Author's Note
Hi, i'd just like to say that english is not my maternal tongue and so I apologize if I use words thinking they mean something they actually don't. And also for the grammar mistakes. Rated T for future use of profanities and a bit of violence.
Next chapter coming in three years.
Chapter one
It was a typical summer evening, surprisingly warm and golden from the heat of the day, by the time Twilight made it to the boarding gate, trotting along the sandy cobblestones.
As she neared the security checkpoint she observed the mass of ponies sprawled around the gates, disorganized in little groups, foals running through the crowd disturbing the adults, some of whom were talking animatedly, tourists, in foreign languages ; sometimes so loud she wondered if they were arguing or just excited about something. Others clung to their baggages, remaining silent and bored, fawning the heat of the day with papers. Every minutes or so, some would glance to the sky.
As Twilight took her place in the line, if there was ever one, she squashed down a growing feeling of annoyance with a sigh. A gentle breeze ruffled her shawl, her mane dancing in the wind, catching the halo of the gas lights. She re-arranged the cloth with a hoof and turned her own gaze to the heavens.
Not a cloud stained the sky, which took a deep blue color as it birthed the stars and chased the malevolent sun away from its domain, giving meaning to its beauty and the pony made tales of celestial beasts. This, to Twilight's inquisitive mind, was a scene of both longing and tranquility. She admired the night for its mystery and beauty but she was also a student of the day.
Thus, she traveled to the city of Behjaiah on orders from her teacher, Princess Celestia, to lend her knowledge on magical derivative particles to the Arabian university of magic, for one of the last strings of diplomatic shows Equestria put on in courting the Arabian crown. Now the deed was done and she looked forward to the journey back to her homeland, to her family and to her comfortable tower above the archives of the castle.
Her travel had been pleasant enough, but she hardly had the time to appreciate the charms of the city, as she had been completely caught up in her work. Even now, she could only admire the towers of the temples – Arabians venerated a multitude of Ancestors, from afar.
They glistened in the last rays of the sun, piercing through the city like pillars of white. At their feet, the city lived. The buildings were not tall but strong and cozy, the richest houses built with large stones of granite and marble, decorated with Arabic geometric patterns, their gardens full with fig trees and exotic plants.
Away from the temples, the houses of the poorest citizens were small and built with a mix of sand, mud and hay, with slim windows to hide from the heat, and terraces. They seemed to all be part of one block, so close their were to each others, providing little passages to the populace, always cool and protected from the sun by their shadows.
To her right, she could see the souk, the marketplace, the heart of Behjaiah. Everything happened here. Riches could be made if you possessed the right skills to bargain and enough good senses to not end up at the end of a dagger. There was nothing you couldn't find here: silk, fruits, spices, tobacco, weapons, entertainments of all sorts...and, to Twilight's dismay, magical artifacts.
She felt slightly disappointed to not have been able to explore the whole city, she only had the time to peruse a jewelry for a gift to her mother, and had found a simple but elegant silver pin, chiseled with three aquamarines.
Twilight moved her eyes away from the city, resolving to only look toward the future for now, toward the sea. A dark body in the night, calm and quiet, it offered a great contrast to the metropolis. The sea wind drew a cool shiver on her exposed back. Lazy birds floated over her, stuck between two tones of blue, the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing below her almost relaxing. She closed her eyes patiently.
While not being particularly affected by the charms of the sea-side lifestyle, Twilight did held some respect for the sea, mixed with fear. It was a secret place, threatening to hid ponies under tonnes of salty water, until even the light could not reach them anymore. To be lost into the sea meant death, a drawn out, long and suffocating agony, and sometimes, when the light was low above the water, she wondered if the faces she thought she saw in the foam of the waves were the shadows of lost souls, desperately trying to reach the shores.
But the sea was not the element she was going to travel on for this journey, and she craned her neck earnestly, her eyes still shut but her ears listening for the tail tale sound of airships coming to the harbor.
Suddenly, there was a move in the crowd, as a wave of ponies cheered at something over the horizon.
