Seeing the expressions on everyone’s faces, Twilight laughed. “Mom showed me her memory of that evening, so I shared it with him.”

Velvet tilted her head “You call her “Mom”?”

Before Twilight could answer, Artemis explained what had happened when their parents tried to wake Twilight for the baby party.

This time it was Twilight who blushed while everyone else laughed. When they were calm enough to hear her, she replied. “Once I realized that they like it when I call them “Mom” and “Dad”, I began doing it all of the time.”

“That makes sense.” Night Light replied, chuckling

Giggling, Velvet nodded “Before you ask, your father and I don’t mind you calling them that.”

Sundance sighed in relief I’m glad that they don’t mind. Your father and I have become rather fond of hearing you call us that.

Celestia and Artemis glanced at each other, and nodded, before turning to Velvet. “Read the book that Twilight gave you, Velvet.” She said “When you’re done, Artemis and I will show you how to put what you’ve read into practice.”

Wide eyed, Velvet just stared at them for a moment. “R-really?”

Artemis nodded again “We weren’t sure what to get you, or Night Light, because neither of us knows you very well.”

“Instead of getting the two of you something impersonal,” Celestia explained “we were hoping to get to know you a little better before deciding on your gifts. The events of the last few days threw that plan a little off track so we weren’t sure what to do. Therefore, this is actually a good thing.”

Twilight turned to her father. “You should look in the box as well, Dad.” She glanced at Celestia and Artemis before turning back to her father. “Additionally, you should consider it a gift from all three of us.”

Surprised, Celestia and Artemis stared at Twilight.

Good idea. Sundance said, giggling That way, they don’t have to worry about what to get him.

Night Light raised an eyebrow but did as his daughter suggested. After a moment, he pulled out a pair of leather saddlebags. He was about to thank his daughter when he noticed that they felt oddly heavy. Curious, he opened one of the sides. After staring at the contents for a moment, he opened the other side as well. After a moment, he slowly commented. “This is everything that I need to get my work done.”

Twilight nodded “It’s a mobile office. I heard you mention that you didn’t have what you needed to get your work done when you weren’t at home.” Seeing his expression, she shrugged. “I asked Rarity to make the saddlebags. She finished them a little over four months ago. Ever since, I’ve been gathering the materials and making sure that everything fit inside.”

Before Night Light could respond, he heard his son’s laughter.

Exchanging glances with Cadance, Shining Armor levitated a box over to his father. “It seems that Twily, Cadance and I were all thinking of the same thing. Cadance and I heard you say that as well. Like Twily, we decided to do something about it.”

Opening the box, Night Light found extra quills, ink, paper and everything else that he used on a daily basis. Opening one of the sides of his new saddlebags, he found that the extra supplies fit perfectly. Turning to his children, he opened and closed his mouth a few times. “Thank you. However, I have to ask . . . Did all of you plan this?”

Laughing, all of them shook their heads.

“Cadance and I had no idea what they were planning.” Shining Armor replied

“We didn’t tell them what we had planned, either.” Cadance added “It just worked out this way.”

Turning to their mother, Shining Armor levitated a book to her.

Twilight raised an eyebrow “What did you say when I gave Mom a book?”

Good question. Sundance commented

“This isn’t a normal book!” Shining Armor protested

“The one that Twily gave Velvet isn’t a regular book either.” Cadance reminded him

Before Shining Armor could reply, everyone heard a gasp and looked at Velvet.

“It’s a photo album that covers everything that’s happened since Flurry was born.” She said softly

Cadance nodded “We thought you might like to see what she’s been up to.”

In the stars, Sundance turned to her husband. “That was interesting.”

“Agreed” Midnight Armor replied “All of the gifts were well thought out.”

“And personalized for the pony receiving them.” Star Swirl added “Even though Celestia and Artemis didn’t know what to get Twilight Velvet, they found the perfect gift for her.”

Sundance and Midnight Armor briefly brightened

In the Crystal Empire, everyone had gone back to their rooms for the last hour or so before lunch. After stopping in their room to drop off their presents, Artemis and Twilight headed to Celestia’s room.

As soon as her siblings closed the door behind them, Celestia cast a soundproofing spell. Then she turned to Twilight “What do you want to research today?”

Not sure how they would react, Twilight chewed her lip for a moment. “I don’t plan to use this time to do research. Instead, there’s something that I’d like to discuss.”

Worried, Artemis nuzzled his mare “What’s wrong?”

Twilight hesitantly answered “Last night, Golden Thunder told us that he’s going to find a way to pull Mom and Dad back down to Equestria. Is there a way for him to do that?”

“That’s a good question.” Celestia commented, turning to her brother “If there is, we need to know about it so that we can come up with a way to stop him.”

“The only way he can bring Mother and Father anywhere is if he manages to pull their souls out of their stars.” Artemis replied

Using Twilight’s magic, Sundance levitated a quill over to a blank scroll. What if he discovers which stars belong to your father and myself?

“Even if he does discover that,” Artemis answered “he still has to get past the fact that I’ve anchored your souls to them. There are only two ways to remove your souls from your stars. The first was is for him to find a way to destroy your stars. The second is for me to release the spell that is keeping your souls attached to your stars.”

Sundance didn’t respond

Realizing why their mother was worried, Artemis shook his head. “There’s no way for a unicorn to do anything to my stars and I’d never allow him to trick me into giving your souls to him.”

“That’s a good point, Artemis.” Celestia said thoughtfully “It’s been fifteen hundred years since the last time a unicorn did anything with the night sky. I can raise and lower the moon and stars, but that’s it. The stars, including Mother and Father’s, resist when anyone other than Artemis tries to do anything else with them.”

After a moment’s thought, Sundance waved the quill in the air before returning it to the scroll. What about Twilight? She was able to give us enough magic to visit Artemis’ dream last night.

Celestia shook her head “I believe she was only able to do that because she had never done anything with your stars before. It probably won’t work again.”

“Magic said that as well.” Twilight responded “She also said that your stars shouldn’t resist me because I was using her power.”

Artemis tilted his head “If she’s right, and she allows it, you may be able to do that again.” Seeing Twilight’s expression, he smiled “It’s alright, I know that you’d never harm them so I’m not worried.”

Your father and I aren’t worried either. Sundance giggled when she saw Twilight’s expression. You earned our respect when you saved Artemis’ soul. You earned our trust when you protected ours . . . the first time. Your actions last night proved that our trust has not been misplaced.

Shocked, Twilight just stared at the scroll.

Smiling, Celestia and Artemis nuzzled her.

Sundance waited until her children were looking at the scroll before continuing. Unfortunately, there is a way for Golden Thunder to destroy our stars.

Extremely worried, Artemis asked “What are you talking about, Mother?”

