Chapters Why won't you seek out aid?
Author's Note
For clarity's sake, and because I have no idea how to explain this in the story proper without breaking any possible flow, there are two details one should know first.
One, "Princess" (and 'Prince') is not an official title, but rather a family name. While Equestria and their city-states have been ruled by members of this Princess family for as long as anyone can remember, simply having 'Princess' in your name does not imply any authority whatsoever.
Two, this story takes place before Twilight's ascension, ~~conveniently sidestepping the 'princess Twilight issue'~~ so a lot of things are not yet established at this point.
Why won't you seek out aid?
Twilight Sparkle was troubled.
With her growing appreciation for friendship after her time spent in Ponyville, she has grown much more social than the bookish filly tucked away in that tower long past ever was. She does not try to break of sudden conversations as quickly as she used to, and even seeks out new chances to speak to ponies she never really noticed in the past before, all to further her study of this strange new magic called 'friendship'.
One such group of ponies were the various maids and groundskeepers that roam the massive Canterlot Castle. She had always treated them with respect, of course, grateful for always being there to help her every need, but that is where their relation ended. Actually stopping and talking to them now, she discovered she greatly enjoys listening to all the many little stories that happen all day round in these ancient halls. She has probably learned more about the royal sisters in a week than she herself did in the last few years.
For example, she had no idea Celestia likes to gorge herself on sweets when no-one's looking, much to the chagrin of the royal medical staff, though it'd certainly explain her... rather round figure, let's say. Nor would she have considered Luna finding a partner no less a week after her return, if the guards outside her private chambers are to be believed.
Now, Twilight is no stranger to neither love or passion, as short-lived as it was, so of course she knows that even the royal sisters might have need of a mate, if only to let of steam. But even she could not help but blush when she managed one of those guards to privately confide, albeit under some pressure and not without a mutual blush, to the kinds of sounds he heard seeping between those doors during the day when she was supposedly sleeping, and they aren't the kind you make on your own.
Curiously enough, no one seems to have actually seen this supposed 'partner' enter or exit her quarters, so there's a few bets running around who this actually even is, or how he/she even got in. Twilight got rather intrigued by this particular part, as to her knowledge all rooms used by Princess members are reinforced with special anti-magic seals, as to prevent any unexpected teleportation attacks when they are at their most vulnerable, so she could rule this 'partner' teleporting in out.
Still, if Luna does not wish to publicly announce or even acknowledge her new mate, Twilight will pry no farther. She and Celestia probably know best how hard it was for Luna to become accepted again after her return, to shed her reputation of the frightening Nightmare Moon, so her finding someone who accepts her beyond all that? Twilight can only be happy for them.
However, the most interesting things Twilight's new friends in the castle had to tell her, which were also the things that were currently troubling her, did not even involve the Princess family at all. Rather, they involved not a particular Princess, but a Prince instead, and one very specific one at that.
Prince Blueblood.
Twilight did not know Prince Blueblood particulary well, or well enough anyway, so she did not know what to think about these interesting things she had heard about. Wait, what did she know about him anyway? Perhaps it's best to group and order her knowledge on the subject first, as she had done so many times before when faced an initially difficult-looking problem.
Firstly, the Prince family, a renowned family line of charismatic diplomats and bureaucrats. Initially an off-shoot of the Princess family, they too have played an important role in Equestria's history. Be it working alongside the royal sisters with endless paper work, overseeing every and all bureaucratic systems throughout Equestria and its city-states to prevent corruption, and even venturing to close and far lands to keep international relations stable, they too have earned a permanent resting place within these halls as reward for their diligent work even after all these generations, which is a rare thing indeed. Blueblood himself personally prevented a most likely bloody war with the Yaks, one which Twilight's own brother set out to snuff out, but which he almost helped jump-start in the first place.
Secondly, he's a flat-out genius. He, just like Twilight, became one of the only hundred-fifty-three students Princess Celestia has ever personally tutored, which should speak volumes over the talent Celestia saw in him. Though he was accused numerous times of using his family name to receive such a preferential treatment, actually seeing him overcome extremely difficult problems at such a young age with his near unmatched ingenuity was enough to shut anyone up. Of course, he was not as talented as Twilight was, but that should be no surprise given she is also the bearer of the element of magic now, and she does not like bragging anyway.
Usually.
Thirdly, he is probably the most sought after bachelor in all of Canterlor, maybe even Equestria itself. Good-looking, polite, a Prince and extremely charismatic, him being a close friend and confidant of the royal sisters themselves is just icing on the cake. Though no one can recall him ever officially accepting anyone, this did not stop numerous mares and colts alike to win his attention and affection. Even Rarity herself tried her chance, poor Spike, but Blueblood also being a true believer in gender equality and rejecting any notion of obligated chivalry towards mares just because they are mares quickly shot that ship down for her.
Fourth, and this is what she recently learned from the maids and groundskeepers, Blueblood seems to have changed ever since Luna came back. Where he was carefree and lively before, he now seemed to be anxious and closed off, often looking over his shoulders. Previously, he took the time and attention to walk about the castle and strike up conversation with the various personnel around the castle, much to their delight, just like Twilight had been recently started doing. Now, he spends most of his time in the Canterlot Archives and the Canterlot Library of Magic, researching who knows what behind closed doors, hardly ever spending time with the personnel anymore.