Twilight reeled, planting her hooves on the ground while the group of agitators passed, grumbling under her breath. She was now stuck between a family of griffins and a pair of camels, unable to move and not quite as excited as her fellow citizens by the event of an airship coming to board. She was not used to crowd, really, so she tried to not panic too much, fighting to control her breathing. Strong scents of perfumes mixed with the subtler aroma of salt from the sea assaulted her delicate nostrils, while the constant brouhaha of the crowd was slowly hammering into her head, turning her brain into a headache.
As exotic and intellectually nourishing this trip was, she somehow always ended up in situations she partly regretted along the way. Right now she regretted rejecting the proposition from her princess for a royal lodge, and a private boarding pass on the airship. She had wanted to experience the trip the full way, and she shied away from the guilty feeling of wasting the royal funds on her person. Her colleague from the university, Sunset Shimmer, would have been perfect for the job, if only she hadn't mysteriously disappeared a month ago, leaving only a note to her assistant...
A loud noise interrupted her reverie. Several meters under them, seagulls squawked over the sea as a gigantic shadow engulfed them into the darkness.
Here was the EES, for Equestrian Empire Steamer, Golden Hind. The best of the luxury steamers that crossed the skies from Equestria to the distant shores of Neighpon and Saddle Arabia.
A giant in its design, but a subtle treasure in its engineering, it truly was a marvel to watch. Its sleek white belly hosted the best cabins, restaurants and commodities over the sea. Its powerful steam engines and towering chimneys assured the best comfort during the journey, while short but large wings on its side maintained stability during storms and maneuvering. Almost no other airships was as enduring as the Golden Hind, it was build for greatness, it was a beast of magic and steam, and it wasn't defenseless. From stem to stern, carefully hidden, were magic generators for the shields and strange windowless portholes for what, Twilight assumed, were the cannons of the airship.
As a commercial airship, the Golden Hind had opted for a less aggressive design than its military brethren, but despite this choice the airship crew was doubled with a contingent of professional soldiers wise from countless air battles. Battles were not an everyday occurrence, but the EES Golden Hind was more than just a commercial airship, it was also a show of power and technology from Equestria to the other nations. Air travel was relatively new and Equestria dominated the market.
As the Golden Hind docked, the crowd started to move, agitated by the arrival of the ship. There wouldn't be anypony boarding for some hours still, since it needed time to re-supply, but the prospect of traveling on the giant was electrifying for the mob. Being a member of the trusted crew was at some point every foal's dream.
Gasping at the gargantuan proportions of the airship, Twilight suddenly understood the folly of the crowd and felt her heart soar for an instant, proud of the accomplishment of her country.
She was Equestrian at heart, born and raised in its capital, Canterlot, and graduated from the best School of Magic in the country, right under the private tutelage of the princess.
She watched with interest as her fellow travelers pushed away from the boarding gate to the landing platform, opting to wait for the bigger crowd to pass. That, and it wouldn't hurt to check her report of her trip one last time. “Only the best for the princess.”
*****************
The captain of the Golden Hind stood still on the wooden deck, unaffected by the gust of cold wind battering his aging body. He observed the night sky in silence, waiting for something, his figure outlined by the meager moonlight. This was a night of secret, the moon only a slim crescent on the horizon, the stars seemingly disappearing under the swell of the wet wind.
He was waiting for a secret in fact, somepony of high importance who will be traveling along with his crew and the passengers back to Equestria, incognito.
He pursed his lips, it wouldn't be long now before his secret passenger arrived, but he had been alerted of her tendency to make ponies wait, and make a spectacle of her arrival. He was to wait for her and assist her in her return to Equestia.
At last a shadow flickered over the moon, growing in its light, the silhouette of a pony flying over the sea. He waited a bit longer before hearing the sound of beating wings and in one motion the pony landed silently on the deck before him.
“Welcome aboard the Golden Hind, your majesty.” The captain bowed before his princess, waiting for her to speak.
“Thank you captain, please rise. I understand you are urged by your obligations on this airship, so I will be quick.” The princess spoke eloquently, taking the lead of the conversation with ease.
At her call the captain rose, taking the time to observe for the first time the Princess of the night from close.
