disappointment clear upon her face and tears in her eyes. "I see."

Twilight looked back up. "But once I got my crown back and purged the dark magic from her she saw what she had done was wrong. Sunset was truly remorseful and wanted to make amends." Celestia's eyes turned towards Twilight but her head did not. "I was confidant when I left that my friends over there would take care of her and show her the magic of friendship. You don't need to worry about her, Celestia, she will be fine. I promise."

Celestia brushed the tears away and looked back to the others. "I know she will. I trust your judgement, Twilight, and I know you wouldn't have left her there if she was still a danger to others or herself." Celestia smiled. "Now what of this boy I heard you danced with? Flash Sentry I believe you said his name was?"

Twilight's smile vanished, her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed once more. "I-I don't remember telling you his name!"

Celestia giggled. "No but Pinkie Pie's intuition the night you returned certainly answered it for us."

"BUT YOU WERNTED EVEN THERE!" Twilight yelled.

"Oooooooooooh, That was my fault" Cadance sang. "I told aunty Tia all about it when I saw her the next morning. Like I was guna miss telling her about your little crush! So did you kiss him?"

"No I didn't kiss him, and it wouldn't be any of your business if I did!" Twilight pulled herself free from Cadance's grasp and sat closer to Celestia.

"I don't know," Cadance grew a sly grin. "I am the Princess of Love after all. It is literally my business! If you want I could go and get my Flash Sentry for you to practice on. He's only downstairs..."

"CADANCE!" Twilight whined, her frustration clear across her face.

Cadance and Celestia both broke into full laughter at Twilight's expression. "Ok, ok. I'll stop teasing. But you did kiss him right?"

"NO! I DIDNT!" Twilight took a breath to clam down. "I will have you know that Flash was a perfect gentleman to me. He did kiss my hand to say goodbye though."

"Awww that's sweet. Makes me a little jealous." Cadance cooed. "Reminds me of Shining Armor back when we were at Canterlot High. He was such a gentlecolt back then too."

Twilight took the opportunity to pull the conversation away from Flash Sentry. "Well in fairness he was afraid of doing something wrong and earning the wrath of the 'Princess of the Sun'. So he decided to go for the only option he thought would keep Celestia happy. Your just lucky that he is like that anyway."

Celestia pulled the cork from a fresh bottle and refilled everyone's glasses.

"Well, if he had done or said anything inappropriate to my darling niece I definitely would have called him to the castle for a talk. I don't know about the 'wrath of the Princess of the Sun' bit though.

"I bet you wouldn't be saying that if I came back from the dance with Buck Withers." Cadance smirked at Celestia's immediate scowl.

"If you came back with him I would have kicked you out of the castle myself." Celestia met Cadance's smirk with narrow eyes before they both broke into laughter.

Twilight looked between the two with utter confusion. "I don't understand. Who is Buck Withers?"

Cadance put her hoof around Twilight. "Oh, Twilight. The next time you come to visit us in the Crystal Empire I will tell you all about our magical night. Shining always likes to tell certain parts of the story. He tries to make himself sound less goofy and more heroic."

"That certainly sounds like something he would do...."

A loud bang erupted from outside.

Twilight sighed. "I'll never understand how Pinkie's party cannon never runs out of confetti."

The rest of the night passed quickly. The party outside had died down as the early morning loomed and Twilight had gone back to her room after drinking a little more win than she should have. Cadance, however, hung back to talk to Celestia about something else she didn't want Twilight to hear yet.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Celestia said as she cleared up all the cushions from the floor.

"Well, its about something Shining and I were discussing the other day." Cadance said slowly. She had stopped drinking well before Twilight to make sure she didn't blurt something out by accident.

Celestia turned to her niece and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Cadance, you know you can tell me anything."

Cadance looked up to Celestia and took a breath.

"Can Alicorns have foals?"

Celestia stared back at Cadance, with her mouth hanging open.

