Spike opened his mouth and with the fire plume a letter appeared in the air Celestia's seal on it. He caught the letter before it would drop on the ground then placed it on the table, since Twilight went for a walk in the snow around Ponyville. She has been spending more time alone then usual, her friends noticed it as well and they tried to cheer her up with a Pre Welcome Hearth's Warming Eve party as Pinkie called it, but it didn't improve her mood. Spike was just about to put down the letter on the table when he heard somepony enter the library.
"Hey Spike, I'm back."
He ran down from the second floor with the letter between his claws. When he arrived at the first floor saw her walking to the kitchen while she could almost kiss the ground as her head was hanging down. Twilight poured out hot tea into a cup without looking at it with her magic and slowly placed it in front of herself.
"Twilight you got a letter from Princess Celestia."
After a few sip from the warm tea she turned her head to look at the letter which was a bit convex at the left side, she forced a smile on her face and opened the letter which contained exactly what she thought. Invitation to Canterlot for the Hearth's Warming Eve's festival and a smaller letter. She carried it up to her room with the cup of tea as well and laid down on her bed before opening it which informed they won't have any special task to complete on the evening this time.
"Spike would you like to ask the girls if they want to go to Canterlot?"
"Sure Twilight no problem."
She smiled at the little dragon who was standing in the doorway.
"Thanks a lot Spike"
After the dragon left the room she finished the cup of tea and teleported the empty cup to the kitchen and replaced it with a few books from the library.
It took Spike almost an hour to find and get the answer from everypony who asked the same question from Spike which he couldn't give an answer. "Is she going to come?"
"Twilight?"
"Yes I'll." She turned back to the book and whispered in front of herself after the dragon left the room.
"I have to."
The next day morning they were waiting only for Twilight at the train station who arrived only a minute before it would begin it's journey to Canterlot. Almost the whole way to Canterlot the purple unicorn was looking out the window without paying any attention what her friends are talking about. The hour long ride felt like minutes for the unicorn whose mind was completely somewhere else until she felt another pony's body pressing against her own and she felt a familiar sent. She turned her head to the right to meet with the cyan pegasi's face with a rainbow mane staring the same direction where Twilight did a few seconds ago.
"Uh, Dash, what are you doing?"
"Trying to figure out what are you staring at because we arrived like five minutes ago to Canterlot so it must be something awesome."
Twilight took a look outside once again to see they are at the Canterlot train station, as the time was passing she felt the pegasi body pressing harder from the back against her own which made Twilight blush, she didn't know why, but weird thoughts crossed her mind that she should kiss Dash, but then her friends would think that she is a total weirdo after all they all know she is dating with Spitfire, and that's not what Twilight want anyway, she needs something more than that.
"I wasn't looking" an image flashed through her mind as she kiss Dash. "at anything, I was only thinking"
Dash's scent climbed into her nose even more as the pegasi turned Twilight's face to herself.
"What were you thinking about?"
Twilight closed her eyes and slowly leaned forward, Dash was looking at Twilight both surprised and confused as well, but before the unicorn could finish what she began a voice inside her head stopped her and she teleported away. Twilight opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of her old room in the castle.
Dash looked around if she sees Twilight appear anywhere inside the wagon, but she was alone. When Dash caught up to the others without Twilight, she told them that she went to take care of something, but she will be at the castle when they get there. At least that's what Dash was hoping about. As they walked up to the castle the city looked completely unready for the celebration just like last year, not even any decoration on the houses or anywhere else they laid their eyes on. Probably Princess Celestia will take care of it before the celebration starts.
Twilight was waiting for them at the main entrance of the castle, as she laid an eye on her friends Twilight forced a smile on her face. After a few words the door opened and Celestia stepped through it welcoming them. She was expecting a purple unicorn will attack one of her front hoof like always, but it didn't happen this time. Twilight was bowing in front of Celestia like the rest of her friends.
"Welcome everypony, I'm glad you accepted my invitation it's so good to see everyone of you again. I'll show you the room where you will stay for this short amount of time."
The alicorn turned around and five from the six pony began follow her, Twilight stood by next to the door waiting for Dash who was the last in the line.
"Dash, please let me explain."
She looked at the purple unicorn, but without a word she kept follow the others. Twilight raised her hoof while looking after Dash, but placed it back on the floor when she saw her friend won't turn around to speak with her and lowered her head. Twilight a few seconds later joined the following group. Celestia escorted them to the room which was set up specially for them with each bed with their cutie marks on the blanket and matching color.
As Twilight wanted to enter the room Celestia stopped her and lowered her head to the purple unicorn's ear.
"Can we talk in private?"
She raised her head and looked at the princess while she forced a little smile on her face.
"Of course princess."
Twilight was following the white alicorn without knowing their destination. Celestia looked back at the sad looking unicorn walking behind her and she saw Luna was running towards them with a smile on her face, but Celestia shook her head which slowed down Luna's advancing then completely stopped and the smile disappeared from her face which turned to worried.