His attempts to pull the souls of your father and myself to him means that he’s also trying to remove our souls from our stars. Sundance explained That makes them unstable. If he’s able to make them unstable enough, they’ll die.

“That won’t happen, Mother.” Artemis firmly replied

But-

“Artemis is right.” Celestia interrupted “We won’t allow him to do that.”

“There are four powerful individuals who have promised to protect the two of you.” Twilight added

Surprised, Sundance asked. Four individuals?

“Celestia, Artemis, Magic and myself.” Twilight responded “The four of us are working together to make sure that you and Dad stay safe. Golden Thunder can try as many different methods, and as many times, as he likes but there’s no way that he can get past all four of us. Even if he learns my magic signature, and blocks me, Golden Thunder has no idea that Magic is involved.”

Celestia and Artemis nodded

Before anything else could be said, they jumped when they heard a knock on the door. Using her magic, Celestia opened it to reveal Cadance.

“Lunch is ready.” She informed them “Were you able to get any research done?”

Celestia and Twilight shook their heads.

“We were talking to Mother.” Artemis replied

Cadance smiled “I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation, but we need to eat so we can get this afternoon’s activities started.”

Celestia, Artemis and Twilight nodded and followed her into the hall. They paused for Celestia to lock the door before heading to the dining room.

In the stars, Sundance and Midnight Armor turned to each other. After a few minutes, Midnight Armor slowly said “I-I’m not sure what to say.”

Sundance briefly brightened “They’re more determined to protect our souls than I thought . . .”

“Is that a problem?” Star Swirl asked

“No!” Sundance and Midnight Armor immediately replied

“It’s just unexpected.” Midnight Armor explained

Sundance briefly brightened again “I understand Celestia, Artemis and Twilight’s reaction. However, Magic’s still surprises me. Remember, we don’t know why she believes that it’s vital that our souls are protected. She could have a plan for our souls.”

“You’re probably right.” Midnight Armor responded “Unfortunately, we won’t know what it is until she tells Twilight.”

“You have a point.” Star Swirl remarked “However, I don’t think it’s a problem. After all, she wouldn’t be helping them protect your souls if she planned to harm either of you.”

In the Crystal Empire, Cadance, Celestia, Artemis and Twilight joined the rest of their family in the dining room. Lunch was eaten quickly because everyone wanted to get to the activities that were planned for the afternoon.

Celestia levitated Spike and Flurry onto her back and nodded to everyone else before walking out of the room.

Shining Armor kissed Cadance while Artemis kissed Twilight. Then Shining Armor and Artemis walked out of the room as well.

As they walked down the hall, Artemis turned to Shining Armor. “What are we going to be doing?”

Shining Armor chuckled “You’ll understand in a minute.”

Night Light and Velvet turned to each other. After a moment, Velvet smiled “Do you want to go through the photo album?”

Also smiling, Night Light nodded “Let’s see what our granddaughter’s been up to.”

Night Light and Velvet returned to their room.

Cadance and Twilight headed into the city. As they walked, Twilight looked at her sister “Where are we going, Cadance?”

Cadance giggled “You’ll see.” A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a familiar building. “Here we are.”

Twilight blinked “Why are we at the spa?”

Walking inside, Cadance giggled again. “When I was pregnant, I came here at least once a week. They have a massage package that really helps with the pregnancy aches and pains.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow “I’m not far enough into my pregnancy to be experiencing those.”

“I’m pretty sure you are and just don’t know it.” Cadance giggled at Twilight’s confused expression. “If I’m right, you should be right around the one month mark.”

Twilight nodded “I’ll be hitting that in a couple of days.”

“Then you could really use our pregnancy package, princess.”

Twilight and Cadance jumped before turning towards the voice. They found themselves looking at three ponies. A Pegasus, a unicorn and an earth pony, all mares.

Cadance smiled “Good morning”

All three of them bowed “Good morning, Princess Cadance and Princess Twilight.”

The unicorn bowed again “My name is Honey.”

“My name is Jasmine.” The Pegasus said, also bowing

Smiling, the earth pony bowed as well. “And my name is Petunia.”

Petunia motioned to a couple of massage tables. “Please lay down and make yourselves comfortable, your highnesses.”

Cadance and Twilight each chose a table and did as she asked.

“Princess Cadance, I’ll be taking care of you today.” Petunia stated, moving to stand next to the table that Cadance was laying on.

Smiling, Cadance nodded

Jasmine and Honey walked over to the other table.

After glancing at Jasmine, Honey turned to Twilight. “The two of us will be working together to take care of you, Princess Twilight.”

Before Twilight could respond, Jasmine smiled “Honey will start with a back massage while I’ll begin with a feather alignment. Would you mind spreading your wings for me?”

Returning the smile, Twilight spread both wings and laid them on the table.

Meanwhile, in the castle, Celestia had decided to take Flurry and Spike to Flurry’s room. With a mischievous smile, she levitated a pillow into the air before throwing it at her grandniece.

Flurry squealed in surprise when she was hit in the side. When Celestia gently hit her on the other side with a soft cushion, she giggled and used her magic to take the cushion and throw it back at Celestia.

Grinning, Spike grabbed the orange stuffed cat and growled.

Surprised, Flurry turned towards him.

As soon as she was facing him, Spike bopped her on the nose with one of the cat’s front paws. “Gotcha!”

Laughing now, Flurry picked up another cushion with her magic and threw it at Spike.

Soon the air was full of flying pillows, cushions and stuffed animals. After a while, Celestia noticed that Spike and Flurry were out of breath. Not wanting them to get too tired too quickly, she ended the game.

“Aww” Flurry pouted

Spike copied her “Aww”

Celestia laughed “We’re going outside now. That’s where we’ll get a little rest before playing the next game.”

Flurry immediately stopped pouting “Yay! Let’s go!” She flew over and landed on Celestia’s back. “Come on, Spike!”

Standing next to Celestia, Spike looked up at her. “I can’t fly, remember? You need to give me a minute to get up . . . Hey, put me down, Flurry!”

“OK!” Flurry put Spike down . . . right next to her on Celestia’s back.

Surprised, Spike just looked at her for a moment before giving her a hug. “Thanks.”

Laughing again, Celestia walked out of Flurry’s room and headed for the ground floor. Once there, she walked outside and paused for a moment. Before she could do anything else, she heard Artemis’ voice. That’s odd. It almost sounds like he’s . . . Curious, she spread her wings and took flight, making sure that her passengers stayed on her back.

Following her brother’s voice, she flew around the castle. When she saw what Artemis, Shining Armor and several members of the Crystal Guard were doing, she smiled. I haven’t seen Artemis do that in centuries. That settles it, we’re playing the next game here.