Though his personal performance has not suffered from it, nor does the public seem to have taken any notice of it yet, among the people working in Canterlot Castle it is no secret that something is off, though everyone only comes up blank on what that something actually could be. While many initially thought he was still scared of Luna's Nightmare Moon past considering this only started after she came back, he has been frequently seen having friendly conversation with her since, blowing off their only lead.
Problem, point four does not match the previous three.
This is part of what troubles Twilight Sparkle.
She wants to help Blueblood, of course, both as a fellow pony and student. All the more so if this problem of his involves magic and books, considering where has spent most of his time recently, but... it does not seem like he wants to be helped in the first place. Why, she even offered to aid him with whatever he needs, and he just...
While on her way to the throne room, Twilight was engrossed in thought about one of many new prototype spells she wants to show Celestia, and probably turned the corner too fast without looking ahead. She was apparently not the only one not paying attention, if the subsequent collision and growing lump on her head was anything to go by. A bit dazed by her sudden stop, she only saw an outstretched hoof and took it, not yet realising who it belonged too. "My sincere apologies, miss Sparkle. It would seem I was distracted enough to not watch my step."
Twilight's eyes widened and shot up, seeing a very embarrassed Blueblood helping her up. She had planned to take the time to meet him sooner or later, sure, but she could have done without the pain in doing so. After she had straightened herself, she felt the sore spot up, cast a cooling spell to east the pain for the time being, and looked at Blueblood again.
"Ah, no, the fault is all mine, sir Prince. I was hurried to meet Princess Celestia, and did not look out myself." She replied, a blush on her face.
"Ah, let me not stand in your way then, as I too have somewhere to be." And just like that, he turned to leave already. Even though Twilight had heard the rumours, she was surprised at how fast he wanted to leave, almost forgetting that she actually wanted to talk to him first. Almost, though.
"Wait, Blueblood! Eh, I mean, sir Prince, there is something I wanted to ask you about." I called out to him, and luckily he turned back around. For but a moment Twilight could see irritation in his eyes, but he quickly replaced that by a curious gaze as years of diplomatic experience likely automatically kicked in. But that one moment was all Twilight needed to reinforce her convictions, that something was going on here.
"You can call me Blueblood, if you wish, I do not mind. May I call you miss Twilight in return?" He said, a casual smile on his face.
Twilight was somewhat taken aback by this reply, not expecting how gently his words flowed after the irritated look from earlier, but pressed on all the same.
"You may, sir Pri- Blueblood. I promise, this shouldn't take too long, as both you and I seem to be headed somewhere already." she answered, and he nodded. Good, one hoof in the door, progress is progress. She'll have to improvise now, but she can handle it, hopefully. The last thing she wants is for him to get suspicious and shut her off completely.
"You see, I have heard that you were busy researching for a magic project in both the archives and library, and I was wondering if I could be of any help, as a fellow student of Princess Celestia?" I tried, wanting to confirm his whereabouts without mentioning his recent anxiety.
His eyes widened at that, surprise clear in his eyes. He didn't seem to know how to respond, only mumbling something she couldn't hear. Direct hit, huh? Not good, she doesn't want to scare him off already.
"I mean, if you don't mind I help out, of course? I certainly wouldn't want to impose... If I may though, might I inquire what it is exactly that you're researching?" She finished, a hopeful smile on her face, trying to put him at ease.
Again, Blueblood did not respond. This time though, he wasn't stammering or fumbling about, but rather seemed to be thinking about something. Twilight recognised that look, it was one she herself made many times before when she needed to make a difficult decision. After what felt like an eternity but might have lasted for a few seconds, Twilight suddenly heard Blueblood breath a deep sigh and saw him look up at her. He did not gaze at her with fear, tension or anxiety, as she might have expected. No, much to her surprise, his face showed exhaustion, a small but sad smile all the same adorning his snout, and slowly shook his head.
"I appreciate your offer, Twilight, I really do, but..." He looked away again, closed his eyes for but a moment before locking eyes again. "This is something I have to do alone. I can't tell you anything else, I'm sorry."
Twilight could only nod at that, stunned, and Blueblood started to turn away again. "Besides, didn't you need to see auntie right about now?" He added in a cheeky tone, disguising the tone she heard before with his usual charismatic talk. At that, Twilight remembered why she actually came here in the first place, and started to scramble for the throne room again, deciding to put the troubling thoughts on Blueblood on the backburner for now. She couldn't let her teacher wait any more now.
After that meeting, even though it's been a little over two months, Twilight Sparkle has not spoken to Blueblood a single time, and this troubles her. No, to be truthful, it frustrates her. She brought up the issue with her mentor and Luna, but both simply waved her off, arguing that Blueblood can take care of himself, and if he does not need or seek help, one should simply leave him to his own devices.
And Twilight wishes she could agree, she so desperately wants to put this off her mind. But she can't forget that one moment when he looked at her, exhausted , for a simple reply, and she knew at that moment that he did need help. Prince Blueblood has a problem, something he has put extensive research in, but seems unable to clear it up by himself, of this Twilight is absolutely sure. And what kind of element of harmony would she be if she abandoned one of the most vital ponies in Equestria's clockwork, even if that very pony does not think anyone can help them?
