A Kindred Spirit

As my senses began reporting in to my conscious mind, I became vaguely aware of something tapping on my head. This annoyance was enough to irritate my groggy mind into looking up from the insanely comfortable bed on which I was laying with an accompaniment of a confused and slightly irritated noise. My bleary eyes told me that there was a dark pony tapping my head with its hoof. This brought me to full awareness; all senses were running at regular efficiency, and my mind was processing things with ease.

Analysis of the data I was receiving told me that Princess Luna was trying non-invasive methods to get me up and out of her bed. Thin shafts of light eking their way through the mostly-shut windows told me it was morning, and time for her to sleep. I was immediately ashamed and embarrassed; I quickly drug myself out of her divine bed onto unsteady hooves and apologized in a drowsy morning voice for my insolent heavy sleeping. She just giggled.

Her silk voice started to flow with words. "It's not a big deal; you just sleep hard. Very hard. I've already lowered the moon, removed my royal garments, and bathed." She grinned. Probably due to the fact that it was morning, she did not carry her nighttime aura of power with her.

She was also acting like none of what was happening was of any particular incidence; like it was something she didn't care about at all.

"Again, I apologize." I really was ashamed of having invaded her rather personal time and space.

Luna was amused by this. "Like I said, it's not a big deal. I wouldn't have offered you my bedchambers if I didn't want you to make yourself at home." To my surprise and further awkwardness, the lunar princess slipped into the bed I had just occupied moments before and kept talking, again, as if it were not anything of consequence that I was standing right across from her.

"...But, I'd be more comfortable if you left now." This statement was accompanied by a faint smile, and a shimmer of magic that all but shut the shades on the windows. I obliged, quickly and with enthusiasm, but not before she remembered something and told me this; "Oh, yes. My sister invited you to breakfast this morning. Go to the kitchens and ask one of the servants; they'll tell you where to go." I nodded to show I understood. I then remembered my dream-conversation with her.

"One last thing," I started. "Did we... speak, last night?"

She nodded. I was satisfied with this and politely took my leave.

Her casual acts were unnerving to me. It was all so... domestic. Like Luna was my sister, instead of her actual sister, who together were the immortal diarchs in regulation of day and night and of the general well-being of an entire nation. It was a bit too much for me, being the modest... pony I was. As was the fact that Celestia desired to have breakfast with me.

On a side note: Ponydom. Not used to it either. I've already driveled on about that a little while back, as I'm sure you remember. Nothing has changed since then, being only a slumber in between that time and this one. Anyhow...

...Having made sure I looked presentable, I left my wings in the half-cocked position they seemed to prefer and made my way to the castle kitchens, having acquired a rough understanding of the palace's layout. I made a point to ask a servant pony who didn't seem to be preoccupied where the solar princess may be found. The young earth-stallion I asked seemed to be about my age, and he led me to the doors of the small room that undoubtedly held Celestia and breakfast. I thanked him for his help, and, not without hesitation, entered the room.

As usual, the princess was the first thing that caught my eye. She looked especially radiant this morning; her wings were not packed tight against her side, but out rather like my own; her mane shined brightly, but not to the point of pain, and her expression was one of general contentedness. Having noticed my entrance, she warmly bade me a good morning, as was her wont. I returned the pleasantry and sat down in what was unmistakably my seat, and observed my surroundings.

I saw we were in a room of old styling, not unlike what someone would imagine as the small dining room of a manor. The walls were lined with paneling which appeared to be of oak varnished in a rich, slightly reddish brown color. The many-paned windows were enormous; probably 15' tall and 5' wide, several of which lined the eastern wall in a half-circle, letting in the morning sunlight in all its glory. This was probably what served to make Celestia look so great at this moment; the sun was casting its warm embrace over the princess who was its mistress. All in all, the room was quite traditional-looking, and therefore inviting. The rectangular table was laid with a plain white tablecloth, covered with a teapot, two teacups and saucers, two glasses of water, and a plate of what appeared to be biscuits and hashbrowns. Delicious, I thought to myself.