Before him she stood, a head taller, as blue as her night, her mane a turbulent beauty of sparkling stars, her stare piercing and determined. She was beautiful in a wild sense, and intimidating. He tried to hide his unease.
“My presence on this airship must remain a secret, as I am to travel undercover for undisclosed reasons. I take it you have been warned of my exigencies, as I requested a cabin to be arranged in the common quarters.” She asked with gravity.
“Yes your majesty, everything is ready for you and the staff members have been properly briefed.” The captain answered, then cautiously added, “I must ask though, if you would like for a pair of our guards to be added to your security details, as you will be in direct contact with the common ponies. They can be very discreet, if the need ever arise...”
The princess seemed disturbed by his proposition, she ruffled her wings in a rare moment of confusion, before answering in a softer voice. “That will not be necessary, good captain, as my, hum, meddling with the common ponies is part of my mission, and a wish of mine.”
She appeared more sincere for a moment, before the mantle of royalty made it back onto her demeanor.
“If this is all, I wish you a goodnight captain. I must regain my quarters to rest before the evening activities.” The princess turned to the airship, ready to depart.
“Will you need us to clear the path of any prying eyes, your majesty?” The captain asked over the wind, relieved that the interview with one of the two rulers of his nation was nearing its end.
“Oh, there is no need for that!” The princess rebutted, smiling deviously. Her horn lit with magic, a ball of light erupted and covered her entire body before disappearing in a flash. At her place, stood a pegasus with a pale blue mane and the unmistakable mischievous eyes of the Princess of the Night.
*****************
The Golden Hind main chimney started burning in the distance, white plumes of smoke rising over the airship. Taking it as her cue, Twilight arranged her bag one last time and trotted in the direction of the main railing. Most of the travelers were already on board, only a dozen or so were still waiting, and she hastened to the platform as the night was now colder and the wind wet from the sea.
She passed through the security checkpoint easily, thanks to her diplomatic immunity and boarded the airship, her pass pressed against her chest as she navigated the numerous staircases until she arrived to the third level.
Like she had been instructed by the officers, she sat down and waited for a steward to show her to her cabin, resting against the polished railing of the deck. Underneath her the yellow lights of Behjaiah sparkled, the sounds of the city now muted and far away. Twilight lay her head on the railing, listening to the noise of the Golden Hind's metal carcass creaking and bending against the wind. She felt at peace here, under the night sky, above the world. She had always been a recluse, finding it hard to approach other ponies. While her job as Princess Celestia's only student, and occasional professor at the Canterlot University warranted that she met and talked to a good amount of her fellow peers, she never took those relationships over the polite and professional. Maybe it was in part her own fault, but Twilight had never found somepony with who things just...clicked. She cherished her friendship with the Princess and her assistant Spike, she loved her family with all her heart, but sometimes she longed for something else.
A childish wish, a vague idea of companionship to fend the loneliness of her position, Twilight's heart desired something she didn't fully understand. Gazing at the stars, lounging over the railing, she didn't catch the steward's polite call.
“Ma'am? Miss? Miss Twilight?” The stallion tried, startling Twilight.
She stumbled, embarrassed, hastily putting her bag back on her shoulder.
“Oh, sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. Yes?” She tried to smile her awkwardness away, silently cursing her mind's tendency to wander.
“If you'll follow me to your cabin, Ma'am, please.” The steward announced, unfazed by her behavior and taking her bag from her. He turned right away, not missing a bit, his shinny blue and gold uniform clinking with each steps.
Twilight let out a sigh, and followed the steward along the polished wooden corridors of the ship. She was reminded once again how much care went into the fabrication of the EES Golden Hind.
The beige sleek walls, soft lighting and golden decorations clashed astonishingly well with the dark blue sky, which was always visible through the numerous portholes lining the walls. Paintings displayed various landscapes and scenes, sticking out of the walls like little splashes of colors. There was not a shadow of electric, gas or magic conduits on sight, while the occasional steam pipes were artfully blending in the decor with copper flaking and brown-metallic undertones. The wood of the parquet was a polished chestnut oak, strong and so well tended to she could see her reflection, her hooves softly clip-clapping along the corridor, while the magic lamps flooded the airship with clear yellowish light. Not a detail was unwanted and the whole picture gave the vibes of sophistication, luxury and modernity.
