Hearing three gasps, Sundance gasped as well. Looking down, she saw that Twilight was writing something. Even though she couldn’t read the words, it didn’t take her long to figure out what her youngest was doing. Just to make sure she wasn’t imagining things, she asked. What are you doing, Twilight?

I’m writing down what you just said so Celestia and Artemis can read it. Twilight answered

W-what?! Sundance asked, shocked Why are you doing that?!

When I told them that you said something didn’t make sense, Twilight replied Celestia said that you think out loud sometimes. Then she told me to write down anything you say. She shrugged You told me to listen to my big sister, so that’s what I did.

For several minutes, Sundance was at a loss for words. Eventually, she replied I never thought I’d regret saying that.

After a moment of shock, Twilight wrote down what they’d just said. As soon as they read it, Celestia and Artemis began to laugh. Twilight quickly joined them.

Bemused, Sundance could do little more than watch as her children collapsed into a pile.

In the stars, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl were laughing as well.

Flickering, Sundance slowly commented “I guess that’ll teach me not to tell our youngest to listen to somepony.”

Midnight Armor and Star Swirl laughed harder.

Finally calm enough to speak, Star Swirl commented “Perhaps, but this isn’t a bad thing.”

“What?!” Sundance asked, shocked

Finally calming down, Midnight Armor briefly brightened “He’s right, honey. If your theory is correct, and there’s a very good chance that it is, then our children should know about it because it’s information that they might be able to factor into their plan.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Sundance reluctantly admitted

Midnight Armor thought for a few minutes “I always thought it was strange that Golden Thunder waited until after we'd left to launch his attack on the castle. If it’s correct, your theory answers several questions.”

After a moment, Sundance commented “Thank goodness Celestia and Artemis discovered his plan several years before that.”

“What do you-” Midnight Armor suddenly gasped “If they hadn’t discovered it, they wouldn’t have come up with their plan to stop him! Celestia wouldn’t have created her shield spell and Artemis wouldn’t have gone out of his way to gain the strength he needed!”

After thinking for a few minutes, Sundance gasped as well. “I bet that’s why he took over the protection of the villages! He knew that it would force him to get stronger quickly!”

Confused, Midnight Armor replied “I asked him why he did that, remember? If that was his reason, why didn’t he just tell me?” His star suddenly dimmed as he answered his own question. “He knew that I wouldn’t have believed him. You wouldn’t have either because, at the time, both of us trusted Golden Thunder completely.”

Her star dimming as well, she whispered “T-that’s right.”

In the Crystal Empire, Celestia, Artemis and Twilight had finally managed to pick themselves up off the floor.

Still giggling, Celestia commented “I needed that.”

Artemis laughed “So did I”

Sundance giggled I’m glad I could help.

Twilight began to laugh again. Seeing the looks on the faces of Celestia and Artemis, she told them what their mother had said.

They began to laugh again as well, falling to the floor once more.

Several minutes later, still giggling, Twilight sat up. “W-we should get started.”

“You’re right” Celestia replied, giggling as well

“You never told us where you thought we should start.” Artemis pointed out

Glancing at him, Twilight said “Yesterday, you told me that you wanted me to tell you what Mom thought of those spells.” When he nodded, she showed them her memory of what their mother had to say about them.

“I see.” Celestia commented thoughtfully “I knew that the first spell would increase the amount of magic a crystal could store, but I didn’t think it would be almost unlimited.” Suddenly she gasped “Golden Flash has been asking other unicorns to give him their magic! He must have already cast that spell on a crystal!”

Gasping as well, Artemis responded “He doesn’t want to take the time to save up the magic he needs, so he’s gathering it from every unicorn he can! He knows that he can't fool us, so he probably plans to make his move soon.” Looking at his sister, he continued “He’ll also be able to say that everypony is helping him take over!”

“Y-you’re right!” Celestia exclaimed, eyes wide “They don’t know what he plans to use their magic for, but they’re really helping him attempt to remove us from power!”

N-not to mention, potentially killing the three of you and trapping your souls! Sundance stammered

Unwilling to say those words, Twilight wrote them down for Celestia and Artemis to read. The three of them just stared at the scroll for a moment, before looking at each other.

A few minutes later, Celestia took a deep breath and stood. Walking over to the door, she opened it and spoke to one of the guards stationed outside. Then she closed the door and returned to her siblings.

Five minutes later, the three of them looked up at a knock at the door. Using her magic, Celestia opened it to reveal another guard with a box of crystals suspended in his magic.

He bowed before entering the room and setting the box on the floor in front of Celestia. “As you requested, Princess Celestia. If you need more for your research, please let me know.”

“Thank you” Celestia replied, lifting one of them in her magic and inspecting it carefully

Bowing again, the guard turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Artemis cast another soundproofing spell while Celestia examined a second crystal.

“Both of these are pure enough.” Celestia commented, levitating one of them to the center of the room. “We’ll test the spells one at a time. Can you cast the first one on this crystal, Twilight?”

Pulling to the original scroll closer, Twilight reread the first spell.

Sundance watched her youngest carefully translate the spell. Surprised, and impressed, she looked on as Twilight took the translated version of the spell apart and studied each part individually.

In the stars, Sundance, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl turned to each other.

After a moment, Midnight Armor remarked “That was unexpected.”

“Agreed” Star Swirl replied “Translating the spell was one thing, but then . . .”

“She took it apart.” Sundance finished

After thinking for a moment, Midnight Armor commented “Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised.”

Star Swirl’s star flashed “What do you mean?”

Understanding what her husband meant, Sundance slowly answered “You’re right, Midnight. To answer your question, Star Swirl, Twilight has no reason to trust Golden Thunder.”

“I see.” Star Swirl responded “Princess Twilight probably wants to make sure that she knows exactly what his spells will do before she takes the risk of casting them.

In the Crystal Empire, Twilight cast the first spell on the first crystal. They watched as it glowed for a minute before returning to normal. To see if the spell had worked correctly, Twilight sent a decent amount of magic into the crystal. When the crystal stored it successfully, she turned to Celestia and Artemis. “That’s more magic than crystals are supposed to be able to handle, so we know the spell worked.”

Celestia smiled “Thank you”

Twilight was about to respond but paused, surprised, when her horn began to glow again. She watched the quill move to the scroll that she’d taken her notes on. “Is something wrong, Mom?”

Concerned, Celestia, Artemis and Twilight leaned over the scroll and waited to see what their mother had to say.

No. I just wanted to say that your father, Star Swirl and I are impressed.

Confused, Celestia, Artemis and Twilight looked at each other for a moment.