Twilight Sparkle made a decision.
She will help Prince Blueblood, and if he doesn't want anyone to know about whatever his issue is, then Twilight just has to make sure he does not know about her help either. She can't let anyone of her friends know about this, a solo operation to aid a solitary pony in need.
It's time to investigate.
Investigator Twiligt is on the case.
After she had made her decision to help Blueblood, she immediately started working out a plan on how exactly she was going to do this. Having already failed to get Celestia and Luna involved, her only option left was to investigate his time spent at the archives and Library of Magic, which should be doable considering her status as element of harmony and personal student of Celestia. She could easily come up with a number of reasons to justify her visits if anyone asked, but she needed to be careful of Blueblood's own visits, as to avoid making him suspicious to her investigation.
It... turned out to be more difficult than she expected.
Requesting access to the archive logs wasn't a problem, as she expected, as pretending to want to help locating any missing volumes was more than enough to convince the head librarian to give her all the freedom she wanted. However, actually going through them proved to be much less fruitful than she hoped. Blueblood regularly visited, yes, but the logs don't actually show him loaning any books. Additionally, simply requesting to read certain works inside the archives are not recorded at all, provided you have the proper authentication, so she had no idea what he was actually reading, much to her growing frustration.
Striking up small talk with the archive personnel didn't teach her anything either. She disguised her intentions by mentioning she was interested in what other ponies came read from the archives, always eager to broaden her own horizons, but whenever Blueblood came up they all had but one thing to say. Every two days he comes here, records his entrance into the logs, and then finds himself a secluded spot to read a number of volumes, before putting them back and leaving as quietly as he came. Of course, the personnel were polite enough not to disturb him and thus had no idea what kind of volumes he was working with, so that was a dead end as well.
In summary, the archives frustratingly didn't turn up anything, so here's to hoping the Library of Magic would at least give her something.
And it did. But just not in the way she was expecting.
It was mostly the same story as with the archives, records showed that he did not take any books outside of the library, nor did he interact with the personnel much if at all. He stayed here far longer than in the archives on any given day, but that doesn't help Twilight if she doesn't know what he had been reading. However, there was one curious point multiple ponies mentioned.
Blueblood often seemed to vanish when no-one was looking.
Now, while the Library of Magic may be a vast place, rivalling even Canterlot Castle when it comes to sheer size, ponies don't just up and disappear in this place. And yet, there have been numerous instances when one of the librarians simply could not find Blueblood at all for one reason of the other, before giving up altogether and going on with their business. Even so, without fail, he is always seen exiting the library shortly before closing time, obviously proving that he did not, in fact, vanish.
So what was going on here?
Twilight was wandering around in the section he was usually seen in, 'ancient history', and wondered how one pony could disappear like that. This section was somewhat removed from the main body of the library, and as such she found it to be very quiet, not even a pony in sight. Actually, why was he even here? Did his problem involve history in any way, or...
Looking around, Twilight noticed that this section wasn't just quiet, but rather that it was exceedingly not-used, much to her personal dismay. A lot of the books seemed dusty on the outside, as if few ponies ever intentionally came specifically to this section to search for a book. A quick trip to one of the assistants confirmed that, yes, not many ponies these days seem to be interested in this world's history any more, fewer still in the oldest parts of it, and as such very few loaned books come from the ancient history section. Not that he minded, as no one should feel forced to learn about something that doesn't interest them, but Twilight thought it a shame nonetheless.
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she focused on her mission again. Twilight started considering what she had learned. One pony disappears in a place very few ponies visit, and, thinking logically, there are only very few ways one could do that. Most obviously the answer could be teleportation, a breeze for Blueblood, but why come specifically out here to do so? No, that isn't it. Whatever it is Blueblood is searching for, he thinks the answer lies here.
Another option would be that Blueblood simply hides well enough out of sight as to not be disturbed, perhaps even using the aid of an invisibility spell? No, the assistants have been very clear on this, when he's gone he's gone , no ifs and buts about it. Additionally, any and all uses of magic are strictly forbidden inside the library unless authorised, even for a high-ranking pony like Blueblood, which meant immediate expulsion if discovered. Blueblood could not risk that.
So that leaves but one option remaining. A secret passageway.
Twilight's eyes widened. Could it be? Yes, it absolutely could. If her memory serves right, this library was not always a library, but was initially build as a central military command center back in the starfall wars, even before the construction of Ponyville. So if this center was ever under attack, the existence of several passageways attackers were not aware of would prove vital in evacuating the commanders that resided here so long ago. Surely some of these passages would still be undiscovered but operational, even if the current library staff was not aware of them?
Twilight thought for a moment, and her horn lit up after she made sure the coast was clear, powering a spell. Reasoning further, even if Blueblood did use such an unexpected route in such a deserted but unconventional place, what was the guarantee that no-one else would stumble on it as well? If Twilight was right, she should soon find... Yes! She can sense it, the magic detection spell worked! Right... there, on a bookcase filled with pre-Equestrian legends, tucked away from sight.
An ignore spell! And a mute spell as well?