To Twilight's delight, they passed a hallway where a dozen of clocks were hung on the walls, each displaying a different timezone, complete with little copper plates exhibiting the names of the cities they corresponded to. Now that everypony was on board, the airship vibrated with excitement, guards and stewards trotting everywhere, passengers walking around, laughing, chatting and waiting for the festivities of the evening to start. The rumble of the engines was a backdrop noise covered by the sounds of the musicians trying their instruments as they passed the main ballroom, and Twilight could smell the aroma of this evening dinner coming from the kitchens. That reminded her that she hadn't eaten during the day, and she pressed along, suddenly famished.
They walked to the cabins floor, the fourth, and arrived before a wooden door with the number “412” painted in gold. Twilight was given her key and showed her to her accommodations.
Her cabin was not the most expensive available on the airship, but she liked her comfort and so she chose a modest two rooms apartment, with a bedroom and a bathroom with view on the sky.
“Here we are Miss, room 412. We are happy you choose the EES Golden Hind for your trip and would like to remind you that the reception hall will host a dancing soirée tonight, at 9PM sharp!” The steward announced, his voice flat from the routine.
As he put down her bag, he seemed to see her for the first time, staring at her as she made to open the door, and made a show of leaning against the wall. Twilight didn't have to guess what was coming next.
“I suppose a charming mare like you wouldn't mind a bit of fun to diversify her evening”, he hinted, hunching over her and aggressively smiling. Twilight cringed.
“No, thank you good sir, but i am eager to rest. The day was long and difficult for me.” She snatched her bag and opened the door with her magic, closing it loudly in hurry. She heard the distinct muttering of the stallion before he departed and rolled her eyes. She never appreciated those kind of intents, her mind was that of an academic.
As the evening progressed, Twilight stored her affairs in her cabin, freshened herself up and made a point of choosing her best attire for the evening. As she had been expected to mainly advise at the Arabian university, she only had a couple of blazers and shirts with matching bow ties, as every respectful professor would wear in the context of teaching.
“Those would have to do ”, she thought as she put on a light brown blazer with her white shirt and black bow tie. “I am not a good dancer anyway.” She looked at her reflection in the mirror of the bathroom, brushing her hairs to perfection, just like she liked them.
She was partly excited for tonight, partly fretful, as she dreaded social events back in Canterlot, however this was a special occasion and she liked to think she would actually enjoy herself tonight. She twisted in front of the mirror, making sure everything was perfect, and went to turn the lights out when a thought stuck her. She might have something nice to put on tonight. She came back to the bedroom and rummaged through her bag, getting a hold on the silver pin she had bought back in Behjaiah. Content with herself, Twilight put the pin on her blazer and exited her cabin.
The hallway was dark and empty as she stepped out through the door, but she could hear the music coming from the ballroom and the sound of laughters and ponies enjoying themselves. This gave Twilight a bit of courage as she made her way downstairs and to the party, her imagination going wild with fantasies as she neared the event. Those were put to a stop as she met the first party goers and entered the room.
The reception hall had been magnificent in the twilight, but now that it wasn't empty anymore- actually it was almost filled to the brim and Twilight had to fight to pass through the doors, it was purely grandiose. Three enormous chandeliers lighted the room, while drapes of silken textiles hung on the walls, the symbol of Equestria and various other nations sewed upon them.
The floor was a mix of lavish marbles and wood, and the ponies danced around as the musicians played with gusto to a catchy tune. A buffet had been set up against the right side of the room to make place for the dance floor, leaving a bit of space for the waiter and waitresses who trotted on quick hooves, taking plates from and to the kitchens in a never ending dance. On the far left side, was the smoking area, where gentle colts and gentle mares could relax on comfortable sofas and relish a drink or a cigar. The balcony on the left side was open, the cold wind now refreshing to the party goers, the curtains bellowing in the night and the sound of chatters coming into the ballroom.