Choosing a spot off to the side, but within sight of her brother and Shining Armor, she cast a barrier that was the size of a small house. After thinking for a moment, she also cast a spell that blocked teleportation spells.

Turning to Flurry and Spike, she smiled “Artemis and Shining Armor are out here as well. We don’t want to distract them, so we’ll stay inside my barrier. We’re all a little tired from the pillow fight, so we’re going to rest for a while.”

Pouting slightly, Flurry lay down on Celestia’s back. Hearing Shining Armor’s voice, she looked up. Squealing in delight, she pointed at her father. “Daddy and Uncle Art are playing a game!”

Curious, Spike looked at Flurry before following her hoof. Seeing what she was pointing at, he immediately began to laugh. They’re not playing, but it looks like they’re having fun.

Just as Celestia, Flurry and Spike were getting settled, Cadance and Twilight were walking out of the spa.

Twilight sighed in pleasure as she stretched her wings. “Thanks, Cadance. I needed that more than I thought.”

“I thought so.” Cadance responded, giggling “I’ve known you for a long time, Twily. Whenever there’s a problem, you focus on research and forget about everything else. In fact, I’m sure you’ve been doing the same with this mess.”

Before Twilight could say anything, Cadance asked. “How many times has Uncle Artemis told you that you need to stop doing something and come to bed?”

“Only once!” Twilight immediately answered “Before you jump to conclusions, I wasn’t researching anything.”

Cadance raised an eyebrow “Uh-huh”

“I’m teaching Fire Fly’s class for the rest of the school year, remember?” Twilight asked “I was trying to grade papers but Artemis wouldn’t let me!”

Cadance giggled “Fine, you get a pass on that one. What about meals? How many times have Aunt Celestia and Uncle Artemis had to find you to tell you that it was time for dinner?”

Twilight thought for a moment “Twice. The first time was after class had ended for the day. We were in the library because I was helping my students improve their reading.” She shrugged “I lost track of time.”

Laughing now, Cadance said “Alright, you get a pass for that one as well.” She paused “And the second?”

Twilight sighed “I was researching part of Golden Thunder’s plan.”

Cadance laughed harder “I knew it!”

Sundance laughed as well

“In my defense,” Twilight said “I hadn’t been able to keep anything solid in my stomach for two days. I didn’t want to eat dinner because I knew that I was going to throw it up. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, Artemis and Celestia made me eat anyway.” She scowled “I was right. In fact, I didn’t even get to finish eating before it came back up.”

Cadance draped a wing over her sister. “That part of being pregnant is very annoying. Regardless, my point is that you have to take it easy. Too much stress can be dangerous for a pregnant mare.”

Cadance is right. Sundance said softly It’s true that Golden Thunder’s actions are making that difficult. Regardless, you must find a way to balance your work, and research, with taking time for yourself.

Before she could respond, Twilight noticed that she and Cadance were walking up to the castle. She paused when she heard something. “What was that?”

Surprised, Sundance said I didn’t hear anything.

Pausing as well, Cadance raised both ears. After listening for a moment, she replied. “I’m not sure, but it’s coming from behind the castle.” Curious, she headed towards the sound.

Equally curious, Twilight followed her sister. As they got closer to the source of the sound, she could hear it a little more clearly. Instantly recognizing it, she began to laugh. “I’d know that sound anywhere, somepony’s training.” She listened carefully “It sounds like Shiny.”

Cadance nodded “You’re right. That’s exactly what, and who, it is. Should we go watch?”

Twilight nodded

“They must be in the training yard.” Giggling, Cadance led the way around the castle. “I should have known that’s where Shiny would take Uncle Artemis. It’s this way.”

As they walked closer to the training yard, Twilight glanced around. Seeing a movement off to the side, she turned to look . . . and immediately began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Cadance asked

Still laughing, Twilight answered “Look left”

Curious, Cadance did just that. As soon as she saw what Celestia had done, she began to laugh as well. The two of them walked over to her barrier and paused just outside it.

Celestia giggled “You can come in. I’m just making sure that somepony” She nodded up at Flurry “can’t get out. She thinks that her father and Artemis are playing a game and wants to join them.”

Sundance laughed

Shaking her head, Cadance watched her daughter fly in circles. “Did she take her nap?”

Celestia shook her head “I’d planned to play a game out here before taking the three of us to my room.” She laughed “Unfortunately, I got a little distracted.”

Laughing as well, Cadance nuzzled her aunt. “It’s alright. She’ll just have to go to bed a little early tonight.” Glancing at her husband, uncle and several members of the Crystal Guard, she continued “It may not be a good idea to get any closer. Instead, we should watch them from here.”

Sundance laughed harder Cadance is right. Artemis was always a little . . . enthusiastic . . . when it came to training. He's breathing heavily, so he must have just finished his run. It’s a shame that we got here too late to watch him.

Twilight giggled I can’t speak for Artemis, but Shiny always gets a little too into his training.

Curious, Sundance watched Shining Armor’s movement’s closely. I see what you mean. However, I have to say that he’s doing relatively well.

Just after lunch, Shining Armor led Artemis down the hall and out of the castle.

Artemis was about to ask where they were going when he saw the training yard coming into view. At first, he was struck by the size of it but then he paused when he saw something that he didn’t expect.

Shining Armor and Artemis stopped at the edge of the yard and watched least two dozen Crystal Guards go through various training exercises.

Confused, Artemis turned to Shining Armor “Shouldn’t most of your guard still be on vacation?”

Laughing, Shining Armor replied “Every guard in front of us is on vacation.” Seeing Artemis’ expression, he laughed harder. “None of these ponies have been forced to come here. I allow them to use this training yard whenever they want . . . as long as it’s for training.”

Artemis chuckled “I see. That means you have some very dedicated guards.” After watching the guards train for a while, he turned to Shining Armor. “I doubt you brought me out here to watch your guards train.”

Smiling sheepishly, Shining Armor shook his head. “When I heard your parents’ names last night, I realized that it wasn’t the first time I’d heard them. At first, I thought it was just because I’d read the books in the Canterlot Library when I was the Captain of Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard.”

Artemis raised an eyebrow “At first?”

Shining Armor nodded “Last night, after Magic cancelled her communication spell, most of us went to our rooms.”

“I see.” Artemis remarked “Am I right in guessing that you were the one who didn’t?”

Shining Armor nodded “I realized that I’d read your father’s name on something in the library here but couldn’t remember what it was.” He shrugged “I went to the library to see if I could find it.”

“Were you able to find what you were looking for?” Artemis asked I didn’t know that there was anything with Father’s name here.

Nodding again, Shining Armor summoned a large scroll. “Not long after I moved in, I found this in the library. At the time, I had no idea what it was.” He paused thoughtfully “Actually, I still have no idea what it is. However, if you look at the bottom left corner, you’ll see something interesting.”