How clever. Blueblood, or somepony else, the signature wasn't clear enough, cast an ignore spell near the top of the shelf. Ignore spells are supposed to do precisely what their name implies, make you uninterested in whatever they are cast on. While they are usually used in medical treatments of addiction or against break-ins and thefts, it surely can be used to make sure no-one accidentally discovers an ancient passageway.
The mute spell, on the other hand, seemed to encompass the entire bookcase, implying but one thing. This thing can move, and completely silently at that.
Twilight started to feel giddy. This was her first and perhaps major breakthrough. Behind this bookcase is a passage or room that holds the answers she is looking for. After making sure that no-one was in the immediate area, she cast a temporary anti-magic spell on herself to only counteract the ignore spell, and quickly moved to the bookshelf. It took but a few moments to realize two of the books were fake, and pulling them back caused the entire shelf to rotate backwards, without so much as causing a squeak, revealing a magically lit spiral stairway going down.
Twilight was at a loss for words, and did not move for several seconds, her head filling with more questions. What was going on? Why would Blueblood need to use such an elaborate contraption? Should she head in? Should she alert Celestia? Should sh-
Twilight was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw the bookshelf move back to its original position, presumably working on some kind of mechanical timer to continue its function of being an unassuming bookshelf with books no one wants to read. This snapped Twilight out of her trance, and she shook her head, determined to find out what lay beyond.
Pulling on the books and moving the bookcase once again, she stepped forward and went down the stairs.
Half a minute later, and feeling like she went five levels underground, she finally came upon a door. And behind that door was... well, a large room. But what was in that large room might as well have made it feel like the single most important place Twilight had ever entered.
The restricted section. Twilight was exhilarated.
She had heard the legends, of course, that within the Library of Magic existed a section that contained only the most ancient, awful and destructive of books. Entire walls lined with shelves full of old books, every single one capable of forever changing the face of Equestria if they were ever discovered, but she never once considered it might be actually real . She even asked Celestia herself about it once she learned of it, but she firmly denied the existance of such a place with an unwavering voice, quelling any doubts she might have had.
So was even Celestia not aware of this place, or did she not want Twilight to find out? Twilight was sure that the library staff at least did not know about this place, or they wouldn't be running around looking for Blueblood when all this time he had simply come down here. She also realized just why the entrance is so difficult to find, yet so easily accessible without anypony noticing once you actually do. For who would think to search for a room filled with potentially world-destroying knowledge amongst 'the boring books about history no one cares about anymore'?
But it exist! It's real, and it's filled with books about... Actually, what are they about? Twilight was so amazed by what she discovered she hadn't even thought to actually see what's in here!
With a small spring in her step, she decided to look around. She hadn't forgotten about her mission, of course, but surely one peek wouldn't hurt? Getting her bearings first, she surveyed the room. Except for the single large fireplace at the other end, a large mirror to the side, and a large table full of scattered books and scrolls in the middle, the room was divided into a lower and upper level, both lined with bookshelves, and those shelves lined with dusty, decaying books. Much to her dismay, these books were clearly not cared for, and time had taken its clear toll on them.
Levitating books at random while walking along the shelves, reading some of the titles she could actually make out before putting them back caused a shudder to run through her coat. Void magic, biological immortality, large scale geo-formation, erased history, species experimentation, even starfall itself... the rumours were true. Any one of these, if leaked out, could change the entirety of Equestria, perhaps even the world. Much to her surprise, she even found a few works seemingly written entirely in one of the bald apes' many dead languages. Just how old was this collection?
I should not be here was the overwhelming feeling she got after seeing one terrible work after the other, and her earlier feeling of awe was quickly replaced by one of dread.
Quietly shivering, Twilight shook her head and made her way to the large table, eager to find out what the hell Blueblood had been doing here and getting out as fast as she could. Once she arrived, looking at the books and scrolls haphazardly scattered about, she perhaps finally discovered what had haunted him for so long.
Alicorns.
It was all about Alicorns.
What?
Taking a moment to double check, she confirmed that, yes, every single book and scroll, albeit each in varying levels of disrepair, was about alicorns.
Twilight Sparkle was confused. Why would Blueblood go through all this trouble, all this secrecy, only to research something for which he has three live subjects to work with? Surely Celestia, Luna or even Cadence could help him? Twilight had a vague feeling that she understands the when now, why Blueblood only began to display his changed behavior after the return of Luna, obviously an alicorn, but as for the how, why, what or maybe even who, she was still in the dark.
Luckily enough, despite how scattered everything was, Blueblood seemed to keep various bookmarks in several books, greatly easing her remaining search, and Twilight went to work.
Levitating one work to her after the other, reading the pages the bookmarks were on, however, caused even Twilight Sparkle a head-ache. Nevermind that most of these were written well before even Equestria's founding and contained a vastly different vocabulary and word structure she was familiar with, the parts she did manage to understand without thorough research were just... random? No, unrelated would be the better word.
This book talks about the history of alicorns, that one of their relation to the other species. A third book theorizes about their abilities, while the fourth documents their impact on the world at large.
This scroll talks about the lifetime achievements of one Grand Waltz, an alicorn she never even heard about, while that one bears the entire Princess family tree, going over five thousand years back.