Everypony was smiling and enjoying the party, there was so much energy, so much animation and noise around her, that Twilight felt like she could just observe her fellow passengers for the whole night and still feel like she had exhausted herself. This was truly a different kind of event than those she had experienced in Canterlot.
Twilight made her way to the buffet with in mind the idea of filling her stomach with hay sandwiches.
*****************
Luna awoke to the sound of somepony pounding on her door. She trashed around, still a prisoner of her nightmares, before regaining her wits with practiced ease as she heard the voice announce:
“Ma'am, I've come to hoof over the course you ordered. Japalony avocados, a bag of chips and a tomato juice.”
She sighed and opened the door to her cabin, asking for the price of a supplement for the chips, and taking the trail with her right wing as the bat pony answered with the correct password.
She lifted the lid of her “course” and retrieved a scroll from underneath. Her little spies were working hard to cover her shameful secret and help her in her mission, never to be recognized as the heroes they were by the general public.
She took her time, opening the piece of paper and reading it several times, committing it to memory, before it burst into flames. “The ticket is at the flower stud.”
For anypony but her, those simple words would mean nothing, but for Luna it represented months of searching the high and low for a very specific, and rare, item. It had cost her everything, as Luna had employed her whole energy and her every means to the mission, and a part of her conscience as she had to do it unbeknown to her sister. Celestia didn't need to know of her secret nor of what transpired there. Luna hadn't been back for long, only a couple of years, and if Celestia heard of her plan it would be the end of her, she was sure of it.
Blinking back to reality, Luna checked the time. She was late, she knew it, and so she hastily selected a dress and prepared herself for the events of the night.
*****************
Twilight leaned against the wall. It was now way into the night and the party had somehow slowed down. Ponies were huddled in little groups, conversing, networking, and suddenly exploding with laughter as the alcohol muddled their minds. She couldn't blame them, she had taken some flutes of champagne herself. Twilight could see some Equestrians, but also ponies from other countries, the slender Arabians easily recognized among them. There even was a couple of zebras, camels and griffins.
Everypony was surprisingly well dressed and she had felt quite out of place at the beginning, however her attire screamed her profession at everypony who had wanted to strike a conversation with her, and so she had had the opportunity to mostly talk about subjects she had already mastered. It had been easy to stir the discussion away from things she wasn't comfortable with.
She watched a couple of young ponies slip out onto the balcony, surely to start another kind of event, and, reminded of her own loneliness, was ready to call it a night.
Some events are easily forgotten into the recess of our memory, while others, those abrupt affairs, are remembered for our whole life. For Twilight it would have been easy to say that she would have forgotten the evening as soon as her hooves touched Equestrian soil, however the night went in a entirely different direction as soon as she saw her.
She was the most gracious being Twilight had even seen. She moved silently and with ease around the groups of ponies, never faltering, her dress bellowing after her, walking as if she wasn't part of this reality. It was as if she was trying very hard to not touch anything, as if each steps she took had been thought over in her mind. Such a peculiar attitude contrasted greatly with the energy of the other passengers, and Twilight thought of a shark in a pond of fish.
Yes, whoever she was, she was dangerous but as a pony came too close to her, she pressed her wings against her barrel, her stance defensive, and Twilight's heart faltered. She understood the feeling quite well.
While she wandered that way, Twilight couldn't help but gawk. Her coat was well brushed and a pale blue, her mane carelessly pinned in a side-bun, strands of hairs escaping, giving her a wild look. Her eyes were piercing and focused, hiding a cleverness and ability for quick thinking, whereas the blue of her iris was vibrant, standing out like two precious stones against her pale face. In retrospect, she looked as fragile as she exhaled danger.
Twilight stared for a while, guessing her cutie mark under the dress – a moon crescent, following her as she made her way in the ballroom. Twilight quietly forgot her evening plans, she was beyond enchanted. Nothing existed but this stranger in her mind, if she still had one, and her heart started to speed up as the mysterious beauty neared her spot.
She was looking around, searching for something, “for somepony” Twilight understood with a troubled sigh. She recognized the feelings of attraction, she felt disappointed and a bit of an idiot. How could she even think she could gather the attention of such an interesting character?