“With what?” Twilight asked

You, Twilight. Celestia and Artemis may not have noticed your actions, but we did.

Twilight blinked “Huh?”

Celestia and Artemis blinked as well.

“What are you talking about, Mother?” Celestia asked

Artemis nodded “She probably translated the spell before casting it on the crystal. There’s nothing unusual about that.”

You’re right, Artemis. However, she did one more thing before casting the spell.

Celestia turned to Twilight. “What’s Mother talking about?”

“I’m not sure.” Twilight replied “The only other thing I did was examine the spell.”

After you took apart.

Twilight shrugged “I do that a lot. Especially with unfamiliar spells.”

Why?

Twilight giggled “You should answer that question, Celestia.”

Giggling as well, Celestia nuzzled her sister. “When Twilight became my personal student, I spent most of the first year teaching her how to control her magic. In fact, the only new spell that I taught her was the Teleportation Spell. I didn't switch to teaching her other new spells until just after her ninth birthday. However, I made sure that some of the spells I gave her were written incorrectly.”

Why in Equestria did you do that?

“I was trying to teach her that, regardless of who she got them from, she needed to make sure that spells had been written correctly before casting them.” Celestia answered

Y-you did this when she was nine?!

Twilight waited for Celestia and Artemis to finish laughing before answering their mother’s question. “Yes, Mom. She did it the rest of the time that I was her student. In fact, I had to fix the last spell she gave me as my teacher.”

Which spell was that?

“Star Swirl’s final spell” Twilight replied

Well, in her defense, she didn’t create that spell.

“I know,” Twilight responded “but she still gave me a spell that didn’t work.” She paused while their mother laughed. “Anyway, that’s why I try to check every new spell before I cast it. The Linking Spell is the only one that I didn’t do that with, and that was because I didn’t have enough time to finish testing it before I cast it on Artemis.”

Artemis kissed his fiancé. “I don’t mind. After all, if you hadn’t cast that spell on me . . . well, I’m not sure where I’d be right now, but I know that it wouldn’t be here.”

Twilight nuzzled him before continuing “Besides, there’s no way that I’m going to cast either of those spells without studying them first. I don’t trust anything that Golden Thunder created.”

Yes, we thought that was the reason and agree that it’s a good idea. However, I’m curious. Why did you ask your sister to cast that spell, Celestia?

“You’ll see” Turning her attention to the first crystal, Celestia focused the power of the sun on it. Almost immediately, the crystal shattered. “Interesting” she muttered “I didn’t burn the magic out of the crystal. Instead, I pushed too much magic into it at once. That’s why it shattered.”

It seems that Golden Thunder’s spell only allows a crystal to store more magic. He forgot to strengthen the crystal itself. That information could be useful.

Glancing at the scroll, and reading the newest message, Twilight commented “You’re right, Mom.”

Hearing this, Celestia and Artemis glanced at the scroll as well. After reading the message, they nodded.

Knowing that Celestia was going to ask her to cast the second spell next, Twilight turned her attention to that one. Like she’d done with the first spell, she carefully translated it before taking the spell apart and studied on each part individually. When she was done studying the spell, she cast the first spell on the second crystal.

Artemis placed a large amount of magic into the crystal while Twilight cast the second spell. Everypony watched the field of magic form around them. Once it had fully formed, Twilight linked the field of magic to the crystal. Everyone watched as the spell began to draw its power from the magic in the crystal.

Twilight tilted her head when a sudden thought occurred to her. I wonder . . .

Sundance wrote her question on the scroll. What are you thinking, Twilight?

Lost in her thoughts, Twilight see the message.

Noticing this, Sundance used the quill to tickle her youngest.

That definitely got Twilight’s attention. Laughing, she fell to the floor. “M-mom! S-stop it!”

Celestia and Artemis had been studying the field of magic. Hearing Twilight’s words, and laughter, they turned and saw what their mother was doing. After staring for a moment, they began to laugh as well.

Seeing that she had her children’s attention, Sundance used the quill to point at her question. Then she went back to tickling Twilight.

In the stars, Midnight Armor turned to his wife. “Sundance! She wasn’t intentionally ignoring you!”

“I know that.” Sundance responded “I’m not going to punish her, but I will make sure that she answers my question. I just needed to get her attention first.”

Midnight Armor laughed “Well, you definitely have her attention now.”

“Yes” Star Swirl agreed, laughing as well “However, you should stop tickling her. It will be rather difficult for her to answer your question if she’s laughing so hard that she can’t speak.”

“Oh, alright” Sundance replied, giggling

In the Crystal Empire, Celestia and Artemis watched as the quill finally stopped tickling Twilight.

When Twilight just lay there, panting, Sundance moved the quill over her youngest again. However, before she could do anything, she heard Celestia’s voice.

“You should let her breathe for a moment, Mother.” She giggled “Besides, I think she needs to use the bathroom now.”

Sure enough, a flash of magic drew their attention to where Twilight had been lying. Finding it empty, Artemis and Celestia looked towards the door to the bathroom. After a minute or so, they heard the toilet flush.

A couple of minutes later, Twilight walked into the room. “What was that for, Mom?”

Sundance waved the quill in the air before pointing at the scroll. When Twilight got close enough to read the words, she wrote. You didn’t answer my question, Twilight. I know I could have spoken to you directly, but Celestia and Artemis should hear this as well. To avoid both of us having to repeat ourselves, I decided to use a different method to get your attention.

Now then, what were you thinking?

Twilight tilted her head as she thought. Seeing the quill move towards her again, she hastily backed up. “W-wait a minute, Mom! I’m trying to remember!”

Celestia, Artemis and Sundance laughed

A couple of minutes later, Twilight remembered what she’d been thinking. “I was wondering if, once the spell has been cast on it, the crystal has a range.”

Range?

“The spell doesn’t say if there’s a certain distance that the crystal can get from the field of magic, and still be able to power it.” Twilight explained

“I see” Artemis commented “If there is a range, the crystal might not be with Golden Thunder when he casts the spell.”

“You’re right” Celestia said slowly “He'll probably try to hide the crystal from us.”

So that’s what you meant. That’s a good question.

Artemis cautiously surrounded the crystal with his magic. When that didn’t disrupt the spell, he easily removed it from the field of magic. Curious, he opened the door to the bathroom and walked backwards into it. The crystal stopped a couple of feet away from the field of magic and refused to go any further. “It does have a range . . . of about two feet.”

Hearing Sundance’s laughter, Twilight looked up. “Mom?”

The quill waved in the air for a moment before returning to the scroll. So it has a range, but that doesn’t help him much. Golden Thunder must have been planning to use the Chimera Anima to transport the souls it ate. Then he’d remove the souls and place them inside the field of magic. After that, he probably planned to have the creature guard the crystal. However, he can’t use that creature this time, so he must have a different plan.