Chapter 1 - Twilight and Celestia's first dinner

Princess Twilight Sparkle. It certainly had a nice ring to it. After the events of the Royal Summit Twilight was much more comfortable with both her title and her crown, which now sat on her head at all times she was in public. She was still unsure about her leadership skills though. Leading a group of five ponies into danger was mostly easy for her, as long as Discord wasn't hypnotising them, but leading a town was proving to be a challenge. While Mayor Mare was only bringing her small issues for now it seemed like her decisions carried far more weight now than if she was still a unicorn. Twilight's skills in organisation had lead to the Mayor coming to her before with small issues she needed help with but now it all just seemed like the eyes of Ponyville were on her for every choice. "Is this what the others feel every day?" she thought to herself.

Twilight shook the thoughts out of her head and looked down at the table. It was a small table set in Celestia's private audience chamber. This room was where she entertained more private meetings that weren't to be public or scribed down. Twilight had thought it strange that her first royal visit to Canterlot was to be such an informal manner. Twilight had put in the effort of wearing a wonderful dress made by Rarity and yet nopony would get to see it. She had arrived via teleportation to avoid both her wings and the train, which would undoubtedly be swarmed with ponies trying to get a look at the newest princess. Twilight had arrived extra early to give herself time for a nap. The teleportation was a vast distance and it took a lot out of her. A quick power nap would have her ready for dinner with Celestia.

Twilight jumped slightly as the door opened, nearly falling off her cushion in the process. Princess Celestia walked in, wearing a very worn out look that indicated she had been in a meeting with the noble ponies about another pointless issue that didn't really need her attention. Celestia's face instantly lit up as soon as she saw Twilight sitting at the table.

"Oh, hello Twilight. I wasn't expecting you for another six minutes." Celestia toyed with Twilight, enjoying the slight panic it elicited from the little alicorn as Twilight jumped out of her place at the table.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realise you wanted me to be on time!" Twilight began blurting out in her usual quick panicking voice. "I can come back at 7pm exactly if you want!" Twilight quickly made to leave until Celestia's wing moved into her path.

"Now, Twilight, I'm only teasing. I'm glad your already here." Celestia's warm smile instantly calmed Twilight, as it always did. Celestia removed her wing from in front of Twilight and moved over to a pedestal by the window. "If you weren't here already I would just be sitting alone waiting for you.

Twilight let out a nervous laugh "Hehehe, sorry. I'm just nervous."

Celestia cast a curious gaze over her shoulder as she removed her crown onto the pedestal. "Oh? And why would you be nervous? This isn't the first time we have had dinner together, my former most faithful student." Celestia removed her shoes and necklace. Twilight had never seen the princess without any of her regalia before and the sight of it made her realise that this was not actually a formal event. Celestia clearly just wanted to have dinner with Twilight.

"Is something wrong, Twilight? You look a little lost for words."

Twilight let out a little cough. "Oh, um...Its just that I realised I might be...a little overdressed..." Twilight scratched the back of her head and moved back over to the table.

"Actually I was just about to say how lovely your dress is." Celestia moved over to the table and sat on the large red cushion, her smile still kept very warm on her face. "I assume it is another of Rarity's wonderful designs. I'm touched that you both would put in all that effort for me." Celestia leaned over and placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "It is always nice at the end of a long day to know that somepony has put in effort for you."

Twilight was taken aback by the comment a little. "Of course I'd put in the effort! You are my teacher! Why wouldn't I want to?"

Celestia sighed a weary sigh. "Oh Twilight, after a thousand years it is that sort of small thing that I miss most." Celestia gazed out of the window, letting a few memories fill her mind. "Before I banished her, Luna would always greet me in a lovely dress before her duties to the night. It was never the same one twice." A small laugh escaped Celestia before she realised. "I had always wondered about a certain set of expenses that would turn up every month. It was only after she was gone that I realised what the payments were. Luna was commissioning dresses just to make me smile." Celestia turned back to Twilight with watery eyes but still with a warm smile.