She felt sick in her stomach as the pegasus turned the other way, still looking for her elusive somepony.
Twilight was ready to bolt out of the ballroom, and simultaneously pray to every gods for an opportunity to just talk to the mare, but instead stood rooted in her spot as conflicting thoughts paralyzed her mind. The mare walked around the room, still looking for something, but it was evident that she would not find her target this evening. She was too late to the party.
After one last glance, she went to the mostly empty balcony and sat there, looking troubled.
“Now is your chance idiot!” her heart whispered, and Twilight found herself suddenly very shy. She had never felt that before, not from this side of the problem, and the pulse of her heart throbbed in a foreign way in her chest. She obviously wasn't herself, how could she survive such an encounter? Also, really, she was falling for a mare?
Wishing for her courage to come back, Twilight took three flutes of champagne from a nearby waiter, drained one, and made her way to the balcony with the two others in her magic.
She walked slowly, her magic trembling, her eyes focused on the lone pegasus as if she was ready to explode. Twilight had half the mind to forget about this incident but for the sad frown of disappointment her mysterious stranger entertained.
She realized this was what she had been watching all along, what have been really important, those eyes, those lips, and that cute muzzle. If she could make that mare laugh tonight she would consider the work of her life done. Twilight approached the mare, breaking out in sweat in spite of the cold air, and cleared her throat.
“Excuse me, Ma'am, but you look like you could use a, huh, a pick-me-up.” she said, pointing to the flute of champagne now floating over to the railing. “So far so good.”
The mare turned to her, startled, and said eloquently:
“A what?”
Twilight cringed internally, looking for a way out of the situation, panic evident on her face as her brain mocked her.
“See, she does not want to be disturbed, now she going to be mad at you and you'll have to hide in your cabin for the rest of the trip!” She shouldn't have tried.
The mare searched her face, trying to put a name on this newcomer, obviously confused.
“Hum, I saw you searching for somepony in the ballroom, I wasn't staring I swear, but huh, yeah, would you like some champagne?” Twilight tried again, her voice cracking at the end. She waited, holding her breath as the mare stared at her, then answered.
“With pleasure.” The strange mare smiled finely, her cheeks rosy, and all of a sudden she wasn't that strange anymore, simply lovely. Her voice was shy as she inclined her head.
“I am sorry, I wasn't expecting somepony right now. Thank you, that is very considerate, Miss...?”
She waited for Twilight to answer, hiding her little smile behind the glass of champagne she graciously took from the railing.
“Twilight Sparkle, sorry for creeping up on you.” She smiled, relieved the crisis was adverted.
“You seem upset, is there something bothering you?” Twilight pushed her luck, feeling intrusive. Maybe she was being rude, but her concern was steaming from sincerity. She waited as the mare seemed to hesitate, before she let out a sigh. From the cold, her breath condensed into fog and disappeared in the wind. She seemed unfazed by the temperature, in her sparkling black cocktail dress.
“You can call me Woona. I am indeed in a...situation. It is nothing to worry about though.” Woona answered slowly. It was evident she didn't want to talk about her troubles, not to a stranger at least.
Her eyes lingered on Twilight, going through a dance of emotions, uncertain, before she turned her sight away from her companion to the night sky.
“This is my favorite time of the night, just before midnight. Look how the stars shines! ”
Twilight couldn't help but smirk, her heart soaring with happiness as Woona expressed interest in the night sky. She didn't need to look up, she already knew the constellations by heart, and she found she didn't want to. She observed her profile in the light on the ballroom, her eyes sparkling, her mouth turned in a small contented smile.
“Yes, this time of the year we can see the manticore constellation pretty well.” Twilight stated, before adding, “This isn't a night sky we can see easily back in Equestria.”
“Are you some kind of astronomer?” Woona jested, her eyes resting on her attire. “Cute bow tie.”
Twilight blushed heavily, turning away from the mare. She was too easy to fluster!
“Hum, not quite, I am just an academician, but I do have an interest in astronomy. Ever since I was a filly in fact. It is just so...alien! We know nothing about how the stars are formed, we can only watch!” She explained, growing red with excitement.