Sundance thought for several minutes before picking up the quill again. The three of you have a better understanding of what’s possible now than I do. Can any of you think of something he would use?

“Hmm” Twilight began “There’s no way that he’d just leave it out in the open for us to attack, and leaving a pony to guard it would be too obvious. Besides, the average pony wouldn’t be able to stop us. He’d have to hide it somehow.”

“Is it possible to shrink it?” Artemis asked thoughtfully

What do you mean, Artemis?

Seeing their mother’s question, Artemis explained “If Golden Thunder can make the crystal small enough, he can either place it in a saddlebag or wear it as part of a necklace. Crystal necklaces are fairly common, and there are some stallions who wear them, so other ponies wouldn’t be suspicious.”

Curious, Celestia took the crystal from her brother and cast a spell to make it smaller.

Everyone watched as the crystal slowly shrank. After a few minutes, it got to a point where it wouldn’t get any smaller.

“You’re right!” Celestia exclaimed softly “It looks like it belongs on a necklace!”

Eyes wide, Artemis nodded “We’ll have to keep that in mind.”

Glancing at the scroll, Twilight noticed that their mother barely had any space left to write. Knowing that this conversation might go on for a while, she levitated over another blank scroll and set it next to the first.

Taking a closer look at the first scroll, Sundance realized why her youngest had done that. Using the last of the free space on the first scroll, she wrote. Thank you.

“You’re welcome” Twilight replied

“You know,” Celestia began, speaking slowly “Golden Thunder could shrink the crystal and give it to somepony else. If that pony stayed just outside of the field of magic, the crystal would be in range, hidden and protected.”

Artemis gasped “He’s not working alone this time, so that could work! Who do you think he would he give it to?”

“Golden Flash is married.” Twilight said thoughtfully “He could have his wife wear it on a necklace.” She paused “Most ponies wouldn’t suspect a little filly. This means that he could also have his daughter wear it.”

“They’re both good points, Twilight.” Celestia responded slowly “He could also give it to another noble.” She sighed “There are simply too many possibilities. We’ll just have to keep our eyes open.”

Nodding, Twilight turned to the second crystal. “What do you want to do with the crystal this time?”

Celestia allowed the crystal to return to its original size, before glancing at her sister. “What I wanted to do with the first.” Moving slowly this time, she focused the power of the sun on the crystal.

After a bright flash of light, it fell to the floor. Lifting it in her magic, Celestia carefully examined it. “It worked. Not only did I burn the magic out of the crystal, I rendered it inert. If I were to do this to any crystal he cast this spell on, he wouldn’t be able to use it again. That means he’d have to get another one, and cast his spells, before collecting magic all over again.”

“That’s good to know.” Artemis remarked “That means we would just need to figure out where the crystal is hidden.”

“Not necessarily” Celestia responded. Seeing the expressions on her sibling’s faces, she explained “We know the range of that spell. If Golden Thunder casts that spell, I can just send the power of the sun through the area around us. One of two things will happen, I’d shatter the crystal or render it inert. Either way, the crystal would be useless. To keep that spell going, several ponies would have to work together to power it.”

Sundance sighed in relief Artemis is right. That is good to know. She thought for a moment. I doubt Golden Thunder will stop there. He must have another plan, or a new addition to his old one. We just need to figure out what it is.

After a moment, she continued. That book really was a journal. He recorded his thoughts on using a creature to steal our souls. It also recorded his search for the right one and his reasons for choosing a chimera. Then it covered his search for the spells he needed.

Sundance laughed He actually considered asking me to teach him how to remove a pony’s soul from their body. Eventually, he decided that doing so was too risky and created the spells himself.

After reading the newest message from their mother, Celestia and Artemis turned to each other, speaking so softly that Twilight couldn’t hear them.

Seeing this, Twilight shrugged and pulled the second book on the composition and qualities of crystals towards her. We already know that Golden Thunder was using crystals, but I should read this anyway. Who knows, it may prove useful. Spreading her wings, she flew the short distance to Celestia’s bed. Making herself comfortable, she opened the book and began to read.

Twenty minutes later, Twilight levitated the book back to the table. If Cadance hadn’t given us that scroll, the second book would have confirmed that Golden Thunder was using crystals. However, because she did . . .

It didn’t contain anything useful? Sundance asked, speaking to Twilight directly

No. Twilight answered All it did was confirm what we already know. It explained that crystals are capable of being altered so that they can store, and channel, large amounts magic. In fact, it seems that the author wrote both books after studying the Crystal Heart.

Twilight thought for a moment. That explains why the second book is here, but it doesn’t explain why Equestria doesn’t have a copy. Oh well, I’ll ask Cadance if I can make a copy for my library. That way, I’ll be able to complete the set. When I get back to Ponyville, I make a copy of the first book and send it to Cadance so she’ll have a complete set as well.

Good idea. Sundance commented

Celestia and Artemis were so deep into their conversation that they hadn’t even noticed what Twilight was doing.

Twilight looked over at them. It doesn’t seem like they want me to hear whatever they’re talking about. Celestia doesn’t want me to know anything specific about the spells that Golden Thunder was using to control the Chimera, so that could be why they’re being so quiet.

I don’t want to interrupt them, so I guess I’ll read another book. Noticing that her horn was glowing again, Twilight asked. What are you doing, Mom?

Sundance used Twilight’s magic to pick up the quill. Levitating it over to her older children, she briefly tickled Celestia before poking Artemis on the nose. When they looked at the quill, she pointed it at the scroll.

Curious, Celestia and Artemis walked over to the table.

Stay here. Sundance told her youngest.

Surprised, Twilight asked D-did I do something wrong?

No, Twilight. Sundance responded I just need to discuss something with Celestia and Artemis.

Alright Twilight said slowly. Shrugging, she levitated another book over to her.

With Twilight focused on the book, Sundance turned her attention to the scroll. It's been almost twenty-five minutes since you began your discussion. In that time, Twilight’s read one of the books that she set aside for research and discussed the results with me.

After a moment, Sundance continued. Twilight hasn’t said anything to either of you because she thinks that you don’t want her to hear whatever you’re discussing. She paused while Celestia and Artemis gasped. You don’t need to worry. She thinks you’re discussing the spells that Golden Thunder used to control the Chimera Anima, and knows that you don’t want her to know anything specific about those spells, so she’s not upset.

Celestia and Artemis sighed in relief

She went out of her way to ensure that the two of you could have your discussion in peace. In fact, she’s reading another book because she wants to give the two of you enough time to finish your conversation.

