“Come back here!” Twilight growled, chasing a piece a paper that got caught by the wind.
It happened to be just her luck to be out on an evening before a storm. The wind was definitely not doing her any favors as she ran zig-zag through the streets.
She huffed, glaring at the envelope caught on the cobblestone path ahead. Perhaps she should just turn around and forget about it…
“Bah… whatever…” Twilight waved off.
She glanced around, using it as an excuse to catch her breath. The sun was setting in the valley below, the jagged spires of her castle stretching out long shadows, climbing up the mountain’s feet. The clouds overhead bathed in the alpenglow, hiding it, as it were, their true colors as the stormfront surged out of Cloudsdale.
On queue with the weather, some ponies were turning chairs upside down and sliding them atop the tables outside. The signs in the window were soon switched from ‘Come on in, we’re Open’ to ‘Sorry, we’re Closed.’
Just a couple minutes ago, she was sipping on some hot chocolate, enjoying the sunset as it fell on the city. Her only problem was that Celestia set the sun too quickly, or quicker than usual. On top of that, the store didn’t give her enough hot chocolate. But, before she could complain, they started to fold up the chairs and called it a day.
Twilight had a sneaking idea of removing her cloak and persuading the shopkeeper to stay open a minute more. However, they’d already packed up and turned in. She wasn’t going to make them take the time to fire up the cocoa pot again.
Besides. Her cloak was enchanted with a disguise spell. So far, it was working—she was able to go through the city streets without a second glance. She never really minded paparazzi, but she wasn't in the mood tonight. All she wanted was time to think, no fawning crowds blocking her way.
Suddenly, she felt something brush onto her right forehoof.
“Oh, now you come…” Twilight picked the letter up and stuffed it in her saddlebags.
Her stomach stung. All day, she had a mildly upset stomach, but now, it grew worse than ever, like somepony was twisting a knife in her gut. Maybe the cocoa had spoiled milk or something…
The wind blew her hood off. She cursed under her breath, putting it back on. She glanced around the street. Satisfied to find nopony gawking, she continued up the stone path.
A couple houses up, and she reached her destination: a colorful, regal house sat nestled snugly between two others. Frost ran across the edges of the windows, kept at bay by the warm light coming from inside. Above the door, hung a painted wooden board: “The Lights.”
She held up her hoof to knock, then hesitated. A purple aura wrapped itself around the knob, but she came to the same result. She shuddered, then tapped on the door with her hoof.
“Come on in! It’s open!” she heard from inside.
She breathed out a long sigh and stepped inside. Upon entering, she found the area to be cluttered, in contrast to when she was last here. She hung her cloak on the rack that seemed to be stuffed full of other cloaks, coats, scarves, and hats.
“Good evening, Princess Twilight!” her mother called out as she peeked around the corner. She stepped into the hall and curtsied. She batted away a stray hair that fell on her face. “Sorry we are running late. Dinner will be ready shortly.”
Twilight summoned a small smile. She tailed her mother into the kitchen and dining area. A rush of something that she couldn’t describe warmed her heart as memories flowed back. A dark countertop atop cupboards made of cherry wood. She imagined those cupboards when she was a filly as towering trees or magic walls. A chandelier over the table, one she often imagined as a giant monster—a flying octopus with metallic tentacles.
The pain in her stomach eased. Her hooves lightly clattered on the tile floor, in contrast with how heavy they felt previously. She sniffed the air, saturated with the aroma of garlic and roasting veggies. She licked her lips. Maybe this trip wouldn’t be so bad after all. Her parents weren’t scowling yet, so she counted it as good.
Then she noticed her father clenching his teeth as he chopped the veggies. He was mumbling something—something she recognized as a couple complaints, at least through the tone... although she couldn’t tell what he was saying. The knot in her stomach reformed, squeezing out any good feelings she had previously.
He shifted his eyes and flashed a wiry smile. He slid the slices off the cutting board and into the wok. “How was the train ride, Princess?”