“Believe me, it is nice to not know everything sometimes.” Woona shuffled closer to Twilight, her glass forgotten. She seemed to relax, pleased to just watch. There was a silent pact between them, as she looked to the sky and Twilight looked to her. Whoever Woona was, she had it, Twilight mulled.
Soon the clock of the ballroom struck midnight and somepony cheered. The noise broke the moment and Woona turned to the ballroom. A dozen of drunk ponies where still partying, playing beer-pong and other silly games.
“Wanna play?” Twilight proposed, half-joking.
“Yes!” Woona shouted, surprising Twilight. “I mean, yes I would love to. I confess I've never played those games before.” She added, quelling her enthusiasm. She looked at her over her bangs, as if she was sharing a secret.
“Well then, let's go!”
Twilight volunteered herself as Woona's guide for the rest of the night, showing her around the different games of dexterity and activities put together by the passengers. She was happy to discover Woona's quickness in picking up the rules, and was even more charmed by her spirit of competition, watching her shout and smile with glee at every wins.
On the balcony she had met a reserved and somewhat shy mare, but know she understood Woona was way more than she appeared. Her joy was naive but endearing and contagious, lifting the spirits of ponies around her. Twilight couldn't understand how anypony could try to harm such wonderful mare.
She sat down, content to just watch ponies enjoying themselves, having had her share of games.
“She is just so precious, I need to know more about her.” She thought, sighing. She had made it past the point of no return somewhere during the night, apparently.
Woona cheered as she thrown an apple at a bucket, and made bull eyes. She turned around, searching for Twilight before trotting toward her, beaming.
“That was fun! Thank you for showing me, now let's dance!” She asked and without waiting she put her shoulder against Twilight's chest and started to push her in the direction of the dance floor, leading her backward.
“What? Dance, now? I don't know how!” Exclaimed a terrified Twilight, tripping on her hooves. Thankfully the place was almost empty, with only two couples drunkenly stepping on each others and a lone griffon playing the violin as the musicians were departing for the night.
“Just follow my lead! I won't go hard on you.” Woona tried to appease her. And then Twilight felt her lips nibbling on her ear and her resolve faltered. The close contact was electrifying, her fur brushing against her, so she tried very hard to maintain her focus on following Woona's steps, blushing and muttering. “What did I put myself into?”
Sensing her discomfort, Woona murmured in her ear. “You're doing well for somepony who do not dance.” Her body was pressed against her, hot and soft, leading the dance. She could feel her partner's heart beat and wished she could calm down her own erratic heart.
Twilight gulped, looking at their hooves. They were not even in sync with the music, but it didn't matter. “Hum, thanks. This is nice.”
“Yes, this is perfect.” Woona echoed. She rested her head on Twilight's shoulder, her eyes half-lidded as she enjoyed their little game. They waltzed like this for a while, close to each others and blind to the world. They had both agreed to something this night, to let the magic run its course and pretend they wouldn't be complete strangers the day after, but Twilight would be damned if she let her go that easily. After sometime, Woona spoke.
“I wanted to thank you for tonight, I do not always have the time to just let things go...” She whispered, her voice low and humming against her neck, drawing a shiver from her partner. Twilight felt like going mad. She inhaled Woona's wonderful fragrance, a mix of crisp winter pines and potent magic.
The moment was broken as her mind came to an halt. “Wait, magic?” Twilight faltered in her step.
“Sorry.” She grunted, her brain going overdrive as she tried to understand what she thought she had perceived. Twilight was one of those rare ponies gifted enough with magic to recognize the subtle scent of a powerful enchantment. It was her special talent, the focus of her studies and a force she manipulated everyday to various degrees of rigor. She knew that what she had grasped was not an average spell that anypony could cast, let alone a pegasus. Even stranger, Woona was not wearing any object that could have been the source of this enchantment, no necklace, bracelet or gemstones...
Twilight was startled out of her mind as the clock shimmed two in the morning. She felt Woona draw away, looking at the time.
“I should go, I have a lot to do tomorrow. Twilight Sparkle, it have been a pleasure meeting you.” Woona said, suddenly austere.