Glancing at the bed, and seeing that Twilight had her nose buried in a book, Celestia and Artemis winced. Hearing the scratching of the quill, they looked back at the scroll.

There’s nothing wrong with discussing things amongst yourselves, or keeping that information from her. However, in the future, you should wait until you’re alone so you don’t isolate her, or anyone else nearby.

Celestia and Artemis nodded before turning their attention back to Twilight. Deciding not to interrupt, they waited patiently for her to finish reading the book.

Fifteen minutes later, Twilight sighed and closed the book. “Another one that doesn’t have any information that we don’t already know.” Without looking up, she levitated the book back to the table. Instead of pulling another book to her, she lay her head on her forehooves and closed her eyes.

Glancing at her brother, Celestia walked over to the bed. Artemis silently followed and watched as his sister nuzzled Twilight.

Surprised, Twilight looked up to see that Celestia and Artemis were standing next to the bed. “Are you finished?”

Wincing again, they nodded again.

Twilight glanced at the clock. “We should stop for the day. Additionally, I don’t think we’ll be getting any research done tomorrow. It’s Hearth’s Warming, after all.”

Glancing at the sun, Celestia replied “You’re right, it’s time for dinner. As for our research, we’ll just wait until the day after tomorrow.”

“We should head to the dining room.” Artemis commented

Twilight nodded “I don’t even want to think about what Mom would say if I’m late for dinner.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow “Which one?”

Confused, Twilight asked “Which what?”

Understanding what his sister meant, Artemis chuckled “Which Mother are you talking about?”

Surprised, Twilight stopped “I was talking about the one that’s a unicorn but, now that you mention it, it applies to both . . . and I’d hear it from both.” Shaking her head, she began walking again. “Let’s go.”

Sundance, Celestia and Artemis began to laugh

A few minutes later, they walked into the dining room to find everyone waiting for them.

“I was starting to think that you were going to make me come get you, Twilight.” Velvet stated, eyebrow raised

Turning to Celestia and Artemis, Twilight rolled her eyes. “This is what she does when I’m not late for dinner.”

“What does she do when you are late for a meal?” Artemis asked, sitting at the table

Sitting next to him, Twilight responded “When Shiny and I were little, she’d levitate us to the table before giving us a lecture. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t let us eat until she was done. That was usually at least an hour later, so the food was always cold. Then she’d say that it was our fault that the food had gone cold and make us eat it anyway.”

Everyone laughed when Velvet blushed.

Shining Armor sighed “I remember those days.”

“Is that why you always wait until we’re done eating before you begin a lecture?” Cadance asked

Shining Armor nodded “If Flurry’s food is supposed to be hot, I won’t force her to eat it cold.”

Flurry wrinkled her nose “Yuck”

Everyone laughed harder

Cinnamon Spice walked into the room with drinks for everyone. Twilight and Flurry got carrot juice while everyone else got glasses of iced tea.

Twilight took a sip before making a face similar to the one her niece had made a minute ago. Levitating her juice to Flurry, she said “You’re getting extra carrot juice tonight, Flurry.”

“Yay!” Flurry squealed, taking a big sip from the bottle Twilight had given her.

Chuckling, Artemis nuzzled Twilight “I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for a response, he teleported out of the room. A minute later, he returned with a bottle of apple juice.

Twilight smiled when he set it in front of her. “Thanks, Artemis” She took a couple of sips and sighed in relief. “It’s good to know that I can eat, and drink, things made with carrots. Even so, it seems that our foal prefers apples.”

Celestia laughed “I’m sure Applejack will be happy to hear that.”

Everyone else laughed as well

I’m starting to wonder if Artemis brought enough apple juice. Sundance commented

Artemis was wondering the same thing. “I hope I brought enough apple juice. Perhaps I should have brought two dozen bottles.”

Nuzzling him, Twilight whispered “Mom just said something similar.” When he laughed softly, she continued in a louder voice. “It’s alright. I’m glad you thought to bring what you did.” She shook her head “I still can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”

Returning her nuzzle, he replied “You can’t think of everything, Twilight.”

“Artemis is right.” Celestia commented

Before they could say anything else, Cinnamon Spice walked into the room with an Apple Cheddar Quesadilla for Twilight. Two more chefs followed her into the room. One had a large bowl of rubies, emeralds and sapphires for Spike and the other pushed a cart with individual servings of Spinach and Artichoke Alfredo for everyone else. Dessert was a large Apple Cinnamon Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream on the side. Twilight didn’t eat the ice cream, but everyone else did.

After everyone had eaten, they headed to their rooms.

In their room, Artemis and Twilight walked onto the balcony and faced the setting sun. Just before the last of the sun disappeared below the horizon, Twilight turned to Artemis.

“Celestia put extra effort into the sunset today, didn’t she?”

He nodded “I told her that you allowed Mother, Father and Star Swirl to watch the sunset last night.” Seeing Twilight expression, he smiled “As soon as she heard that, she said that she wanted to make tonight’s sunset special for them.”

Sundance gasped

Returning his smile, Twilight nuzzled him before snuggling closer to his side. “Good night, Mom.”

Sundance watched the last of the sunset before replying. Good night, Twilight. I’ll talk to you in the morning.

Wrapping a wing around Twilight, he raised the moon before placing the stars in the sky.

In the stars, the three of them turned to each other.

“I-I didn’t expect her to do that.” Sundance said softly

“I didn’t either.” Midnight Armor remarked “Well, I’m not surprised that Twilight allowed us to watch the sunset again.”

Star Swirl briefly brightened “Especially since I’m sure that she noticed how much you enjoyed yesterday’s sunset, Sundance.”

“However,” Midnight Armor continued “I didn’t expect Celestia to go out of her way to make a special one, just for us.”

A few minutes later, Sundance laughed “We shouldn’t be surprised. It’s just like our children to do that.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Midnight Armor agreed, laughing as well

In the Crystal Empire, Artemis noticed that Twilight was beginning to shiver. “Let’s go inside.”

Nodding, Twilight turned towards the door. Once inside, she walked over to their bed and climbed under the covers.

Smiling, he climbed under the covers as well before pulling her close. When she laid her head on his chest, he wrapped a wing around her. Sighing happily, he closed his eyes and relaxed.

Several minutes later, Twilight spoke softly “Artemis?”

Not bothering to move, he asked “Yes?”

“You wanted to talk about something tonight, right?”

I almost forgot about that. “That’s right.” He quietly responded

“You told me that it was about the argument I had with Mom.” Twilight said slowly “What about it?”