Twilight didn't get it. This was a close as she was going to get, and she didn't get it . There was no common theme here, no unified idea that might help her out, and Twilight was getting desperate. Granted, a lot of these books contained information she never even knew about, but try as she might she could not figure out why Blueblood was specifically researching these works, nor why he felt the need to research them alone.
In her desperation, Twilight nearly glazed over a page in one of the many books she had skimmed through by now, until she noticed something unusual. The book itself was not unusual as far as she could tell, a book dedicated to master-level magic relating to alicorns, written some time after Equestria's founding by none other than Clover the Clever herself. No, the unusual part was that Twilight saw wet marks on this particular page, recent ones at that. And the only pony that has been here recently, Twilight supposed, was Blueblood himself. Did he spill water on the pages? Twilight wondered, taking the time to read the words in more detail.
Wait, what is this? It's hard to make out, but, "for one ... defy mortality they... give up... life itself."?
If Twilight was reading this right, and she could scarcely believe she was... this page was not about magic only alicorns could perform. It was describing magic that could make one become an alicorn!
Her head started spinning. Could this be it? Was this why Blueblood had changed? Was this the reason behind everything?
Did he want to become an alicorn?!
Twilight stumbled back at this, not believing her own words. No, no, that can't be right. You can't become an alicorn through magic. That's impossible. It just it.
...
Is it?
Come to think of it, has Celestia ever told her about her past? Had she always been an alicorn? What about Luna, or Cadance? Could alicorns even be born ? Twilight could certainly not recall right now, her stress shooting through the roof and impairing her thoughts, and she kept creeping further and further from that damnable table.
Twilight was starting to see stars. A tiny part in the back of her mind screamed at her to run away, to find Celestia and seek her aid, but it was squashed by another part that wanted to continue her mission. Perhaps this was not what Blueblood was looking for, as unrelated as everything else was. Perhaps she should put the whole anypony-can-apparantly-become-an-alicorn thing beside her for now, first try to figure out why Blueblood was intere-
She did not realise she had never really stopped walking backwards, and jumped high when she suddenly felt something hitting her back, afraid that somehow Blueblood had come back and caught her in her snooping act. Quickly swivelling around, mind working overtime to come up with a reasonable excuse, she closed her eyes and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when the saw it was just the mirror, the one she noticed when she first entered the room.
Calm down Twilight. Don't let the stress get to you... yet.
Opening her eyes again, she tried to see what Blueblood would have seen if he was indeed standing there, but... she failed. Twilight was confused again. Slowly but surely, she started to realize that this was not a mirror at all. The room that Twilight saw in it was similar to the one she was in, yes, but it was not filled with bookshelves, nor did she actually see herself in it.
It's... more like a window instead. She thought, moving the maybe-mirror-maybe-window a little forward to see what was behind it, only to find a solid wall. So not a window, then?
In disbelief, she turned back again and reached one hoof out to touch its surface, wondering what trickery was going on here. It is not a painting, that she could say for certain, and didn't notice her hoof actually touching anything until she looked at it.
It was going through the mirror.
Twilight jumped back in shock, pulling her hoof back, but the mirror remained the same as ever. And then it dawned on Twilight, her eyes widening. A crystal mirror. Of course they exist as well. Ancient gateways lost with time, rumoured to allow instant travel over massive distances without the active need of a unicorn provided you have at least two mirrors. They greatly outclass teleportation magic in both reach, capacity and ease of use, and have been theorised to even allow access to other, 'parallel', universes altogether.
And of course such a thing would be in the restricted section as well.
A quick directional spell later, and Twilight determined that this particular mirror surprisingly enough doesn't go that far. In fact, it goes right to Canterlot Castle, of all places. Did Blueblood have another crystal mirror in his personal quarters, allowing easy access to this place from there?
No, of course not, she already established that he enters the forbidden section through the moving bookcase, and he wouldn't need to go through the trouble of visiting the library and leaving a record of that if he had such an easy access nopony knew about. So where does it go then?
Well, no time like the present, and Twilight figured she wasn't going to find anything else in this room that could help her with her mission. She certainly didn't want to go near that table again for now. Of course, she could have taken a better approach than simply taking a few steps back, starting a gallop and jumping head first into the crystal mirror, but the ever rising stress might have been responsible for her certainly not-rational behaviour.
She expected to feel some kind of sickness, or at least vertigo from the sudden displacement as with her normal teleportation spells, but discovered she didn't feel... well, anything. It was somewhat warmer here, sure, but that's it. One moment she was under the library. The next, she was in Canterlot Castle, almost as if she simply took a step forward. Amazed at such a marvellous piece of technology, she tried to orientate where she was, until she heard sounds coming from a door near the far end of this new-but-same room, and decided to investigate. She hoped that this was the end of it, exhausted from all the recent discoveries she made, and made her way over. As she slowly opened the door though, she suddenly stopped.
She could recognize the sounds as a voice now, one which she knew particularly well. And the kinds of noises she heard, well... she suddenly remembered what the maids had told her a while ago, about how a certain pony had a secret mate, and she realised where she was.
Twilight Sparkle was now in Luna's personal quarters, and she was currently having some fun with a pony or non-pony no-one has seen enter or exit her rooms.