Curious, Artemis did as Shining Armor suggested. At first, he didn’t see anything unusual but a closer look made him gasp. “That’s Father’s signature!”

“I thought so.” Shining Armor was about to say something else, but paused when he saw the thoughtful expression on Artemis’ face.

“It looks like Father was designing a training course for the Crystal Empire.” Artemis commented “This is identical to the one that we had behind the castle in the Everfree Forest.” Glancing around, he said “It looks like it’s over there.”

Shining Armor followed Artemis to the old training yard. “Nopony ever comes back here because the training yard you saw has better equipment.”

Taking a closer look at the paper he held in his magic, Artemis tilted his head. “This is strange. There’s more in the plans than what we see here.” Taking a closer look at the training yard, Artemis suddenly chuckled “I see what Father did.”

Curious, Shining Armor asked “What did he do?”

“What we see is only half of what’s really here.” Artemis answered “You’ll see what I mean after I cancel his illusion spell.” He closed his eyes and lit his horn.

Neither of them had noticed that the guards had stopped training and followed them.

“Did you know that there’s an illusion here?” One of them, an earth pony, whispered to another guard.

The second guard, a unicorn, shook his head. “I don’t sense anything, but that doesn’t mean much. My magic is all offensive. That means I can’t cast, or dispel, illusions. Most of the time, I can’t sense them either.” After a moment, he shrugged “Let’s see what Prince Artemis does.”

All of the guards nodded and turned their attention back to the princes.

Meanwhile, Artemis had begun to dispel Midnight Armor’s illusion. A couple of minutes later, he opened his eyes, looked up and smiled. “That should do it.”

Shining Armor, and all of the guards, gasped when the illusion fell. For several minutes, they just stared at what it had been hiding.

The entire field was taken up by a track. However, this wasn’t a normal track. It had large stone pillars that a pony had to run around. Some of them were hanging from ropes so that they swung back and forth over the track and had to be dodged. There were also boulders that had to be jumped over or ducked under.

The part that had been hidden by the illusion was meant for pegasi. This also had objects that had to be flown over, under or around. Like the ground track, there were moving objects that had to be dodged.

Glancing around, Artemis paused when he noticed that the guards were standing behind them. Turning to Shining Armor, he remarked “We seem to have gained an audience.”

“What?” Seeing Artemis nod to something behind them, he turned to find that the guards were no longer training. Chuckling, he commented “I’m not surprised. I’m sure that none of them were expecting this.”

Still staring at the newly revealed training track, the guards silently shook their heads.

Shining Armor turned back to Artemis “I’ve never seen anything like it. You said this is a training course?”

“Yes” Artemis replied “The bottom part is for unicorns and earth ponies, but Pegasi and alicorns can use both parts.” He paused “You probably think it’s strange that we used this instead of training equipment like we saw your guards using earlier.”

Shining Armor nodded

“None of that equipment existed fifteen hundred years ago.” Seeing Shining Armor’s expression, Artemis shrugged “We trained with what we had around us. Eventually, Father decided to combine those things to create a training course.”

“That makes sense.” Shining Armor responded, looking over the track “What are we supposed to do with” he nodded at the course “that?”

Artemis chuckled “I’ll show you how it’s done. However, I need you to keep in mind that I haven’t used this type of training course in over a thousand years. That means I’m out of practice.”

Shining Armor nodded I’ve always wondered how strong he really is. Now I’ll get to see him in action.

Artemis created a stopwatch in midair. Seeing the confused expressions on everyone’s faces, he explained. “A pony is supposed to be timed as they go through this course.”

“I see” Shining Armor replied

Artemis took off his royal finery and set everything on the ground a few feet away. Then he took a few minutes to stretch before nodding to Shining Armor.

Returning the nod, Shining Armor watched Artemis move to the boulder that served as the start, and finish, line. “Three, two, one, Go!” His eyes widened when Artemis took off like he’d been shot out of Pinkie’s party cannon. H-he’s fast! He could give any of the Wonderbolts a run for their money!

Everyone watched as Artemis completed three laps. The first one was on the ground track only. For the second lap, he only used the track in the air. For the third lap, he used both tracks.

Shining Armor stopped the clock when Artemis crossed the finish line. He was about to congratulate Artemis on a job well done, but paused when he saw the annoyed expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“That was far too slow.” Artemis answered

Mouths open, everyone just stared at him. A couple of minutes later, Shining Armor managed to ask “T-that was slow?”

Looking at his time again, Artemis nodded “I’m currently almost three times slower than I was a thousand years ago, and I missed one of the pillars.” He sighed “Clearly, I need more practice.”

None of the guards noticed Celestia, Flurry and Spike show up. Instead, they watched Shining Armor walk over to the start position.

“You should catch your breath, Artemis.” Shining Armor said “While you do that, I’ll give it a try. Can you time me?”

Nodding, Artemis reset the stopwatch and turned to Shining Armor. “Are you ready?”

Shining Armor nodded

Returning the nod, Artemis said “Three, two, one, Go!”

Shining Armor immediately took off. While he wasn’t as fast as Artemis, it was still a respectable speed.

Everyone was so focused on Artemis and Shining Armor that no one noticed when Cadance and Twilight arrived a little over a minute later.

Artemis watched him carefully. He’s doing rather well. Especially when you consider the fact that he’s never used this type of course before. When Shining Armor completed his third lap, Artemis stopped the clock and announced his time.

Artemis walked over to Shining Armor “That wasn’t bad, especially for your first try. You just need to be more careful at the turns because that’s where some of the moving pillars can surprise you.”

Breathing heavily, Shining Armor nodded “T-thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” Glancing up at the sun, he sighed before turning back to Artemis. “We’ve only got time for one more run before we have to head inside and wash up for dinner. I can practice later, but you should take another run. Maybe you’ll be able to shave a few seconds off of your time.”

Also nodding, Artemis moved to the start point. “This time, I’m going to use both tracks for all three laps.”

Surprised, Shining Armor stared at him for a moment before nodding.

In the stars, Midnight Armor’s star brightened “Artemis must have found, and dispelled, my illusion.” After a moment, he laughed “I’m sure that today is the first time in centuries that he’s used that kind of track.” He paused “In fact, that may be the only one that survived the last fifteen hundred years. Even so, I can’t wait to see how he does.”

Sundance briefly brightened “You’re right, Midnight. This should be interesting.”

Star Swirl briefly brightened as well “I was always focused on studying, or creating new spells, so I’ve never seen him train.”

Midnight Armor turned to his wife “Can you ask Twilight to get closer, but to make sure that she doesn’t distract him?”