“I felt the castle shake.” He answered

Twilight blushed “I-I didn’t mean to get that loud. I even cast two soundproofing spells. One around the room and another around us.”

Laughing, he nuzzled her “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?” she asked, curious

“You weren’t that angry when Blaze tried to kill me.” He responded

She shuddered “I was more terrified than angry because, at the time, I thought I was going to have to watch you die.”

“I understand” He said quietly, hugging her tighter “And today?”

Twilight growled “My mother told you that you’re not taking care of me and our foal. Then she said that you’re not part of my family before trying to blame you for my actions.” She shook her head “I’m not going to let her do any of that.”

Shocked by her anger, he just stared at her for a minute. Then, using his magic, he lifted her head and pulled her into a kiss. When it broke, he whispered “Thank you”

Taking several deep breaths, she replied “You’re welcome.”

I should have taken this into account before answering her question. At this rate, she’ll probably be awake for several hours. He shook his head No, I won’t allow that. I can’t cast a sleeping spell on her, so I have to find another way to calm her.

Realizing the same thing, and trying to calm herself, Twilight nuzzled into his neck. She felt him shift under her but, before she could say anything, she also felt his breath on her ear. Once again, it sent a shiver down her spine.

That’s odd. She reacted the same way when I accidentally breathed on her ear this morning. He thought for a moment I wonder . . . He gently took the tip of her right ear in his teeth.

She moaned softly. W-what’s he doing? When the nibble was accompanied by a soft breath into her ear, another shiver went down her spine.

Feeling this, he smiled. It appears that it wasn’t a coincidence. Curious, he switched to her left ear. His smile widened when his actions got another shiver. Nibbling on her ear again, he also began rubbing her back. A few minutes later, his smile turned into a grin when her soft moans became more frequent. I’m definitely doing this again.

Twilight had no idea why he was doing this, but couldn’t deny that it felt amazing. Unfortunately, it was creating a problem. I-if he doesn’t stop soon . . . Panting softly, she buried her face into his neck and tried to focus on something else.

Noticing this, he laughed softly and cast a soundproofing spell on the room. Once again, I forgot to consider the effect that my actions would have on her. No matter, I’ll just have to finish what I started. Fortunately, I have no problem with that. Lifting her head, he pulled her into a kiss. When it broke, he rolled her onto her back and began kissing her neck.

She gasped in surprise “A-Artemis, I-”

Lifting his head, he whispered “It’s alright, I understand.” Before she could respond, he ran his tongue along her horn and used his magic to warm the muscles in her back and shoulders.

When he took her horn into his mouth, she suddenly realized how loud she was probably going to get. Unfortunately, with her horn in his mouth, casting a soundproofing spell was out of the question. Instead, she bit down on a hoof.

Seeing this, he released her horn. Using his magic, he took her hoof out of her mouth and pulled her into another kiss. “Don’t worry, I cast a soundproofing spell.” Not giving her a chance to say anything, he ran his tongue along her horn again and slowly entered her.

Closing her eyes, she moaned louder as her body began to shake. A minute later, she screamed in pleasure when he touched the entrance to her womb.

Refusing to tease her this time, he began with slow thrusts. After a few minutes of listening to her moans, he increased his speed. He smiled when those moans turned into screams. A couple of minutes later, he thrust into her and, groaning in pleasure, released his seed.

This sent her over the edge as well. She let out a scream that shook the room, barely noticing that he’d collapsed on top of her.

Recovering first, she sent a wave of warmth through his wings, neck and shoulders.

He gasped in surprise but, still recovering from his orgasm, couldn’t do anything else. When another wave of warmth moved through his wings, he moaned softly and buried his face into her neck.

Twilight opened her eyes . . . and found herself staring at his horn. She smiled before running her tongue along the full length. Feeling the shudder that ran through his body, her smile widened as she stretched so that she could take the tip of it into her mouth. Hearing his moans immediately get louder, she began to suck on the tip of his horn. After a few minutes of this, his moans turned into soft pants. Releasing his horn, she lifted his head and pulled him into a kiss.

T-that was wonderful, but now it’s my turn. Breaking the kiss, he rolled them over and started thrusting again. This time, he didn’t hold back. After a couple of minutes of listening to her screams, he moaned in pleasure when her passage began to pulse and clench around him. A few seconds later, his second orgasm hit as well. Wrapping his hooves around her, he thrust into her once more before releasing more of his seed.

When their orgasms finally ended, they just lay there panting. Realizing that they really needed to take a bath, Artemis used his magic to start the water. Noticing that she was still shaking, he held her tighter.

A few minutes later, she raised her head and kissed him. “Thank you”

He laughed “What else did you expect me to do? Especially when you consider the fact that I’m the one who got you so worked up.”

Also laughing, she asked. “Why were you doing that to my ears?”

“It was an experiment.” He answered

Surprised, she commented “I thought that was my thing, not yours.”

Laughing again, he nuzzled her. “It usually is, but you were the test subject this time. I’d noticed you shiver this morning and was trying to discover what caused it.”

Raising an eyebrow, she asked “Were you able to figure it out?”

“Of course” He replied, laughing harder. To prove his point, he gently blew into one of her ears. He chuckled when he the shiver that ran down her spine. “See?”

Realizing what he meant, she giggled “It seems that your experiment produced an unexpected result. You might want to keep that in mind for future experiments.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” He responded, smiling mischievously “In fact, I plan on using it to my advantage.”

She buried her face in his chest. “Great. Having experiments conducted on me is going to take some getting used to. It’s usually the other way around.”

He instantly began to laugh again. When he’d calmed enough to speak, he said. “We should take a bath so we can get some sleep.”

Nodding, she stood, climbed off of him and walked to the door to the bathroom. He rolled off the bed and followed her.

Ten minutes later, they returned to the room and climbed into bed. The last thing he remembered was wrapping a wing around her. Before either of them could even think about saying anything, they were asleep.

The next morning, Artemis woke to the pull of the moon. After lowering it, and the stars, he nuzzled Twilight and smiled when she turned her face into his chest.

Good morning, Twilight. Sundance laughed when her youngest mumbled “Too early”

Hearing a knock on the door, Artemis used his magic to open it. As he expected, Celestia was standing in the hall.

Celestia raised an eyebrow when she saw that her siblings were still in bed. Closing the door behind her, she walked over to the bed. “Is everything alright?”

Chuckling, Artemis nodded “Somepony doesn’t want to wake up.”

“Oh really?” Celestia asked “We’ll just have to see about that.” Smiling mischievously, she pulled the blanket down and gently ran the tips of her feathers down her sister’s side.

Rolling away from Celestia’s feathers, Twilight buried her face in a pillow. “The two of you are the ones who have to wake up at dawn. Why should I get up this early?”