“Wait!” Twilight cried, her mind hadn't caught up yet, everything was too abrupt.
“I must go now.” The mare didn't even glance at her as she made to the back door of the ballroom, in a hurry. Twilight recovered her wits and followed her as an idea stuck her.
“Just let me give you that!” She jumped in front of Woona, partially in desperation. In her magic she held the aquamarine brooch she had bought the week before. Without a word, and before the mare could react, she made to pin it to the dress. As her magic brushed against Woona, Twilight felt her heart miss a beat. She was right, she could sense the spell with her magic, and it was unmistakably Woona's. “ Have a goodnight, Miss.” She added, staring right into her companion's eyes.
Woona was once again confused, but not entirely crossed. She looked at Twilight with bewilderment before speaking.
“Thank you, it is beautiful...” She seemed to hesitate, before she took a step closer to Twilight and laid a kiss on her cheek. Then she disappeared in a flurry, leaving her alone with her schemes.
Twilight made the slow trip back to her cabin by hooves, the fast and straps of the party had left her mentally exhausted. She felt more than confused, she didn't know what to feel. Her heart was dead set on her infatuation with the evasive mare, she couldn't deny it now, not what after she'd done tonight, but her brain was wary. She wasn't afraid of a bit of mystery - she craved it in fact, her mind analyzing the affair, hooked on the feeling of mastering a good puzzle.
Yet, the case of the strong magic she felt on Woona wasn't the only thing Twilight had understood that night, and the other revelation froze her heart in a cold warning.
As she opened the door to her cabin, Twilight made a bee line to her bag, from which she took out her passport. On the cover was the sigil of Equestria, a sun and a moon.
Equestria had always been a diarchy, however for the past thousand years it had been ruled by princess Celestia, alone. The throne room had two seats of power, the duality of the day and the night was reflected everywhere in equestrian culture and every foal learned at a young age that Equestria had in fact two princesses.
Nonetheless, nopony knew anything about the Night Princess. She had supposedly disappeared a long time ago, only to come back a couple of years from now.
Invisible in the eyes of the public, she hid in Canterlot Castle, her presence only known by the agency of her Night guards and staff, and the occasional rumors surrounding her. Some said she wasn't entirely of sound mind and that Celestia was forced to restrain her to the right wing of the castle, so she wouldn't hurt anypony. Others said that she simply didn't exist and was part of a conspiracy to hide the less than moral dictatorship tendencies of the Sun Princess.
For her part, Twilight had learned from her own mentor that her sister was in fact prone to a sickness that prevented her to attend to her functions, and that everything in her power was done to cure her.
Twilight looked at her reflection in the window, the night now pitch black. She stood there, thinking in silence. The implication of what she had discovered chilled her, she felt she had opened a door to a world of secrets, that she had been given a foretaste of something that could potentially be her demise.
It was clear in her mind that if this Woona was truly hiding her identity, and that she was in fact the Night Princess, she wasn't on this airship for the parties. She was looking for something, and she seemed very much healthy. Now, if this was the case, then it means Princess Celestia had lied to her.
“To protect me, surely!” Twilight thought, her loyalties running deep in her heart. If the princess thought Twilight could help in this matter, then she would have requested her help. But still, the seeds of doubt were planted, and she found herself hurting at the idea that her mentor, her friend and almost a mother to her would not trust Twilight with such a heavy secret.
However Celestia wasn't here now and Twilight still had to decide what to do with her falsely indisposed sister. It was true that Twilight was not the most socially adept of ponies, she could probably name less than five ponies that she called friends, and she did have a reputation of being too frank and boorish with her colleagues at the university, but she was still a smart mare. She recognized in her mind that pretending to buy into Woona's cover was probably the safest course of action right now, at least to give her some time to find some clues about her purpose on this ship.
“Something is going on here, but I should not meddle with whatever it is right away...let's keep the charade running.”
Thus she reached her conclusion. She could forget this night, go back to her routine and her habits...but Twilight knew she would always feel like she had missed something important. It would torment her for the rest of her life if she remained inactive.
Her choice made, she undressed and slipped under the covers of her bed, vowing to get to the bottom of this affair.