Celestia closed the door to the balcony, after she sat down on the ground she placed her wing around the purple unicorn who laid down next to her.
"What's the matter Twilight?"
"I."
"Twilight?"
"Princess, it's personal."
"Your friends have been worrying about you, me as well since I received a letter from your friends. I invited you hoping that we can talk about what's been bothering you."
Maybe for the first time when Twilight looked at Celestia, the princess could see anger in the unicorn's eyes who after the short eye contact, crawled out under the white wing and walked to the door.
"Twilight?"
"You are not my mother and I already said that I don't want to talk about it!"
When she finished the sentence, Twilight could see the almost as surprised face on Celestia what she could have on her own. A few more seconds passed while they were looking at each other's eyes then Twilight opened the door and ran away as fast as she could. The rest of the day nopony saw Twilight, she was laying in her old room inside the castle, darkened every window and closed the door. She was laying in her bed thinking about the last two weeks and what she just done today. Before the sun would disappear under the horizon, the decorations appeared all over the city.
She opened her eyes when somepony was knocking on the door.
"Twilight can I come in?"
"Come on Twilight, I know you are in there and I'd rather talk with you than a wooden door."A minute passed, but she didn't get any reaction from the other side of the door.
"Or should I call Shining instead?"
The door unlocked itself and opened by Twilight's magic. Cadance walked inside the room which was lit up only with a candle next to the bed, as she walked closer and closer to the unicorn Cadance could see the wet spot on the pillow beneath Twilight's head, she laid down behind the unicorn and embraced her from the back like when she was young.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"I didn't ask you to, but we have to go, your friends are waiting for you."
Cadance teleported a box in front of Twilight on the bed.
"Rarity made it for you."
Twilight turned her head around and looked into the alicorn's eyes.
"Cadance."
"Oh come on Twilight if you worry about what you said to Celestia, you don't need to, are you seriously want to stay up here all alone?"
"No, but."
"Then that's settled put on the dress and we will go down and have fun, it's Hearth's Warming Eve after all."
About five minutes later Twilight by Cadance's side were walking down the stairs, she could spot some of her friends in the crowd some ponies were dancing like Fluttershy with Pinkie Pie and Dash was with Spitfire, but she didn't see where Rarity or Applejack is. When they got at the bottom Cadance lowered her head to Twilight's ears.
"I've got to go, your brother is waiting for me, go on and have fun Twilight, there is a special somepony for everyone of us out there."
After Cadance left her side she took a huge breath and walked to Dash who was looking at her ever since she saw Twilight coming.
"Spitfire can I steal Dash for a minute?"
"No."
Before Spitfire could say anything Dash answered instead of her which surprised the orange mare and stepped away from Dash.
"Go ahead."
Twilight touched the cyan hoof and teleported themselves out from the crowded room. When they appeared on the balcony Twilight placed her hoof to Dash's mouth before she could start yelling at her and she won't be able to say a word.
"I'm not in love with you and what happened on the train I'm sorry about that, because I don't even know why I wanted to do it, so please don't hate me because of this."
She took away her hoof and closed her eyes ready for whatever comes, but instead of any yelling or words she felt that Dash's hooves wrapping around her and smoothed her head to Twilight's neck which made open her eyes.
"I'm sorry Twi, for overreacting this, but you have been acting so weird lately and I thought it's because you love me."
"It's not only your fault, I should've explained myself after it right away and not run like that."
While they were holding the hug, once again Dash's amazing scent crawled into the unicorn's nose who immediately stepped back from the pegasus and looked away before she would do anything with Dash once again what she would regret.
"Twilight?"
Dash stepped a bit closer to the unicorn and raised one of her hoof after her, worrying a little.
"Thanks a lot Dash, now get back to Spitfire before she gets mad at me."
The pegasus didn't move an inch for almost a minute, because she could hear the sadness in her friend's voice. Twilight laid down on the cold stones while she was looking at the moon and tears escaped her eyes. Dash wanted to go next to her friend, but Luna stopped her by placing a hoof on her back. When Dash turned around to look at the princess she closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Go back to Spitfire."
Luna's voice appeared in Rainbow's head who obeyed the princess, but before closing the door and leaving the balcony she took a look back at her friend who had a small pool of tears under her head by now.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
When Twilight recognized the voice she tried to clear her voice and hide her tears with a quick spell which was pointless she knew it, after all Princess Luna was standing right behind her for Celestia knows how long.
"Indeed it is princess, you did an excellent job with it just like any other night."
"Are you alright Twilight?"
She looked down into the tear slop which she created to see her own face in it.
"No, I'm not alright because I'm sick of everypony asking it from me, why can't anypony just mind their own business and leave me!,"
"alone."
When the last word left her mouth all the fury disappeared from it and she could barely press it out from her mouth. The Princess of the Moon laid down next to the purple unicorn, she smoothed her face to the unicorn's and placed her wing around her. She read so many books ever since these feelings are torturing her every day and night, but she couldn't find any solution for it. They were laying next to each other for almost half an hour when Twilight realized something weird. She felt Luna's scent and warmth the same way as it happened with Dash, but this time her thoughts didn't slip to anything inappropriate.