She flinched at his last word. It couldn't mean anything good. They were probably preparing to say something to the nature of ‘as princess of friendship, why did you leave us, not even a letter…’
She snapped out of the thought as her father cleared his throat. Behind him, her mother stared at her over a shoulder while rinsing dishes.
“Oh... Uhm...” she started. “It was fine. You want some help?”
“No, I got it,” he said gruffly. “Go ahead and have a seat.”
She nodded. She stepped towards the table, about to scootch over the chair nearest to her, and decided against it. She went around the hardwood table and took a seat facing away from the window in the dining room.
Her mother looked up from the sink. “Oh, let me get that for you, Princess!” She raced over to the window and pulled the tie off the curtains. They swung shut, closing off the world outside.
Twilight shuddered. They were calling her ‘Princess Twilight’ because they were getting ready for the urgent ‘talk’ they were about to have. She considered getting it over with, like ripping off a bandage, but she figured asking about it would only make it worse.
“Thank you,” Twilight said, mentally facehoofing for the quick and snappy response.
Her mother smiled. Shakily, she asked, “How’s Spike?”
“He’s doing fine. I left him to watch over the castle,” Twilight said.
“Hmm. I see,” Twilight Velvet said. “How are your friends?”
“Busy, as always,” Twilight answered. To bat away any awkward silence, she added, “Thank you for inviting me here. It was getting a little dull back in Ponyville.”
“Our pleasure.” Twilight Velvet inched back to the sink. “I-I gotta—er—got to go back to the dishes, okay?”
“Okay,” Twilight said. Her stomach hurt. Eyes darting around surroundings, she snuck out a leaf of lettuce and munched on it softly.
“And done!” her father said, lifting the wok into a hot pad. Aura enveloped the handle and the hot pad as it sailed through the kitchen air and landed right next to the salad.
Her mother rinsed her hooves off from the soap and followed Night Light, trailing behind him.
“I’ll offer it.” Night Light said. All of them bowed their heads and offered a moment’s grace and gratitude for Celestia’s bountiful harvests.
Silence hung in the air, and Twilight waited for her parents to go first for good measure. Her mother clenched her teeth.
“Uhm, Princess, would you like to go first?” Twilight Velvet gestured to the food.
“Sure.” Twilight dished herself a small amount on her plate, being courteous enough not to take too much.
After all of them got their serving, Twilight clung to her chair. She chewed quietly, making sure to keep the silence.
Her mother cleared her throat. “How are your endeavors in Ponyville?”
Twilight gulped. Here it came. The conversation that her parents requested in the letter. She cringed. This was going to be painful, but she'd feel better when this was resolved.
“Its… good,” she started. “How are things going here?”
“Doing just fine.” Her mother smiled. “Is it too bland?” she asked, pointing to her plate.
“No… it's fine,” Twilight said.
“Pardon our cooking if it is, we aren't used to serving company.”
Twilight tensed more. Judging by the rate of the conversation, this was going to be a long night.
The oven beeped. Twilight lurched forward.
“Oh, the strawberry shortcake must be ready.” Her father hopped out of his chair and trotted towards the oven.
She sunk back in her seat.
He gasped. “No… No!”
Twilight Velvet asked, “What’s wrong, honey?”
“I forgot to put it to four twenty-five.” He slammed the door shut. “That’s just great! Dessert is ruined!”
He headed back for his seat, clenching his teeth and burying his face in his hooves. “How could I mess up something so simple?”
Twilight Velvet leaned towards him and patted him on the back. “It’s okay, honey.” She looked over to Twilight. “Princess, please forgive us for messing up your dessert.”
“What?” Twilight blanched. She leaned forward in her seat. Why were they asking for forgiveness? Wasn't she the one supposed to do that? “You’re not angry at me?”
“Why would we be angry?” Velvet’s eyes widened. Twilight noticed Night Light peeking from behind his hooves.