"She had dresses made each week just for you?" Twilight couldn't help but catch a few tears in her eyes at the thought. "That's so sweet. I never imagined Princess Luna as the type to wear dresses so often."

Celestia let out a bark of laughter that was most in-ladylike. "Oh no, she hated every second of it! Luna hated wearing dresses, or anything outside her regalia for that matter. She spent most of her time in the Dreamscape so she didn't think it was worth the hassle. But it made me smile after every hard day so she kept doing it." Celestia used her magic to ring a small bell by the door. "Now Twilight, I don't know about you but I am famished so I think we can eat now."

"Of course, Princess. I'm pretty hungry myself!" Twilight wiped her eye with her hoof and looked to the meal that was being brought to the table. It was a glorious sesame seed salad, with a side of oat bread and assorted vegetables. it was a classic dinner, Twilight thought, probably why Celestia kept sneaking cakes when she thought nopony was watching. Or maybe it was because she sneaked the cakes that they brought her the salad. Twilight had spent some time in the kitchens when she was younger. It was always fascinating watching the castle chefs at work. They all knew of Celestia's habits and she supposed they all wanted to help make sure the Princess didn't get too round.

Celestia gazed down at the spread and licked her lips. "I do love the salads. They are always surprisingly filling. Though I do wish I didn't have them so often. They don't leave much room for desserts."

Twilight let out a soft giggle to herself, but the twitch in Celestia's ears instantly silenced her. Celestia had undoubtedly good hearing and was incredibly perceptive. The last thing Twilight wanted to do was grass in the chefs to Celestia but luckily the Princess decided to leave the issue.

*****

The rest of the meal passed with mostly silence and the occasional banter about the food. The desserts were mind blowing, as usual, and Celestia had eaten most of the gorgeous chocolate fondant herself. It suited Twilight fine as she could feel her dress tighten around her belly as she ate. Next time she would avoid the "happy dinner with the Princess" party that Pinkie Pie threw. That mare always put out food that was too good to resist and Twilight always found herself eating too much of it.

Celestia leaned back on her cushion and let out a slow breath. "Ahhh, now that was a nice meal. I especially enjoyed the dessert." Celestia's horn glowed dimly and a bottle of wine appeared along with two glasses. "Tell me Twilight, do you drink wine?" Celestia's gaze turned inquisitive. "I understand if you don't but I always like to enjoy a glass after a meal, maybe several if its been a particularly hard day."

Twilight had had several different types of wine over the past year or two. While she initially didn't like the thought of it, Rarity had been pressing her every time she was over for dinner. She kept calling it something a "refined lady" should do. Having only been old enough to drink for the past two years Twilight was definitely lacking any of the refinement Rarity talked about in regards to wine, but she did enjoy the taste of the fruitier flavours. Also the light-headedness that came with drinking just a little too much.

"If you are having one, Princess, then I would gladly have one too." Twilight put on her best smile. After pouring out two glasses, Celestia simply stared at Twilight with a deadpan face. "Princess? What's wrong? Did-Did I do something wrong?!"

Celestia let out a small sigh of exasperation and took a swig out of her glass. "Twilight, your being too formal! Ever since this dinner started I have been trying to get you to relax and unwind but you haven't. You still treat me like your princess instead of your equal!"

Twilight was lost for words. She simply stared back at Celestia with her mouth slightly open.

Celestia simply stared back. Neither of them spoke for several seconds until Celestia grew a smirk. "Ok, I have an idea."

"Wha-What is it?" Twilight managed a reply.

"I want you to ask me a question. A question you wouldn't dare ask yourself. A question that only another princess could ask me!"

Twilight's ears fell flat against her head and she felt her heart beat three times faster. "You want me to a-ask a q-question? But, Princess, I couldn't possibly-"

"Twilight, YOU are a princess now too!" Celestia continued to argue the point, determined to get Twilight to understand. "I know its hard for you but please try to understand that." After downing the rest of the glass Celestia poured herself another. "I want you to realise that you are no longer my student. You are my equal as a fellow princess and I am asking you to ask me a question!"