Twilight Sparkle started to connect the dots. Why Blueblood started behaving so distantly to everyone around him, when he started behaving as such, his visits to the forbidden section, all the secrecy, everything. She felt like she was about to pass out.
Against her better judgement, she opened the door a little further, trying to look inside. She wanted to be wrong, she wanted to just turn back and enter the mirror again, but she couldn't. Her determination wouldn't let her.
So she continued opening the door, and what she saw confirmed it all.
Blueblood was currently railing Luna from behind on her grand bed.
Oh Celestia.
And the world grew dark before her eyes.
Author's Note
I hope I buried the reveal well enough. Of course, if you took the time to read the description and see what contest this was written for as well as the content warning, you probably guessed this was where it was going, but I hope it was enjoyable enough all the same.
Twilight Sparkle felt comfortable. She didn't feel like thinking right now, though she wasn't sure why, but she didn't feel like thinking about why she wasn't sure either. It's a strange feeling, yet at the same time she feels like it's the most normal feeling in the world.
She hears a voice far-off, but decides to ignore it. She is comfortable right now after all, and wants to stay being comfortable. Or perhaps that's not the right word for it? Though she didn't feel like it, she momentarily thought about a better word that would describe her current situation, and decided on 'snugly'. Yes, she was snugly. This was nice.
Again she hears a voice, a bit clearer now, and again decides to ignore it. She is snugly right now, and wants to stay snugly, thank you very much.
There seems to be a thought floating around her, trying to make her think it, but she really doesn't want to.
Why can't she just stay snugly? It's nice, being snugly, not being bothered by distant voices and thoughts trying to be thought.
And yet, the voice keeps coming closer, keeps becoming clearer. Twilight could even start to see a faint form now. And the thought wanting to be thought isn't leaving her alone either, what a bother.
"Twilight, can you hear me?" She hears now. Well obviously she can hear the voice, how else would the voice know if she could hear it? The voice is stupid. She wants to remain snugly, not thinking about anything.
Thinking about not thinking anything was enough for the thought she did not want to think to slowly enter her thoughts.
"Twilight, I need you to respond, please." The voice and form became clearer again, and Twilight thought she recognized her. Her? The thought she did not want thought but forced itself into her thinking it anyway also involved her. How curious. Does Twilight know this her?
Ah, she does.
It's Princess Luna, how could she forget? But why is she disturbing Twilight when she is so snugly? That's rather rude.
"Twilight, I need you to wake up. You are dreaming right now." Princess Luna said, voice and form crystal clear now to Twilight. Ah, so she's dreaming right now? That explains things. Not the thought she desperately, she now realizes, did not want to think, that is not yet explained. Why does she not want to think it? How curious.
Paying attention to Princess Luna again, she noticed that she looked... embarrassed? That's no surprise, considering what Twilight discovered. Hmm, what Twilight discovered? Did Twilight discover something? Was that what the thought was about? But why would she not want to think it if it involved Princess Luna?
Twilight turned her head towards Luna, something she didn't feel like doing because it was less snugly for her, but she felt she needed to do it all the same.
"Why are you here, Luna?" Twilight asked.
"Ah, you responded, finally. Twilight, you're shortly going to wake up." She replied, not answering the question. That was not nice of her.
"But I don't want to wake up, I want to stay snugly!' Twilight whined. Luna raised a brow at the mention of 'snugly', but continued on all the same.
"Twilight, when you wake up, I need you to remain calm, alright?" Luna asked, again ignoring what Twilight had said. Rude. Still, why would she need to remain calm? Did she have a reason to be not-calm? At that thought, the thought she is still not trying to think tried harder to be thought, and she faintly started to understand why she is sleeping in the first place.
She had been doing something. Or trying to, at least. And she had gotten tired while doing this thing she was trying to do. So she fell asleep.
She wanted someone to help her? No, she wanted... to help someone instead, yes.
The more Twilight starts to think, the more the thought starts to be thought, the less snugly she feels. But she feels this is... important. She needs to think this thought, she realizes.
"We will be there, ready to explain any questions you may have." Princess Luna said again. We? But she is a she. So who is we? No, wait, she knows who we is, the thought is trying to make her think it.
"Now, wake up." Princess Luna says, and she expectantly looks at Twilight. Twilights looks back at her, conflicted. One the one hoof, she wants to stay snugly. She likes being snugly. On the other hoof, she needs to help Blueblood, and-
Ah, so that was it. Princess Luna and Blueblood. They are the who. They are waiting for her to wake up.
Right then, the thought finally makes Twilight think it, and she thinks it, and she thinks about Princess Luna and Blueblood, and she thinks about what they were do-
Twilight shakes awake with a sudden jolt, shivering, feeling hot and dripping with sweat. She was covered with a large blue wing, nestled against a large expanse of blue, and realized she had been laying against Luna's side all along. So that's why she had been so snugly.
Though she wished to stay like just for a few moments longer, she noticed the wing started to move, and slowly her vision was filled with light again, her eyes involuntary squinting. Blinking once, twice, she forced herself to adapt to the land of the light once again, and started to see her surroundings better.
Slowly but surely, while her vision was adapting, the memories started flowing back. How Blueblood had started acting weirdly, her discoveries in the library, and what she saw behind that door...