Having finished my observations, my attention reverted to the princess who sat in front of me. A sort of nonverbal message quickly made its way across that I could eat, and so, I did. We sat in quiet as we each ate; the princess daintily and with poise, and me with restrained purpose, so as to not make myself look barbaric. I managed to eat the biscuits just by using my two forehooves to hold them, and the hashbrowns were cooked in a manner so as to allow the same sort of strategy to be used to lift them. After a short time, I had finished my meal. I also drank most of my glass of water. The princess had only consumed about half of her meal. I was at first sheepish about having rudely eaten my meal far faster than her, but the realized it did not seem that the princess of the sun cared to eat any more. I was perplexed by this development, but then realized that Celestia may not eat as much because she didn't have to. It was always a subconscious goal of mine to clear the plate, or at least most, so as to not waste money. Neither of us had drank any of the tea yet, and I believe that was the intention. The day diarch poured the tea into the two tiny teacups. I managed to carefully suspend the glass between my two forehooves by the same way as the food, albeit more delicately.

"Princess, it's more than a little difficult to go through the day without any way to grasp things," I admitted. I didn't know what my intention was, I just told her.

"So I could imagine," was her gentle response. She paused a moment, then continued on.

"I know this seems to be all I'm concerning you with--your magic--but I know of a way to metaphorically poke a hole in the barriers that contain it. It'll allow you to do all the things normal ponies of your type can do; grasp things, stand on clouds,"--That one I'd forgotten about; it made sense that a heavy creature couldn't stand on a cloud without some sort of outside force acting on it--"the works. The con is, it'll take a good while longer for the barrier to bust. If you'd like me to do this for you, I could, now or later." The princess looked at me in a way that conveyed that she pretty much already knew which option I'd opt for. Without having to give it much thought, I answered, a soft smile on my face.

"Thank you, Princess. I'll once again take you up on your offer, and I'd like you to do it now, please."

Celestia grinned. "Okay.  Now, just sit down, and relax. You're probably going to feel some things, but don't worry about it.

I sat down and took a deep breath, relaxing all muscles as much as possible. The princess lowered the tip of her ivory horn to my forehead. I felt a stirring in the depths of my core. It began to focus on one spot, pushing hard against some sort of elastic barrier. The now-focused point pushed the barrier to its breaking point before finally breaking a small hole, which the pinpoint of energy solidified around so as to hold it open. How I felt these things, I am not sure, but I did feel a fortifying tingle trickle through my veins. I felt a little stronger, like I could hold up against more.

Lifting her head up and away, the princess announced that she was done.

"...Took a little more than I expected it to, though," she finished. What does that mean, I wondered.

"That was... strange," I communicated.

"It is a bit of a bizarre thing, is it not?" The princess asked this in rhetoric. Not responding, I waited for her to continue.

"Well, go ahead and try to pick up your teacup again," requested Celestia. I, acting on some innate thought, just touched the cup with the intention of picking it up. As my hoof made contact with it, it was as if an invisible force snaked around the handle, and I felt the warmth of the porcelain as if I had laid a fingertip on it.

"Ha! That's fantastic!" I exclaimed.

Celestia, now beaming, said, "Now, set it down and push it forward across the table."

I put the tiny cup back on the table with the intention of releasing it when it sat flat, and it did just that! I proceeded to push the cup across the table, making no intention to pick it up when I made contact with it. It happened all as expected; the cup slid forward across the table, and I felt not any force or heightened sense of touch like I had before. I was beaming now too; this really was amazing, no matter how trivial the task.

"Whatever you intend to do will happen," Celestia said. "but, I don't mean that this will keep you from dropping anything, because it won't, but it works the same as your hands would, except through magic. If you want to drop something, you will drop it, however."

"That's neat!" This had actually piqued my enthusiasm.

The princess and I drank down the tea slowly, discussing whatever came to mind. The small actions of those couple of minutes managed to break the ice sheet of awkwardness that I had subconsciously put up, and we got along quite well as two ponies, instead of princess and former human. As we left the company of one another, we exchanged casual goodbyes and left to our respective destinations. I was in the mood to explore the castle today...