“I’m so glad you could join us today Twilight,” Celestia offered. “I assume you were in town visiting your parents?”

Twilight nodded along, hastily chewing the last of her mushroom risotto and swallowing it just as quickly. “Yes, I was,” replied the mare, pausing to clear her throat. “Unfortunately I’ll be heading back to Ponyville tonight.”

“A shame,” Luna piped up. “I would have loved the opportunity to speak to you for longer than just this dinner.”

“Well, I don't have to leave right away,” Twilight remarked. “Honestly so long as I leave before the last train departs that's fine with me.”

“We wouldn't want to keep you,” Celestia added.

Luna chuckled. “Oh come on Celestia. You would love to keep her longer, let's not beat around the bush.”

“You have me there, sister. I do find myself reminiscing of your time in the castle quite frequently recently,” Celestia exclaimed.

“Why is that?” Twilight inquired.

Celestia shrugged. “Just my mind wandering to better or perhaps simpler times.”

“Ha, hardly simpler,” Luna prodded, jabbing a fork at her sister from across the dinner table. “From what I’ve gathered you were moving quite a number of pieces before my fated return to Equestria.”

“Once again sister you are correct, though a part of me will always enjoy being so busy that the years flit by like days,” Celestia mused.

Twilight sipped her ice water and leaned back in her chair, gaze sweeping across the room. The small dining area looked more at home in a two-bedroom apartment than Castle Canter. Small, but not cramped, it was homey, with decorations that looked like they were hung by an aging grandmother.

Three-word sayings all beginning with the letter L hung above the entrance, the light switch, and the clock. Everything was either a soft eggshell white, a gentle pink, or the shade of red used on barns. It was pleasant, homey, and was undoubtedly the work of Celestia, at least in Twilight's opinion.

“I’m glad it worked out for me to stop by. Mom and Dad had a date planned so I couldn't stay there and I can only stare at my old room for so long before I start cringing,” Twilight remarked.

“Oh? Did you have ah what did you call it Tia? A Twilight phase?” Luna prodded.

Twilight groaned. “Augh the books are bad enough but I just had to pick the one series that I share a name with. Everyone thought it was an ego thing when it was really just a low self-esteem thing.”

“I kid, Twilight. We have all had our as you call it ‘cringe phases’,” Luna replied. “Why I remember when we were young when Celestia really wanted to start a zoo so she gathered up all these animals and-”

“If you keep going Luna I am going to tell Twilight all about your edge phase and the name you almost chose for yourself on your name day celebration,” Celestia retorted.

Luna frowned. “Fair enough.”

“Let me guess, the animals ate each other, and Luna almost chose something like Night Blade?” Twilight pressed, smirking to herself.

“Sometimes I wonder who knows me better, my sister or Twilight here,” Luna exclaimed.

Celestia chuckled. “That isn't exactly what happened but it's close enough anyway.”

“Um speaking of knowing you all, I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about your own parents,” Twilight opened, her voice wavering slightly. “I know it seems like a sensitive and random topic but I’ve never really broached it before.”

Celestia sat up a little straighter, her expression becoming very purposefully neutral. “I suppose we could speak a little about our mother though you are correct that it is a bit of a touchy subject.”

“Oh take off your political face,” Luna complained. “She's just being curious.”

“I am not wearing my political face,” Celestia shot back.

“You totally are. You’re even doing that thing where you’re really annoyed but don't want to look angry so you tense your jaw super hard,” Luna pointed out.

Celestia opened her mouth to respond, then closed it after a moment of silence. “I suppose you have me on that one.”

“We really don't have to talk about this,” Twilight backpedaled. “I can see how uncomfortable this all is.”

“Oh it's quite alright,” Luna pressed. “Though we should clarify something first, and that there is only the mother in this equation.”

“You didn't know your father?” Twilight asked.

“In a way,” Celestia answered. “Though it's more apt to say that the opportunity was never there to begin with.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Twilight muttered.

Luna scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Great, now she's got her political face on, and her vague posturing mouth. We’re never going to get a straight answer out of her now.”

“Look I’m really sorry I brought this up. We were just talking about my parents, and I was curious about yours…” Twilight interrupted.