“I was already planning on it.” Sundance replied

Midnight Armor and Star Swirl laughed

In the Crystal Empire, Twilight lifted her head when she heard their mother’s voice.

Your father and I would like to know if you would mind getting closer. Make sure that you don’t distract Artemis, please.

Sure. Standing, Twilight cast a camouflage spell.

Startled, Celestia turned to where her little sister had been standing. “Twilight?”

“Mom asked me to get closer so she and Dad can watch Artemis. However, she told me not to distract him.” Twilight laughed “Artemis won’t be distracted by somepony that he can’t see, right?”

Sundance, Celestia, Cadance and Spike laughed as well

Twilight walked out of Celestia’s barrier, spread her wings and took flight. Moving silently, she landed a few feet from her brother. Is this close enough?

Sundance laughed That’s perfect.

Unaware of his sister’s presence, Shining Armor called out “Three, two, one, Go!”

Artemis took off, just as fast as the first time. Taking his own advice, he was more careful at the turns. Additionally, he made sure that he didn’t miss anything. At the end of his third lap, he crossed the finish line and skidded to a stop. “Well?” He asked, panting softly

“Y-you were thirty seconds faster this time.” Shining Armor slowly replied

Catching his breath, Artemis sighed “That’s an improvement over my last run, but I still need to practice. A thousand years ago, I was able to do the same in half the time.”

Shocked, Sundance stammered H-half?!

Equally surprised, Twilight shook her head I-I’m not sure how he could have been that fast.

Same here. Sundance replied

Everypony looked up as Celestia and Cadance walked up to them. Cadance had Flurry on her back while Spike sat on Celestia’s.

Artemis looked around for a moment before turning to Cadance. “Where’s Twilight?”

Cadance shrugged “She’s around here somewhere.”

Twilight quietly walked to Artemis’ side before dropping the camouflage spell and nuzzling him.

Startled, Artemis jumped before turning to her.

Twilight giggled “You were looking for me?”

While everyone else laughed, Twilight used her magic to gently pull his head down so she could whisper in his ear. “Mom wanted me to get closer so that she and Dad could watch you. However, she told me to make sure that I didn’t distract you. That’s why I decided to use a camouflage spell.”

Laughing, Sundance said T-that was perfect, Twilight!

Twilight giggled again but, before she could respond, Artemis raised his head.

Making sure to breathe in her ear, and smiling at the resulting shiver, Artemis quietly replied “I see. What did Mother think?”

Twilight returned his smile “She doesn’t know how you could have been twice as fast as you are now.”

He laughed “I’m not surprised. I may be slower than I was a thousand years ago, but I’m faster than I was fifteen hundred years ago.”

In the stars, Sundance giggled “Twilight is such a little prankster!”

Midnight Armor briefly brightened “It appears that Celestia taught her well.” He chuckled “Of course, Celestia got her mischievous side from you, Sundance.”

Sundance just laughed

Midnight Armor flickered “I must say, I’m impressed with what I saw today. However, if Artemis really was twice as fast a thousand years ago . . . well, I hope he’s able to get back to that point because that’s something that I’d really like to see.”

Star Swirl briefly brightened as well “As I said earlier, I hadn’t seen him train before. Like Sundance and Princess Twilight-”

Sundance and Midnight Armor laughed

Confused, Star Swirl asked “What?”

Midnight Armor chuckled “You used Twilight’s title again.”

“Oh, right.” Star Swirl replied, clearly embarrassed “A-anyway, I’m not sure how he can be faster than what we just saw.” He thought for a moment. “If you don’t mind, I have two questions for you, Midnight Armor.”

“I don’t mind at all.” Midnight Armor replied “What are your questions?”

“One, why did you cast an illusion spell over the top half of that training course?” Star Swirl began “Two, how could that course have survived fifteen hundred years in such good condition?”

“They’re both good questions.” Midnight Armor remarked “I’ll answer the first question first. Fifteen hundred years ago, while the Crystal Empire did have a guard, there weren’t any pegasi in it. I included the top half of the training course so that Artemis and I would be able to train when we visited, but decided to keep it hidden when we weren’t using it.” He sighed “I was planning to bring him with me the next time I went to the Crystal Empire.”

Star Swirl’s star flashed “You and Artemis were the only two to use that kind of training course?”

“That’s right” Sundance answered “Celestia and I preferred to work on our magic because we didn’t believe in relying on physical strength.”

“I see.” Star Swirl replied “And the second question?”

“The Crystal Heart didn’t exist when I built that training course.” Midnight Armor explained “I cast a preservation spell because I wanted to protect it from the harsh climate.” He laughed “It seems to have also protected it from the passage of time.”

“That makes sense.” Star Swirl commented

In the Crystal Empire, the Royal Family had joined Night Light and Velvet in the dining room. Twilight and Flurry were each served a glass of milk and a plate of Maple-Glazed Carrots. Spike ate a bowl of emeralds. Everypony else ate vegetable fried rice. For dessert, there was a large apple pie.

When they’d finished eating, everyone retired to their rooms for the night.

In Artemis and Twilight’s room, Artemis smiled at Twilight. “We should go onto the balcony. Especially if you want to allow them to watch the sunset.”

Nodding, Twilight walked out onto the balcony and sat down, making sure to face the setting sun. Artemis sat next to his mare and wrapped a wing around her.

When the sun had fully set, Sundance said Sleep well, Twilight.

Smiling, Twilight replied Good night, Mom. She watched Artemis raise the moon before placing the stars in the Night Sky.

His job done, Artemis turned to Twilight. “I don’t know about you, but I need to get some sleep.”

Twilight smiled “I’m not tired yet, but I’ll go to bed as well.”

“Are you sure?” Artemis asked

Twilight answered his question by climbing into bed.

Laughing softly, he climbed in as well before pulling her closer and wrapping his hooves around her. A few minutes later, he was sound asleep.

She shifted her head enough to look out the window. I think I’ll watch the stars until I fall asleep.

The next morning, Artemis woke to the pull of the moon. Opening his eyes, he lowered the moon and stars.

Not sure if her youngest was awake, Sundance quietly said. Good morning

Yawning, Twilight nuzzled into Artemis’ chest. “Good morning, Mom”

Surprised, Artemis shifted slightly so that he could look at her. Unfortunately, as soon as he did, he groaned in pain.

Twilight lifted her head “Artemis?”

Before he could respond, Artemis heard a knock on the door. Using his magic, he opened the door to reveal Celestia.

Entering the room, and closing the door behind her, Celestia walked over to the bed. She was about to suggest that they get some breakfast, but paused when she saw the look on Twilight’s face. “Twilight?”

Twilight glanced at Celestia before returning her attention to Artemis. “I heard that, Artemis. What’s wrong?”

