Change Isn't Easy

Twinkleshine trotted anxiously behind the princess of the night down the corridor of the castle as she forced herself to swallow her anxiety. Twinkleshine idly made a note to go visit the doctor and get her anxiety meds refilled at the pharmacy.

“What do we do now?” Luna broke the silence and Twinkleshine realized the mare was staring at her.

“Whatever you wish to do Princess,” Twinkleshine answered and felt some sweat get wiped off her forehead as Luna’s horn quit glowing.

“Thee were sweating,” Luna said simply as an explanation. “Is it hot in here?”

“Not really. Just uh nervous,” Twinkleshine gently circled the floor with her hoof. “I’m not usually asked to assist with something like this. I don’t want to come off as rude and uh have you banish me.”

“We have no intention of banishing thee,” Luna reassured the unicorn. “We know what that was like. We wouldn’t wish it on anypony.”

Twinkleshine grimaced and looked away. She may have forgotten about that temporarily. As a filly, she was told all sorts of things about Nightmare Moon before bed by her parents and none of them had really been pleasant. And yet here she stood in front of the mare who used to be her.

Twinkleshine had spent all night sleeping, tossing and turning as she mentally prepared for today. She didn’t necessarily know what Luna had planned or even what the alicorn liked doing for fun. Did alicorns even have fun?

“We can back to Donut Joes if you’d like,” Twinkleshine offered finally. “Or we can go to a tea shop somewhere and buy some.”

“We have tea here though, do we not?” Luna gave Twinkleshine a confused look as Twinkleshine giggled behind a hoof.

“I’d assume you all do. I just figured you’d like to go out somewhere,” Twinkleshine answered and crossed her forelegs before she followed Luna into a room with a long table.

“Servant!” Luna shouted as she held a hoof to her mouth and Twinkleshine jumped as her eyes widened. “Tea!”

“Sweet Celestia. She almost gave me a heart attack,” Twinkleshine mumbled to herself as she held a hoof to her chest and tried to get her rapid breathing under control as a stallion galloped into the room with a cart.

“I got your tea Princess Luna,” the earth stallion panted and pushed the cart next to the table. “Anything else you two mares would like? I can ask Lemon Hearts to prepare something.”

“I uh think we should be good,” Twinkleshine answered nervously, her eyes flicking to the taller mare next to her. “Thank you sir.”

“You’re welcome,” the stallion muttered and walked away, letting the door shut quietly behind him as the two mares stood awkwardly next to each other.

Twinkleshine licked her lips anxiously and awkwardly sat down at a chair, idly watching Luna sit across from her as the alicorn started spinning a spoon around on the table with her magic with a faint smile.

“We always did enjoy our teas,” Luna broke the silence. “Not as much as Tia of course but we do like an occasional tea. Mint tea is our favorite. It’s calming snd the smell is nice.”

“Tia?” Twinkleshine inquired as she tilted her head in confusion as she watched Luna’s magic push a white cup with gold engravings to her. She didn’t know anypony named Tia.

“Celestia,” Luna clarified and levitated her own cup to her lips. “We call her Tia.”

“I see. And does she have a nickname for you or no?” Twinkleshine questioned as Luna stared down at the shiny marble table.

“It’s embarrassing,” Luna answered finally as her cheeks tinged a slight pink and she folded her forelegs across her chest. “But it’s Lunie.”

“Like Looney Toons?”

“What?” Luna gave her a confused look as Twinkleshine raised an eyebrow slightly before sipping her own tea.

“It’s a show for kids. A lot of adults still watch it apparently. I grew up with it as a filly. It was certainly unique for it’s time. I personally liked it better than Sesamare Street but that’s just me,” Twinkleshine admitted with a sheepish smile. That had caused a large fight between her, Lyra, Minuette and Lemon Hearts when they were all fillies.

“Intriguing,” Luna muttered to herself with a thoughtful expression. “We shall see this Looney Tunes. But no, Tia randomly called us that as a filly and it stuck.”

“My friends call me Twinkle. Or Twinkie in Lyra’s case. She loves to me call me that. Twinkies are her favorite snack.”

