“Twilight, you’ve had your muzzle inside that book for the last fifteen minutes. Do you want me to stay, or…?”
Twilight glanced up from her book to see that Sunny was looking rather miserable. Smiling apologetically Twilight closed her book and put it back in her saddlebag.
“Sorry,” she said. “This book is just really interesting.”
Sunny raised an eyebrow. “Really? A book from the Storm King’s private archives being interesting to a mare who loves to study magic? Who’d have thought it?”
Twilight rolled her eyes playfully. “No need to be so sarcastic about it. I said I was sorry.”
Sunny sniggered. “Relax, Twi. I’m just joking with you.”
Twilight laughed. “I know. It’s so good to be able to just laugh and hang out without having to worry about Princess stuff.”
“Says the one who wouldn’t even wear her crown when she was hosting a diplomatic party of Yaks,” Sunny reminded her. “I mean, Sunset wore her crown for the event, and she’s not a Princess in the same way you are.”
Twilight sighed and shook her head, smirking. “Are you ever going to stop bringing that up?”
Sunny hummed, almost as if thinking about it. “Nah.”
Twilight burst out laughing so hard she had to lean her head down on the table for support, banging it with her hoof. “You jerk.” She said as she straightened up.
Sunny smiled. “I try.”
“Seriously though, that was a deliberate decision.” Twilight explained. “Sunset was the better option to act the Princess in that scenario. She’s better at politics than I am. Namely, she’s actually interested in the topic and has studied it.”
“Maybe, but you’re the Princess of Friendship. She’s the Phoenix Princess.” Sunny pointed out. “Plus, when creatures think Equestrian royalty, they think ‘Alicorn’, not ‘Unicorn who can make a pair of fire wings appear at will’”.
“True, but they also don’t think ‘Earth Pony who can grow a transparent horn and wings at will’ either, do they, Princess of Hope?”
Sunny stopped short. “Okay, fair point.”
Satisfied, Twilight levitated a chocolate doughnut over and took a bite. Sunny reached over and pulled the book Twilight had been reading out of her saddlebag.
“Why did you ask Sunset and Tempest to examine the Storm King’s archives anyway?” Sunny asked as she ran a hoof over the Storm King’s mark on the book’s cover.
Twilight swallowed before explaining. “Because I want to understand how his magic worked. He was able to turn a branch of the Tree of Harmony into a staff that could drain Alicorn magic.”
“Exactly, a branch from the Tree of Harmony. You know that thing that’s a magical conduit. Hardly surprising his staff could do that when it was made out of crystal that was intended to channel the magic of the Elements of Harmony. Besides that fancy staff didn’t affect my Alicorn magic or Sunset’s Phoenix magic. Tirek was more of a threat, he was able to drain all our magic.”
Twilight thought about it. “That’s… actually a good point.”
Sunny smiled. “You weren’t mom’s only student, remember.”
Twilight laughed. “Sorry, Sunny. I keep forgetting you and I studied under Princess Celestia together. You just never seemed as interested in magic as me.”
“I wasn’t,” Sunny replied. “And for the millionth time, it’s just Celestia. It’s what she wanted you to call her long before you ever had those wings. Besides, you refer to Luna and Cadence by just their names. Why is mom the exception?”
“Because, when I think of Cadence, the first thing I think of her as is my foal sitter turned sister in law. And Luna, you see the look on her face whenever some creature calls her ‘Princess’. And anyway, it’s easy for you to refer to the Princess informally, you’re her adopted daughter.”
“Yeah, but I’ve been doing that for as long as I’ve been her student, long before the adoption.” Sunny reminded her. “As her personal students, she wanted us to refer to her informally.”
Seeing that the conversation was starting to turn into an argument, Twilight decided to switch topics. “Hey, speaking of villains who went after Alicorn magic, why do you think none of them ever went after Opaline?”
Sunny paused to think about it. “I think it’s because she kept herself very well hidden. I mean, mom and auntie grew up with her as foals, and even they thought she was gone before she suddenly appeared and tried to take over the dragon lands. Speaking of, do you think Spike and Sparky are doing okay?”
“With their visit to the dragons lands? Of course,” Twilight responded. “Spike’s a rather resourceful dragon and Sparky’s cleverer than he looks. Besides they’ve got Mina and Ember with them. Mina’s so sassy she could take down any other dragon just with words, and Ember can kick fifty kinds of tail. Honestly, I’m more worried about how Starlight and Izzy are handling the school and the castle while we’re here in Canterlot.”
“Seriously?” Sunny sniggered. “Twilight, we only left this morning, and we’ll be back tomorrow morning. We promised to be back for Zipp, Rainbow and Indigo’s annual race to see who the best flyer is, remember? Besides, Iz and Starlight have all the others there to help them. Zipp, Pipp, Hitch, Misty, Jazz, Rocky, AJ, Fluttershy, Dash, Rarity and Pinkie. I just hope they don’t let AJ and Dash accidentally break my dad’s old lantern again.”
“Ehem, you’re forgetting the ‘great and powerful Trixie, who will always be there for Starlight’”. Twilight said, imitating her stage magician frenemy. Sunny burst out laughing so hard she fell out of her chair, rolling around on the floor.
“Do my eyes deceive me?” Joe said as he arrived at the table with coffee for the two. “Twilight! Sunny! You’re back.”
“Hello, Joe.” Twilight greeted. “Yes, we were celebrating my brother’s wedding anniversary. We’re heading back to Ponyville tomorrow.”
“Well, it’s nice seeing you anyway,” Joe said as he poured them both coffee. “I still miss the days when Sunny would carry you in here after you had been up till dawn studying so she could wake you up with four mugs full of coffee.”
Sunny laughed again as she climbed back onto her seat. “Oh, I remember that.” She said before taking her mug and sipping from it.
“Yeah, things have gotten a lot quieter without you two around,” Joe commented. “No more dragons bursting out of towers or plants growing the size of castles. Life in Canterlot sure is boring now.” He walked off to serve more customers.
Twilight and Sunny watched him go.
“If he thinks Canterlot is boring,” Twilight began.
“Then he should come see Ponyville.” Sunny finished.
The two mares stared at each other, then burst out laughing again.