Good idea. Sundance commented You can eat breakfast a little late today. It’s more important to make sure that Artemis is alright.

Smiling at his mare, Artemis replied “I’m fine, just sore.” Seeing the expressions on Celestia and Twilight’s faces, he explained. “Yesterday was the first time that I’ve done that in a very long time.”

“You right” Celestia slowly replied “You should have started with the basics and worked your way up to the training course. No wonder you’re sore.”

Artemis nodded, wincing when the movement reminded him just how sore he was. Laying his head on a pillow, he closed his eyes and tried to relax.

Celestia and Twilight looked at each other and nodded.

Artemis couldn’t hold back a moan of pleasure when several waves of warmth suddenly swept over his body. Surprised, he opened his eyes to see that Celestia and Twilight's horns were both glowing. “W-what did you do?”

Twilight laughed “I used my magic to send a few waves of warmth through your body.”

“I used the warmth of the sun to do the same thing.” Celestia added, smiling at her brother

Watching her son roll out of bed and stretch, Sundance laughed softly. It looks like your plan worked.

I hope so. Twilight replied

Sighing in relief, Artemis nuzzled his sister before pulling Twilight into a kiss. “Thank you. That feels much better.”

“Good” Celestia responded, opening the door and walking out of the room. “Let’s get some breakfast.”

Nodding, Artemis and Twilight followed her into the hall.

In the dining room, they found Cinnamon Spice waiting for them. As soon as she saw them, she sighed in relief. “There you are, your highnesses. I was getting worried.”

Celestia, Artemis and Twilight glanced at each other before turning to Cinnamon Spice.

“Why were you worried?” Twilight asked

Cinnamon Spice replied “The three of you usually eat breakfast as soon as Princess Celestia rises the sun. When you were late today, I thought something was wrong.”

“We appreciate your concern,” Artemis began, smiling at Cinnamon Spice “but the three of us are fine. I was sore this morning because I’d overexerted myself yesterday.”

Cinnamon Spice sighed in relief “That’s good” She gasped when she realized what she’d just said. “T-that’s not what I meant! I-” She paused when Twilight laughed.

“It’s alright” Twilight told her “We understand what you meant.”

Celestia and Artemis nodded

Cinnamon Spice sighed in relief before laughing when Twilight’s stomach growled. “I have a surprise for you, Princess Twilight.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, surprised

“Pearl brought you three of her Apple Croissants for breakfast.” Cinnamon Spice replied, smiling when Twilight’s eyes lit up. Turning to Celestia and Artemis, she continued “We have blueberry pancakes ready for both of you.”

Artemis, Celestia and Twilight smiled and sat down as their food was brought in. Just as they were finishing, everyone else walked into the room. Cinnamon Spice brought out stacks of blueberry pancakes for everyone else. Celestia, Artemis and Twilight decided to wait until everyone else had finished eating.

When everyone had finished, Velvet and Night Light took Spike and Flurry out into the city.

Shining Armor turned to Artemis “If it’s alright with you, I already have something planned for us today.”

Artemis raised an eyebrow but, before he could say anything, Shining Armor shook his head.

“It’s not training. I think both of us need a rest day.” He groaned as he shifted his left shoulder. “I don’t know about you, but I’m way too sore to do any . . . What are you doing, Twily? Princess Celestia?”

Everyone else turned to see that Celestia and Twilight’s eyes were closed and their horns were glowing. Like they’d done for Artemis, they sent waves of warmth through Shining Armor’s body.

Shining Armor moaned in pleasure, before sighing in relief, as his pain instantly faded.

Artemis chuckled “I assume you don’t have that problem anymore.”

Surprised, Shining Armor shook his head before turning to his sister and Celestia. “What did you do?”

“I used magic” Twilight began

“And I used the power of the sun” Celestia continued

“To send waves of warmth through your body.” Twilight finished

Everyone else laughed

Still laughing, Cadance nuzzled Celestia “Thank you. I’m sure that Shiny feels much better now.”

“Cadance is right.” Shining Armor replied “Thank you”

“So, Shining Armor,” Artemis began “you were telling me that you have something planned for us today?”

Shining Armor nodded “I know that you and Twily haven’t set a date yet, but I’d like to discuss the security for your wedding.” Seeing Artemis’ expression, he shook his head “I don’t think you’ll have the same problem at your wedding that Cadance and I had at ours.”

Everyone laughed

“However,” Shining Armor continued “with everything that’s going on right now, you can’t be too careful.”

“That’s a good point.” Artemis responded “Very well. Where do you want to go?”

Shining Armor laughed “Twily’s favorite place.”

Artemis laughed as well “The library.” He kissed Twilight before following Shining Armor out of the room.

In the dining room, Cadance turned to Celestia “We’ll be spending the day together.”

Celestia nodded “What will we be doing?”

“I’ll answer that in a minute.” Cadance replied “First, I want to ask Twilight what she has planned for today.”

Surprised, Twilight said “I was planning to spend the morning with both of you and get some research done this afternoon.”

Cadance shook her head “I’m sorry, Twily. Part of what Aunt Celestia and I will be working on is a surprise for you. Unfortunately, that means you can’t join us.”

Twilight’s ears drooped “Oh. In that case, I guess I’ll spend the day getting research done.” She paused “Actually, that’s probably a good idea.”

Sundance, Celestia and Cadance gasped “What?”

Seeing Celestia and Cadance’s expressions, Twilight shrugged “We’re returning to Canterlot soon.”

“That’s right” Celestia said “We’re leaving tomorrow afternoon.”

Turning to Celestia, Twilight replied “We probably won’t be doing any research tomorrow morning, so today is the last chance.”

Celestia nodded “We’ll probably be spending the morning with everyone.”

Twilight shrugged “You and Artemis are both going to be busy for most, if not all, of today. This means that I’m the only one who can finish the research that we started.” After thinking for a moment, she continued “Besides, didn’t you say that I’m in charge of the research?”

I never thought I’d regret saying that. Celestia reluctantly nodded

“Then I’d better get to work.” Twilight responded “I’ll probably be in your room all day.” After Celestia nodded, she turned to Cadance “Before you say anything, I’ll make sure that I eat lunch. Besides, if I don’t, I’m sure that Mom will say something.”

Before Celestia or Cadance could protest, Twilight teleported out of the room. For a couple of minutes, they just stared at the space where she’d been standing.

Sighing, Celestia turned to Cadance “Let’s get started.” I’ll find a way to make it up to Twilight later.

Twilight appeared in the middle of Celestia's room. Then she cast a soundproofing spell and walked over to the table. Before she could do anything else, she paused when she heard Sundance’s voice.

Are you really alright with this?