Celestia, Artemis and Sundance laughed

“We need to eat breakfast, Twilight.” Celestia answered

“So go eat.” Twilight mumbled, pulling the blanket over her head “I’m going back to sleep. Don’t worry, I’ll eat breakfast later . . . at a more normal time.”

Giggling, Sundance used Twilight’s magic to pull the blanket back down.

“Mom!” Twilight groaned “Not you, too!”

Sundance, Celestia and Artemis laughed harder.

Twilight sighed “It’s obvious that the three of you aren’t going to let me go back to sleep.” Without waiting for a response, she teleported to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she walked back into the bedroom. “Happy now?”

“Yes” Sundance, Celestia and Artemis immediately replied

“I don’t know why I asked.” Twilight grumbled “Whatever. Let’s go.”

Noticing her tone, Artemis hesitantly said “You weren’t kidding when you said that you wanted to go back to sleep.”

“No, I wasn’t.” Twilight answered “I really wanted to sleep in today.”

Exchanging glances, Celestia and Artemis followed her into the hall.

“Now that you mention it,” Artemis said slowly “it has been a while since the last time we let you sleep in.”

“You’re right, Artemis.” Celestia responded “Do you want to go back to sleep, Twilight?”

Twilight gave her big sister a look. “How would I be able to do that? I’m awake now and you know that it isn’t safe to cast sleeping spells on me.”

Celestia winced “You’re right.”

I’m sorry, Twilight. Sundance said softly I should have thought about that.

It’s alright, Mom. Twilight replied

But- Sundance began

It’s alright Twilight repeated I don’t want be angry today, so I’m just going to let it go.

Before anyone could say anything else, they walked into the dining room. After a few minutes, Celestia poked her head into the kitchen. Not seeing anypony, she said “I guess Cadance is allowing them to come in a little later than usual because of the Holiday.”

After exchanging glances with Twilight, Artemis asked “What do you want to do now?”

“There isn’t much we can do.” Celestia answered “We’ll just have to wait for everyone else to wake up.”

“In that case, there’s no point in staying here.” Twilight commented “Why don’t we go to one of our rooms?”

Celestia and Artemis nodded

You’re not going to do any research while you wait? Sundance asked

That’s not a good idea. Twilight responded I don’t even want to think about how everyone would react if we did that today.

Seeing her daughter’s point, Sundance replied You’re right.

Artemis teleported the three of them back to the room that he shared with Twilight. They lay down on the bed, with Twilight laying between Artemis and Celestia.

On a sudden impulse, Sundance did something she hadn’t done in centuries. She began to hum a certain song.

Twilight smiled “That song always helps me relax.”

Shocked, Sundance instantly stopped humming. W-what?!

“What song are you talking about?” Artemis asked, curious

Twilight glanced at Celestia “The one you used to sing when I had trouble sleeping.”

“Ah” Celestia commented, smiling “You’re talking about that lullaby.”

Twilight nodded “Mom was humming it.”

S-she sang that song for you? Sundance asked softly, voice shaking I-it’s been so long. In fact, I didn’t think she remembered it.

Curious, Twilight asked. “Why not?”

I wrote that lullaby not long after she was born. Sundance explained I used to sing it for her and Artemis when they were foals.

Twilight’s eyes widened “Wow”

Seeing this, Celestia nuzzled her sister. “What did Mother say?”

Returning her nuzzle, Twilight replied “She told me when she wrote that song and said that she didn’t think you remembered it.”

“I never let myself forget it.” Celestia responded “In fact, it helped Artemis and myself through some tough times.

Curious, Sundance asked. Can you ask her to explain that, please?

When Twilight relayed their mother’s message, Artemis leaned over her and nuzzled his sister.

Unnoticed by any of them, the door to the room quietly opened, revealing that the rest of their family was standing in the hallway. Seeing the expressions on Celestia and Artemis’ faces, they exchanged worried glances. Decided to see what was bothering them, they waited quietly for someone to start speaking.

Artemis took a deep breath. “Keep in mind that, at the time, I hadn’t discovered my Dream Walking abilities yet.” When Twilight nodded, he continued “After Mother and Father died, Celestia and I got very little sleep because we had Nightmares every night.”

“Specifically, we were reliving Mother and Father’s deaths in our dreams.” Celestia said softly

Sundance and Twilight gasped

Celestia nuzzled Twilight before continuing the explanation. “We tried everything we could think of. Sleeping spells helped us get to sleep, but did nothing to stop the nightmares. In desperation, we began sleeping in Mother and Father’s room. That helped a little, but we still kept waking up.” She smiled at her brother.

Artemis returned her smile. “One night, she decided to sing Mother’s lullaby. When she finished, I asked her to sing it again so I could record it. After that, I played the recording as we fell asleep. I know it sounds foalish but, because Celestia’s singing voice is similar to Mother’s, we used to pretend that Mother was the one singing.”

Celestia nodded “We also began sleeping under Father’s favorite blanket. Between Mother’s song, Father’s blanket and the fact that we were sleeping in their room, we were finally able to sleep through the night.”

I-I had no idea. Sundance whispered

Draping a wing over both of her siblings, Celestia continued. “When I was forced to send Artemis to the moon, I had the same problem. By that point, neither Artemis’ recording nor Father’s blanket still existed. However, remembering what Artemis had done, I cast a recording spell and sang Mother’s lullaby. Then, I played it on a loop until I fell asleep.” She laughed softly “Everypony thought I was crazy because, until the castle in Canterlot was built, I insisted on sleeping in what was left of Artemis’ room.”

Celestia, Artemis and Twilight jumped when they heard several ponies sniffle. Turning to the door, they were surprised to find it open. Even more surprising was the fact that, Cadance, Shining Armor, Flurry, Night Light, Velvet and Spike were standing in the hall. All of them, except for Flurry, had tears in their eyes.

“What are all of you doing here?” Celestia asked, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes

“We were going to ask if the three of you wanted to join us for breakfast.” Night Light answered

“How much of our conversation did you hear?” Artemis asked slowly

Walking over to stand next to the bed, Cadance nuzzled her uncle. “I opened the door just before you said that you and Aunt Celestia had nightmares after . . . well, you know.”

Eyes wide, Twilight asked “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Good question Sundance commented It isn’t polite to eavesdrop on other ponies.

Nuzzling her little sister, Cadance responded “At first, we were worried because of the expressions on Aunt Celestia and Uncle Artemis’ faces. Then we didn’t say anything because we didn’t want to interrupt.”