“I hardly think that is apt. I would not try to use any political tactics on dear Twilight,” Celestia retorted.

“No, you’d just be vague, and noncommittal,” Luna rose suddenly. “Why don't we end dinner here? Come Twilight, let us enjoy a moonlit stroll.”

“I uh, okay,” Twilight muttered weakly.

“I suppose if that is what you want. I will tidy up here sister,” Celestia exclaimed, turning to her former student. “It was a pleasure Twilight. Do come by the castle again soon.”

“Um okay, thank you,” Twilight murmured.

Luna clopped her hoof. “Come along Twilight, the night is young and there is a pleasant vista I wish to share with you.”

“C-coming,” Twilight agreed, trotting after the other mare.

Twilight stopped at the door and glanced back at Celestia. The alicorn was still sitting at the table, her gaze distant and unfocused, as if she were seeing something that wasn't in the room. The clop of departing hooves drew Twilight's attention forward once more, the unicorn hastily trotting after Luna.

“Look we really don't have to talk about your mother,” Twilight whispered.

“No no, like I said, it's quite alright,” Luna declared.

“Really? Because I haven't seen Celestia stiffen up like that since I was a kid and that noble suggested that they get married because she was quote, over the hill and not getting any younger,” Twilight replied.

Luna chuckled. “Now that is a story I must hear from her. Though to begin with I should clarify things somewhat. She may take offense, or be a bit prickly but ultimately I believe Celestia wants to be open with you on this topic.”

“She just has trouble talking about certain things,” Twilight reasoned.

“Quite right,” Luna replied, raising an eyebrow. “Though I feel as though you speak from experience.”

“Celestia is a bit squeamish about the birds and the bees. When my health tutor called in sick Celestia tried to sub in but spoke in so much innuendo and vague notions that I felt as though I had unlearned everything previously taught to me,” Twilight answered.

Luna giggled. “Oh, that is rich. I simply must tease her about that later, after she has had a chance to relax.”

The pair passed through a sitting room and entered a balcony area, one where two rather recliners were already waiting for them. Luna seated herself on the more beat-up of the two, the alicorn wiggling until she was comfortable and releasing a sigh.

“Nothing beats a chair that you’ve already broken in,” Luna purred.

“True,” Twilight agreed, sitting down next to the alicorn.

Luna lit her horn and conjured a bottle of red wine lacking any label, as well as two tall glasses. She then poured herself one, before glancing expectantly at Twilight, waiting for permission.

“Oh um sure. Just, half a cup though, please. I’m not much of a drinker,” Twilight declared.

“Neither am I to be honest. I find this modern wine to be far too strong,” Luna complained.

“Ahh yes. The average alcohol content would have been about a third of what it is now. If I remember correctly,” Twilight remarked.

Luna took a long sip, swirled the contents around her mouth, and then swallowed.

“Now then, the topic of mother,” Luna began. “And to answer your unspoken question yes, she passed giving birth to me. I suppose that’s why it doesn't bother me overmuch about the subject at hoof as they say.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Twilight offered.

“Don't be,” Luna retorted. “You cannot weep for someone you do not know, only the idea of them.”

“Still,” Twilight muttered.

“The notion is appreciated though,” Luna replied, gently touching a hoof to Twilight's shoulder.

“You’re welcome,” Twilight exclaimed.

“Right,” Luna began. “The next most obvious question is why would there be no father? After all, we are flesh and blood for the most part.”

“That was next on my mind,” Twilight answered.

“To answer that question we must go on a bit of a tangent, though before we do I’d encourage you to enjoy a bit of the wine,” Luna offered, gesturing to Twilight's untouched cup.

“Oh um. Sure,” Twilight muttered.

The unicorn lifted the cup to her lips and took a gentle sip.

“Ooh, that's kind of nice. What is that, Blackcurrant and some kind of sweetness?” Twilight asked.

“A bit of coriander, and cardamom,” Luna answered. “And I asked that you indulge as the explanation is a bit out there.”

“The intoxicated mind accepts what the sober one cannot,” Twilight remarked.