She looked around, and she discovered she was in a different room, a sitting room, rather than the bedroom she... yeah. Twilight was happy about this.
She wasn't happy for long though, as she soon saw Blueblood sitting a fair bit away, who seemed very interested in the wall away from her, and she started feeling... what, exactly? What was she even supposed to say?
Luna beat her to it. "Good evening, sleepyhead. You've been out for a while. Feeling better?" She asked, a gentle smile on her face.
Twilight wasn't sure, looking down. She was still shivering a bit, and unusually hot as well. She took a moment to wipe away the wetness on her face. Did she somehow get sick?
Luna seemed to understand her thoughts, and raised a hoof to her head. Twilight was surprised at the sudden touch, but did not pull away.
"Hmm, the fever is less high than before, BB, but still too high for any health pony. Do you wish to continue to sleep, Twilight Sparkle, until you feel better? Or..." she said, but Twilight understood what she wanted to ask.
Or do you want to talk about how we were going at it like rabbits?
"No, no, I'll-" her throat was dry, and she had trouble speaking. Thankfully, Luna had already prepared a pitcher and a few glasses of crystal clear water and offered a glass to her, which Twilight eagerly accepted. She drank it down in one continuous gulp, felt a bit refreshed now, and continued.
"I'll be... fine." Twilight managed to blurt out, though still not without some effort. She wanted to sleep, Celestia yes, but her curiosity demanded answers right now, so staying awake it was. Luna and Blueblood exchanged a glance at this, nodded, and Luna got up, moving to sit next to him.
"So, where do you want to begin?" Luna asked, a smile still on her face. Twilight had no idea how she could say that without any embarrassment, but that suited her just fine.
"Why him?" Though it was an obvious first question, Twilight did not mean to make it sound so harsh. Even if this relation still somewhat counted as incestuous, Blueblood even regularly calling her and Celestia "aunts" despite how much removed they are, Twilight could clearly see from how they were sitting next to each other that they loved each other.
Well, the rather rough sex she observed also confirmed that conclusion, but she didn't want to think about that yet. Actually, did he even... no, that's for later.
"I mean, why Blueblood? I mean, I get that... he is desirable, yes. But he has always rejected everyone even before... before you returned. And Blueblood, why Luna?" She said, starting to get the hang of talking a bit again a bit more even with her raging fever, more carefully choosing her words.
Luna pondered for a bit, before answering with a slight blush.
"Because he was the first to accept me, I suppose." She replied, "Where everyone still saw Nightmare Moon, only he saw.. Luna. Lulu. Me. And he never did any other way."
Blueblood responded in kind, still visibly embarrassed, but seemingly determined to prove his love for Luna.
"And I met a pony that did not try to win me over because of my family name, my accomplishments, or my influence. To Luna, I was not a Prince, a diplomat or a personal student of Celestia, I was just Blueblood. BB. She too was the first to ever do so. Does that sufficiently answer it?" He finished, and Twilight nodded. Good, they are being open and honest, Twilight can wrap this up quickly and go to sleep again.
"Why keep it a secret? Rather than simply walking through those doors with some very embarrassed guards, why the need to leave the castle, go all the way to the Library of Magic, enter the forbidden section and use the crystal mirror to end up here again? Yes, I understand that the teleport ban inside your quarters necessitated the use of such an incredible tool like a crystal mirror to circumvent that, but I still don't get why ." She finished, frustration clear in her voice.
Luna and Blueblood seemed surprised at what Twilight had said, though she wasn't sure if it was because of her audible irritation, or that they didn't know the guards outside could hear little 'love' sessions.
The growing blushes on both of their faces confirmed the latter.
A few moments later, Blueblood spoke up first.
"We are... well, related. Even though the Prince family split of so long ago from the Princess family, that is still not enough for some people. Some very important people. If the media ever found out that a Prince and Princess were in a relationship, they would viciously hound and attack us, perhaps Celestia as well, and I would personally lose most if not all credibility as a talented diplomat, accused of sleeping my way to peaceful relations."
That was certainly a possible reality, Twilight sadly realized. Blueblood continued.
"So that's why we absolutely need to keep this a secret. Can we trust you to keep this a secret as well, Twilight?" he asked, genuine concern in his eyes. Luna seemed a bit more relaxed at this, probably already fully trusting Twilight in this. So how could she refuse?
"I... yes, of course, You have my promise, though I wish this could have gone another way. Does Celestia know this? Anyone else?" At this Blueblood breathed more easily, and Twilight realised he had been tense up until this point.
Luna continued. "Yes, Celestia knows, as does Cadance. I do not know if your brother, Shining Armor, knows as well. Counting you, only seven ponies on this planet know this secret of ours, the other four being the castle's most trusted staff members. And if I may, perhaps a bit unrelated, I have to congratulate you on actually discovering the entrance to the forbidden section all by yourself, as well as figuring out how the crystal mirror worked. You gave us quite the fright when you collapsed at the entrance to this side's crystal mirror, afraid of having been found out, so imagine our surprise when we found you knocked out cold with a high fever. It's a small surprise you even reached the door at all."
Any other day Twilight would have gladly appreciated the praise, from an alicorn no less, but her fever was still not going down and she wanted to go to sleep already, damned be her endless curiosity.
