By the time we finally manage to teleport back to our chambers, I’m utterly exhausted, my breathing is hard, I’m dirty, sweaty, and I can barely walk. But hot damn, I can’t remember ever feeling better than I do right at this moment. How did I ever go so long without this?

Beside me, I’m quite proud to say that Shining now looks just as tired as I do, if not more so. I’m resting my head against his neck – it feels just as nice as I’d hoped to be looking up at my stallion again – and he has his head atop mine. Our wings are intertwined as we support one another, to keep our shaky legs from collapsing underneath us. Slowly but surely, we make our way across the few feet in between ourselves and our desperately-needed bed.

It’s just as we’ve managed to flop limply onto the mattress that an earth pony stallion in the armor of the Crystal Guard opens our door. Probably continuing whatever search Shiny started earlier, my brain sluggishly informs me.

His expression rapidly turns to one of shock, and he rushes to our bedside. “Your highness!” He stares down at me, concern radiating from him. “Are you alright? And…” he glances at my husband, now lying there with his eyes shut, and his ears fold back. He can’t have failed to recognize his commander – there are far too many portraits of him in life about the castle for anypony to not know what Shining looked like – but his mind doesn’t seem to want to believe what his eyes are saying.

“S alright…” I manage, fighting off the urge to just switch off like a light. “Tha’s… Shining… Armor…” My breath is heavy, and speaking is difficult, but I manage.

The guard’s nostrils flare and his face begins to rapidly redden. I realize that we must still stink of all we just got through doing. I’d be embarrassed, if I could work up the energy. We’ll just have to deal with it in the morning.

“Please…” I plead, struggling to keep my suddenly lead eyelids open. If I close them now, that’ll be it. “Give us… alone time… need… rest… explain… morning…”

The now thoroughly nervous and embarrassed guard nods and, taking the excuse offered, bolts back out the door he came from, no doubt rushing off to inform his comrades that their quest is at an end. I bet it’ll make for more than a little raunchy teasing in the barracks, but I’m too contented and sleepy to give a damn.

A pulse of magic in my brain reminds me of one last unhappy obligation I have before bed. I muster up a scrap of magic to pull open a chest of drawers near our bed and remove a personal effect. The camera floats awkwardly into what I think is a good position before snapping a picture of us both. I snatch the print that comes out and return the camera to the top of the furniture. With one last effort, I cast the spell, the print disappears, and I collapse into peaceful slumber.

I sit back against my room’s sofa and simply take a moment to enjoy my own hoofwork. The sun – my sun – slowly rising against the backdrop of the ocean is an impressive sight, and a calming one at that. I take a delicate sip from my cup of jasmine tea, taking time to savor the flavor in my mouth before swallowing. Aaaahhh… It’s quite relaxing. And, with how things are going, I need that right now.

My brow furrows as my mind returns to the source of my frustrations: these negotiations. I swear for all the gods to hear, it’s as if these mortal imbeciles are looking for an excuse to kill one another. To waste time, money, and irreplaceable lives shedding blood over some rocks in the middle of the ocean that will be mined out in a paltry few decades at most. Days in, and we haven’t even established the basics.

The Gryphus Empire demands that its geological estimates be used for determining any hypothetical splitting of the isles, while Prance has produced any alternate set, and both sides accuse the other of attempting to cheat them. Neither was willing to commission a third party to do an independent study, not trusting the other side to select an unbiased team. It got so bad that I actually had to request the aid of my own former student, a Princess of Equestria, to lead a joint delegation to do basic fact-finding. Pandering to these idiotic sentiments with Twilight’s valuable time is humiliating, but as ever my Princess of Friendship was willing to step in and lend a hoof to the cause of peace. Her self-sacrificing nature is befitting a proper alicorn. I couldn’t be more proud.

Still, with any luck at all this won’t be necessary within a few generations, and I can-

Hmmm, what’s this?

A small flash of light appears above my head, and a folded piece of paper materializes into being. I snatch it up with magic before gravity can, and bring it in front of my face. It lacks the usual seal identifying which pony is contacting me. Still, it can only be one of a few, so I unfold it.

It’s a photograph. Of my niece and… my eyes widen just a fraction. Is it? Could it finally be?

I take a long and careful look. Then I smile.

Yes…

I actually pump my hoof like a hoofball player. And I barely restrain from the temptation to jump in the air and whoop. Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes YES! Of course I’ll need to ask for more details on the creation process later, but for right now simply setting eyes on the first male of my species that I’ve seen since the loss of my father is more than enough.

I thought that the most important thing that I’d be doing today would be fighting for the fate of thousands of mortal lives. But I was wrong. I was oh so wrong. And I’ve never been so glad of it. This is but one conflict of many, all involved will be dead in a mere century, but what has just happened… it will change our world forever.