Twilight sighed “It doesn’t matter if I am or not. The research has to be done and I’m the only one who didn’t have plans today. Besides, I already told Celestia and Cadance that I’d do this.”

You didn’t answer my question. Sundance pointed out

Realizing that Sundance wasn’t going to leave it alone, and remembering what Artemis had told her about their mother’s determination, Twilight sighed again. “No. But, like I said, it doesn’t matter. This needs to be done.”

Sundance wasn’t sure what to say, so she didn’t say anything. Instead, she watched her youngest pull a book closer.

In the stars, Sundance’s star dimmed. “I wish she didn’t have to do this.”

“Agreed” Midnight Armor replied “I understand why it’s worked out like this, but I still don’t like it.”

“What do you mean?” Star Swirl asked

“Shining Armor and Artemis are discussing the security for the upcoming wedding.” Midnight Armor explained “Cadance told everyone that she would be giving Celestia her gift today. She also said that part of what they’re working on is a surprise for Twilight.”

Suddenly, Sundance gasped

“Sundance?” Midnight Armor asked

“Look at what she’s doing.” Sundance slowly replied

Curious, Midnight Armor and Star Swirl turned their attention to Twilight. Both of them immediately gasped as well.

“She keeps pulling books to her.” Sundance commented

Midnight Armor just stared at his youngest “H-how many books is she reading?”

“Eleven” Star Swirl answered “Make that twelve.” He flickered “H-how is she doing that?!”

In the Crystal Empire, a few hours had passed. In fact, it was almost time for lunch.

Twilight was busy reading the books that she had suspended in her magic. A few minutes later, she tilted her head. “That’s weird” She muttered “It almost seems like . . . no, that can’t be right. That would mean . . .” She gasped “I really hope I’m wrong. Hold on, which book was the first part in? Okay, and the second part is . . . over here. And the third is . . . got it.” On a hunch, she pulled the scroll with Golden Thunder’s spells closer and reread the first spell.

Eyes wide, she sat down. “I was right.” She breathed “It’s not included in his original spell, but it is possible to add it.”

Worried, Sundance asked Twilight? What did you discover?

“There are two ways for Golden Thunder to put magic into the crystal that he’s storing magic in.” Twilight slowly replied “The first is the usual way of a unicorn placing some of their magic into any object.”

Alright. Sundance replied What’s the second?

After a moment, Twilight hesitantly answered “I don’t know if Golden Thunder knows about this but, given who we’re dealing with, it’s probably safe to assume that he does. There is a spell that he can cast on it so that the crystal will continuously draw magic from the pony holding, or wearing, it.”

What?! Sundance exclaimed

“Thankfully, that spell can only draw magic from ponies who have enough magic. That means he can only use the crystal to take magic from unicorns.” Twilight continued “However, if there’s a unicorn who refuses to give him their magic, he can ask them to hold the crystal . . . and it would draw magic from them.” She paused thoughtfully “It would also allow him to draw magic from foals. Most foals don’t have enough control over their magic to send it to another object. Unfortunately, he could still take magic from them by having them hold, or wear, the crystal.”

T-this means that he can take magic from far more ponies than you thought. Sundance stammered Celestia and Artemis need to know about this! It doesn’t matter what they’re doing, this is important enough to interrupt them.

Glancing at the clock, Twilight said “It’s time for lunch so they might be in the dining room.” Without waiting for a response, she set the books and scroll on the table. Then she teleported to the dining room.

In the dining room, everyone looked up when Twilight suddenly appeared near the door.

Twilight sighed in relief when she saw that Celestia and Artemis were sitting at the table. Walking over to them, she used her magic to lower their heads. Making sure that her horn was touching both of theirs, she shared her memory of what she’d discovered.

Horrified, Celestia and Artemis just stared at her for a moment. When they opened their mouths, both of them said the same thing.

“What?!”

Twilight had expected them to do that, so she’d already pinned her ears to her head. Everyone else needed a few minutes for their ears to stop ringing.

A few minutes later, Shining Armor shook his head. “That was loud.”

“D-do I want to know what that was about?” Velvet hesitantly asked

“Probably not.” Twilight answered “But I’m sure you’ll ask anyway.” She paused “Actually, there’s no reason that you shouldn’t know about this. However, like everything we’ve told you so far, don’t tell anyone.” When everyone nodded, she told everyone what she’d just discovered.

After a minute of stunned silence, everyone else shouted the same thing. “What?!”

Flurry tilted her head, looking at her parents. “Mommy? Daddy?”

Without turning her gaze from Twilight, Cadance levitated her daughter into her lap and gave her a hug.

Sitting at the table, Twilight continued “I have no proof that Golden Thunder even knows that this is possible, let alone is doing it.”

Celestia shook her head “We have to assume that he knows about this.”

Artemis nodded “Celestia's right. We also have to assume that he’s cast that spell on the crystal that he’s using to store everypony’s magic in.”

Twilight chewed her lip for a few minutes before turning to Celestia. “What’s Golden Flash’s daughter’s name?”

Surprised, Celestia answered “Jade Butterfly”

“That’s a pretty name.” Twilight commented “How old is she?”

“Eight years old.” Celestia replied “She’s not in your class because her mother, Amethyst Rose, home schools her.” She paused “Why do you ask?”

“It’s just a hunch,” Twilight answered “but I think Golden Thunder gave the crystal to her.”

Everyone, including Sundance, gasped

Concerned, Artemis asked “What makes you say that?”

“I’m not sure.” Twilight replied, smiling at Cinnamon Spice as a plate of sautéed carrots with a small side salad was placed in front of her. After taking a few bites of her carrots, she returned her attention to Artemis. “I hope I’m wrong, but I can’t shake the feeling that she’s the one who has it.”

“I see.” Celestia commented “Did you discover anything else?”

Twilight shook her head “The rest of the books contain information that’s either useless or something that we already know.”

That’s fine with me. Sundance remarked Your discovery is more than enough. This is especially true if you’re right.

Twilight thought for a moment “I don’t think there’s much more that we can learn from the books that we set aside for research. Instead, I’d like to go into the city after lunch.”

Cadance gasped “After learning that, you want to go sightseeing?”

Twilight shook her head “That’s not what I have in mind. There’s something that I want to buy. If I can find it, I’ll tell Celestia and Artemis what I plan to do with it.”

Celestia, Artemis, Cadance and Shining Armor looked at each other before turning to Twilight.

“We’re coming with you.” Celestia said

Artemis, Cadance, Shining Armor, Velvet, Night Light and Spike nodded.

“What?” Twilight asked, surprised “I thought you, Artemis, Cadance and Shiny had plans for the day. As for Mom, Dad, Spike and Flurry, you spent all morning in the city, right? Aren’t you tired?”