"It wasn't a big deal, really. I wouldn't even have thought to search that area if Blueblood hadn't been vanishing there in the first place." She said, and Blueblood could only respond with a sheepish smile.
"Okay, next point, and I really don't want to ask this, but... were you not using contraceptives just now? I really don't want to recall it, trust me, but I can't really, eh, remember Blueblood wearing a... well, condom. Please tell me you're practising safe sex at the least?"
At this, Luna suddenly showed a sad smile, which surprised Twilight, who hastily corrected herself. "I mean, even if you're both clear of STD's, and even if you're an alicorn, being blood-related even to such a small degree could still mean a higher chance of birth defects, not to mention actually trying to keep this relation a secret would be..."
Twilight broke of her reasoning, as Luna only shook her head while keeping that sad smile, Blueblood simply nuzzling into her, as if Twilight is misunderstanding something. Somehow, Twilight has the feeling she does not want to know what their reply will be.
They both looked at each for a few seconds, their eyes silently darting about, before surprising Twilight by the sudden kiss between them, as if to reaffirm their love for one another. Luna looked back at Twilight, took a deep breath, and utterly shattered Twilight's world.
"I'm sterile, Twilight. I can't bear foals." She replied.
Huh?
No, that can't be right.
Twilight looked between Luna and Blueblood in turn, clear disbelief in her eyes. No, it's not that she couldn't belief it, it's that she didn't want to belief it. And then she remembered. The page with the wet marks.
"To defy mortality... give up... on life itself?" She said out loud, not realising Luna and Blueblood were still there, who were both surprised to hear her say that.
"Hmm, Clover the Clever? 'for one to defy mortality they must give up on life itself' I believe the line was? Pray tell, however did you learn that phrase" Luna asked, unsure where this suddenly came from.
But Twilight understood now. Blueblood didn't spill water on it, nor did he want to become an alicorn. No, he bookmarked that specific page not because it detailed how one becomes an alicorn, but because it warned one of the price on had to pay for doing so.
"Give up on life itself". Biological immortality, in exchange for the ability bring forth life at all. And the wet marks, well... tears, just like the ones that were now forming in Twilight's eyes. Blueblood was crying when he read those words, just as Twilight was crying now when she realised the pain he and Luna must have been going through, and she realised... something else.
"What about... what about Celestia? And Cadence? Are they..." She could not finish her question, and tears started flowing down her face. Upon seeing this, both Luna and Blueblood flew forwards, holding Twilight in a tight embrace. They too could not hold their tears, and the three of them became a snivelling mess.
They held the embrace for seconds, maybe minutes, until the sniffing stopped, and only then did she hear Luna speak up behind her head. The effort to say it with a clear voice was obviously difficult, and Twilight gripped a bit tighter.
"Yes, yes they are. We all knew the price we had to pay, Twilight, and we all decided for ourselves to pay it. We wanted our little ponies to continue being happy, so we took it upon ourselves to continue providing for them, to be their shining lights in the darkness and make the world go round."
Luna pulled back now, as did Blueblood, their tears still visible on their faces.
"But you do not have to worry about it, Twilight, nopony has to. We accepted this a long, long time ago, and you could not have changed a single thing about our decision. This is an irreversible change, and we can bear it for the rest of our lives. Do you understand that?" She asked, wiping off her face, as did Blueblood. Twilight wanted to do the same, but something didn't add up. And then it did. And the final piece fell into place.
Twilight looked to Blueblood with understanding eyes, who was pleading her not to speak up. But Twilight knew.
"So that's what all the research was about then, right, Blueblood?" She said, throat still hoarse from her snivelling, but Twilight pressed on regardless. Her fever was starting to flare up again, and she needed to finish this now . "You weren't distant and anxious because you were afraid of being found out. Well, partly, but that wasn't the major reason."
Now it was time for Luna to look confused. She looked to Blueblood as well, not understanding what was going on. "BB, what's going on?"
Blueblood looked like he wanted to speak, but had difficulty in finding the right words, so Twilight decided to answer for him.
"You asked earlier how I knew that specific line, about defying mortality and giving up on life by Clover?" Twilight asked, and Luna could only nod in response. "I found it on a table full of books and scrolls on alicorns in the forbidden section. Somebody had been compiling research on them, and I had the hardest time figuring out what for. But now I do." Twilight looked at Blueblood, who only looked defeated at this, while Luna was still not understanding where she was going this.
So Twilight continued.
"Blueblood has been researching all on his own, without you knowing, because I can only guess he didn't want you to know if he failed or not."
Luna still seemed to not be catching on, so Twilight decided to just tell it to her straight before she passed out again.
"Luna, Blueblood is trying to figure out a way to give you a foal."
Luna was stunned in silence, seemingly frozen at what she heard. But then, just as fast, she took Blueblood's head into her hooves and gave him a deep kiss, not even caring that Twilight was but a few inches away from them.
Not that Twilight minded. She finally had all the answers now, so she decided to get up, find a nice bed; not the one she had seen being 'used' before; and jumped on it, instantly falling into a deep sleep.
It was a good sleep.
Author's Note
I wish I could be as snugly as Twilight felt.