“Dad was a little agitated while cutting vegetables,” Twilight said. “And you were hiding a little something behind your eyes, I thought you brought me here to reprimand me for not keeping in contact with you,” Twilight explained. “In your letter, you said, ‘It’s been a while since we last talked, how about you come to our house for a little talk?’”
Night Light looked up from his hooves, his eyes flushed with tears.
Twilight scooted away from him. She’d never seen her father cry like this before.
“We thought you would storm out for wasting your time,” her mother said.
“Storm out?” Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Why?”
“We thought you'd have better things to do. At the first sight of inconvenience, you would scoff and trot out. After all, weren't you busy with studying?” her mother continued.
“Studying what?” Twilight asked quizzically.
“Anything.” Her mother clarified. “You used to lock yourself in your bedroom and study the heaps of books you’ve borrowed from the library.”
Twilight felt the slow burn of guilt envelop her. Her mind raced back to memories when she was a filly, buried under a mountain of assignments. Whilst other ponies found it a chore, she would find comfort in studying. If anypony dared intrude into her domain, she would let them have it. Once a lock was installed on her bedroom door, she made use of it as she drowned out the world around her book after book.
“Trust me, I wouldn't storm out.” Twilight said shakily. Her words quivered as they left her mouth.
Was that the truth? She shook at the sudden realization. It felt like a lie…
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She started with something she knew to be the truth “I specifically cleared the evening so I can spend time with you.”
“Cleared the evening?” Her mother’s jaw dropped. She covered her head with her hooves. “Celestia have mercy on us.”
“Hold on.” Twilight said, holding out a hoof.
“Apologies, Princess, we’ve promised we’ve done our best.” Her father said.
Twilight felt the tension in her shoulder release. “Wait a second, you are worried about the impression you are making for a princess?”
“Well, it’s very meager for one of royalty,” Her mother said. “I just thought―”
“You don’t have to go through the trouble to impress me, I’m your daughter for crying out loud!” Twilight said.
“What about your duties? You cleared the evening for us, only to have precious time wasted…” Her mother started.
“And dessert—your favorite—destroyed,” Night Light added.
She figured she’d do something for good measure. Twilight flicked the oven dial up and squinted at the display. She grumbled as she hopped out of her chair to double check.
“Undercooked, not destroyed.” She twisted the dial of a timer then took back her seat. “Mom, Dad, I’m not even something to be scared of. I’ve changed.”
“A changed Princess Twilight that blasted Tirek to smithereens, and defeated countless demons from Tartarus’” her dad pointed out. “Alicorn adds another layer. You are powerful now. With a blink of an eye, you could—”
“That was with Celestia’s and Luna’s power, and I didn’t defeat him until my friends helped me.” Twilight sighed, reviewing the events in her mind.
“Princess—” her mother started.
“Mom.” Twilight reached across the table. “You don't need to call me ‘Princess’.” She cupped her hooves over her mother's. “I'm your daughter. Being with you two after a long time is a blessing. I'm grateful.
“I should be the one apologizing, I leave one day and after all these years, and don't even send so much as a ‘thank you’ note,” Twilight said, managing to spit out the words as her throat tightened.
“Twilight.” Her father stroked her mane cautiously. “Seeing you over the news blasting baddies to keep us safe is thanks enough. We just wanted to repay you.”
Her mother added, “Although repaying you was the tricky part. For a princess, we knew that everything had to be perfect. We know ponies change over time, we just weren't sure how you changed, so we stuck to what we knew. Twilight hates inconvenience. Let's make sure she doesn't have to wait too long.”
Twilight opened her mouth trying to come up with an excuse, but what came out was a garbled nonsense.
She closed her mouth, cleared her throat, and took a deep breath. Excuses weren't what they needed now. She opened her mouth when her thoughts came together. “Mom, Dad, I'm sorry for all those times. I'm sorry for being antisocial and sulking in my room.” The words seemed unnatural, and hitched like the wheels of a cart scratching across a cobblestone street.
“It’s okay. It's okay.” Her mother patted her hooves.