Artemis nuzzled his fiancé “That’s true, but this is far more important. Besides, Shining Armor and I can continue our discussion the next time we see each other.”

Shining Armor nodded

Cadance glanced at Celestia before turning back to Twilight. “We’ve finished earlier than I expected. In fact, we were already planning to join you after lunch.”

Velvet smiled at her daughter “You’re right. Your father and I are tired from spending the morning in the city, but we can rest later. Besides, as Artemis said, this is important.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, but decided not to say anything. Instead, she finished her salad before drinking the last of her carrot juice. Looking at plate that had held the salad, she commented. “This is the first time in almost a month that I’ve been able hold down solid food that wasn’t made with apples or carrots.”

Cadance smiled “Maybe you’re starting to get over the morning sickness.” She tilted her head “At most, you should only have to wait another couple of weeks before you’ll be able to return to eating normally.”

Artemis sighed in relief “I hope you’re right.”

When everyone had finished eating, they left the castle and walked around the city.

Every time they came to a jewelry store, Twilight ducked inside. She exited the fourth one with a small bag and a large smile. “Found it!”

It’s a lovely necklace. Sundance commented However, I’m curious. What do you intend to do with it?

You’ll see. Twilight replied

They spent another hour in the city, just walking around. Then they returned to the castle. Celestia teleported Artemis and Twilight to her room while everyone else returned to their rooms to get some rest before dinner.

After casting a soundproofing spell, Celestia turned to Twilight. Artemis did the same. “What did you buy?”

Twilight opened the bag and pulled put a simple, but beautiful, necklace. The chain was gold, but the pendant was a butterfly cut from a single piece of jade.

“It’s beautiful, Twilight!” Celestia said softly “I assume it’s for Golden Flash’s daughter.”

Twilight nodded “If I’m right, she’s wearing the crystal as a part of a necklace. I plan to replace that necklace with this one. However, we need to cast some spells on it first.”

“What spells do you have in mind?” Artemis asked

“A protection spell, a magic drain block and a spell to make sure that the necklace can’t be taken off of her unless one of us allows it.” Twilight answered

“I see” Celestia commented “You want to make sure that Golden Thunder can’t harm the filly, exploit her or use her against us.”

Twilight nodded “If I’m wrong, and she doesn’t have the crystal, I’ll give this to her anyway. That way, Golden Thunder won’t be able to do anything to her.”

Good idea. Sundance said

Celestia thought for a moment. “Golden Flash also has three sons but they’re all in their late teens and out of the house. In fact, none of them live anywhere near Canterlot.”

“That means we shouldn’t have to worry about them.” Artemis remarked, sighing in relief

Celestia nodded “This actually comes at a perfect time because I’ve perfected my spell to stop magic from being drained from a pony.” She smiled “I have no problem with casting it on the necklace, but I’m also going to cast it on something that each of us wears. For Artemis and myself, I’ll cast it on our Royal Necklaces. As for you, Twilight, I’ll cast it on your engagement ring.”

Artemis and Twilight watched as Celestia did exactly what she said she would. Then Artemis cast the spell to ensure that, once Jade Butterfly put the necklace on, only he would be able to take it off. Once Artemis had finished, Twilight cast the most powerful protection spell she knew on the necklace.

That done, Twilight placed the necklace back in the bag before teleporting it to the room she shared with Artemis.

“Now that that’s taken care of,” Twilight began “we need to decide what we’ll do if we see that crystal.”

For the next hour, the four of them worked together to come up with a plan.

In the stars, Sundance brightened considerably “Thank goodness” She commented, sighing in relief “I’m very glad that Celestia finished, and perfected, that spell.”

“I am as well” Midnight Armor replied, also sighing in relief “Now that she’s cast it, Golden Thunder won’t be able to drain their magic.” He paused “We have no proof that he plans to steal their magic, but . . .”

“It’s a possibility.” Star Swirl finished “That means it must be taken seriously.”

“Agreed” Sundance and Midnight Armor replied

In the Crystal Empire, everyone had finished eating dinner and retired to their rooms for the night. Once they’d arrived in their room, Twilight and Artemis went onto the balcony to watch the sunset.

As soon as the sun had fully set, but before Artemis raised the moon, Sundance spoke to Twilight. Thank you for allowing us to watch this.

Twilight smiled You’re welcome, Mom.

I heard Artemis tell you that Celestia has been putting extra effort into the sunsets for your father, Star Swirl and I. Sundance continued Please thank her for doing that.

I’m not trying to be rude, Twilight replied but I think you should thank her yourself. If you want, you can use my magic to “talk” to her tomorrow morning.

T-thank you, Twilight. Sundance said softly Sleep well.

Have a good night, Mom. Twilight responded

After raising the moon, and placing the stars in the sky, Artemis turned to Twilight. “I’m not tired enough to sleep yet, but I’d like to relax for a while.”

Nodding, Twilight walked back into their room. Artemis followed her to the bed and joined her under the covers. As soon as he was settled, he pulled her close and wrapped his hooves around her. Sighing happily, she laid her head on his chest. Instead of speaking, they looked out the window and watched the stars.

A couple of hours later, Artemis felt something move. Surprised, he looked down in time to see Twilight shift slightly, and mumble something in her sleep, before nuzzling deeper into his chest. Laughing softly, he held her tighter and closed his eyes. It wasn’t long before he fell asleep as well.

The next morning, Artemis woke to the pull of the moon. After lowering it, and the stars, he nuzzled Twilight. He laughed softly when she responded by nuzzling deeper into his chest and stayed that way for a few minutes.

Sundance chose that moment to speak. Good morning, Twilight.

After a moment, Twilight lifted her head and lay it in his chest. “Good morning, Mom.”

Laughing again, Artemis said “Good morning Mother.”

Before Sundance could respond, Celestia opened the door and walked into the room. Closing the door behind her, she smiled and walked over to the bed. “Good morning, Mother, Artemis and Twilight.”

Laughing, Artemis and Twilight replied “Good morning”

Didn’t you want to say something to Celestia, Mom? Twilight asked

Sundance giggled Yes.

Celestia was about to suggest that they go get some breakfast, but paused when Twilight’s horn began to glow. Is it Twilight or Mother? Twilight would just say it, so it’s probably Mother. “Is something wrong, Mother?”

Not at all. Sundance answered I just wanted to thank you for the beautiful sunsets that you’ve created over the past couple of days.

Last night, I asked Twilight to thank you for me. However, she told me that she would allow me to use her magic so I could do it myself.

Smiling, Celestia nuzzled her sister. “I see. In that case, Thank you, Twilight and You’re welcome, Mother.”

Sundance, Artemis and Twilight laughed

Next Chapter: Chapter 62 Estimated time remaining: 14 Hours, 19 Minutes