“We- I prefer dark chocolate. It’s nice,” Luna shrugged and yawned. “What do you and your friends like to do for fun?”

“Alicorns have fun?” Twinkleshine asked and immediately covered her mouth with a hoof with wide eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come out.”

“Tis fine. And yes, we do have fun. Celestia is quite the prankster, I think the term is?” Luna rubbed a hoof against her chin in thought. “I still haven’t forgiven her that one time last month for filling my entire room with rubber duckies to the ceiling. It took me forever to clean out that room.”

Twinkleshine didn’t entirely know what to say to that. The idea that Celestia, the pony who Twinkleshine looked up to and swore allegiance to was secretly a prankster that knew no limits was mind blowing to her.

“But I have a plan to get even with my sister,” Luna grinned slightly and rubbed her hooves together as Twinkleshine shuddered slightly at the look in her eyes. It was a look she scarily used to in Lyra’s eyes whenever she got an idea that normally backfired or got her in trouble.

“Oh boy.”

Hard Hat sat at a small cafe in Amethyst Harbor with three other stallions, looking down at a picture of a building with a unreadable expression.

“So let me get this straight. Ya want which mare to work for ya?” Hard Hat asked as his Trottingham accent slipped out as the stallion across adjusted his tie.

“Sunset,” Forest Comet answered with an eyeroll. “We’re getting paid a decent amount of bits if we split up the so called elements. Our donor in Canterlot wants the elements under her control. We could use Sunset’s expertise to run our company. Our donor agreed to let us use her for a bit till we turn her over.”

“Shouldn’t we get the other one?” Bricks asked as the stallion gave him a confused look. “The purple one ya had us watch. She’s smarter I bet.”

“Twilight is intelligent and would be more organized yes,” Forest agreed as he checked his watch. “But Sunset has something she doesn’t. She’s looking for work to look better in her marefriends eyes and the girls eyes. That’ll make her more likely to accept our offer. Ponies don’t just get offered fifty thousand bits as a opening bonus.”

“Uh boss? Ya do know she would never move across Equestria right?” A pegasus pointed out with a scowl. “I heard all about that group. Especially since her sisters are here. What then?”

Forests raised an eyebrow before groaning.

“Then you make her change her mind. Use the kid if you have to.”

Forest pushed the briefcase of bits to her and stood up, leaving the small cafe in silence.

Twinkleshine and Luna stood inside an arcade as the alicorn glared at the screen of a game with a controller levitated in front of her face while she growled curses in ancient Equestrian.

“Jump damnit!” Luna cursed as she controlled a pony with a mustache in a red hat and plumber clothes while Twinkleshine opted for the pony with a green hat. “What kind of plumber is sent to save a princess anyway? Does this game not have royal guards?”

“Maybe they were all defeated?” Twinkleshine offered with a small smile as she jumped on a turtles head. “Mareo is overrated anyway. Coltugi is so much cooler. I like green.”

“Nonsense!” Luna insisted with a scowl. “The royal guards are undefeated in every world. Why, a thousand years ago they were a formidable army. I led them into battle countless times and they slaughtered their enemies!”

Some of the colts and fillies along with their parents gasped as they occasionally glanced at the two mares.

“I uh don’t think we do that anymore?” Twinkleshine offered with a shrug. “We haven’t had wars in the entire time I’ve been alive or my parents have been alive. Equestria is pretty peaceful.”

“Darn,” Luna grumbled as she stared intently at the small screen the mares were sitting in front of. “I was looking forward to combat.”

“Well, you have video games for that. And besides, didn’t Princess Celestia say something about you getting your own guard?” Twinkleshine asked as she sent a turtle shell flying at a mushroom. “This is my favorite game by the way. We came here all the time as kids. It still smells like overly expensive pizza and sweat.”

“Tia did yes. I suppose we are interested in meeting the five.”

Twinkleshine gave a low laugh as Luna cursed again as her character died. Twinkleshine had never thought she’d think this but the alicorn was surprisingly fun and not as scary as she once thought.