Luna nodded slowly. “I shan't beat around the bush any longer though. You see Twilight before there was the sun and the moon there was a star that was both at once.”

“What… how?” Twilight muttered.

Luna pointed to the cup and this time Twilight took an eager gulp.

“I won't even pretend to know how that worked, but that was the state of things for what was likely tens of thousands if not millions of years,” Luna continued. “This sun-moon hybrid was alone for a long time, but that was alright as it wasn't sapient as we are, though it did have a primitive spirit.”

“Then something changed,” Twilight reasoned.

“Discord happened, in a way,” Luna exclaimed. “You see he was sent here by some other force, and his arrival split this sun moon into different parts. The physical aspects of the sun and moon were temporarily lost, while the spiritual aspect reformed itself into the first alicorn.”

“Your mother?” Twilight muttered, only to blink and shake her head. “Wait a second, this is not making any sense.”

“Early Equestria made very little sense I’m afraid,” Luna cautioned. “Time itself was rendered elastic for what may have been a month, or a span of millennia due to the arrival of chaos. Not exactly easy to measure when it stops flowing in a predictable pattern.”

Twilight opened her mouth to respond but decided to fill it with wine instead of speaking.

“More please,” Twilight asked.

Luna chuckled and poured the mare another half glass. “The arrival of Discord was a predictably chaotic thing though at the time he was only half-formed himself.”

Twilight nodded dutifully.

“Regardless,” Luna muttered. “This first alicorn took no name, though she wandered Equestria, interacting with the strange creatures she had observed for untold eons in silence.”

Twilight inched further to the edge of her seat, wine glass clasped tight between her forehooves.

“Eventually she unexpectedly found herself pregnant despite never having become intimate with anyone. This gestating life would become Celestia, whose birth would herald the sudden reappearance of the sun,” Luna declared.

“Wait, if the sun and moon were gone, then was the sky dark or…” Twilight trailed off.

“It was, quite fittingly, a sort of eternal Twilight,” Luna replied.

“Huh,” Twilight murmured.

“Yes, though with my eventual birth, and the return of the moon day and night would be established again,” Luna explained. “This final labor, no pun intended, was too much for the dying spirit of the former sun and moon, so she died. Though perhaps died isn't quite the right word for it.”

“Why not?” Twilight asked.

“Well she was a spiritual being, with even mine and Celestia’s emergence lacking more of the bloody affairs of mortal birth,” Luna answered. “As a spirit without a true body, her time was limited and when that time ran out, her body became the star stuff that had first formed it.”

“That is… quite a story,” Twilight muttered.

Luna took another sip.

“So then the rumor that you guys are the physical manifestation of the sun and moon respectively is true?” Twilight half asked half stated.

“Sort of,” Luna admitted. “We are the spirit of the moon and sun, though our bodies are mostly flesh and blood like that of you mortals.”

“Which is why Cadance is not immortal but you two are. Because she was born mortal, and is also not a celestial body,” Twilight reasoned.

“Heavenly body or not, she doesn't have our celestial body,” Luna remarked with a chuckle.

Twilight joined her mirth, laughing as well.

“Oh and to finish our story, Celestia didn't have the heart to deal with our mother’s remains so it fell to me to give our mother her final rites,” Luna exclaimed. “Thus I gave the greatest honor I thought possible, I flung her ashes into the night sky where they became the stars you see at night.”

“That is…” Twilight frowned. “Grim.”

“It's just dust Twilight,” Luna pointed out.

“I mean it was also your mother,” Twilight replied.

“At the moment of death it became little more than matter,” Luna retorted. “Though I see why you may think otherwise.”

“Huh,” Twilight muttered.

The unicorn looked up at the night sky, noting that the stars were especially bright.

“It is one reason I wished more of our ponies would appreciate the night. Though thankfully that is not a concern anymore. In fact, I feel a bit bad for Tia. The real fun only begins after the sun goes down,” Luna remarked with a chuckle.

“Hmm,” Twilight hummed.

“Bit for your thoughts?” Luna offered.

“I was just wondering how Discord fit into all this,” Twilight admitted.

“Now that dear Twilight…” Luna paused and raised her cup. “Is a story for another time.”

Author's Note

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