Celestia, Artemis and Twilight exchanged glances before Celestia turned to her niece. “It’s alright, Cadance. As for your question, Night Light, we’d love to join you for breakfast.”

Artemis nodded “We went to the kitchen earlier, but couldn’t find anypony.”

Shining Armor sighed “I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you that we always give the castle staff the morning off on Hearth’s Warming. They’ll be in around noon.”

Flying into the room, Flurry landed on the bed in front of Artemis. Mommy does this when I cry. Nuzzling him, she used a wing to wipe his tears away.

Laughing softly, he returned her nuzzle and stood before placing his grandniece on his back. Moving out of the way, he allowed Twilight and Celestia to get up as well.

Celestia, Artemis, Twilight, Cadance and Flurry joined everyone in the hall before everyone walked to the first floor and out of the castle.

Cadance and Shining Armor led the way to a nearby restaurant. Before going inside, they nodded to a group of pegasi. Grinning, the pegasi bowed before spreading their wings and taking flight.

Seeing the expressions on the faces of her family, Cadance smiled “It’s something else we do on Hearth’s Warming.” Without waiting for a response, she walked into the restaurant. Shining Armor and Flurry followed her.

Shrugging, everyone else followed them into the restaurant.

“Good morning, Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor! Happy Hearth’s Warming!”

Looking at the unicorn couple, Cadance smiled “Good morning, Pearl and Berry. Happy Hearth’s Warming to you as well.” Turning to everyone else, she smiled “Aunt Celestia, Uncle Artemis, Twilight, Velvet, Night Light and Spike. I’d like to introduce Berry and his wife, Pearl.”

Pearl turned to her husband “Usually, we just have Princess Cadance, Prince Shining Armor and Princess Flurry Heart with us on the morning of Hearth’s Warming.”

“You’re right, Sweetie” Berry replied “This year, we have the entire Royal Family of the Crystal Empire and Equestria joining us.” Turning to the visitors, he bowed “Welcome, your highnesses.”

Smiling, Pearl turned to Twilight. “Princess Twilight, can you please come with me?”

Curious, Twilight followed her into the kitchen.

Sundance silently prepared a couple of spells, just in case she needed to protect her daughter.

In the kitchen, Twilight saw a breakfast pastry sitting on the counter. It looked like a muffin, but was as flaky as a croissant. Taking a closer look, she saw that there were apple slices baked into the middle of it. When she got closer, she noticed that it smelled delicious. Her stomach quickly reminded her that it was empty.

Pearl laughed. “Cinnamon Spice told me about your morning sickness, princess. She also told me that the best way to ensure that food stays in your stomach is to make it with apples. I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a while and thought this would be a good time. I’d be honored if you’d try it.”

Twilight smiled “I’d love to.” Lifting a knife in her magic, she cut the pastry in half. Seeing the expression on Pearl’s face, she explained “I’m trying to figure out how you got the apples in the middle.”

Pearl laughed again “Trade secret, princess.”

Also laughing, Twilight said “That’s why I didn’t ask.” After examining the pastry, she took a cautious bite. Immediately, her eyes widened before she took a larger bite. “This is really good.” She tilted her head “It tastes like you used croissant dough as a base, but made a few changes, before adding the apples.”

Surprised, Pearl just stared at Twilight for a moment. “T-thank you, princess. How did you figure out all of that so quickly?”

Swallowing the last of the apple croissant, Twilight asked “Do you remember Pinkie Pie?” Seeing Pearl’s confusion, she elaborated “Really bouncy earth pony mare, blue and yellow balloons for a Cutie Mark, bright pink coat and equally bright pink mane and tail that kind of looks like cotton candy?”

Instantly knowing who Twilight was talking about, Pearl laughed. “Oh, her. The last time I saw her, princess, she was stuffing several cupcakes into her mouth . . . at the same time.” She shook her head “Still not sure how she did that . . .”

“That sounds her.” Twilight replied, laughing as well “She lives, and helps out, at the bakery in Ponyville. She’s far better at it than I am but, thanks to her, I know a bit about baking.”

What’s a bakery? Sundance asked

It’s a shop in which baked goods, like the one I just ate, are made and sold. Twilight replied In fact, the building we’re in now is a bakery. Because of their popularity, many bakeries are also restaurants.

I see. Sundance replied

“That makes sense.” Pearl answered, pausing when Twilight’s stomach growled again.

Surprised, Twilight stared at her stomach for a moment before turning back to Pearl. “I think somepony else likes what I just ate. Do you have another one?”

Sundance laughed Good idea

Taking that as the ultimate compliment, Pearl’s eyes lit up. “A dozen more are in the oven, princess.”

Twilight smiled “Thank you. For now, I should head back to the dining room before Artemis gets worried.” Hearing hoofsteps, she turned towards the door just as he walked into the room.

Sundance giggled It looks like it’s too late for that.

“There you are, Twilight.” Artemis commented, leaning down to nuzzle her.

Smiling, she returned his nuzzle. “Pearl created a new apple recipe and wanted me to try it.”

Glancing at the empty plate on the counter, he remarked. “I think it’s safe to say that you liked it. Were you able to keep it down?”

Twilight nodded

Artemis smiled “Good.” He chuckled, glancing towards the dining room. “We should join everyone else. They’re all wondering what’s taking you so long.”

“The Apple Croissants will be out of the oven in . . .” Pearl checked a timer “four minutes, princess.”

“Thank you, Pearl” Twilight responded, turning towards the dining room. Thank you, Mom.

For what? Sundance asked, confused

Twilight smiled I sensed those defensive spells.

I didn’t do anything. Sundance protested

Seeing that she and Artemis were the only two in the hallway, Twilight giggled.

Hearing this, he nuzzled her again “What’s so funny?”

“When Pearl brought me back to the kitchen, Mom prepared two spells.” Twilight answered, returning his nuzzle “I didn’t recognize either of them, but I was able to tell that both of them were defensive in nature.” She giggled again “She must have thought I didn’t notice because, when I just thanked her, she said that she didn’t do anything.”

Of course you noticed that. Sundance said, laughing softly Somehow, I keep forgetting that your specialty is also magic.

Artemis and Twilight walked into the dining room just as a white, purple and light blue blur came speeding towards them.

“Watch out!” Cadance shouted

“Duck!” Shining Armor yelled

Heeding their advice, Artemis jumped out of the way.

Instantly realizing what the blur really was, Twilight had a different reaction. Spreading her wings, she jumped into the air, hovering directly in its path.

Surprised, everyone looked on as she caught the blur in her forehooves.

Flurry giggled “Auntie Twily!”

Laughing, Twilight nuzzled her niece.