Luna removed her head and wing then stood up leaving Twilight behind, who turned after the princess.
"Where are you going?"
"It's getting quiet late and cold outside so I return to my chamber," she lowered her head and opened the door. "after all the one who I wanted to spend this night with already told me what she wants."
"If you don't have anything better to do can I go with you and maybe talk a little?"
Luna tried to hold back her happiness, but a smile appeared on her face.
"Come along."
After a couple of minutes walking in the empty corridors Luna opened the door to her room, entered then left it that way for the unicorn who was following her. When Twilight came in Luna was taking her dress off and placed it in the wardrobe then laid down on the bed under the blanket on the left side. The unicorn teleported the dress of her body at the seat's backrest and joined to the alicorn facing with her on the other side of the bed.
"Twilight, What is bothering you lately? "
When Twilight turned away from Luna's eyes and looked up on the ceiling she thought the unicorn will once again act like she did on the balcony, but after she let out a sigh, opened her mouth.
"I don't even know Luna, life was so easy then all in sudden it changed in a way what I don't understand. I tried to find an explanation in dozen of books, but after what happened between me and Dash, I think,."
While Twilight stopped for a couple of seconds so she can sink deeper in her thoughts, Luna's heart sunk.
"Now if I think of it, it's kind of obvious, I have always been able to lock away these things since they seemed stupid, after all I had my friends, but it's not what my mind and heart desire, at least not any more."
Twilight let out a sigh and took a long deep breath after that.
"So what do you want Twilight?"
Only the moonlight lit up the room, but Luna could see the blush what appeared on Twilight's face who turned her face back to the alicorn.
"What anypony else wants, somepony who would hold me when I feel myself alone, a pony who help me through anything and a pony who would accept and love me."
There she was, right in front of her, Luna was ready to do all these things for Twilight, but she couldn't tell it to her. She thought Rainbow Dash is in love with the captain of the wonderbolts so it confused her what kind of thing could happen between the two of them.
"it's so good to say it out loud, thank you Luna,"
Twilight broke the eye contact, left the bed and opened the door, but before leaving the Princess of the Moon alone turned around and bowed.
"I'm sorry about your date."
A couple of tears left both of Luna's eyes.
"Don't be, it seems like she found happiness on somepony else's side, good luck with Dash."
Twilight looked up on the alicorn with a maybe confused look on her face.
"What do you mean Luna?"
"Don't you go and spend the rest of the night with her?"
Twilight let out a small giggle.
"Oh no, She is in love with Spitfire, it was a complete misunderstanding what my stupid head created, I want to apologize to your sister before I'm going to sleep, good night Luna."
She levitated her dress after herself then closed the door, leaving Luna whose heart relieved yet it broke apart for letting Twilight go away like this.
Celestia was talking with the captain of the night guards when in the background her eyes noticed Twilight standing there with a shy look on her face yet she was smiling at her. When Celestia arrived at the top of the stairs Twilight was already bowing.
"I'm happy to see you are feeling better Twilight."
"Princess I'm so ashamed for what I said, you only wanted to help and I.
"Sh, you don't need to say anything."
Twilight jumped forward and attacked the furry hoof of Princess Celestia.
"Thank you princess, have a good night."
"You too Twilight."
After leaving the princess Twilight walked back to her old room and laid down on her bed. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, finally she could place her head on the pillow without carrying the burden of not knowing her own feelings. At the end of this long day she was about to fall asleep when somepony knocked on her door.
Twilight teleported herself out from the bed and opened the door, but before she could open her mouth to say anything the other mare's lips locked with her own. The unicorn made a few steps backward and broke it.
"Luna?"
"You saved my life when it was covered in darkness, helped me to get it back to the right path when i was making a fool out of myself, yes, I don't know you like anyone of your friends, but I love you with all my heart."
While Twilight was looking into the alicorn's eyes, little pictures of the night started to fit together inside her head about what Luna said or did. Although she is right, they don't know each other, but there was something deep inside Twilight, a trust towards the princess what she didn't have to anypony else, not even to Princess Celestia, but she realized it only now what just happened with her a couple of seconds ago. Twilight raised her hoof to her lips and touched them.
As Luna was watching Twilight an old memory fleshed through her mind which scared her a little.
"Was this your first?"
"Yes."
Luna took a few steps back and turned away ashamed.
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you how much I'm, for taking this precious moment of your life away just like this."
Twilight walked closer to the princess.
"Luna," She waited for a couple of seconds, but the princess was still facing with the ground "please look at me," When she turned her head back to the unicorn Twilight raised a hoof and touched her face. "I'm glad it was you."
Twilight removed her hoof and stroked her mane with it.
"About that date of yours" She smiled at Luna. "I guess she wouldn't mind if you come in and get to know her better."