Oh Mi Amore Cadenza, I’m sorry that I ever doubted you. When this is over, one way or another, I must take the time to stop by the Crystal Empire and offer my niece and nephew my congratulations in the flesh. And after that… I had better be certain that my preparations for foals are complete. It has been a rather long time since I was last called upon to play the role of a mother.

I sit back and relax, sipping at my steaming hot tea again. This has suddenly become a much better morning.

I’m standing atop a boat in the middle of the ocean. It’s mid-morning, and my mentor’s sun is shining brightly overhead. With me on the boat are eight other sapient creatures: four gryphons, two unicorns, a pegasus, and an earth pony. Each set of four represents a hastily put-together delegation from the diplomatic parties negotiating under Princess Celestia’s oversight. My job is put together in very little time a geological survey of rocky Senadas isles, and their collective job is to stare over my shoulder while I do it.

Slightly annoying, yes, but I’m happy to serve the cause of friendship between nations. That’s my duty as princess, and, if I’m entirely honest has been an increasing focal point of my life since my friends and family passed. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to make new friends, but it’s much harder when you know for a fact that you’ll watch them die over the course of decades while you remain locked in eternal youth. Duty helps to fill the void, as Princess Celestia told me from millennia of bitter experience.

I’m lucky, really. I’ve had Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, Spike, and even Discord to keep me company in the long centuries. My mentor endured it alone for a thousand years, with her sister on the moon and nopony at all to comfort her. I can only imagine the strength it took to get through that. A lesser mare would have gone insane from the isolation and loneliness. I just hope I never have to meet that same challenge.

I’m in the middle of writing down a few initial observations when yet another scroll appears over my head. Seems I’m popular these days.

The seal is from the Crystal Empire. My heart rate jumps a bit. I left Cadence and Shining in a bad state. Has something happened? Should I have been there? Is somepony hurt? Oh gods… are they breaking up?! What if-

Calm down, Twilight. Deep breaths.

In, out. In, out. In, out. In, out.

Aaaahhh…

That’s better. Now, let’s open this thing and see what’s up.

I break the seal and take a look at the contents:

Dear Twily,

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I hope that they’re right, because I don’t think I have the words to describe this properly. I was never as good at writing as you are. So I’ll let this photo do the talking.

I wanted to break the news face-to-face but I don’t know how long you’ll be away, and I’d rather you hear it from me than some rumor.

Come see us as soon as you can.

Always Your BBBFF,
Shining Armor

As the letter states, accompanying it is a photograph. I set it aside while reading, and only after assessing my brother’s the brief and somewhat vague message do I take a look. It’s a picture Cadence, posing by…

My jaw drops. Could it be?

My brother, whom I preserved in a crystal statue for centuries, is posing by his wife. In the flesh. Exactly as how I remember him in life.

No… he’s about a head taller than Cadence, and her mane and proportions tell me that this must have been taken recently… and my brother doesn’t have wings…

Then it clicks.

My happy squeal rings out for all the heavens to hear.

I’m not usually one for ostentatious ornamentation. Never have been, and especially not since boot camp, and learning just how easily restrictive or heavy clothing can get a pony killed a dozen different ways in a fight. I’ve always preferred simpler, more practical decoration, like my armor (ok, yes, it is a bit flashy but that’s tradition) or a uniform jacket for especially fancy occasions.

So you can imagine the war that very quickly breaks out between the royal tailors and I. On one side, two mares and a stallion under pressure to whip up an outfit appropriate for an alicorn prince in a very short amount of time and determined to make it as over-the-top and theatrical as possible. And on the other, yours truly, not wanting my first public appearance as a living being in hundreds of years to be marred by looking like an overdressed, gaudy peacock of a stallion.

We can’t exactly keep what’s happened a secret. I mean, the news has already spread throughout the barracks before we even wake up in the morning, and of course some loose lips managed to get the story to a morning tabloid in time for printing. Gossipy ponies around the Crystal Empire, and I don’t doubt very soon if not already beyond, are on about what’s become of the princess’s husband. So, to head the rumors off before something stupid happens, we’re going to do a public announcement of my “ascension”, as Cadence calls it. I think I’m being given too much credit considering that all I did was receive a gift created by somepony else, but my wife just giggles and tells me that my centuries in unfeeling purgatory make me more than deserving. I don’t know, but she’s our public relations expert.

With the importance of first impressions in mind, I hope you see why I’m so ardent in my battle with the clothing crusaders. I mean, for gods’ sake, they want to put me in golden armor plating. Not the faux version the Royal Guard wear, actual gold. With a red and white cape, of all things! I’d feel ridiculous in that kind of overdone clown suit. The biggest disagreement between the three is whether I should wear a helmet or a crown. All I ask for is a simple navy and gold uniform jacket, tailored to my new measurements. But do they listen? Of course not. So we wind up arguing far more than actually measuring for more than an hour, and just to make matters worse, when my wife arrives, she promptly sides with them!

Thanks, honey.

Author's Notes:

More lightheartedness, yay!

Well, mostly.