Shaking his head, Shining Armor levitated his daughter to his side before placing her in the high chair that had been placed in between himself and his wife.

Cadance stared at her little sister. “H-how did you do that?”

Twilight and Artemis walked over to the table that everyone was sitting at and sat down, one on either side of Celestia. Once she was seated, Twilight shrugged. “Pinkie does the same thing, especially when she gets excited. Though, in her case, the only thing we see is a bright pink blur and she’s not nearly as easy to stop.”

Shaking her head, Celestia commented “You’re more prepared for your foal than I thought.”

Shocked, everyone else just nodded.

In the stars, Midnight Armor flickered “Celestia’s right.”

“Agreed” Sundance said, flickering as well

“I can’t believe she caught Princess Flurry Heart like that.” Star Swirl commented, also flickering

After a moment’s thought, Midnight Armor hesitantly asked “Does Twilight stop her friend that way as well?”

Instantly concerned, Sundance replied “I hope not.”

In the Crystal Empire, Sundance repeated her husband’s question. Is that how you stop Pinkie Pie?

More or less. Twilight answered Pinkie usually crashes into whoever happens to be in her way. If I have enough warning, I either stop her with my magic or put a shield around myself. However, most of the time, I don’t have any warning at all. As a result, we end up in a pile on the floor.

That’s not good. Sundance responded, clearly worried

Twilight looked up when Berry brought out two Apple Croissants. Everyone else had French Toast with maple syrup. After taking a few bites, she turned her attention back to their mother. She’s been doing that for as long as I’ve known her, so I’m used to it. Besides, she does that to everyone, not just me.

B-but you’re pregnant! Sundance stammered

Pinkie was pretty careful with Mrs. Cake when she was pregnant. Twilight replied I’m sure she’ll do the same with me. If she doesn’t, I’ll talk to her about it.

Not sure what to say, Sundance just watched as everyone finished their meals and left the restaurant.

Everyone, except for Cadance, Shining Armor and Flurry Heart, looked up in surprise.

After a moment of watching the snow fall, Celestia turned to her niece. “I thought the Crystal Heart protected the Crystal Empire from the winter weather.”

“It does” Cadance answered, laughing “However, on Hearth’s Warming, I allow our Weather Team to bring some snow clouds inside. After a couple of feet of snow gather on the ground, we have an afternoon of fun. By tomorrow morning, it will all be gone.”

In the castle, everyone gathered in the living room. Shining Armor turned to his wife. “How should we get her to take her nap this year?”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked, confused

Watching Flurry play with her grandparents and Spike, Cadance explained “We make Flurry take her nap early on Hearth’s Warming because we want her to be awake so she can play in the snow with everyone else.”

Shining Armor nodded “The problem is, like most foals, she never wants to take a nap. Playing usually tires her out but at the rate Mom, Dad and Spike are going, she won’t even be tired at her usual nap time.”

Turning to Cadance, Twilight asked “When do you want her to go to sleep?”

“As soon as possible.” Cadance replied

Twilight smiled “I’ll take care of it.”

Cadance and Shining Armor glanced at each other but, before they could say anything, Twilight walked over to her parents, Spike and Flurry.

When she got close enough for them to hear her, Twilight cleared her throat. “Mom, Dad, Spike . . . If you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow Flurry for a while.”

Looking up at her daughter, Velvet asked “Why?”

Twilight frowned “I’m the only one who hasn’t had any one-on-one time with her and I’d like to change that.” Turning to Flurry, she asked “Playtime?”

“Yay!” Flurry squealed, immediately flying over to sit on Twilight’s back.

Flurry isn’t the only one I’m trying to tire out. Twilight told Sundance

Concerned, Sundance asked Is this about what happened this morning?

No, Mom Twilight answered While Flurry takes her nap, I’ll take one as well so you can have your Mother-Daughter Time with Celestia.

I see. Sundance giggled In that case, you have nothing to worry about. I have no doubt that Flurry Heart will make sure that you’re tired enough for a nap.

Before anyone could say anything else, Flurry teleported herself and Twilight to her room.

“I’m fairly certain that both of them will be taking a nap soon.” Celestia commented, staring at the space where her sister had been standing

Cadance giggled “You’re probably right”

Everyone else laughed as well

In Flurry’s room, Twilight looked around, surprised. Well, that was fast.

You’re right. Sundance replied, just as surprised Flurry Heart must really want to play with you.

“Auntie Twily, look!”

Twilight blinked as a large stuffed animal, an orange cat, was suddenly shoved in front of her face. “That cat’s almost as big as you are, Flurry.”

Flurry giggled “Mommy gave it to me!”

“Did you like seeing the stars?” Twilight asked

“Yeah!” Flurry exclaimed, bouncing in excitement “They were pretty!”

“I can’t take you to see them,” Twilight told her niece “but there is something else I can do.” She smiled at the little filly “I’m going to give you your present now, OK?”

Clearly excited, Flurry nodded

Focusing on the ceiling, Twilight cast the spell that she’d used in her room in Ponyville. When she was done, she looked down and saw that her niece was confused. Giggling, she said “Look up.”

Doing as her aunt told her, Flurry’s eyes went wide when she saw the stars.

“I know it’s not as good as really seeing the stars,” Twilight explained “but you can watch them while you fall asleep.” Before she could say anything else, she found herself caught in a hug. W-wow, she has a tight grip.

“Thank you, Auntie Twily!”

I’d be surprised if she wasn’t happy. Sundance said slowly Where did you learn that spell?

Celestia cast it in Artemis’ room in Canterlot. Twilight replied, returning Flurry’s hug. I was able to figure out what spell she used and did the same thing in my room in Ponyville. I wasn’t planning to cast it here but, once I saw her reaction to seeing the stars, I thought it would be a good present for her.

I-I see. Sundance replied

In the stars, Midnight Armor’s star brightened “I didn’t know that such a thing was possible.”

“That surprised me as well.” Star Swirl replied “Still, Princess Flurry Heart clearly loves her gift.”

Sundance began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Midnight Armor asked, turning to his wife

Still laughing, Sundance replied “Look at what they’re doing.”

Curious, Star Swirl and Midnight Armor turned their attention to what was going on in the Crystal Empire. Both of them laughed as well.

“What game are they playing?” Star Swirl asked

Sundance giggled “It looks like the game that Celestia, Artemis and Twilight showed us during our visit. I think they called it “Tag”.”

“But they’re also hiding from each other.” Midnight Armor pointed out, watching Flurry dive into a large pile of cushions.

“Perhaps Twilight is combining a couple of different games.” Sundance responded “Regardless, it looks like fun.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 59 Estimated time remaining: 16 Hours, 23 Minutes