“No. It's not,” Twilight cried. “I left you. For years. Now I'm absolutely crazy to regain your trust.”
Silence hung over the table.
“I think I know what'll help. Follow me to the living room.” Night Light hopped out of his chair. Twilight wiped away her tears and followed him. Her mother clung closely to Twilight’s side. “It's okay.”
Twilight felt the soft fur of her mother, still dotted with batter, rub against hers. In the living room was a Hearth’s Warming tree. “Your mother and I, during Hearth’s Warming Eve, set up this tree. Do you notice anything about it?”
Twilight studied it carefully, seeing ornaments that she made a filly, ones with her school picture inside, grinning with missing teeth. “I see memories of Shining and me gathered together.”
Night Light nodded. “Yes, as Mom and I were setting up the tree, the ornaments reminded us of the times we spent as a family. Your first test, your dance recital, the list goes on. It hurt to put this thing up, but it would be against tradition. We questioned why we would put it up anyway, since there would be no gifts—no presents left for you or for us. We decided to make a resolution ahead of time, and invite you and your brother over. Unfortunately, your brother has his hooves full ruling a nation and balancing Flurry atop that, so we resorted to a quiet dinner with you. However, we wouldn’t know how you’d react.”
Twilight stared at all the silver and blue ornaments dangling from the branches. She marveled at how much care was put into it. All those times, studying by herself, ignoring the cherished family memories she could've been making.
“Sorry if we came across as on-edge, Prin—Sweetie.” Her mother corrected herself. “Your father and I have been under a lot of stress. We’ve been so busy at work, trying to work graveyard shifts so we could clear time for this occasion. We felt that we had to be perfect for your coming here. We just didn't know what to expect, or even if you wanted to see us.”
Twilight closed her eyes and bowed her head. In her heart, she was oddly thankful that the evening hadn’t gone as planned. She was expecting a reprimand from her parents, but instead got to this, a quiet evening where an estranged relationship was finally mended, albeit awkwardly.
Twilight opened her eyes and smiled at her mother. “I'm sorry for leaving you. I didn't mean to—” Tears welled up in her eyes.
Her parents trotted to her and embraced her. The cold melted away. Warmth enveloped her.
She never wanted to let go. Judging by the tight embrace, her parents didn’t want to let go either.
Night Light cleared his throat. “Well, what should we do now, Twilight?”
Twilight smiled. “How about a little game?”
The timer rattled in the other room, and judging from the loud clank, it fell off the countertop.
“Make that cake and ice cream with a little game,” her father corrected.
As she dished up ice cream, she put a small portion in her bowl. She scraped the rest of the tub and put it into her mother's bowl.
“Why do you keep doing that?” her mother asked.
“Doing what?” Twilight plucked the spoon out of her mouth and set it in her bowl.
“That.” Her mother motioned to her bowl. “Usually you would scarf down your food in a hurry.”
“Remember I had to rush eating so I could finish my homework,” Twilight explained. She could feel her cheeks getting warm. “Funny story though, when I was invited to join three fillies at a fast food joint, they were mortified at my manners, so I decided to take it down a notch.”
“Your turn, Twilight.” Her father held out the dice to her.
She let another bite of ice cream melt in her mouth as she rolled the dice.
“Oh come on!” Twilight complained. “Landing on the boardwalk! I don’t have any money—Wwwait A SECOND!” She eyed her father's piece. “You landed on Crystal Empire and didn't tell me!”
“Too bad, didn't notice!” He grinned mischievously.
“Hehe… now you’ll have to pay!” Night Light flipped one of the property cards for her. Twilight looked in horror as more of her properties were mortgaged. She wanted to give off an “ACK!” but instead it came out as a long yawn.
“Oh, is somepony sleepy?” her mother observed.
“Yes,” she admitted. “About time to head back to the castle. This princess needs her beauty rest.”
Twilight glanced at the time. All the sleepiness she felt before melted away as she realized the hour.
“OH NO! I’m late for my train!” Twilight leapt from her seat and scrambled for her pack.