"O-o-oh, um, ok..." Twilight took a moment to calm herself down. Celestia was right. Twilight was her equal now. She was equal to all three of them. Celestia, Cadance and Luna were the only other alicorns in existence and Twilight needed to embrace herself as the fourth. Twilight sat in silence, trying to think of a question. Celestia merely sat staring back at her in anticipation, like she was waiting for Twilight to ace one of her tests. Finally, Twilight thought of a question she had always wanted an answer to.

"Ok, here goes." Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to keep as calm as she could. "Celestia, I have always wanted to know if your mane was naturally multi-coloured!" Twilight realised she had practically shouted the question at Celestia, who went wide eyed at her. Twilight nervously kept her eyes on the other alicorn, waiting for a reaction.

Celestia merely laughed.

"Oh my, Twilight! Out of all the questions you could have asked you choose the one about my mane?!" Celestia wiped a small tear of joy from her eye. "Oh dear, I was not expecting that!"

Twilight cocked her head to the side slightly, trying to understand what was so funny. "Why not?

Celestia brought her gaze back to Twilight, returning her usual warm smile. "Because that's the exact same question that Cadance first asked me after she ascended! I thought she would have already told you by this point. Don't get me wrong, Cadance is top notch at keeping secrets but she could never resist your adorable face!"

Twilight felt her cheeks flush. "Adorable?"

Celestia leaned forward slightly. "Adorable. She always thought you were adorable. It's why she enjoyed foalsitting you all the time." Celestia let out a small snort. "That and of course so she could learn more about your brother."

Twilight felt herself relax, then she remembered something. "You know, that does explain how in the run up to their fall formal she kept pestering me about Shining Armor. She wanted to know his likes and dislikes. We even made compatibility pie charts for the two of them. They had a rating of 98.7%."

Celestia got up off her cushion and made her way over to the futon. "Hmm, that explains why she was so excited when she came home. Now come and join me, Twilight, and I shall fill you in on a secret that only two other ponies know."

Twilight felt a rush of excitement and practically ran over to the futon and took a seat next to Celestia, who herself had taken a large amount of space by lying on her belly. She folded her legs in and swished her tail to curl up to her side.

"Now, this story takes place just over a thousand years ago, during the rise of Nightmare Moon." Celestia closed her eyes, took a breath and began the story. Twilight sat bolt upright, intent on not missing any part of a first hand recounting of history from the only pony to have been alive back then.

"As you already know, Luna's jealousy towards me fuelled her into becoming Nightmare Moon. She declared that she alone would rule and that I would know her pain and suffering. Luna stood in front of our thrones in our old castle and was bathed in the dark light of the eclipse she summoned, and when she was, her body was wrapped in dark magic and the Nightmare was born.

"I tried to reason with her but it was too late. Luna was gone and she couldn't hear my voice anymore. The creature that took her place wanted only my destruction and the subjugation of all pony-kind. Our battle was fierce, we tore through the castle, through the gardens and through the skies. We brought ruin and destruction to our home, casting blows against each other. Mine were to subdue, hers were to kill."

Twilight leaned in a little closer, compelled to pull Celestia into a hug. She refrained from doing so, instead letting the princess continue her tale.

Celestia opened her eyes and wrapped a wing around Twilight, pulling her in closer. "After a long and gruelling battle Nightmare Moon managed to strike me with a powerful blast of magic. It sent me falling through the air until I crashed through the window of the Harmony Vault. I struck the podium that the Elements were on and they fell onto the floor. As I opened my eyes I could see Nightmare Moon charging down towards me, the Elements at my feet, and no way to stop her on my own. I knew full well I didn't have the power to wield the Elements completely as half of them were attuned to Luna, but I didn't care. I needed them to stop her or else I would lose everything. My sister, My home and my precious ponys.

