Author's Note

Ironically, the idea that originally inspired this story ended up becoming mostly superfluous by the time I finished writing, hence why I've marked this chapter as an "epilogue."

Maybe it'll enhance the previous chapter, or maybe it'll ruin it. Or, you can just stop at the ponies kissing and this will probably be just as good of a read. You do you, boo.

Epilogue: Memories of a Butterfly

The next morning, the palace buzzed with more activity than Twilight had ever seen before.

“—recover it before this gets out,” she caught King Light saying as she entered the Royal Dining Hall.

Queen Celestia looked up at the princess’ entrance. “Good morning, Twilight. Did you enjoy the Gala? By the time I had finished speaking with Earl Pants and Baron Firelight, I lost track of you.”

“It was more amazing than I’d imagined, mother.” Twilight seated herself across from her father, staring at the mess of papers strewn across the table in front of him. “Is something going on?”

Her father gave a frustrated growl before taking a deep breath to compose himself. “Good morning, Twilight. I’m glad you had a good time at the Gala. Unfortunately”—he magically slid a paper across the table to Twilight—“it seems we had an intruder during the festivities.”

She scanned the hoofwritten note in front of her.

Since I was unable to make it to your wedding (other matters demanded my attention, you see) I’ve taken the liberty of paying you a visit tonight. I always dreamed of attending a masquerade, so I simply had to swing by. I hope you don’t mind that I took a little souvenir with me. ~~Good luck finding the missing needle in your gilded haystack, darlings.~~ Don’t waste your time looking. I found something of unparalleled beauty and value, far beyond what dreams could conjure, and I trust you will never find what that is.♡

With love (for your jewels),

Opalescence

“The cat burglar?” Twilight asked.

If she remembered recent headlines correctly, that name belonged to an active, yet-unseen thief who made calling cards for their victims. Leaving a crossed out sentence and penning the new lines in shaky cursive didn’t scream “professional,” though. Maybe this Opalescence should invest in a pencil.

“Indeed,” Queen Celestia confirmed. “Your father had his staff putting together inventory lists all morning.”

“I refuse to give the houses something else to gossip about!” King Light ran a hoof through his already ragged mane. “They’ll take any excuse to criticize every little thing you do; the incident with guard training last month, the restrictions on crystal mining, our marriage! I’m sick of it!”

The golden glow of Queen Celestia’s magic pulled the scattered papers into a neat stack as she stood to give her husband a hug.

“Gossip is the nature of nobility, love. I’ve weathered far worse than cries of the castle being improperly guarded. And if anypony should dare blame this on you –” she kissed the top of his head “– then they shouldn’t be surprised when they are without an invitation to next year’s Gala.”

King Light lifted a hoof to return the hug as best he could. “You’re right, dear. I worry… mm—you’re right. Twilight, if you would—Twilight?”

Twilight pulled her gaze from the object that was revealed when the papers were collected. Her heartbeat—louder than war drums if she had to guess—threatened to drown out her father’s words.

“Do you recognize this mask?”

Two gorgeous, iridescent butterfly wings stared up at her from the table with empty eyes. A masterpiece, now set adrift without the sapphire blue that completed it. Dazed, Twilight told the truth.

“I saw it last night.”

Both the King and the Queen perked up at this. Her father’s voice hardened and took on a note of urgency.

“You did? Where, when? The pony wearing it, what did they look like?”

She had the words to tell him. By all rights, she should. But something was missing. And in its absence, she could not muster the will to do so. Not if it meant she could never see Rarity again.

She knew what it was the great Opalescence had stolen. The thief had the gall to put it right there in the calling card. Bold, Twilight called her. If only the princess had known how right she was.

She looked at her parents, the ruling king and queen of Equestria, and knew what she wanted.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I never saw their face.”