“Oh my, I think it’s too late to catch a train, Twilight.” Her mother said, looking at the clock sitting on the mantle. “Last one left about half-an-hour ago.”
“Oh no, what do I do… Spike must be worried sick. I need to ―”
Her father pressed a hoof to her muzzle to shush her. “I think Spike will be fine. He’s a strong dragon. As for you, I think it’s best you stay the night.”
“But, I didn’t pack for an overnighter.” Twilight said, lifting up her saddlebags. All I brought was the letter and a book to read on the train.”
Her father traded glances with her mother.
“Go ahead and wash up for the night. I think we have an unopened toothbrush in the towel closet.” Her mother pointed in the direction of the bathroom.
“Thank you, but where am I going to sleep?” Twilight asked, remembering that she had her bed specially moved from her parent’s home to the Golden Oaks Library. Unfortunately, it was gone now with the rest of the rubble Tirek left.
“Oh honey, you can take the guest room.” Her mother insisted. “It may be dusty since we don’t use it, but I knew I would be of some use later…”
“Okay then…” Twilight said, working her way over to the bathroom. She spun around quickly. Wait a second, I need to let Spike know what my plans are!”
“Don’t worry, I will take care of that.” Her dad said. “Now shoo! Go on!”
As she made her way inside the bathroom, she closed the door behind her and took a deep breath.
Surprisingly, as she did her nightly routine of preparing for bed, the smells of shampoo and air fresheners evoked hidden memories. Like the lavender, she would get home after a stressful day at school, take a bath, and the stress would melt away like wax on a candle.
As she brushed her teeth, she remembered the times when her and Shining having races to see who could brush their teeth faster. Loser got splashed with foamy water.
As she opened her placed her toothbrush in her pack, she noticed a yellow sticky note on the latchet of the pack. She read the familiar writing: “Meet in our room for a surprise.”
Twilight carried her saddlebags out of the bathroom, down the hallway, and into her parents’ room.
“We came to tuck you in, sweetie,” Dad explained.
“I’m over a decade too old,” Twilight said. She set her saddlebags next to the door.
“Compared to the age Alicorns live to be, you're very young,” her mother reasoned.
Twilight thought it was odd. But her parents were sticking to what they knew: Caring to make her dinner and to tuck her in.
“Where will you two sleep?” She asked.
“I’ve decided that I should take the dusty guest room. I figured our room is the best fit for a princess.” Her mother stated.
“What about dad?” Twilight asked.
“He can sleep on the couch.” Her mother chuckled.
“Banishing me to the couch?” Night Light teased. “Is it because you landed on Appleloosa Flats and it cost you a quite a bit?”
Twilight Velvet gave her husband a firm nudge. “Do you want to be sleeping there for the rest of the week?”
Night Light held his peace with a cheesy smile.
“Alright, Alright. If you insist.” Twilight hopped onto the king-size mattress. She felt the blankets rush over her and wrap around her.
“Goodnight.” She yawned.
“Oh, you are forgetting your story!” Dad approached her saddlebags. He fished a book out and read the title. “A Condensed Guide to Stress Relief…” He chuckled. “I don't think this is a bedtime story.”
Twilight couldn't help but smirk. “I don't think so.”
“Your mother and I could use this book though.” He pressed the book to his chest. “You don't mind if we borrow it, do you?”
“Not at all,” Twilight said.
Her dad tucked the book away in the drawer of the nightstand. “I guess I'll go get one from the shelf.”
“Wait!” her mother interjected. “I think she has read all the books we have at home. How about I make one up right now?”
“Come up with one on the spot? Are you sure?” he asked.
“Bet your bottom bit!” she said. She turned to Twilight and said, "I call this one... Smarty Pants… and er… and the Wand of Star Swirl!”
Twilight giggled. “I can't wait to hear it!"
Her mother began. “‘Once upon a time…’”
A couple stanzas later, their Alicorn Princess fell asleep.