"The Elements responded to my desire to stop Nightmare Moon and allowed me to cast a sealing spell on her. With Nightmare Moon imprisoned in the moon, I collapsed from exhaustion. I woke up a few days later in a nearby town. It was that day that I learned my home was now hidden behind a magical forest grown from the leftover magic of our battle, and that my mane had become a wonderful pastel colour. It would forever be a reminder of what had happened. I would never see my lovely pink mane again..."

A tear fell down Celestia's face as she finished her story, and she looked down to find Twilight holding onto her chest. It was a hug that would have crushed the air out of any non-alicorn. Celestia mused on just how long her former pupil would take to control her newfound strength properly.

"I'm so sorry..." Twilight said, her eyes closed and tears streaming down her face, matting Celestia's fur. "I had no idea just what your fight with Nightmare Moon was really like!

"Now, Twilight, its ok." Celestia raised Twilights head with her hoof and brushed her mane out of her face. She gazed down into Twilight's violet eyes with a kind, motherly smile. "It's just a story now. You gave me back my sister. You have done more for me than I could ever have hoped for."

Twilight sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Ok." She looked back up to Celestia. "So your mane used to be pink?"

"Oh yes, it was a lovely shade of bubblegum pink. A little lighter and brighter than Pinkie Pie's if I recall." Celestia brought her hoof to her chin and looked up in contemplation. "Its been so long I can't really remember the exact shade anymore. I know Luna has an ancient painting of us in her room somewhere. It was enchanted to withstand the test of time but Luna doesn't want me to see it. She says she doesn't like the way she looks." Celestia giggled to herself.

Twilight smiled at the larger alicorn, before thinking of another question. "Princess, what Elements of Harmony did you wield?"

Celestia looked back down at Twilight. "Kindness, Generosity and Magic. It was quite ironic that the Elements Luna wielded were Honesty, Laughter and Loyalty. They were the three qualities that she betrayed when she became Nightmare Moon." Celestia's eyes moved to the door and she smiled. "Of course, now that she is returned to me she embodies them once more and spends every waking moment trying to live up to them. I was honestly surprised by how quickly she managed to readjust to modern Equestria, but she told me she had some wonderful friends to help her through it." Celestia winked to Twilight.

Outside the door, a pony got up from her seat on the floor and walked away. a small smile played across her lips and she whispered softly. "I love you too, sister..."

Twilight got up from the futon and walked to the window. "Thank you for the dinner, Princess, and the stories. It has been wonderful but I need to be getting back. Spike will be worried sick if I stay out too long without knowing where I am."

Celestia got up and moved over to Twilight, pulling her into a loving hug. "Of course, Twilight. It was wonderful to have you and I hope we can do this again soon." Celestia let go of Twilight and moved back slightly.

"I would certainly like to do this again, Princess." Twilight replied.

"Twilight?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"When were alone, or only with Cadance and Luna, could you do me a favour?"

"Of course, Princess."

"Could you call me Celestia? Without any titles?"

Twilight flashed a smile at Celestia. "I can. Good night, Celestia."

"Good night, Twilight." Celestia gave a little wave as Twilight charged her magic and disappeared with a loud POP! Celestia turned around and made her way to the small staircase leading to her bedroom. She had a fun evening but felt absolutely drained. "Next time I think I will move any meeting with the nobles to a different day..."

Celestia brushed her teeth in the sink and climbed into bed and snuggled herself into a comfortable position. It wasn't long before sleep overtook her, and she found herself in the familiar embrace of Luna's dreams. It was going to be a good night.

Author's Note

This story takes place a few weeks after Twilight's Coronation, just after Twilight returns from the Crystal Empire for EQG1. This is also before the events of the Season 4 opening.

This is my first ever story and my first ever attempt at writing in general. i hope it was somewhat enjoyable to read and i promise i will work hard to improve any future chapters.

i am definatly planning to have a chapter between twilight and luna, twilight and cadance and possibly one with more than two. other ideas are floating in my head and i hope to put them into words one day.

anyhoos thank you so much for reading!!!